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ELUVEITIE - Odds & ends post #2

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 11)  Drum solo 12)  Havoc 13)  Breathe 14)  Helvetios [encore br
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GIG REVIEW: Fish in Sweden x2

 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 so
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THE NATIONAL - I Am Easy To Find (2019), additional listens

  (I'm not sure exactly which number listen this was.) I know I recognized about five records ago that I'd be a lot happier if I spent less brain power trying to decipher National bullshit word salad lyrics.  Sometimes I can't help it.  I'm a lyrics guy; it's not an absolute but I really do prefer if songs are about something.  I Am Easy has a lot of quiet songs that allow the singing to be prominent, plus all of my time listening to and writing about Fish has my mind primed to dive into the words.  Basically, there are some songwriters who can directly explain what's on their mind and make the listener care, often with some clever turns of phrase, like, for example, certain singer-songwriters whose stage name rhymes with "ish." *   We've established that, for one reason or another, direct isn't the style of Matt Berninger et al , for the most part.  Except that there are exceptions.  He has the ability to write a very evocative and easy to und
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FISH - A post about a few live recordings

I do occasionally post about music other than Fish, honest!  I fully intend to be getting back to the other projects in Nov-Dec.  Here's another one for the road, though.   When working my way through the massive discography I did listen to a hefty smattering of the officially released live records available to me on streaming.  In anticipation of seeing the man live, I thought I'd revisit a few recordings that stood out to me the first time, and ramble a bit about Fish as a live act. First, Fish Heads Club Live , a set containing two 2010-ish acoustic gigs.  I gravitated to the first of the two, recorded at University Of Derby.  Here's the setlist: 1)  Chocolate Frogs 2)  State Of Mind 3)  Somebody Special 4)  Jumpsuit City 5)  Slàinte Mhath 6)  Brother 52 7)  Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors * 8)  Punch And Judy 9)  Out Of My Life 10) Incubus 11)  Jigsaw 12)  Pilgrim's Address ** 13)  A Gentleman's Excuse Me 14)  Kayleigh 15)  Lavender 16)  The Company This tour w
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FISH - Weltschmerz (2020)

So here we are once more, for the last time.  With much fanfare, Fish announced that Weltschmerz would be his last record, and finally released it in 2020 after doing a bunch of oldies tours, releasing renditions of a few of the songs on an EP ( A Parley With Angels ), getting married, having some major health problems, losing his dad, starting to get the wheels in motion of the next phase of his life, and so on.  Unsurprisingly, the result was big, befitting a dramatic final statement.  A "double album" (released physically as a two-CD set), multiple eight-plus minute songs.  I don't think I'm allowed to complain about it being a lot, because it's supposed to be a lot. And just when I thought I'd pinned down his band, we now are back to two guitarists, with both John Mitchell and Robin Boult taking playing and writing duties, and various drummers swapping in and out, and Liam Holmes now tagging in to do piano and keys.  Although missing one of Fish's regu
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