As much as I LOVE music and LIVE music, live DVDs are usually hit or miss for me. Some bands just don't translate great on DVD for me and I have a hard time watching some of my favorite bands doing lackluster performances caught on DVD. My buddy Spoob lent me David Gilmour's "Remember That Night" DVD and I can't even begin to say just how floored I was by the quality of the film and the quality of not just the song performances but the choice of songs for this evening.

The DVD was filmed at Royal Albert Hall during Gilmour's "On An Island" tour in which he was supporting his 2006 solo release of the same name. This was also Gilmour's first solo tour in over 20 years. The DVD itself is quite stunning. It's a two disc set with the full performance on the first disc and the 2nd disc packed with extras such as versions of songs from other performances and a full documentary on the tour. I definitely felt like I got my moneys worth after purchasing a copy for myself.

Any guitar nut would love this collection as it really showcases Gilmour's amazing guitar playing and even more amazing sound and tone. The man plays with such heart and soul and at times you feel that his guitar is literally "singing" the solos. The performance itself is nothing short of amazing. The show opens with the Pink Floyd classics "Speak To Me"> "Breath">"Time">"Breathe (reprise). The band featuring Floyd alumni Guy Pratt on bass guitar and longtime friend and Floyd band mate Richard Wright on keyboards. Gilmour graciously thanks everyone for coming out and announces that they will be performing his solo album "On An Island" in it's entirety for the first set. Usually, I HATE when bands do this. There are few acts that I can tollerate this from and even fewer albums that I can think of actually WANTING to hear in it's entirety live. This is a fantastic album at times sounding much like a current Pink Floyd album and other times really showcasing Gilmour's ability to write and perform outside the box so to speak. The album opens with the instrumental "Castellorizon" and then flows right into "On An Island" which is song about what happens to friends after they moved on to the afterlife. The song is absolutely amazing and when you've got David Crosby and Graham Nash doing harmonies, how can you go wrong? The following song, "The Blue", is the first time that I feel I can hear that "outside the box" style. It really stands on it's own and doesn't sound so much like Floyd. The rest of the album performance is quite good. The album has a conceptual feel to it and the songs, while they sound great played in order, these songs could stand very well on their own.

Returning for a 2nd set, Gilmour and Co. treat the audience with a whole set of Floyd material including some really great gems seldom heard over the years, if at all since their hayday. Opening the set was a beautiful rendition of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" featuring, once again, David Crosby and Graham Nash on harmony vocals. Add to that gems like "Fat Old Sun", an absolutely amazing "Echoes" and the highlight of the show (in my opinion), a fantastic "Arnold Layne" and "Comfortably Numb" featuring David Bowie on lead vocals. Bowie really took these songs into a whole new stratosphere and made this an encore that just couldn't be topped.

What I loved most about this collection was how timeless it is. You really get a glimpse at just how timeless the Pink Floyd catalog is and you also see that Gilmour put some real effort into this set. He could've very easily just played these songs note for note the way they were originally recorded and just offered up a pure nostalgic collection but instead opted to play with the arrangements of the songs which gives the listener and idea of just what makes him tick. The arrangements were fantastically done and at times even more enjoyable to listen to than the "classic" versions. This is a collection not to be looked over as just a nostalgic collection of Floyd songs nor is it a collection of hacked up Floyd arrangements. This is a VERY well thought out and very well packaged DVD. You won't be sorry.

(From Wikipedia)

David Gilmour - Remember That Night

Disc 1

The main concert at the Royal Albert Hall. These are the songs:

1. "Speak to Me" (Mason)
2. "Breathe" (Waters/Gilmour/Wright)
3. "Time" (Waters/Mason/Gilmour/Wright)
4. "Breathe (Reprise)" (Gilmour)
5. "Castellorizon" (Gilmour)
6. "On an Island" (with David Crosby and Graham Nash) (Gilmour/Samson)
7. "The Blue" (with David Crosby and Graham Nash) (Gilmour/Samson)
8. "Red Sky at Night" (Gilmour)
9. "This Heaven" (Gilmour/Samson)
10. "Then I Close My Eyes" (with Robert Wyatt) (Gilmour)
11. "Smile" (Gilmour/Samson)
12. "Take a Breath" (Gilmour/Samson)
13. "A Pocketful of Stones" (Gilmour/Samson)
14. "Where We Start" (Gilmour)
15. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5" (with David Crosby and Graham Nash) (Waters/Gilmour/Wright)
16. "Fat Old Sun" (Gilmour)
17. "Coming Back to Life" (Gilmour)
18. "High Hopes" (Gilmour/Samson)
19. "Echoes" (Waters/Gilmour/Wright/Mason)
20. "Wish You Were Here" (Gilmour/Waters)
21. "Find the Cost of Freedom" (with David Crosby and Graham Nash) (Stills)
22. "Arnold Layne" (with David Bowie) (Barrett)
23. "Comfortably Numb" (with David Bowie) (Gilmour/Waters)

The footage is from his concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2006.

