Home

Most readers of this review have a collection of albums they enjoy, including those favorites that are hard to explain to others. Then there are albums you introduce to friends because, you reason, they will enjoy the material. Steps above the rest are the albums that exceed your expectations in such an overwhelming fashion that, without hesitation, you introduce it to anybody with the ability to listen. Gavin Castleton’s latest CD titled Home fits in the category of the last kind, the best kind. With incredible accuracy his website claims, "Home is an epic project designed to console all who have encountered love and lived to tell about it."

Gavin Castleton still requires an introduction to people not tapped into the Providence music scene at any point during the last 15 years. Any preamble about Gavin's career will skew thoughts about his sound. From his various solo works to his former group Gruvis Malt, his music has always progressed and rarely remained the same. The idea of placing Gavin into a category or genre simply cannot happen. Castleton recently relocated to Portland, Oregon and Home chronicles this 6-year story into an evocative 53 minute piece. Thus, the listener is left with few questions unanswered about where he has been.

The story is told through the eyes of the two lovers, played by Gavin and Lauren Coleman, surrounded by rhetorical zombies that leave their relationship in peril. The hyperbolic zombies are only outdone by the ladybugs that sing Gavin back from the edge. It's a lot to digest, I know. Explaining the entire story here would cheat the listener of the experience. Luckily, every disc contains the “cliffnotes” known as the lyric sheets. Personally, I am still analyzing the zombie metaphor Gavin uses to describe their relationship, a true element of great art.

Gavin does well to make each song on Home attractive to listeners of all levels, even if you don't care for the narrative. A concept album at heart, Gavin has used a thematic storytelling approach on many of his solo albums. He claims, "(It)…wasn't really a conscious effort, I guess I just like stuff in bigger chunks... I feel like every section of every song should give you a reason to want to keep listening. And every song should give you a reason to listen to the next song. Call it a bi-product of American self-importance: we need an incentive to give someone else our attention." The first single "Coffeelocks" is a prime example of this sentiment. Simple in its structure but deep in layers. The rhythm makes everyone move and the astute ear enjoys the artistic touches Gavin has applied to its outer core. Lauren Coleman's angelic voice first appears here and remains unmistakable and distinct as it soars over the top of each chorus.

Castleton demands the listener’s attention to the music in order to bring understanding with many ideas present. The album shifts stylistic gears several times, not by virtuosic front, as accompaniment to the lyrical dialogue. The bliss of new found passion found in the pop single "Coffeelocks". The strategy of conviction in "Warpaint" which provides the profound lyric, "And if you build your love on a black and white chessboard; there is a very good chance you'll always be at war". The climaxing tempo of "Sugar on the Sheets" alludes to the anticipation of a lover’s touch. All that embodies the sticky funk of love can be found in the synth driven "Stampete". The cinematic closing "Credits" is just that. Providing the punch line that "Home is not the place you dwell, Home is where you see yourself".

Gavin is currently on the west-coast touring in support of Home. When asked what his future plans are he replied, "I live pretty day to day. I plan on touring extensively to spread the word on Home. After that, I'll probably get a job at Denny's. “Let’s hope he doesn't take the day job.


More info on Gavin Castleton can be found @ http://www.gavincastleton.com/

Great Beards Throughout History

Jesus H. Christ, Chuck Norris, Abraham Lincoln, Henry David Thoreau, and the late John Lennon are just some of the great beard growers throughout history. I am not any of these men. After completing the Super Macho Tough Man Recession Charity Beard Competition at work, I have decided that maybe it's time to give up the fight and accept male pattern baldness of the face. See Here.

I did raise over $300 for a great cause, but I also put my ego in check. Growing a beard can feel like having your manliness on display for all to view. After about 2 weeks it was obvious that I could not grow a beard like the ones I had seen in all of those old western movies. Although, I did come out with a superlative award for the, "...Maybe When You Hit Puberty" Beard. What was truly humbling was having the 6 female judges sign off in accordance to their vote. Another day that I am thankful for a strong sense of humor...

