Listening Notes
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Some playlists plan themselves. A recent Saturday night found me moving through seven progressive rock vinyl records in a sequence I didn’t consciously design. Looking back at what the subconscious assembled, a shape emerged – a circle, with conventional song structure at the entry point and pure sonic environment at the furthest reach. The question…
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Brian Eno once said the music of the future happened in Africa in the 1970s. Not a romantic gesture. A musicological statement. Eight records that recently traversed my turntable made the case without trying to. Francis Bebey and the Griot Tradition Francis Bebey’s book African Music: A People’s Art provides the frame. The musician is…
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Some stuff that I’ve been listening to: Lou Reed – Coney Island BabyRatt – Out of the Cellar, Invasion of Your Privacy, Reach for the SkyDavid Bowie – Earthling (I love this album)The Flaming Lips – The Soft BulletinVan Halen – all of the David Lee Roth era records.
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I’ve been entranced by Public Enemy’s 1990 masterpiece “Fear of A Black Planet” since it came out. I’ve worn out a number of cassettes, gave away multiple CDs and recently added a vinyl copy to my collection. What struck me about the vinyl version was how the “inner voices” leapt out of the speakers. Buried…
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Here’s some of the things I’ve been listening to lately (in no particular order.) Opeth “Damnation” (2023) One of my favorite albums of all time. Finally snagged an original vinyl pressing of it. So good. Styx I’ve gone down a Styx rabbit hole recently. Dennis DeYoung is an amazing musician/singer/composer and a fascinating character. Being…