[edit] Disc 2

This disc contains the following bonus features:

• Bonus tracks from the Albert Hall concerts:
  • "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" (Waters/Gilmour)
  • "Dominoes" (Barrett)
  • "Wearing the Inside Out" (Wright/Moore)
  • "Arnold Layne" (with Richard Wright)
  • "Comfortably Numb" (with Richard Wright)

• Other bonus tracks
  • "Dark Globe" (video) (Barrett)
  • "Echoes" (Live from Abbey Road. Hidden track after Dark Globe)
  • "Astronomy Domine" (Live from Abbey Road)
  • "On an Island" promo video
  • "Smile" promo video
  • "This Heaven" (AOL Sessions performance)
  • "Island Jam" (January 2007 version, recorded at 'The Barn')

• Footage from the Mermaid Theatre concert (March 2006)
  • "Castellorizon"
  • "On an Island"
  • "The Blue"
  • "Take a Breath"
  • "High Hopes"

• Documentaries
  • One filmed between shows in Los Angeles with some shots by Richard Wright, known as the West Coast Documentary
  • Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine, a tour documentary by Gavin Elder
  • The making of On an Island
• Photo Gallery
• Credits

Now I will be the first to admit that I dig the movie The Wall, I thought it was pretty decent but everything else about them sucks. I just want buy into this idea that they are "deep and artistic geniuses". They are deep and echoey ass holes. Piss on them and their ridiculous fans.

The Grateful Dead: You know what, I am not wasting my time. This band is fucking worthless and anyone who has actually bothered to listen to their god awful music ber would agree. Cherry Garcia ice cream sucks too.

Poland's finest to rock Wembley

Bajm were popular across Eastern Europe before the Iron Curtain fell

Eight of Poland's top pop and rock acts perform in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at Wembley Arena on Sunday. Billed as the biggest ever Polish music event on foreign soil, what does it mean for Britain's Polish community?

Crowds of adoring fans will pack Wembley Arena on Sunday to see their favorite superstars perform to a full house.

But it will not be Madonna, Oasis or Jay-Z entertaining more than 10,000 people.

Bajm and Lady Pank may be largely unheard of in the UK but are household names in Poland, where four million viewers are expected to watch the London Live show's highlights on state channel TVP2.

Tabloid hellraiser

Described as Poland's answer to Pink Floyd and Red Hot Chili Peppers, their albums have sold three million copies.

Alongside Bracia's modern grungy-rock and Natalia Kukulska's soulfull R'n'B, the show even has its own tabloid hellraiser in Doda, who has posed for Playboy and courted controversy by spitting on stage.

Stanislaw Trzcinski, president of promoter STX Records, said: "This is like the O2 Festival, except for Polish music."

Performing at Wembley is a great honor Natalia Kukulska

Guests on stage include Jan Tomaszewski, the goalkeeper whose heroics at the old Wembley Stadium in 1973 helped secure a 1-1 draw to send Poland to its first World Cup at England's expense.Mr Trzcinski said: "The name Wembley brings back happy memories for Polish people and it remains a special place, so it was the perfect location."

Kukulska, 32, has performed with tenor Jose Carreras and duetted with British R'n'B star Lemar at the Sopot festival in Poland in 2005.

She said: "Performing at Wembley is a great honor. I hope I will draw energy from the people who have played there in the past."

After picking up influences of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston during a year in the US, she blended them with her own style to sell 2.5 million records at home.

Free tickets

"I'm very excited because this is the first time a lot of artists from Poland are performing abroad together," she added.

Costing almost £1m to stage, the event has been advertised on 30 London buses and is being beamed back to Poland in high definition, thanks to a 100-strong production crew. Tickets were free to those who registered.

More than one million people voted in an internet talent competition giving bands the chance to perform on a second stage outside the arena, where they will be joined by top acts from the UK and Ireland's Polish communities.

The show's arrival reflects the remarkable influx of Poles into Britain.

After the Second World War, the Polish Resettlement Act allowed around 200,000 people to remain in the UK. They were mainly Polish troops, who had fought alongside the British, and their dependents.

By 2001, the census recorded just 60,680 Polish-born people living in Britain.

But since Poland's accession to the EU in 2004, those numbers have swollen to the 405,000 estimated by the government last year, although the numbers arriving has dropped in recent months.

Appetite for rock

At least 100,000 settled in London, with many basing themselves around established Polish communities in western districts like Hammersmith.

There, the Posk cultural centre boasts the largest library of Polish books outside Poland, a gallery, restaurant and 350-seat theatre.

Supermarkets across Britain have started stocking Polish goods and delicatessens have sprung up in many towns.

THE PERFORMERS Bajm: Six-piece rock outfit, formed in 1978, their 13 albums all went gold or platinum Wilki: Hard-rock band, named "Wolves", have performed in New York and London Doda (pictured): Daughter of an Olympic weightlifter, gave up athletics to be a pop tearaway Natalia Kukulska: Began singing aged seven and sold 1.5 million records as a child star Kayah: Was a backing singer before her solo career in soul, jazz and R'n'B took off Bracia: Their grunge-rock style made this band - "The Brothers" - favourites with younger fans Monika Brodka: Her soulful voice was inspired by her idols Erikah Badu and Lauren Hill Lady Pank: These punk survivors formed in 1982, playing 400 gigs to promote their debut album

But Piotr Grzeskiewicz, station director at Hammersmith-based Polskie Radio Londyn, said there had been little to feed young migrants' appetite for rock and pop.

