In this feature, we're looking at musicians who died young. First of, legendary rock drummer 'Moon the loon', Keith Moon of The Who.
Who
Keith Moon, 1946-1978, was the second drummer in The Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960's and early 70's. He joined the band in 1964 and was an important part of the 'who sound' until his death in September of 1978, where his rock 'n' roll lifestyle caught up with him at the age of 32.
During his rock star years, Moon was known as 'Moon the Loon' because of his excessive life style. Booze, pills, ladies - Keith Moon was right there in the middle of it all.
There are a ton of stories by other rock stars about Moon's pranks, fits and behaviour around. Some of the more famous ones involve him driving his expensive car into a swimming pool, running over and killing his bodyguard while fleeing skinheads, breaking countless hotel rooms and throwing his own furniture out of windows. He had a great sense of humour that he put to good use, ribbing his friends and enjoying the money he made from his work in The Who.
Unfortunately, his wild lifestyle caught up with him eventually. He died of an overdose of drugs and medication on september 6ht, 1978, 2 weeks after the release of the last album he played on, The Who's 'Who are you'. In a weird bit of trivia, he died in the same room as Mama Cass Elliott of Mamas and Papas died in, 4 years prior.
Legacy
Keith Moon was first and foremost a very enthusiastic drummer. Behind the kit on the biggest hits and best albums of The Who, he was an integral part of their sound. Musically, this is what he's best remembered for. There are other things to listen to starring Moon, but none of them reach the lofty standards of the Who's catalogue.
In 1975 he released a really bad solo album called 'Two sides of the Moon', where he and his friends played some cover songs that Moon liked. He sings on most of the album, and if this isn't a testimony to his sense of humour I don't know what is. In short, he was a terrible singer.
The album is worth having to big fans of Moon, as it's something of a curio. It stars Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Walsh of The Eagles, Dick Dale and several other rock/pop stars. Those interested should get the Deluxe Edition reissue of the album, which features a staggering 41 bonus tracks, which includes outtakes, non album singles and recordings for a proposed second LP. As a testament to his humour, he apparently wanted the original album cover to depict his bare behind ('Two sides of Moon' indeed) but MCA weren't keen on releasing an LP with that on the cover.
onsdag den 30. juli 2008
onsdag den 23. juli 2008
One hit wonders: 'I eat cannibals'
I thought I would introduce a new feature, detailing some of the wonderful one-hit wonders that often come up in music quizzes and that most people can never remember. Since this song is in my head a lot lately, here is the inaugural entry: 'I eat cannibals' by Toto Coelo.
What
Toto Coelo was a british new-wave band, featuring 5 female singers and an anonymous backing band (it was clear which part of the band should be promoted, apparently). The band-name apparently means 'Heaven-wide' in Latin. Who knew ?
Their only claim to fame was this song, which was a surprise hit upon release in 1982. It reached #8 in the UK, and #66 in the US, where the band were called Total Coelo to avoid being mistaken for west-coast soft-rockers Toto... yeah cause they sounded so similar too. Or not!
It's not hard to hear why 'I eat cannibals' was a hit. Driving rhythms, fairly good vocal harmonies and above all else, a nagging catchy chorus. Following this, the group release a couple of other singles to little fanfare, and eventually faded into obscurity.
Verdict
So is it any good ? Well, for what it is (a novelty song) it is pretty good, and as stated before, outrageously catchy. A fun reminder of what was modern at the time.
What
Toto Coelo was a british new-wave band, featuring 5 female singers and an anonymous backing band (it was clear which part of the band should be promoted, apparently). The band-name apparently means 'Heaven-wide' in Latin. Who knew ?
Their only claim to fame was this song, which was a surprise hit upon release in 1982. It reached #8 in the UK, and #66 in the US, where the band were called Total Coelo to avoid being mistaken for west-coast soft-rockers Toto... yeah cause they sounded so similar too. Or not!
It's not hard to hear why 'I eat cannibals' was a hit. Driving rhythms, fairly good vocal harmonies and above all else, a nagging catchy chorus. Following this, the group release a couple of other singles to little fanfare, and eventually faded into obscurity.
Verdict
So is it any good ? Well, for what it is (a novelty song) it is pretty good, and as stated before, outrageously catchy. A fun reminder of what was modern at the time.
Review : Fleet Foxes
Yikes I really got behind on this again! I promise to make an effort to update more often :p
For starters, here's a review of Fleet Foxes self titled debut album!
What
Folky pop-band from Seattle. Imagine the best of the early 70s folky pop-rock movement, with contemporary production. Excellent stuff. Self-titled debut album released on Sub Pop, released June 2008. The album features 11 songs, totalling 40 minutes of music.
