Jethro Tull: Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 Review

A Jethro Tull concert is as much of a visual experience as it is an aural one. Ian Anderson demands a viewers undivided attention with his over-the-top theatrics and captivating musical ability - all the more reason to warrant a DVD release. This DVD/CD package was filmed and recorded live in New York City on October 14, 1978 during the Heavy Horses tour with the purpose of being broadcasted on British television.

As a band, Jethro Tull put forth efforts of great bombast that were both complex yet at the same time accessible to any casual rock fan. They accomplished the seemingly impossible task of mending folk with hard rock and blues for a sound that still to this day, is unparalleled to any band.

Focusing on the DVD - because it’s undoubtedly the heart and soul of this package - visually it is quite impressive despite its age, capturing the raw and frenetic intensity of the wild frontman who wields his flute like a knight ready for war. Lets be honest however, there are no words or reviews that could possibly prepare a person for the insanity and intensity of a Tull concert. It’s just one of those things that you must witness yourself, hence this DVD. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and like the visuals, is also impeccable. Absent however are video from a few songs, but Virgin/EMI were courteous enough to include this material on the disc.

Jethro Tull’s performance, like Ian Anderson, is gritty, powerful and unequivocally rocking. With a slew of fan favorites performed, this package delivers on every front. Without question this is the kind of DVD that any fan of the arts should own - theater or music.

Grade: A

DVD
1. Sweet Dream
2. One Brown Mouse
3. Heavy Horses
4. Opening
5. Thick As A Brick
6. No Lullaby (including flute solo from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
7. Songs From The Wood
8. Band Intro
9. Quatrain
10. Aqualung
11. Locomotive Breath (including Dambusters March)
12. Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die
13. My God/Cross Eyed Mary
14. Locomotive Breath (Encore) (including Dambusters March)

CD
1. Sweet Dream
2. One Brown Mouse
3. Heavy Horses
4. Thick As A Brick
5. No Lullaby (including flute solo from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
6. Songs From The Wood
7. Quatrain
8. Aqualung
9. Locomotive Breath (including Dambusters March)
10. Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die
11. My God/Cross Eyed Mary

Them Crooked Vultures New Album Streaming Online

Them Crooked Vultures - arguably the most anticipated supergroup of the decade consisting of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Alain Johannes (QOTSA) and none other than John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin - is streaming their new debut album for free online http://bit.ly/stream_tcv. After a quick listen, I'm pretty positive anyone who has the slightest of interest in the band won't be disappointed. If you had you calendars marked for November 17th (Release Date), this will be like Christmas in November. Enjoy!

Vinyl Art Interview

I'm sure many of you already know Daniel Edlen and his unbelievable Vinyl Art - unbelievable being an understatment - but for those of you who many not know, or are interested to find out more, he recently had a video interview that's really impressive. Not too long ago I received one of his paintings on a sticker, and it's breathtaking, so much so that I find it hard to believe that it was painted. He has a passion for what he does, and it shows in his work. I urge everyone to check it out!

Favorite Genesis Album?

This past week I've been on a Genesis kick. I've been shuffling around albums like Foxtrot, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Selling England by the Pound and Nursey Cryme with reckless abandon. All of which are obviously stellar. Prior to this week I've always felt fairly certain that Foxtrot was my favorite Genesis album, however, after listening to Selling England by the Pound over and over again these past few days, I'm starting to question my opinion. Selling England by the Pound seems to be growing on me more each day, which has me wondering, why didn't I view it this way before? Has it become my clear favorite? Not quite yet, but right now it's tied with Foxtrot, and its stock is rising. Anyhow, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm curious to see what's your favorite Genesis album.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Emerson Lake & Palmer S/T

While patiently waiting to receive my DVD-A copy of King Crimson's Red in the mail, I decided I would hold myself over with some vinyl purchases. This week I picked up U2 Rattle & Hum and Emerson Lake & Palmer's self titled debut. The focus of this post will be on ELP.

The record itself is in VG+ condition with minimal surface noise, and it marks the ninth ELP vinyl in my collection. Interestingly enough, this album puts them over Yes as the most prevalent band in my collection. Kind of funny when realizing I still don't have one Zep vinyl, but for some odd reason I like it that way.

Musically, this is a great starting point for an introspective look at the band. It displays the individual talents and ideas of each member. Essentially, it's a group of individual efforts thrown together onto one album, but with that in mind, it still manages to sound coherent and have a smooth flow. Only the opening track "The Barbarian" credits the entire band.

