Don't Believe A Word

With that title, maybe it's clear which direction we're about to head in down the road of good old fashioned rock and roll. But before we get there, I've decided that as a gobshite my job is to give my opinions on absolutely everything I care to stick my bulbous nose into. This is almost certain to include movies, TV shows, video games old and new, crisps, mobile phones, Irish telephone boxes (that would be quite the top ten, wouldn't it?) and Jelly Belly flavours, amongst other things. In short, it's my blog and I'll humiliate myself if I want to. With that said, let's get some fat chewed, starting with...

Thin Lizzy

They put me in mind of The Black Widows from Every Which Way But Loose (♫Every which way but looooose♫) in that particular shot. As with so many bands, regrettably I am terribly late to this party.
I've just invested in the band's greatest hits...which, so far, I think is a bit too padded out. Two discs of greatest hits is self-indulgent for absolutely anyone...unless you're The Beatles, in which case you just do whatever the fuck you want. Or Aerosmith. Greedy, greedy men. Did you know they even released a Super Nintendo game about them, starring them, featuring their music? Add that to the fact they seem to have a new greatest hits album out every year and you have Steve 'Of course I'll do it. How much?' Tyler's money-hungry band of sluts. Anyway what the fuck? Thin Lizzy!
I've always liked Phil Lynott, to be fair - his performance on The Spirit Of Man on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds was and is absolutely spellbinding, which is how I've wound up checking them out proper. In spite of my self-indulgent criticism, they are proper rock and roll in its purest and most 'avin' it' form. Highly recommend their cover of Rosalie, along with all their obvious songs of course.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Vergil, don't he got a purdy mouth? I want to eat him"

Creedence aren't cannibals to my knowledge. What is it with these lads and forever having their music in gritty but witty Vietnam flicks? Seriously. I wasn't around at the time to know, but I'm assuming Fortunate Son was somehow a kind of pro or anti war statement? I've never been great at deciphering lyrics, which is why songmeanings.com has its place in the world, for spoonfed twats like yours truly. But the band, as I'm now discovering, have so much more to them than being associated with a song that will forever be associated with "Lieutenant Dan, ice cream!" to me. Suzy Q is a beast of a tune, as is Have You Ever Seen The Rain? which I'm told is a funeral favourite in the States for the older generation. I can see why, it's pure 60s, when the world was just beginning to wake up to a beautiful day that would last right to the Summer of '69. I appreciate I really have no idea what I'm talking about, but this music makes you feel like you do, almost like you were there. Almost.

Rush

Odd looking fellas aren't they? But at the same time, somehow cool, transcending all norms and social...nah I can't go through with this, sorry. You have the German Michael Rooker on the left, Kevin Spacey in the middle, then Frank Zappa and John Lennon's bouncing baby boy on the bass, on the right. Seriously though, 'Frank' is actually Geddy Lee (I think!), described by many but mainly Trey Parker as 'the greatest bass player ever, man'. It's too early for me to comment on that, but I can say Moving Pictures is a fucking fantastic album, with one of the greatest openers ever, Tom Sawyer. That riff, that fucking riff. Which one, I hear you ask? Exactly. Tom Sawyer is just awash with memorable, timeless little pieces of rock. YYZ is another highlight for me - it's nice to be able to enjoy it without having to try to play it on a PS2-connected piece of plastic at the same time. Those were the days. Moving Pictures has no cop-out tunes on it, they seem to have just thrown the kitchen sink at it. And good for them, it's a stellar album and I look forward to hearing more.


Ok, that'll do with music for today. Next it's...

Five Gentlemen That May Not Gel Together But I'd Still Like To Have Them At My Dinner Party So Fuck You Thank You

1. Richard Burton

My favourite actor of them all, just throwing that out there. I won't add unnecessary fluff by saying he was a misunderstood genius or he died a tragic death or any of the usual nonsense, but I will say he is the closest humanity has come to a real life Hannibal Lector, in terms of sheer charm. His voice is inimitable (the roar of the valley, as he called it, being Welsh) and instantly recognisable to those familiar with his work. His performances in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1984, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Cleopatra...God I could go on and on. Very honest, very powerful presence, very self-deprecating and above all, the king of the stage, in film or...well, onstage. R.I.P.

