Comfortably Numb

2001-03-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

by the way, concerts suck if one is short like me. :-(

2001-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from my personal Greymatter weblog, i hope you guys enjoy.
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last night was a great night. we finished striking the pub show from the night before and then we set-up for this persian new year show. after set-up, i came back to my room and Scott, his friend Sam (that was over) and i went to the Che Cafe. we did lida and melina to death. there was a long line, no doubt it was due to the locust playing that night. we got in and scott navigates us through the crowd until we're next to the stage.

we saw a couple of bands, of which Vue, i think, was the most notable (except for the locust, which was the major reason i was there, of course.) They had a good bassist and a cool keyboardist.

there was this one band there that was just horrible, but the crowd got really excited and started moshing. the funniest thing was to watch scott's friend sam push people back into the pit. sam was a really big tough guy and he sent people flying towards the stage. he could make the room sway to his every whim. sam was really cool. anyway, it was this band, with the forty-something-year-old lead singer that pointed out an annoying little kid who had been ruining the entire show for me. he was annoying and always jumping onstage trying to sing and dance with every band.

and then came...
the locust.

the locust was excellent. while they were onstage, some guy decided to get up onstage, get naked and jump on the ceiling. (many people hung from the ceiling previously) Well, let's just say he completed two of his tasks. He got onstage, he got naked. He jumped for the ceiling, held on, swung his legs over, and didn't get a good grip with his legs. He fell from the ceiling, headfirst. When the crowd picked him up off of the floor, everyone could see his shoulder area was bloody and he hurt his head terribly. the locust asked people in the audience to help escort the guy out.

after that, we came back to our room. i went to work. strike was a lot of work. it was only Mike, Erin, Bryan, Steve and i. it was funny, mike got a page from home, thinking it was Brandon asking if he needed any help, he answers it. He finds out that the rest of the tech crew are getting drunk, having a great time, AT HIS PLACE! lol. As mike would say,"COCKSUCKERS!"

After that, mike gave steve some brew, and gave erin and i a ride to the pub. i walked back to my room (around 3:00am now) to find scott and sam talking, and i joined in, i fell asleep sometime after four.

2001-02-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks Blake, for listing your reasons. :) Well done, and I digged the analogies/ pop culture references.

Of things of little, but major relevance (being a forum of art), I'm going to see Jill Scott perform at the Universal Amphitheater tonight (with Lucy Pearl opening), which I'm REALLY excited about...Jill is wonderful R&B/Jazz/ spoken word artist...and her voice is phenomenal. A friend of mine told me to catch her when she was in town, and I love her CD "Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (right now she's replaced Fiona as my "IT" artist until my fave apple releases a new album :))....so I know I'm up for quite a treat. I'll put my review tomorrow on the NUMB, and offer my official TV "commentary/ rant/ bitchtalk" on Wednesday's night's crappy ass award show, the Crappy's...oh, wait a minute, the Grammys...a reason why most award shows suck and should be replaced by three hours of monkeys eating pie instead :)

For the time being, I pose a question to the numb posters out there. Most films have really sucked as of late (with some notable exceptions)...this disappointment with the quality of either big budget skin-and-blood fests or low brow, minimalist flicks sometimes inspires the casual film watcher to devise a film of their unique making. Being completely fantastical, if you were granted a sizable budget ($ 500, 000), a cast of 5 people (any actress, actor, or plant, or animal), and crew (a midget named Paco) to develop a Hollywood flick....what would the film be about, what would be its title and "catch line" (which you always see and hear repeatedly in trailers, newspaper ads, and MovieFone :)), and how would you convince the naive viewing public to see YOUR film instead of making out with their dates in the back of a Datsun, saving the whales, or spending quality time with their families? Now, the only req for this is for some CREATIVITY AND INGENUITY (not threatening people or releasing big budget porn...well, we can stretch the imagination :))...I'm sure all of you have thought at least once of creating your own film...so here's your chance to share it with us. Have fun :)

2001-02-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been thinking about this all day, and I think I can come up with 5. Let's not waste any time.

Problem #1- The inability of the Big Two (Marvel and DC) to take chances.

