The Smiths

This post about the Smiths is going to be tricky. I've had their singles collection on hard disks past and present since 2005. But I didn't really like them until...today.

The Smiths have been lurking about in my cultural consciousness since 2004 or so. I think I read about them in an article about Radiohead. They were described as the quintessential 1980s British indie band. As I began to expand my understanding of rock history, their name kept popping up. A rock geek like me is supposed to like the Smiths. Apparently they returned guitar rock to the charts in the UK, paving the way for bands like the Stone Roses, and eventually the whole Britpop scene. Artists I like used to listen to them. They have this cool factor. Noel Gallagher described the first time he saw the Smiths perform on Top of the Pops. He said, slightly sheepishly, that for a moment he wanted to be Johnny Marr. Those days Marr looked pretty sharp -- like a combination of Roger McGuinn and Keith Richards maybe (when they were young of course).

People I know like the Smiths. One of my friends expressed suprise when I said I didn't like them, because he thought I was the type who would like them. I react very strangely to this kind of pigeonholing. On one level, I hate to think of my tastes as predictable. On the other hand, I'm always looking for a new band to obsess about. So I end up being both curious and suspicious. This happened with Dave Matthews Band, and with Jethro Tull. Even Radiohead. When a band takes a while to grow on me, the appreciation becomes much more intense than when it's love at first listen.

Instrumentally, there's no particular reason for me not to like the Smiths. They occupy that space of jangly guitars and jaunty rhythms that I know and love. Johnny Marr knows his riffs. My problem was always with Morrissey, who seems to clash so strongly with the band that backs him up. He sounds like a manic-depressive crooner, yodeling morbid, angst-ridden teenage poetry ("Heaven knows I'm miserable now"). Sometimes his lyrics put me in mind of someone confused about his sexuality ("This Charming Man" - creepy). He swings gladioli around on stage. He doesn't look all that feminine, so the cut of his jaw doesn't match the cut of his jibe, if you follow me. And there's that hair.

I've been listening to their Best Of sporadically since 2005 or so. I can sing along with the choruses of songs I can't name. I even passed them on to my friends while they were in Bombay. "Heaven knows I'm miserable now" is permanently associated with Tommy and the gang in that tiny flat/artist's pad. One evening Tommy told me that he had come back after a really rough day at work, and that song was playing.

Today I was sitting in the library reading Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations. (I also read a research paper. I'm not completely jobless.) I was listening to the Smiths, tucked away in a cozy corner of the philosophy and religion section, with a shaft of afternoon light warming my back.

And after three years, something clicked. I always liked "How Soon is Now". The guitar work covered up the somewhat embarrassing line "I am human and I want to be loved." One song does not a fan make. I started liking "Panic" recently. But two songs is still a bit iffy. Today I heard "Ask". Initially I was wary about the lyrics. Shyness and Coyness and all. But somehow I opened up to the words -- I could relate! The song was written for shy people like me! I heard it three times back-to-back. It probably won't cure my shyness, but it feels good to hear it anyway!

So now I like (at least) three songs! That's triangulation! I have an access point. A foot in the door, so to speak. Perhaps in the next few days I'll even start liking songs like "William it was really nothing" or "The boy with a thorn in his side." (Right now they still elicit slight shudders).

Here are three excellent Smiths songs. And you know what? Even the lyrics and vocals are growing on me.

The Smiths -- What Difference Does It Make? [mp3] [youtube]

The Smiths -- Ask [mp3] [youtube] [lyrics]

The Smiths -- Panic [mp3] [youtube]

"Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life."

For a Limited Time Only! (FIXED)

T asked me to make a good old fashioned mixtape, and I have obliged. Salil made one too, and you can find it at The Rant Reader. It's good. Dancy and all. Multi-culti, even.

My list isn't particularly new, but most of the songs are from this decade. I've thrown in some oldies, and a cover of a Dylan song, because they've been on heavy rotation. Most of the songs aren't that weird. Except the Animal Collective single. I think the collection moves along nicely.

