RADIO HANNIBAL

More on whether to sell your CDs

As I suspected, the story I wrote yesterday on whether or not to sell your CD collection stimulated some good comments. The majority were in favor of holding onto those silver discs.
One suggestion was to sort through the collection and keep only the CDs you really care about. It's true, as a DJ there's plenty of albums I bought that hold little interest for me yet they are in my library. Still, some irrational part of me considers them all, somehow, an extension of me. It's hard to part with them.
Then there's those releases I look at and wonder why I ever bought them in the first place. Back when I was scouring music shops on a weekly basis I would take a chance on many things if I found them used or, better yet, discounted promo copies of new releases (a practice that's illegal though a certain chain did it regularly). I could certainly part with some of these discs. Yet I think I'll hold off for now.
Perhaps this winter I'll go through the collection and begin to weed them out. I'll swap broken jewel cases of worthy CDs for the less desirable ones.
CDs make nice drink coasters. I wonder what sort of art project I could make with the rejects.

Should you sell your CD collection?

Actually I'm asking myself this question.  Should I begin to unload my 8,000 plus CD collection?  Physical media is going away.  There will be the collectors but they'll compromise a niche market.  And I have faith that the quality of digital downloads and streaming music will get better in time. 

So that's one of the reasons to hold onto the CDs.  They sound better than listening to an mp3 version or streaming it on Spotify.  Yet I find myself listening to music I have on CD via Spotify.  I don't have to move from my desk or the couch or my gazebo. 

The market for used CDs is down.  The market for anything collectible, pretty much, is down.  It's the economy.  But even in prosperous economic times will CDs be worth much.  Of course that'll depend on what the specific CD is.  Just like vinyl records.  But if it's a run of the mill, popular album it certainly won't fetch the original price or even close to it.  Again, you can use the vinyl record market as a guideline. 

I'd envisioned bequeathing my collection to my son.  He'd be thrilled, or so I'd imagined.  Now I'm not so sure.  But he's only 14 and at that age nothing impresses him. 

I asked a friend about this Friday night and his response was that if I don't have to get rid of them then don't do it.  The two reasons you'd have to get rid of a big CD collection would be to gain back space the things are taking up or to help your financial situation.  Niether of those is an issue for me right now.  

My friend went on to say that he envisions a time when physical media is gone and people will want that tactile experience.  They'll be searching for used CDs much the same way the romantic vinyl collector is today.  

So I think I'll hold onto them for now.  How about you?  Do you have an impressive collection of CDs?  What are your thoughts?  I'd love to know.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Neil Young discography - Shakey II, part 27

This discography analysis is written by contributor JT of Perth, Australia.  Follow him at @thesonofnoone on Twitter.

Neil Young
Prairie Wind (2005) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'The Painter' - I should probably just give up now. Neil's never going to sound like he did before. His vocals are just too weak now. But having said that - this song has got something going for it. There's some little middle melodic passages that make me crack a smile and think that the guy hasn't completely lost it. But then again, a Neil Young that's completely lost it is still better than 50% of anyone else at the top of their game, so I'm not one to argue. Good on' Neil for getting back after the aneurysm and getting back so soon after. This isn't earth-shattering but it's pleasant enough. 6.5

2) 'No Wonder' - Unexpected song, especially with an album that's got such a shit cover. This definitely sounds like something Neil would've written in the mid-to-late 70s and would've just cut sitting on a rug somewhere. I don't get the insistence with the choir-like backing vocals though. Why polish a turd? People can still see it's a turd. The turd being Neil's voice obviously. And by turd I mean something that will never approach Sam Cooke's levels (or something like that). Oh, and I owe $20 to the dude who bet me that Chris Rock would get a mention in a Neil Young song. Anyway, I digress. Neil should've recorded this by himself in the 70s. 6.0

3) 'Falling Off the Face of the Earth' - Sounds like it belongs on Silver & Gold. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. Do I think it should be there because it'll blend in with the blandness, or do I want it there because it will make that album just that little bit better? Who the fuck knows... 5.0

4) 'Far From Home' - 

Me: "I'll take latter-day Neil Young albums for $200 please Alex."

Alex Trebek: "The horn section on Prairie Wind's 'Far From Home'. Campaigner?

Me: "What are the most unnecessary instruments on a song, ever?"

Alex Trebek: "Correct." 

