The Benja-man Is Verbose

One of the more challenging music writing exercises I attempt on this blog is an explanation of why I don't really click with music that's doing a lot of things well.  The traps include spouting unsupported subjective opinions as though they're fact, "supporting" subjective opinions with a boring list of "evidence" as though explanation of taste could be proved, or falling into boring rhetorical patterns.  I feel like there's a lot of "I just don't feel this" in my writing.  I further worry that too many of my reviews end up devolving into "I don't want to just be critical, and I kind of like this, but... [list of things I dislike]" that end up sounding more negative than I want.  I hate to write that way, but, here's a list of things I don't like about Tales From A Thousand Lakes ... Yeah, I'm not mad at Tales , but I'd be lying if I said I was feeling it.  Normally when not for blogging purposes I have a ...

Although pop songs by definition each are self-contained pieces, I have become something of an album person, like many of us (virtual ink elsewhere has been spilled about the unexpected ways in which streaming has pushed people towards, rather than away from, listening to whole albums).  When getting to know a piece of music, I almost always listen to and digest it as a single work, with its tracks played in order.  Certainly these posts reflect that.  Some people are real nerds for track sequencing, and think about how alternative tracklistings might enhance a record, help some songs be their best, and so forth, while others - and I've usually been one of them - tend to figure if a song is good, it'll be good no matter what's before or after it.  If it sucks, same thing.  Specifically in regard to the National, discussing the moody unsettled run that makes the second half of Sleep Well Beast so special is really the only time I've ever considered the sequencing...

Before I start my next long-term metal blogging project, I'm experimenting with formats here.  The shtick is, describe the experience of listening to an accepted metal classic for the first few times as neither a pure first-listen where I can barely remember what I heard (like in the National posts) nor waiting to say anything at all until after I've fully assimilated it (like in the Eluveitie posts).  Hopefully that'll let me show my evolving reaction, from early listens to later listens, whilst actually having something to say each time.  We'll see.  Let's test-drive this and provide a total newb's early impressions about Tales From The Thousand Lakes , the second record from legendary progressive death metal band Amorphis.   At first, with the moody intro of "Thousand Lakes" into the smooth introduction of the chugging riff of "Into Hiding," I'm feeling this record.  Atmosphere in spades, a central sound that could be a slower track fr...

I've devoted paragraphs in multiple previous posts to the idea that National songs have layers.  They have the knack for adding in just enough elements to inspire the listener to take a deeper look at what seemed to be just another mid-tempo song with a guy mumbling about relationship issues.  Well, we have a record that could be a bunch of mid-tempo songs with a guy mumbling about relationship issues.  In my mind, my early impression is that most songs on First Two Pages have one element that makes them a little bit more than they first appear, and just might be that last missing ingredient that puts a song over the top to becoming a favorite.  Or not.  But here's a list of the potential special sauces: "Once Upon A Poolside" - The aah-aah-aah backing vocals during the climax. "Eucalyptus" - Actually gonna go with the lyrics!  At first I was turned off by the device of starting every line with "what about the..." until halfway through the second ...

First Two Pages Of Frankenstein opens with a sparse song built around a repeating piano riff because, well, of course it does, they always do that.  As I was listening to "Once Upon A Poolside" I found myself wondering if during the inevitable second half shift of the song (of course there's a complementary second half, they always do that) would have the whole band come in, or whether they'd show a little restraint.  I was digging the simpler song and was hoping it wouldn't get washed out in a flood of atmospheric synths and guitars.  And it didn't!  Given that the National have added all of the elements and have gotten to the point where even other singers randomly popping in is pretty business as usual, is restraint their next bold frontier?  Going out of their way not to add extra ideas to a song?  To make that work, obviously the songwriting has to be there - and I do recall that the National, early in their career, did more often try for minimalist tr...

For now, this is the end of my Eluveitie project.  I'm going to resist the urge to make vague summary statements beyond the fact that I like Eluveitie and have enjoyed listening to them, in part because they're still an active band; I'm just caught up now.  Here are some theoretically quick thoughts on the material they've released since their last record. Part One:  Live At Monsters Of Rock 2019 I kind of want to put this part later in the post since I doubt many would read past it.  I am, however, a stickler for chronology.  So!  Eluveitie put out another official live record, their second or third depending on whether one counts Slania (Tour Edition) , and it's the first standalone live release to make it to the streaming services.  The setlist is: 1)  Ategnatos 2)  King 3)  The Call Of The Mountains 4)  Deathwalker 5)  Worship 6)  Artio 7)  Epona 8)  A Rose For Epona 9)  Thousandfold 10)  Ambiramus ...

 I have returned from Sweden after a visit for the specific purpose of seeing two Fish shows - one in Gothenburg on 10/28/24, one in Stockholm on 10/29/24 - from his farewell tour (the "Road To The Isles" tour).  No special reason for picking those two cities.  But there aren't any North American gigs, these worked with my schedule, Sweden seemed like a fun country to which I'd never been, and a place where they understand English and understand vegetarians.  So, here's a kind of walk through what I saw.   The players/cast of this little play were Robin Boult (guitar), Steve Vantsis (bass), Mickey Simmonds (keys), Gavin Griffiths (drums), and Elisabeth Troy Antwii (backing vocals).  And also I think some guy called Derek William Dick, AKA "FIsh" (lead vocals). Each gig opened with the milling around period in front of a big display with a way too hypnotic graphic of a fish swimming in front of the "Road To The Isles" logo, while the PA very ...