Sobota 7 Lut 2009, 20:56
I've been meaning to vent this for quite some time and since I can't be arsed going to bed just yet I'll have a go at it now. I find it perplexing and sad that both of the following artists have acquired only a (relatively) small fan base despite their obvious talents and influence. I dunno the real point of this entry other than to divulge my love for the two and hopefully inspire a couple of people into checking them out through the youtube videos. Anyways…
Rory Gallagher. For a man that the Rolling Stones wanted to recruit as their guitarist I find it astonishing that this man isn't more famous. One of the best guitarists of all time. The guys he influenced are impressive (Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton (who kinda sounds like him), Slash and Queen's guitarist) but his music should receive more attention. The Irish Tour and European Tour albums deserve your attention. Laundromat, A Million Miles Away, Cradle Rock, Bullfrog Blues, In Your Town are wonderful. And, of course, Tatoo'd Lady. That song contains one of the best guitar solos ever.
His studio albums ain't bad either. Calling Card has many a great song: Edged In Blue, Moonchild, Do You Read Me, Secret Agent amongst others. Check him out!
Now, I know they are regarded as one of the pioneers of alternative rock, but still very few people seem to actually listen to Hüsker Dü that much. Which really makes no sense at all. Again, more attention is given to the fact that they influenced so many bands (Pixies, Nirvana, The Hold Steady, Buffalo Tom) with their combination of melody and aggressive guitar feedback than the greatness of their music. One of the reasons for my excessive adoration of this band is the diversity of songs within each album. On one hand you had Grant Hart with his really poppy tunes and on the other you had Bob Mould with his more punky songs. Yet the two of them drifted away from these typecasts from time to time. On Candy Apple Grey Bob played two acoustic numbers (albeit divulging the demons in his soul as usual) while Grant got to scream quite a bit in the early years.
Don't just pick up Zen Arcade, get Warehouse: Songs And Stories for its amazing amount of great songs (check out These Important Years, She Floated Away, Ice Cold Ice, Back From Somewhere and the gloriously poppy Could You Be The One).
She's A Woman (And Now He Is A Man):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8sq9y7LBok
Could You Be The One:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D90MjRTm33E
These Important Years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ2QubVksxM
Get Flip Your Wig so you can feast your ears on Divide And Conquer, Keep Hanging On, Games and Green Eyes (which was one of the songs that first got me into the band - and apparently Black Francis of Pixies was obsessed with it too).
Get New Day Rising for its triumphant opening title track, its ragingly melodic second track The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill, the heavenly Celebrated Summer and the it-should-have-been-a-hit I Apologize.
I Apologize:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sIeIcOo4rg
By all means pick up the other albums too.