albums Archives - Page 9 of 9 - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Apr42007 by Chris Holmes12 Comments

Rush Album Countdown: #17 – #15

Music

In anticipation of the May 1 release of Rush's 18th full-length studio album, Snakes & Arrows, I'll be reviewing the first 17 in order of greatness. I'm skipping compilations and live albums, mainly because none of Rush's compilations or live albums are all that essential. And I'm lazy. That can't be stressed enough. I originally wanted to dedicate a post to each album, but I think that would rightly be seen as a transparent attempt to drag this thing out needlessly. So I'll start with 3 at a time, and we'll see how that goes. #17 - Rush (1974) No surprise here. While by no means a bad album, Rush represents a group that obviously hadn't found their own style yet. Most reviews of this album point out how influenced it is by Led Zeppelin and Cream. Honestly I can't hear the...

2nd Chance Album Review – The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp

Music

Just one year before prog-rock titans King Crimson released their first album, two-thirds of that band released their first and last studio album as the erstwhile trio of Giles, Giles & Fripp — guitarist Robert Fripp, Peter Giles on bass and brother Michael on drums. Released in 1968, during the height of the Psychedelic era, The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp promptly sank into oblivion. But believe me, it's worth revisiting. If I had to surmise a reason why this album tanked, I'd say its oddly eclectic songs are a contributing factor. The album has a generous dose of cheeky, Kinks/Pythonesque humor, but most of the acts of the day were practicing a much darker and substantive form of psychedelia. Had this album been released even a year or 18 months earlier, it

Goodbye to CDs (maybe)

Music, Rants

Sales of digital music boomed in the first half of 2005, compared to the same period in 2004. Meanwhile, sales of physical product (CDs, DVDs, etc.) slipped. Many are already hailing this as a sign of things to come. I wouldn't go as far as that, considering that even with the surge, digital music still only accounts for 6% of all music sold legally. Hybrid cars have gained a lot too in the last year, but I wouldn't bet the farm on people giving up their dino-mobiles anytime soon. Still, this does point out two trends in music - one good, one bad. (more…)