Daily Archives: January 18, 2014

My iPod #224: The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Crosstown Traffic

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“Crosstown Traffic” is a track from The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s third and last album, “Electric Ladyland” in 1968. I did listen to the album. That was a while ago. Like in late 2012. So I’ll probably have to listen to it again, to see whether I like it or not.

The only reason I know “Crosstown Traffic” more than any of the other songs on the album is because it is the only one that has a music video, a video that I’ve seen at least four times on the television.

The song is a huge metaphor. Jimi travelled a lot, and was probably hit on by lot of women along the way. Probably be with one and then it would be on to the next one. So he basically compares them to traffic, because he needed to be somewhere else. To entertain the masses of fans he had.

The track is groovy, but pumping too. It sounds like a theme tune to a seventies, undercover police show. I get that feel from it, I don’t know why. Someone did go a bit crazy with the panning though, instruments move from one channel to the other multiples times. I don’t know if that’s really needed. But it’s a minor thing. The song is still good.

My iPod #223: Billy Talent – Crooked Minds

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Good times were had last night. Moving from one place to another, plenty of loud music and dancing was involved. I can remember it all too which is a bonus. So as I sit here on my desk, reminiscing and waiting for the second half of the Arsenal game to start, I bring you the first post of two for today.

“Dead Silence” is Billy Talent’s fourth album, released in September 2012. It brought to an end their “Billy Talent (enter roman numeral here)” naming system that the band had used for their first three albums, but it also brought forward some new ideas and sounds too. Ian D’Sa – the guitarist with the Paul-from-Tekken-like haircut – handled the album’s production, there is the of a piano in one of their songs, it also includes two of the most ‘poppiest’ (don’t like that word) tracks I think the band have done. I listened to it when it became available on Spotify, and it was “Crooked Minds” that really grabbed my attention.

With a message similar to “Red Flag’s”, something along the lines of how ‘the kids’ of today will rise up, cast off the shackles and fight to right the wrongs of the government, “Crooked Minds” reminded me of the material from “Billy Talent II”. That album, for me, is my second favourite…. but only marginally. By the skin of my teeth. But “Crooked Minds” just had the energy that that album had, and what was missing, I feel, on “Billy Talent III”.

Actually, that’s a bit unfair. “Billy Talent II” is great as well….. I’ll save that for another day.

I think it is that “Yeah” that Ben screams/yells at the start that certified it for me. “Devil in a Midnight Mass”…..-esque, you could say.