Hurple Hoopla

Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:20:00 +0000

I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for my end-of-the year favorite albums list. Both of you. And just why you've been sitting there munching away on worms while waiting, I'll never understand. (Get it? Baited? Worms? Bwah-ha-ha... oh, nevermind)

In no particular order:

21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
Secret, Profane and Sugarcane - Elvis Costello
Before The Frost... ...Until The Freeze - The Black Crowes
Backspacer - Pearl Jam
Working on a Dream - Bruce Springsteen
By A Thread - Gov't Mule
Wilco (The Album) - Wilco
Together Through Life - Bob Dylan
Electric Dirt - Levon Helm (Yeah, I know. I'm shocked, too)
No Line on the Horizon - U2

And, for fun, my favorite compilations, anthologies, and reissues, in particular order:

THE BEATLES!!!!!!!! EVERYTHING!!!!!! MONO & STEREO!!!!! (eat that, bitch!)
Live Anthology - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
The Complete Buddy Holly - Buddy Holly
Archives, Volume 1 - Neil Young
Walking On A Wire - Richard Thompson
Keep An Eye On The Sky - Big Star
Sign of The Three-Eyed Men - 13th Floor Elevators
Woodstock: 40 Years On - Various Artists
Live At Madison Square Garden - Jethro Tull
You Never Can Tell - The Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966 - Chuck Berry

And, lastly, 10 things I will never, ever, ever listen to again, I promise... unless I forget how bad they are:

Get Lucky - Mark Knopfler
Sunrise In The Land of Milk And Honey - Cracker
Graffiti Soul - Simple Minds
Sgt Pepper Live - Cheap Trick
Christmas In The Heart - Bob Dylan

Everything else falls somewhere betwixt all these lists. (Even Los Lobos Goes Disney)

Crisis Tapes

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:58:00 +0000

One of my favorite podcasts just started a series they call the "Crisis Tapes." It's an issue by issue in depth look at the 80's DC Comics event Crisis on Infinite Earths. One of the hosts actually wrote his College Thesis on that series, so they should have plenty to talk about.

They claim that they'll release new episodes monthly. That's not fast enough. They should do daily episodes until they get it all covered. Pussies.

DVD Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Horrible formatting. And, not the way I would arrange them alphabetically. But, now you, yes even you, can look at my DVD collection online... here.

Trick or Treating

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:47:00 +0000

During Trick or Treating this year, I saw a kid dressed up as Aquaman. What kind of sick, demented, sadistic parents would dress their kid up as Aquaman? Stupid fish-talking, water-breathing hybrid freak!

Of course, I am kidding. Not about the kid dressed as Aquaman, but how stupid Aquaman is. That would be the Sub-Mariner. What kind of power is flight for a water-based superhero? That's idiotic. At least Aquaman's powers make sense. And his costume is cooler too. Even if it is ORANGE!

Life During Wartime

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself more concerned with the sound quality of various albums than I have been previously. I think reading all the concerns from Beatles fans, prior to the remastered CDs release, that their favorite band would be another victim of the “Loudness Wars” sparked that flame, and the sighs of relief when the CDs finally came out and everybody could hear that their concerns had been, largely, unfounded.

If you don’t know what the “Loudness Wars” are, the Wikipedia article, linked here, is a good launching point into further studies. The Rolling Stone article linked at the bottom of the Wikipedia entry is especially good.

So, I was at work one day, listening to one of the Rhino Records Elvis Costello CDs, and about halfway through, after getting hit in the head over and over by the ball peen hammer of over-limited, over-compressed, distorted “Loudness War” shit sound, I’d finally had enough! I went home that night and pulled the old 1993 Rykodisc Elvis Costello remasters out of the box I’d been storing them in (even as I replaced them with the Rhino releases, I knew they sounded superior to my ears but couldn’t place exactly why) and restored them to the rightful place as the versions of Costello’s catalog that I listen to by default. But, I gotta keep the Rhino releases for the cool, new bonus material. Bleh! And, I’ve bought a few of the, even newer, Hip-O released Elvis Costello remasters that used the Rhino releases as a benchmark and then limited and compressed the music EVEN MORE! ENOUGH ALREADY!

As for the Rolling Stones, don’t even get me started. I had the original ABKO/Columbia releases, then upgraded to the Virgin UK SACD hybrid releases in 2002, and not only have not bothered with the NEW 2009 Universal remasters, but won’t even acknowledge their existence because those new CDs fully engage in the “Loudness Wars.” The 2002 Virgin remasters were perfect. I’ve even been going back, now that those are out of print and looking for the few CDs I missed getting in 2002 from used CD sources, just so I have a complete collection.

Yeah, even “Undercover.” What can I say, I’m a masochist, I guess.

This is where the new U2, Talking Heads, and Beatles remastered CDs get things just right, I think. Those series are not horribly over-compressed, and the volume is pushed up to the point where the sound bumps up against the digital-zero threshold without having such a horrible flatline at that point. If you want to see what that looks like, rip the last REM CD “Accelerate” and look at the opening track in Cool Edit Pro, or whatever your audio editing program of choice may be. (If you don’t have one try Audacity, it’s freeware.)

And, that’s another issue. REM should know better than to engage in this whole “Loudness War” crap! If ever there was a band that relied on the fluctuations of a wide dynamic range, it’s them.

But, back to Elvis Costello. The Hip-O release of “My Aim Is True” is so bad, it’s unlistenable.

It used to be I always looked forward to my favorite artists’ catalogs getting remastered and rereleased. It was a pleasure to go back and listen to those familiar old tunes and hear something new and exciting. Now, I approach each one warily. I try to seek out news about the quality of each, and find out whether they are players in the “Loudness Wars’ or if they sit it out. I have not bought the new remasters of the Creedence Clearwater Revival albums because I’ve not been able to find out what they’re like, yet. Well, that, plus I’m perfectly happy with the 2000 releases that pretty much got everything just right.

Oh, yeah, back to the Talking Heads SACD hybrid releases. Have you HEARD them? HOLY F’N GAH! Amazing sound, amazing recordings. If you don’t have any, buy “the Brick” (all their studio albums in one big plastic box) and then sell “Naked.” You can use the space where it used to be to hold “The Name of This Band is Talking Heads” or “Stop Making Sense” instead.

Or, feel free to send the “Naked” disc to me and I’ll dispose of it properly (and save a few pennies on the cost of heating my house this winter.)

And, just an aside here, what’s the deal with Bob Dylan releasing a freakin’ Christmas album? What a way to bring an amazing late-career resurgence to a screeching halt, there, Bobby.

The only Christmas album that matters, or that anyone should own, is the Los Straitjackets Christmas album. In fact, do yourself a favor and buy all their albums, here, NOW! (Hi, Eddie! Thanks for reading my blog. It was always fun talking Who with you at Phonoluxue!)

Okay, I seem to be circling the drain on this subject, now. It’s taken long enough to write all this that I’ve forgotten what point I wanted to make in the beginning.

I hear they’re about to rerelease the Jimi Hendrix catalog, again, remastered again. Gee, the world was begging for that. Please, guys, can we drop the reissue of his catalog down to just once per year, please?