P.S Not that bad a song. Horn section blows chunks though. 6.0

5) 'It's a Dream' - Wow - this is awkward. Neil really strains to get this song doesn't he? Those verses are kinda painful. The chorus is gorgeous though. Definitely angling for the Jack Nitzsche influence with the string section. Neil really is holding back on the vocals though - and that still disappoints. 5.0

6) 'Prairie Wind' - OK - this is getting better. Neil puts some balls into his vocals and the horn section doesn't stick out nearly so much on this one. This album is at least much better than I remember it being, I'll give it that. The backing vocals are even tolerable. Maybe I've misjudged the bloke - I don't think I give his new stuff the time it deserves. You know what? This is actually a really fuckin' good song, all things considered. 7.0

7) 'Here For You' - Or maybe I haven't misjudged him, 'cos this pretty much sucks. Sounds like the worst Harvest Moon outtake. If you ever managed to get a chick to sleep with you by singing or playing 'Harvest Moon' for her, singing or playing this would guarantee your dick will grow old and wither away, companion-less like the kid at school no-one wanted to be friends with. 3.5

8) 'This Old Guitar' - Not too bad, but I would've much preferred just Neil's voice and his guitar. Everything else in the song is a waste. 5.0

9) 'He Was the King' - So bad. So, so bad. Nothing much more needs to be said, because this is horrendous. 1.5

10) 'When God Made Me' - 'Long Walk Home', Take 2. And that's not a bad thing - it kinda fits here. Although, after the monstrosity that was 'He Was the King', I suppose even a Graham Nash song would've been OK in my books. 6.0

ALBUM RATING: 5.5

VERDICT: Honestly, I'd never made it all the way through this album from start to finish prior to reviewing it for this thread. Maybe it's a little bit of ADD slipping in, but if it doesn't grab me from the get-go, then it's going to be a struggle. After all, haven't we learned that Neil's best albums kick off with a bang... a brilliant song that announces the album's greatness for you? Prairie Wind doesn't do that. It finds Neil, post brain aneurysm, seemingly praising the virtues of life. Pardon me for being rude, but that's never been Neil's forte. He can speak about the lives of others ('Transformer Man' for example), but not so much about himself. Glad he's alive though because holy shit, what the fuck would we do in a world without Neil Young?

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Live at the Fillmore East (2006) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'Everybody Knows This is Nowhere' - I'm fuckin' drunk and Neil's such a fucking God. For years he talked about his Archives series and when it arrives, it's not with one of the box sets, it's with a six-song CD. What the fuck? I haven't waited years for six fucking songs. But fuckin' hell - they are great aren't they? Kicking off with one of his underrated gems (and probably his best ever title track), Neil and Crazy Horse show that in the live setting they kick everybody's asses. They may not be completely tight, but holy hell are they good. Thought Danny Whitten was an unsung hero on the studio album? Listen to him here. He's as much a part of this album as Neil is. These aren't backing vocals - he's a co-lead singer on this track. Oh to have been at these shows. This is history folks. 9.0

2) 'Winterlong' - How could I give my favourite Neil Young song anything less than a ten? Especially with Whitten providing the extra layer of vocals on top? I can't call this a masterpiece because it isn't as much of a ten as the version released on Decade, but I don't mean that as a slight. This is grand... majestic... regal. This will kick your ass into next Wednesday if you're not careful. One of the greatest songs ever written, I kid you not.10.0

3) 'Down By the River' - Masterpiece #39. It takes someone special to take what you thought was one of the greatest things you've ever heard and turn it into something so much more. This is so good that I can't find the words to express how much this knocks me out. 'Masterpiece' dopes not justice to it. Not a bit. This isn't to say the original studio cut isn't great, it's just that this is a masterpiece elevated to mythic levels. Neil's vocals. his guitar playing. Danny's vocals and his somewhat random guitar playing, Billy & Ralphie's rhythm section... all unreal. Sympathies for those who don't enjoy. 10.0

4) 'Wonderin'' - What the Everybody's Knockin' cut could've been, should've been and would've been if Neil's head were on straight. Look, this isn't an earth-shattering song and no-one's gonna confuse it for some of the tems on this album, but for what it is, it does it better than most others. If that makes sense... 7.5

5) 'Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown' - What might've been. Danny was so good that it breaks your heart to know what happened to him. It's a goddamn shame. You don't have to mourn, but know that there could've been so much more. 8.0 (yeah, my thoughts have changed on this, although it fits better here...)

6) 'Cowgirl in the Sand' - Masterpiece #40. I didn't think it could get better than the studio cut of this and boy was I wrong! This is otherworldly shit right here. It's impossible to listen to this just once because it sends you into a trance, floating you along. Neil's guitar playing, needless to say, has hardly ever been better. He's in the zone that very few (if any) have ever entered before. Even if you're not a Neil Young fan, or you are but you prefer another side of him... you have to listen to this song. This shit'll make you weep. One year into his solo career and he's already set a watermark for eveyone else to live up to. Unbelievably great. 10.0

ALBUM RATING: 10.0

VERDICT: About time!! But so worth the wait. This is over a decade of promises distilled into six tracks. I can't say much more than I've already said in this review. This is as legendary as the legend itself and about as important a live document as there's ever been. Who the fuck cares if 'Cinnamon Girl' isn't here? Love what's here and don't worry about what's not.

