Green Day - Warning

I briefly liked Green Day in the mid-90s before moving onto rave. A few years later I got back into them and it was the fast drum beats that hooked me back in.

By the year 2000 I owned all 5 of their albums, but with their most recent album coming in 1997 there were question marks over whether they were still going.

Later on that year they were back with the new single "Minority" and a new album to follow. The best word to describe the single was solid, I enjoyed it but it was far from their best and did lack the fast drums.

I wasn't too worried, the lead single from their previous album was "Hitchin A Ride" which also lacked the fast drums but the album was much better even if it was no "Dookie".

I knew the release date of the "Warning" album in advance and on the day it was released I bought it and couldn't wait to give it a listen. Here's what happened:

Warning - OK I wasn't expecting this, slow drums, acoustic guitar and a song I found rather boring. Was this really a Green Day album I bought? Only the first track, hopefully it will get better

Blood, Sex and Booze - it's got better, but not by much. This is this albums "Hitchin A Ride", the second track with a similar beat, it's just that Nimrod started with a fast one and this album didn't

Church on Sunday - this one's a bit more promising but doesn't quite deliver. Again this is mirroring Nimrod in that the third track on there "The Grouch" wasn't fast enough and this track does the same. The difference is "The Grouch" made up for its lack of speed with its aggression, this ones a bit limp

Fashion Victim - back to the "Hitchin A Ride" beat again. I come to expect these type of tracks but 2 from the first 4 seems too much, particularly given the other 2 tracks are boring and limp respectively

Castaway - we've finally got up to speed, easily the best track on the album so far. Yet it feels like there's something missing from it, the drums are pretty much the only good thing about it

Misery - a 5 minute long Green Day song, that's unheard of. I'd written a 5 minute song myself but my drummer wanted to cut it down to 2 minutes, with Green Day doing a 5 minute song he might change his mind about songs longer than 2 minutes (he didn't). It's different to your average Green Day song and takes inspiration from The Doors. It's not bad, but at the same time if I wanted to hear a song like this I'd just listen to The Doors

Deadbeat Holiday - this sounds like the song I've been waiting to hear all album, like the Green Day I know and love. That's until the drums kick in and turn out to be frustratingly slow. Speed this one up and you're onto a winner

Hold On - is this still a Green Day album or has Bob Dylan taken over? 

Jackass - completely forgot how this one goes now, all I remember is that it doesn't have the fast drums

Waiting - I know the feeling about waiting a long time for this moment to come. I've been waiting for the album and now I have it I'm still waiting for a song with the fast drums and a bit of power. This isn't it but it's a good song and easily the best song on the album

Minority - the single I already knew. I'd expected it to be one of the worst songs on the album such was my expectation but is probably the 2nd best song on there

Macy's Day Parade - last chance to deliver something great but this is the worst song on the album. There was a lot of slow and boring indie music around this time and this sounded like one of those songs

86 - a bonus track which is a live version of a song that appeared on the "Insomniac" album. A song that's nothing special but sounds a breath of fresh air compared to the album I've just listened to.

Needless to say the album was a huge disappointment. I gave it a chance to grow on me but that never happened and I no longer have said album. 

The Rave Story @ Electrowerkz

There seems to be a lot of nostalgia for the 90s rave scene these days. Several events take place in the day time with DJs playing sets of 90s tunes to mainly cater for those who liked the music the first time round. The Rave Story does just that but there's something extra I've not come across anywhere else, a rave seminar.

The latest of these events was celebrating 35 years of DJ Vibes and I bought tickets when on DJ Vibes and Billy Bunter who is behind these events were the only 2 DJs announced.

The full line up told us DJ Vibes was going to play an old skool set, a Vibes & Live Lee happy hardcore set, a house set and doing a seminar. Also on the line up included Slipmatt and Sy in the old skool room, Groovrerider, Brockie, SS and Remarc in the jungle room, Alex P in the house room and Fat Controller, Kaos and Vinyltrixta in the hardcore room. There was also a seminar with Magika.

It was inevitable that I wouldn't get to see all those mentioned and there would be clashes, but annoyingly they didn't give the set times ahead of the event.

I arrived just after 13:00 and the first room I walked into was a place to buy rave memorabilia such as vinyl and flyers with Ray Keith being among the people with a stand.

I then located the set times to find none of the above names were playing at that moment in time. Taking a wander, the first room I came across was the jungle room which was surprisingly small. Then I went upstairs and found the house room which had doors either end. Returning to the ground floor I saw the hardcore room the other side of the windows where the memorabilia stands were.

