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Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Sturgill Simpson - Mercury in Retrograde
Sometimes a set of lyrics start feeling like they apply to yourself in some humorous ways.
“I got a haircut in Norway,
When all the weight started pulling me down.
Smelling like a waterlogged wet dog,
Ain't no way to travel.”
This is the opening lyrics to Sturgill Simpson song “Mercury in Retrograde.” The second last song on his album “Sound and Fury.” I listen to this song a lot, it has a groove to it that actual makes me want to move, not dance, never dance, but sway to the sound, and only a handful of songs have ever had that sort of affect on me.
As I write this paragraph, I have been in Norway eleven days. I have not gotten a hair cut, I got one of those before I left Canada, so that first line does not apply to my situation but the rest a little more so. In my time, many wonderful things have been seen, experienced, and done. The people are great, the sights are great, and everything is great. In addition to everything being great, I also experienced the storm they named “Hans.” Apparently, they name their storms here when they get bad enough. Hans prevented me from visiting Trondhiem, but it also soaked me bad a couple of times. Now on day eleven, I have not been able to do laundry, because I cannot get registered with the app on my phone because they are not sending me the text message to my Canadian phone to get setup. The lack of clean clothes is a problem that is sure to only escalate if I cannot resolve it soon.
Last night, walking around town looking for a karaoke bar to sing at, as I like to do, “Mercury in Retrograde” played on random on my phone. “Smelling like a waterlogged wet dog, ain’t no way to travel.” I laughed at myself, yeah, I am getting to that point.
I hope you enjoyed this largely unimportant anecdote.
Since “Sound and Fury” was probably my favorite album of 2019, and I talked about it at length before. An album as great as “Sound and Fury” lasts in a playlist. Like an evolving organism, the songs of “Sound and Fury” have shifted in mind and ears, changing which songs I appreciate uppermost. I stand by the subject feeling that “Make Art Not Friends” is my favorite song from the album. That song however was the perfect song for COVID, because we could not go out and live. Now, in 2023, in Europe, I have reembraced my surprising talent for making friends. I am definitely all about making friends. So, the upbeat rhythm and lyrics of enduring the dark sides of musical success, just makes me feel like a million bucks. Also, apparently, I am top tier at making friends. A talent my shy, socially incompetent, dumbass, in theory should not have been able to posses, but evidently, I do. Making friends constantly everywhere I go, also makes me feel like a million bucks.
So in that moment in Oslo, Norway, walking the streets at night, slightly drunk, with “Mercury in Retrograde” in my ears, feeling like a million bucks twice over, maybe even three times over, I am a happy drunk, and feeling like a waterlogged wet dog from surviving “The Hans” and my clothes rapidly becoming too unclean to wear, well it felt like a perfectly good moment to blather about to the Internet, and by extension the entire world.
And here we are.
In truth “Mercury In Retrograde” is not a happy song, at least not in lyrical content, but it is one of those songs, that takes very sad subject matter and makes it happy with fun tempo and sound. A lot of “Sound and Fury” is about Simpson’s disenfranchisement with the corporate side of his music career, and questioning those who are there to leech off of, or manipulate, or ruin what he is trying to do creatively. Remember, “Make Art Not Friends.” But to me, there is something so empowering and uplighting about joyfully singing something like;
“Oh the road to Hell is paved with cruel intention,
If it's not nuclear war,
It's gonna be a divine intervention.”
Somehow, I resisted the urge in Norway to sing that out loud in the streets at night. Good thing too, that is considered crazy in Canada, the reserved Norwegians would be very unimpressed, I am sure. That does not mean, I was not tempted.
Anyway, thanks for listening. It is time for the King of Braves to return to form.
- King of Braves
Friday, April 7, 2023
Avantasia - The Moonflower Society
It has been years, but I am stilling riding high from the two times I went to Germany to see Avantasia. Hamburg, Germany, is a fun city, I highly recommend visiting.