Have you read a book where Captain America was caught in a teen porn scandal? Has Superman contracted an STD? No, I thought not. The main publishers refuse to do bold and daring things with their mainstay characters. DC established the Vertigo line which does some amazing books (Like Preacher and Lucifer to name some) and Marvel is a few steps behind with the Marvel Knights line, but still, we never get to see Superman as being evil. If the main publishers refuse to push the limits, then the industry will die.

Problem #2- Lack of consistency

The creative team on many high profile books changes so rapidly that it's hard to follow. During my last days collecting the X-Men titles, I went through about 4 or 5 different creative teams. Every 4 issues, I'd get that tag-line "the all new, all different X-Men!" yet I was still getting the same crappy stories. $1.99 well spent, I assure you.

Problem #3- The dead rise again!

I hate it when characters are killed only to be revived several months later. It completely cheapens the toriginal tale. In Kevin Smith's amazing run on Daredevil, he killed off Mysterio, an old Spider-Man nemesis. It was a gripping story, highlighted by his sad death from cancer. Yet, 3 months later, in the pages of Spider-Man, there was Mysterio, alive and well. It's like being told that Bambi's mom got better and Old Yeller was brought back by a voodoo shaman. It's complete and utter bullshit.

Problem #4- Cancellations

There have been some excellent books to come along in recent years that were cancelled with little chance to prove themselves. It's like a sitcom that only airs 4 times before being cancelled. It never had a chance to live. JM DeMatteis did a great book called Man-Thing, where he took a pretty crappy character and built a damn good book around it. What happened? Cancelled after issue #8. Maverick? #6. Slingers? #9. I could go on, but I think I made my point.

Problem #5- Late shipping

Did you ever get really into a TV show, only to have it disappear from television for several months (ala Family Guy)? Comic books are much like that. The aforementioned Daredevil, while it may be an excellent series, was published roughly 4 times last year. 4 fucking issues in one year! How can I, the loyal reader, keep up with the story if I only get 22 pages every 3 months? Try reading Catcher in the Rye 22 pages at a time at 3 month intervals. It just doesn't work.

That's my bitch fest.
Oh, and problem #6 is John Byrne. I hate that guy.

2001-02-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

That's exactly what I want both of you to do...good luck :)

2001-02-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Looks like Herbert is trying to get Omar and I to tear apart the comic book world. I can't speak for Omar, but I will do it happily. I just need some time to muse.

2001-02-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

Topic for the week: FIVE THINGS WRONG WITH THE COMIC BOOK WORLD TODAY
For the experts, I want your input. Thanks.

2001-02-11T23:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a hard man to scare. I've been thinking about this question for days and have yet to come up with a single novel that I can recall reading that scared me. So, since I want to participate, I'm going to cheat (tee hee). The scariest "novel" that I've ever "read," is one that I had started to write several years ago, but gave up on because I had lost the emotion necessary to write it. The book was called Reflections and was the story of a man remarkably like myself and his fall from grace. While little more than nine or so pages ever saw the light of day, the entire novel is still sitting in my mind. When I "read" it, it terrifies me. Reflections was a story about how one event (true love betrayed) can completely destroy a man. Trevor Chase, the protagonist, was me, only a little taller and blonder. The things that I did to myself in that book still haunt me to this day. I turned myself into this deranged, twister, remorseless murderer. It scares me that I was willing to do these things to myself, even though it was only a story and one that never saw print at that. However, far scarier was the possibility that lie in the tale. I had made Trevor too much like myself and the situation that changes him far too believable. As I wrote it, I questioned myself. I wondered if I could really become this beast. For the past 2 years since I abandoned Reflections, I carry a small piece of Trevor with me as a reminder of what not to become.