2. Guy Garvey

"Why don't blokes tell other blokes they love them? What's wrong with telling your mates you love them? You should. One day it might just be too late" - Henry VIII...er, I mean Guy Garvey. Seriously though, no one writes better than he does at the moment as far as I'm concerned. Once again, a totally inimitable voice, a very charming lad, can work his audiences like lather, has only performed one gig sober in his entire life...I say this more than I should, but seriously: Need I say more?

3. Stewart Lee

Ah, Stew. My favourite comedian currently at work. I wish I could say it's Billy Connolly but Bill's definitely had his day and is better suited to his travelling programmes now. He's not unfunny now or anything, I just don't think he's fared very well in keeping up with modern comedy standards, which pains no one more than me, believe me. But Stewart Lee is as much a master of comedy as you can possibly get. By that I don't necessarily mean he's the funniest, but he knows the art form so, so, so well and is constantly faking out his audiences, tricking them with routines that go nowhere, making them laugh at horrible things then genuinely making them feel bad for doing so...then completely doubling back on himself two minutes later. He's a total force of nature in the most understated way and I'm not ashamed to admit it genuinely angers me when people who don't understand his act call him unfunny or just attack him in general. That sounds so elitist, I know, but he aims to alienate the spoonfed, infantalised viewing public that has formed on the backs of Michael McIntyre, Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard, Russell Kane, Russell Brand ("Seen these Russells they have now?" - Stew) etc. so don't have a go at him for doing his job and making you feel stupid. He's trying to do you a fucking favour!

4. Noel Gallagher

Well, we'd need someone to make the party less tense, wouldn't we? I imagine he'd hate this party and would have some barbed comments like "All fiction books are shit" or "What's this we're drinking? Elderflower cordial? Avocado salad? 'Ave-a-cado salad? You bunch of shandy pants bastards" but let's face it, if he invited himself to your party, you're not going to turn him down, are you? Don't want him shitting down your chimney or pissing in your letterbox. Ah, the charm of the Manc drunk...

5. Daniel O'Donnell

"What about ye?"

Er...

5. Daniel O'Donnell wmmvrrvrrmm

This is my 'hipster' entry. This is a chap I encountered on one of my YouTube quests (TubeQuests?) and found absolutely fascinating. He has been seen around London wearing a hollow pyramid contraption on his head for reasons best known to him...but beyond that, he appears to be a pretty normal person. Very polite, very interesting, courteous...Do they have a name yet for that quality people possess, where you just find yourself consumed with interest by whatever they're talking about? Stephen Fry Syndrome? Well, regardless, wmmvrrvrrmm (seriously, his preferred alias) possesses this quality and for this reason, along with the complete lack of interest in what people think of a man walking the streets of London with a coathanger (it isn't really) on his head he has, he has earned his place at my table. You can find him on my Twitter following list if you'd care to learn more.


And that's us for this entry! I dread reading this one back, because I just know I've almost certainly dipped my toe too far into the pool of oddity this time. Oh well. Next entry will (probably) touch upon two new 360 games I got for a pittance - F.E.A.R. and Borderlands. Maybe even the music of Robert Johnson and Count Basie. We'll see.

What Your Soul Sings

Welcome to Black Melt. Every now and again, I find myself going on a music downloading/buying spree and just overloading myself with loads of new stuff to try out. I often find some really interesting stuff which I feel deserves sharing - this is this blog's purpose. I will share some stuff I've found myself enjoying recently (relative to the post date) which I hope you'll enjoy too. If you read my other blog, Black Melt will use its own style, because trying to be funny in two places is just too much work, sorry. Also, music is no laughing matter! Ok. Without further ado, here we go. The first album I reckon you should check out is...

Fu-Schnickens - Nervous Breakdown

Proper old school hip-hop from an English outfit I certainly had never heard of before. Based on YouTube views, their most popular song seems to be one called True Fuschnick which is certainly a fine piece of music, but this particular tune I've linked is my favourite from the Nervous Breakdown album. It's funky with smatterings of darkness. The first three songs on the album are a brilliant one-two-three combo of sucker punches which if you don't enjoy, you won't like the rest. If you enjoy 90s hip hop, before the shit about stabbing people, falling in love at the chippy and chasing status (and, indeed, Chase And Status) became parts of the game, then this is definitely worth a spin.