Avantasia is my band. It is the only band I have talked about, every single album they have on this blog. Last year, Avantasia unleased their ninth studio album “A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society.” I am not going to lie; I am a little surprised the momentum behind the super group has lasted nine albums now. I have always assumed that a serious amount of time and effort went into each Avantasia album, because how could it be any different? There are so many vocalists, presumably with different schedules, and there are always additional guest singers and other musicians, and several songs are always over eight minutes and all the songs are complicated. I guess what I am trying to say is, I am impressed with Tobias and friends output. I was impressed from the beginning, so things are working out great as far as I am concerned.
There were moments when I was unsure what more I could say about Avantasia, but thankfully Sammet’s choice of song writing is happily perfectly in tune with my personal tastes, so I always have something positive remark to add. This time around, I am very fond the of the principal track, or not quite title tack, “The Moonflower Society.”
Sometimes a song needs no assistance becoming forever memorable in my mind. I really like “The Moonflower Society” the song as it stands alone, but I am also very fond of the music video. I do not believe Sammet ever tells us the actual story behind his metal operas, which I both respect and enjoy. I respect the “show don’t tell” approach to story telling, and when this is done, it allows myself, and others, to use our own observations and imaginations to piece together the story only show, and never told. With the new soft animated visuals, my imagination has been perked a little more, but more so, I think I might be understanding the story a little better than before? Maybe?
In “The Moonflower Society” we meet all of the society I believe, and a good amount of imagination went into each one, each entity is only partially human at best, but all seem to be good natured if not keeping a distance of sorts. The main Sammet like skeleton in a top hat and suit is strongly hinted to be the protagonist himself but from another time, or magic, or something, in the “Kill the Pain Away.”
“Kill the Pain Away” is probably my second favorite song from Avantasia’s newest album, but for now “The Moonflower Society” has Bob Catley and I freaking love that guy. Who knows how my opinion might shift in the years to come. “Kill the Pain Away” just feature Floor Jansen, and I freaking love her. Those two songs are my front runners.
Kill The Pain Away:
So, I like it a lot, song, video, and album.
I have been to Europe twice, and both times I made it an issue to see Avantasia live. I think it is important to have life goals, so I am just waiting for Avantasia to be a major dark of Wacken, or come to Toronto (I can’t imagine they would come to Calgary), or perhaps catch them again on a tour through Europe, visit some metal loving countries I have not been too yet. I am looking at you Sweden. The point is, I feel committed. Tobias Sammet is my guy and his bands Edguy and Avantasia are my jam, it pleases me to see great music continue to be created by him.
- King of Braves
Friday, March 17, 2023
Edguy - Judas at the Opera
I am still riding pretty high from that Jericho Cruise, so how about a wild tangent off of that.
It should be safe to say that “Judas” is Fozzy’s most popular song, Jericho has been using it as his entrance music for a few years now. At some point, I was talking to somebody about this song, and/or other Fozzy/Jericho related items, and when the focus of the conversation landed on “Judas” I brought up my favorite song that includes that name. Despite my deep love of Jesus Christ Superstar and Carl Anderson my favorite song to include the name Judas is easily Edguy’s “Judas at the Opera.”
If memory serves me correctly, and it might not, but as I remember it, after seeing Avantasia in Berlin, and hanging out with two fine Swedish gentlemen, a Dutch gentleman, and an American punk rocker babe, all four agreed that their favorite Edguy song was “Judas at the Opera” I was the lone individual to pick “New Age Messiah.” I stand by my answer, I freaking love “New Age Messiah,” however, every fiber of my being also loves “Judas at the Opera.”
If additional memory serves me correctly, both “Judas at the Opera” and “New Age Messiah” both were never present on any Edguy studio album. Rather both appeared on the compilation album “The Singles.” I double checked just now, and I appear to be correct. When I first started getting into Edguy, I bought the CD of “The Singles” immediately, so my mind often forgets exactly how these songs were released to the public pre-internet.