Anyway, at what point do we stop caring? At what point do we, as consumers or music lovers, finally say, “screw it.” I know in most cases, I’m well past that sell-by date. Whenever somebody starts a remastered reissue series (and I am looking at YOU Bruce Springsteen, get on it, your catalog is the last major one that I can think of that needs it, desperately), I hit the Steve Hoffman message board to see what the audiophiles say about it and whether the sound is good or screwed up.

Screw it. I’m even tired of writing about it. I’m gonna just sum up the important parts of this post and call it a day.

Remastered CDs are good
Unless they sound like crap
REM should know better
I’ve quit acknowledging the existence of the Rolling Stones
Send me copies of “Naked”
Christmas albums SUCK!
Except Los Straitjackets’ because everything they do is cool
Hi Eddie!
I forget things
Enough Jimi Hendrix already!
Bruce Springsteen is a lazy bastard
Screw it, I’m tired.
Somebody buy me this! I'll be your bestest friend!

Beatles - Favorites List

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:45:00 +0000

And, here, because so many people were clamoring for it (HA!), is the list of songs for my Beatles “Favorites” collection:

I Saw Her Standing There

Please Please Me

Twist and Shout

Thank You Girl

She Loves You

I'll Get You

It Won't Be Long

All My Loving

I Want To Hold Your Hand

This Boy

Long Tall Sally

I Call Your Name

Slow Down

A Hard Day's Night

I Should Have Known Better

If I Fell

I'm Happy Just To Dance With You

And I Love Her

Tell Me Why

Can't Buy Me Love

Any Time At All

I'll Cry Instead

You Can't Do That

I'll Be Back

I Feel Fine

She's A Woman

No Reply

I'm A Loser

I'll Follow The Sun

Eight Days A Week

Every Little Thing

I Don't Want To Spoil The Party

What You're Doing

Bad Boy

Yes It Is

I'm Down

Help!

The Night Before

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

I Need You

Another Girl

You're Going To Lose That Girl

Ticket To Ride

Act Naturally

It's Only Love

I've Just Seen A Face

Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Day Tripper

We Can Work It Out

Drive My Car

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

You Won't See Me

Think For Yourself

The Word

What Goes On

Girl

I'm Looking Through You

In My Life

Wait

If I Needed Someone

Run For Your Life

Paperback Writer

Rain

Taxman

Eleanor Rigby

I'm Only Sleeping

Yellow Submarine

She Said, She Said

Good Day Sunshine

And Your Bird Can Sing

Dr. Robert

I Want To Tell You

Got To Get You Into My Life

Tomorrow Never Knows

Penny Lane

Strawberry Fields Forever

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

With A Little Help From My Friends

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite

Lovely Rita

Good Morning, Good Morning

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

A Day In The Life

Magical Mystery Tour

The Fool On The Hill

I Am The Walrus

Hello, Goodbye

Baby You're A Rich Man

Lady Madonna

Hey Jude

Revolution

Back In The U.S.S.R.

Dear Prudence

Glass Onion

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Martha My Dear

I'm So Tired

Blackbird

Piggies

Don't Pass Me By

I Will

Julia

Birthday

Yer Blues

Mother Nature's Son

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey

Sexy Sadie

Helter Skelter

Revolution 1

Savoy Truffle

Hey Bulldog

Get Back

Don't Let Me Down

Old Brown Shoe

Two Of Us

Across The Universe

I Me Mine

Let It Be

I've Got A Feeling

The Long And Winding Road

For You Blue

Come Together

Oh! Darling

Octopus's Garden

I Want You (She's So Heavy)

Here Comes The Sun

Because

You Never Give Me Your Money

Mean Mr. Mustard

Polythene Pam

She Came In Through The Bathroom Window

Golden Slumbers

Carry That Weight

The End

Her Majesty

Free As A Bird

Real Love

I’ve been thinking about adding “Something” to the list to make it an even 140 songs. I might, but, then again, I might not.

And the Answers to my clue riddles, in the previous post, are as follows:

Only one song from the “Yellow Submarine” Soundtrack album, “Hey Bulldog,” although I also have the song “Yellow Submarine” in the tracklisting, I took it from “Revolver.”

There are only 2 tracks from “With The Beatles.” Those are “It Won’t Be Long,” and “All My Loving.”

There are only three tracks from “Please Please Me.” Thos are “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Please Please Me,” and “Twist And Shout.”

“Martha My Dear,” is the damn sheepdog song.

Again, I would like to point out that The Beatles recorded no songs about homosexual gerbils. Not one. Assholes.

The Beatles, Circa 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:54:00 +0000

I’ve not said much, here, about the new Beatles remastered releases. Those that know me have probably been scratching their heads and wondering why. After all, the Beatles are the Alpha and Omega of my musical universe. My complete obsession with music started with the first Beatles album I bought (Reel Music, for those keeping score at home) and their music will always be a major part of my life. It speaks to me in a way very little else does.

Well, I’ve been sitting back, enjoying these new releases, reading the countless reviews, and biding my time, trying to get my thoughts in order. I’ve bought the sets, listened to them many many times, compared them to the original 1987 CD releases, ripped them to my Zune, and even created a “Heath’s Favorites” CD/MP3 compilation of, well, my favorite songs (not much of a distillation as my collection sits at 139 songs out of 215). I think now that I’ve had some time to digest the CDs (no, I didn’t EAT them, although they look like they’d be tasty dipped in a nice holinday sauce), I think I can finally jot down some coherent thoughts.

I find it amazing that these CD releases have garnered the attention that they have. From “Uncut” magazine and their self-proclaimed “definitive” review to “Sound & Vision” devoting almost half of their latest issue to their review, the press, both online and traditional have been universal in their praise. For a band that broke up 40 years ago, that’s amazing.

My own story with the Beatles starts at Westwood Junior High School, in Manchester, TN. One of the guys I knew there was a kid nicknamed Doobie (after the “Doobie Brothers” band, not the recreational supplement… although that’s what the BAND was named after, so… anyway). He was a music freak and record collector, already, and plastered every available surface in his locker and on his notebook with magazine photos of various musical acts. The most prominent of them all was always, The Beatles. I took note of that, although I still am not sure exactly why that was so. Down the street from where I lived there was a “Big K” general store. Even though there was a highway between my house and the store, occasionally I was allowed to walk there to spend my allowance. One day, I walked into the store, with that week’s $5 bill burning a hole in my pocket, and noticed new signage. “Going Out Of Business,” it proclaimed, “All Merchandise 50% off,” it continued. I was heartbroken. And then I noticed what was in the front display of the small record section. Yes, It was the aforementioned “Reel Music” Beatles album. Wow! At 50% off its 9.98 retail price, I had enough to buy it! Forget the silly Star Wars action figures this week, I’m getting THAT!

I ran home and ripped the plastic off the album jacket, pulled the big black vinyl disc out of the cardboard sleeve and plopped it down on my little toy record player. Before this moment, the record that got played most on that thing was probably some “Electric Company” or “Muppets” disc. But, as I dropped the needle down on my very first actual music disc, my world turned upside down. The very first thing I heard from that “Reel Music” collection was the unbelievable first note of “A Hard Day’s Night.” It was love at first “BLAM!” With that grand first note, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr suddenly became an indelible part of my life, forever.

For the people that love to hate on that album, “F-off!”

