Category Archives: Music

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.

My iPod #222: John Lennon – Crippled Inside

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“Crippled Inside” from “Imagine” is a “corny Country-Westerner” as described by Lennon himself (about 1:05 minute in) when discussing the tracks he had ready to be placed in the tracklisting, before proceeding to sing it briefly.

I listened to “Imagine” (the album, not the song) for the first time when it was (what would have been) his 70th birthday in 2010. If there was a time to start listening to his solo material, it was definitely then. And after the calming, piano driven ‘anthem’ comes this bouncy track.

It’s about putting on a false appearance and pretending to be happy when in fact you actually feel worthless. Some take it to be an insult song to Paul McCartney; they weren’t getting along so well at this time. Figure it out for yourselves.

My iPod #221: Neil Young – Cripple Creek Ferry

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“After the Gold Rush” is the third album by Neil Young. I listened to it last year after beginning my quest to hear the best ever albums to have been released. Although he does have a voice that did take me a few minutes to get around, I realised that it perfectly complimented all of the songs anyway. So it ended up being no big deal.

“Cripple Creek Ferry” is the little ditty that closes off the album. Some may think it’s a bit short, maybe a waste of time but I really like it. It is only a minute and a bit long, but the melody’s really sweet and you will be singing along to it after a few repeats.

My iPod #220: Eminem – Criminal

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For more insight, click on these three words. I am very sure that it will give you better lyrical analysis than I ever could.

Here is all you need to know. “Criminal” is the last song on “The Marshall Mathers LP“, Eminem’s third album. Or second if you’re a person who negates the existence of “Infinite“. “The Marshall Mathers LP” is arguably Eminem’s best album. Eminem is regarded to be one of the best rappers of all time. Have you pressed play on the video above yet?

It is a great closer to the album. It basically sums up all of the messages conveyed in the prior seventeen songs, and is spat out to you in a humorous and clever fashion. Eminem was the centre of controversy after the release of “The Slim Shady LP”. Many women, homosexuals, parents, the government….. They were all very offended by what this man said. But does he care? No. Because he doesn’t mean it. It is all very funny to him.

Really though, I like Eminem but not as much as I might have sounded two paragraphs above. When his lyrics and beats are on point, he is siiiiick. “Criminal” is another of the numerous instances when he is, indeed, sick.

My iPod #219: Pavement – Cream of Gold

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I am going to say something that will irk a lot of Pavement fans. But “Terror Twilight” is my favourite Pavement album. I said it, what.

The record gets a lot of scepticism by the majority of Pavement fans for many reasons. Reasons that I would try to list here, but would end up typing them very vaguely so you probably won’t understand. Basically this is the band’s last album, made at a time when relationships within the band were deteriorating. I think a lot of people sense that from the album’s sound. Stephen Malkmus’ vocals sound quite lacklustre and lack conviction, there wasn’t an “Unfair” or a “Two States” type song on there. In fact the writer of the latter, Scott Kannberg the guitarist and other songwriter in the band, didn’t get one song on this album. He had at least one song on the previous four albums. Thing’s weren’t looking good. Would Pavement split up? Their split later in 1999 answered that question.

Despite all that, I simply adore this album. It has such an airy, dream-like atmosphere about it. No doubt that is due to the production of one Nigel Godrich, who you may or may not know as the producer of most of Radiohead’s albums. Nothing sounds rough; all the songs are very soothing and pleasing to the ear. Yes Malkmus wrote all the songs, the songs sound too polished, Malkmus sounds bored but you know…. GET OUT OF HERE. I DON’T CARE. “Terror Twilight” forever.

That’s my album review. Now for the song.

So, “Cream of Gold” is the fourth song on “Terror Twilight”. It did take a while for me to eventually like this song enough to put it on my iPod. I didn’t just put it on there because “You Are the Light” segues into it when you listen to the album. I did grow to appreciate the song for its coolness.

I have no clue what the song is about. The lyrics are very abstract. Even the song title is just a longer way of saying “Beige”, which I only figured out a few weeks ago. I think it’s about some sort of bad relationship of a couple, and the narrator knew from the start but he still suffers through it.

Musically, it’s very gloomy. It rocks, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t some emo, goth type song or whatever. The songs starts to play when you’re outside, it’s really dark and you beginning to worry about your own safety. That happened to me some time ago when I was walking back to my house….. But the track just suits that type of atmosphere. It has quite a threatening tone to it.

The guitar tuning is not the ‘standard’, which Pavement were known to do for many songs from their albums. After two verses, two choruses and a few repeats of the last line of the chorus, Malkmus busts out a solo and repeats a phrase about six times before the track falls apart with some feedback. Not in a bad way to end. Good stuff.