VSQ’s tribute to 30 Seconds to Mars’ “This Is War” reinterprets the first come back single from the band known to blend guitar driven angst and progressive rhythm. These lush string arrangements highlight the fierce melodies and keep the raw emotion intact.
Growing up with a father that has good taste, I was exposed to many incredible musical samplings throughout my childhood. From Sam Cooke to Cat Stevens, I can thank my dad for whetting my musical pallet. Until recently, one of these childhood memories had been almost forgotten. Last week digging deep into my musical collection for some much needed inspiration, I played “Like a Rolling Stone,” in an attempt to fuel some creative writing juices…and that was just the beginning. This classic tune could not help but follow by the Jester’s entire collection of folksy, bluesy, jazzy, rock and roll. Until that moment, I had forgotten how much I love Bob Dylan.
Exposure to the myriad award winning song-writing genius may be one of the greatest lessons that my father has taught me. You see Dylan is not just musical talent, but an interesting human specimen as well. The controversial Bob Dylan has been making waves in the music industry for fifty years, beginning his career as a folk singing civil rights poster-child. At the height of his career, Dylan began to feel confined by the labels his fellow musicians and avid fans were placing on him and he angered them all with a switch from unplugged folks songs to electric rock riffs, welcoming the backlash.
What makes his sound so much better than others, is not only are Dylan’s lyrics perfect poetry, but his approach to his art is something to be admired as well. While critics have gone from labeling him as an “undernourished cockatoo” to calling his infamous “Like a Rolling Stone,” the greatest rock song of all time, he has embraced none of it. No matter the type of attention Bob Dylan has received via his musical contributions or confrontational personality, he cares about one thing. Simply making some music.
Maybe this is why his lyrics are more melodic when they are read than when he actually sings them, because it is not the sound that he is after, but the experience. Dylan has been touring since the 80s, and every time he belts out a tune what is heard is an extension of his current creative energy. His output is true artistic expression, and not a bottled-up watered-down melody for the masses. When I play my Bob Dylan collection, which is much more often now, I am not just listening to some killer classic tunes, but I am exposing myself to a complex collage of artistic obsession.
Recommended Listening:
The String Quartet Tribute to Bob Dylan
In his recent interview with Rolling Stone, Billy Corgin revealed a lot of interesting tidbits. In one snippet, he claims that the days have been rough on him, even claiming at one point that he’d “wake up every morning for a while and think, ‘Go eat breakfast, or go kill yourself.’”
When his ex-bandmates came up, Billy spoke briefly on the most recent departure of Jimmy Chamberlin, noting that he fired him. He even notes his original thoughts on the band’s personnel, saying “Rather than break up the band, what I should have done is chuck James [Iha] out. I should have just said to Jimmy [Chamberlin], ‘You go to rehab, and we’ll continue, and James, get the fuck out of here.’ Instead, I fell on my sword for James, for what I thought was a friend.”
In another except, the front man talks about his relevance in today’s music world. “Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do,” he says. “I’ve been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong.”
Finally, Billy responds to the rumors that he’s dating Jessica Simpson. “If I go, ‘Oh, we’re just friends,’ then it’s like, ‘Did they go out, did he dump her or she dump him, what happened?’” he says. “It has nothing to do with any of that. Sometimes people just like being around each other, and good things come out of that. My goal in life is to love whoever I think is worth loving, and I think if people knew her like I knew her, they would love her like I do. It’s really simple.”
The new issue is out now, check it out to see more of Billy’s thoughts as he continues to put out his 44 song project.
September 24, 1991 was a day that most couldn’t pinpoint unless they looked online, but it would change the entire music industry for seemingly the last time because never again would a band have such a defining impact on the whole world. It was the day the Nirvana released “Nevermind”, and while the majority of the world wouldn’t really catch on to its brilliance for a couple months, when it finally did there was no shortage of madness.
Everyone knows this album and maybe it’s been a bit since you’ve heard it, but it’s time to take a listen to remember the overall angst that we all felt in the flux that was the 90’s. VSQ’s tribute to “Nevermind” will be released soon, so keep an eye on this blog for more information about it. But what was it that made this record worthy of a Masters Series Tribute?
