New Vertical Horizon video "Instamatic" features Neil Peart

THE STAGE HECKLER: Gin Blossoms' Greatness Goes Beyond the Music

What you see here is the set list from tonight's live performance, courtesy of the Gin Blossoms. I grabbed it at the end of the gig, much to the amazement of 20 onlookers with the "I didn't know you could do that!" look on their face.

Grabbing the set list is the ultimate souvenir in many ways. It's hand-crafted by the band for just that show (printed from a computer, but you know what I mean), and typically reveals quirks or things they were considering playing that they didn't, such as the "Cajun Song" that you see on the list...and if you're lucky, and it was on the ground, you might get the guitarist's shoe print on it...or someone's spit. Or worse.

I'm always amazed how many other attendees don't think to ask, as tonight I was the only one inquiring to a roadie about it. He nodded, knelt down in front of where guitarist Jesse Valenzuela had been playing on stage right, removed the tape, and handed it over. No problem. I think that's the fourth set list I've been part of grabbing...there was Live in 1994, Matthew Sweet in 1996, Ratt a couple weeks ago, and now the Gin Blossoms.

Now let's talk about the band.

They might be touring the casino circuit these days, and they might be leaning heavily on material from their signature album, 1992's New Miserable Experience, for their live set...but this band from Tempe, Arizona -- now going on 20 years strong -- are survivors.

The sound of the Gin Blossoms is timeless in some ways, but also heavily rooted in the Tempe bar scene of the late 1980s & early 90s around the Arizona State campus. I should know, as I was attending ASU during those exact years that the Blossoms flourished from bars like Long Wong's, which has sadly since been demolished as Mill Avenue literally erased any sign of its history block after block (when Tempe whored out what remained of its soul to development interests in the late 90s -- Long Wong's...Bandersnatch...Cannery Row...the list goes on -- but that's a long story for another day). They'd also play local frat houses until they turned into a worldwide touring act. I had the pleasure of seeing them perform at several parties back in the day.

Seeing them live tonight conjured up many of the influences from back in the day that one might overlook, but are rather obvious if you know their music. The Stones and R.E.M. seemed to be the most obvious...the interplay between the two guitarists, Jesse Valenzuela and Scotty Johnson, echoed elements of the duo of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Lead singer Robin Wilson seemed to have a mic & stage style in the likeness of Michael Stype. He handed his tambourine to someone in the audience to play along, and sang into someone's cell phone on a couple of occasions. It was amazing how much he sounded like Elton John when they played "Rocket Man" in the encore.

The Blossoms are one of those bands born to play live. They shine and thrive in the live setting, and very much have a live sound even in their studio recordings.

In their early days, there were years of hiccups, false starts, and the difficulty of getting known beyond the Tempe scene. Between the long frustration of trying to get on with a major record label, losing their co-founder /guitarist /main songwriter Nicky Hopkins to alcohol and eventually a suicide in 1993 (as the melancholy lyrics and feel of Experience reveals much of his illness), and after surviving a breakup in the late 90s, these guys appear to be back and stronger than ever. A new album is due out in 2010.

The most impressive thing about this band, however, is their character and heroism...which comes from an incident that occurred in 1994. Every August, when students start the fall semester at ASU, a popular activity is to raft down the Salt River. Unfortunately there can be lots of accidents on the river, and to/from the river, caused by drinking or recklessness. That fall, a female student was severely injured in a motorcycle accident enroute to the river and didn't have medical insurance...so while she lay recovering in a local hospital, the band got together to put on a benefit concert at Long Wong's bar in Tempe. The result was thousands of dollars raised through donations to help pay for the girl's medical bills...and remember, this is 1994...interesting context to current times.

If that isn't the mark of greatness, I don't know what is. The music of the Gin Blossoms is timeless and a personal sentiment, as they are part of the soundtrack to some incredible and memorable college years...but I believe it's that single act of thoughtfulness and heroism that defines them.

Paying attention when you're busy

I've been completely and utterly out of the loop on the live acts coming to town this year. Life's priorities have taken over...like, for example, starting a new business.

I'm starting to feel the effects of what the demands of time and treasure have brought to bear on other parts of my life, especially music...especially LIVE music.

Just the other day, I found out that Phish will be playing the Gorge for two straight days this coming August 7 & 8...and the shows have been sold out...uh, since March. That's right. It took approximately THREE MONTHS after tickets went on sale for my finding out that the band has plans to come through town...and I thought I was keeping up on them. Crap.

It's amazing how sidetracked one can get with other things.

I'm missing the smaller acts coming through town too...earlier today, I opened up the weekly freebee, the Seattle Weekly, which I usually pickup over lunch at Taco del Mar...only to find out that an Australian band I like called The Church, who seldom ever pass though Seattle (let alone tour), played last night at a small venue in downtown Seattle called the Triple Door.

My first reaction was: You're kidding me, right?

Ouch...that one hurt. I would have LOVED to see that band...and it probably wasn't very expensive, either.

This is a sign that I need to stop what I'm doing every now and then, and pay more attention to stay in tune with one of the things I still love to do: see my favorite bands play live.

THE REVIEW CORNER -- The Refreshments: Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (1996 issue, Polygram)

There are some albums out there that pass under the radar amongst the general population, but serve as hidden gems to epitomize a certain time and place.

Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy by The Refreshments - one of a handful of bands that came out of Tempe, Arizona in the late 80s and 1990s - defined what a Tempe bar band sounded like in that time period, and define the culture and landscapes of Arizona...and the life of an Arizonan passing across the border to a town such as Rocky Point, Mexico.

This is a bit of a rambly and scattered post, so bear with...hopefully it should give off a feel much like the album in question...scattered and wistful tequila brains.

Lots of memories lie in the Sonoran Desert and the highways between Tempe, Tucson and Rocky Point...like when all of ASU and UofA would head down there for the Labor Day weekend to let loose.

So then I guess it only makes sense to set a tone and paint the picture by the lyrics from one of the album's premier tracks, "Mexico":
Well the good guys and the bad guys,
they never work past noon around here.
They sit side by side in the cantina,
talk to senoritas,
and drink more beer.

You get the idea...

This album also screams Tucson on Y2K...it was first introduced to me by a friend who came to visit me from Phoenix after I'd first moved there at the end of 1995 for a job. The band took hold, and I saw them live later that year at what was called the courtyard in front of the America West building (now defunct airline) in Tempe, in the heart of several bars whose names I've long forgotten.

I'd throw on the disc occasionally for a couple years thereafter, but it really reared its head back on New Year's Eve 2000...for some reason it was the fitting selection for that time...and my good friend Mr. Mop was introduced to the band on that night as well.

The open desert sky and 90s college lifestyle of Arizona, through a drunken tequila-tinged long-range looking glass, are all over this album. It opens with the rager "Blue Collar Suicide," seemingly a love/hate bitch session about a girlfriend.

Another highlight is "Mekong," with some of the album's most classic lines:
Barkeep
We need to go around again
One for me and what's his name
My new best friend
Deal me in and I'll pick my cards up off the floor
I'll see a lucky coin
And raise a pack of lies

Smile to the girl at the door
Another 4 dollar whore
But don't look her in the eyes
She'll break your heart
We came all the way
From Tempe today
Still Bangkok's pissin' rain and we're going blind again
And I haven't seen my girl in fifteen thousand miles

Well is it true
It's always happy hour here
And if it is I'd like to stay a while
Well as cliche as it may sound
I'd like to raise another round
And if your bottle's empty
Help yourself to mine
Thank you for your time
And here's to life

Much of the album seems to psychologically moan and ache into the absurd...almost boasting, in a strange way, an overblown wistful element.

It might seem far-fetched, but it actually echoes the fate of many who pass through the transient desertscape of Arizona, and speaks to the ever elusive Rosetta Stone that resolves each person's trials and tribulations lying somewhere in the timeline of the enigmatic and beautiful Sonoran Desert.

I know. I lived it...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

...so, to that effect, there's also the life-gone-into-the-trash tune "Interstate":
Well you should have known better
Dead thoughts and lost horizons
And to take it further
It don't get any better
Well out here on the border
Ain't nobody asking questions
No I don't need a miracle
But I could use a push in the right direction

Handgun and a bottle of Boone's
and a "69" Ford
and a new pair of shoes
Left from Boise Idaho '95
When they crossed the state line
They were just in time to fall
Asleep at the wheel

Last fact of the matter
Never was no facts involved
And to take it further
It never really matters
Well out here on the border
Ants drag bones across the hot dry ground
and over there at the trailer park
They got a million souls at the lost and found

While it may seem a bit like a eulogy of a soul now camped out in the desolate corner of the junkyard on a hot Phoenix day pushing 120 degrees, the poetry and imagery of this band was never stronger in any of its work...I would imagine...not that I really know what I'm talking about here.

Oddly enough, I've never actually heard another album by The Refreshments, and I'm not convinced that I ever need to. The statement that is this lost 90s classic, Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, says everything to me that I need to know from this corner of the tequila bar, just over the Arizona border in that little Mexican town known as Rocky Point.

Here's more of an official report on The Refreshments:

While the Gin Blossoms were Tempe, AZ's most recognizable band in the post-grunge era, the Refreshments were perhaps the town's hometown favorite. Their brand of alternative pop/rock owed much to the band's Southwestern environs, whose influence increased with their sophomore effort The Bottle & Fresh Horses (and later came to fruition with the spin-off Americana outfit Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers).

Oddly enough, the very elements that endeared the Refreshments to their Arizona audiences -- the quartet's localized sound, mariachi-styled detours, and Tempe-centric lyrics -- prevented their music from finding true national appeal apart from the modern rock hit "Banditos." The fledgling Mercury Records sacked the group after their second album failed to provide a follow-up hit to "Banditos," and the Refreshments called it quits the following year (Mercury would also fold in 1998, having been absorbed into the Island Def Jam Music Group). Nevertheless, the Refreshments' legacy lives on in the Southwest, where the aforementioned Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers have since emerged as one of the area's biggest draws.
The Refreshments' roots date back to 1993, when Arizona State grads Roger Clyne (vocals, guitar), Brian David Blush (guitar), and Arthur "Buddy" Edwards (bass) first convened for a night of drinking and card-playing. A musical partnership formed and was soon completed by P.H. Naffah (drummer), whose association with Clyne would later extend into the Peacemakers. The band issued a self-released full-length debut, Wheelie, in 1994, with an EP titled Lo, Our Much Praised Yet Not Altogether Satisfactory Lady following shortly thereafter.