1. Mama Cass - Make Your Own Kind Of Music [1]
2. T. Rex - Ride a White Swan
3. Pete and The Pirates - Come On Feet
4. The Rumble Strips - Alarm Clock
5. Animal Collective - Peacebone
6. Cansei De Ser Sexy - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
7. The Magnetic Fields - Absolutely Cuckoo
8. The Fiery Furnaces - We Got Back The Plague [8]
9. Beirut - Scenic World [9]
10. MGMT - Pieces of What
11. The National - Apartment Story
12. The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Live)
13. Davy Graham - Anji [13]
14. Jim James & Calexico - Goin' To Acapulco (Dylan Cover)
15. The Strokes - Between Love & Hate
    
16. Glasvegas - Go Square Go [16]
17. Guillemots - Annie, Let's Not Wait
18. Amy Macdonald - The Road To Home

Enjoy!

megaupload.com/?d=38WCOOQK

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[1] Mama Cass was one of the Mamas from the Mamas and the Papas.
[8] I love their quirky take on the blues.
[9] This is a gloriously synth-y exception to their American Gypsy sound.
[13] Davy Graham was an extremely influential British guitarist. Paul Simon learned a trick or two from him, and Jimmy Page has stolen some of his licks, cheeky magpie that he is.
[16] I recommend hunting for their lyrics.

"Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable of giving pleasure to thousands, and all you can do is scratch it!"

~ English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham commenting on a cello player's talent.

Although this is an arbitrary post to pick up after being AWOL for so long, but I really don't want to talk about life, universe, or anything else along those lines.

I have been listening to some western classical music since December last year. No apparent reason, just happened to stumble across it as I was aimlessly trying to find something interesting to distract me while waiting for a job... which, by the way, I still haven't found, so I would appreciate any help anyone could give me.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand. This is not meant to be pretentious. I am musically talentless, tone-deaf, if you will. Nor am I educated in the jargon. I don't claim to be a connoisseur, these are just some of the pieces I have truly enjoyed listening to, some over and over again in our media library selection... a top 10 pick. I have provided a few links to some of the pieces on youtube, but most are of poor quality not to mention in incomplete parts, but will give you a sense of the piece.

1. Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto#2, Op. 18
Compared to the chaps we are familiar with, Rachmaninoff is fairly contemporary (d. 1943). He wrote this piece recovering from severe depression and a particularly dirty break-up with his wife. Although not as famous as his Piano Concerto#3, this is a powerful piece and the first movement is absolutely spellbinding. A virtuoso himself he often played this as a part of his repertoire. There are lots of renditions... Arcadi Volodos, Sergei Vassiljevitsj, Evgeny Kissin, but my favorite has to be Alexis Weisenberg with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by the late (Nazi!) Herbert von Karajan. The clip is a little messed up in the beginning but it's Karajan and Weisenberg.

2. Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto#3, Op. 30
His most famous composition, and reputedly extremely hard to play well. Although, I personally prefer #2, #3 requires more deftness and technical fingering, or so I am told by resident piano experts at Hamilton. I have only heard two renditions, but 69 year old Vladimir Horowitz playing under the baton of Zubin Mehta in 1978 was absolutely spectacular. Clip of the first part of the first movement.

3. Camille Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Although considered repetitive or even boring, along with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto #1, Op. 35, this is my favorite piece for the violin. Again there are many renditions, Itzhak Perlman, Jascha Heifetz, etc. The one that really captured me was 14-year old Viviane Hagner performing with the Israeli and Berlin Philharmonic in Tel Aviv in 1990 under Zubin Mehta. There was something about that performance that was just right...see for yourself.

4. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto#1, Op. 35
When this composition premiered it was major failure and most violinists of the time refused to play it, but today it is concerned as one of the best pieces for the violin and virtuosos covet to play the solo. I have mixed feelings about this. At times, it is sublime, at times it sounds discordant and scratchy, more of an experiment with the instrument than the results of success. Nevertheless, 18 year Akiko Suwanai, prize winner at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow has played a beautiful rendition. Jascha Heifetz's is the most famous, but I still prefer Suwanai. First part of the first movement.

5. Maurice Ravel's Miroirs 4: "Alborada del Gracioso"
French. In my opinion the pop star of the baroque period. Ravel is the turn of the century ABBA. Upbeat, catchy, and you can tap your feet to it and you don't need to close your eyes to enjoy the music. I personally like the piano solo version, but the arrangement for the orchestra is quite good too but feels a little somber and not, well "happy enough". There's a strange piece with Bram van Sambeek doing a bassoon solo! As for versions, there's Richter (a bit too fast, I felt), Karstein Djupdal (the other version our library had) is quite good. I'm sure there are some better ones out there, let me know if you find a good piece. It's a horrible version but the best I could find on youtube.