Nirvana’s Nevermind played such a key part in altering the musical landscape and creating the world we have today where the industry is dying, the line of indie and major label has begun to dim, and everyone has a home recording studio. This record not only pulled the mainstream away from the hair band, cock rock music of the 1980’s, but it pushed the attitude of the 90’s. In some terms, it gave a voice to the slacker, the misfit, the anti-social, the outcast, and the punk, while infecting everyone with the pop sensibilities hidden behind Kurt Cobain’s ragged look. This album was a perfect storm in a way, because everything in the industry and in the world seemed to be in just the right place for Nevermind to achieve ultimate success.
Attitude and grunge fashion aside, Nevermind blew up not just because it was something different, something new, something approachable yet designed to keep the unworthy away like a rabid raccoon. Simply put, it’s because this album has some of the best songwriting in the last 30 years. There are very few albums that are solid all the way through, and Nevermind is at the top of that list. From the first notes of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to the orchestrated destruction of the hidden song “Endless Nameless,” this album never pulls any punches and keeps prodding the conservatives that Cobain despised. Though in the end, even the people he hated couldn’t get enough of Cobain’s music because it was just that good.
Looking at the construction of Nevermind helps one understand the album a bit more. Cobain was completely focused on getting the music right first before bothering with the lyrics. In fact, he was writing them up to the moment before singing them. His guitar tone was revolutionary to most listeners and countless bands after him would attempt to match or surpass his sound. And the rhythm section of the band was a force to be reckoned with as well, with the booming bass of Krist Novoselic and the relentless drumming of Dave Grohl. Each song seems to go a bit further than the last, which seems hard to do with such a huge song like the opener, which became everyone’s favorite song.
“In Bloom,” the second song on the album, was another huge single for the band, as was the following track “Come As You Are”. Both tracks were starkly different, but played with the quiet/loud dynamic that became the band’s trademark through many songs. This technique made the chorus hit that much harder in contrast to the quiet verses. The next track “Breed” continued a lot of word play that Cobain loved and featured some huge drums from Grohl. “Lithium” was probably the second biggest single off the album and was probably the best representation of the quiet/loud technique overall. “Polly” was a nice interlude featuring acoustic guitar and creepy lyrics about a kidnap victim. “Territorial Pissings” is a barn burner all the way through, leading up to the amazing “Drain You” which features a scream from Cobain that could have defined his generation. The next three songs are even more great pop masterpieces, “Lounge Act”, “Stay Away”, and “On a Plain”. The album slows it down one more time for the somber “Something in the Way”, that harkens back to Cobain’s shambled town of Aberdeen, WA. And finally, the album crescendos in the destructive, madcap “Endless Nameless” that features a good amount of destruction that would be a signature of Nirvana’s live show.
File this under “Things That Will Likely Never, Ever Happen but Would Be Kinda Awesome If They Did”: Roger Daltrey and Jimmy Page doing a blues album together. Maybe I’m being too negative. Maybe it will happen. It will if Roger Daltrey has his way about it; the front man for The Who has put the word out that this is something he’d love to do.
“I’d love to do an album with Jimmy Page. He needs a singer to drive him. I’m a great blues singer,” Daltrey told BBC 6Music. “I don’t sing the blues with the Who, but that’s what I used to be before Townshend started writing. I used to be a great blues singer.”
You can’t really hate on Daltrey for looking elsewhere for musical companionship; bandmate Pete Townshend’s well-known, ongoing issues with tinnitus have put the Who on indefinite hold as far as recording and touring. And Daltrey, who is still energetic and spry (trust this; I saw the Who just a couple of years ago and Roger Daltrey was bouncing around like a 21-year-old, with a pretty ripped body to match), is apparently looking for a new project to keep him occupied.