That was 30 or so years ago. Because of that moment, I have grown and discovered so many new things. I have tried and tried to find more music that speaks to me the way The Beatles do. Others have; Buddy Holly has become, as I have stated before, my pivot point of all my musical journeys; I never could have survived the loneliness and isolation of my college years without The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds,” and The Who have become a bit of an obsession. But, still, no music artists speak to my complete being as do The Beatles. I mean, I distilled 215 of their songs (this includes the two “new” recordings done for the 1990s “Anthology” releases) down to a 139 “favorites” compilation. Any other band, I’d throw out far more than half their catalog to make the same type collection. In fact, I think the 4-disc Who box set “Maximum R&B” is overkill.

Whenever you claim to be a Beatles fan, one of the first things people tend to ask is, “which one is your favorite?” My usual response, “All of them.” It’s not the Beatles without all four of those distinct personalities. And, in reality, it’s not even The Beatles without George Martin either.

Yeah, I’ll probably throw silly little asides like that in through the entire blog post. Get over it. Just be glad I don’t have another leprechaun story to tell.

Now, all the above being said (written), I do not and would never consider myself a Beatles fanatic. I’m not, as a friend who runs a local used CD shop calls them, “a Beatard.” I’m not the type of person who would buy a complete used quad sound system just to hear an 8-Track tape quad mix of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” like I was told one fellow Beatle-fan in town did recently. I also can’t tell the difference between the “real, actual, true” mono mix of the American pressing of “Rubber Soul” and the “fold-down” mix that was accidentally included on “The Capitol Albums, Volume 2” a few years ago. The owner of the previously mentioned local used CD shop (North Street Records in Normal, Illinois) had to tell me about that Capitol Records gaffe. And, actually, I don’t care. That’s minutiae that really does not matter to me. What speaks to me is the music, the lyrics, the production, and the performances, and the way all those are blended together in a way that reaches into my very soul.

Gee, that’s a pretty long post already, and not one word, so far, about the quality of these new releases. Sigh. Get over it.

You might think, after that last aside, that at this point I’ll start discussing the quality of these releases. If you do, then you really don’t know me. Instead, I’ve got something else to write about first.

That something is this, how mind-bogglingly idiotic is the brain trust at EMI? These CDs should have been EVERYWHERE on the day of their release. Nobody, that wanted a copy, should have had any problems finding a copy. 10,000 copies of the Mono Box? Insanity! I read later in an interview, with one of the men responsible for that decision, that EMI considered the Mono Box as a set that would only sell to Beatle fans who were there when the album came out in the 60’s. Clearly, these people in charge of making these decisions are as out of touch with the music-buying public as the Republican Party is with mainstream America in regards to public healthcare.

Yeah, I had to throw that aside in there. Bite me if you don't like it.

In my case, I planned on getting both the Stereo and Mono boxes, from Best Buy, on release day. I planned on just popping out during lunch, hitting the local store and grabbing copies of both, paying for them with a credit card (to get cashback points) and using my Best Buy Rewards Card (to get later in-store credit). Then, about 2 weeks prior to the release date, I happened across an online news story that the Mono set was already selling out, as a pre-order, all over the place. Uh-oh. I immediately went online and checked the Best Buy website. Yup, sold out. And, so was the Stereo box. Oh no! So, I rushed over to Amazon.com. Sold out of both as well. Um… How about DeepDiscount.com? Sold out.

Everywhere I went, every iteration of the upcoming Beatles releases were listed as “Sold Out.” I finally found a little mom and pop record store website for a place in California that still listed both as available, so I placed an order there. It was canceled a few days later, with a note of apology that they just hadn’t kept the site updated and they were sold out, too.

ARGH!

Well, I knew I could, eventually, get the Stereo Box, since it was not “limited edition.” But, what about the Mono Box? There, I knew somebody, somewhere, would post image files of the discs online, so at least I’d be able to hear them and make copies for listening to. That wasn’t good enough, though! I wanted these things on factory-pressed discs! Oh well, I guessed that just wasn't to be.

Then came release day! I took off for lunch to the local Best Buy. At least I could still get that blasted Stereo Box. The store, however, did not get any copies. When I asked why, the manager explained that they shipped web orders to customers first, before allocating any to ship to stores, and the web store had sold out weeks ago. But, he added, “the store will get some in soon. I hope.” Insane. Was the demand really that much higher than had been expected? Or had EMI, Best Buy, Amazon, etc, just underestimated the demand for this product that severely?

The weekend after the releases, my family had to take a quick trip down to my hometown of Manchester Tennessee. It was a quick jaunt for a family member’s wedding, one day drive down, sleep, go to the wedding, hang out a little, sleep drive home. Zoom, zoom, zoom. While there, though, I talked my wife into stepping into a local Hastings, just to look around a little, after all, I still hadn’t even seen one of the Stereo Boxes yet. We walked in and right up front there was a big Beatles display. Cool.

There were four Stereo Boxes sting in the display rack. I grabbed one to look over. I was still planning on waiting to get the Stereo Box at Best Buy to get the reward points, but at least I could look at one there. As I am looking at the gorgeous black box, checking it out and wishing I could pick one up right then, my wife says, “What’s the white box?”

“Oh, the Mono Box is white. The Stereo one, here, is Black.”

“Ah,” she nods, “They have a Mono Box.”

“Those are sold out everywhere, I doubt they have one here.”

“No, they do,” she pointed, “I’m looking at it, there. It’s behind those two Stereo Boxes.”

I was thinking, “Yeah, right, it’s a cutout or some marker showing where the real set would be sitting, if they had one.” I looked where my wife was pointing. Oh. My. God. She was right, they did have a Mono Box. Well, they did have one until that moment, because at that moment, I picked that one up and did not let go of it again, until it was in my car. (Yes, I wouldn’t even let go of it at the checkout stand, the lady had to swipe the bar code with the box in my hand.)

So, I got my Mono Box. Before I got the Stereo Box.

And there were no leprechauns involved.

The next weekend, my local Best Buy had the Stereo Box in stock, so I got that, then. No muss, no fuss.

First, let’s compare the packaging in the two sets. The Mono Box is a gorgeous cardboard brick containing mini LP sleeves housing the CDs. Each album is contained in smaller replicas of the original releases from the 60’s. And, each of those comes housed in a protective mylar resealable pouch. The box also contains a booklet explaining the importance of these Mono Beatle albums. Perfection.

The Stereo Box contains all the individual albums exactly as they’re sold individually every day. It also includes a separate DVD of all the Quicktime mini-movies contained on those CDs. That’s it.

In case you couldn’t tell. I prefer the packaging of the Mono Box. It is a beautiful set; clearly intended for the serious collector. The least they could have done with the Stereo Box is enclosed a special booklet, or even just put the CDs in little protective mylar pouches, like the Mono Box. But, those are minor quibbles.

Now, as for the sound…

Start by listening to “Because” off of Abbey Road. Yes, those are tears of joy streaming from your eyes. The Beatles have NEVER sounded better… ever. Period.

Follow that up by listening to “The End” also off Abbey Road. See, Ringo played an actual, real, honest-to-goodness drum set. Now, it sounds like one, boom, thump, boom, thud, crash; rather than a tinkie little toy, tikki, tikki, chink, plonk. Who knew?

