From: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org (oppositeview-digest) To: oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Subject: oppositeview-digest V4 #183 Reply-To: oppositeview@smoe.org Sender: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk oppositeview-digest Tuesday, July 16 2002 Volume 04 : Number 183 Today's Subjects: ----------------- OV: Rockin' the Suburbs vs. JBYL [Michael Mitchell ] Re: OV: Rockin' the Suburbs vs. CYDMG [Michael Mitchell ] OV: Re: my 5 CD's ["David Wartik" ] OV: OT: CD tree [SngWrite1@aol.com] OV: 5 CDs [=?iso-8859-1?q?Rebecca=20Payne?= ] Re: OV: Re: In rotation [Alison Bellach ] Re: OV: spinning ["Rachel Wifall" ] OV: 5 CDs [Jim Hopping ] OV: Re: in rotation eagle eye cherry [TokIeyasu@aol.com] OV: spinning ["claire barber (SRI)" ] Re: OV: spinning [doug brown ] Re: OV: spinning ["S Meyer" ] Re: OV: spinning [Alison Bellach ] Re: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms [Tairemartyn@aol.com] Re: OV: spinning [Tairemartyn@aol.com] RE: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms [valerie.mahon@bowker.com] Re: OV: spinning ["Rachel Wifall" ] Re: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms ["Rachel Wifall" ] OV: In Rotation & KMO [tracykeates@supanet.com] Re: OV: spinning [Debbie Cushing ] OV: 5 in ro t a t i o n [Michelle Komie ] OV: In Rotation... ["William Kates" ] OV: Re: In Rotation... ["Libby Graham" ] OV: RE: Re: In Rotation...Ryan Adams? ["claire barber (SRI)" Subject: OV: Rockin' the Suburbs vs. JBYL On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Chuck Simmons wrote: > #1 Rockin' the Suburbs - Ben Folds. By far, the best album I've got in > the past 12 months. Definitely a good one. How did you react to the heavy use of 'all that computer stuff'? Funny, but I really liked what that approach did for this album, but really recoiled when a similar approach was applied to Just Before You Leave. It just seems to mesh better on the Ben Folds album. With JBYL, I get the feeling it wasn't part of the original concept, and kind of post-applied. Then again, maybe it's just I my expectations of Del Amitiri ... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 05:11:36 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael Mitchell Subject: Re: OV: Rockin' the Suburbs vs. CYDMG sorry -- meant to refer to the whole album, CYDMG, not just the single .. On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, Michael Mitchell wrote: > On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Chuck Simmons wrote: > > > #1 Rockin' the Suburbs - Ben Folds. By far, the best album I've got in > > the past 12 months. > > Definitely a good one. How did you react to the heavy use of 'all that > computer stuff'? Funny, but I really liked what that approach did for > this album, but really recoiled when a similar approach was applied to > Just Before You Leave. It just seems to mesh better on the Ben Folds > album. With JBYL, I get the feeling it wasn't part of the original > concept, and kind of post-applied. Then again, maybe it's just I my > expectations of Del Amitiri ... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:00:37 0 (GMT) From: "Neil Matheson" Subject: Re: OV: spinning My five, including lots of anticipatory listening... 1. CYDMG 2. Juliana Hatfield - Beautiful Creature (first of three in anticipatory mode, as I'm waiting for my copy of "Gold Stars", bought for the new songs and covers). 3. Aimee Mann - Magnolia (really looking forward to "Lost in Space"). 4. McAlmont & Butler - The Sound of... (was so excited to hear they're recording together again - and touring! Can't wait to hear "Bring it Back", the new album - out on 12.08 - -- Did anyone see their performance on re:covered on BBC Choice last night? I only caught the very end...). 5. Neil Finn & Friends - Seven Worlds Collide (Finally got this not long ago, and it's never been far from the CD player - it's just so good!). Cheers, Neil ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 07:34:07 -0500 From: "David Wartik" Subject: OV: Re: my 5 CD's Hey all! De-lurking to share the 5 I've been listening to: 1) Dels - Can You Do Me Good? - I must say, I eally do love this album. Is it as good as the others? I don't know, but it has its own identity and special quality. JBYL is definitely my favorite, and I also love SPTW and LCSATD. 2) Creed - Weathered - Absolutely phenomenal. 'Nuff said. 3) Squeeze - Ridiculous 4) Dixie Chicks - Fly 5) Stone Temple Pilots - Core Happy summer! David ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 08:46:23 EDT From: SngWrite1@aol.com Subject: OV: OT: CD tree Hey this is just a message to the leaves on my branch of the CD tree - I haven't forgotten you or run off with your blank discs. I've had some weird CD burner hiccups and I want to make sure it's really okay before I burn your discs. Thanks for your paitience, they will go out Wednesday at the latest. Dave Sills ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 13:49:11 +0100 (BST) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Rebecca=20Payne?