NEXT: Shrink-wrapped, for your protection.

Cool photos of the day

Ann Margret

Dusty Springfield

Marianne Faithfull

Michelle Phillips

Nancy Sinatra

I Love New York, a musical tribute

I love New York City.  Sure, there's Paris and London, the center of attention for these next couple of weeks, but the proximity to Cleveland makes it even more special. 

I visit there alot.  And true enough, I often call it a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.  Calling it a great escape seems contradictory but that's what it is.  The big city allows you to escape and become anonymous.  Even celebrities love New York because they can walk down the street without being accosted. 

So I was looking up songs about New York.  There's a thousands of them.  In fact, there's a list of songs about New York City on Wikipedia.  So why not make a Spotify playlist of these songs?  And that's just what I'm going to do.  I'm not going to find all of them on Spotify and, surely, this isn't a definitive list but it damn near comes close. 

The New York City playlist will be an ongoing project.  I'll start at the top and add songs when I have a few moments. 

It'll be a great accompaniment for your trip to NYC.  Enjoy.

I Love New York - A Spotify Playlist

 

Spotify 2012 singles and album list update

At the start of 2012 I created two playlists on Spotify.  One contains the official singles released in 2012 and the other is for albums. 

These aren't supposed to be definitive lists by any means.  I'm adding to the singles list either through a message board thread which posts them, or if I see something that I think should be on it that they've neglected.  The albums list contains releases that have gotten decent to good reviews.

The lists are growing quite long, espcially the albums.  It's a great way to quickly search for something new to listen to. 

 

Back to oldies radio

Ever since I got my MacIntosh computer on Father's Day and left the world of Windows behind I haven't listened to Reel Radio, the depository for classic Top 40 radio airchecks and samples.  Reel Radio clips (exhibits as they call them) only play on the Real Player.  That makes logical sense but Real Player is hardly used at all these days. It took me this long to think about downloading the player for Mac, but now that I have I'm back to streaming vintage radio gems. 

What I like to do is search by date so that I can match a clip with the actual time of year.  Right now I'm listening to a nearly two hour, uncut, portion of Tiger Bob Raligh on WPGC, Washington DC from July 20, 1969.  He's just reminded us that the moon landing is happening soon and that Neil Armstrong will be walking on it.  And then Stevie Wonder is singing "My Cherie Amour".  I'm suddenly taken back to that summer in Fairview Park, playing Batman in the backyard and my transistor radio sitting on the picnic table, blasting out the same song. 

I forgot how much I miss listening to these time capsules of radio.  For me it's rejuvenating.  It makes me feel young again.  Who needs medication when music can do the same thing.  Well that and a good workout routine. 

The Neil Young discography - Shakey II, part 26

This discography analysis is written by contributor JT of Perth, Australia.  Follow him at @thesonofnoone on Twitter.

Neil Young
Are You Passionate? (2002) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'You're My Girl' - OK, so heaps of people will point out that it's basically an updated version of 'I Can't Turn You Loose', well at least musically it could be. Well that's where the comparisons should stop, because any other comparisons between that classic and this largely forgotten lukewarm opening to a less-than-lukewarm album just aren't fair. Sorry Wilcoinator, I don't dig this song at all. Neil's vocals are done, and all that's left for him to do to sound like the Neil Young of old is to adopt this half-wheeze. Other problems arise, but they don't really matter too much when the song never really gets off the ground. It sounds good though... it's just not good to listen to - you get my drift. 4.0

2) 'Mr. Disappointment' - Well, I will say this - Neil hasn't lost the touch on Old Black. His tone here, outside of his work with Crazy Horse, is some of the best I've heard from him. Again, the problem here isn't the sound of the song, isn't the guitar playing - it's the song itself. This sounds like a rejected Greendale demo. Plus, it gets a little creepy when you keep thinking to yourself that Neil's singing "I'd like to shave your head", instead of "I;d like to shake your hand". A little better, but not much. 5.0

3) 'Differently' - Disappointing. Neil kicks it off with a great guitar riff and then mixes it with a wussy love song. Keep the riff going you old bastard! I wanna rock out! I don't want Booker T. Jones wasting himself with minimal fills that are about 1/1000th as cool as the ones he did with Stax! Bring back your balls and make me wanna get up and do something. Oh yeah, the backing vocals here are awful too. 4.0