Both releases proved to be incredibly popular locally, with the original 2,000 pressings of Wheelie selling out quickly. Mercury Records took note and signed the band in 1995, later issuing their major-label debut, Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, in 1996. Propelled by the hit single "Banditos," whose irreverent lyrics spun the tale of a Mexican crime caper, the album enjoyed moderate success. The Refreshments' good luck continued into 1997, when an instrumental composition (which the band had previously performed during soundchecks) was chosen as the iconic TV theme song for King of the Hill.

The band's mature follow-up, The Bottle & Fresh Horses, was also released in 1997, but it failed to gain much traction outside of local Arizona radio. The Refreshments subsequently lost their contract with Mercury, and the group disbanded in 1998. Buddy Edwards refashioned himself as a fiction writer, and Blush found work as a guitarist for several local bands. Clyne and Naffah would continue to explore the intersection of traditional Southwestern music and rock & roll with Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, an Arizona supergroup whose lineup has featured members of the Gin Blossoms, Dead Hot Workshop, and Gloritone. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide

Election countdown psyche-out: music defining the times

I don't usually like to get political on this blog, however with the election 11 days away, I can't help myself.

Music and politics do sometimes cross paths...more often than not, actually. There's lots of music out there that is political in nature, but there are only a handful of albums that can be deemed sharply topical enough to apply to the state of the country and the world over the course of this decade.

The music I have listed here is ranked in order of significance, so if you're interested in picking any of these up I'd work from the top down. A small hint: it's a bit left-leaning.

So here it goes.

1. Neil Young - Living with War (2005). The quintessential anti-Bush album; Neil Young's primal scream against the administration and its policies. Interestingly enough, Young comes across as more of a single voice in the crowd than some random complaining artist. That being said, Young has plenty to complain about, and he might actually have a point...Living with War involves mainly Iraq, and focuses on various aspects of war and its consequences. It also screams impeachment and the desire to look for a new leader. The most essential album of the times. Living with War is a very relevant and sympathizing with lots of the anger out there in the country.
2. Green Day - American Idiot (2005). The Gen X version of Living with War, with the punk edge. It's not quite as heady as Young's album, but has its moments. It's actually refreshing to hear Green Day getting more personal and behind societal issues. The album has much more substance to it than just its title track, and it focuses on a wide array of issues Americans are facing today; including war and illegal survellaince...but it's mainly about Iraq.
   
3. Roger Waters - Amused to Death (1992). Waters is totally amazing and prophetic...and one might conclude that the guy doesn't really like war. The subject matter of this project from the early 1990s calls out unrest and wars in the Middle East, as it came off the heels of the Gulf War...and Roger does it in a tone of sarcasm as only he knows how. It has a little bit of everything, including a musing on a cheering crowd-filled stadium and the voice of Marv Albert commentating on a sub torpedoing an oil tanker in sports play by play fashion, in addition to a skewering of Andrew Lloyd Weber. The subject matter, which involves war and how power and oil drives it, is as relevant today as it was 15 years ago.
   
4. Rush - Snakes & Arrows (2007). Lyrically very heady, but there may be no piece of work out there that's more relevant to the state of the world. This is what you get when you hear an atheist Libertarian Canadian drummer commentating on the state of the world through a falsetto singer. Had Rush been an American band, Peart's lyrics probably wouldn't be as couched in metaphor, as the band is careful about coming across as too specifically topical when it comes to the American-based politics Canadians are affected and understandably frustrated by. However, Snakes & Arrows is as political as the band has ever been since 1984's Grace Under Pressure. The use of lines like "The battle flags are flown at the feet of a God unknown," obviously deliver the point straight home, and there's many more weighty and interesting moments in this project. Snakes & Arrows is a fascinating and mature response to the far-right religious ideology and dogmatic shit sandwich that has been shoved down the throats of many Americans, Canadians, and the like over the last several years. For those who sit down with it and take it all in, Peart's lyrics will have you pondering the subject matter long after the listen.
   
5. Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way (2006). What can I say...I just couldn't help myself. There's no artist out there who's more relevant to what's been happening this decade than the Dixie Chicks...or more victimized. The subject matter in this album covers the issues they dealt with several years back when they took flack and were banned on many of the country airwaves after criticizing the Bush administration. Much about it involves their response to the criticism...so I had to throw a personal call out here to these brave women and all the unneccessary crap they put up with. Here's to free speech...Dixie Chicks, this one's for you!
   

So those are the recommendations...only 11 days until the election! Rock the vote, everyone! Happy voting!

THE STAGE HECKLER: Neil Young inspires the Everett faithful

Neil Young is a GOD. It's that simple.

I don't think I've ever seen a performer more passionate about his music than Neil Young...and from all accounts, he bestows to his fans the same guts as a man approaching his mid-60s that he did 40 years ago.

This was my second Neil Young concert. I was four rows back from the stage last night at Comcast Arena in Everett, Washington....about 20 miles north of Seattle, the newer venue serves as a nice alternative for acts that come through town. I'd say it's a much better option than Key Arena in Seattle, which is traffic nightmare central.