I've always wanted to be a writer. I often wonder if I could ever be a great writer without a beard. Isn't beard growth a function of wisdom? And maybe I could never be a lumberjack or trucker without facial grizzle. I'm okay with that. I just want to write good prose. Either way, I am back on the blog and ready to ramble on through 2009. Beard or no Beard.

Greatest Guitarist of All time

(This was actually written months ago and I just never posted it)

Am I the only one who knows what a Guitar God is anymore? A few years ago Rolling Stone compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and it was terrible. Some low lights were placing Keith Richards at #10, Kurt Cobain at #11 and somehow placing Stephen Stills and John Fogerty (among others) in front of Frank Zappa. Needless to say, there is some serious confusion about what makes a Great Guitarist and what makes a Great Songwriter over at Rolling Stone. I thought my outrage on the issue subsided, but it recently came to my attention that Jimmy Page, the Edge, and Jack Black are featured in a new film titled It Might Get Loud. A documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim that explores the history of the rock-based electric guitar.

Instead of bashing the movie, I thought I would use the space in my overly biased blog to explore my overly biased opinions. As always, there are a few ground rules I must follow:

1) The guitarist must be alive. We need to film them, right? Creepy John, just creepy...

2) Note, the 3 guitarists in the movie chronologically depict the time frame of the 1960s to the present. Page= 60s & 70s, Edge= 80s and early 90s, Jack White= Late 90s to present. See how neat that is?

3) Another pattern in the selection is variation in rock style of the players filmed. Perhaps to make the documentary more interesting or to sell more tickets to a wider demographic? You decide.

With no further ado ...........Let the Opinions Fly!!!

Best (Living) Guitarist of the 1960s + 1970s

Jimmy Page

This is the only guitarist I would have picked for the film. Page is a monster. There were rock stars before Page, but he was the first Rock God. Every rock guitarist has a Page lick in their repertoire and supercharged R&B style defined arena hard rock in the 70s. And Page was no one trick pony, he could put down his electric to settle into some spine tingling acoustic folk (with the help of Robert Plant, of course). He did it in the face of confused critics who didn't know what to say about the songwriters wide range of styles. Page approached the guitar like a force of nature until drugs grounded Led Zeppelin down to mortal status. Page wrote classic after classic riff in the 70s and there is not a bad song on their first 6 albums, which is no easy feat. On top of that, Page's songwriting dominated the entire decade, something that is unmatched in the history of rock and roll.

Honorable Mention:

Eric Clapton

Many believe that Hendrix revolutionized the electric guitar. They are wrong. Hendrix idolized Clapton's playing. After blowing every rock guitarist away with delta blues licks and self expression, Clapton would go onto to confuse more listeners than John Mayer (more on him later). Clapton's drug use made him an inconsistent songwriter. A friend of mine once joked that if he died after "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" he would have gone down as the greatest guitarist of all time. Although he would have been DQ'd for my Honorable mention category per rule #1!

1980s

Best (Living) Guitarist of the 1980s and early 90s

Eddie Van Halen

Ummm, I guess he was in rehab in 2008 so that made him unavailable? Van Halen should have just been called Eddie Van Halen and the less talented coattail riders. Diamond Dave was entertaining, but everybody in the 80s was baffled by Eddie's talent. Including the greatest entertainer of the 1980s, Michael Jackson. Eddie took what Clapton, Hendrix, and Page did before him and brought it to another level. Another universe. His precision, technique, tone, and flash are unmatched. Listen to any Van Halen album, particularly the DLR era, and prepare to be floored by at least one track on each album. If anything Eddie is a victim of his time. Everything in the 80s was flashy and over the top, especially in LA. Every metal band was trying to be a caricature of Led Zeppelin at that point and in retrospect it was disgusting. The fact remains, the guy can flat out play.

Also of Note:

Angus Young, Alex Lifeson, Gary Pihl, Mark Knofler, Slash (i ran out of names)

1990s

Trey Ananstasio

You thought I wouldn't pick this guy? Even bigger than his guitar playing is the incredible grassroots success of his band Phish. In 1995 they sold out the Madison Square Garden without the aid of Rolling Stone, MTV (when they used to play videos), or radio! Trey combines Frank Zappa's composition, Jimmy Page's blues riffing, and Jerry Garcia's rock based improv to create a fusion of awesome. He can be a bluegrass flat picker, a speed jazz shredder and a rocker all in one night. His tone is unmistakable. And the way he can slowly sweep your cognitive thought away on a carpet of imaginative licks is astounding. He went completely against the grain in the mountains of Vermont during the late 80s and early 90s. The band emerged on the scene just in time to carry the jam band torch from the Dead. What everybody didn't know is that Trey had been rocking the Northeast for years at that point.