"Hundreds of thousands of Polish people in Britain have limited access to modern Polish culture and this is their best opportunity in many years to see some really big Polish bands," he said.

Organizers hope many Britons will be at Wembley.

However, Mr Grzeskiewicz said: "The language barrier is huge. Only a few of these bands have played abroad and usually only for Polish fans."

Warsaw-based bank PKO BP financed the event to promote its central London branch, which opened last December to cater both for migrants and British businesses investing in Poland.

Branch manager Katarzyna Cal said the move demonstrated the growing confidence in Poland's economy and the number of investors keen to do business in the country.

Meanwhile, Dr Jan Mokrzycki, chairman of the UK's Federation of Poles, admits he prefers the classical works of Chopin to today's rock.

Vibrant

But the 75-year-old said the event would help build understanding between the established and newly-arrived Polish communities.

Initial tensions between the groups are diminishing, said the dental surgeon whose mother - a former Nazi concentration camp detainee - brought him to Britain in 1948 to escape communism.

"A combination of their youth, enthusiasm and education and our knowledge of the laws and customs of Britain is helping integration," said Dr Mokrzycki.

"Cultural events of the old community have been traditional, forged from our experiences of pre-war Poland, so involve mostly classical or folk music.

"The new culture is vibrant with jazz and pop and it's important younger people have access to that." ]]> http://jellyfoot.wordpress.com/?p=237 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:15:56 +0000 shayne67 http://jellyfoot.wordpress.com/?p=237

]]> http://bunot.wordpress.com/?p=87 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:47:06 +0000 bunot http://bunot.wordpress.com/?p=87

Film footage taken by the French Resistance at the liberation of Paris from the Nazi's. Some historical audio from Chamberlain and the BBC and a Pink Floyd track as soundtrack

I was on my way to this month's "Monthly Mic Check" and listening to the radio. Now I know what you're thinking: "why were you listening to the radio?", because my CD player is broken. So I listen to the radio, deal with it. I'm flipping through the channels and everything is terrible, the new indie rock all sounds whiny, the hip hop sounds generic, r&b is terrible, and new pop is so poppy. But not so with rock and roll. When all else fails, there's always classic rock and roll. When everyone is trying to sound like radiohead, there's rock and roll. When akon is on every song that t-pain is not on, there's always rock and roll. When every other genre fails us miserably, there is always the rock and roll of the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's to pull us through. There is always rock and roll. Thank god for rock and roll.

Shuffled, 9/5/08

1) Love Enough - Hillsong United (best worship team around)
2) Cry me a river - Justin Timberlake (watch JT in this, this)
3) Hey Jude - Joe Anderson (from the "Across the universe" soundtrack)
4) Redemption Song - Bob Marley (one of my all-time favorite artists)
5) Can you feel the love tonight - Elton John (yep from the "Lion King" - don't judge me)
6) Challengers - the New Pornographers (the name doesn't say it all)
7) Only True God - Paul Baloche
8) Drifting - Andy McKee (this guy is one of the best guitar players I have ever heard)
9) Angel's share - Vertiver & Hope Sandoval
10) Wish you were here - Pink Floyd

And just to prove that some Swedes have no sense of humour, here was the outraged reaction from the Swedish teaching unions.

Prog seperti sebuah perjalanan mendaki gunung. kadang terasa melelahkan bagi yang baru pertama kali mendengarkan. tapi semakin ke atas, semakin indah pemandangan yang terlihat.semakin kontemplatif nuansa terasa.

Salah satu saran paling jitu tentang dengerin prog untuk pertama kali adalah 'don't judge a book by it's first page'. maksudnya,  kadang prog itu tidak langsung nonjok intronya. kadang prog juga tidak bisa didengarkan dengan mendrag timeline lagunya langsung ke bagian reffrainnya. kalau dengerin band pop bolehlah. tapi prog....gak begitu caranya. ingat gak waktu masih pake kaset, kalau kita dengerin album tu ya runut dari awal sampai akhir. karena urutan lagu di album dibuat dengan pemikiran dan perhitungan yang matang, agar benang merah albumnya dapet. meski ada pendekatan komersil juga disitu. prog seharusnya didengarkan seperti itu. beberapa lagu dibuat sangat panjang, karena memuat suatu alur musikal dan pesan dikonsep dengan serius, meski tidak semua band prog berhasil untuk ini. tapi pada dasarnya begitu. progresi kord nya dibuat sedemikian rupa.

Coba buka www.progarchives.com, salah satu situs tentang prog yang paling komprehensif saat ini.

meski gak nyaranin download secara ilegal, mengingat sulitnya menemukan album prog dijual di toko musik, maka silakan download beberapa album dari para seniman prog...