6. W. A. Mozart's "Requiem" K626
Foggy, gloomy, surreal. Mozart's famous unfinished work. Although there is debate on how much of it was actually written by the maestro himself, it is still a hauntingly beautiful piece. The violins and the chorals... it's pretty scary. Haven't found a favorite version yet. First part of 6.

7. Camille Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre"
Another hauntingly surreal piece. I first heard an excerpt of this as the opening theme to the British drama "Jonathan Creek" starring Alan Davies. For this composition too there are arrangements for violin and piano, but I like the orchestral version the most. There is something about the thundering sound of violin crescendos and timpani. Complete clip, good quality, Philadelphia Philharmonic.

8. Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka" (ballet)
I wasn't sure if I wanted to add this, so I am playing it right now and I think I should add it. Petrushka is a ballet, and although it has it's moments of genius, if simply heard, rather than seen, it can feel a bit, well, "rough". Russian to the core, it's very hard with heavy, banging fortissimos. The piano arrangement that he later did for Russian pianist Rubenstein is actually quite good. I'm trying to see if I can get hold of a video, I've asked the library to order a copy, let's see. Youtube has a very dirty copy if you're interested. Piano rendition of "Russian Dance" from the first act.

9. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Festival Overture: The Year 1812", op. 49
To quote Calvin, "The fire cannons in a crowded theater... and then they say classical music is boring!" No seriously, this is as Russian as it gets, war drums, cannon fire... gotta love that. Quite different from the Violin Concerto I listed above, but equally good. And if you're Russian, patriotic to beat. If you're French, well that just sucks now doesn't it? Versions, hmm... well we have the Moscow Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic versions conducted by Ozawa. Both are good, but use synthesized sounds. I want a taste of the real thing!

10. Johannes Brahms' Symphony#1, Op. 68
I was torn between Handel's "Messiah" and this but I think the fact that Brahms took almost 20 years to write the damn thing, gives him a little more weight. We'll cover Handel next time around. The opening is powerful. It isn't overtly long like Mahler and Beethoven (Brahms was supposed to carry on Big B's legacy...) for that matter and he manages to keep it tight. He put the 20 years to good use. Right till the finale there is a sense of tension. However, even a novice like myself can hear the similarities between this piece and a mix of Big B's 5th, 7th, and 9th symphonies. No favorite version yet. I don't know how good the clip is, I haven't heard it... it's the first decent on I found on youtube.

Well that covers that for now, next time, let's see, Beethoven, Liszt and his unplayable "Transcendental Etudes", Strauss, Debussy, Haydn, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and whatever I find interesting in the interim. Maybe Paganini. I'm sure many of you have recommendations, so fire away...

Hic Sunt Draconis

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys
One grey night it happened-- Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane
Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.

Don't be so ridiculous, the song has nothing to do with drugs. Grow up, get off the weed.

Be nostalgic.

Oasis

What makes Oasis one of the greatest bands of all time? It beats me. They're not the cleverest popsmiths around. And Noel Gallagher plays fast and loose with originality. Even their album art seems neither-here-nor-there most of the time.

Oasis makes me want to smile and cry and pump my fist. They make me want to sing along -- even to admittedly derivative and silly songs. They've discovered some warm fuzzy place at the heart of British guitar music, channeling the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Stone Roses, The La's...but they generate a sound that somehow remains unmistakably Oasis. I read someone mentioning that initially they didn't get Oasis, until one day they heard them loud -- earsplittingly loud. And then they understood.

I was reminded of how great they were by a song I discovered today -- it isn't on any albums. It's called "Whatever" and it's clearly a rip-off of a Neil Innes song. But Noel turned a cute novelty song with a good tune into a sublime, timeless anthem. It's the kind of song that is so beautiful I feel spent by the end of it (and then I play it again).

Oasis - Whatever [listen] [watch]

And here's another slightly hard-to-find track:

Oasis - Round Are Way [listen]

Dodos are not extinct

The Dodos are a band I recently heard on one of my Music Discovery Days. They're just two guys -- a guitarist and a drummer. These two instruments have conspired with the vocals to generate a simple yet exciting sound. These chaps seem to be talented instrumentalists (to the extent that I can pick up on virtuosity) but they haven't sacrificed that essential ingredient -- the elusive pop sensibility.