One of my personal favorite aspects of this album, is the sheer magnitude of Carl Palmer's drumming magic. I am a firm believer that he is the greatest drummer in rock history, and his moments on "Tank" and "Three Fates" - along with the rest of the album - finely showcase that.

Closing out the album is the unforgettable track "Lucky Man" written by Greg Lake. Deservingly so, "Lucky Man" was a successful radio hit, and it separated itself with much of the singles dominating the charts with it's unique 6/8 time signature - the typical 4/4 being an anomaly in progressive rock.

ELP's debut album is one that I'm proud to have in my collection.

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope Review

As musical genius David St. Hubbins once brilliantly and articulately noted, "It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever." In no genre is that statement more appropriate than the anti-folk scene. The genre was brought to the masses through the quirky underground film Juno, which has left many people on the fence deciding whether anti-folk is a shallow and ridiculous pit filled with amateur musicians or something that's honest and brilliant. While there are probably more bands that fit into the shallow and ridiculous category, Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope manages to deliver quirky and incredibly literal lyrics belted out with the oddest of vocal inflections with sincere honesty and passion, ultimately translating into stellar music.

Spektor avoids being the overly cliche anti-folk artist and mends the genre with mainstream sensibilities. While anti-folk enthusiasts may bark foul, it is undoubtedly a move in the right direction. Songs like "Better" and "Samson" are achingly candid as Regina's voice sears with devotion and will leave you wanting to reach out to comfort this red headed oddball. To contrast the aforementioned songs, Begin to Hope scatters comical upbeat tracks like "On the Radio" and "That Time", both of which maintain their very own off-the-wall identity.

The difference between Begin to Hope and the rest of the anti-folk field is Begin to Hope's quirkiness comes off as endearing as opposed to being foolish. The unconventional vocal phrasings and literal lyrics practically devoid of any metaphors sound incredibly unique without bordering on stupidity. Spektor struck gold on this record.

Grade: A-

Another Week Another Vinyl: King Crimson: A Young Persons Guide to King Crimson

It’s been nearly a month since I’ve last purchased a vinyl, and severe depression has started to kick in. The only way to cure that depression is by heading down the record store and going crazy. Having not been there for a pretty substantial amount of time meant I would be seeing a pretty new selection to choose from.

Ever since I decided to collect vinyls, I had one ultimate goal, which was to own every King Crimson album from In the Court of the Crimson King to Red. For some reason it’s been extremely difficult to come across any Crimson material at my local record stores, but that would change this week.

On Tuesday I picked up King Crimson’s unbelievable album Larks’ Tongues in Aspic along with The Young Persons Guide to King Crimson. I decided to focus on the latter for this post because it’s a sensational package with awesome artwork and a rather robust and informative black and white booklet. The booklet features a wealth of information regarding the band, including, album reviews (permitting both the good and the bad), a history of the band, photos, and a detailed gigography.

Overall the song selection is pretty solid with some questionable omissions - most notably “21st Century Schizoid Man” and anything from Lizard - but one inclusion that I was very excited to see was their single “Groon”, a song that was never released on a proper full length studio album. Another important fact worth mentioning is the alternate version of “I Talk to the Wind”. Instead of pulling the song directly from In the Court of the Crimson King, Fripp decided to give fans a sped up version sung by Judy Dyble opposed to Greg Lake. That alone isn’t exactly an album seller for established KC fans, but it’s certainly a welcomed addition.

Without babbling on for too long, I was able to pick this album up for around $14. The jacket is probably VG+ with very little wear. On the other hand, the records themselves suffer from some heavy warping issues. Shockingly, it doesn’t effect the playback too much, but it is noticeable on the opening track of each side - which would only be right considering my all time favorite song, “Epitaph” opens up the album. Otherwise, I’m absolutely thrilled to get a hold of this vinyl; I’ll be flipping through the juicy booklet for years to come.

Track Listing
1. Epitaph (8:52)
2. Cadence and Cascade (3:36)
3. Ladies of the Road (5:27)
4. I Talk to the Wind (3:15)
5. Red (6:18)
6. Starless (12:17)
7. The Night Watch (4:38)
8. Book of Saturday (2:52)
9. Peace - A Theme (1:14)
10. Cat Food (2:43)
11. Groon (3:30)
12. Coda from Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part One (2:09)
13. Moonchild (2:24)
14. Trio (5:38)
15. In the Court of the Crimson King (9:21)