Monday, October 22, 2007

Guitars vs. Women

Spotted this brilliant list on a random blog:

  • Guitars don’t get pregnant.
  • You can play your guitar any time of the month.
  • Guitars don’t have parents.
  • Guitars don’t whine… unless you want them to.
  • You can share your guitar with your friends.
  • Guitars don’t care how many other guitars you’ve played
  • Guitars don’t care how many other guitars you have.
  • Guitars don’t care if you look at other guitars.
  • Guitars don’t care if you buy guitar magazines.
  • You’ll never hear, “Surprise, you are going to proud father of a new guitar!” unless you go out to buy one yourself.
  • If your guitar is flat you can fix it.
  • Your guitar doesn’t care if you never listen to it.
  • Your guitar won’t care if you leave up the toilet seat.
  • You don’t have to be jealous of the guy who works on your guitar.
  • If you say bad things to your guitar, you don’t have to apologize before you play it again.
  • You can play your guitar as long as you want and it won’t get sore.
  • You can stop playing your guitar as soon as you want and it won’t get frustrated.
  • Your parents won’t remain in touch with your old guitar after you dump it.
  • Guitars don’t get headaches.
  • Guitars don’t insult you if you’re a bad player.
  • Your guitar never wants a night out with the other guitars.
  • Guitars don’t care if you’re late.
  • You don’t have to take a shower before you play your guitar.
  • If your guitar doesn’t look good you can refinish it or get new parts.
  • You can play your guitar the first time you meet it, without having to take it to dinner, see a movie, or meet its mother.
  • The only protection you have to wear when playing your guitar is a decent thumb pick.
  • When in mixed company, you can talk about what a great time you had the last time you played your guitar.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Great Ayton



I took this picture at Great Ayton shortly before I took the one of Roseberry Topping. It was a really nice day to be in the countryside. I often find it really difficult to believe that places like this are on my doorstep. Stockton is such a different place. I honestly can't wait to escape living in urban areas and I will be living somewhere like this as soon as I can afford it.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

Free Music

There is an ever growing number of bands who are giving their music away in one form or another. In the last few months Prince, Radiohead and more recently Ray Davies and Ocean Colour Scene have given away lots of music that would normally sell for millions.

Various blogs have interpreted this behavior in different ways.

Many see the move as a fad, an effort by has been artists to get more attention than they otherwise would. While this is accurate I don't feel it to be the whole story. For one thing Radiohead aren't really has-beens, while not my cup of tea it is clear to see they are massive.

A particularly good opinion piece offered by Seth Godin, a bestselling marketing guru, describes the move by the big name artists as the second stage in the overall revolution.

Most industries innovate from both ends:
  • The outsiders go first because they have nothing to lose.
  • The winners go next because they can afford to and they want to stay winners.
  • It's the mediocre middle that sits and waits and watches.

In this situation the outsiders are the small and unsigned bands who have been giving away music on garageband.com for years. Now the winners are moving in to share in the success. The final step is for everyone else to jump aboard and the record industry is revolutionised.

I we are a long way off reaching that stage because there is a crutial element still missing: Marketing for the "Mediocre Middle". There are no methods at present that substitute for the big lables. Without the big lables radio would never know what to play and new bands would have trouble gaining traction or the money to fund records.

Once the media adapts to the new world, where they have to find the stories and music instead of waiting for some record company rep to call them, there will be no need to pay for downloads. Bands can get the money they need for hosting and production from gigs. Madonna has realised that she no longer needs a record company to fund records. A concert promoter can foot the initial bill and, since she is who she is, the promotion takes care of itself.

On a side note, the record industry must now move to non DRM downloads. This new front in the music industry will take some fighting/resisiting and if they are still trying to push crap products they have no hope.

Just in case you haven't heard any of prince's latest output here is one of the better tracts from "Planet Earth":


If you can't see the player <a href='http://www.dur.ac.uk/michael.smith/blog/music.html'>Click Here</a> to listen to the song.
- from Squeeze-box Blog.

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Saturday, October 13, 2007

Orson - Push the Button




Another classic cover version here, this time from Orson. I first heard this when it was first performed on the Live Lounge and I loved it immediately. It really appeals to me hearing a Rock/Pop band covering a pop girl band in a rock-a-billy fashion. This song is take from the Live Lounge album release earlier this year. I think the album leaves things to be desired overall but again has some really good covers. In particular Love Machine by the Arctic Monkeys.

Orson have a new album out soon which I am looking forward too. Their last album was very strong, not a song I can't listen to in the bunch.



If you can't see the player <a href='http://www.dur.ac.uk/michael.smith/blog/music.html'>Click Here</a> to listen to the song.
- from Squeeze-box Blog.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Roseberry Topping


My parents visited me this weekend and we had a very pleasant afternoon visiting some very pretty North Yorkshire towns leaving me feel all the more discontented in Stockton!

Roseberry topping dominates the skyline on Teesside, clearly identifiable amongst the Cleveland hills by it's distinctive summit. This photo was taken from the National Trust car park near the bottom of the mountain. I aim to climb it before Christmas but I've been saying that all the time I've lived on Teesside so I'm not optimistic I will make that aim.

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Sunday, October 07, 2007

Foo Fighters - Band on the Run

I've always been a fan of good song covers. For me the cover must add something new, either significantly improved production or a whole new spin on the original.

This cover by the Foo's from the "Radio 1 Est. 1967" collection takes the Wings song and adds a new spin. It stays close to the original to begin with but adds the Foo's trademark neat grunge effect to the speedier parts of the song. Personally I think it's a really good cover but I like the original and the Foo's so I'm clearly biased. Have a listen to see what you think.

The full album has some good covers but most are carbon copies of the original which I see as pointless.


If you can't see the player <a href='http://www.dur.ac.uk/michael.smith/blog/music.html'>Click Here</a> to listen to the song.
- from Squeeze-box Blog.


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