I'm saying all sorts of things about them based on just two songs. But what songs they are! I strongly suggest downloading them, because they're not terribly easy to find.

The Dodos - Fools
The Dodos - Jodi

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is an excellent band with a crappy name. At the very least, their name conveys nothing about their sublimely melodic rock - it has touches of Graceland and The Police. No angular guitars. No shouty post-punk. Smooth, clever, cheerful.

Here's their myspace page. (Does anyone download the mp3s I post? )

VW is getting plenty of good hype. I'm all for that. But what annoys the hell out of me is that people keep talking about how they're "preppy" and Ivy league educated (they went to Columbia). Their lyrics name check Northeastern WASP towns and feature quirky references to oxford commas and Louis Vuitton. My dad would approve of their dress sense.

So they're sons of privilege. So what? All these pasty white music critics and bloggers have hip-hop acts on their year-end lists (so as to be "balanced") and many of them shamelessly glorify violence, conspicuous spending, and misogyny. All that is cool and very "street", but college kids singing about college life is elitist, and therefore reprehensible. What crapola.

Here's a good article about this issue.


But screw my rant -- just listen to them. That's the main thing.

EDIT:

Here are 3 of their songs:

Mansard Roof
A-Punk
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

The Bomp and Brilliance

Glasvegas is a Scottish band I discovered recently, thanks to Paul Lester's excellent Band of the Day page at the Guardian. If anything, I've picked up on this band at a stage in their history that's even earlier than where the Arctic Monkeys were when I discovered them in December 2005. Glasvegas aren't even signed to a record label yet.

The sound is aching, romantic, shimmery and sweet. The hype manages to capture some truth: this Glasgow quartet captures the late 1950s and early 1960s, giving it a touch of electric distortion. Their single "Daddy's Gone" is getting a lot of press, and for good reason. People wonder if they can keep up the form. Alan McGee (the man who discovered Oasis) is raving about them, and I think he's on to something. I found a nine-song artist promo online, and I can vouch for them.

This seems to be the real shit. And this doesn't mean that they've reinvented rock and roll. They just do what they do really well. And with an almost unintelligible Scottish accent.

Here is their myspace page.

And here's a link to the video for Daddy's Gone. The lead singer has a certain Joe Strummer quality. So they've got the sound, and they've got the look. Let's see if they have a little luck. They deserve it!

In case it isn't clear: I really like this band.

Jai Bharat Ma Ki

"How can you not be patriotic?" she asked me (between bouts of nibbling and nuzzling) on Republic Day. Her father was in the Army, though, so I had to watch my answer. (It had a lot to do with fucking uneducated moron politicians.)

Urban Indian musicians aren't half bad, though. Talented, many of them are. Studio production quality is far removed from Western standards, but despite GIR being almost fifteen years old this year, it's still a nascent industry, so nobody minds. (I suppose technically all recorded Indian rock music is "indie" music, huh?)

First up today, a blast from my past. I used to play the drums way back in college (you know, like years ago, dude). Apart from a random one-time in early 2007, I last sat on a drum throne (stool, to civilians) on a New Year's Eve "concert", on the night when 2005 became 2006. Over two years ago. It was pretty funny actually, our bass guitarist quite surprised us when, at 11 pm, he took off his guitar strap and announced that he was very sorry, but he had to go to church for the new year service, and he'd be back as soon as he could! We had to improvise, recruiting my friend Raven from the audience to fill in on bass on the songs he knew. On the songs he didn't, he switched with Motte ("baldie") on the keyboard.

Anyway, this clip isn't from that show, but from September 2003, when the Raven and I were playing with our college band, the terribly-named JamStation, at the rock show that signed off the annual college festival. It wasn't the first time I'd been on such a big stage, but it was the first time I was playing Harmony, and I was pretty darn nervous. Plus it was a strange kit-- I think it was the Them Clones drummer's kit, but I'm not sure. My friends were very sweet, crowding near the stage to cheer Raven and me on.

