While I shan't tolerate any jokes about those who can't blog, photoblog, I really like this picture. I call it Sin.
That apart I'm finally listening to music again and sailing the high seas as a pirate of reknown. Though considering I only get to hear the first five or six songs before I drift off and somehow I never remember to start the next listen from track 6 or seven, my reviews of the music that's caught my eye are going to be limited to the first half, Side A, you get the drift...
The Eagles are back. I remember writing a review of their music once and at that point of time we were only stuck with Hole in the World as a taste of things to come and about six new greatest hits compilations that had the same tracks in various permutations and combinations. I remember arguing with Hypolink who used to make an occasional appearance in the comments section about how the song was still Eagles' with it's harmonies and I got thupped at for liking a song that his favourite band had written like it was some boy-band. So we waited and amidst rumors of another break up thanks to Don Felder playing spoilsport we silently wept at the prospect of their demise. But all is good and Long Road Out of Eden did see the light of day. I just realised the connection with the picture above but hey it wasn't intentional. The double album takes time to grow on you and considering it's only the first few songs that I ever hear what little I've heard has grown and taken root.How Long is the catchiest tune of the album, reminiscent of Take It Easy and Already Gone with the trademark guitar work and almost impossible harmonies. Drive to it if you will and you'll see what I mean. I don't remember the names of any of the other tracks due to many days of missing my multivitamins. But I did feel that some of the songs seemed like solo album material with Don Henley and Glenn Frey hogging the limelight for almost the entire track, but Timothy Schmidt has his moments and Joe Walsh while subdued on the first CD does pull off some neat work in the second album.
Bottom line? It was worth the 13 years for a studio album.
Matchbox 20 I remember from early college when they burst in with Bent, that featured on a Compilation of alternative rock of the same name. Then a friend bought The Mad Season Album and I managed to buy a cheap(very, very cheap) CD of Yourself or Someone like You from Nepal. More Than You Think You Are came in a Torrent as did an assortment of live and acoustic tracks. Rob Thomas' distinctive voice and the magic that he created with Santana in Smooth and a couple of tracks (Streetcorner Symphony, being one of them) in his solo album, Something To Be, albeit guilty of being tainted with pop, had all set the scene for Exile On Mainstream. The Band finally released a Greatest Hits of sorts with 6 new tracks followed by the old hits. Which suits me, as outlined above, perfectly. The new songs, in simple terms, rock! How far we've come is catchy and begs to be covered sometime in life. The video's out on VH1 apparently and all over the web so go forth and enjoy. The assortment of older tracks that form the latter half of this album are, thankfully, a good selection from 3 AM, Push, Bent to Disease, Bright Lights and Unwell. Overall, whether or not you've heard Matchbox Twenty, it's a good album.I shall confess to have started writing this post a couple of days back and now not knowing how to finish it and running late