2001-02-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Gee, umm. Scary stories? Hmm... i remember something entitled "molly" that scared the shit out of me. j/k it was just very disturbing, but you really should listen to "molly's lips" herb.

nothing scares me but life itself.

a novel has structure. A basic form that must be followed for books to sell well. Life on the other hand, has only two sure things: birth and death. Anything in-between is unpredictable. Life for one can last 50 seconds or 50 years. And then there's the question of: will it be 50 years of bliss or 50 years of suffering waiting for bliss.

i think the scariest thing is that one may not do all that one wants to with his/her life. That the opportunities will pass by. And that life will be uneventful. Or the opposite, a life so full of unstoppable dreadful events that one does not even have time to lick his/her wounds.

Photons have mass!? I didn't even know they were Catholic...!

2001-02-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

Seeing how its "Hannibal" week :), I want to turn the musical mood toward horrific literature, and I pose a question to the numb:

Which is the scariest, most soul shattering novel (or graphic novel/comic book story) you've ever read...one that has left you staggered for days (R.L. Stine and Harry Potter doesn't count folks :))? Please share the essence of that literary work with us.

2001-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

i love bob dylan.

another useless fact: bob heard jimi's cover and liked it so much, he began to perform it jimi's way.

btw, marvel, star wars and dragonball run through my veins. (more on this later)

herb, did you check out those bands i recommended to you a while ago? (especially one of the last ones, if you copied our conversation)

from the ends of the earth and back again, only to die here

2001-02-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord, a kindred spirit. I am well versed in the tales of Marvel lore. It just surprises me to find others out there. You and I are more alike than Kevin could have ever told me.

2001-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

are you unaware that marvel comics is a modern-day work of literature?

damn the man!

2001-02-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

until wolvie has a poodle, make mine marvel.

Good Lord, a Marvel Man! Can this be true, Omar? Are you of the Marvel persuasion?

2001-02-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

You guys have covered so many bands, i don't know what to say. Great selections, kudos to you all. Here are my "top ten", well "eleven", okay "twelve". (sorry, i'll try to make them short)
Here they are, in no particular order.

madonna madonna means one thing: "dance" and though i couldn't dance if my life depended on it, i hold her music close to my heart and am never too far from it. Gee, out of all of her songs to pick one... difficult choice. i think i would choose "promise to try"

tori amos yes, it's partly my fault herbert listens to tori (i'm sorry!). Her vocal skills are amazing. "silent all these years" is great, but i think the most powerful and disturbing is "me and a gun". i also liked "space dog" for some odd reason.

fear factory hmm, fear factory isn't too close to tori. fear factory is great though. Great music, great vocals, i instantly fell in love with "crisis"

j frank wilson and the cavaliers i know everyone has heard "the last kiss". i just really felt they should be mentioned. i really felt the sadness in this song. i dunno, maybe it's just me.

david bowie what can i say about mr. bowie but, wow. he is so incredible! i love "ground control to major tom" and "the man who sold the world"!

the police i love the police, sting is awesome. fav songs, "walking on the moon","wrapped around your finger" and "so lonely".

the vaselines ahh, a personal fav for some years now. "molly's lips" is a great song. "you think you're a man" is comical. i love it.

violent femmes the violent femmes have helped me survive lots of things with their song "good feeling. "Other good songs are "i held her in my arms" and "jesus walking on the water".

nine inch nails ahh, this is my "power" music. whenever i need that extra boost of energy, i crank up the volume and listen to "sin", "head like a hole", "the perfect drug" or my fav "mr self destruct".

nirvana they changed music forever. i can't say that the music after them was good, but nirvana itself was drastically different, creative and poetic. i love "rape me".

tom petty great lyrics. if anyone else tried to sing his lyrics to a tune, it would be horrible. Somehow, he just makes it work. let's see, "free fallin'" is a classic. "into the great wide open was also a great song. i loved "runnin' down a dream" when i was younger.

rem also another saving song. "everybody hurts" is one of those songs that bring you back from the edge of doing something terribly stupid.

holy crap, i have just thought of so many others that should be here. i hate the limitation of a list.

until wolvie has a poodle, make mine marvel.

