Currently listening, part 1

[drone on]

The Durutti Column-Four Factory Records
Duran Duran-Rio 2CD ltd. edition
Bauhaus-In the flat Field Omnibus Edition
Joy Division-Closer
U2-Unforgettable Fire Ltd.edition (w/DVD, nice footage of Eno)

[Seren]

Thanks for the Invisible Cities mention , Joe.

- The Circular Ruins: Invisible Cities  :::: yep, its a good un

Now just a darn minute, should you really be blowing your own horn like that? ;-)
...I always wondered if musicians listened to their own music. If I were a musician, I don't think I'd enjoy listening to my own stuff. I'd be too critical.

I listen to my own stuff too - obviously while in the composing process, but also afterwards. Sometimes I am critical and think I would do that differently now (if at all!!) and other times I really enjoy hearing it again......

For me there is often a cooling off period once a piece is completed - I have already listened to it so often I need to give it some space and to then hear it with new ears again.

[petekelly]

I very rarely listen to my own work. I always hear things I'd do differently now. In fact, if I'm listening to 'Drone Zone' or 'Stillstream' and one of my tracks comes on, I usually pause the player a few seconds into the track and wait for it to finish.

However, I focus on the work very intently when I'm creating it. When its finished, I release the work for other people to hear.
I'm happy with it at the time. 

cheers
Pete

[Joe R]

Interesting to see other musicians' comments on listening to their own material.

I know that some musicians NEVER listen to their own stuff. Bob Dylan, for example, doesn't even know what songs are on what particular album, or if they're on an album at all. He says it doesn't matter- he writes songs to be performed live, and every song on an album is just that particular version frozen in time on a recording; it's not necessarily the finished version, and much of the time you'll find that it's not, if you listen to his live albums. His songs are like chameleons (am I spelling that right?)

[Wayne Higgins]

I got some GREAT albums yesterday.  All original vinyl prints.  Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick", Chicago V, Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water", The Supreme's Greatest Hits, Walter Carlos "Music for A Clockwork Orange", Herman's Hermits 2nd lp, The Monkees "Pices, Capricorn, Aquarious, and Jones LTD, and a mono copy of "The Sound of Music" soundtrack...all for $23!!!  (ok, so The Monkees and Herman's Hermits for for my wife.) ::)

[ffcal]

I got some GREAT albums yesterday.  All original vinyl prints.  Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick"...

Wayne, if your copy came with the fake newspaper that originally came with it, that would be quite a deal.  I still have mine 8)

Forrest

[ffcal]

Interesting to see other musicians' comments on listening to their own material.

I tend not listen to my own music once it is released; when I've done that in the past, I've heard things I would have changed with the benefit of hindsight--it can drive me nuts.  On the other hand, I have no problem with playing unfinished pieces or mixes over the course of recording an album.

Forrest

[Wayne Higgins]

I got some GREAT albums yesterday.  All original vinyl prints.  Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick"...

Wayne, if your copy came with the fake newspaper that originally came with it, that would be quite a deal.  I still have mine 8)

Forrest

Yep.  And its the Reprise Orange label.

[ffcal]

I got some GREAT albums yesterday.  All original vinyl prints.  Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick"...

Wayne, if your copy came with the fake newspaper that originally came with it, that would be quite a deal.  I still have mine 8)

Forrest

Yep.  And its the Reprise Orange label.

Nice going, Wayne!

NP - Jim Black - AlasNoAxis (an experimental ethnic-jazz-rockish hybrid featuring drummer Jim Black, an electric guitarist who does a fine Bill Frisell impression, Chris Speed on tenor sax and clarinet, and Skuli Sverisson on electric bass; beautiful book-like CD packaging, with interesting art visuals)

Forrest

[abasio]

Nunc Stans - Timeless

[uhurit]

Greg Davis 'Midpoint', great drone-works from Home Normal

[Joe R]

This morning:

Fieldhead- They Shook Hands For Hours

I really love this disc. It's a strange combination of minimal funk, ambience, and glitch. The "funky" tracks are... well, nothing is exactly as it first appears -it's grainy, just a touch out of rhythm sometimes, and there are musical textures missing occasionally. The strictly ambient tracks are very desolate and eerie, but there are some "happy" tracks in here also, to prevent the album from capsizing in it's own sorrow. A wonderful disc! There's also an album of remixes that's almost as good as the original.

[michael sandler]

Thanks for the Invisible Cities mention , Joe.

- The Circular Ruins: Invisible Cities  :::: yep, its a good un

Now just a darn minute, should you really be blowing your own horn like that? ;-)
...I always wondered if musicians listened to their own music. If I were a musician, I don't think I'd enjoy listening to my own stuff. I'd be too critical.

Once I finish something and put it out there I am so sick of it that I can't stand to hear it again. However, I like to go back after few weeks or months and try to listen with fresh ears. There is always something I hear that I dont like, but I have learned to accept that it's not going to perfect.

MikeS

[Stellardrone]

Finishing Palancar - Ambient Train Wreck'ology. (12 albums ).

All week with this wonderful musician that introduced me to ambient music (about two years ago). Was great.  :D

[Scott M2]

First listen to the new Broken Social Scene "Forgiveness Rock Record" - so-so title but a good album, if you like BSS.

[Dave Michuda]

It's prog rock week...

801 - Manchester
pink floyd - animals
henry cow - unrest
hugh hopper - hopper tunity box

[APK]

Ahhh... Henry Cow AND Hugh Hopper.
delighted to see someone playing these excellent things.
Good stuff, Dave !

[SunDummy]

Astra, "The Weirding" - prog-rock with a great blend of 70's floatiness and modern heaviness.  Excellent stuff!
Naked Raygun, "All Rise" - Revisiting an old college favorite.  These guys were melodic when punk was supposed to be monotonic.  Love the singer's voice, too.  "Home of the Brave" needs to be played as loud as your system can go.
Portishead, "Third" - This is supposed to be brilliant, but so far I don't see it.  Not my cup of tea.  I'll give it a few more tries...
True Widow, "S/T" - I just cannot recommend this highly enough.  This seethes and smolders like a pile of wet burning leaves.  Heavy but gentle, simple yet multi-layered, raw but polished.  It reminds me of Morphine, if the saxes were guitars, and they slowed it waaaay down.  Get this, you will love it.
Trampled by Turtles, a whole slew of free live shows from the Internet Archive.  Funky, sometimes jam-bandy, sometimes bluegrassy, but always fun.  Great backyard-in-the-sun-while-the-steaks-are-grillin' music.  Duluth's best export since Low.

[9dragons]

Datacide : Flowerhead. This is a truly weird and wonderful album.
Kiyoshi Mizutani : Scenery at the Border. This is an all time great double album of field recordings from Japan. Sometimes I get more out of a powerful field recording work like this than "deliberate" music. Powerful...

[abasio]

The Winterhouse - Sanctuary