We settled on the jungle room to begin with, though it was very much drum & bass that was being played. I didn't know the bulk of what was being played and suspect it was after my time. Was enjoyable hearing the drum & bass beat nonetheless and a bit later the MCs join, 2 of them and I couldn't understand a word they were saying.

With the facilities outside the jungle room being closed a search of alternative facilities took me to the main room. I don't know whether I'm just getting old and my eyesight is failing me but the lighting in that room made navigating it interesting and I was completely sober. 

By this point there was around 40 minutes to go until the Vibes seminar and went to the house room but the music seemed a bit too slow after the old skool room so it was onto the hardcore room which obviously didn't have that problem.

To the Vibes seminar then hosted by Fat Controller. Plenty of seating on arrival and I thought it would be more popular but the room did start to fill up as it went on. It was interesting to hear his story and also a nice way to break down the day between the music.

Following the seminar it was a 30 minute wander between the rooms until Vibes & Live Lee were due to play in the hardcore room. In the jungle room were Millz and Jack Light, DJs I'd never heard of but turns out they're Nicky Blackmarkets daughter and Billy Bunters son respectively. The minute or so spent in that room during this set just sounded a racket but was mostly down to the female MC with them. Quickly concluded this was after my time and moved on.

Time for Vibes and Live Lee and was just what you'd expect, some singalong anthems plus the usual rhymes from MC Live Lee. I suspect they did go into the 21st century towards the end because I wasn't familiar with the later tracks and they finished with "Angel Eyes" which I know is 21st century.

Following this it was back to the seminar room with a Magika seminar except there was no Magika there. Instead MC Chalkie White was up there filling in last minute. Nevertheless it was interesting to hear his story. I don't know whether people already knew Magika wasn't there but hardly anyone was in the seminar.

Then it was onto the house room to see Vibes play a house set. This clashed with Slipmatt in the old skool room so decided to do 30 minutes of Vibes and 30 minutes of Slipmatt. Was a little reluctant to go to see Slipmatt because I was enjoying the Vibes house set so much but persisted.

Chalkie White was MCing for Slipmatt instead of Magika but given the lack of visibility it could have been anyone on the decks. 

It was back to the house room for the penultimate hour with Alex P. I've never seen him play before so was looking forward to this. It was set of the day, he was playing Ibiza anthems without being it being too obvious and got the blend spot on. 

Back to the old skool arena for the final hour caught the last 15 minutes of Billy Bunter before Vibes did 45 minutes to round off the day. He played several of his tunes with Wishdokta and ended the set with "Obsession (Musics So Wonderful)" and "Sing It Loud". 

There was an after party happening in the same place which we were all welcome to stay on for but I opted to go home. DJ Vibes himself didn't stay on either because I saw him getting on the same tube as me.

An enjoyable event and I should be back for another.

Unpopular Opinion: Oasis

I'll begin with what the popular opinion is regarding Oasis. People say their first 2 albums were outstanding, as were the non-album songs from this period. They say the 3rd album was a let down and the albums that followed weren't a patch on their early work.

This seems evident from the setlist from their comeback tour which has just 1 song that was made after 1997. Their original run lasted until 2009 but how many people remember their final singles? I certainly don't.

We're all in agreement about album 3 and beyond then but my unpopular opinion is that I don't think much of their first 2 albums either. I say this as someone who knows most tracks on both albums despite never owning either such was their popularity at the time.

Part of me wishes I did like their music. I'm always interested in hearing what Noel Gallagher has to say and I often find myself nodding and agreeing with him. 

In particular I find Noel Gallagher refreshingly honest about the state of modern music. For example at a time when Adele was somehow selling a ridiculous number of albums he called it granny music, which it is. It's a shame I don't think Noel Gallagher's music is up to much either.

Even Liam Gallagher has grown on me in recent years. I didn't think much to him as a person in the 90s but these days I find his bluntness quite refreshing and often funny.

What's wrong with the music then?

Well in 1993 when I would have called myself a rock and metal fan the progression of my music tastes were getting into music that was heavier. When the dynamic amongst my peers shifted from American rock bands to British indie bands my issue was it was going in the wrong direction because the music was softer. That's what ultimately led me to getting into rave music instead.

That said, there were plenty of Britpop songs that I liked, just not Oasis ones.

The bigger problem I have with their music other than it being too soft is that it's too slow. The one thing that's drawn me towards music more than anything is beats. In the mid-90s I was listening to happy hardcore, a genre many said got too fast but I always saw that aspect as a good thing.