2001-02-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

wow...I leave "Comfortably Numb," after Friday evening, and come back Sunday with three excellent posts...kudos to Mariel, Blake, and Omar for posting...as we know by the "other" experiment, "it could've been," participation is ESSENTIAL to the life of a discussion group, so I have to say that I'm very satisfied with the early results here. :) Thanks again guys.
Mariel, keep posting the lovely concert info...I know you have excellent taste in music and are "in the know" with the new bands, so your contributions are quite appreciated. We WILL go see Mogwai next month...I heard their music, and they blew my mind. And for that kind of admission, quite a deal :)
I'll definitely check out the doves, zero 7 (I'm more in tune with dance/dj/ electronica), Karate, and Pinback, etc.

Note to Omar: I suggest you download some tracks from the French band, Air (previously mentioned by our beloved Austrian). They produce some of the most lushful melodies I've ever heard, really relaxing music. They have released one album ("Moon Safari", which I have) and the soundtrack to the eerie film, "The Virgin Suicides". Suggestions: "La Femme D'Argent," "You Make it Easy," "Sexy Boy," "Ce Matin La," "Playground Love"

I listened to Godspeed's album over the weekend, after purchasing it at Borders on the Promenade (I'm really impressed by their music selection... they're picking up some hard to find stuff lately)...and it was an experience, believe me. Close your eyes, press play, and listen, listen, for 90 minutes of some of the most mind blowing, chaos crashing, mind splitting rock orchestration you've ever heard. I'm kind of disappointed now for not fully appreciating the music in the El Rey concert, but my feet were killing me and I was growing tired of anxiety. :) Godspeed's music is best listening sitting or laying down, letting your mind roam free, and allowing the violins and guitars to take free reign. Perfect meditation music. :) There are four tracks (2 on each CD), 20 minutes long...but they're so good, you won't even feel it. I also appreciated the social/ global undertones that permeate through the record...if you dig deeper, you will see how their music offers a complement to the problems that plague our world today. Thank you, Mariel, for introducing me to GodspeedYouBlackEmperor! The brainwashing has begun....:) I'll be on the lookout for their previous recordings...

For the electronica fans...there's an interesting recording by a member of Massive Attack and DJ Shadow (whom call themselves U.N.K.L.E.) called "Psyence Fiction" that features artists like Badly Drawn Boy, Mike D from the Beastie Boys, Richard Ashcroft from the Verve, etc.. doing vocals on some serious soul shakin' backbeats...my fave is "Rabbit In Your Headlights," which features Thom Yorke on vocals...really, really cool track...you should download the MP3 and give it a listen.

Some final meaderings...
Looking at my record collection now, and remembering how it looked one year ago, I'm really amazed by the musical diversity that reflects on each album cover...from salsa to soul, rock to metal, trip hop to rap...and it got me thinking of how the people I've come across through my life have influenced and cultivated my musical fruit. Not only that, but how we, as true music appreciaters, have to develop an "ear" for listening to a variety of different sounds that may alienate and irritate the casual pop listener. I wouldn't have ever tolerated The Doors, The Roots, Radiohead, or Buena Vista Social Club if I hadn't developed the maturity for listening to such great music. It may seem like a small thing, expanding your musical horizon, but in essence, it reflects how the individual, living in such a commercialized, socially limited global culture, can still push beyond those limits and be exposed to true sounds...true music. Of course, everyone has their own music taste...we can't criticize those who listen to fabricated, overproduced, redundant sounds (BOY BANDS!), because the music experience solely belongs to the listener. Besides, we've always had the pop cheese around, it hasn't changed at all. But I do believe that if are willing (and there are few) to open ourselves to the really eccletic material out there, the heavens might not be so far off from our mortality. Just a thought.

2001-02-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

news fresh from the oven: I'm officially having a heart-attack: mogwai will be playing at the el ray theatre march 18th! They're charging $14... so that's acceptable, considering the fantastic band that's playing. After march, they're off doing a tour in Japan during April and Europe tour in May.

Gah!

ooooh... and the Doves are playing March 6th, also at the El Ray! It's a KCRW sponsored event, though they are charging a questionable $16.50. Note to self: control breathing!