Elbow - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video of the song Colour Fields from this album that I could place on here (weird that...), so if you wouldn't mind skipping to that one on this video, or My Sad Captains, that'd be handy. Those are my two current favourites from this album. For the uninitiated, Elbow are proof that there is still plenty of good music around nowadays, can't stand it when people say all music is shit these days. Nonsense. There's always been shit music, since the very dawn of time. It just so happens that shit music isn't remembered, so looking back on the past will always yield positive results, you bloody fool. Anyway the album's amazing, a true return to form (though Elbow only nearly kind of lost their footing with Build A Rocket Boys!, but not quite).

Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor

Now we enter the more esoteric. This album came out in Japan in 1979...and if you know anything about anything, you'll hear right away that this is at least a decade ahead of its time. The tunes would fit perfectly in a Sonic The Hedgehog game, it's pure Japanesey electronica cheese and I happen to bloody love it. The song linked, Rydeen, is unique to me in that I can't think of any other electronic band who use animal sound effects in song. It's really quite catchy too. If you're comfortable dipping your toe in the deep end of the nerd pool, give the song Solid State Scouter, a tribute to this album, a listen. You might find the cheese of all of this a bit overwhelming though, be warned.

Disclosure - Settle

I'm massively late to the Disclosure party. Which doesn't surprise me, actually - this isn't my usual type of music at all. I have to say though, these two young lads are proper fucking good. The whole album I admit is a bit samey, but when the beats and the melodies are as infectious as these are, you don't tend to care much. Miss Aluna Francis sounds like a five year old on White Noise here, just a heads up. Seriously, release your inhibitions just long enough to enjoy this tune and you never know, Disclosure might just be a garage group for you too!

Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion

You're stepping dangerously close to crossing the hipster line with this album, so just watch your fucking self, ok? I think it's worth at least one listen, it's basically what would happen if you got The Doors and Joy Division and smooshed them about in a big band blender. The guy sounds so much like Ian Curtis it's quite uncanny. I should say it was difficult picking which song to showcase there, but I've went with Flying Into The Sun because it was my first taste of Crystal Stilts, found whilst listening to Golden Animals. If you'd prefer something much trippier, Alien Rivers is the song for you. Fucking great band name too isn't it? If a little silly.

The Future Sound Of London - Lifeforms

That song there be Spineless Jelly. Maybe you already have an inkling as to what kind of music FSOL produce. Well, they eventually changed their name to The Amorphous Androgynous and started making freakier and spacier shit every year. Looking back, however, they've always done the same sort of stuff. Their album here, Lifeforms, seems to be one of the high points of their career spent as FSOL. Absolutely amazing to just sit back and chill to - very ambient, trippy and soothing. Perfect for a rainy Sunday evening on the headphones.

La Femme - Psycho Tropical Berlin

One of the three very recent releases on this list (the others being Disclosure and Elbow) and by far the weirdest of them all. La Femme are a French group with seemingly infinite members, making psychedelic electronica in (mostly) their mother tongue. The vocalists are good, I particularly like the girl on this song and Antitaxi. Obviously this kind of music isn't likely to go down well at parties and may suit the arty farty batties of you better than the casual listener. As far as I know, hipsters haven't gotten a hold of this group yet, so it's still 'safe' to enjoy them. I know I do anyway.

The Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame

Now this is prog rock! I've always been a huge fan of this song here - You Know You Know. Very slow and almost menacing. I regained interest in this group after getting quite into Massive Attack's One Love, which minimalistically samples this very tune. You can surely gather that this is the kind of music for a quiet night in by the fire, probably dropping acid or something, I don't know. What I do know is that the music on this album makes me feel very cosy and sleepy, in a good way though! I can't recommend this particular song (at least!) more, be sure to give it a try if it's your kind of thing.


And that's all for today! There's no set pattern for when I'll do these, because you simply can't predict when your passion for music will suddenly explode one day and you end up getting these mixed bags of goodies and baddies, so we'll see. What I do know though, is that next entry will see me examining in a bit more detail the tunes of Thin Lizzy, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rush.

Finally, to celebrate the birth of a new blog which I'm already pleased with, let's have some Massive Attack, with one of my favourite performances of theirs (I can't put their performance of Mezzanine on Abbey Road here, what garbage):