Metal School

[Thunderfoot]

Then you, my friend, "get it". Though I never really doubted you did.
And though it hasn't got as much press as some their first three, Zebra's IV album is amazing, especially the atheistic "Why?", "Angels Calling" and "Waiting to Die". Randy Jackson really went through some crap on the road over the last few years and with the band's native home of New Orleans getting crushed by hurricane Katrina, he had a lot on his mind and heart.

Other songs I can't get out of my head when I listen to it are the opener "Arabian Nights" - probably the heaviest song they've ever done, and it's still catchy; "Free" - the first song the entire band has written as a unit in years; and "So I Dance" - a throwback song that is out of place with the rest of the music on the album, but just had to be included because its so darn nifty - and yes, I mean nifty!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And damn it..."Who's behind the door?" is just freakin' catchy and awesome and...and...and...I know its one of their more radio friendly tunes, but I just love to sing along to that one.

Sadly, I've not yet gotten my hands on IV- there's just so much music I'm trying to buy- not to mention other hobbies- that inevitably stuff slips by me. Especially things that were done by bands that haven't released anything in a while- like Budgie and Zebra- or super-prolific, semi-obscure (as in, not mainstream) artists like Buckethead, Charlie Hunter, Jonas Hellborg and Bill Laswell.

I mean, tonight, I bought new ones from Evanescence, Lenny Kravitz, Mastodon, Superheavy and a muiti-artist tribute to ZZTop...all at Target.

I'm currently awaiting a shipment from Amazon with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Soil & Pimp Sessions, Alex Skolnick's jazz trio, Chickenfoot, and Rival Sons. Of those, only Chickenfoot is readily available. And because of the size of the order (and expenditures on other hobbies), I'm going to have to wait to track down some of my other "Import Only" albums like Buckethead's Funnel Web and damn near anything by Jonas Hellborg these days. Or the discography of Painkiller...or Science Faxtion.

You want the economy stimulated? Give me a few million and I'll do it personally!

 

[Thunderfoot]

And damn it..."Who's behind the door?" is just freakin' catchy and awesome and...and...and...I know its one of their more radio friendly tunes, but I just love to sing along to that one.

Sadly, I've not yet gotten my hands on IV- there's just so much music I'm trying to buy- not to mention other hobbies- that inevitably stuff slips by me. Especially things that were done by bands that haven't released anything in a while- like Budgie and Zebra- or super-prolific, semi-obscure (as in, not mainstream) artists like Buckethead, Charlie Hunter, Jonas Hellborg and Bill Laswell.

I mean, tonight, I bought new ones from Evanescence, Lenny Kravitz, Mastodon, Superheavy and a muiti-artist tribute to ZZTop...all at Target.

I'm currently awaiting a shipment from Amazon with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Soil & Pimp Sessions, Alex Skolnick's jazz trio, Chickenfoot, and Rival Sons. Of those, only Chickenfoot is readily available. And because of the size of the order (and expenditures on other hobbies), I'm going to have to wait to track down some of my other "Import Only" albums like Buckethead's Funnel Web and damn near anything by Jonas Hellborg these days. Or the discography of Painkiller...or Science Faxtion.

You want the economy stimulated? Give me a few million and I'll do it personally!

I know, right? Between music to buy and the equipment to make it with I could spend $1 mil in about 7 days.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I know, right? Between music to buy and the equipment to make it with I could spend $1 mil in about 7 days.

Yeah- my G.A.S. list could bankrupt whole banana republics...and that's without buying vintage!

 

[ggroy]

These days I don't really buy a lot of music stuff anymore, largely due to a loss of interest over the years.

The last time I use to spend a lot of money on music, was before I started playing D&D again. (I took a 15+ year hiatus from rpg games altogether, where I completely missed 2E AD&D and 3E D&D. I came back to rpg games shortly after 3.5E was released). By then, I more or less replaced most of my record collection with the cd versions.

I stopped buying new musical equipment altogether around 20 years ago. I have no interest anymore in playing in a band, nor writing my own new music. Sometimes I'll still play the guitar when I'm bored. Mostly silly guitar soloing stuff and sometimes transcribing songs. (A few weeks ago I was attempting to transcribe the keyboard parts from Journey's "Separate Ways" on the guitar).


Over the last year or so, I was spending a lot of cash on dvds of movies and tv shows I use to watch when I was younger. A lot of it was mostly scavenging through the bargain bins at places like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, grocery stores, etc ... It seems like a lot of stuff that was released several years ago, are now being dumped into the bargain bins for $5 (or less) per dvd or $15-$20 (or less) per tv show dvd set. Though at this point, there isn't a whole lot left anymore which interests me (along with cutbacks at work which has significantly curtailed my spending). Lately I was watching dvd sets of tv shows like Magnum PI, The A-Team, MacGyver, The Incredible Hulk, Blue Thunder, Miami Vice, etc ...


I've slowly come to the realization that nostalgia for stuff from one's youth, isn't quite what it's made out to be. But I suppose going through an extended mid-life crisis, it's easy to fall into a pattern of searching for nostalgic feelings from one's youth.

 

[Thunderfoot]

The problem is, music was my profession... and frankly still should be. I moved back home because of some personal issues, but in the process gave up my career. If I had a bankroll, I'd do it from here. The problem with the area I live in is that if it isn't Christian or Country it isn't considered worth backing with bank money. So most local groups go through a collective of small, personal recording studios, leaving the "next big thing" way out of touch.

At one time the area around Carbondale was a hot bed of up and coming talent for all types of music, now it's bluegrass, CCM and C&W with a smattering of new country. All of those acts use this area for demos and then launch to either Nashville or Branson (we're about half-way between the two.)

The closest area for anything out side of this is St. Louis (which has all but given up on recorded rock in their studios and gone strictly to hip-hop/R&B/mass media work) or Chicago which is about 7 hours due North and not very receptive to anything from down in "Little Egypt."

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yeeoutch!

Around D/FW, we support all kinds of music...but not well. The entire live music scene here is a giant rollercoaster. Although metal is huge here, many of he metal clubs I frequented in the 1980s-90s are now strip clubs. Many of the venues I visited in the past 5 years have changed hands- and styles- at least once.

(Part of that is- except for boobies- audiences around here are kind of on the fickle side...even the sports fans.)

In contrast, most of my favorite hangouts in Austin in the 1990s are still going strong.

 

[ggroy]

Yeeoutch!

Around D/FW, we support all kinds of music...but not well. The entire live music scene here is a giant rollercoaster. Although metal is huge here, many of he metal clubs I frequented in the 1980s-90s are now strip clubs. Many of the venues I visited in the past 5 years have changed hands- and styles- at least once.

(Part of that is- except for boobies- audiences around here are kind of on the fickle side...even the sports fans.)

In contrast, most of my favorite hangouts in Austin in the 1990s are still going strong.

Same here. The type of metal/punk rock venues I use to frequent 20+ years ago, it turns out many of them don't exist anymore.

These days I don't really go to nightclubs or concerts anymore. It doesn't really interest me much anymore.

The times I had to do work related traveling, sometimes I would check out the places I use to frequent in towns I use to live in. Over the years, I found out many of the nightclubs, book stores, cafes, record stores, restaurants, arcades, etc ... I use to frequent, no longer exist anymore.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"What a drag it is, getting old." - The Rolling Stones

 

[ggroy]

"What a drag it is, getting old." - The Rolling Stones

(Also)

"The failure of nostalgia: one can never go back home again".

Both figuratively and (sometimes) literally.