= Subject: OV: 5 CDs The 5 CDs currently annoying my neighbours are... 1. Del Amitri - CYDMG (obvious) 2. The Calling - Camino Palmero GOD I love these guys! I actually bought this album back in February when I was on holiday in Toronto, and when I came back to the UK no-one knew who they were. I saw them live in a tiny club called Dingwalls in Camden Lock in May in front of about 400 people (one of the best gigs of my life) - their very first UK gig! They're now making a name for themselves over here, "Wherever You Will Go" has been in the top 10 for 3 weeks now. 3. Matchbox 20 - Yourself or Someone Like You Took me much longer to get into this than Mad Season, but I love it just as much now. 4. Train - Train These guys are great - does amyone know if they have any plans to tour in the UK soon? I missed their last gig. 5. Richard Marx - Days in Avalon Another one I got in Toronto - as far as I am aware it was never even released in the UK. Rebecca Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 07:20:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Alison Bellach Subject: Re: OV: Re: In rotation They're cousins, I believe (if someone hasn't answered this first... I'm behind!) On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Jane Armstrong wrote: > > Just a sidetrack though, has anyone heard of Kevin McDermott Orchestra? > Is > > the singer related to an Ex drummer of the Del's Brian McDermott? Or is > that > > a spooky coincidence, because they have supported the Del's (though with > > different names many times around that period of Brian's drumming. This > may > > be a common known fact on this board, but not to me unfortunately. > > > Paul, I'm not sure if Kevin and Brian are related, but Kevin McDermott is a > good friend of Justin's and they have made guest appearances with each > other's bands over the years. Justin always seems to go to KMO gigs - and > often gets up and sings or otherwise heckles and Kevin sang backing at the > Dels' Edinburgh Hogmanay gig. KMO also supported the Dels at their final > Astoria concert of the 1998 tour. > > Jane > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > John Otway - Back in the Charts for 2002 > www.hithithit.com www.otnews.net > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Alison Bellach: alibee@delamitri.com http://alibee.linex.com http://www.delamitri.com "If you want peace, work for justice." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 10:37:22 -0400 From: "Rachel Wifall" Subject: Re: OV: spinning I guess that at this point they just have such an "80's" sound. People who don't really know them in the U.S. see them as one (or two)-hit wonders from way back. But hey, good music is good music. I have to admit though, they do play that "I'm so drunk and my heart is so broken" thing out a bit much. I, on the other hand, am haunted by quite a lot of their music. I had no idea they opened for the Dels.... - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie Cushing" To: "Rachel Wifall" ; ; Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 1:25 PM Subject: Re: OV: spinning > Why would people make fun of you for listening to the > Gin Blossoms? Unless I'm totally halucinating, they > opened for the Dels once when I saw them in Dallas. I > thought they were good. Haven't thought about them in > a while, but would probably still like them, myself. > > debbie > > --- Rachel Wifall wrote: > > Someone else who never gets tired of the Gin > > Blossoms--at last we've found > > each other!!! > > > > Other people make fun of me.... ;-) > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: > > To: > > Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 3:52 PM > > Subject: Re: OV: spinning > > > > > > > I love this game! > > > > > > 1. Dels - Even Lousier With Love (my favorite > > bee's all in one place) > > > 2. Whiskeytown - Faithless Street > > > 3. Dels - CYDMG - I really do love this CD and > > the kids do too. They > > love > > > Drunk in a band and make me play it over and over > > (and over and over and > > > over). > > > 4. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience - I > > never get tired of this > > > 5. Ryan Adams - Gold > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 15:08:38 +0000 (GMT+00:00) From: Jim Hopping Subject: OV: 5 CDs My five are as follows (in no particular order 1) Lemonheads: The Atlantic Years. Great songs. Shame he went a bit mad. 2) Spearmint - A week away. We're going out is one of the catchiest songs EVER written. 3) Lousy with Love - This is never far away from the CD player. 4) Radiohead - OK Computer. Someone stole my copy of The Bends so this is serving as my RH fix. 5) Rod Stewart Greatest Hits: The Story So Far - All together now.....'Wake up Magie I think I got something to say to you....' Jim ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 11:11:51 EDT From: TokIeyasu@aol.com Subject: OV: Re: in rotation eagle eye cherry i highly recommend everyone check out the new Eagle-Eye Cherry album.......if you love Del Amitri you will love this album ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 16:14:34 +0100 From: "claire barber (SRI)" Subject: OV: spinning I've just checked out the Gin Blossoms on Amazon and listened to a few snippets. I really like what I've heard so far - any further recommendation about this band? How many albums are there.... Hungry for info