Opening the night was a band called Everest, which I wasn't familiar with, and Death Cab for Cutie, an interesting alternative band from Seattle with a mosaic that echoes bands like U2 and The Stone Roses...however the singer has a unique style that I'm still getting used to...I'm not saying I don't like him, I'm just getting used to him.

Since my favorite band has a falsetto singer with a high-pitched shrill, I figure I'm the last one on the planet to be intolerant of other singers I might need to adapt to.

So back to Neil.

Unlike last year, when he split the show between acoustic and electric sets (see post on that show here), all songs were part of one set. Electric Neil sandwiched Acoustic Neil in the middle portion of the set.

I love how this guy mixes things up.

There was an indication that electric Neil was going to open up the show when his guitar tech Larry Cragg brought Old Black onstage...that's his prized guitar that he's used since the 1960s.

When the show began, he launched into "Love and Only Love," one of the classics from Ragged Glory, his grungy 1990 project and perhaps the best project to date with Crazy Horse.

He soon brought up one of my personal favorites, "Powderfinger," which originally appeared on 1979's Rust Never Sleeps. He was emotionally involves with his music as he sweat and sneered through many of the vocal passages.

One of the amazing qualities of a live Neil Young performance is how he seamlessly transitions from the beautiful electric sludge of tunes like "Hey Hey, My My," where his extended solos careen through the auditorium with sounds like a dinosaur moaning in pain from a leg amputation...to the acoustic grace and sentiments of a song like "Old Man."

He seemed to have a bit more energy onstage tonight than a year ago at WAMU Theater in Seattle...where at times he even seemed a bit disoriented onstage.

Not tonight.

The only ones who were disoriented were the audience, left fending for their lives as they took blows to the head from the dungeon of Neil's grungy extended jams.

How can I explain it...Neil Young's sludgy electric brand of rock & roll is the equivalent of a musical axe being swung at your head...and, elated, you can't wait for that blade to chop into your skull...only the blade hasn't been sharpened in awhile, and it has pits and gouges in it...so it just manages to knock off a chunk of your skull...get it? Sure you do.

Okay, we're getting carried away here...what did he play last night?

The set list:

1. Love and Only Love
2. Hey Hey, My My
3. Everybody Knows this is Nowhere
   
4. Powderfinger
   
5. Spirit Road
   
6. Cinnamon Girl (they goofed the opening and started it over...too funny.)
7. Oh, Lonesome Me
8. Mother Earth
9. The Needle and the Damage Done
10. Unknown Legend
11. Heart of Gold
12. Old Man
    
13. Get Back to the Country
14. Just Singing a Song
    
15. Sea Change (or is it "See" change?)
    
16. When Worlds Collide
    
17. Cowgirl in the Sand
18. Rockin' in the Free World
19. [encore 1] A Day in the Life (In his effort to make as much racket as possible at the end, he ends up ripping off the guitar strings from Old Black)
    
20. [encore 2] The Sultan (instrumental with a big gong being hit by a guy dressed in swami gear...very odd)

You can follow all the set lists from Neil Young's tour at SugarMountain.org.

So that's it...I'm hoping that Neil's next project involves Crazy Horse again...now THAT'S the show I'm waiting to see!

THE REVIEW CORNER -- Coldplay: Viva la Vida (2008 issue, Capitol)

Ouch! Things look a bit painful here.

I tend to be a bit of a stuffy room when it comes to taking in new bands.

As much as I try to keep an open mind on something new, it takes something very very special to get my attention, let alone to get me to like it.

I've been better about it recently, and it's bore some great fruit with newer English bands like Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, and Coldplay.

Of course it depends on your definition of "new." For me, new basically means since the mid-1990s. Part of my issue with getting into a "new" band is that I am attracted to staying power and the way a band showcases itself live. That's a little difficult to do with a "new band," because staying power doesn't mean you're new anymore now, does it?

What can I say - it's a spindrift clusterfunck down the crapper. What do you do.

Coldplay as a "new" band

That all being said, one my "newest" favorite rock bands (who put out their first full-length album Parachutes in 2000) are set to put their 4th studio album out next week. Viva la Vida, Coldplay's latest offering, came out in the UK today and will be released in the US next week.

Coldplay are one of those rare contemporary bands who are a bit of a throwback. They're timeless, yet modern. When I listen to them I hear a mishmash of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and U2...along with a little Radiohead and R.E.M. However, they achieve a beauty, elegance, and flow to their music that in some ways eclipses all those other bands.

I'm not saying Coldplay is "better" than Radiohead, U2, or the Beatles. I'm pointing out what I can only describe as a "flow" or "elegance" as their strongest suit...a very strong suit. Some of it has to do with a combination of their sound and how they lock into a groove. Coldplay is developing a catalog of albums that I believe can start to be viewed as a body of work holding up next to the greatest of the greats.

Viva la Vida picks up on the evolution of a band who started releasing their recording output in the late 90s with an EP Brothers and Sisters (1999), then with their first full-length CD Parachutes (2000). That was followed by A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), Live 2003, and X&Y (2005).

If you give the band a chronological listen, you can hear their sound evolving. It's a compelling analysis of how a young band can mature their sound. Viva la Vida drives that point home, only hinting at the brilliant future that lays ahead for this British quartet.

