What Are You Listening To?

[Botch]

It's been 18 years since their last album release, and an almost equally long time since the one before that. But they're here, again, and they sound... like they've always sounded.
The chick in the back of a red convertible, riding thru LA, is cool; and the AI-generated "concert" clips of the band, from most of their previous millenia (save their current fossilized state) is even cooler.

 

[Randy]

Decent song from Stone's.

 

[Botch]

Concert footage I haven't seen before, a reunion of Squeeze I wasn't aware of. Love it!

 

[Botch]

Back in the '80s there was a synth-pop band that I took a liking to, Swing-Out Sister. The vocalist was very good, and the tracks had a lot of cool chord progressions and unexpected key changes/NOT key changes (the build-up chords suggested a keychange, which never happened, but then later in the song you weren't expecting one and it smacked you upside the head. So Cool!)
Doodooz Tube just showed me this, Level 42 + orchestra inviting the SOS vocalist out, and doing a couple tunes; again, suggested key changes that don't happen, and then key changes smacking you, LOVE it! Break Out was SOS's sig song, with the same key shenanigans.

 

[Botch]

I've never been a Jackson Browne fan. But here's a video of him doing "Doctor My Eyes" with Sklar and a percussionist in (iirc) a "Tiny Desk" setting, during the COVID thing. BUT they've added a bunch of diverse musicians from around the globe, and it suddenly is Magic! Enjoy.

 

[mcad64]

Concert footage I haven't seen before, a reunion of Squeeze I wasn't aware of. Love it!

Misheard lyrics. I used to sing "Two fat ladies window shop ..something for their man obese" Whaaa??
Lucky enough to see them in 1985. They were fantastic. ArgyBargy and East Side Story are still two of my favourite albums.

 

[Botch]

Wow, where did this come from?!? Very early Genesis (mid-seventies), live; and the video quality is quite good from that period. Good clip also to realize how good a drummer Phil Collins was.

 

[Botch]

I bought the 2-yr old Silk Sonic album last year, and it stayed in rotation for quite awhile. I've put it back in my car and it's even better the second time around; absolutely love this.

By a chance coincidence I got a band interested in me, just talking to a sales/lesson guy at the local Guitar Center (don't think I've stepped in one in ten years!) They were looking for not one, but two keyboardists to add, kind've a dream of mine (Toto!) and I was pretty excited. They emailed me about ten songs, and I had bitten off more than I could chew, they were more soul/R&B, guys like: EW&F, Maze, Tower of Power, Chaka Khan, Aretha, Jill Scott, Patrice Rushen, Justus Brothers. Love that kind've music but its way out of my skill set. They hadn't heard the other keyboardist yet either at the audition, but I was in over my head and didn't get hired.

Still, it was a good experience and when they asked me what songs I'd like to do (before they heard me) I mentioned Level 42, and this song from the above Silk Sonic disk:

Gorgeous, but it's a lot more complicated than I realized also, four key changes in it (which just make me smile). I understand the other leader, Anderson .Paak, also has a formidable catalog and I need to look into some of his stuff.

Sorry to keep bouncing this one (musicians only need read further).
Saw this jazz pianist's comments about the song, and I learned a few (more) things about chord/key changes. So, so cool!

 

[Botch]

Dinner, and drinks (lotsa drinks) with Rush.
I'd seen this video years ago, forgot about it, and it suddenly appeared on my ewetube feed. Makes me so happy, and so melancholy, at the same time...

 

[mcad64]

Full disclosure. I have been drinking....but this is a great song.

 

[mcad64]

I think Botch posted a playing for change video somewhere!!??

 

[mcad64]

Love me some Sara Bareilles. Even more so with a full orchestra.

 

[mcad64]

Why is Sara Bareilles not a superstar??

 

[Botch]

A group I should've been following for awhile, Scary Pockets:

The standing guitarist, and the Wurlie player (Pomplamoose hubbie and Patreon CEO), are the guys from the "Dead Wax" channel, and the ferocious drummer is Louis Cole, a new discovery for me (his newest is in my car player, and will be for awhile, very different stuff to wrap my ears around). Larry Goldings on Hammond, and old John Scofield on guitar (I never really "got" his playing). Never heard of the bass player either, though he was tight.

 

[Botch]

More Louis Cole, doing the same song in a 3-piece jazz combo (he's on synth) and then with a modern "big band" (he's on drums). I didn't think "kids these days" played this kind've music...

 

[Haywood]

I've been listening to Extreme's new album a lot lately and really like it a lot. Lisa and I also went to see them a couple months ago. Great show. Nuno is definitely one of the best rock guitarists out there right now and the solo in this track is insane.

 

[Botch]

Prince's "1999", a double album had the fawnky hit Dance, Music, Sex, Romance (DMSR). I taped it in college on a 90-minute cassette and about wore it out. Bought 1999 on CD when CDs came out, they were able to squeeze that double album onto one CD, by leaving off one song: DMSR?!?!? Subsequent Prince GH and compilation CDs never included DMSR, I just couldn't find a digital copy of it anywhere; wondered if Purple Guy grew to hate the song and never played it again. I just checked, and it is now posted on EweTube; good to hear it again.

 

[Botch]

And, some MORE Louis Cole. This is an odd quartet: upright bass going thru an envelope filter, a synth, Louis on drums, and a... Button Accordian.

 

[Botch]

Picking this one up tomorrow!

 

[Botch]

The Man in the Brown Shorts™ just dropped this off from a young artist called Laufey, who is picking up Disney/Jazz/Pop styles and incorporating it into her COVID/Internetz style.



Then, 30 minutes later, I see Adam Neeley did an hour-long EweTube on why she isn't really jazz, but he had some very interesting history to discuss too.

I haven't listened to the Laufey disk yet, it will be replacing the latest Louis Cole CD that's been in the car the past month, who's another youngster taking old styles in a new direction.

The kids are all right.