now...!!! claire - -----Original Message----- From: Debbie Cushing [mailto:debbsc67@yahoo.com] Sent: 13 July 2002 18:25 To: Rachel Wifall; Tairemartyn@aol.com; oppositeview@smoe.org Subject: Re: OV: spinning Why would people make fun of you for listening to the Gin Blossoms? Unless I'm totally halucinating, they opened for the Dels once when I saw them in Dallas. I thought they were good. Haven't thought about them in a while, but would probably still like them, myself. debbie - --- Rachel Wifall wrote: > Someone else who never gets tired of the Gin > Blossoms--at last we've found > each other!!! > > Other people make fun of me.... ;-) > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 3:52 PM > Subject: Re: OV: spinning > > > > I love this game! > > > > 1. Dels - Even Lousier With Love (my favorite > bee's all in one place) > > 2. Whiskeytown - Faithless Street > > 3. Dels - CYDMG - I really do love this CD and > the kids do too. They > love > > Drunk in a band and make me play it over and over > (and over and over and > > over). > > 4. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience - I > never get tired of this > > 5. Ryan Adams - Gold Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 08:50:04 -0700 (PDT) From: doug brown Subject: Re: OV: spinning They have 2 CDs worth getting from after they got signed, New Miserable Experience (1992) and Congratulations I'm Sorry (1996). There is also a Best Of with tracks from both, as well as B-sides here and there. Their first is generally considered their best and the second a bit of a disappointment but I love it also and it has my favorite track from them, "Competition Smile". They were great live too, a real shame they quit so early on. - --- "claire barber (SRI)" wrote: > I've just checked out the Gin Blossoms on Amazon and > listened to a few snippets. I really like what I've > heard so far - any further recommendation about this > band? > How many albums are there.... > Hungry for info now...!!! > claire Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 11:00:56 -0500 From: "S Meyer" Subject: Re: OV: spinning I might be thinking of the wrong band, but didn't someone die? I always thought that was the reason for the early disbanding. Cindy > They were great live too, a real shame they quit so > early on. > > --- "claire barber (SRI)" > wrote: > > I've just checked out the Gin Blossoms on Amazon and > > listened to a few snippets. I really like what I've > > heard so far - any further recommendation about this > > band? > > How many albums are there.... > > Hungry for info now...!!! > > claire > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 09:00:30 -0700 (PDT) From: Alison Bellach Subject: Re: OV: spinning Right after they hit it big one of the main members, who had been kicked out for drug usage, committed suicide due to depression. Also, they have an EP called "Up And Crumbling"... On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, S Meyer wrote: > I might be thinking of the wrong band, but didn't someone die? I always > thought that was the reason for the early disbanding. > Cindy > > > > They were great live too, a real shame they quit so > > early on. > > > > --- "claire barber (SRI)" > > wrote: > > > I've just checked out the Gin Blossoms on Amazon and > > > listened to a few snippets. I really like what I've > > > heard so far - any further recommendation about this > > > band? > > > How many albums are there.... > > > Hungry for info now...!!! > > > claire > > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > > http://autos.yahoo.com > > - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Alison Bellach: alibee@delamitri.com http://alibee.linex.com http://www.delamitri.com "If you want peace, work for justice." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:01:47 EDT From: Tairemartyn@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms http://www.geocities.com/~eharty/gin_blossoms.html Check out the bio. Here is a funny snip: Richard was on probation, and the band was afraid his probation officer would see the Gin Blossoms were playing, and know Richard was breaking the rules of his probation. So Chris came up with the "Del Montes" alias, a play on all the popular "Del" bands of the times (like the Del Fuegos). There is a new album in the works and TOUR DATES! None in California though. I also caught the Gin Blossoms opening up for Del Amitri back in 1992. They were great live! Taire~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:05:19 EDT From: Tairemartyn@aol.com Subject: Re: OV: spinning It was Doug Hopkins that died. Hey wrote all of their best songs. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:14:04 -0400 From: valerie.mahon@bowker.com Subject: RE: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms I believe from what I've read that the new album is mostly remastered songs that have already been recorded and some live tracks and b-sides. They haven't said whether they are going to be doing any new music or not. I saw them on the 6th with the Spin Doctors. It was such a treat! I was heartbroken when they broke up. I started listening to them in college around the same time that I discovered Del Amitri. They were my 2 favorite bands at the time. It was funny that most of the people at the show looked to be about 10 years younger than me--they must have been 12 or 13 when the Blossoms were popular. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:16:54 -0400 From: "Rachel Wifall" Subject: Re: OV: spinning A response to my own earlier message: I realized just after I sent it that the Gin Blossoms put out NME in 92, and CIS was 96--definitely not the 80's. I guess it's a symptom of age: all the years are starting to blur... ;-) The notion of the "sound" of a particular historical period (I'm not talking centuries here--"baroque" or "classical"--but at this point in history maybe few-year phases) brings me to another thought: Many of you have commented on the electronic elements in Can You Do Me Good. I find that these specific sounds will definitely help us, in the future, to locate this album in this particular place in time. You can find similar resonances in other contemporary music--but I think it's a good thing. If you look closely, the songs that incorporate the most--maybe "trendy"--electronic elements seem to me to be songs that are more socially oriented, as opposed to those written in a personal, confessional style. Hopelessly analytical, RW - ----- Original Message ----- From: "doug brown" To: Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 11:50 AM Subject: Re: OV: spinning > They have 2 CDs worth getting from after they got > signed, New Miserable Experience (1992) and > Congratulations I'm Sorry (1996). There is also a Best > Of with tracks from both, as well as B-sides here and > there. > > Their first is generally considered their best and the > second a bit of a disappointment but I love it also > and it has my favorite track from them, "Competition > Smile". > > They were great live too, a real shame they quit so > early on. > > --- "claire barber (SRI)" > wrote: > > I've just checked out the Gin Blossoms on Amazon and > > listened to a few snippets. I really like what I've > > heard so far - any further recommendation about this > > band? > > How many albums are there.... > > Hungry for info now...!!! > > claire > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:17:49 -0400 From: "Rachel Wifall" Subject: Re: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms Thanks so much for the info! - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: ; Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 12:01 PM Subject: Re: OV: spinning - Gin Blossoms > http://www.geocities.com/~eharty/gin_blossoms.html > > Check out the bio. Here is a funny snip: > > Richard was on probation, and the band was afraid his probation officer would > see the Gin Blossoms were playing, and know Richard was breaking the rules of > his probation. So Chris came up with the "Del Montes" alias, a play on all > the popular "Del" bands of the times (like the Del Fuegos). > > > There is a new album in the works and TOUR DATES! None in California though. > > > I also caught the Gin Blossoms opening up for Del Amitri back in 1992. They > were great live! > > Taire~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 08:10:49 +0100 From: tracykeates@supanet.com Subject: OV: In Rotation & KMO [demime could not interpret encoding binary - treating as plain text] In my car: 1. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - By The Way 2. Matchbox Twenty - Mad Season 3. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix 4. Kylie - Fever 5. Dels - Can You Do Me Good 6. Various - Cigarettes & Alchohol Also in reply to the person that asked about Kevin McDermott, as well as supporting the Dels at the Astoria gig in 98 in KMO he supported in Greenhouse and The Orphans on, if I remember correctly, the Twisted tour and the Change Everything tour. No idea if he's related to Brian though, he does have a brother Jim who's the drummer in his own band! Tracy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 11:45:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Debbie Cushing Subject: Re: OV: spinning Hmm...not so far off from the Dels, really. :-) From what I recall, though, the ex-lead singer of the Gin Blossoms wrote a great deal of their lyrics. I remember hearing/reading that he (sorry, can't remember his name) suffered from alcoholism and depression for quite some time before he killed himself. That would probably explain the songs. debbie - --- Rachel Wifall wrote: > I guess that at this point they just have such an > "80's" sound. People who > don't really know them in the U.S. see them as one > (or two)-hit wonders from > way back. But hey, good music is good music. I > have to admit though, they > do play that "I'm so drunk and my heart is so > broken" thing out a bit much. > I, on the other hand, am haunted by quite a lot of > their music. > > I had no idea they opened for the Dels.... > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Debbie Cushing" > To: "Rachel Wifall" ; > ; > > Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 1:25 PM > Subject: Re: OV: spinning > > > > Why would people make fun of you for listening to > the > > Gin Blossoms? Unless I'm totally halucinating, > they > > opened for the Dels once when I saw them in > Dallas. I > > thought they were good. Haven't thought