2001-02-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know that Bob Dylan wrote "All Along the Watchtower," but Hendrix does such an incredible cover of it that I had to mention it. Many of the songs that I suggested are covers. I didn't mention Bob Dylan because I haven't yet become fully immersed in his music {though "The Hurricane" and "Down in the Park" are some excellent songs} Of course, my list is subject to revision, and I was only limited to 10 people. I could go on all day, with people like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Queen, Metallica, U2, and so on and so forth.

"Almost shit your pants" eh Omar? Is my selection of Johnny Cash that surprising? "Walk the Line" is a great song, one of my faves as well, but I figured that most people would know that song, so I mentioned my other fave, "Don't Take Your Guns to Town."

So much music, so little time. Imagine what happens when we get to books. Oy...

2001-02-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

*yawns*

hi.

mm... music. I agree with the majority of blake's listed folk. Though I see lacking, in particular, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. "All Along the Watchtower" is a song by Bob Dylan, not Jimi Hendrix, though he did a cover of it [and so did about a million others.] Johnny Cash is excellent.

anyway ;)

I've been very intrigued by a band called Karate, who managed to combine post-rock, jazz, and blues with thoughtful lyrics and musical ability. their lates album "unsolved" is genius. there's a sample mp3 at their website of their song one less blues. i'm going as far as calling this CD one of the best releases of 2000. i recommend: "This Day Next Year", "The Halo of the Strange", "the Roots and the Ruins", "number six"...

badly drawn boy definitely deserves mention, though I think the band is over-hyped/over-rated. "once around the black" combines lyrical flows with catchy tunes. also recommended "another pearl" "camping next to water", and "stone in the water"

a band called zero 7, falling under the... dance/dj category [not typically my style at all], is also quite interesting. songs: "give it away", "polaris".

the doves created one song, out of their new release 'lost souls', which i think is fantastic. an instrumental, which is highly recommended: "firesuite"

pinback is a strange mix from the alternative region. nothing too wild, but all their songs are extremely catchy.

there're tons of bands to mention... definitely always good is mogwai... air... ten speed racer, etc, etc.

& congrats on your godspeed purchase, herb, it's an excellend album, if you're into it.

2001-02-03T00:56:00.000-08:00

i survived the day! wa-hoo! Blake, excellent list man. You've got a great taste in music. "i almost shit my pants" when i saw Johnny Cash. Though, "Walk the Line" is my fav.

i'd like to publish my list soon, (when i'm sane, or anywhere that resembles it). Since i share so many selections with you guys, i'll try to pick albums/artists that have not been mentioned yet. Herb and Blake, you guys covered a lot of my music, so it'll be a challenge to find albums/artists that should be deemed "best" without repeating the same selections.
Beam me up, Scotty.

2001-02-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

First off, a BIG thank you to Blakeman for sharing his list of fave albums/ songs...with the exception of Jimi Hendrix (who I'm haven't been exposed to much....yet :)) I have to agree with every single artist...they are in a league of their own.

Music wise, I purchased GodspeedYouBlackEmperor!'s "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven" in Borders at S. Monica's today....I'll give you the lowdown once I give it a complete listen. More details later :)

2001-02-02T00:54:00.000-08:00

Well, now, seeing as how our illustrious host has laid out his 10 favorite albums, I thought I might as well do the same. When I tried, I found a certain admiration for Herbert. I can't pick 10 favorite albums. Therefore, I decided to modify it slightly. I'll pick by 10 favorite artists and list a few songs worthy of listening. Here are my top 10 favorite artists, in no particular order.

BLACK SABBATH

Truly the gods of metal, Black Sabbath paved the way for all other true heavy metal/hard rock bands. If ever you wanted to scare the living shit out of yourself with music, Black Sabbath was the stuff. Tony Iommi's mastery of the guitar will chill you to the bone. When you see them play live, you'll be amazed at how Iommi can play such incredibly riffs, and yet hardly move at all. Their songs are lyrically amazing, as they comment on the horrors of drug abuse, the ups and downs of organized religion, and even the end of a love.
FAVE SONGS: "Evil Woman" "Changes" "Black Sabbath" "Hand of Doom"