Now, when Ringo yells that he’s “got blisters on my fingers,” you’ll believe him.

Had enough snarky comments, yet? Cool. Then lets’ get to a little more meaty details.

Honestly, I’ve heard the complaints about the sound on the 1987 CDs for years. I just ignored those people and wrote them off as pedantic fanboy types. Are these new CDs all that remarkably improved? Well, yes and no. There was definitely more care taken in these digital transfers. The old CDs were just the original mixdown tapes dumped to digital masters. Nothing wrong with that, they sounded good for their day. But, there has been 20 years worth of technological improvements in the equipment used to make digital masters. That alone makes these new remasters sound better, but not remarkably so, for the “average” listener.

True, the highs are crisper, and the lows are boomier. Like I wrote earlier, Ringo finally sounds like he’s playing a real drum kit, rather than pie tins. His drums boom and thud the way a real, wooden kit should, and his cymbals ring and wash the way they should. No more chinka, chinka there.

There’s also a great improvement in the precision and clarity of the mixes. Now, when John and Paul sing together, you can tell it’s John and Paul singing together, rather than it seeming like some weird double-tracking thing. Listen to the voices in “Yes It Is.” Follow that up with “I’m Down,” and listen to John’s attempt at singing the bass vocal parts. So clear, so crisp. It sounds like he’s right there in the room with you. And, now, in that same song, for the brief electric piano freak-out, you can hear the musician’s fingers (is that John, Paul or George Martin?) thud the keys as he slides up and down the keyboard more maniacally than Jerry Lee Lewis could ever dream of doing.

It’s in those type of details that these newly remastered discs far outpace the original CD releases. Because of that, I’ll argue that if you don’t have a dedicated high-end stereo system, then you probably won’t hear enough of a difference to care about the new CDs.

And, besides, if you don’t have a system like that, you should, anyway. You’re missing such a big part of every song you listen to, Beatles, or anyone else.

Listening to these over and over, it strikes me again and again how achingly, beautifully gorgeous the Beatles’ voices were, all four of them, for what they’re worth. And, when they sing in harmony, whether just John and Paul, or john and Paul and George, or all four of them, it’s the perfect convergence of vocal timbre, ability and phrasing. I sit in wonderment, every time, at how these four men wound up together, paired with a producer as sympathetic to their artistic vision and talented enough to match those visions as was George Martin. And, on top of that, to then gain the services of an engineer with the abilities and inventiveness as Geoff Emerick, just as they were growing into a style that needed that inventiveness… fate weaves a wonderful web, sometimes.

Take away one piece of that puzzle, and everything falls apart.

Back to these CDs, specifically.

Of course, this amazing improvement with the precision and clarity of the mixes is not without drawbacks. In particular, it, badly, highlights the primitive stereo mixes in tons of places. For example, “Girl,” and “Day Tripper” stood out as particularly egregious in stereo, now. Through headphones, these two have become almost unlistenable, even though they use the exact same mix found on the 1987 CDs.

And do not even get me started on why anyone would EVER want to listen to the first two CDs in stereo, ever. If you find anyone who prefers the stereo mixes of those albums, to the mono, just shoot them. The rest of us will thank you later.

Who knew “Lovely Rita” had so many fiddly bits tossed in the mix? I never did until these CDs. pop! What was that? Where did that come from? Is someone behind me making silly mouth noises? Oh, it’s in the song? Since when?

And the horns in “Good Morning,” and “Savoy Truffle,” that’s how horns should sound all the time!

In “Back in the U.S.S.R.” you can now hear previously buried background vocals that highlight the true depth to which McCartney went to make this Beach Boys pastiche. Dear Prudence shines with new brilliance as the layers of sound now explode around one of Lennon’s most powerful vocal deliveries.

Really, because of the improved sound on these CDs, there are new details that emerge from the mix of just about every song in the catalog.

Okay, not really. That is a little bit of over-hyping hyperbole. But, it is closer to the truth than not.

I thought that, after listening to each album in both Mono and Stereo, I would have a clear choice as to which I preferred for each album. Ha! I thought wrong. My plan was to pull out each CD, make an image file on my PC, scan the CD art, and make jewel case copies to listen to, so I could pack away the original CDs in their inferior cardboard packaging for safekeeping.

Yeah, that’s what I thought before I bought both sets.

I decided, instead, to rip both the Mono and Stereo sets to my PC, scan in the artwork and then burn BOTH Mono and Stereo sets. I ran out and bought a few double CD jewel cases, and put the Stereo set in front and the Mono set in back for each album. Oh, except for the first two albums, “Please Please Me,” and “With The Beatles,” which should NEVER be heard in stereo, EVER. If you accidentally do ever hear them that way, seek counseling, immediately, and maybe, just maybe, you can still salvage at least a small part of your sanity.

Now, the last question remaining, for me, is what do I do with all the old CDs? They were the first CDs I ever bought, and they are the very reason I bought a CD player to begin with. So, they hold a special place in my memories. But, I can promise, I’ll never actually play them again. Not anymore.

And, one last thing. Now, how about EMI commission a “Modern Mix” box set? Every track, except the two German duds, in chronological order, 76-80 minutes per disc, mixed like the tracks from “Yellow Submarine Songtrack,” or “Let It Be… Naked.” Don’t worry about dividing the CDs by album, EP or singles. That would be, what, a 6 or 7 disc collection, so not prohibitively expensive, and would be a nice “gift.”

Oh, yeah, they could feel free to leave off “Revolution 9” too, if they want. Bleh!

And the song about the homosexual gerbils with attitude problems. Nobody needs to hear that song ever again. Okay, just kidding, The Beatles never recorded a song about homosexual gerbils. They recorded songs about a freakin’ sheepdog and raccoon but homosexual gerbils, no. Bastards.

That was a joke. Please don’t send me angry emails, all you sheepdog and raccoon lovers. Or, if you are a homosexual gerbil.

Finally, here’s a fun party game for those that are entertained by idiotic pedantic musings; try to guess which 76 songs I left off my “Favorites” compilation. I’ll give you a few hints: “You Know My Name, Look Up The Number,” the two German pieces of crap, the silly “show tunes” on the first few albums, and the damn raccoon song (But, I do love the sheepdog song). And, here’s another hint; there’s at least one song from every album, but only one album which, technically, I pulled just one song from, even though there are two songs from that album in my compilation. Otherwise, there is only one other album in their catalog from which I pulled just two songs. In addition, there’s only one album from which I pulled just 3 songs. From every other album, I pulled 4 or more songs.

Have at it.

My favorite online reviews of the new Beatles CDs are:

My review of the remastered Beatles CDs

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:43:00 +0000

OH! MY! GOD!

Chris Whitley - Reiter In

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:28:00 +0000

I have no excuse. There is none that could possibly be valid. I just heard, for the first time, Chris Whitley's "Reiter In" album.

Now, all I can say in my defense is that his usual output is so eclectic that the listener never knows what to expect when purchasing one of Whitley's albums, and, since money is always tight, I want to hear his work before purchase, so I can know if I'd enjoy it. And, I don't know what it's like where you might live, but around here Chris Whitley gets about as much radio airplay as the old Bloom County Billy & The Boingers flexi-disc... That is to say, none. So, I'm just now getting around to finding a way to hear the album.

