Kinetic's Music Barn

[Kinetic]

Thread in which I recommend whatever I happen to be listening to at the time and just generally talk to one or two people about shit. Should be a wild ride.

So what's the level of 10cc awareness like around here? A friend of mine turned me on to them years ago, and my appreciation for their technically-proficient brand of goofy 70s rock has only grown since then. Their s/t first album is a bit of an acquired taste (although it does contain "Rubber Bullets" and "Headline Hustler," two of their better tunes), but Sheet Music, their second album, is a total classic the likes of which we're unlikely to see again any time soon. Dig the riff rock of "The Wall Street Shuffle" and then settle in for about 40 additional minutes of genre-hopping weirdness. Sounds good on headphones. Sounds good on anything!

[flash=200,200]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTnvhGHDGA&feature=fvst[/flash]
[flash=200,200]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kShTUmYRyCw[/flash]

Of course, they subsequently scored a pretty big hit on both sides of the Atlantic with "I'm Not In Love" from the also pretty damn good The Original Soundtrack album. Almost a perfect song, save for the silly "big boys don't cry" thing tacked onto the middle. Anyway, good band. Check 'em out.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I downloaded an anthology off of Ruckus and then Ruckus closed before I could download more. I liked it quite a bit. I still chuckle a bit whenever I hear one of their novelty songs like "Dreadlock Holdiay" on the Sirius XM classic rock "deep cuts" channel.

 

[Kinetic]

I bought a copy of Emitt Rhodes's Mirror (1971) at work this afternoon. I was kinda/sorta charmed by the McCartney-esque pop/rock of his self-titled first album (picked up for a buck at Holy Cow Records, located somewhere in the dark recesses of Pike's Market), so it was sort of cool to see this semi-obscure record come through the store. Do you guys have the same sort of fondness for the first two Paul McCartney solo albums that I do? If so, you'll likely dig this shit. It has a lot of the same ramshackle, self-recorded qualities that those two records have, while at times veering into some very Badfinger-ish power pop.

Emitt Rhodes - With My Face On The Floor

Emitt Rhodes - Really Wanted You

 

[Sesquipedaliantique]

Yeah, Ram is my favourite solo Beatles album by a really wide margin. I'll check this out.

 

[Kinetic]

I would have thought this sacrilege just a couple of years ago, but at this point I'd much rather listen to McCartney or Ram than either the too-long All Things Must Pass or Plastic Ono Band. McCartney's two albums are more likable for their comparative lack of ambition. With the obvious exception of "Maybe I'm Amazed," all of the other stuff on those albums sounds like an amazingly talented songwriter just sort of screwing around. It's like a one-man Basement Tapes without any of the mythology.