There's a good chance you've never heard of Portugal. The Man. Unfortunately your missing out on one of the most interesting, talented and original bands you'll ever discover; and despite the fact that you never knew they existed, you already know them from head to toe. They're the band that made your eyes pop outta your skull...the band you scream at all your friends to worship...the band that's never disappointed, even after you had to call in every favor owed to you just to get a chance to see them live and uncut. They are Portugal.The Man, and not since you discovered Led Zeppelin has a band been this incredible.

The bands new album Censored Colors is a absolute work of art, hands down! With fifteen brand new tracks for fans to drool over this group's reputation to amaze has yet to be tarnished. Even by looking directly at the albums front cover you can tell this collection of avant-garde musical arrangements is going to be like nothing you've ever heard before. I myself had only previously heard one song by the band before I decided to dive into it all head first. Of course this isn't always a great idea, but how could I have a single regret with such a masterpiece? Censored Colors is the band's White Album, Mona Lisa or Statue of Liberty.

With lyrics and music written the band's vocalist/guitarist (He paints too. designs all the bands cover art including the eerie and mesmerizing cover to Censored Colors) The Album contains eight solid singles with a B-side that could be compared to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. All of this comes as an incredible surprise to me because it's not often that a band takes the time to have their songs blend into one another like a grand opera overture. Every time I put this album on, my first thoughts (before the intro's even through) is usually something like "These guys are fuckin' brilliant!" With a heavy guitar crunch and one of the catchiest riffs in existence Lay Me Back Down is the perfect opening song for any album trying to let you know that your in for one hell of a ride...Which becomes abundently clear once you've found yourself deep within the clutches of Colors, a song Ive head stuck in my head since I was fortunate enough to have this album fall into my lap. To be honest the more and more I think about it, Portugal.The Man (more specifically, this album) is what I would expect to hear while bombin around the Salvador Dali museum.

Its usually about now when Im writtin album reviews that I realize it really sounds like Im trying to kiss the band's ass...and sometimes I am. But the case is totally different with this blues/folk/indie/prog/pop band from Alaska. For years I had heard the name thrown around with the likes of The Mars Volta and The Fall of Troy but despite the fact that these are some of my favorite groups I had just never gotten around to checkin em out. I feel as if Ive wasted a lot of time. Had I have had someone push them onto me Id probably have a new best friend.

As previously mentioned, Censored Colors` B-side is....well, an experience. With songs like Never Pleased and Hard Times that jump outta your stereo and rattle your brain from side to side, your bound to call into work sick just so you can veg out on the couch and lose yourself in the music. But maybe I should just let the music speak for itself. Believe me when I say that you NEED to find this album and put it into your regular rotation. This song here was found on the band's last album Waiter: "You Vultures!"

Theres also a free tour sample download of Portugal.The Man as well Earl Greyhound and Wintersleep from there Gold Tour preview.
you can find it at http://portugaltheman.net/index.php?page_id=501

]]> http://emmedigi.wordpress.com/?p=754 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:24:27 +0000 Mario http://emmedigi.wordpress.com/?p=754 Dopo l'invasione dei primi anni 70, di quello che verrà definito come progressive rock, con gruppi come i Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Genesis, Traffic, Van der Graaf Generator, Soft Machine, etc. anche in Italia si diffonde una fare musica che verrà etichettato come rock progressivo italiano, con gruppi (si noti che non vengono più chiamati complessi) come Premiata Forneria Marconi (abbreviato: PFM), Il Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (poi semplicemente Banco), Osanna, Perigeo, Le Orme, Area, New Trolls, Napoli Centrale, etc . alcuni dei quali si erano già fatti conoscere ed erano sulla scena da qualche anno. In realtà i nomi che si sarebbero dovuti ricordare sono una infinità ma per questioni di spazio ci fermiamo a quelli che per anni sono stati considerati i caposaldi del genere.
Le capacità tecniche si sono molto evolute rispetto alle formazioni degli anni sessanta e la loro proposta musicale cerca di trovare spazi autonomi e ha un respiro europeo. Un gruppo dei primi tempi evolve la sua musica in questo senso prima di affermarsi: gli Stormy Six. Il gruppo milanese, forse più famoso fuori dei nostri confini che da noi, attraverso continui cambiamenti di organico, propone una musica politicamente molto impegnata (con testi che oggi risulteranno datati, come quello presente), ma musicalmente molto raffinata. Mi riprometto di parlarne meglio altrove ma qui vorrei presentare il loro brano più famoso: quella Stalingrado (da quel grande disco del 1975 che è Un biglietto per il tram) che lascerà un segno indelebile nella musica italiana (Quel tram porta a piazzale Loreto).
[Audio http://se.mario2.googlepages.com/Stalingrado.mp3]

------------------------------

Questo è il commento di Marino al post:

A proposito di Stormy Six, questo è il sito di Franco Fabbri, storico chitarrista degli stessi e docente di storia della musica, che ho avuto il piacere di conoscere personalmente: http://www.francofabbri.net/

N.B. Franco fabbri è l'autore del pezzo (che ricorda la vittoria dopo l'assedio nazista del 43 alla città) e della maggiornanza dei pezzi del gruppo e l'unico ad aver attraversato tutta la storia degli Stormy six.