I should have known better. So far, I have not heard one of his albums that I have not enjoyed, and "Reiter In" is definitely no exception. In fact, this might have pushed "Rocket House" out of the #2 favorite spot for his albums, with me.

Want to know a little more about what this collection sounds like? Think a grunged up "Living With the Law" and then throw some jazzy rhythms in the mix.

Now, if someone could throw a copy of "Weeds" my way...

Remembering Buddy Holly

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

February 3, 1959. 50 years ago. 9 years before I was even born. It was a day that changed my life. It was the day one of my greatest inspirations died.

Buddy Holly means the world to me. His songs touch my soul the way few other artists' could ever hope to do. In the pantheon of music I can listen to over and over and over and never tire, and can study and digest and find new meaning or new inspiration each and every time I hear it, Holly's songs rank second to nobody's. Sure, The Beatles, The Who, Tom Petty and a few others have reached that same pinnacle of adulation from me, but out of them all, Buddy Holly reigns supreme.

It should be obvious. Look at the music that I am drawn to the most. The Beatles, Webb Wilder, Tom Petty, John Hiatt, etc, etc. Do you see a pattern emerging? Everybody, each and every musical artist I listen to in glee, is a direct descendant of Buddy Holly's musical pedigree. He is the Alpha of my musical alphabet. He is the great Zeus among my particular pantheon of musical gods.

His lyrical skills mesmerize me. The love songs all have a dark underside that can be hard to fathom through his trademark exuberant delivery. His lyrics have layers of meanings that continue to unfold hidden meanings even after hundreds of listens, a trait picked up by Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Scott Miller and Webb Wilder, among others.

The performances, whether on a rocker or a ballad, is always exhilarating and fervent. Even Holly's saddest songs can make me smile, just as his sunniest rockers can make me cry. He's an amazing vocal stylist, with the way sings the lyrics conveying just as much meaning as the words in the lyrics. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Mick Jagger certainly learned that from him.

And what can I say about the music? Holly was an amazingly advanced arranger and musician. Those trademark staccato Stratocaster riffs... what fantastic technique. The mirroring of the style with his other trademark, the hiccup vocal delivery, was as ingenious as it was original. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and way too many others have copied this to the point that it has become rock 'n' roll cliché these days.

Sometimes, I go months without listening to any Buddy Holly music. Then I get that urge and throw a "hits" collection on my Zune. Always, without fail, less than two songs in, I'm wondering why I ever decided to go so long without listening to anything from him. It's impossible to listen to anything with his name on it without tapping your feet and bopping your head.

I read somewhere, while digging for news about this anniversary, from some commentator, that if Holly had not died in that plane crash, that he would not be as fondly remembered as he is today. I call bullshit on that. The commentator backed up that assertion with the facts that Holly used strings on his last recordings and was an admirer of Paul Anka. So? The Beatles covered several show tunes in their early days and were admirers of Cliff Richard. Plus, they used strings on "Yesterday" and other tunes. Yet they never turned in pop crooners. The solo acoustic tracks that Holly recorded at home shortly before his death contain multiple songs that, if recorded with his then band, would have rocked as much as anything Buddy Holly ever recorded. How can anybody listen to "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and hear a pop crooner in front of an orchestra?

I'm also not going to claim that Buddy Holly would never fade to irrelevance. That happens to every artist over time. However, knowing about his passion for experimentation and self reliance in the studio, it's clear that he would constantly push to reinvent himself and would never be content to just lay back and rest on past achievements. Johnny Cash was another musician who shared that drive, and even though he faded to irrelevance briefly through the 1980's, he pulled himself back up and became more relevant than ever through the late 1990's until his death. I honestly believe that would be the same path down which Holly would have travelled, if he had the chance.

He was arguably the first self-contained musical artist. One could almost say the same about Chuck Berry, except Berry never took the initiative to produce his own recordings. Plus, at the time of his death, Holly was making the moves to start his own publishing company and record label.

My mind boggles thinking about what else he could have accomplished had he lived past 22.

If I had a time machine, I wouldn't go back in time and beg Holly not to get on the plane, but I would most definitely go to see that final night's concert.

Sorry this post is dis-jointed and rambling. It probably could have used some editing and clean-up. But, it really is just a stream of consciousness rant that I wanted to get it posted today, on the day it matters.

The man named Charles Hardin Holley might have died on February 3, 1959, but Buddy Holly lives forever in the souls of the lives his music touched.

Top 10 Albums of 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Yet another end of another year, and yet another time to look back and reflect on the best albums of the past year. My criteria for choosing this list is simple, these are the CDs that were released over the past year, that I've purchased, and listened to the most.

My top 10 is:

10. Marah - Angels of Destruction - I first heard these guys playing in the courtyard of an amphitheatre prior to a Who concert in 2000. What I heard, I enjoyed. They were better than the band that actually "opened" for the who that night, the since forgotten Unamerican. I liked Marah enough that I went and bought their current album, "Kids in Philly." I liked that one, but it didn't sound much like the band I'd heard playing in that courtyard. At this year's "Used Music Sale" that local NPR radio station WGLT holds each fall, I found the station selling their promo copy of this CD. Out of curiosity, I bought it (it was just $3.00) and gave it a spin. WOW! Now THIS was the band I heard playing in 2000! This is a band I want to hear more from... Much, much more.

9. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology - See, instead of putting every thought out on an album, and releasing 6 over 2 years, this is what Adams can do if he edits it all down to just one release.

8. Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun - Speaking of amazing career resurgences. Since finally confronting the demons of "Smile" Wilson has been on a streak.

7. REM - Accelerate - Finally, REM goes back to being REM.

6. Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher - More of Old Crow doing what Old Crow does best. And, they're better than anyone else at doing it.

5. Bob Dylan - Tell-Tale Signs - What an amazing career resurgence Dylan has had over the past 15 years such that even his cast-offs are better than most others' albums.

4. The Black Crowes - Warpaint - From start to finish, probably the BEST Black Crowes album ever.

3. John Mellencamp - Life Death Love and Freedom - A very tough album to listen to all the way through in ne listen. But, in this case, since it's an emotional rumination on mortality, that's a good thing.

2. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely - Jack White should abandon The Whte Stripes for this band immediately.

1. Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch - Petty at his best with a band every bit as good as the Heartbreakers (well, 3 of the 5 members ARE Heartbreakers, so...)

Honorable Mention: Elvis Costello - Momofuku and Lenny Kravitz - It Is Time For A Love Revolution - Both of these guys tap into a voice they haven't used in a long time and taking a look at the first decade of the 21st century. True to their personalities, Costello is angry while Kravitz is hopeful.

November 4, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:05:00 +0000

Footage

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:10:00 +0000

Here's some amazing hidden camera footage of John McCain And Tom Brokaw getting ready backstage in Nashville before the October 7, 2008 Presidential debates.

$700 BILLION Bailout???

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:35:00 +0000

So, how's the last 8 years of the Republican economy working out for you?

8 years of deregulation, 8 years of Republicans controlling the White House, the Congress and the Courts... and it leads to this.

Of course it did. This is EXACTLY what us crazy liberals have been screaming that it would lead to for... oh... about 8 years.

