Category Archives: music

music: the Most Unwanted Song endures

Posted on 2022-07-11 by skierpage

Way back in 1977 I read a brief article in Wired magazine about artists Komar & Melamid‘s project to make the most unwanted song (and most wanted song) based on a rigorous consumer preference survey. When I got to “an … Continue reading →

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music: tracing samples and beats

Posted on 2022-05-25 by skierpage

I knew the Beastie Boy’s Paul’s Boutique is the apotheosis of sampling; now https://www.whosampled.com/Beastie-Boys/B-Boy-Bouillabaisse/samples/ lays out all 26 samples. You can also explore J Dilla’s dense samples on the site. It still feels strange to me that artists hear a … Continue reading →

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music: a return for Spinal Tap!

Posted on 2022-05-20 by skierpage

zOMG there will be a sequel to This is Spinal Tap. After 38 years, it can only be even sadder than the band’s first tour film; the original was another product of 1984, the high point of Western civilization. This … Continue reading →

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music: the B-52’s loss

Posted on 2022-05-02 by skierpage

I forgot how great the B-52’s briefly were and what an excellent album Cosmic Thing is. Beyond the smash “Love Shack” (produced by Don Was) with Cindy Wilson’s immortal “Tin roof, rusted!” are several more great songs, including the eco-optimistic … Continue reading →

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art: artists respecting artists

Posted on 2022-04-13 by skierpage

Here’s the cover of Paul McCartney’s 2013 album New: I saw it and immediately knew the cover’s designers were riffing on Dan Flavin‘s neon fluorescent tube sculptures. Dan Flavin was “an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and … Continue reading →

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music: this Bach guy is seriously good

Posted on 2021-12-14 by skierpage

In his solid interview with Sting and his long-time guitarist Dominic Cooper, Rick Beato asked “If you were able to meet one musician, go back in time and hear one musician play…” and both immediately answered Bach. So I checked … Continue reading →

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excess: own something owned by someone famous, for crazy money

Posted on 2021-11-27 by skierpage

Nile Rodgers is auctioning a bunch of guitars. I don’t think he’s selling his famous white Fender Stratocaster “the Hitmaker,” which I couldn’t afford anyway. It reminded me that I meant to blog about David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd’s) record-breaking … Continue reading →

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The rise and fall of Ovation

Posted on 2021-11-27 by skierpage

I blogged about the crazy auction prices that guitars owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour attained, particular those he’d never even used. The example I gave was a Ovation 12-string acoustic bought from the factory along with several other models, … Continue reading →

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music: The Sundays trounce Joni Mitchell

Posted on 2021-11-02 by skierpage

You dance with the lady with the hole in her stockingDidn’t it feel good?‒ Joni Mitchell Oh, you see me in a cardiganIn a dress, dress, dress that I’ve been sick onOh, how are you?Can’t say I really care at … Continue reading →

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music: Alan Tarney, solid producer

Posted on 2021-08-15 by skierpage

Leo Sayer’s “Once in a While” affected me as much as any other song. His urgent, increasingly desperate vocal stands out against the pleasant pop-rock stylings. After playing it 7 times in a row at increasing volume my landlord called: … Continue reading →

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