Honorable Mention:

Tom Morello

The guy can DJ on his guitar. It's nuts.

Also of Note: Mike Eizenger, Tim Mahoney, Jerry Cantrell, Vernon Reid, Jake Cinninger, Mike McCready, John Frusciante, Derek Trucks, John Mayer

Look at that list, I can't believe John Mayer is on it. He is good, but it only confirms to me that the guitar god is dead. Or just lost in the world of Heavy Metal. More on my confusion with John Mayer to come....

Top 5 for 2008

Top 5 Shows:
1) Radiohead, Great Woods, Mansfield, MA 8/13/08
2) Trey Anastasio, Lupos Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI 10/21/08
3) Return to Forever w/ Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA 08/06/08
4) The Dead & Allman Brothers Obama Benefit, Bryce Jordan Center, Happy Valley, PA 10/14/08
5) Stevie Wonder, Great Woods, Mansfield, MA 06/22/08

Honorable Mention:
Zappa plays Zappa, Rothbury Music Festival, Rothbury MI 07/03/08
Phil Lesh & Friends w/Levon Helm, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA 06/21/08
Alan Holdsworth, Johnny D's Somerville, MA 04/16/08
Lettuce, Newport Jazz Fest, Newport, RI 08/09/08
Chris Potter, Newport Jazz Fest, Newport, RI 08/09-10/08
Trey Anastasio, Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 10/23/08
B3 King's/Public House, Matt Murphy's, Brookline, MA (Any given Tuesday)

My top 5 albums:
1) Radiohead- In Rainbows
2) Lettuce- Rage!
3) MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
4) Apollo Sunshine- Shall Noise Upon
5) My Morning Jacket- Evil Urges

Honorable Mention: Robert Plant & Allison Krauss- Raising Sand
David Byrne + Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes (I just heard this album for the first time this past week and it already gets me)
Return to Forever- Anthology (this is questionable, I know Brian, but it was released this year and it was new TO ME).

Sympathisizer for a Synthesizer

Any instrument can be used to generate a corny pop tune, but the synthesizer has been the most notorious criminal. Until recently, it has been difficult for me to enjoy Electronica or any genre that scoped its sound around the synthesizer. Maybe I was not progressive enough, but the sound seemed unnatural and programmed. Electronica or New Age was a genre of music that seemed it would not stand the test of time and wilt away. Much like the disco, it would be considered a fad that didn’t mean much in the long run. Well, I was wrong. There is something coming out of pop music in this generation and these exploratory ideas are being driven hard by an instrument that does well to imitate as well as create new landscapes of sound.

After experimental uses by various groups in the 1970s and 80s (Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Devo), the synthesizer will forever be connected to the cheese and excess of the 1980s (Here is a prime example of synth junk). The excess of the 80s certainly had a profound effect on the overall view of the instrument and pop music in general. The flagrant use of the synthesizer can wipe the legitimacy of a song away. In Jazz Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis tarnished themselves in the plastic world of synthesized sound during the 80s. The sound just felt unnecessary and I can never take Herbie seriously when he is onstage with a Keytar or a Guitboard, whichever you prefer. (I had to fit this in somewhere) In Rock there are songs that would feel more appropriately presented without the synth being featured, Rush's "Tom Sawyer" for example. The synth riff toward the end of "Tom Sawyer" is cool but it makes the song sound corny. On the flip side, I would be lying if I said I didn't like songs with the synth as a major participant. This is because some songs are so cheesy that I don't know if I would like it as much without the thing cutting catchy melodies over ridiculous lyrics. I think of Van Halen's Jump, Toto's Africa and anything by Lionel Ritchie. But I digress…