In many ways, I suspect, that “Judas at the Opera” is a very Edguy song, as in, Edguy’s style, theme, and presentation are well personified here and now in “Judas at the Opera.” By extension and relation, “Judas at the Opera” is also a very Tobias Sammet song. My main man Sammet, is in addition to being my favorite song writer of our generation, is also a smartass. Several Edguy songs have a sense of humour to them, which for me land most of the time. Those Germans are known for having a stiff, and noticeably different sense of humour compared to Western European, and by extension all other Western cultures. Sammet even jokes about his attempts at being a German bloke making a joke in the hilarious song “England.” So, like many Germans, Sammet is self aware. The humour in “Judas at the Opera” is present, but I hardly pay any attention to it, so wrapped up in the hard rock that it deliveries. To be fair, Sammet’s smartass nature runs parallel to my own, so forget our insignificant cultural differences, I think this German bloke is hilarious.
Case in point, the chorus contains a “French fry” metaphor, and I am mostly confident it is a joke. It never gets a laugh at me, but it does get a smirk out of me every time.
“Forever french-frying,
You'd love to see me dying.
Who's let the peacock in,
To rock the house-Opera house?
You want me french-fried and,
You'd love to see me fired and,
Then kill Judas in the Opera house,
Opera house.”
I am smirking even now, typing this out.
The peacock metaphor could also be a joke. It this an actual bird we are talking about, or are we comparing this “Judas” to a show bird? I may never know. It is a weird and highly specific thing to try to google.
It is unlike me, but I never paid much attention to the lyrics of “Judas at the Opera.” Like most cases, I had been singing multiple points incorrectly for years, and only upon this recent revelation do I now know better. Long story somewhat short, the “Judas” in question, may or may not be a person, and the crowd may or may not be engaging in cannibalism. Which is actually a lot to unpack potentially, but for me, I enjoy the rock beat and rhythm on “Judas at the Opera” that I am largely unconcerned either way. And regardless of whatever “Judas at the Opera” is accurately about, it continues to rock the house and be one of the most enjoyable Edguy songs ever.
I certainly understand why those four other Avantasia fans in Berlin picked “Judas at the Opera” as their favorite. There are so many good reasons to feel that way, and I also just talked myself into agreeing with them.
- King of Braves
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Quiet Riot - Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
Ah, Quiet Riot. Highly rememberable hard rock band of the eighties. The band that introduced Randy Rhoads to the world. Still touring with zero original members. Somehow still in existence.
I saw Quiet Riot live on the 2023 Jericho Cruise. We could debate whether or not the four gentlemen who performed on the 2023 Jericho Cruise, should call themselves Quiet Riot, but whatever, “names.” The four gentlemen claiming to represent Quiet Riot on that ship, were damn good at playing all the Quiet Riot songs I remember, and I had fun. So, no compliments on my end.
The Quiet Riot songs I remember…. well I might as well be honest, like most people I only meaningfully remember two Quiet Riot songs, “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” and “Cum on Feel the Noise.” The later of which is a Slade cover, and even though Quiet Riot’s version is probably more famous, it is still a cover, so arguably, I am like most people in that I only meaningfully remember one Quiet Riot song, “Metal Health.”
While I battle the endless war against personal ignorance, I wonder sometimes if casual fans, like myself, remember Quiet Riot as principally important as they are because of their early significance. To be fair to myself, I was not yet born when Quiet Riot began. I had to check the dates, but by the time 1983’s “Metal Health” was released about half a year before my birth, and by that time Randy Rhodes, the only member of the band I ever memorized the name of was already gone. The historical significance of Quiet Riot is important, if for no other reason than, they were the first hard rock, or metal, band to find themselves on the charts. Other then Ozzy Osbourne, it is hard to remember anything metal gaining much in the way of commercial success, ever really.
The eighties hair metal scene blew up after Quiet Riot and it is fair to say they were instrumental in that cultural shift. Casual fans like me remember Quiet Riot for that more than anything. Which is likely why, someone like me is equal part impressed and amused, with everything that happened thereafter. Even now, I am pondering, “did I really see Quiet Riot on the Jericho Cruise, or did I just see one of the most dedicated and talented cover acts of all time.” I am not going to argue or challenge the legal, or artistic continued use of the band name, I am sure that is all good and right, but I still find it amusing that literally zero members of the original Quiet Riot are still present. Like are they still Quiet Riot anymore? I am not sure I care enough to protest, nor am I fully confident that is a fair criticism.