The sound on this album is a direct continuation of the preview ep, 'Sun Giant' (also on Sub Pop). When I first heard that ep, I was very pleasantly surprised and had to make sure it was a contemporary release, and not from the mid 70s. Listening to their debut album, I find it remarkable how well Fleet Foxes capture and mix various things that made the 70s the best decade for this kind of music. There are the awesome vocal harmonies ( most prominent on tracks like 'Meadowlark', 'Blue Ridge Mountains' and 'He doesn't know why' ), there's the gently strummed acoustic guitars as well as well timed electric solos, and the strong melodies throughout. Upon listening to the album for the second time, I took a piece of paper and wrote down what bands I was reminded of. Fleetwood Mac ca. 1975... Crosby, Stills and Nash ca. 1969-1970.. The Beach Boys.. and some contemporary neo-folkies who also strive for an older sound, like Marissa Nadler and Devendra Banhart. Songs like 'Ragged Wood' make me really happy to hear, because I'm partial to multi-layered vocal harmonies and acoustic-guitar driven melodies. If not for the slightly different vocals, it could almost have been a Beach Boys song.
Some of the songs are quiet, and some ( like the super 'Quiet houses' ) are a bit more up-beat, but the album never drags or gets repetitive. There is some strong song-writing on exhibit here, and it is to Fleet Foxes' credit that they have released an album of entirely new material which both sounds fresh and reminds of a particular period in popular music. According to the info in the booklet, all the songs were written by Robin Pecknold. If that is the case, he has a strong ear for melody and I can hardly wait to hear how Fleet Foxes are going to follow up this great album.
My Take
Fans of this kind of music will not be disappointed by this, as it's likely to remind people who like 70s pop of their favourites.
I give this album a very solid ********* out of 10, and I can recommend getting both this and the 'Sun Giant' ep (which has 5 exclusive songs).
Best and worst
The best songs are 'Ragged Wood' and 'Quiet houses', but the whole album is pretty darn good, and as such there is no worst on this album. If I were to make one complaint, it is that the album could have used a song or two more. But that's a very minor complaint. Thoroughly enjoyable!
For starters, here's a review of Fleet Foxes self titled debut album!
What
Folky pop-band from Seattle. Imagine the best of the early 70s folky pop-rock movement, with contemporary production. Excellent stuff. Self-titled debut album released on Sub Pop, released June 2008. The album features 11 songs, totalling 40 minutes of music.
The sound on this album is a direct continuation of the preview ep, 'Sun Giant' (also on Sub Pop). When I first heard that ep, I was very pleasantly surprised and had to make sure it was a contemporary release, and not from the mid 70s. Listening to their debut album, I find it remarkable how well Fleet Foxes capture and mix various things that made the 70s the best decade for this kind of music. There are the awesome vocal harmonies ( most prominent on tracks like 'Meadowlark', 'Blue Ridge Mountains' and 'He doesn't know why' ), there's the gently strummed acoustic guitars as well as well timed electric solos, and the strong melodies throughout. Upon listening to the album for the second time, I took a piece of paper and wrote down what bands I was reminded of. Fleetwood Mac ca. 1975... Crosby, Stills and Nash ca. 1969-1970.. The Beach Boys.. and some contemporary neo-folkies who also strive for an older sound, like Marissa Nadler and Devendra Banhart. Songs like 'Ragged Wood' make me really happy to hear, because I'm partial to multi-layered vocal harmonies and acoustic-guitar driven melodies. If not for the slightly different vocals, it could almost have been a Beach Boys song.
Some of the songs are quiet, and some ( like the super 'Quiet houses' ) are a bit more up-beat, but the album never drags or gets repetitive. There is some strong song-writing on exhibit here, and it is to Fleet Foxes' credit that they have released an album of entirely new material which both sounds fresh and reminds of a particular period in popular music. According to the info in the booklet, all the songs were written by Robin Pecknold. If that is the case, he has a strong ear for melody and I can hardly wait to hear how Fleet Foxes are going to follow up this great album.
My Take
Fans of this kind of music will not be disappointed by this, as it's likely to remind people who like 70s pop of their favourites.
I give this album a very solid ********* out of 10, and I can recommend getting both this and the 'Sun Giant' ep (which has 5 exclusive songs).
Best and worst
The best songs are 'Ragged Wood' and 'Quiet houses', but the whole album is pretty darn good, and as such there is no worst on this album. If I were to make one complaint, it is that the album could have used a song or two more. But that's a very minor complaint. Thoroughly enjoyable!
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