"Money" was playing when Carly Fiorina was on.

"Us and Them" while Mittens was speaking.

"Any Colour You Like" for Giuliani -- guess that refers to the color of his women's undergarments.

And it looks like "Brain Damage" will be the soundtrack for Palin's speech.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1530246&w=425&h=350&fv=]

High Hopes - Pink Floyd

Certains préfèreront la reprise de Nightwish ( les plus jeunes je dois dire ). Elle est très bien mais fait pâle figure face à l'originale, enfin ce n'est que mon avis.

Does it matter that the musical world didn't suffer from their loss? That without them the radio was a tad more enjoyable? Probably, and, evidently, actually not. Doesn't someone have to be gone long enough to be missed before making a comeback?

A true comeback is a rare thing and examples can probably be counted on digits without removing your socks. When an artist or act that defined and exemplified their chosen medium fades in the wake that they created and ends up in the 'Where Are They Now?' file the genre is marked by their absence. Be it drug-fuelled, burger-fuelled or even caused by anti-Semitic comments, the fall of a great artist is a sad thing. Thankfully though, if they're truly great they can master a well executed comeback.

The first to do many things, Elvis Presley was the first to create a major comeback. After burning into the minds of the world's youth in the 1950's, Elvis was struggling in the 1960's. A turn in the U.S Army had taken the sting out of his tail and his manager had skewered him into so many movies of little to no success that the King was seen as a relic. In 1968 he couldn't even get a Top 40 single in the U.S and he was six years past his last Number One single.

Unhappy with his career and feeling the threat of new musical trends - the Beatles were riding high across the world - and even Tom Jones, Elvis was initially reluctant when his manager Colonel Tom Parker signed him up to perform a 'Special' on NBC. Presley's manager intended the broadcast to be nothing more than the King singing a couple of Christmas carols but director Steve Binder had other, grander ideas and wanted to re-establish Elvis as the King. Appearing on stage was daunting for Elvis, his last concert had been in 1961, but he worked hard to prepare and when he did took the stage clad in black leather Elvis wowed everyone.

The show was a huge success and revitalised Presley's career. Chart successes returned for Elvis and so too did the touring and stage performances with the passion that had gained him fame in the first place.

Another one-time legend that emerged from Sun Records only to find his career faltering, Johnny Cash was struggling to achieve success before he began a rejuvenation in the 1990's that heralded a huge comeback. Initially seen as an outlaw type figure, famed for kicking out the lights at the Opry, Cash had achieved a small comeback of his own in the late 1960's by playing a concert in Folsom Prison but by the 1980's the once mighty Cash was releasing songs such as "Farmer's Almanac" and "Chicken In Black" that charted poorly if at all.

With a poor decade of television films and health issues behind him, the early 1990's found Johnny Cash without a record label and in need of fresh ideas if he was to return to his former glory. Two wise decisions sparked Cash's comeback. The first was singing on The Wanderer from U2's album Zooropa and the second was signing to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label which, at the time, was better known for rap and hard rock. Neither decision seemed an obvious one for a County musician but the introduction to a new audience worked wonders. After two critically heralded American Recordings albums, Cash found himself adored by a new and slowly growing audience and, in 1994, performed at Glastonbury Festival.

Rumours of a fatal-diagnosis of Shy-Drager syndrome in 1997 caused Cash to cease his touring but re-invigorated his recording career. The albums that followed, still on American Recordings, were some of the biggest selling and greatest received of his career and re-established him as a major recording artist and, when he sadly died in 2003, Cash was enjoying the greatest success of his career since the late sixties.

Linked to Johnny Cash via a version of Girl from the North Country on his Nashville Skyline album, Bob Dylan has managed not one, but two comebacks in his long career. Following his early career-defining Blonde on Blonde album, Dylan was sidelined by a motorcycle accident. When Dylan returned to recording it was with the country-tinged albums John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline which were received well though saw dwindling returns. Six years and five poorly selling (in Dylan terms) albums later Dylan found himself in trouble of a marital nature and captured it in an album that has since been hailed as one of, if not the, greatest albums of his career.

Blood On The Tracks was released in 1975 and marked a return to form in terms of song-writing, commercial and critical success; one reviewer stated "finally, we have our Dylan back" in reference to the largely acoustic arrangements. Dylan would follow the success of Blood on the Tracks with the equally well received, though musically different, Desire and a long and fruitful tour.

The comeback he started in 1975 carried Dylan all the way to the 1980's before religion took hold of his music and his conversion to born-again Christianity stalled his career for the second time. The 1980's where a cruel decade to Dylan, attempts at infusing different genres into his music and different producers all failed to reverse the damage ironically caused by his own religious salvation at the start of the decade and while some albums from the era did well with the critics, the record buying public simply weren't listening anymore.

A comeback was sorely needed and, in the same way as it had for Johnny Cash three years prior, a strip-it-all-down approach proved to be a winner. Released in 1997, Time Out of Mind began a resurgence in critical and commercial revery that Dylan is still riding. A starker and darker album than anything he'd done for twenty years, Time Out of Mind went on to win three Grammy awards and referred to by critics in the same breath as his early career highs of Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde and, his first comeback, Blood On The Tracks.