There are other Quiet Riot hits for me to listen to, and appreciate more, and seeing two shows live on a cruise ship is certainly strong motivation. However, I still need to find the time to slip those listen hours into what is already a packed playlist. I promised that guy in the gym I was going to listen to Dream Theatre’s first two albums, and I mean to. Priorities you know. In the in between time I see no reason not to celebrate what I already know and love, and like most people I love “Metal Health.”
The concept of the rock anthem songs, you know what I mean, rock songs that are mostly about being rock songs, can be uninspired and uninteresting sometimes. This is always a gamble when making something as generic as a song about partying and rocking out, however Quiet Riot are different with their song “Metal Health” for a few reasons. First of all, this is metal not rock, and while the distinction blurs infinitely, as all genres do, there is a difference to be noted, and especially for “Metal Health,” for it is among the first metal anthem songs to ever exist and almost certainly the first famous one. Also, “Metal Health” avoids being generic or typical, by being “Metal Health.” In the event I am being too cheeky, “Metal Health” is simply too good of a song to ever have an ordinary fate.
I got to hear Quiet Riot perform “Metal Health” twice on the cruise ship. The first time was the closer for their first show on the first night, Chris Jericho sang with them, and it was great. The second time was less exciting but I did get to enjoy their second show from a hot tub, which sure was a nice experience. Here is the video I recorded on my phone of the former:
Live - 2023 Chris Jericho Cruise - Featuring Chris Jericho:
Until next month, keep on rocking in the free world.
- King of Braves
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Fozzy - Sane
I have at no point in time been under any delusions about my own personal knowledge of music. I am not formally educated in music. I have only ever dabbled in the six-string guitar, with no knowledge of any other instruments. I can sing okay, I guess. The other day in the gym I was chatting with a guy wearing a Dream Theatre shirt and he was telling me about the 6-4 measures on the drums and how the 4-4 measures of the guitar somehow match, and I just had to nod along. I do not know what I am doing. The Internet does not need me.
But then I get feedback. Sure, a lot of people justly point out what I already knew, that I barely know what I am talking about and that I unavoidably get objective facts wrong sometimes. However, the positive always outweighs the good, and that is just great.
Then I went on the Chris Jericho cruise. I watched a lot of wrestling and heard a bunch of music, mostly Fozzy and Quiet Riot, since they did two shows each on the cruise. I guess I owe Chris Jericho a direct and indirect thank you. First off, thank you for being Chris Jericho and entertaining me most of my life. Secondly, thank you Chris Jericho for daring to put your crazy professional wrestling and rock and roll cruise ship adventure together, I feel spoiled.
For those who do not know Chris Jericho has been a professional wrestler since the nineties, he was a major player during the Monday Night Wars between WWE’s Raw and WCW’s Nitro. He was trained in Stu Hart’s dungeon, and that’s here, that’s home, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have been a fan for a long time. Jericho is one of few wrestlers who have managed to remain active and relevant well into his fifties. He also is the vocalist and front man for his rock band Fozzy.
I know far less about Fozzy then I do the man who fronts them, but thanks to osmosis, through wrestling I know a little a more than I would have otherwise. The obvious song to talk about would be “Judas” as that is the song Jericho and his faction the Jericho Appreciation Society (JSA), use it as their entrance music now. On one of the previous Jericho Cruise Ship adventures the crowd was perfect to sing along with “Judas” so naturally they did, and now the crowd always sings along with Jericho’s entrance. So yeah, “Judas” is too obvious.
My own independent listening to Fozzy led me to appreciate “Sane” uppermost, and I mostly still feel that way about Fozzy. I do also really like “Nowhere to Run.” Anyway, “Sane” is a song I liked independently, somewhat, from Chris Jericho’s professional wrestling. I just noticed now that "Sane came out about a year ago, I assumed it was older and I just missed it until recently. Shows how much attention I was paying. Anyway, let us indulge in “Sane.”