THE DOORS

The very first time I heard Jim Morrison sing, it blew me away. His voice was so rough, and untrained. Most of the other singing voices I had heard were pretty and hit the correct notes. Not Jim. It is his rugged voice coupled with his truly postmodern lyrics that make The Doors music so incredible. Of course, I can't neglect the musicians behind him. The trio of Krieger, Manzarek, and Densmore brought Jim's vocals to life. I have never heard such radical and mindblowing music. I can't say enough about this band.
FAVE SONGS: "Celebration of the Lizard" "The End" "Spanish Caravan" "Alabama Song"

THE BEATLES

Do you see now why there is no order? Who can rank these three bands, let alone the 7 that will follow? Only one word can describe the Beatles for me: unfreakingbelievable. They are the complete package. Pop stars, serious muscians, and stoned experimentalists. Can you honestly listen to "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Let it Be," and "Strawberry Fields Forever" and believe that they were recorded by the same band? I couldn't at first. They are easily the greatest band to come along. The lyrics of Lennon and McCartney are beautiful, strange, haunting, and all other emotions in between. Amazing stuff that everyone should listen to.
FAVE SONGS: "Yesterday" "Eleanor Rigby" "Strawberry Fields Forever" "Let it Be" "Hey Jude"

JOHN LENNON

I must count Lennon separately from the Beatles because his solo work is so amazing. Never have a voice and music blended so seamlessly and beautifully. Whether you blame the breakup of the Beatles on Yoko Ono or not (personally, I don't) you cannot deny her influence on his solo work. Clearly these are the songs of a man in love. Every note and word are full of pure beauty.
FAVE SONGS: "Imagine" "How" "Oh, Yoko!" "Crippled Inside"

JOHNNY CASH

If John Lennon sang as a man in love, then Johnny Cash sang as a man pissed off. This is country music for all ages. His songs can make you think or make you laugh. The Man in Black sang for the working class, the poor people who got no recognition for their hard work. While the music may be simple, the lyrics speak strong lessons about family values, violence, and love. Johnny Cash's songs are a true national anthem.
FAVE SONGS: "Boy Named Sue" "One Piece at a Time" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"

JIMI HENDRIX
The electric god of the guitar. Hands down, Jimi is the greatest guitarist of all time. When listening to a Hendrix album, I am amazed at the things he did to a guitar, things that I didn't think were possible. Be it electric or acoustic, Jimi could blow you away with it. His music had this intense passion in it, this fire that was dying to be released. And boy did he release it.
FAVE SONGS: "Angel" "All Along the Watchtower" "Star Spangled Banner" "Crosstown Traffic"

CARLOS SANTANA
In my book, Carlos comes in a close second to Hendrix as greatest guitarist. Much like Jimi, Santana seems to make the guitar sing with him. His great music ability has been overlooked for so many years because of his inability to gain mainstream success. Then, with Supernatural, suddenly everybody loved him. As well they should. He consistenly challenges the definition of rock and roll, blending it with every form of latin music imaginable. The blend is a smooth, soulful expression of a true musical genius.
FAVE SONGS: "Oye Como Va" "Black Magic Woman" "Evil Ways" "Migra" "Corazon Espinado"

PINK FLOYD

They took experimental rock to the extreme. They broke all conventions. No longer were all songs separate. Pink Floyd merged an entire album into one, seamless track. The music just flowed, never slowing down and never losing their audience. If ever the druggies had an anthem, it is Dark Side of the Moon. Personally, Dark Side of the Moon is my meditation album.
FAVE SONGS: Can't say that I have one. Just listen to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.

RADIOHEAD

The heirs to Pink Floyd. The modern day masters of the seamless, experimental album. Herbert and Mariel first turned me on to Radiohead, so I bought Kid A on a whim. It completely blew me away. Thom Yorke's voice matches the erratic music that accompanies it. Their music is so open to interpretation, mainly because you can't understand what Yorke is saying half the time. I've found that their music is remarkably similar to the noise I sometimes hear when I meditate very deeply.
FAVE SONGS: Again, can't say that I have one. Ok Computer, Kid A, The Bends, anything Radiohead is excellent.