Perhaps it was the aftermath of Punk, perhaps it was the slaughter of Disco, but the early eighties proved a hard road for many artists and all but finished the career of those of other masters of the comeback, Aerosmith. Though the era isn't as much to blame as the band itself. The seventies had seen Aerosmith rise to stadium rockers of the highest success perfectly willing to enjoy all the trappings that came with it so it was small wonder when it started haemorraging members at the end of the decade only to reform in 1984. Their first post reunion effort, Done With Mirrors, failed on every level imaginable; it was critically mauled and sold poorly and the tour, though still a big attraction, was hampered by the bands drug addictions. Following effective interventions and even more effective rehab stints, the band emerged free from drugs and with an album perfect for the MTV era of 1987 that went on to sell 5 million copies in the U.S alone and see the band score success on the singles chart that they had never before enjoyed, following a tour and reinvigoration of their creative efforts, the band released Pump in 1989 which went on to sell even more copies and often be cited as one of their greatest efforts. More popular than ever, Aerosmith went through the nineties selling millions of records and even scoring number one singles truly capturing the essence of a successful comeback.

For some bands comebacks are more short-lived and for no purpose other than saying "we still can." Pink Floyd's reunion for Live 8 was a comeback for a band that had not played together since the departure of founder member Roger Waters in 1985. Though the band continued without Waters and under the lead of David Gilmour, the band played its last show in 1995 and the music industry lost a band that were the masters of their form. After what can only be imagined as a lot of arguing and convincing, Pink Floyd took to the stage at Live 8 in 2005 to perform a set just under half an hour in length that marked the first time they'd performed together for 24 years. A stunning display that left audiences amazed, the show stood to reawaken appetite for the band that saw sales of their Echoes: The Best Of album shoot up by over 1000%. To refute any suggestions of being in it for the money, Gilmour donated all the extra royalties to the cause.

Though there has been no subsequent activity from the band the show stood to stir interest in Pink Floyd and rumours of reunions persist as much as the resurgence in album sales. A similar effect followed one of musics other big comebacks in the form of one-off shows; Led Zeppelin. Following the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin closed shop in 1982. In the years since there was constant clamoring for a reunion of the three remaining members but to no avail, though Robert Plant and Jimmy Page would work together on occasion, John Paul Jones was reluctant. In 2002, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones reconciled and the rumours of reunion once again started only to be squashed by the individual members. In 2007, though, Led Zeppelin did reunite, for a one-off show in memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Eretgun, with John Bonham's son Jason on drums. Demand for tickets were so great that a ticket-lottery had to be set up.

An astounding success, the reunion once again sparked sales in the band's back catalogue and recent compilation and showed that the band was as sharp as they were in their prime, some even argued that they were sharper still. Once again interest in one of the most influential bands is at a high and with members confirming that practice sessions and jamming of new material has taken place in 2008, rumours of a full-scale comeback are set to ring true.

Presley, Cash, Dylan, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd and Led Zeplin while from different walks of the musical life were all gone long enough to be missed before heralding a comeback. They are also artists that contributed to the musical skyline from which they fell, some less graciously from others. Their comebacks also amounted to more than a single that bought them back into the top five ring-tones chart for a week.

There is another lesson here; drugs, poor films, religion, dodgy haircuts and even death - a well timed comeback can conquer them all. There are somethings a comeback won't conquer though so don't expect to see a Gary Glitter or Michael Jackson comeback any time soon.

O lance deve ser muito bem feito, pois a banda foi convidada pelo David Gilmour no final da turnê do álbum "The Division Bell" (1994) para a "end of tour, after show party" no Earls Court Exhibition Centre!

Para os interessados fica aí o site da banda: http://www.aussiefloyd.com e um link sobre a história dos caras: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Pink_Floyd_Show.

Amanhã eu prometo escrever aqui uma pequena resenha sobre o show, e adicionar algumas fotos "borradas". :)

Loud Noise and Pictures: Describe the band as if you were making a trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster.
Martin Green: Nick, Mark and Martin formed in 2005 via a Melbourne musician's website. Martin had about 80 songs written at the time and had split from two Australian based line-ups. After auditioning many guitarists and drummers, he was delighted to discover that both Mark and Nick could not only play well, but had very similar ideals to his own. Since then Damn The Maps have only gone forward. They recorded several EP's and in 2008 they released their debut album 'Input Output.' They joined with Vent Music and Amphead and released physically in Australia and digitally worldwide. They share a love for a good song, that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
Sound wise, Damn the maps have a relatively commercial sound with a little bit of distortion here and a little eeriness there. They are most commonly compared to Radiohead, Tool and Pink Floyd. They have an honest sound. I.e. they write about what's going on around them day to day.
Their hopes are pretty simple, to write great albums and play great shows. Coming soon to grungy stadium near you… 

LNaP: To me, Damn the Maps music evokes the sounds of other notable Aussie pop/rock acts such as Jebediah, Something For Kate, Pollyanna and Eskimo Joe. Do other Australian bands influence your work, or does it come from somewhere else?
MG: Unfortunately I can't say that we are influenced by much in the way of Australian music. We have been more drawn to international influences and a far more international sound than what I feel is produced in the southern hemisphere.
Our influences go as far back as The Byrds, Beatles, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Neil Young etc to The Decemberists, Deftones, Radiohead, The Shins, and Grandaddy. I'm personally heavily influenced by great lyricists - Roger Waters, Colin Meloy, even Eminem. I just don't feel that the lyrics coming from our biggest musical exports are as influential as the best internationals. You won't find any unicorn references on our album sorry.

