1982.
E.T. and Das Boot.
The year I turned 4.
Toto. Goddamn motherfucking Toto.
To this day, Toto are still one of the biggest bands to draw in France; they're basically to France what The Offspring is to Québec or what U2 is to the U.S., without the negative press.
You can barely get a sporting event or family gathering or sugar shack outing without hearing 1978's Hold The Line, but these guys have also brought you Rosanna and Africa...
I mean, sure, it's cheesy, but it also gets stuck in your head line nothing else. Africa and Rosanna are the brain cancer of prog rock...
This video was directed by Steve Barron, who was at the helm of many popular films and TV miniseries (1984's Electric Dreams, 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1993's Coneheads, 1998's Merlin) and many groundbreaking music videos, and a few cheesy ones as well: Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, A-Ha's Take On Me, Dire Straits' Money For Nothing and Calling Elvis, Bryan Adams' Cuts Like A Knife, Run To You and Summer Of '69, Eddie Grant's Electric Avenue, the Natalie Cole and Nat "King" Cole duet Unforgettable, Dolly Parton's Potential New Boyfriend, The Human League's two hits (Keep Feeling) Fascination and Don't You Want Me, The Jam's Strangetown, Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only and Telephone, Def Leppard's awful Let's Get Rocked, Madonna's Burning Up and a slew of others by the likes of Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark, Paul McCartney and Tears For Fears.
Showing posts with label Progressive Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Progressive Rock. Show all posts
Friday, March 10, 2017
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Video Of The Week: Rush
When I shared Chops playing over Rush's Tom Sawyer earlier this week, I kind of made my bed as to what band I'd be featuring later, though I opted for the title track from their 1991 album Roll The Bones, the first song of theirs that I was truly acquainted with:
It has a lot of what made the 1990s cheesy, from the fast rock intro-slow chorus mix to the ''rap'' near the end, but done early enough in the decade that it still comes off as genuine and experimental. Kind of.
It has a lot of what made the 1990s cheesy, from the fast rock intro-slow chorus mix to the ''rap'' near the end, but done early enough in the decade that it still comes off as genuine and experimental. Kind of.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Today's Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer: either a Mark Twain character, or a Rush song.
Both are difficult to digest in this day and age, the character because of the way he acts and talks about people of other races (''Indians'' and Nigger Jim in particular), the latter because the keyboard-heavy prog rock song doesn't lend itself well to the ears of people who are used to the empty lyrics and one-hook choruses of today's pop and rap songs.
One way to make Tom Sawyer more palatable is by having a puppet play along to Neil Peart's ever-masterful drumming - and thus, RicKy Syers' creation ''Chops'' (or ''Chopsy'') becomes an internet star (it gets really fucking impressive between the 2- and 3-minute marks):
Both are difficult to digest in this day and age, the character because of the way he acts and talks about people of other races (''Indians'' and Nigger Jim in particular), the latter because the keyboard-heavy prog rock song doesn't lend itself well to the ears of people who are used to the empty lyrics and one-hook choruses of today's pop and rap songs.
One way to make Tom Sawyer more palatable is by having a puppet play along to Neil Peart's ever-masterful drumming - and thus, RicKy Syers' creation ''Chops'' (or ''Chopsy'') becomes an internet star (it gets really fucking impressive between the 2- and 3-minute marks):
Friday, August 23, 2013
Video Of The Week: Storm Corrosion
I was turned onto this project by my friend Mark a couple of weeks ago, and it has haunted me and fueled my ears ever since, though I slightly prefer the video to the song.
The visuals are reminiscent of what Tim Burton may have done with Corpse Bride if he hadn't lost his edge after reading the critics of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory; the music is deep, rich, researched, textured - all adjectives I'd also use to describe prog-metal band Tool, who also have a knack for terrific animated videos. Storm Corrosion's sound is reminiscent of Tool's Aenima and Lateralus eras, more specifically; there's also a dark Scott Walker-meets-Nick Cave vibe in the quality of storytelling and layering of instruments.
And just who is Storm Corrosion? It is the fruit of a collaboration between Swedish hard-rocker Mikael Åkerfeldt (leader of death metal band Opeth, and vocalist for Bloodbath; also a member of Sörskogen and Steel) and British rock experimentor Steven Wilson (leader of Porcupine Tree, past member of Altamont and Pride Of Passion).
There are no plans for a second album nor tour, but with musicians of that caliber, it's almost inevitable they'll itch to make another recording that is a departure from their usual playbook; maybe that time round, they can also bring in former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy aboard, as was initially intended, though it would inevitably alter the dynamic. Then again, ''scheduling conflicts'' have made him part ways with at least 5 different bands, so perhaps that was never meant to be...
The visuals are reminiscent of what Tim Burton may have done with Corpse Bride if he hadn't lost his edge after reading the critics of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory; the music is deep, rich, researched, textured - all adjectives I'd also use to describe prog-metal band Tool, who also have a knack for terrific animated videos. Storm Corrosion's sound is reminiscent of Tool's Aenima and Lateralus eras, more specifically; there's also a dark Scott Walker-meets-Nick Cave vibe in the quality of storytelling and layering of instruments.
And just who is Storm Corrosion? It is the fruit of a collaboration between Swedish hard-rocker Mikael Åkerfeldt (leader of death metal band Opeth, and vocalist for Bloodbath; also a member of Sörskogen and Steel) and British rock experimentor Steven Wilson (leader of Porcupine Tree, past member of Altamont and Pride Of Passion).
There are no plans for a second album nor tour, but with musicians of that caliber, it's almost inevitable they'll itch to make another recording that is a departure from their usual playbook; maybe that time round, they can also bring in former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy aboard, as was initially intended, though it would inevitably alter the dynamic. Then again, ''scheduling conflicts'' have made him part ways with at least 5 different bands, so perhaps that was never meant to be...
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