OZZY OSBOURNE

At last, the end of my list. Good old Ozzy. After Black Sabbath, Ozzy ventured out on his own. His solo work is not as heavy as Black Sabbath's stuff, but his work has a lot of deep meaning. Many of his songs are intensely personal, like "Goodbye to Romance" which is a farewell to Black Sababth, or "Suicide Solution" a warning against the horrors of drinking and suicide in memory of his good friend Bon Scott of AC/DC. So many of his songs have personal meaning for me, as well. All in all, a great rocker, and a hell of a musician
FAVE SONGS: "Road to Nowhere" "Goodbye to Romance" "Mr. Crowley" "Old LA Tonight"

As always, the list is subject to revision.

2001-02-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

a sincere welcome to Omar and Blakeman...let us now discuss, debate, mud wrestle, and rant amigos! (in no particular order :))

2001-02-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings, true believers! i also just got my "re-invite". Strange, i never really got an "invite". Gee, posting favorite books? i hope my recommendations are taken more seriously on this blogger than in real life, lol. :p
So...Herb, have you read Lasher? Yeah, didn't think so. Well, a math quiz, a chemistry mid-term and a 4pm-12am workday are in my future. Ahh, don't we all love Fridays? --end message--

2001-02-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Good day all. Just got my re-invite from Herbert and decided that I should make my presence known here at Comfortably Numb. This looks to be an interesting project, one that I am sure will benefit all of us. I will make a more detailed post later this evening about some of my favorite albums, when I have more time. Until then, I remain comfortably (and happily) numb.

2001-02-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

I want to welcome Lawrence to "Comfortably Numb." Hopefully we'll get the other members in the group and begin our dialogue soon. Thanks.