4) 'Quit (Don't Say You Love Me)' - This is getting a bit better. Neil's voice isn't exactly as wussified, and the song swings along nicely. The problem is that I don't think Neil's that great at writing love songs. I don't think he's at his best when trying to write to some formula, and that's where this album is so far failing. But here's hoping it gets better. 5.5

5) 'Let's Roll' - Anyone else think this sounds musically like an outtake from The Wall? No? Just me then? OK. This song gets a lot of crap, and people seem to think that in the "Neil writes in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy" the score stands currently at 1-1. But I don't think it's too bad at all. Many artists were going to pen songs in the aftermath of 9/11, and of the many horrible 'songs' that were vomited onto the public, this is far from the worst. In fact, I'm prepared to say I like this song. So there you go. 7.0

6) 'Are You Passionate?' - This works. Neil's voice is still a bit whiny for my liking, but he's getting back to that classic sound we know. This starts out a little slow and doesn't seem as though it'll ever pick up, but when it does it works and it works crazy well. Sure, this doesn't sizzle like some of the classics, but sue me - I like it. 7.5

7) 'Goin' Home' - Fuck, I was so disappointed when I heard this. You see, Neil had played this every night of his 2001 European Tour with Crazy Horse and sometimes even played it twice a show, almost as though he was touting it as the next big Neil Young classic tune. It fuckin' rocked and would wind up so much you expected it to just explode in a mess (but never did). To listen to this version, recorded before the tour at Toast studios with the Horse, sucks the life out of you. This is embyonic in every way. The live versions in 2001 were fully-blown freak outs that deserve to reach the wider public. This is a great song, one of the best he's written in the last 10 years, but this take isn't the one to convince you of that. 7.5

8) 'When I Hold You In My Arms' - Another good song that never threatens to be great. But these days, you take these songs whenever you get them. Simple, minimal and all Neil. Can't ask for too much more sometimes. Shocking backing vocals though. 13 random cats could've done better. 6.5

9) 'Be With You' - This could be a good song. Instead it's a partial re-write of 'You're My Girl', except with a bit more zeal. I'll say it now (as if you didn't really know already), I don't like 'Neil the soulful tunesmith'. It really is boring. I like Neil the 'what the fuck is he going to do next to break my balls' way. This is about as far from that as possible. Whoever told Neil that a song that sounds like The Supremes would be a good idea? 4.5

10) 'Two Old Friends' - I just woke up after being sent to sleep by this song. I'll be blunt - this song sucks. It really is shit and I don't think I can ever listen to it again. Songs like this make you wish the Hall of Fame could take back awards sometimes. 2.0

11) 'She's a Healer' - At least he finishes it off well. Even though I keep expecting this song to rise to a level it never reaches, I still enjoy listening to it lope along. "All I got is a broken heart, and I don't try to hide it when I play my guitar". Great fuckin' line and a massively positive note to end the album on. Best song on the album. 7.5

ALBUM RATING: 5.0

VERDICT: This is a long album, and despite the presence of a few very good songs, it just drains the life out of you, and not in the good way. I really can't be enthused to write about something so ordinary, something that makes you feel like you've aged two years by the end of it. The songs aren't as horrible as others, but the collective result is just plain bad.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Greendale (2003) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'Falling From Above' - Kicking off with something which sounds like an electrified version of a Harvest Moon track, Greendale perplexes. Its scope is daunting however only rarely do the songs ring home. 'Falling From Above' is not one of those songs. Sounding more like an idea than a fully-fledged song and with an uninspired version of Crazy Horse, it could've used a little more... I don't know. A little more of something perhaps... 4.0

2) 'Double E' - Better. Sounding like the bar band they are at heart, Neil rings some great notes out of Old Black, but such is the case with most of the songs on this album, it's probably a bit too long. I don't know how long it goes for, and I don't care because a song can be twenty minutes and not be long enough, but this song just goes too long. OK, I checked, it goes for 5:19 and that doesn't seem long, but by the end I was checking my watch. Great little sing-along at the end there. 6.0

3) 'Devil's Sidewalk' - This sounds like a left-over from the American Stars 'n Bars era. One that would've been recorded but never would have been considered for the album, not in a million years. There's a difference between simple and simplistic, and here Neil strays towards the latter, resulting in - how can I say this - an extremely uninteresting song. I just mustn't get this album at all. 3.5