You reap what you sow.

Unfortunately, you have also dragged the rest of the country down with you. Assholes.

And... let me get this straight... We can't have universal healthcare because it will cost too much (at 1/3 the cost of this bailout) but we have the money to prop up these fatcat pussies? Assholes.

Somebody please explain to me how McCain / Palin polls with even 1% support...

Email

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:42:00 +0000

This email is making the rounds. I like it:

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach teach children about sexual predators, you are irresponsible and eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America 's.

* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that hates America and advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

Repiglicans

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:27:00 +0000

I have two comments to make about the Repiglican run for the White House so far:

1) I will sum up their arguments against Barak Obama as simply as possible:

He's black... Booga Booga!

2) Somebody did tell John McCain that once he announces his VP pick on national TV, there's no take-backs, right?

And one bonus thought:

McCain should have nominated a silver platter to run as his VP.

Carlin

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:15:00 +0000

I've spent the last few days trying to think of the correct words to write to eulogize one of my heroes. Today, I think I finally thought of them:

shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits

Bo Diddley

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:27:00 +0000

I've been trying to wrap my head around the fact that this man no longer walks among us here on this earth. It's hard to fathom that he is gone. But, it is impossible to conceive what this world would be now if he'd never been. Few people change the world forever, even in a minor way. Some people may think the "Bo Diddley Beat" is a minor accomplishment. I disagree.

Honestly, I've been waiting to read in the music press that Bo had been signed by a label and was working on a new album over the past few years. Mainly, I was simply wishing that, after all this time, somebody would finally give him the chance to gain the riches he's long deserved but never had. But, I was also hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would let us get to hear this master at work again, especially after this Rolling Stone Magazine article. It saddens me that it will never happen now.

Robert Asprin 1946-2008

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:03:00 +0000

I just read that Robert Asprin died on May 22. Count me in as a fan of the series of "Myth" books that he authored. Each chapter of each book opened with a humorous fictional quote. In tribute, I'll post some of them here.

ANOTHER FINE MYTH (1978)

"There are things on heaven and earth, Horatio, Man was not meant to know." - Hamlet

"Things are not always as they seem." - Mandrake

"The only thing more reliable than magik is one's friends!" - MacBeth

"Careful planning is the key to safe and swift travel." - Ulysses

"Only constant and conscientious practice in the Martial Arts will ensure a long and happy life." - B. Lee

"Attention to detail is the watchword for gleaning information from an unsuspecting witness." - Insp. Clouseau

"Is there anything in the universe more beautiful and protective than the simple complexity of a spider's web?" - Charlotte

"In times of crisis, it is of utmost importance not to lose one's head." - M. Antoinette

"To function efficiently, any group of people or employees must have faith in their leader." - Capt Bligh (ret.)

"Man shall never reach his full capacity while chained to the earth. We must take wing and conquer the heavens." - Icarus

"One of the joys of travel is visiting new towns and meeting new people." - G. Khan

"First impressions are of major importance in business matters." - J. Pierpont Finch

"The secret of winning the support of large groups of people is positive thinking." - N. Bonaparte

"A little help at the right time is better than a lot of help at the wrong time." - Tevye

"Anyone who uses the phrase 'easy as taking candy from a baby' has never tried taking candy from a baby." - R. Hood

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." - T. Edison

"The wonders of the ages assembled for your edification, education and enjoyment - for a price." - P. T. Barnum

"No matter what the product or service might be, you can find it somewhere else cheaper!" - E. Scrooge

"By perserving over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination." - C. Columbus

"With the proper consideration in choice of allies, victory may be guaranteed in any conflict." - B. Arnold

"One must deal openly and fairly with one's forces if maximum effectiveness is to be acheived." - D. Vader

"This is another fine myth you've gotten me into!" - Lor L. and Har D.

"Since prehistoric man, no battle has ever gone as planned." - D. Graeme

"Ya gotta be subtle!" - M. Hammer

"Just because you've beaten a sorcerer, doesn't mean you've beaten a sorcerer." - Toth-Aamon

"A woman, like a good piece of music, should have a solid end." - F. Schubert

Myth Conceptions (1980)

"Life is a series of rude awakenings" - R.V. Winkle

"First impressions, being the longest lasting, are of utmost importance" - J. Carter

"Ninety percent of any business transaction is selling yourself to the client" - X. Hollander

"If the proper preparations have been made and the necessary precautions taken, any staged event is guaranteed success" - Ethelred the Unready

"...Eye of newt, toe of frog..." - Believed to be the first recipe for an explosive mixture... The forerunner of gunpowder

"That's entertainment!" - Vlad the Impaler

"Numerical superiority is of no consequence. In battle, victory will go to the best tactician" - G.A. Custer

"Anything worth doing, is worth doing for a profit" - Teresias

"There is more at stake here than our lives" -Col. Travis, Alamo Pep Talk

"One need not fear superior numbers if the opposing force has been properly scouted and appraised" - S. Bull

"Should old acquaintance be forgot..." - Count of Monte Cristo

"This is no game for old men! Send in the boys!" - W. Hays

"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce" - Henry VIII

"We're looking for a few good men" - B. Cassidy

"I'll worry about it tomorrow" - S. O'Hara

"Myth-conceptions are the major cause of wars!" - A. Hitler

"Diplomacy is the delicate weapon of the civilized warrior" - Hun, A.T.

"Just before the battle, Mother, I was thinking mos of you..." - Sonny Barker

"What if they gave a war and only one side came-" - Lucifer

"Chain of command is the backbone of military structure and must be strictly obeyed" - F. Christian

"It takes a giant to fight a giant" - H. Prym

"Hell hath no fury like a demon scorched" - C. Mather

"What is this, a Chinese fire drill?" - Sun Tzu

"...and then I said to myself, 'Why should I split it two ways-'" - G. Mouser

"Is everybody happy?" - Machiavelli

"All's well that ends well" - E.A. Poe

Myth Directions (1982)

"Dragons and Demons and Kings, Oh my!" - The cowardly Klahd

"When old friends get together, everything else fades to insignificance." - War, Famine, Pestilence and Death

"That's funny, I never have any trouble with service when I'm shopping." - K. Kong

"'Weird' is a relative, not an absolute term." - Baron Frank N. Furter

"Noting is impossible. Anything can be accomplished with proper preparation and planning." - Ponce De Leon

"Now you see it, now you don't." - H. Shadowspawn

"A friend in need is a pest." - Fafhrd

"Once more into the breach..." - Zarna, the human cannonball

"War may be hell ... but it's good for business!" - The association for Merchants, Manufacturers and Morticians

"Old heroes never die; they reappear in sequels" - M. Moorcock

"What do you mean, 'You've got a little job for me'?" - Hercules

"Out of the frying pan, into der fire." - The Swedish Chef

"If you can't dazzle them with dexterity, baffle them with bullshit!" - Prof. H. Hill

"As any magician will tell you - Myth Directions is the secret of a successful steal." - D. Henning