This generalist view has turned me away from getting really into Radiohead, Daft Punk, or Gavin Castleton. I basically shunned Electronica as a whole because of one instrument. Never accepting it as a vital part of an entire album, it often left me wanting more because the feel was robotic and lifeless. On the other hand, Pink Floyd used the synth in ways to create weird soundscapes that made their music outer worldly, but it was still tasteful and did great justice to Roger Waters' lyrical topics. Pink Floyd used the synthesizer to push it's already left of center sound even further, but it was the songwriting and mystique of the group that withstands the test of time. It wasn't until this last year when I heard Radiohead's In Rainbows and witnessed their incredible live show that my mind was blown open to the possibilities of full blown synth usage. There are parts of that album that turn the hair on my neck up and leave me sitting absolutely still waiting for the next passage of tone. It may be Thom Yorke’s voice that stands out, but the arrangements and aura of sound behind him play a vital role. Their live show made me truly reconsider the synth heavy work I had once shied away from. For the first time I saw Electronica as powerful and soulful as R&B. This has turned me onto MGMT, Bjork, and Asleep in a Box who use the synth as a main ingredient with a heavy dose of soul in their writing style.


So, is it life imitating art or art imitating life? This is the age of computer technology and most human interaction is now based around computers. Before the digital/synth sound seemed to have a place only in the distant future, just as robots or flying cars, but now it fits as a perfect backdrop to the music of today. We may have finally harnessed the possibilities and are now seeing the full potential on the horizon. The instrument is able to recreate familiar sounds and drive them into something that seems vastly different. There is a new brand sound of music that is beginning to make a legitimate name for itself. Some call it indie or electronica, I like to think of it as left of center pop that captures your imagination and emotions at the same time. Needless to say, this could prove to be a very powerful time in music history.

Weezer

I recently put together a list of the top 50 albums released after 1990 with co-workers in an attempt to determine what will be considered the classics of my generation. I will post the list when I can figure out how to transfer the layout of an excel spreadsheet on here, but in the meantime take my word for it. The list is skewed to my personal tastes (just like the entries of this blog) but a few interesting observations can be made: 1) 1994 was a huge year in music, specifically grunge rock. 2) Until recently, Radiohead may have been the most important and underrated band of my generation. 3) Rap didn't stand the test of time for me. 4) What happened to Weezer?

Weezer's Blue Album and Pinkerton are both in my top 15. The Blue Album was the first disc I ever purchased (with Green Day's Dookie also on the same Lechmere receipt) and it remains an influential album to many budding musicians. When you look further down the list you will not find any of the other 4 studio albums that the band has released. In fact, those albums may not have made the cut if I had a top 100 list. The bottom line is that I haven't had the patience to listen to any of the albums due to lack of interest. Their sound remains familiar and distinct but maybe I outgrew the styling, maybe they weren't as good as I first thought and the first album just holds a strong personal significance, or maybe I'm just not sure why I never gave them a chance. The world tends to side with me since their albums sales have dropped and varied since their debut.

How can one band, who continued to produce commercially successful albums, suddenly fall off my radar? They took a hiatus in 1996 after Pinkerton (which is a great album no matter what critics say) but I don't think I ever gave it a second thought that they weren't producing records. The other "What happened?" bands that have albums in my upper echelon from this time period are very explainable. Nirvana- Kurt Cobain's death in 1994. Green Day- hard to follow up single-heavy Dookie but remained relevent with Insomniac and Nimrod. then of course the nauseating commercial success of American Idiot. Red Hot Chili Peppers- John Frusciante's departure after the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour combined with a Dave Navarro (I will eventually write an entire post about my distaste for this man) follow up album all while the band should have been in their prime. Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine- broke up. Sublime- Bradley's tragic death. But what happened to Weezer?