Viva la Vida is a really interesting listen - I'm on about my third go-around with it. I love picking up the evolving details of new releases. The album seems to touch on the subject matter of life and death, in that timeless "Coldplay mosaic" we've come to expect from them...much in the same way that X&Y was about the subject of balance.

An analysis of Viva la Vida

Coldplay is starting to mix up their song structures now, as they open up the album with the instrumental "Life in Technicolor," which carries with it the sound of epic drama, like the full gale wind blowing through an open window and messing up the neatly organized paperwork on the kitchen table.

The short opening instrumental morphs into the haunting funeral dirge of "Cemeteries of London," which brings home the great effect and imagery indicated by its title.

"Lost!" brings in Chris Martin on the organ and drives up the tempo a bit. It makes me wonder if the band is a fan of the television program.

"42," the 4th track, brings up the concept of death once again - but not in a depressing sense. The song opens up with a lines: "Those who are dead are not dead - they're just living in my head." Then the song performs a tempo shift to the playful lines of: "You thought you might be a ghost - you didn't get to have it but you made it close."

"Lovers in Japan /Reign of Love" has the makings of a great song, and at first listen seems to be aimed at families and friends of those in the military. "Lovers in Japan" opens up with the words: "Lovers...keep on the road you're on. Mothers...until the race is run. Soldiers...you've got to soldier on. Sometimes...even the right is wrong." Again, this track features a tempo shift to the beautiful "Reign of Love."

"Yes /Chinese Sleep Chant" is another song structure mishmash if you like, opening with an Middle Eastern feel to it like one might find on Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" from their 1975 hodge-podge classic Physical Graffiti. This is one of those dark horse tracks that might not make it on the radio, but heavily compliments the mosaic of the album.

The title track "Viva la Vida" is another one of those radio-friendly Coldplay classics that everyone will come to know, in the vein of "Speed of Sound" from 2005's X&Y.

As the band has indicated in recent interviews, "Violet Hill" is a nod to the Beatles. That element is immediately recognizable, as it carries the Lennon-esque feel from "I am the Walrus" off 1967's Magical Mystery Tour.

"Death and All of His Friends /The Escapist" seems to be a rallying cry against war and the eventual but unnecessary plague of death that comes with it. It embraces the concept in a general way without getting politicized or referring to specific events such as something like Iraq, or Vietnam, or the bloody revolutions of centuries past.

Once again, the last portion of this song, "The Escapist," ends the album in a mini-soundscape to round off this unusual but very listenable album.

Soundscape to mini-jam to soundscape

Viva la Vida is yet another perfectly crafted work from one of the great rock bands of this decade. It pushes the band in new directions, as it's very bold an innovative in its song structures. It combines a wide range of differing and contrasting sounds together into what I can only describe as "soundscape to mini-jam to soundscape," teetering back and forth. While pushing forward with this interesting lineup of songs, it also looks over its shoulder at band influences such as The Beatles, as they have done with "Violet Hill."

Brian Eno's production stands out as usual. The slick feel and classical accents in many of the songs are part of his stamp.

There's something to be said about creating not only a unique sound, as Coldplay has successfully done in their short career with several albums, but also a feel and vibe to a work such as Viva la Vida. In this regard, I'm at a point with Coldplay where I can say "I'm in the mood for X&Y," or "I'm in a mood for Viva la Vida," and reach for whatever will enhance the mood I'm in at the time.

There aren't many bands that I frame in that sort of light...but Coldplay's one of them. ...and it's my honor.

Cool album cover!

I also have to say I'm a sucker for a cool album cover, and this Delacroix is one of the best I've seen. The guy fighting the battle in that top hat makes me chuckle every time I look at it. Inspiring stuff...

"I'm ready to go out my own way" I imagine Mr. Top Hat is thinking, if that's what the master plan has in store for him.

I can't get enough of this cover...I could simply stare at this thing for hours tripping out on it while listening to the music...time well spent, in my opinion. That's what album covers are all about; the audio-visual experience that brings the imagination to life. A perfect fit for the Coldplay mosaic.

That's also why I'm picking up the limited edition vinyl version of Viva la Vida. This one's going up on the wall, baby.

These boys from Britain have put out another classic to bookend their catalog. "God Save the Queen!" S

For those of you who like a little history on a band, here's the "Coldplay Kool-Aid" if you like...

