Someone forwarded a post on FB, stating that 42 percent of US university graduates haven't read a book since graduation.
If true, how sad. And dangerous for the future of our country.
Can't imagine life without books!

If true, that is sad. And I know what you mean, it's hard to imagine life without books (or music). I'm always astounded by people who don't read and/or listen/play. How much tv or Facebook or instagram does a person need? (Obviously anyone working so much as to not have time to spare is more easily forgiven.) not my idea of a rewarding life, anyway.

Well I dunno. I'm not a big reader either, but I'm big into music and cinema and other art forms. I don't see them as being necessarily inferior. I've tried authors over the years but none have grabbed me in the same way a musician's work or a director's work does. And I think Facebook can be a great source of information - I use it to to read news and articles from multiples sources more than anything else.

Just watched Scorsese's Raging Bull. Wow.

And a friend of mine HATED Queen for being too pompous and serious before I converted him with Cool Cat.

Too pompous, I can see, but too serious!?

Yeah, that's kind of a common complaint against them these days. I guess judging just from the hits people don't realize how fun and genre-bending their albums actually are.

Even the hits, I can't think of them as "serious."  I mean, they had a massive hit about girls with big a$$es.  Other than the harmonies, that could've easily been a KISS song. 

Well, they're seen as that big classic rock group that wrote anthems such as Bohemian Rhapsody, I Want to Break Free or We Are the Champions. Your father's favorite songs, the ones he gives as arguments as to why music was better back then. I can tell you from experience that in a lot of groups with people my age they are very hated. I often have to defend myself through. Which is fun. When compared to artists such as Frank Zappa or Beefheart or King Crimson they're not "hip" at all.

My favorite Queen live release is probably their Rainbow concert from 1974, which was finally officially released a couple years ago.

Oh, I've been meaning to get that.

And a friend of mine HATED Queen for being too pompous and serious before I converted him with Cool Cat.

Too pompous, I can see, but too serious!?

Yeah, that's kind of a common complaint against them these days. I guess judging just from the hits people don't realize how fun and genre-bending their albums actually are.

And a friend of mine HATED Queen for being too pompous and serious before I converted him with Cool Cat.

Also I want to mention that the "no synths" thing on early Queen albums was not their stance against that type of music but a mere disclaimer that the guitars and sound effects were not synthesized.

I think Hot Space's a great album. Always gets me groovin'. I mean, the rhythm on Back Chat? The best song Chic never wrote. Deacon was on a roll at the time.

Since the title of the thread refers to favourites, I think it doesn't matter whether the singers we list are technically good singers or not. Nice to see Liam Gallagher appear on the list!

Yeah, Liam is probably my favorite rock singer and frontman. His voice makes me feel alive and full of confidence. Even if the material is not that inspired he elevates it to incredible heights. And seeing him on stage is so intimidating (on video, I've never seen him live) because he doesn't have to leap across the stage to catch my attention. He literally doesn't move at all but the sheer power in his voice is enough.

Liam is the same live as he is in recorded format. That was one of the astounding things about Oasis on stage... they managed to reproduce their recorded sound so perfectly. I saw them just once, at Maple Leaf Gardens in 2000. I couldn't believe just how "true" they sounded to themselves. You didn't go see Oasis for their on-stage interactivity level or interpersonal skills, that's for sure, LOL! But yeah, Liam's voice just sort of hit me like a bus and drove right through me.

Nice, sounds like quite the experience. D'you think they'll eventually reunite?

Man, that would be so rad if they did. I'd go see the sh*t out of that. Unfortunately, I think the Brothers Gallagher have both rather publicly stated that it's not likely to happen (in more abusive and profane words than that, LOL!) Never say never though, I suppose!

If you haven't already, and  if you're in need of an Oasis fix, check out the new doc "Supersonic". A really cool look at their formative years leading up to their wavecrest, told in their own voices and of course, with the music. I sang along to the whole thing and then watched it again and sang along to the whole thing. Super fun.

Yeah, I've only heard good things about Supersonic. Need to check it out.

Since the title of the thread refers to favourites, I think it doesn't matter whether the singers we list are technically good singers or not. Nice to see Liam Gallagher appear on the list!

Yeah, Liam is probably my favorite rock singer and frontman. His voice makes me feel alive and full of confidence. Even if the material is not that inspired he elevates it to incredible heights. And seeing him on stage is so intimidating (on video, I've never seen him live) because he doesn't have to leap across the stage to catch my attention. He literally doesn't move at all but the sheer power in his voice is enough.

Liam is the same live as he is in recorded format. That was one of the astounding things about Oasis on stage... they managed to reproduce their recorded sound so perfectly. I saw them just once, at Maple Leaf Gardens in 2000. I couldn't believe just how "true" they sounded to themselves. You didn't go see Oasis for their on-stage interactivity level or interpersonal skills, that's for sure, LOL! But yeah, Liam's voice just sort of hit me like a bus and drove right through me.

Nice, sounds like quite the experience. D'you think they'll eventually reunite?

Frank Black of the Pixies.