Well, recently I watched Weezer live in Japan on my new favorite HD channel Palladia and it gave me new insight to the band and my thoughts on Rivers Cuomo as a songwriter. During the concert Rivers comes out unaccompanied and with just his acoustic guitar. He enters into a wonderful rendition of "Island in the Sun" from Weezer's 2001 Green Album. There came a moment where i had an epiphany about Rivers as a song writtern, my thought process, and music in general. It was incredible to watch the Japanese fans, most of whom don't know more than the phonetic sounds of the vocals, singing "Hip-Hip" which repeats at the end of each line of the chorus. This simple tune and melody cut across international language barriers and even as I tried to ignore the lyrics myself, the message was still there. It was relaxing and moving at the same time. It made me think; maybe I should give these albums a second chance in the near future. I never liked the song previous to this and had honestly never given it a chance, much like their albums. It's strange how a single moment can give you an entirely new perspective on years of thought. Maybe it's a testament to my eternal optimism and whimsical abilities. Maybe the albums still suck and that was just a cool way to hear the song. Either way, it made me think twice about holding down opinions I may not be able to make well educated commentary about.

I Wish You Would Write Me a Letter

"It's not just about me and my dream of doing nothing. It's about all of us... we don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements. "- Peter from Office Space

To start my blog I thought it would be ironic if I told you that you shouldn’t be reading this. Do you remember when you were an underage drinker? When beer had an aftertaste of danger? That's how I want this blog to feel; dangerous and underage. Like many of my ideas, this blog is a bad one!

We are flying through the internet age and it has become apparent that the computer is our greatest friend and enemy. We now work with greater efficiency than ever but we may be functioning at the cost of our minds and souls. The computer has become the center of it all; jobs are replaced and created everyday by the effectiveness of these things. My concern is based on the over stimulation and virtual interaction it brings to us. The mind is the most valuable tool we posses as we our judged our entire lives on our capability to think. More recently I have felt my imagination being shut off for the quick fix of the internet. Today, I give myself about 10 seconds of thought before I quit on a question and use my trusty Google toolbar. This is how most of us function in this “Tell Me Now” society.

The computer (specifically the internet) is a great resource that brings information to us very easily. However, nothing in life is easy and there is simply too much information for us to handle. For example, while I am at work doing research for my job I am constantly checking messages, getting up to date news stories, and finding all sorts of fun links that lead me to the point of no return. You may have stumbled upon this blog doing just that; searching all over the internet to be entertained. As the years pass and more information is available it is astounding how much we are expected to process in one day. Do you think Shakespeare would have been as creative if he spent his days blog surfing and checking celeb gossip? I wonder.

After a while, between a pile of e-mails and pop-ups, it’s odd that I feel more and more detached from existence while I simultaneously have more access to all that has existed. At the end of the day, I often feel cloudy and ready to participate in any mental activity that doesn’t involve me staring mindlessly at glowing screen. I would rather do anything that leaves with me with a direct feeling of connection, just anything to feel like I am ACTUALLY THERE! There are simple things that brings me right back to where I feel I should be. Hearing the notes of a nice melody buzzing into my head and shaking me down to my toes, talking to a friend and sharing a moment of laughter, taking in the landscape of nature as a cruise down an open highway, or even sitting outside as I watch the world hurry by from the comfort of my chair. These are the things that make me feel like I am alive, unlike some stupid blog written by a guy who couldn’t finish his English degree. (:wink:)

The absolute worst is when this issue of detachment carries into our personal relationships. With Facebook, AIM, and text there are so many ways to talk to people without actually TALKING! I have found that I will say things on AIM that I would never say to somebody in person. This is because I am looking at a screen of words and images and into the recipient’s eyes. So much vital information is in facial expression and tone. At large social gatherings I am often amused how I can half-listen to somebody I am not interested in just by following their expression and tone alone. I usually get away with it until a question is asked of me and I respond with a simple “Oh, really?” and it’s completely out of place. Joking aside, words are much less meaningful when it’s expressed in a machine than from one person to another.

The last observation in this rant is about e-mail. When e-mail started it felt like a very informal and almost careless way to contact somebody. I don’t feel anything has changed. It’s not as bad as the texting or IMing, to me, but it’s still a pretty poor way of saying hello. Are we just waiting for those special occasions to write letters to the important people in our lives? Don’t get me wrong, an e-card can be great and also quite funny. It does say something that somebody out there took the time to write and say hello. It just feels like there is that personal touch that is still missing. Isn't that what it's all about?!?! I say, it would be nice if I were to open my mail and read a letter penned from somebody who cares.