catapult magazine

alright, the “what’s spinnin” topic wet my whistle, but let’s cut the crap and get to the good stuff.

top five albums.

the criteria is whatever you want it to be. i personally have been thinking about this for a couple of days now and have decided that my picks will try and walk that middle ground between personal enjoyment and craftsmanship.

#5: pink floyd “wish you were here”

“dark side..” is probably the better album, but this one is no cream puff. the flow is nice and it never fails to hit me where it counts. (fav. track: “shine on you crazy diamond” all parts)

#4: neil young “after the goldrush”

he whines, he rocks, he thinks about having a yard sale. all the bases are covered. neil shows us that he can jam out (“southern man”) and get pretty (“birds”) all in the context of great song writing. (fav. track: “don’t let it bring you down”)

#3: cream “wheels of fire”:

the “in studio” half of the album keeps it lively by going from the avante (“passing the time”) to the blues (“sitting on top of the world”) to the downright silly (“pressed rat and warthog”) while the “live” half is a blues rock improvisational manifesto. oh yeah, and if i did drugs i’m sure the album cover would be really far out too. (fav. track: studio “deserted cities of the heart” live “spoonful”)

#2: the band “the band”

music americana at it’s very best. made by canadians. it’s folk-rock-progressive-country music and is an album that seems perfect in it’s flaws. a very hard thing to accomplish and type. the genius is that i believe that’s exactly what they were going for. (fav. track: “jawbone”)

#1: led zeppelin “led zeppelin”

anyone who knows me knows that zeppelin had to be #1 and with good reason. on this particular album they do exactly what it is i look for in music. they took a familiar base (the blues) and proceeded to screw it up i their own beautiful way. i firmly believe that good artists create and great artists steal. not to mention the band is powerful and tight like a tiger. (fav. track: “how many more times”)

well, there it is. i applaude anyone who was able to read the entire thing, and would love to hear what you come up with for this top five jive.

hello everyone,

these are my top five albums (in no order at all) and the reasons why

The Beatles – White Album
In my opinion this album showcases each Beatles’
individual talent and style. You get both sides of Paul
with “I Will” and “Helter Skelter”. Lennon writes the
scathing “Happiness is a Warm Gun” and the sweet
lullaby of “Good night” sung by Ringo. I could continue
like this, but there are 4 more albums.
Fav track: Toss up b/w Happiness is… and Martha My Dear

Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
All I can really say about this album is wow.
Fav track: Closer, THE coolest porn-style bassline ever.

Wilco – Being There/Summerteeth
Being a big Wilco fan, I think all of their albums could be up here
but these 2 just floor me everytime. Tweedy makes you
cry and he makes you laugh, but he doesn’t ever make you
cringe. I love it.
Fav track(s): Being There – Dreamer in my Dreams
Summerteeth – Pieholden Suite/How to Fight Lonliness (one after the other)

Radiohead – Kid A
There really isn’t a bad song on this album, and I think
it contains some of Thom Yorke’s best songwriting to
date.
Fav track: Morning Bell

The Beatles – Abbey Road
I don’t really think I need to explain why.
Fav track: Mean Mr. Mustard

So there you have it.

jonner my friend,

i’ve seen the mother hips a few times in concert and have found their style of country-flavored rock to be a bit pedestrian.

in another post i mentioned the band billy midnight. they’re acutally friends/tour openers for the mother hips. i find their music to be along the same lines (perhaps a bit less cerebreal), but much more inspired in my humble opinion.

i actually picked up a mother hips album (“shoot out”) recently at a thrift store and would be more than happy to send that to you along with some billy midnight. just send your address to sandcaddy@hotmail.com

later,
lopez

hello everyone from an unusually warm and sunny edinburgh,

this is my top5 list, if there ever can be such a thing. i bet cusack would read it better.

5 – yo la tengo – and then nothing turned itself inside out.
i love it when he sing/talks, especially in the falling in love song. there are some very real lyrics here, very true to life situations described.

4 – bob dylan – blood on the tracks.
tangled up in blue is great, especially when he talks about revolutions in the air. but simple twist of fate is so good. some of his best writing ever. i can almost see his face when “he woke up,the room was bare/he didn’t see her anywhere/told himself he didn’t care, pushed the windows open wide/felt an emptiness inside, to which he just could not relate/ brought on by a simple twist of fate”.

3 – loreena mckennitt – the mask and mirror.
she has the peculiar ability to make simple english folk songs haunting and mysterious. sometimes i listen to her music and almost wish i was a pagan in sommerset isle (remember “the wicker man” anyone?).

2 – elliott smith – self-titled.
in dark days, his songs were true to me. his guitar work is very complex and unorthodox, and i love all the elliotts in the layers. but the best part is how the melodies and lyrics seem to complement each other.

1 – nick drake – pink moon.
this has to be the best album ever in history. 28 minutes of beauty and sadness and anger. but he doesn’t shout, he quietly whispers his grief. a different guitar tuning for every song (almost).
plus he was good looking too (unlike elliott).

subject to change every 48 hours:
1.godspeed you black emperor – lift your skinny fists…
2.do make say think – & yet & yet
3.him – our point of departure
4.thingy – to the innocent
5.explosions in the sky – those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shall live forever
5 and a half.neutral milk hotel – aeroplane over the sea
5 and three quarters – bright eyes – fevers and mirrors

the highschool list:
1.eric’s trip – love tara
2.pink floyd – anything with syd barrett, most with roger waters, almost nothing with david gilmour
3.archers of loaf – speed of cattle
4.smashing pumpkins – siamese dream
5.sonic youth – goo

not to create a new discussion, but is there any good christian music (based on the mood of the music list above)?

all i’ve found is pedro the lion.

every other ‘christian’ artist that i’ve heard sounds like they had been created in some evil lab in the back corners of ccm headquarters in response to the latest one hit wonder on the ‘secular radio’ stations.

which is understandable, since “going into all the world” always requires a profit…i mean, prophet.

pun facetiously intended.

Nice. Consider that pun stolen and used everywhere I can possibly stick it in.