Being Me had been written the previous year, when Atrey, a 3rd-year from The College Across The Road recruited first-years Raven and me to play drums and keyboard for his band, Incognito. We (or at least I) didn't know at the time that Incognito is also the name of a very well-respected band from America or somewhere, known for its musical talent. We jammed for the first time one afternoon in our college gym, covering U2's Pride (In The Name of Love). Raven hadn't heard the song before (I know!!) and was impressed that I could just play along the first time we tried it. That was also the first time he'd heard me play, and happily, he wasn't disgusted. We eventually competed in various competitions, and were even signed up to play at a private party in South Delhi, where I, then still a novice alcoholic, got royally drunk and found it very funny that I was so. Predictably, the other band members didn't find it funny, but I managed to play anyway, and with above-average intensity. (Was it the first time I broke a drumstick? Can't remember.)

So anyway Atrey and Patrick came up with Being Me, and I was terribly impressed with the catchiness of Patrick's guitar playing. He was quite talented, and quite sweet, that chap, although we had our share of differences later on. Patrick was also the guy who came up with the name JamStation. Urggh. Sadly though, the lyrics to Being Me were lost when Atrey moved to England to study music. (He'd lost the scrap of paper on which he penned them.) Patrick, Raven and I, now in JamStation, all still knew the music, but none of us remembered any words beyond "And I said, "Hey, what'chu gonna do about it? Take your pride, and shove it where the sun don't shine!"" Sam, JamStation's "vocalist", eventually ended up reading from an article in the college newsletter during the verses, and singing the original chorus.

I'm probably my biggest critic, which is a good thing, I suppose. Listening to the live recording now, I'm not impressed with the quality of my playing. I'm not being modest; apart from a lack of technical skill, there are instances where I lose time, which is the cardinal sin for a drummer. Patrick's guitar playing is fine, no issues there. Sam sings as well as the limitations of his voice permit. We're not "tight" overall. But I guess it's okay for an amateur college band.

JamStation - Being Me (Live At Harmony 2003, hehe)

Next up is Raven's new band, Sixth Element, and their OC (orig. comp.) Chimney Star. Like all bands, they've had their share of politics, tension, and creative differences. (It's unbelievable how much politicking there is in any band; it gives you respect for bands that never have line-up changes.) But a love for progressive metal, in particular titans Pain of Salvation, keep them ticking. This song was recorded only a week or so ago, in a Bengaluru studio. (I use that word every time I can, serves Karnataka right for changing it.)

I was mighty impressed when I first heard Chimney Star. I like the production quality and the drummer's style. I also like the guitar-keyboard combine from timestamp 1:56 onwards. Nice little dolphin cries from the guitarist.

Sixth Element - Chimney Star

Now for a really good recording. ('Good recording' as in recording quality.) AVR's bassist was a junior of mine in college. The name stands for Another Violent Response, I think. They regularly do pub gigs around Delhi. The drums on this recording blew me away the first time I heard it, but I later found that (a) they were programmed, not truly recorded, and (b) Shardul from other Delhi regulars Joint Family, who is an excellent drummer, was roped in for the recording instead of AVR's regular drummer.

AVR - Anger Management

And, to round off the bridge quartet, check out Sam (not the JamStation singer, another guy) and his demo Killing Time. Sam recorded all the vocals and instruments himself, a la Enya, on a regular desktop PC. Good for him, I say. The song's a bit slow for my taste, but full marks for effort.

Samuel Chuango - Killing Time

I feature on one of these songs, and the others all feature friends/acquaintances of mine, but comments and criticism are welcome, please. I hate not getting responses to posts.

Oh, I Just Realised

The White Stripes?

Gonna Take A Lot To Drag Me Away From You

This isn't the big post I just talked about. But I love men who can sing. And obviously, I do not mean I get turned on by them or any such crap. I just love good singing.

I also like Christmas carols, I like a dash of irreverence, and I LOVE Africa by Toto. (Sorry, I have it on CD, not on my comp, and I don't feel like taking the trouble to rip it :).) And thanks to my well-known Friends fetish, I got the Hanukkah reference.



Er. Not sure why the video box looks so bad. Help?

Coming Soon

I promise. Big long post with lots of material and lots of songs.

Until then, you can read this to tide you over. But it's not only about music.

Hey Yohan, can we invite Floppy to contribute here? I don't want Zonuts to be my solo music blog. Plus, her tastes run more in line with readers here. Constantly hearing that metal and trance don't interest people has made me hold off quite a few posts on some of my most loved bands.

And also, why don't we get a counter for Zonuts?