From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V4 #462 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Monday, October 3 2005 Volume 04 : Number 462 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:50:34 -0700 (PDT) From: chris adams Subject: Re: seven-seas Re: Mac as crooner (Lasts Forever?) Some reviewers are that way. I refuse to write about an album until I've got a real sense of it, and also, usually, insist that the magazine publisher send the the entire back catalogue of a band, which they'll sometimes do, cos they get freebies, it's all written off. And I won't publish anything about a band I don't like. It's entirely purposeless. Music journalism, dubious at best, has totally gone down the shitter. Generally, it's tasteless people who can't write shoving their bullshit ill-informed opinions down the throats of people who are stupid enough to think it matters. Which it doesn't. - --Chris A. Barry Whiting wrote: Charbonneau, Peter J wrote: >When a reviewer >is sent a record to give his/her thoughts on, is it one listen and >write, > I don't think it's even that given some of the rubbish I've read over the years. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== - --------------------------------- Yahoo! for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 18:10:41 -0700 (PDT) From: chris adams Subject: RE: seven-seas Re: Mac as crooner (Lasts Forever?) Music critics: having been one for, oh, 15 years (professional) I gotta say I'm in some pathetic fucking company. Ya ever get a look at these creeps? Fat fuckin bastards in stained "semi-ironic" rock band t-shirts (Adam and the Ants, "Prince Charming" tour '81 or sumthin, or Suzi Quatro Fan Club, shit like that) with bad hair, kinda smelly, socially retarded chronic masturbators with halitosis and advanced theories on how Johnny Rotten was "obviously" influenced by Situationism and the '68 French Riots (yeah, I'm tawking 'bout chu, Marcus, you overly-intellectual tool). I don't consider myself a music critic. I'm a writer who writes about things he loves, and some of that happens to be great rock and roll records. That's why I refuse, adamantly, to write negative album criticisms in an actual published forum, like a mag. If someone wants to waste their money on the new Blink 182, it ain't my fucking problem or anyone else's, ya know? And if the person who buys it gets off on it, well, I'm glad I'm not them, that's all. To get a good idea of the ludicrousness of music journalism, check out the new Dylan movie, where he's being asked the stupidest questions possible by a buncha journos, and he's just askance. I woulda gone and had a "motorcycle accident" too. And for further info on the inherent idiocy in the notion of art criticism in general, read "The Painted Word" by Tom Wolfe, which is a work of genius to be treasured by anyone with even a fledgeling interest in "art "and creative human self-expression on any level. - --Chris A. "Charbonneau, Peter J" wrote: While I will always get chills from some of Mac's soaring vocals on the earlier albums, I do also enjoy his singing on the latest albums. The voice is still rich and strong... it's just logged some years to be sure. I think it also speaks to the band's staying power. Mac's changed his style over the years as his voice has changed and I think most of us will agree it works. As opposed to someone like say Simon LeBon who could barely sing in the 80's still trying to deliver songs in the same way now. It becomes painful. I heard a clip of Duran on the last tour and well... yikes. I also agree that 'Siberia' is a 'grower' in the best sense of the word. When I first picked it up, I found myself wondering how much I actually like the record. I kept playing it and now I can't get it out of my head. It's really a wonderful batch of songs. I have a question for those in the know of such things. When a reviewer is sent a record to give his/her thoughts on, is it one listen and write, or will they take the time to give it a few listens to form an opinion. I think there's a place for the gut reaction on first listen, but 'siberia' certainly lends itself to repeated listens. Chris A., you might be able to best answer this, but I was just curious. Pete - -----Original Message----- From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org [mailto:owner-seven-seas@smoe.org] On Behalf Of wynd Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 11:55 AM To: seven-seas@smoe.org Subject: Re: seven-seas Re: Mac as crooner (Lasts Forever?) I love how Mac's voice is maturing-- he can still lean in and whisper, and then stand back and deliver, and he's got the best subtle timing. It still brings me in. Personally, Siberia is the album I wanted, a little "then" a little "now" as only they do it and it makes me proud to still be a fan. My only regret is that newer fans might not put in the time like us ye olde fans will, because it really does grow on you as you discover all the layers. Glad to hear Will so up-front. I miss their brave and perfect timing changes from the old days and I still miss Pete but I think it comes close (except for all the cymbals) to the driving not dragging rhythm he and Les would have brought. I think Les' stamp would have made it all absolutlely killer. woulda shoulda coulda. Kate On Saturday, October 1, 2005, at 01:05 PM, Theodore Turner wrote: > rom: Theodore Turner > Date: Sat Oct 1, 2005 1:05:28 PM America/New_York > To: seven-seas@smoe.org > Subject: seven-seas Re: Mac as crooner (Lasts Forever?) > Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org > > I think its fair to say that the more metaphysically poetic wailing > Mac of > the first batch of records has gone through a (time elapsed) stylistic > change to be the more confessional poetic crooning Mac we now hear. > This may > have something to do with certain losses in range as he's got older, > or it > could simply be that he's singing different words in a different way - > I > dunno. But ya, even as crooner you can hear that some of the nuance > depth of > his instrument has receded a bit, I guess Nothing Lasts Forever, but > maybe > it does, as I do agree that what has been lost in sheer scope is > compensated > for with an emotional timbre of nakedness that potentially opens new > doors > for him as a singer as well. I sometimes remind myself that I am > following > the career of an artist who (at his peak) was pretty singular in his > vocal > abilities and scope within the history of pop music. To push it as > hard as > he did for so may years must have been exhausting, if the dude wants > to drop > it down a few keys and fly a little closer to earth with as at this > point, > he's more than earned the extra leg room. I do know that the last time > I saw > them (2 years ago), he hit every note at the end of Ocean Rain with > time > machine like epiphanal glory, for 10 seconds I was both 17 again AND > lived > forever, not bad for Rock & Roll. > > Happy Saturday, > > Ted ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== - --------------------------------- Yahoo! for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V4 #462 ********************************