"--Or was it unlock the safe then swim to the surface?" - H. Houdini

"...and then the fun began." - N. Bonaparte

"I'm sure we can talk things out like civilized people." - J. Wayne

"What's the point-spread on World War III?" - R. Reagan

"Why should I have to pay a troll just to cross a bridge?" - B. G. Gruff

"What are friends for?" - R. M. Nixon

"We've got an unbeatable team!" - Sauron

"No matter what the game, no matter what the rules, the same rules apply to both sides!" - Hoyle's Law

"Life is full of little surprises." - Pandora

"This contest has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen." - H. Cosell

"If you can't win fair, just win!" - U. S. Grant

"Winning isn't the most important thing; it's the only thing!" - J. Caesar

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls --" - M. Ali

Hit or Myth (1983)

"There's something to be said for relatives...it has to be said because it's unprintable!" - A. Einstein

"When things are blackest, I just tell myself 'cheer up, things could be worse!' And sure enough, they get worse!" - Skeeve

"Once a knight, always a knight, But once a king is once too often!" - Sir Bella of Eastmarch

"Duty: A fee paid for transacting in good(s)." - U.S. Dept. of Commerce

"The only thing worse than a sorcerer is a sorcerer's apprentice." - M. Mouse

"Good information is hard to get. Doing anything with it is even harder!" - L. Skywalker

"There is no counter for a spirited woman except spirited drink." - R. Butler

"Choose your friends carefully. Your enemies will choose you!" - Y. Arafat

"I don't know why anyone would be nervous about going to see royalty." - P. in Boots

"Superior firepower is an invaluable tool when entering into negotiations." - G. Patton

"Tell you what. Let me sweeten the deal a bit for you...." - Beelzebub

"I'm making this up as I go along!" - I. Jones

"Marriage, being a lifelong venture, must be approached with care and caution." - Bluebeard

"Some farewells are easier than others." - P. Marlowe

"In a war against organized crime, survival is a hit or myth proposition." - M. Bolan

"It's always easier to destroy than create." - Any general, any army, any age.

"The best laid plans often go fowl." - Wile E. Coyote

"Life can be profitable, if you know the odds." - Ripley

"These blokes need to be taught to respect their superiors." - Gen. Cornwallis

"Figure the last thing you would expect the enemy to do, then count on him doing precisely that!" - Richelieu

"Stayin' alive! Stayin' alive!" - V. Dracula

Mything Persons (1984)

"Reputations are fine up to a point. After that they become a pain!" - D. Juan

"Success often hinges on choosing a reliable partner." - Remus

"Reliable information is a must for sucessful planning." - C. Columbus

"It is useless to try to plan for the unexpected . . . by definition!" - A. Hitchcock

"To survive, one must be able to adapt to changing situations." - Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"An agent is a vampire with a telephone!" - Any editor

"I don't see anything thrilling about it!" - M. Jackson

"My colleauges and I feel that independents like ElfQuest are nothing but sheeps in wolves' clothing!" - S. Lee

"What's wrong with a little harmless crime once in a while?" - M. Blaise

"Nice jail. Looks strong." - H. Houdini

"For the right person, the impossible is easy!" - Dumbo

"I've never seen so damn many indians." - G. A. Custer

"Relax, Julie. Everyone will understand." - Romeo

"Everybody needs a career manager!" - Lady MacBeth

"Don't be fooled by appearances." - Malloy

"The trail's got to be 'round here somewhere!" - D. Boone

"I didn't come all this way to sit out the fight!" - R. Balboa

"All right, pilgrim. This is between you and me!" - A. Hamilton

"There's no accounting for taste!" - Colonel Sanders

Little Myth Marker (1985)

"The difference between an inside straight and a blamed fool is callin' the last bet!" - B. Maverick

"Kids? Who said anything about kids?" - Conan

"I'm doing this for your own good!" - Any establishment executioner ... or any parent

"A doll is a doll is a doll." - F. Sinatra

"Such stuff dreams are made of." - S. Beauty

"Bring the whole family ... but leave the kids at home!" - R. McDonald

"There's a time to fight, and a time to hide out!" - B. Cassidy

"What did I do wrong?" - Lear, Rex

"They never let you live it down. One little mistake!" - Nero

"A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!" - L. Borgia

"I belive we're under attack." - Col. Travis

"No one should hide their true self behind a false face." - L. Chaney

"Your Majesty should pay attention to his appearance." - H. C. Anderson

"Sometimes luck isn't enough." - L. Luciano

"I need all the friends I can get." - Quasimodo

"I thought we were friends!" - Banquo

"Shut up and deal!" - F. D. R.

"Cast your fate to the winds." - L. Bernstein

"Can't you take a joke?" - T. Eulenspiegel

"Sow what else is new?" - W. Cronkite

M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link (1986)

"Petty crime is the scourge of business today." - D. Lorean

"It all hinges on your definition of 'a good time'!" - L. Borgia

"It's all a matter of taste." - B. Midler

"If you're too busy to help your friends, you're too busy!" - L. Iacocca

"What fools these mortals be." - Smaug

"Not everything in life is funny." - R. L. Asprin

Myth-Nomers and Im-Pervections (1987)

"Nobody's seen it all!" - Marco Polo

"They don't make 'em like they used to!" - H. Ford

"It's not even a nice place to visit!" - Fodor's Guide To Perv

"Taxis are water soluble" - G. Kelly

"I just need to pick up a few things" - I. Marcos

"There's no place like home!" - H. Johnson

"...On the street where you live" - Quote from an anonymous extortion note

"There's never a cop around when you need one!" - A. Capone

"...You gotta start somewhere" - S. McDuck

"All financiers are not created equal!" - R. Corman

"How come I get all the hard questions?" - O. North

"HOLY BATSHIT, FATMAN! I mean..." - Robin

"Who? Me, Officer?" - J. Dillinger

"Parting is such sweet sorrow" - Figaro

"Easy credit terms available..." - Satan

"You can judge the success of a man by his bodyguards!" - Prince

"Bibbity... bobbity..." - S. Strange, M.D.

"'M' is for many things she taught me..." - Oedipus

"I am not a crook!" - Any crook

"Were you looking for me?" - Dr. Livingstone

M.Y.T.H. INC. IN ACTION (1990)

"What am I doing here?" - Any recruit, any army

"What do you mean my characters talk funny?" - D. Runyon

"We want to make you feel at home!" - L. Borgia

"Just a little off the top!" - A. Boleyn

"Squeeze, don't jerk, the trigger" - R. Rogers

"When I travel, nobody knows me ... and I like it that way!" - S. King

"Boards don't hit back!" - B. Lee

"To Serve and Protect..." - Traditional motto of protection rackets

"It takes one to know one!" - Jack D. Ripper

"Manners are acquired, not inherited!" - S. Penn

"Now, here's my plan!" - R. Burns

"That's why the lady is a tramp!" - B. Midler

"It sure looks to me like a big night tonight!" - Arthur, Rex

"Weren't you expecting me?" - J. Rambo

"You countermanded me on whose authority?" - Pope John

"An army travels on its paperwork!" - J. Carlson

"So what's wrong with following established procedures?" - M. Gorbachev

"Ya gotta speak the language" - N. Webster

"Has anybody got a plan?" - G.A. Custer

"We must hurry... It's almost over!" - P. Fogg

"I want a rematch!" - M. Tyson

Beatles Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:13:00 +0000

I have to admit that I am, and always have been, a Beatles fanatic pretty much since hearing the first note of their music. I have to admit, also, that occasionally I forget to be a fanatic. I mean, it's been since the mid-90's since anything new and exciting came out of their camp (that would be the Anthology stuff.)