While acknowledging my own ignorance, I am under the impression that most of Fozzy’s songs are rather simple rock songs. This fits knowing that Fozzy is in many ways Jericho’s side project, although I assume the other members of Fozzy would, and should, disagree with this sentiment. Following, this thought, “Sane” is also a straightforward, effective rock song. Far from a criticism, a simple rock song is sometimes all I want in life. Even the theme is typical, at least to me, the world is crazy and the only way to cope is to give up on sanity. This is not unlike, “crazy on a ship of fools” if you will, only you know, more rock and roll. The point is, I like it. Always instantly enjoyable.
It does not hurt that Fozzy opened the cruise ship show by playing “Sane.” It was a great song to open the many, many, activities to follow. I was largely sober for Fozzy’s first show, so I took in the music well, I even recorded most of the song. I was taken immediately, and not just because I was half in the bag from Crown Royal, and on a cruise ship, but also, the big screen played clips from one of my favorite childhood anime “Ninja Scroll.” Here is the video:
Sane - Live on the 2023 Jericho Cruise
P.S.
I was wondering why my body had bruises when I returned home from the cruise, then my friend reminded me of the mosh pit for Frankie Kazarian’s band Gutter Candy. Right. That also happened.
Monday, August 29, 2022
Beach House - Myth
Casual youtube rabbit hole diving revealed that it is possible that David Letterman was fond of Beach House back in the day, as they have many live performances on his late-night talk show on the tubes. Is this information worth anything? I do not know.
Although it happened fairly recently, I no longer recall which song I heard first by Beach House, I think it was “Space Song,” I like that one a lot. I am not even sure how many times I heard Beach House before I took note of their name and logged it to memory. Many of their videos I have seen are fan made, with footage of classic films, of which I had seen several, evidently there are still many classic French films for me to watch, something else to look forward too I suppose. One film I have seen which I recognized in these fan-made music videos, was “Paris Texas.” A quiet stated emotional film about a man trying to make things rights with his family after what could be considered a past that cannot be amended or repaired. It was a sad movie when I saw it, but the fan made video made me sink a little deeper into the film. The song choice Beach House “Myth,” really made a difference.
The emotion of the sound of “Myth” by Beach House sounds to me like a mix of happiness and sadness. As I often do when faced with cryptic lyrics and deep emotion, I look to other people’s interpretations, and Internet never sleeps, all voices can now be heard. Everything I read for “Myth” was highly personal; a good standard of success for a song is connectivity, and “Myth” clearly accomplishes that, but being open to a wide breadth of human experiences. The predictable experiences of the human condition are abound; lost loved ones, unrequited love, and other various versions of sad songs of love; that mixture of happy and sad working its magic. I like taking bigger steps back than that, and I think of “Myth” as something more versatile than that, and evidently, I am not the only one. A minority of opinions I read expressed the idea that “Myth” is about any sort of denial and acceptance.
Let’s see what Beach House has to say about it, they should know.
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/beach-house/myth
Songfacts.com has proved to be a reliable source of band interview information about songs, and for Beach House’s “Myth,” they report that guitarist Alex Scally explained the was is about “elusiveness.” Interesting. Elusiveness can manifest itself in almost infinite ways, which in turn explains why all the listening fans are able to project many personal experiences onto it. Elusive emotions can be very complicated, as every heart holds contradictory feelings simultaneously at times, and whether we are concerned with loved ones, or hopes and dreams, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint what we are exactly feeling.
“Help me to name it.”
However, I like to take big steps back and see the whole picture. Who says the elusiveness in question is not emotional, what if it is philosophical.
“Drifting in and out,
You see the road you're on.
It came rolling down your cheek,
You say just what you mean,
And in between,
It's never as it seems.”
You see the world for what it is, and you say just what you mean, but nothing seems quite right.
“If you built yourself a myth,
You'd know just what to give.
What comes after this?
Momentary bliss.
Consequence,
Of what you do to me.”
If you build yourself a mythology, you should know what you have to give up lying to yourself like that, and you can retreat for a comfortably while, but reality cannot be negotiated with, it simply is, and it makes no compromises. The consequences of denial are unavoidable.
