Hot Music Takes!

Hot take: Too Low For Zero is my favorite Elton John album.

 

First off, Sparkle and Fade is just flat out great. I saw Everclear multiple times while supporting it and enjoyed them. As for anything after that, I will have to take your word for it, because I can't name any songs or albums, which is my whole point. They just didn't get much traction.

Conversely, Lemonheads fans chimed in with favorites and classics from 3 albums in short order.

As a uniter not a divider, I will check out some other Everclear work. I did see Alexikas solo opening for someone at 1st Ave in the '00s, I remember liking the stuff I wasn't familiar with, plus he's a solid DJ/host when I hear him on Sirius/XM.

So there, take that.😉
That's interesting because So Much for the Afterglow was huge. Those videos were on MTV nonstop. And Song from an American Movie, Vol 1 is my personal favorite. It had "Wonderful," which was actually their biggest hit.
 

Paul Carrack might be the most overlooked rock/pop musician whose songs we know by heart. Don't recognize the name? Put this playlist together:
How Long by Ace
Tempted by Squeeze
Silent Running by Mike + the Mechanics
Living Years by Mike + the Mechanics
Don't Shed a Tear by Carrack

He's the lead singer on all those familiar tracks. Additionally, he was a session musician on albums for Roxy Music, The Pretenders, The Smiths, Elton John, BB King, and Simply Red and has worked extensively with Roger Waters.
 

Hot take: The Lemonheads' best song was written by Paul Simon.
 

Hot take: Too Low For Zero is my favorite Elton John album.
I just can't get past the 80s synth on this one. If Elton would sit down at that piano instead of dancing around it, this would go from a good to great song.
 


Hot take: The Lemonheads' best song was written by Paul Simon.
It wasn't on the original pressing, and Dando had said he doesn't like the song and wished they hadn't recorded it, but as it turned out I can't imagine the album without it, and I can't imagine it ending with Frank Mills. For an add-on, it's a perfect closing track.
 

That's interesting because So Much for the Afterglow was huge. Those videos were on MTV nonstop. And Song from an American Movie, Vol 1 is my personal favorite. It had "Wonderful," which was actually their biggest hit.

Ok, that song does ring a bell. Close to 9 million views on youtube, I must have moved on to my alt-country-rock phase by then and was oblivious.

Hot take: The Lemonheads' best song was written by Paul Simon.

Not even their best cover.

 






Evan was too f'd up all the time for pettines.

"was" or "is"?

He does have a new memoir coming out, Rumors of My Demise, due out in 2022. Also in an interview to promote the re-release of Lovey, he said he does have a bunch of new songs written.
 

"was" or "is"?

He does have a new memoir coming out, Rumors of My Demise, due out in 2022. Also in an interview to promote the re-release of Lovey, he said he does have a bunch of new songs written.
I imagine it going like this: Childhood to 1992 all good. 1993-1999 missing due to not remembering any of it. 200-Present all good.
 

Hot take: Mitch Mitchell is the best rock & roll drummer of all time.
 



Hot take: Mitch Mitchell is the best rock & roll drummer of all time.

Aaargh! Keith Freakin' Moon is -and always will be - the greatest freakin' drummer of all time.
John Bonham is up there on the list, and Charley Watts is underrated.

But Keith is the best. go back and watch any live Who material and focus on Moon. The guy was a genius. and a roaring drunk. and crazy. And the heart and soul of one of the greatest live bands of all time. I only saw the Who in concert once, and that was after Keith died, so I got the Kenny Jones version - good, but not the same. At least I saw them before the Ox died.

And BTW - John Entwhistle is the greatest bass player of all time, and it's not even close.
although Berry Oakley gets points just for the bass intro to "Whippin' Post."
 

Hot take: Mitch Mitchell is the best rock & roll drummer of all time.
Hot take: Listen to Business as Usual and tell me that Jerry Speiser isn't as technically good as anyone.
 


I imagine it going like this: Childhood to 1992 all good. 1993-1999 missing due to not remembering any of it. 200-Present all good.

Not sure about the present based on this interview.

 

Hot take: Listen to Business as Usual and tell me that Jerry Speiser isn't as technically good as anyone.
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Hot take: that Elton John video I posted above, not to mention scores of others, are vastly superior to the one for "Take On Me."
 

Aaargh! Keith Freakin' Moon is -and always will be - the greatest freakin' drummer of all time.
John Bonham is up there on the list, and Charley Watts is underrated.

But Keith is the best. go back and watch any live Who material and focus on Moon. The guy was a genius. and a roaring drunk. and crazy. And the heart and soul of one of the greatest live bands of all time. I only saw the Who in concert once, and that was after Keith died, so I got the Kenny Jones version - good, but not the same. At least I saw them before the Ox died.

And BTW - John Entwhistle is the greatest bass player of all time, and it's not even close.
although Berry Oakley gets points just for the bass intro to "Whippin' Post."
No doubt Moon and others like Peart are among the greats. But it's the jazz sensibilities that set Mitchell apart for me. Hendrix hired him because he could match Hendrix's improvisations. Mitchell could bang it out with the best of them and then dial it back with something like on Angel.

 

Moon is my guy on the drums, but are there any Ginger Baker stans here?
 


Moon is my guy on the drums, but are there any Ginger Baker stans here?

Not a big believer in "the best" arguments so I'll just say his name is in the conversation of the best rock drummers. Gotta put Jack Bruce in the convo for bassists as well. In fact, I should throw Song for a Tailor in tonight.

Actual hot take, Mike Watt belongs on the short list of greatest rock bassists. The very short list.
 

Moon is my guy on the drums, but are there any Ginger Baker stans here?
To quote Stewart Copeland in the Ginger Baker documentary, "Ginger Baker is a motherfucker." Of course he means that in a good way. Baker was awesome.
 

Trivia question: Who taught Zak Starkey how to drum?
 



"the best" guitarist, bassist, and drummer are not a part of any band, they are session musicians.
 





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