2001-01-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

My fave ten albums of all time (as of now, and interchangeble :)) and commentary:
1) Jeff Buckley- Grace
Jeff's fusion of folk/rock with a touch of his majestic voice has put my soul to highs since I purchased this album three years ago...out of all the albums listed, its the one that still remains as emotionally stirring as the first time I pushed play on my stereo. Not only do songs like "Mojo Pin" and "Dream Brother" stir up some of his musical influences, from Led Zeppelin to Leonard Cohen, but his poetry lyric moves the spirit as well. Jeff was the ultimate post-modern romantic songwriter...perfect at expressing the beauty of lust and the darkness of heartbreak. His loss was momentous to the music world, as a promising talent for the late 90's wasn't given the opportunity to fully ripe. May God rest your soul, Jeff. You will live in the hearts of your fans forever.
Song Recommendations:
"Last Goodbye," "Grace," "So Real," "Mojo Pin," "Dream Brother"
2) Fiona Apple- Tidal
I came across this album by accident through a friend whose mother did catering for Fiona's band and the Cardigans...when I first came across it, I thought I'd appreciate The Cardigans more...but I'm glad I didn't. :) As you all know, she will always be my fave artist/musician/love obsession :)....an artist far musically wiser than her raw twenty-two years. Fiona's sultry lyrics and sorrowful piano tunes caught me seductively by surprise the night I first listened to it..and my life never was the same again. This is the album that I usually play when its a bleak, rainy day, or when I feel like the entire world is corrupting against me...like the shadowboxer, herself, I attack and retaliate against the world as a criminal...I have to say that Fiona is one of the primary reasons I've began writing poetry and kept myself sane :) I still remember the night Mariel and I went to see her perform at the Wiltern Theater, December 12, 1997, getting stocked in Altoids :) while listening to the woman perform all of her songs...a truly memorable evening we will never forget.
Song Recomendations: Every single one :)
3) Fiona Apple- When The Pawn...
I love the woman, the songwriter, and the musician. 'Nuff said.
Recommendations: "Love Ridden," "The Way Things Are," "Paper Bag"
4) Jeff Buckley- Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (Disc 1)
This was Jeff's posthumous album he was planning to release after "Grace"...ironically enough, on the day he was about to finish recording it in the studio, he passed away. But what he left behind was a true delight.
Recommendations: "The Sky is a Landfill," "Opened Once," "Everybody Here Wants You," "Morning Theft"
5) Dark Side of the Moon- Pink Floyd
My dear friend Blake told me that the some of the influences behind Radiohead's "Kid A" lurked in this gem of an album by one of the greatest rock bands ever to take stage. I was completely blown away....a truly unusual and breathtaking masterpiece of instrumental rock music...its incredulous to believe that such guitar magic was released twenty years ago....compared with rock standards now, I'm surprised that it hasn't evolved much. Listen this album and their other rock coda, "The Wall." You're in for quite a treat.
Song Recommendations: "Breathe," "Time," "Money," "Us and Them"
6) Portishead- Portishead
Portishead is one of the most musically unique bands to come out recently...be forewarned, its not music for everyone...but if you're willing to be exposed to siren Beth Gibbon's vocals, dead guitars, morbid electronic beats, stirring orchestration, and jazzy vibes, this is in your league. Electronica is mostly redundant, hollow, with no emotion or feelings...simply beats for shaking your booty...but Portishead completely breaks the fine line, intertwining the robotic and organic universes into an irrisistible hybrid. I would have put "Dummy" in this spot, but their second album took me to a point of no return...
Song Recommendations: "All Mine," "Half Day Closing," "Only You," "Humming"
7) Seal- Human Being
Seal has always been on my "preferred artists list" since I listened to "Kiss from a Rose" seven years ago...his voice is unimitatable...one of the very few pop artists these days who still brings something fresh to the romantic vein. Looking to play music to get "in the mood" with your love? This is the perfect choice. :)
Song Recommendations: "State of Grace," "Just Like You Said," "Love Still Remains"
8) Portishead- Dummy
The excellent debut album of the trip/hop band mentioned earlier.
Song Recommendations: "Strangers," "Mysterons," "Numb," "Glory Box"
9) Radiohead- Kid A
I think most of Radiohead's purist fans would agree that this is their best and most experimental album to date...like nothing you've ever heard before in tepid modern rock standards...drifting further away from the greatness of "The Bends" and "OK Computer" ...when I first listened to "Kid A"....I found it difficult to digest...but repeated listens revealed the majestic melodies that elegantly permeate this album. From the andronic voice of Thom Yorke in "Everything in its Right Place," the chaotic trumpets and drums of "The National Anthem," the wicked rapture of "Optimistic." to the ambient melacholy of "Idioteque" and "Morning Bell," "Kid A" takes you to a journey through a vortex of alienation, desolation, and pessimism few bands ever do.
Song Recommendations: Just listen to it in its entirety!
10) The Smashing Pumpkins- Adore
There were other albums that were just as deserving, but the reason I chose this particular SP album (although "Siamese Dream" and "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" stand in their own right) is because I enjoy every single one of its sixteen songs. This was Billy Corgan's ideal musical tribute to lust, desire, love, and heartbreak...and I appreciate each ounce of it. Corgan wasn't the best of rock vocalists, but a prolific musician and arranger. The melodies are extraordinary. My fave Pumpkins album.
Song Recommendations: "For Martha," "To Sheila," "Pug," "Behold! The Nightmare," "Blank Page"

You're more than welcome to share your top albums and commentary as well. :)

2001-01-24T23:20:00.000-08:00

To begin, here are some things that I hope we can discuss on this forum:
1) Particular songs, lyrics, and their meaning in your respected lives
2) Favorite artists/ albums playing on your MP3 players, CD players, etc...
3) Poetry submissions, photo essays, story/ film ideas....
4) Concert dates (Mariel should be good at this :)) and reviews
5) Movie reviews (trash and praise all you like)
6) Any new artist/music genre that you wish to rant, rave, and share with us
and anything else pertaining to literature and the arts...hopefully this could create a life on its own. Thanks for your time.

2001-01-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

welcome to comfortably numb...a haven for the literary and art lover who is willing to share a piece of their lore with the rest of our cherished community. I want to keep this small, and have invited the people I think will make the best of this "club" "blogger" or "board" as you wish to call it, by posting your favorite books, songs, artists, reviews.....anything in the realm of literature and music. So I hope you enjoy the ride. Thank you :)