Coldplay never intended to become England's favorite rock & roll sons when their signature rock melodies ruled the charts throughout 2000. The Brit rock quartet -- composed of Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Jon Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Guy Berryman (bass) -- yearned to mess around a bit, plucking their own acoustics for fun while attending the University College of London. All had been playing instruments since their early teens and had been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Stone Roses, Neil Young, and My Bloody Valentine.
They never imagined taking reign of the U.K.'s ever-changing rock scene. Each member had come from a solid household of working-class parents who encouraged music. Martin, the eldest of five, began playing the piano as a young child. He started playing in bands around age 15 and sought solace in the words of Tom Waits. Buckland, on the other hand, was into the heavy guitar work of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix and was playing guitar by age 11. Scotland native Berryman was into funk instead of indie rock, therefore leaving him to play bass. The multi-instrumentalist, Champion, didn't plan to be a drummer until he joined Coldplay. He favored playing guitar, bass, and the tin whistle, but caught on to playing percussion when the band became official.
Coldplay was heart-rending like Travis, passionate like Jeff Buckley, and as fresh as Oasis when they burst onto the scene. They had played their first gig at a festival for unsigned bands in Manchester, and the Safety EP was issued shortly thereafter. The Brothers & Sisters EP was issued by Fierce Panda and released a year later. (Both releases saw only 500 pressings.) Their sweet melodies and swooning lyrics landed Coldplay a U.K. deal with Parlophone in April 1999, and the five-track limited-edition Blue Room EP followed that fall. With nods from the media, the dream pop foursome was hailed as the next Travis, thanks to their simplistic acoustics and charming personas. Two more EPs, Shiver and Yellow, arrived in spring 2000.
Their full-length debut, Parachutes, earned the band a Mercury Music Prize in the U.K. It saw a U.S. release in November 2000, and a month later "Yellow" was chosen as the theme song for all promo spots for ABC. The well-received hype surrounding Coldplay continued throughout 2001 as well; they were nominated for three Brit Awards and embarked on a sold-out ten-date tour of the U.S. Rumors of a split consumed most of the U.S. tour. Martin frequently battled nasty colds and voice exhaustion, which led Coldplay to cancel a series of American dates and scrap a European tour. With all gossip aside, Coldplay resumed playing in summer 2001 and earned additional success with second single "Trouble."
By fall, they headed into the studio for a second album. Rumor had it that it might be Coldplay's last album, for the bandmembers felt they might not capture such brilliance again. A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in August 2002. The CD/DVD package Live 2003 was issued one year later. Capturing the band's show at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, it highlighted Coldplay's monumental success worldwide with A Rush of Blood to the Head. Martin specifically earned a higher notch on the celebrity scale by marrying actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. Paltrow gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, the following April.
Fatherhood didn't stop Martin from working, as Coldplay began recording material for a third album within weeks. Previously recorded material with longtime producer Ken Nelson was scrapped early on, while Danton Supple (Morrissey, the Cure) joined Coldplay to complete the recording of X&Y. "Speed of Sound" marked Coldplay's first single from their long-awaited third effort in spring 2005; the album followed in June, topping the charts around the world, including America and Britain. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Coldplay "Violet Hill" video (dancing politicians)

THE STAGE HECKLER: R.E.M. & Friends at the 2008 Sasquatch Festival

I didn't get to bed after the show until 3AM, but I didn't care...the experience was well worth it.

When we arrived in the afternoon at the Sasquatch Music Festival at the Columbia Gorge in the middle of Washington state, a band called The New Pornographers were onstage (despite the imagery of the name, no such activities were taking place). They were followed by M.I.A., and Mighty Mouse... sorry, I think I meant to say Modest Mouse...whose singer sounded like a shouting middle-schooler having a temper tantrum. Yikes!

Let's just say that R.E.M.'s attendance at this musical event was a good thing and upped the notch in quality a bit, to put it politely...but of course not until the weather decided that it wanted to monsoon on everyone and challenge the band for the night.

...but these guys are veterans and have played through it all! What's a little rain?

Scheduled for 10PM, at one point it was questionable on whether or not R.E.M. could even go onstage, as the lights were swaying in the wind and all the equipment was getting completely soaked. There's very little in the way of protection from the elements onstage at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Staff were out there until showtime wiping off the performer's areas.

The band came onstage at about 10:05 --- not very late when you consider what the elements were doing.

It was obvious that safety was on the minds of the performers. On several occasions lead singer Michael Stipe checked in with his bandmates, and mused with the audience about the possibility of slipping and falling onstage --- he directed the audience to heckle him if he slipped.

"If I slip and fall," said Stipe, "You have to yell to me 'I told you so!'" were his instructions. As the night went on he took off his shoes and sang onstage in his socks.

"If I go barefoot, does that make me a hippie?" asked Stipe later on in the set. In which I responded with a yell from the uphill peanut gallery: "But you're already a hippie!"

To my surprise and satisfaction, the choice of tunes was about 75% different from the set list the night before in Vancouver. Very nice.

Here's the R.E.M. set list for May 24 performance at the Sasquatch Festival

1. Living Well is the Best Revenge
2. What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
   
3. These Days
4. Drive
5. Accelerate
6. Auctioneer (Another Engine)
7. Man-sized Wreath
   
8. Ignoreland
9. Hollow Man
10. Life and How to Live It
11. Houston
12. Losing My Religion
13. Harborcoat
14. The One I Love
15. The Final Straw
16. Let Me In
17. Horse to Water
18. Bad Day
19. Walk Unafraid
    
20. I'm Gonna DJ
21. Supernatural Superserious
22. Orange Crush
23. Man on the Moon

When compared to the set list from the night before in Vancouver, BC, it's clear that the band is going for a little variety on the tour.

http://remhq.com/blog_detail.php?id=47

So this was the third R.E.M. concert for myself. I caught them at the ASU Activity Center in Tempe, Arizona touring off the Green album in 1989, then again 10 years later off the Up tour at Bumpershoot in Seattle.