I mean, just watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i6jtsCpImo

Since the title of the thread refers to favourites, I think it doesn't matter whether the singers we list are technically good singers or not. Nice to see Liam Gallagher appear on the list!

Yeah, Liam is probably my favorite rock singer and frontman. His voice makes me feel alive and full of confidence. Even if the material is not that inspired he elevates it to incredible heights. And seeing him on stage is so intimidating (on video, I've never seen him live) because he doesn't have to leap across the stage to catch my attention. He literally doesn't move at all but the sheer power in his voice is enough.

Also forgot to mention Art Garfunkel, Jeff Mangum and Frank Black of the Pixies.

It's a tricky topic because a lot of my favorite singers (especially the rock/pop ones) don't necessarily have good voices in the traditional sense. It's more about how they use it to convey a feeling with it. Beth Gibbons from Portishead has no range at all, but she could the phonebook and I would still get chills. Is she a good singer? Or just a personal favorite.

Brian
Carl
Freddie Mercury
Sam Cooke
Little Richard
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Gaye
Bruce Springsteen
Liam Gallagher
John Lennon
Janis Joplin
Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes)

This past week:

Alien (1979)
Sixteen Candles (1984)

My review of Controversy:

https://tangledupinmusic.com/2016/12/21/prince-controversy-album-review/

Guns N' Roses made their debut in 1986, with their EP "Live Like A Suicide", and then with their album "Appetite For Destruction". It took a few months, but "Appetite" eventually ended up being a major success, and a new sound was born. I know, that last bit was a little corny.  But it's true. Hearing something like "Welcome To The Jungle" was new and exciting.

Appetite was 1987.

Can we talk about this fascinating year?

On one extreme it seems to be the year in which most 60s legends hit their absolute nadir: we have Paul McCartney's Press to Play, Rolling Stones' Dirty Work, Eric Clapton's August, Neil Young's Landing on Water, Lou Reed's Mistrial, Bob Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded and Kinks' Think Visual. All except maybe the last one generally regarded as not only bad, but the artist's worst work ever.

In completely unexpected fashion comes Paul Simon's Graceland, not only a good album but a huge commercial and critical success. Simon not only survived the year without embarrassing himself, but he actually reached his solo peak. The album was not only acceptable, but original and influential.

The alternative scenes seemed to be peaking as well. We have The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead, Sonic Youth's EVOL, XTC's Skylarking, Talk Talk's The Color of Spring and R.E.M's Lifes Rich Pageant, all important milestones in the discographies of the respective artists.

The thrash metal scene was definitely peaking, with Metallica's Master of Puppets, Slayer's Reign in Blood and Megadeth's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?.

We also have hip-hop losing much of its funk/disco roots and entering the golden age with the commercially successful Run DMC's Raising Hell and Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, both produced by Rick Rubin.

So what do you think? Was it a year of extremes? A good one? A bad one?

Not much, been working like crazy at two jobs! You?

Same old, same old. Trying to find more time to post here.

I'm glad to hear, it's one of my favorites. You know the creation scene full of space/universe shots? Malick has a documentary/movie out called 'Voyage of Time' that is similar to the creation scene from 'Tree of Life', narrated by Brad Pitt. I can't wait to see it. Also check out 'Thin Red Line' if you haven't already!

Thanks, I definitely need to check out more of Malick's stuff.

Ovi is the man!

Long time no talk. What's been up with you, man?

This past week:

The Shawshank Redemption
Forrest Gump
When Harry Met Sally
The Tree of Life

How'd you like the Tree Of Life?

I was completely blown away by it. I'd watched it back in high school when it came out but didn't really get it. Decided to re-visit now and man...it's been a long time since I enjoyed a movie so much. Every scene just hit home.

Wow. Based on your music comments, I had guessed you were in the mid-30s.

22.

This past week:

The Shawshank Redemption
Forrest Gump
When Harry Met Sally
The Tree of Life

How'd you like the Tree Of Life?

I was completely blown away by it. I'd watched it back in high school when it came out but didn't really get it. Decided to re-visit now and man...it's been a long time since I enjoyed a movie so much. Every scene just hit home.

Can I mention TV? Because with the deep freeze over Minneapolis (it's -23F at the moment, wind chills well into the -30s), yesterday I started binging on the TV show The Grinder. I'd heard of it maybe a year ago or so, when Fred Savage (one of the show's stars) was a guest on The Nerdist podcast. The show is an absurd comedy in which Rob Lowe plays a self-absorbed actor coming home to Boise, Idaho, after an eight-year run playing an attorney on a TV show (titled "The Grinder"). In Boise, he moves in with his brother (Savage's character), who is a real-life attorney, and his family. Lowe decides his TV experience is sufficient that he can contribute to the real-life firm, and--I said it's absurd--basically everyone except Savage totally buys in.

I've been looking for a new, small-investment (in terms of time and attention) show, and this is it. Hilarious.

Great show. Cancelled after only one season unfortunately.

This past week:

The Shawshank Redemption
Forrest Gump
When Harry Met Sally
The Tree of Life

Both his original albums are fantastic.