“Help me to name it.”
See it works. This song could be taken as a naturalist world view. It is that versatile. I suspect the emotional aspect is more in line with intention of the art, but great art allows odd balls like me to get needlessly deep. Which is fun to do.
Until next month, keep on rocking in the free world.
- King of Braves
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
July Talk - Let Her Know
I have seen July Talk live before at the last X-Fest, I have talked about it before. Somehow, July Talk did not manage to impact my memory strongly enough for me to remember them very well at the time, but subsequent listings and reminders made them an eventual stable in my casual, random, music playlist. So, how ever many years later, they stood atop of the list of bands to see on the Coca-Cola stage at The 2022 Calgary Stampede.
I assembled the Avengers, and three of us arrived in time to catch the last fifteen minutes of The Beaches. The Beaches were really good, they did a killer cover of “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado. I will be listening to more of them in the future.
Like any concert experience with a familiar band, there are always certain songs you are hoping to hear. Not being the strongest July Talk fan, my list of hopeful hearings was short and likely contained mostly their more well-known tracks. I do not own any July Talk albums, so fan favorites tracks are presumably outside my knowledge. Case in point, there must have been at least a handful of songs performed where Peter Dreimanis did not sing a word, and Leah Fay performed the vocals alone. This was new to me, because all of the songs I listen to by July Talk feature, and focus on, their contrasting voices.
July Talk’s biggest draw to me is the combo of Peter and Leah. The contrast in their voices is perfect. Intentional or not, they perfectly represent the masculine and feminine. It is not just a man and a woman singing, but the content of many of their songs are about the challenges in relationships, and also, obviously, their tones. I assume Peter is putting on a voice, and that he does not talk like he sings, for he sings with a very deep rough voice. Contrasted by the high feminine tone of Leah. Also, I have eyes, Leah, is a woman, great curves and all. Call me old fashion but I like gender. Ergo, I really like what Peter and Leah are bringing to the forefront of their music. It is such a great sound, and they capture that rough and deep, opposite soft and high.
So, I enter the Stampede grounds with a few songs I am hoping to hear by July Talk; “Push + Pull,” “Picture Love,” and “Guns and Ammunition” live was perfect. Leah commanded the crowd and Peter rocked the house. They did not play “Let Her Know,” but since that song I suspect represents the entire July Talk project perfectly, please allow me to ramble about that one.
I have my own interpretation of “Let Her Know,” but I am not entirely confident that I am not reading into things. “Let Her Know” is definitely about strained communication between lovers, possibly ex-lovers. It is unclear to me if the words are meant to be the feelings held back by someone looking to end their relationship, or if it is someone withholding dark emotions from their lover for fear of driving them away. I prefer the latter, as there are simply less songs in the universe with that focus, but I can imagine either being the artistic intention.
Where I start to read into things perhaps more than is wise, is the outro:
“She's still looking at me.
She's still here.
July talks because of you.
She's still here.”
This is joined with Leah’s backing vocals almost whispering:
“Don’t let her go.”
Leah’s lines strongly suggest to me that the song is about a struggling relationship not a collapsed one, with the final message being, she is still here. Whatever is haunting the male half of this narrative, the female is still with him, and in the game of love that can be a very promising thing. She must still be there for a reason.
The song might be meta however, “July talks because of you.” So, are we to assume this song is about Peter and Leah? “July Talks because of Leah?” Does that make sense? I can easily imagine July Talk is led and held together by Peter and Leah. I can easily imagine Peter given his look, and choice of voice, and lyrical content, being a dark soul. I can easily imagine Leah being the love that empowers him to push through it and create beautiful music. I am not the strongest fan of July Talk, so I do not know if anything in this paragraph is actually accurate. Just a casual wandering thought based on a few sweeping words.
Often times, I will go to lyric sites and go to the comment sections to see what other people see in songs. That did not work this time. So, I do not know what the interpretations of “Let Her Know” are by better fans than I, but this only emboldened me to write something about it. Maybe I am seeing into something, I am sure the internet will let me know if I am wrong. The boys are HQ are really good at that.
- King of Braves
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