They're now touring off the newly released Accelerate, which has an edgier sound and an attitude akin to punk, like much of their material from the 1980s.

As a live act R.E.M. is a well-oiled machine, seasoned and polished. Unlike many bands out there who deteriorate with age and find themselves turning into novelty acts, this band ages like a fine wine.

For those of you who made it and braved the rain and wind, kudos to ya! S

THE REVIEW CORNER -- R.E.M.: Automatic for the People (orig. issued 1992). Warner Bros. 2005 reissue (CD remaster + 5.1 surround sound DVD)

When it comes to reviews, I typically take it upon myself to spit out some rhetoric on what I like or dislike about this and that.

Not this time.

Noodling through Amazon.com and the R.E.M. reissues on Warner Bros., I decided to see what some folks had to say about Automatic for the People, their early 90s classic.

All I can say is that there's no way I could ever dream of topping the assessment this reviewer gives the album. He/she points out things in the songs I would have never considered... some rather impressive insights. Knowing this recording pretty well, the assessments are dead on.

If you've never heard this album, it's worth every penny. ESSENTIAL for any rock collection.
S


A Guided Tour of the Soul,

April 9, 2001

By	Biker395 (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Automatic for the People (Audio CD)

AFTP is easily one of the best CDs of the `90s.
"Drive" sets the tone for the album. It sounds much like a funeral march. From the first five notes, it's direction is clear: dark, moody, and foreboding ... you know the this is no ordinary CD ... there are no "shining happy people" here ...
AFTP begins by tackling the decision to live or die. "Try Not to Breathe" is about deciding to die. It presents the thoughts of an old man who has lived a full life and has decided that he is ready to go. He muses what the world will be like without him and how he'll be remembered when he's gone.
"Everybody Hurts" is about deciding to live. The case is made that hurting is a necessary and temporary part of life ... it's not a reason to give up. Nor do we hurt alone. The lyrics and melody are nakedly simple and direct.
"Sweetness Follows" is about the healing and perspective that the death of a loved one can sometimes bring. The image is of the death of a loved one who was made more distant by a preoccupation with the banal, everyday concerns of life. Their death is a wake up call to forget the little things and recognize the power of the relationships with those we love.
"Man on the Moon" is probably the best known of the songs on AFTP. It wonders aloud ... what is it like in heaven? The human beings of the ages (Moses, Newton, and Darwin) are used to evoke a sense of an infinite hereafter. One wonders, what does someone like Andy Kaufman do in heaven amidst the likes of Moses? Well, Andy Kaufman is there, still "goofing on" Elvis, still wrestling, and still having breakfast with Mr. Blassie. Maybe it's not such a serious place after all.
"Nightswimming" is a bullet through the heart. I've heard it described as a song about nostalgia, but I think it's much more than that. It's a regretful look at a path not taken viewed from the wisdom obtained from the passage of time. The image is of someone driving alone at night wistfully looking at the image on a precious old photograph sitting on the dashboard. Swimming at night is a metaphor for the memory of a moment at the crossroads, facing a choice that involved playing it safe, or taking a personal, reckless risk of exposure.
The picture, like the memory it represents, is turned away ... as if it's painful to see But just like the picture on the windshield, turned around for all to see, the memory is worn like a badge:
"The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago, turned around backwards so the windshield shows."
The haunting image comes and goes with each passing streetlight. Although the image is seen backwards, the hindsight made possible by the passing of time reveals a significance of the moment that was not fully understood at time:
"Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse. Still, it's so much clearer."
With the passage of time, the fears (and the vitality that go with them) are gone and replaced by the tedium of everyday life ...
"These things they go away, replaced by every day"
... but the longing remains, and now with profound regret. He's left with a bittersweet memory of what was and the fantasy of what might have been:
"Nightswimming, remembering that night. September's coming soon. I'm pining for the moon. And what if there were two; side by side in orbit around the fairest sun? That bright, tight forever drum could not describe nightswimming."
"The photograph reflects, every streetlight a reminder. Nightswimming deserves a quiet night."
All of these achingly personal lyrics are accompanied with the stark loneliness of Stipe's voice and a wonderfully sad but sweet piano melody. "Nightswimming" is the brightest star in an album full of celestial wonders.
Nightswimming is a tough act to follow, but "Find the River" pulls that off nicely. It uses a flowing river as a metaphor for the passing of life. The image is one of a solitary soul floating down a river watching his life pass before his eyes, throwing aromatic fruit and spices as if he was sowing seeds. The river flows toward its inexorable but natural end at the ocean, just as life flows toward inevitable death.
"The river to the ocean goes, a fortune for the undertow. None of this is going my way. There is nothing left to throw of Ginger, lemon, indigo, coriander stem and rose of hay. Strength and courage overrides the privileged and weary eyes of river poet search naivete. Pick up here and chase the ride. The river empties to the tide. All of this is coming your way."
The repeated use of the phrase "nothing is going my way" is a reminder that the journey of life, especially at the end, is one that everyone takes alone.
A final brilliant aspect of "Find the River" is the way that it ends. Unexpectedly ... almost suddenly ... with a lot of loose ends untied. Just like life.
If you're looking for happy melodies and easy to digest lyrics, look elsewhere ... AFTP is not for you. But if you're looking for a companion on a guided tour of your soul, this is it. There are good reasons why so many people think AFTP is one of the best CDs of the 90s. It is.