If Daltrey and the Led Zeppelin guitarist were to collaborate, they would just be the latest in a long line of super groups and dynamic duos, a trend that seems (for who-knows-what reason) to be prevalent among more seasoned musical veterans. For example, Page’s Led Zeppelin bandmate Robert Plant released an album called Rising Sand with Alison Krauss, to heaps of critical acclaim.
But until Jimmy Page responds to the invitation, Roger Daltrey has enough lined up for now: The Who has one scheduled show on March 30th, a cancer benefit at London’s Royal Albert Hall (where they are going to play Quadrophenia in its entirety, by the way), and this while in the middle of a much-anticipated tour with Eric Clapton, which started February 25th, 2010 in Pittsburgh. Take it easy, old man.
For more than thirty-five years the Australian born rock band, AC/DC, has been exploding sound across the billboard charts and prompting spontaneous fist pumping across the globe. They are one of the most successful bands of all time and may arguably rule the world when it comes to rock and roll. VH1 ranked them 4th on their list of “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock,” and MTV called them the 7th “Greatest Rock Band of All Time,” but why do these middle-aged rockers deserve such repute?
In his book, Why AC/DC Matters, famed rock author Anthony Bozza writes several convincing reasons these boys should be remembered above the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles. Bozza attests that not only is AC/DC’s sound more “primal and fundamental” than the rest, but the band has one of the most consistent musical careers in history.
This consistency is even despite the various changes in their line-up since the group’s inception in 1973. In fact, on the eve of recording their album Back in Black, their lead singer, Bon Scott, died from alcohol poisoning. The rest of the crew considered a break-up, but opted to hire singer Brian Johnson instead. Johnson was able to keep the current flowing, and even with a new voice behind the lyrics, Back in Black became AC/DC’s best selling album of all time.
Since 1991 AC/DC has outsold Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones, and has placed second only to the Beatles. Back in Black is the 5th best selling album in US history, and while this may have a lot to do with what Bozza calls the “magnetism of the back beat,” I think the core of why AC/DC rules the world of rock is that their success was not a result of hyped media promotion, but the creation of a true fan base that these boys seduced all on their own.
The music critics and media outlets have never truly given the band the acclaim they deserved, but our ears heard their music loud and clear. The truth is, as evidenced by a career almost four decades long and history-making record sales, when it comes right down to it, almost every music lover on the planet wants to shout along and pump their fist to “You Shook me all Night Long,” simply because we like it, and not because Rolling Stone magazine told us to.
Fans of Soundgarden have had to suffer for the last 13 years from the effect of Chris Cornell’s ego. How many solo albums and side projects can a man do until he realizes that he made a grievous error and gets back to what he’s best at? Seven… Seven albums either solo (including a cringe-worthy last effort with producer Timbaland), or with Audioslave (a band all of us were hesitant to accept, yet didn’t have a choice with the oversaturation of “Like A Stone” and four other singles on the radio ALL DAY LONG).
So where does that leave Soundgarden? Well, it seems after 13 years, they’re returning to the stage this summer at various festivals. To celebrate the amazing music that Soundgarden left the world to ponder over during their hiatus, Vitamin String Quartet is releasing “VSQ Performs Soundgarden” soon.
With classic grunge anthems like “Black Hole Sun” (that video still creeps me out), “Spoon Man”, “Fell on Black Days”, “Pretty Noose”, and “Burden in My Hand”, Soundgarden was a force to be reckoned with in the 1990’s. Featuring Cornell’s made for rock, belting vocals, Soundgarden achieved its most success with the album “Superunknown” from the ridiculously amazing year of music that was 1994. While many modern bands have cited Soundgarden as an influence, many fans were ashamed to mention their loyalty as Cornell pumped out a steady flow of unworthy “hits” until coming to his senses recently, but that’s no reason to take away how talented this band once was (hopefully still is). With searing guitar solos, very solid melodies, and that bad ass Cornell yell, what wasn’t to love?
I will say I am a bit worried though about these unannounced shows that are said to happen starting this summer, does Cornell still have the voice? I’ve heard many people who have seen him live in the last five or so years say he lost it, he can’t hit those notes anymore, he’s like Axl Rose post-2000. Let’s hope they were wrong or that he’s saving the best for his old standby. Come on Spoon Man, save me.