4) 'Leave the Driving' - People can try all they want - this is just the same song as 'Devil's Sidewalk' and it shits me. Neil's completely lost the ability to come up with a memorable hook, melody or even an interesting story. This is terrible, and don't try to tell me the Greendale story is memorable. Nothing's memorable when it's this boring. 3.0

5) 'Carmichael' - This is getting really easy to write about. Although this has a slight little twist. Musically, this isn't bad at all (it lopes, to be sure, but Neil lopes better than most), but lyrically and melodically it's a trainwreck. Hopefully I'm not the only person disillusioned by all this. 10 minutes of this is far too much, btw. 5.5

6) 'Bandit' - Again, this shi... Hang on. This is not only good, this is great. Where the hell did this come from? The only song so far that I can actually be interested in. Love the guitar sound, love the gruffness in Neil's voice, love Ralph's playing and Billy's completely disinterested bass playing. Take this song away from the album and it still stands up. Easily the best song on the album. Nothing even gets close. 9.0

7) 'Grandpa's Interview' - Again, this lopes along. For just under thirteen minutes. Not all of those minutes were necessary or called for, but I suppose we have to take them. Again, there's not much melody in the lyrics, but at least there's a litte bit and Neil seems to give a shit. Is it me or does this whole fuckin' album sound like demos that you would scrap? 6.0

8) 'Bringin' Down Dinner' - 

"Dear Neil, 

1) I HATE THAT FUCKING PUMP ORGAN AND WISH IT WOULD DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH. 

2) PLUG YOUR GUITAR IN AND ROCK THE FUCK OUT SO MUCH THAT YOU GIVE YOURSELF EPILEPTIC SEIZURES. 

3) ENOUGH WITH THE MENTIONS OF MOTHER FUCKING EARTH. 

Cheers, Me. 

Oh... 3.0

9) 'Sun Green' - Sounds like someone I'd break up with. If this is her anthem then I guess she's just annoying and boring, taking 12 minutes to say what I could say in four words - "I don't like you". 3.5

10) 'Be the Rain' - Hokey. Cheesy. Annoying. Pretty damn good. This one rocks at least, as opposed to the majority of the album, so I'm more inclined to listen with a more open pair of ears. Sure the megaphone vocals are more annoying than nearly anything else in the history of mankind - but they don't ruin the song at least. 7.0

ALBUM RATING: 4.5

VERDICT: Guilty on all counts. This album's a trainwreck. But only here. Live it took on another life. I never saw the stage shows, but I heard quite a few of them and for the best representation of the album, you needed to get the version of Greendale which came with a bonus DVD with the Dublin performance of Neil's 2003 acoustic tour of Europe. Neil explains the album in between songs, telling stories and expanding on the characters. I still don't care about it, but it's better than the album - which is just terrible and uninspired (except for 'Bandit' of course).

NEXT: 'Get Back to the Country'

All Good Fest begins today a mere 3 hours from Cleveland

The All Good Music Fest was one of the first destination festivals to dot the US landscape every summer.  Starting in 1997, the fest has moved around.  It's been held in Maryland and Virginia but usually takes place in West Virginia.  This year the concert has moved to central Ohio, a place called Legend Valley. 

Legend Valley used to be called Buckeye Lake and before that, well, it was called Legend Valley.  In fact, I saw the headlining act of this weekend's All Good Fest, The Allman Brothers, play there in 1979 along with The Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, Molly Hatchet and McGuffey Lane.  During it's Buckeye Lake days I caught the Grateful Dead there twice.  Once on the hottest day in the history of Ohio. 

The All Good Fest has grown into a four day event.  And the line up sticks much closer to the jam band scene.  The king of outdoor fests here in the US, Bonnaroo, started off as a jam band festival but has moved far from that concept.

I can't make the scene but have many friends heading down for the long weekend.  To them and to any of you others who might head down south let me just say safe travels and jam on. 

Great feedback on Radio Hannibal Daily Music Sessions

I've been doing the Radio Hannibal Daily Music Session via Spotify for a few months now.  You can find it at the top of the home page.  Here's today's show.  Anyway, I'm thrilled with the number of people "tuning in" and the positive comments I've received. 

As I said when I began it, it's not ideal.  I don't get to actually mix the songs nor do I get to talk about the music I'm playing.  Still, it gives me a chance to share the music I find enjoyable, the songs that I would play on the radio.

On Saturday I'm going to see about the possibility of my being on the radio once again as I head to the casting call at the Beachland for the new limited power FM station in town, WLFM.  It gets underway at 10am but I'll be there around 9.  If you're a fan or a friend and looking for something to do Saturday morning I'd love for you to be there.  Have my back as it were.  I get three mintues to make my pitch.  Wish me luck.