about them > in > > a while, but would probably still like them, > myself. > > > > debbie > > > > --- Rachel Wifall wrote: > > > Someone else who never gets tired of the Gin > > > Blossoms--at last we've found > > > each other!!! > > > > > > Other people make fun of me.... ;-) > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: > > > To: > > > Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 3:52 PM > > > Subject: Re: OV: spinning > > > > > > > > > > I love this game! > > > > > > > > 1. Dels - Even Lousier With Love (my favorite > > > bee's all in one place) > > > > 2. Whiskeytown - Faithless Street > > > > 3. Dels - CYDMG - I really do love this CD > and > > > the kids do too. They > > > love > > > > Drunk in a band and make me play it over and > over > > > (and over and over and > > > > over). > > > > 4. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience - I > > > never get tired of this > > > > 5. Ryan Adams - Gold > > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > > http://autos.yahoo.com Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 16:29:24 -0400 From: Michelle Komie Subject: OV: 5 in ro t a t i o n 1. Patsy O'Brien - Admission. An excellent album by a new young Irish singer-songwriter. Great voice, great guitar. 2. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator). I love her third album, particularly the amazing 14-minute final track, "I Dream a Highway." 3. Del Amitri - Can You Do Me Good? and accompanying singles. Much-discussed. I like it lots. 4. The Waterboys - This is the Sea. 5. Tom Waits - The Early Years, vol. 2. Wonderfully pared-down and beautiful songs. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 14:17:44 -0700 From: Darren@bendcable.com Subject: OV: Barrowlands CDr Tree Just FYI... If you haven't signed up yet, Wednesday will be the cut-off date. If you want to sign up and haven't already, email me off-list darren@bendcable.com with your name, city, country. Darren ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 23:42:35 +0100 From: "Sam Brown" Subject: OV: Re: oppositeview-digest V4 #182 hey all! de lurking after a substantial period of time! new computer and all - heres my current CD favourites... Change Everything - Del Amitri (only album I didn't have for ages...) Mouffou - Salif Kieta (I recommend to all fans of world music - a departure from his western influenced previous) Calaforniacation - Red Hot Chilli Peppers (gettin in the mood for the new one...) Mud Slide Slim - James Taylor (a classic...) Nimrod - Green Day (seein' them at wembly on wednesday!) U Don't Know - Loki (local band in Pompey area. I've stage teched for them recently. good solid rock band) well there ya go... Sam ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 00:29:13 -0400 From: "William Kates" Subject: OV: In Rotation... Delurking to share "What's in my cd player", one of my favorite features of OV. 1. Julia Fordham - Concrete Love. This album was finished almost a year ago and resided in record company limbo until now. Atlantic was to release it late last year but her contract was dropped, and she was just recently picked up by Vanguard (it seems like many great artists are falling between the cracks of the record industry now - Del Amitri, Texas, and Tanita Tikaram to name three, have no U.S. record company at present). If any of you are familiar with Julia's first two albums (both wonderful, start to finish), this new one equals or betters them. She's an amazing singer and a great songwriter. Concrete Love is one of her strongest collection of songs ever, and the production on this record by Larry Klein is superb. I give it my highest recommendation. 2. Del Amitri - Can You Do Me Good + Current Single B-Sides. My jury is still out on where this one falls in the hierarchy of Del Amitri albums, but for now I'll say that I'm still enjoying the absorption process. I heard a track by a group called Ash on a Q Magazine sampler that sounded good so I picked up their Free All Angels disc based on the fact that it was touted as being #1 in England, it was $9.99 at Tower, plus it came with a bonus dvd. Well I listened to this disc, and it seems to have a handful of good songs scattered between the rest which sound like someone turned up the noise machine (yes I am getting old...), however it provided me with a some perspective as to what Del Amitri is up against in the record industry. If this is what people are buying, it makes the production sound of Drunk in a Band for example, make a lot more sense. In fact, Drunk in a Band sound incredibly more musical than the loud Ash songs. Actually, the first three tracks on CYDMG seem to be trying to appeal to current or recent chart fads (in three different styles) and it's not till track four that we get to some serious Del Amitri music. Not to dismiss the first three tracks, I actually love JBYL and Drunk, although the concept of drunkenness remains a little disturbing. 3. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me. The success of this beautiful recording should give Del Amitri some hope. Here's a disc that defies every previous chart trend, and yet has sold very well in the U.S. and, I understand it is top ten in Britain. This record blends jazz, country, blues and pop in a seamless and effortless manner, with Norah handling piano and vocals, with wonderfully understated production by Arif Mardin - his brilliance on this project is that he knew to basically stay out of the way and get a sound on the recording that is much like what she does live. This record should give hope to those naive enough to think that if you make the record you really want to make, and if it is good enough, an audience will find it. Norah may have gotten a little bit of press mileage out of the fact that her father is Ravi Shankar, but there is no apparent influence on her music style. 4. John Mayer - Room for Squares. This one's been in the player for a while now, but it keeps on delivering. Possibly the best new male American singer, songwriter and guitarist to come along in quite some time. He and Norah Jones were double billed on a tour just before her record was released, and John has been quoted as saying something to the effect that Norah Jones incredible talent reminds him of Carole King, which makes him feel like James Taylor. 5. Hiram Bullock - Colour Me. If you're unfamiliar with Hiram, you may refer to the guitar solo on Sting's version of Little Wing on Nothing Like the Sun for starters. Hiram's session credit list is huge, plus he's got about a dozen wonderful albums of his own. Many in the U.S. remember him as a one-time member of the house band on the David Letterman show; he's also played lots with Marcus Miller and David Sanborn over the years. Although he lives and works in New York City, he also does not have an American label at this time (is there a theme here?). His last three discs have been released in Japan only - he tours constantly in Europe and Japan where he apparently has a huge audience; these discs are also available from his website. Colour Me is a collection of mostly original, very well written songs, mostly in a pop/rock vein with a jazz/blues mentality, and it is one of Hiram's best. I know I've gone on sort of long with the descriptions, but this is one of the aspects of this that is the most valuable - checking out recommendations by others on this list, where I would agree that good taste predominates. Other OV'ers, please don't hesitate to explain your choices. Cheers to all. - William Kates _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 08:46:32 +0100 From: "Libby Graham" Subject: OV: Re: In Rotation... In the pile next to my PC at work (so that I can listen before my colleagues come in and after they leave) are: Remy Zero - The Golden Hum. As per Hilary's comments - completely amazing live. Perfect Memory is causing me to burst into tears again but then Save Me manages to make me smile. Matchbox Twenty - Yourself or Someone Like You. Why don't they have hits here? The Candyskins - Death of a Minor TV Celebrity - in shock that it was released in 1998 - sounds as fresh today as it did then. McAlmont & Butler - The 2 Yes CD singles - like another OVer psyched they are back together - beautiful, powerful voice matched with amazing guitars - what more can anyone ask for? Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker - like Hilary after a gap as I was so annoyed with his 2nd Brixton performance this year. But this album is just too great to ignore, even though certain people disagree with me wildly. And in the cassette player in the car - a tape of Del Amitri b-sides - had the joy of Whiskey Remorse on the way into work. Libby ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 09:14:16 +0100 From: "claire barber (SRI)" Subject: OV: RE: Re: In Rotation...Ryan Adams? Can I just ask what Ryan Adams did to annoy so much at that Brixton gig? Intrigued!!! Claire - -----Original Message----- From: Libby Graham [mailto:e.a.graham@reading.ac.uk] Sent: 16 July 2002 08:47 To: oppositeview@smoe.org Subject: OV: Re: In Rotation... Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker - like Hilary after a gap as I was so annoyed with his 2nd Brixton performance this year. But this album is just too great to ignore, even though certain people disagree with me wildly. And in the cassette player in the car - a tape of Del Amitri b-sides - had the joy of Whiskey Remorse on the way into work. Libby ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 09:48:08 +0100 (BST) From: "Hilary Gray" Subject: Re: OV: RE: Re: In Rotation...Ryan Adams? > Can I just ask what Ryan Adams did to annoy so much at that Brixton > gig? Intrigued!!! Claire He appeared to be in a very bad mood and did not interact with the audience at all. Got very self-indulgent during some songs with a not very good 10 minute guitar solo lying on the floor, then ended the gig by throwing his guitar at the drum kit and walking off stage. No goodbye, no encore. Was very disappointing as his previous London gigs have been utterly fantastic, but it appeared he had been reading too much of his own press. I can understand an artist being ill, tired, sick of touring or whatever, but IMHO if they are going to get on that stage I expect them to be nothing less than professional about how they do a gig. Temper tantrums do not impress. Hilary ------------------------------ End of oppositeview-digest V4 #183 **********************************