A bro bestows the treasure trove of a lifetime: R.E.M.

This is one of those rare events that stands as an unusually vivid memory nearly 20 years later.

It was the spring of 1989, March 18th actually... and I was hanging out in the fraternity house I had pledged the year before... I'm trying to recall what I had going on at the time, but it couldn't have been very important. I know I was hanging out in my room on the second floor of the wing of the house, which was sorta designed like a Motel 6... probably trying to decide what to do for the night. I want to say it was the weekend, more than likely a Saturday.

Then he appeared, knocking on the door unnanounced... I hadn't seen him in quite awhile, as he didn't live in the same place I did. Skinny had arrived, and he had an extra ticket for the R.E.M. concert playing across the street at what was called at the time the ASU Activity Center, located on the campus of Arizona State University. It was literally across the street from our house, probably a 1000 foot walk.

"Get ready dude, the show's starting soon." he said.

Flattered that he had thought of me, and reacting to the spontaneity of the moment, "It's right now?" I asked. "I don't know much about this band... you might have to give me R.E.M. 101"

"No problem" he said. "Let's go!"

So off we went. I was only vaguely familiar with the last couple of albums from the band, and radio friendly songs such as "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)." I knew nothing of the band's catalog before 1987... however I'd get a pleasantly heavy dose of R.E.M. 101 that night.

As we settled into our seats in the small basketball arena, we realized we were sitting in a sea of familiar faces and friends all around us. Nowadays I find that I appreciate shared experiences like that, under the guise of the unadulterated freedom of college life and affordable spontaneity --- something that probably wasn't quite realized at the time --- and in a heavier sense, definitely underappreciated.

The band opened their set with "Begin the Begin," which I guess made sense considering the title... however I still had to lean over to Skinny and ask the name of the song and the album it was from.

"Life's Rich Pageant" as he responded with the album title.

This question asking exercise went on throughout the night, as more of a play-by-play exercise than anything, and not one time did he complain about my questions. He seemed to be happy to be educating a friend on a band he liked.

R.E.M. were touring on an album they had released the year before, Green. While I had heard the CD a couple of times, the songs only rang as vaguely familiar. I enjoyed myself nonetheless... and there were a few surprises that night.

The band employed some unique features for the visual part of their show that I hadn't seen before, nor since at any concert... and I've seen over 100 of them...

I recalled noticing, before the set began, an old classroom film projector on the soundcheck island. It became apparent THAT was going to serve as the video footage for the night. In the advancing video and computer-driven technology of the time, it was nice to see someone using older technology in a quirky and inventive way. As the projector flashed scenes of this and that on the screen behind the band, the effect of the silhouettes of the band members and heads of the audience ended up being more compelling and interesting than what was on the film... at least that's what I remember about it.

In another unique and original maneuver; at one point during the set, lead singer Michael Stype whipped out a megaphone and decided to abandon the use of his microphone. If my memory serves me correct he used it during the song "Orange Crush."

It was one of those moments where one has an epiphany; something to the effect of "Wow, I'm witnessing something very cool and unusual."

R.E.M. present a unique sound, serving as an original blend of many influences... I hear the Beatles in them, I hear Johnny Cash, and I hear some folk leanings. I see the influence of some punk, as well as Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground with the Warhol spin in their live visual presentation... and being from Athens, Georgia, I know there's a southern influence somewhere in there; however I can't really pick it up or identify what it would be... I guess Cash was from the south.

As expected, we all went back to business as usual after the concert... but R.E.M. resonated with me. In short time I became a big fan of the band, would collect all their material, and would see them live again in the 1990s. That may not be the last time.

R.E.M. would move on to discover international success of the release of their next project, 1991's Out of Time, spearheaded by the mandolin-driven superhit "Losing My Religion." They would follow that project with several more successful projects and tours over the next 10+ years, going on to sell millions of albums and entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after the turn of the new millennium.

I take some pride in discovering R.E.M. right before they became really big. I guess I can park my car in the "old school" lot of the band...

...and Skinny deserves all the credit.

Being the Curious George that I am with music, I have usually sought out most of the bands I listen to, as I've noodled through LOTS of material out there... so that being said, I can probably count on one hand the number of bands that have been introduced to me by friends which I've really taken to.

R.E.M. is one of those bands. S

Set list for ASU activity Center on 3/18/1989:

Taken from The R.E.M. Timeline
support: Robyn Hitchcock
set: Pop Song 89 / Exhuming McCarthy / Welcome To The Occupation / Turn You Inside-Out / Shaking Through / Underneath The Bunker / Orange Crush / Disturbance At The Heron House / Feeling Gravitys Pull / Flowers Of Guatemala / Begin The Begin / World Leader Pretend / Tired Of Singing Trouble-I Believe / Pretty Persuasion / Superman / Get Up / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
encore 1: Stand / Boy (Go) / Fall On Me / You Are The Everything
encore 2: Finest Worksong / King Of Birds / Summertime / These Days / See No Evil
encore 3: Dark Globe / Harpers / Crazy / Perfect Circle / Academy Fight Song / Radio Free Europe / After Hours