I'm not saying all slow music is bad, I have plenty of chill out music in my collection. Oasis aren't a chill out band though. Their music is made to be played out loud and for crowds of people to sing along to at the top of their voice. In that sort of situation I'd want music that's quick.

Don't get me wrong, I've been out and about and joined in a sing song of "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back In Anger" and that's fine for the 4 minutes or so the songs last for. 2 hours of that sort of thing would drive me up the wall though. 

The Temptations: Band Members

In 1965 The Temptations hit the big time with what they call their national anthem "My Girl". David Ruffin was on lead vocals and backing him up were Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Eddie Kendricks.

One has to go back to 1968 to find the last time that particular line up of the group performed together and the death of Paul Williams in 1973 ensured we'd never see this line up again.

40 years after we'd last seen that line up I went to see The Temptations in concert myself. I was asked how someone my age had heard of The Temptations, mostly by people who were too young themselves to remember them in their 60s heyday. Another reaction I got though was that these weren't the real Temptations, more like a tribute act.

By this point Otis Williams was the only member of the "My Girl" line up who was still alive and he was part of this new line up I was going to see. David Ruffin left in 1968 and Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams left in 1971 whilst Melvin Franklin remained with the group until his death in 1995.

The question is if the lineup of The Temptations I saw in 2008 wasn't the real Temptations then when did the real Temptations cease to exist?

I think we'd all agree it wasn't 1968 when David Ruffin left given the number of big hits they were still having and the fact his replacement Dennis Edwards was considered an important enough member to be part of their induction to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Some may say 1971 when they were down to just 2 original members but then that would be saying "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", one of their biggest hits wasn't by the real Temptations.

Maybe it was 1995 when they went down to just 1 original member. Then again current member Ron Tyson joined in 1983 and sang on their 80s comeback record "Treat Her Like A Lady", so that would be saying he was a real Temptation for the first 12 years but not in the 31 years since. In fact he was in the group with Otis and Melvin for longer than any of the other "My Girl" line up members were.

OK I get it, the line up in 2008 wasn't ideal. Whilst Otis Williams was always considered the group leader, from a singing perspective if you had to pick a member from the "My Girl" line up to be missing from the stage then he would be it.

Similarly whilst Melvin Franklin was a very talented bass singer he rarely took the lead which rightly or wrongly is what the audience are usually interested in. Without David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams or Dennis Edwards in the group it can be likened to a rock band with only the drummer from their heyday remaining.

Also in 2008 Dennis Edwards, Richard Street and Damon Harris were all still alive so it was still possible to be just 1 member short of the "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" line up. All 3 have since passed away so this is no longer possible.

All of this aside the fact is The Temptations have never been consistent in their line ups. The "My Girl" line up lasted just 4 years as did the "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" line up. The line up I saw in 2008 lasted 8 years and is currently the longest the group has ever gone with the same line up.

Ron Tyson has now been in the group for 43 years, longer than anyone but Otis Williams. Terry Weeks has been in it for 29 years, just 5 years less than Melvin Franklin was. You'd think after this amount of time they'd be considered proper Temptations now.

For some no Eddie Kendricks means no Temptations and if that's what they think then fair enough. The current line up though is the official continuation of the group so your choice is accept this line up and enjoy the show or accept you're never going to see The Temptations in concert.

Unpopular Opinion: David Bowie

This is the first in an occasional series of posts where I talk about music I seem to be in the minority for liking or disliking.

I begin with perhaps the most unpopular opinion I have. David Bowie is one of the most successful artists the world has ever seen. Some say when The Beatles called it a day he was the one to fill the gap they left behind. Yet I honestly don't see the appeal.

My music memories begin in 1987 and this was the year David Bowie released his "Never Let Me Down" album. The album was a flop and I have no recollection of the singles from it. This started a 6 year hiatus for David Bowie the artist and as such as we entered the 90s I'd still never heard of him.

When I became a Queen fan following the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 I finally became aware of David Bowie thanks to "Under Pressure". My first impression of David Bowie was a positive one.

By the time of his comeback in 1993 I'd become more aware of David Bowie the person at least though not sure I knew too much of his music. Whilst my peers would give me stick for liking Queen mainly because they were old hate, David Bowie was considered one of the pioneers you should respect.

I don't recall too many people heaping praise on his 1993 singles and they were a bit of a non-entity for me. When Nirvana covered "The Man Who Sold The World" later on in the year this was seen as a David Bowie song you should like, and indeed it's not bad.