It’s not very often that the music consumers of the world have a moment of collective interest in the world of real estate. But there are certain pieces of property that embody something so sentimental and influential to the history of music that its fate will likely always be of some interest to anyone who has been influenced by that place in some way.
Okay, now you’re wondering where I’m going with this.
Today’s example: Abbey Road recording studios. Word leaked to Reuters last week that amid financial hardships, music company EMI has been in talks with interested parties about possibly selling the studios where the eponymous Beatles album was recorded. And since there is hardly a breathing soul on this planet who hasn’t been touched by that album, any news of the infamous recording studio is, well, news. When the rumors started going around about the possible sale, people were kind of pissed.
Well, according to EMI, we can take a big chill pill because they’re not selling. At least, not right now. But the company is singin’ the need-mo’-money blues. According to a statement the company just released, EMI is “holding preliminary discussions for the revitalization of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties.” Instead of selling it to parties unknown (and how are we supposed to trust that they would give Abbey Road the love and respect it deserves? Okay, I’ll calm down), EMI is looking into giving the place a fortifying facelift.
The bummer here is that this could just be a stepping stone to selling; going through the architectural preservation process makes it a lot harder for a future owner to do anything drastic to the site.
The lesson here? Start buying music again so that EMI isn’t forced to sell Abbey Road to someone who is going to turn it into a strip mall (okay, that’s worst case, but you never know. Better not take any chances).
There’s pretty much no achievement of rock and roll that’s as esteemed and celebrated as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s basically the Holy Grail, at least, by some people’s standards. And every year, the music players and fans around the world wait to hear which bands or individuals made the cut. This year’s inductees include: iconic punk band, the Stooges, prog pillars Genesis, reggae’s Jimmy Cliff, the Hollies and the glitter gods of my dreams, Abba. Talk about your musical pu pu platter.
Maybe I can only speak for myself here, but whenever RRHF induction time comes around, I’m almost as excited to hear who will be presenting and performing as I am to know who’s getting the golden ticket. In 2010, New York’s Waldorf-Astoria will be graced by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Wyclef Jean and the E Street Band’s Steven Van Zandt, all of whom will be there to introduce and honor the inductees. And provide a little aural entertainment, naturally. I’ve got my fingers super crossed for Iggy Pop to join all of the aforementioned artists for a superstar power jam. I’m just sayin’.
Given how the world of rock and roll is frequently littered with bouts of drug addiction, legal woes, creative differences, getting on and off of wagons and just generally unpleasant nonsense, it’s always a lovely breath of fresh air when the music industry can collectively shake off their icky baggage for one night and come together in celebration of the accomplishments of their peers and, if they’re very lucky, themselves.
Man, that sounds like a cheesy inspirational speech. But what the hell…it’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you can’t be acceptably cheesy about this, then I don’t know what to think about the world anymore.
You know how some celebrities are so far beyond the normal box that thinking about them doing everyday things in everyday environments seems kinda wrong? Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne has always been like that for me. Like, imagining him waking up in a normal house and walking down his normal hall and taking a normal poo in a normal bathroom just doesn’t work for me. As it turns out, I was right; Wayne Coyne doesn’t even poo like a regular person.
It shouldn’t be surprising that any visual endeavor instigated by Mr. Coyne and his equally creative wife, Michelle, would be balls-out ridiculous and surrealistically perfect. Add in an architecture firm that “approaches architecture as a form of art, creating built forms and spaces that both inspire and serve as meaningful places of purpose” and you’ve got an instant Kubrickian space-dream win. With components described in architectural sketches as “bath pod,” “fountain egg,” and “dragon mosaic body fabric wings,” it’s oddly comforting to know that the Flaming Lips’ frontman is as left-of-center in his home life as he is onstage.
Images by Joseph Mills
Dispatches from string quartet world headquarters. Daily musings, music news and other cool stuff that inspires VSQ.
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