Then I read this in the last issue of Rolling Stone Magazine:

The Beatles' albums came out on CD in 1987, but fans have long complained that the early digital technology used to remaster the recordings left them sounding hollow and thin — and that the official remasters are way overdue. That's where Purple Chick comes in — a secretive fan (or group of fans) who has been quietly remastering classic discs like Revolver and A Hard Day's Night, and releasing the digital files for free online. How is this possible? The Beatles' CDs sound so bad that carefully digitized tracks from pristine vinyl copies are noticeably better — with crisper highs, a fuller soundstage, and more realistic reproduction of instruments and voices. And the Purple Chick editions are superior to the originals in other ways, too: The Sgt. Pepper collection contains the original record in mono and stereo, and four discs' worth of studio outtakes; the White Album comes in a whopping twelve-disc version, including alternate takes, studio chatter, demos and fascinating jams. So how do you get this stuff? Google is your friend: Try searching "purple chick and megaupload" to get started.

Well, I did the search and found the CDs... And I am a fanatic again. I must say these DO sounds remarkably better than the official releases. Very much so. Very very much so. So much so it revelatory.

In fact I love the sound so much more than the official CDs that I have since gone in search of the source files used to make these CDs (to eliminate one layer of copying), the Dr. Ebbett's Sound Source releases.

I own every Beatles CD, DVD, vinyl and videotape release, so I have no qualms in obtaining these until EMI sees fit to re-release their albums all remastered and decked out with bonus material (like that's ever gonna happen). Once EMI does that, I'll buy those, too. Gladly. But, until then I'll be in Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Beatles vinyl release (transferred to CD) heaven!

Mudcrutch

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:43:00 +0000

When you listen to this CD what you'll hear is the sound of an artist reinvigorated. This album is, so far, an easy pick for "the best album of 2008." Just... WOW!

For those not in the know, Mudcrutch is Tom Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band. They're the group he traveled with to California to become "rock stars." Unfortunately, that dream ended badly and the group disbanded. Two former members of Mudcrutch later became the Heartbreakers (along with two non-Mudcrutch transplanted Floridians), while the other two returned home and got on with their lives.

in 2007, for whatever reason, Tom Petty decided he wanted to record an album with Mudcrutch. So, he called up the 2 "missing" members and re-formed the band. It had only been 30 years since they last played together, what could go wrong?

What could have gone wrong is everything. What did go wrong, apparently, is nothing.

The re-formed Mudcrutch is an amazing band, much tighter and cohesive than the current Heartbreakers (with Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell the only original members left... and they're both in Mudcrutch, too). The songs that Petty wrote for the group are the best he's written since 1989. Together, that makes this the single best Petty-related project since the 1st Traveling Wilbury's album.

There is a rollicking, festive, inventive country-rock vibe running through this album that, while reminiscent of the Heartbreakers, suits Petty perfectly.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this collection of material. And, at this point, as much as it pains me to say it, it seems like time for Tom Petty to retire the Heartbreakers "brand" and stick with the re-formed Mudcrutch.

Top 10 Albums of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Well, here it is, finally. My list of favorite CD releases of 2007. Because it took so long for me to narrow the field down to these, I shall refrain to make comments about each. Suffice it to say that I'd be giving each of these glowing reviews, if I did.

My top 10 (in no particular order):

John Fogerty: Revival

Bruce Springsteen: Magic

The White Stripes: Icky Thump

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

Richard Thompson: Sweet Warrior

Steve Earle: Washington Street Serenade

Nick Lowe: At My Age

Los Lobos: The Town & The City

Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger

Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

Superhero Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:58:00 +0000

Just for fun, I made a Crossword Puzzle. The clues are all superhero secret identities. You simply fill in the spaces in the puzzle with the hero name that corresponds to the 'civilian' identity. Some are a bit tricky, with multiple known Flashes and others, and several people having appeared under several different hero names, you never know which 'civilian' identity I linked with which hero name. Bwah-ha-ha!

Find it here

Just for fun, if you want to post your results, I promise not to make too much fun of you.

EMI Distribution Center Annual Deleted Items Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:13:00 +0000

Today, I went to the annual EMI distribution center deleted items sale at the EMI warehouse in Jacksonville IL. I've gone on this journey every year since I discovered the sale's existence. This is the fourth year that I've gone. How it works is like this, they move all the pallets of returned items into an empty warehouse and then open the doors and allow everyone to dig through the boxes and pick up whatever they want at $3.00 per disc (i.e. 2-disc sets cost $6.00 but it's usually so busy at the check out counter that they only count the sets that look like they have multiple CDs as 2-disc sets).

Every year I go thinking, "I've got most of the stuff they're going to have so it'll be a waste of time." But, every year I come away with a nice new stack of new music. It seems every year they throw out tons of stuff from some artist or another that I enjoy. The first year it was an entire table packed with every Beach Boys CD (the HDCD two-fer sets) so I nabbed what I didn't already have. Last year it was the Rolling Stones turn, and this year it was David Bowie. Alas, I arrived about 10 minutes after the doors opened and that seems to have cost me one of the two "holy grails" of this year's sale... The Band: A Musical History 6-disc box set. There were only 6 or 7 available and I saw one person walking around with 2 and a second person with the rest. I curse them! I did, however, manage to nab one of the precious few Misfits box sets available. Yay me!

Let's take a look at my haul this year:

CDs

David Bowie:

"Heroes"
Let's Dance
Never Let Me Down
Young Americans
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
Hunky Dory
Pinups

(All the above are Japanese import pressings)

The Best of Bowie (single CD + DVD version)

Jethro Tull:

A Passion Play
A Little Light Music
Roots To Branches

(The 2006 remasters)

Monty Python:

The Life of Brian
The Meaning of Life

The Beach Boys:

Pet Sounds (40th Anniversary Limited Edition Collector's Edition + booklet and DVD)
The Warmth of the Sun

The Stooges:

The Weirdness

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes:

Love Their Country

Radiohead:

Airbag / How Am I Driving? (EP)

The Band:

The Best of A Musical History (single CD collection of rarities from the box set)

Ben Harper:

Both Sides of the Gun

Grand Funk Railroad:

Greatest Hits (+ DVD)

The Misfits:

Coffin Shaped Box

DVDs

Live 8
REM: When The Light is Mine (The Best of the IRS Years Video Collection)

Plus I picked up a few various and sundry CDs and DVDs to hand out as Christmas presents that I will not name in case someone on the receiving end happens to read this post. Nyah nyah!

The big surprise, for me, this year is that the place was not crammed full of CDs since between this years sale and last year's sale Tower Records shut down (and shipped all their remaining EMI stock back to EMI). Well there was and entire big section of nothing but "Tower Exclusive" CDs, but those were all cheapie best of compilations that still had Tower's $4.99 price stickers on them.

Oh, and for those wondering, certain artists are exempt from the sale (The Beatles) and any titles from those artists that slip through and wind up in the sale are confiscated at checkout.

The Apple iRack

noreply@blogger.com (Hurple) — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 04:18:00 +0000

Ingenious!