A lot of praise I was hearing for David Bowie in general was how he pushed the boundaries with his image rather than how groundbreaking his music was. I'd seen the pictures and knew of the Ziggy Stardust persona, I could imagine how strange that might have been in the 70s but don't necessarily see it as a good thing.

Into the late 90s the David Bowie I was seeing was an old duffer trying to be down with the kids. He teamed up with the Pet Shop Boys on "Hallo Spaceboy" and then did the drum & bass record "Little Wonder" which I thought was crap.

I can't place a point in time on this but I recall a TV advert for some greatest hits compilation of his and there was a clip of "Space Oddity" and "Starman". Both songs sounded quite good from the clips but after hearing in full they're not bad but not as good as the clips suggest.

At the same time this is as good as it gets when it comes to his music. He does have catchy numbers such as "Let's Dance" but I've always found that one irritating. The majority of his music is neither catchy or interesting in my opinion, it just sort of exists. It's almost like it's the image that does the talking and the music is secondary.

Yet the best song he's ever written is one he gave away to someone else. I'm talking about "All The Young Dudes" by Mott The Hoople. He knew how to write a good song then, but most of what he did write just isn't my cup of tea.

Music & Politics

On this blog I've given a lot of opinions to the extent you may have a good idea what I make think about some of the music I'm yet to comment on.

What you won't know from reading this blog alone are my political views. Why would you? this is a blog about music and the party I plan to vote for at the next election bears no relevance.

The big story in the music world at the moment is that rapper Macklemore has given a political speech whilst supporting Ed Sheeran in concert which has caused a stir. He's been removed from the Ed Sheeran tour as a result and now every support act has pulled out of the tour in support of Macklemore. Meanwhile Ed Sheeran has lost a fraction of his Instagram followers.

Musicians like the rest of us have their own political views, some are quite vocal about them whilst others stay quiet. At the end of the day though they're musicians not political commentators. 

It could be argued that the rave scene was political but the message here was quite clear. It was people from all walks of life uniting against the government because they wanted a party. Nobody was saying which way to vote, or which side to take in a war between 2 foreign countries.

These days though some of the DJs from back in the day are doing just that. Look at some of their social media pages and you'll find very little about music and a lot of airing their political views. Then there's the bickering between DJs at different ends of the political spectrum.

Peace, love and unity sounds great in theory but at the end of the day we all have different views and opinions political or otherwise. The reality is that when you gather thousands of people together at a music event the only thing that unites everybody there is the music.

That's the power of music, it alone unites people. Start preaching things that have nothing to do with music and you will inevitably divide them.

At the end of the day I go to a music event for the music. I've been at gigs where between the music the act I'm seeing gives a view or opinion and whether I agree or not I think just shut up and get on with the music.

RIP Top 40 Rap

I have a music quiz coming up. I'm confident I'll get most if not all 20th century questions correct but will struggle with the modern stuff. To help prepare I went to the current Top 40 on the Official Charts website where you can listen to a 30 second clip of each Top 40 hit.

It goes without saying that it was all terrible but one thing I noticed was there was no rap music.

In the last decade of so I've considered rap to be the silver lining in the Top 40. For the most part it's been the most prolific genre in the Top 40 to the point when I did my Top 40 Leaderboard posts I'd take a look at what percentage of the Top 40 new entries in the year so far were rap.

Not that I was a huge fan of the rap music that was getting into the Top 40 but more a case of it being after my time that anything else.

When you think of the main genres in the charts in years gone by there was always a mix of credible music and commercial fodder. Dance fans weren't into 2 Unlimited, rap fans weren't into Will Smith, R&B fans weren't into Destiny's Child etc. 

Somewhere along the way it was just your modern equivalents of 2 Unlimited or Destiny's Child charting from the dance and R&B worlds getting into the Top 40 but rap wise it went beyond your modern equivalent of Will Smith.

You had for example D-Block Europe who clocked up 30 Top 40 hits in the space of 5 years. Admittedly I couldn't name one of those hits top of my head and what I heard of them sounded rather boring but to their credit they didn't sound commercial in the slightest. 

Then again maybe I'm just old and out of touch. Maybe they were part of the problem of rap becoming too commercial and now we're seeing the inevitable backlash.

What is the music of the moment now then?

Based on the evidence I've just head I'm not really sure. Seemed to be mostly females with annoying voices so whatever genre that is.