Michael Jackson will always be a pop icon. There is probably no one in the world that does not know his name and his face. He always had a very different life than most people. He was always in the news for doing something out of the ordinary yet his musical greatness was never questioned. Although he is sadly no longer with us, his cd sales are off the charts and dvd duplication of his concerts are in full swing.
Song lyrics are very much like poetry. And just like prose, they can contain some real pearls of wisdom. I’m not talking about the sort of stuff that takes up the majority of the Top 40. The deepest words you would find in there would be; ‘Life is a rollercoaster; you just have to ride it.’ Yeah, sure thing Ronan. However, ‘I like it best when you say nothing at all…’
If you read through the lyrics to more serious Continue reading ‘Lyrical Learning.’
By far the biggest and best gig I have ever been to was Muse at Wembley around three years ago (I think it was three years, all I remember is that I went to it while I was studying for my locum doctor jobs qualifications). The newly built stadium was impressive enough, but when they filled it with the best live band in the world and around 70,000 fanatical fans, the day became amazing. Muse pl Continue reading ‘Muse @ Wembley Stadium 2007′
I’m not sure where the Indy music thing is heading, but if the last few years are anything to go by, it may not be as much to look forward to as we had all hoped. Maybe that’s being a little harsh; yes, there have been numerous fresh up and coming bands over the course of the last five years. Acts like Arcade Fire, Bloc Party and others have thrown new light on a somewhat exhausted genre, but there’s a Continue reading ‘Formulaic’
Washington
It was Mackaye’s infamous dogged dedication to D.I.Y. home-grown music that did it; over a number of albums he produced on his own label, Dischord—including early greats 13 Songs, Red Medicine, In On The Kill Taker Continue reading ‘Fugazi: Instrument (Video / CD / DVD)’
Okay, so if you want to get technical about it then ‘The Reptile House’ is not actually an album; it is a 6 track EP. However, it is not written as an EP; it has clearly been created as a mini-album.
So there.
The Sisters of Mercy have gone through several major line-up changes over the years and ‘The Reptile House’ was recorded during their first phase. It is minimalistic, cold and dark; a ‘Floodland’ stripped down to Continue reading ‘Classic Albums - The Reptile House.’
Sade’s newest album “Soldier of Love” is the artist’s first release in ten years since her acclaimed “Lover’s Rock” album of 2000. Released by Sony, Sade’s unique style has not changed over the years, and life-long fans of the artist will surely be pleased. Perhaps this was her goal, for this album will likely not create any new followings. Her sound remains the same, with few changes to her categorical sound.
The main fault in “Soldier of Love” is the Continue reading ‘Album Review: Sade- Soldier of Love’
In 1992, Henryk Gorecki’s Third Symphony was released in remembrance of those whose lives were lost in the holocaust. The sheer size of its success could never have been anticipated.
Gorecki had actually written the symphony fifteen years earlier, but it had gone largely unnoticed. In fact, most of his work had been overlooked by everyone except a few devout followers. But with his Third Symphony (entitled; ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’), he managed to connect with an enormous amount of Continue reading ‘Classic Albums - Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs.’
If I were going name a singer/songwriter from the last forty-odd years who had truly helped to change the face of modern music then David Bowie would have to be one of my first choices. He has done so many songs in so many styles; he has set trends and broken down boundaries. Rather than trying to think of what genres he has worked in it would be far easier to try and list the ones that he has not Continue reading ‘Classic Albums - Diamond Dogs.’
When you think about movie soundtracks, it is not going to be very long before you come up with the name of Ennio Morricone.
His prolific career has seen him compose the music for around two-hundred films and many television dramatisations. In the world of movie soundtracks there are not many people who have this amount of work in their portfolio…
Morricone is still best known for his first big break; the trilogy of spaghetti westerns by Sergio Leone. Just Continue reading ‘The Genius of Ennio Morricone.’