LNaP: You've had a few of your songs get some rotation on JJJ, how hard is it for an up and coming Australian band to get enough recognition to receive airplay? Is it luck, hard work, or simply having the right connections?
MG: I think that it all comes down to a good song. Radio stations like Triple J have staff that are bombarded with hundreds and thousands of singles, EP's and albums a week and they churn through what they can to try and find the good stuff. I'm sure that many songs make it for many reasons whether it be the reputation of the label, their producer, their artwork, their persistence or simply the quality of the songs. We have a small independent label, are self produced, have independent artwork and we have had a song from all three of our releases played on Triple J. So hopefully I can conclude that we must be doing something that they like and I hope that that something is being able to write a good song. 

LNaP: How would you describe the current Australian musical scene Damn the Maps are a part of?
MG: I think the biggest thing I've noticed is the reduction in major signed artists and a huge increase in independent music. Despite our obvious disdain for certain aspects of technology, I also think that the new software based studios and home set-ups along with services tailored specifically for the independent musician have given many artists the chance to realise their dream (or at least be able to release a product) This should in turn reduce the amount of unrecognised genius in the world. (I hope) I think it's brilliant to see independent artists living off their work and winning awards at the mainstream events. Also I think that the internet has changed everything. It's making the music industry a lot more interactive. Fans are able to vote online for all sorts of gig line-ups and awards. It's not so much about who has simply sold the most physical records anymore.

LNaP: How important are websites like Myspace and Triple J Unearthed to new unsigned bands today? Do you think it is a reaction to shows like Popstars and Idol that people now think they can be successful via popularity rather than talent? Do things like Myspace friend numbers translate into record sales/increased numbers at gigs?
MG: Myspace is certainly a valuable tool for us for networking and allowing people to be exposed to our music. Rather than the old days of waiting forever to be picked up by a huge record company that then spends innumerable dollars promoting a band to the world and then waiting for people to come to that band, Myspace allows the band to go to the people. If you have plenty of time to browse people's profiles and take the time to notice them, they in turn notice you. We get such amazing feedback from 'friends' from all around the world, simply because we took the time to find them. Whether this translates into record sales and gig attendance, we can't yet say as it is still quite early. However it is definitely a great way to stay in contact. Also we notice that people that have seen us at gigs have rushed home and become our friends so as to stay in touch with us. This is very handy.
Some bands/people become very successful simply via exposure alone. It's what they do next that decides how long they remain popular. OK GO was a brilliant example with their treadmill video on Youtube. Fortunately they could back up their video with a pretty catchy album.

LNaP: Since Input Output's release in May, the band has been touring pretty hard, how have audiences reacted to it all – and how are you all holding up considering you're only about halfway through the tour?
MG: Actually we have been doing sporadic touring. I.e. travelling a few days at a time and returning home. However our full tour begins in October when we head to New Zealand. We should then start getting to know how successful things are going. At the recent shows, of the people that have been coming, the response has been fantastic. We now hope that word of mouth allows the Damn the Maps name to spread and in turn pull more people to the shows.

LNaP: The album seems to have a recurring theme – that of a more natural existence or better time. Songs cover topics addressing anti-technology, perceived beauty, and the good old days/simpler times etc. Was there a conscious effort to tackle these themes or am I way off the mark?
MG: There is definitely a recurring theme. A lot of this album was written when I was holding down a corporate day job. I was travelling into the city every day to show up and log on at places that were very different from how and where I grew up. I would find myself surrounded by these 40 something year old suits complaining about their jet skis and wardrobes being too small and how their air conditioning sucks far too much power from their aircraft carrier of a car. I eat in various cafes and watch them systematically install security cameras in every cornice and the ever popular LCD TV screen to distract you with product while you eat. I'm bombarded with meaningless emails and surrounded by mobile phones, media players and computers the whole day, all of which send us into a panic when they break down or buzz with a new trivial trick or text message. I grew up on a farm where I would cycle 18kms to my friend's house with my $20 bass guitar on my back so we could sit on his deck and try and play Jimi Hendrix songs through his 6 watt champ.
There was not so much a conscious effort to create this theme, it's more like I couldn't help it because I was surrounded by it day in day out.

LNaP: Input Output features some beautifully quirky artwork from German artist Mateo, how did the band get turned onto his work?
MG: We were put into contact with Mateo via a very good friend of ours. We absolutely love his work and are delighted that we could use it for the album. We hope this is mutually beneficial as we feel that an album cover provides great exposure for artists of all levels and at the same time good artwork on an album can draw massive attention to a band. Shapeshifter by Marcy Playground or pretty much any cover done by Hypgnosis is a great example.

LNaP: Once the tour is done, what is in store for the band? Get the hell away from the other guys for a bit, or start working on some new material?
MG: Once we finish the tour, we hope to go straight into the studio. We have a substantial amount of album number 2 already written and we are keen as mustard to start recording again.

Thanks to Martin and the lads from Damn the Maps. Try and get out to one of their shows, or grab their CD 'Input Output' from JB or iTunes.

Sep 13 2008 8:00P	Idgaff Bar	Abbotsford, Victoria
Oct 15 2008 8:00P	The Espy, St Kilda	St Kilda, Victoria
Oct 22 2008 8:00P	San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, NZ	Wellington, Wellington
Oct 23 2008 8:00P	Kings Arms, Auckland, NZ	Newton, Auckland
Oct 24 2008 8:00P	Basement, New Plymouth, NZ	New Plymouth, Taranaki
Oct 25 2008 8:00P	Brewers Bar, Mt Maunganui, NZ	Mt Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
Nov 6 2008 8:00P	Red Room Bar, Qld Uni, Brisbane, QLD	Brisbane, Queensland
Nov 7 2008 8:00P	Bon Amici, Toowoomba, QLD	Toowoomba, Queensland
Nov 8 2008 8:00P	Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW	Byron Bay, New South Wales
Nov 12 2008 8:00P	Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney, NSW	Sydney, New South Wales
Nov 13 2008 8:00P	Oxford Tavern, Wollongong, NSW	Wollongong, New South Wales
Nov 14 2008 8:00P	The Sando, Newtown, Sydney, NSW	Sydney, New South Wales
Nov 20 2008 8:00P	Supper Club, Darlinghurst, Sydney NSW	Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales
Nov 21 2008 8:00P	Tasmania - details soon	Hobart, Tasmania
Nov 25 2008 8:00P	The Espy, St Kilda	St Kilda, Victoria
Nov 26 2008 8:00P	The Foundry, Perth, WA	Perth, Western Australia
Nov 27 2008 8:00P	Prince of Wales, Bunbury, WA	Bunbury, Western Australia
Nov 28 2008 8:00P	The Dunsborough, Perth, WA	Perth, Western Australia
Nov 29 2008 8:00P	Rocket Room, Perth, WA	Perth, Western Australia
Nov 30 2008 8:00P	The Railway Hotel, Fremantle, WA	Fremantle, Western Australia
Jan 3 2009 8:00P	Barwon Club, Geelong	Geelong, Victoria

]]> http://xtremesport4u.wordpress.com/?p=667 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:51:40 +0000 lolajones http://xtremesport4u.wordpress.com/?p=667 'I cannot believe it' as Victor would have said but yes it is true - snowboarding in London and to add insult to injury its taking place in a power station!

It sometimes seems like Battersea Power Station's long term prospects will never be decided and she'll turn to rubble while a tawdry procession of developers hatch unlikely plans. Under such uncertainty, however, the grand old dilapidated dame seems to be developing a maverick sub-career as venue of choice for smart opportunists in need of a Thames-side landmark with decent public transport connections. For example, this October will see World Cup snowboarding hurtling past the close to crumbling chimneys.

The Snowboarding World Cup travels the globe with a range of different events and kicks off this week in New Zealand. The 'big air' will then come to London on 25 October with international championship contenders, including Brit Dan Wakeham, launch themselves off a massive ramp to perform airborne spins and tricks aloft a real snow slope amid plenty of talk of Vancouver 2010.

The big air will be the impressive centrepiece of a new winter sports festival (although, is October really winter?) at the Power Station - Free Sports On 4 Freeze - (yeah, Channel 4's in there somewhere) with live music, a fake Alpine village and all sorts of other jazz to draw you to SW8. And if that wasn't snowy excitement enough for you, the Bahamas will be making their debut as competitors in this world cup season so watch out for Cool Runnings spin off commentary.

Thanks to the Londonist for this story and to koichow69 who has put this excellent video together of the dacaying Battersea Power Station set to Pink Floyd music - one problem - no snow - duh, its only September! Oh I've got it - they will blast it down the chimneys!

Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.

Money (Pink Floyd) 1973

 Marvelous – Pink Floyd was honoured at the 2008 Polar Music Prize awards, which is the largest music award in Sweden. The two laureates were Pink Floyd and soprano Renée Fleming.

Roger Waters and Nick Mason on behalf of Pink Floyd accepted the award, which was presented by His Majesty the King of Sweden. Her Majesty The Queen, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria, Prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt were also at the event. Given that the King actually presenting the award coupled with the attendance of the highest of Sweden’s representatives demonstrate and confirms how important music is regarded in Sweden. Music has long been one of Sweden’s most significant exports.

 It is excellent to see that Pink Floyd continues to impress and their music still holds strong among old as well as young. Pink Floyd is arguably the best music group ever in my humble opinion.

And assignment 1 :

Colorizing photo in class: