Get Up Edina – Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker Came First – Toots and the Maytals
Last night I went to the new Capital Music Hall to catch a ska show. Before I left, I spent close to an hour debating on whether to wear a suit or not. It was hot yesterday, and I would be spending hours in a poorly-ventilated club with hundreds of uncoordinated kids pathetically trying to mosh to the rocksteady beat. Common sense told me not to wear the suit. The weight of history convinced me otherwise.
At around the same time as I was making my decision, the voice behind my all-time favourite ska song passed away. He will be missed.
High In The Mountains from Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot
In the forbidden valleys of the Bigfoot.
Tracking and studying Mankind’s greatest mystery.
High in the mountains,
There lives a legend,
That people have seen,
High in the mountains.
Strong as a river,
Proud as the eagle,
That flies in the sky,
High in the mountains.
Go through the valley,
That makes the high mountain his home,
There in God’s country,
He just wants to be left alone.
Wild as the wind,
He travels in places,
Where men dare not go,
High in the mountains…
I’ve lived in Ottawa for over 3 years now, and I still hate this city. One of my largest grievances is the lack of good shows, particularly ska shows, which is a shame considering the city’s longstanding relationship with the musical genre with such songs as “Drunk Ninjah” by Friends of Stu. Ottawa just doesn’t register on most bands’ radar, and I can’t count the times that a decent band has skipped town on its way from Montreal to Toronto. My old stomping grounds in St. Catharines get a better variety of shows, and they’ve got 1/5th the population.
I was apalled while attending the few ska shows that Ottawa did get during my first year here. It seemed that the only way anyone knew how to dance was by moshing, leaving me to fight off rambunctious 14-year olds in impomptu pits. During the first Ska Is Dead tour myself and about 10 like-minded individuals had to start our own small circle at the back of the club, and it seemed that even then they had trouble in fighting the urge to punch people.
In the intervening years I’ve seen the kids in this city get more and more hep to where it’s at. I can now attend a show without having to bruise my knuckles on some little kid’s face, and, slowly but surely, a few of those kids are becoming more appreciative of older, more sedate versions of ska then the “punk with horns” that first attracted them to the genre.
I bring all this up because the First Annual Ottawa Ska Fest is taking place tonight, and despite the fact that it will mostly consist of bands that are outside this old man’s usual taste in ska music, it’s still a step in the right direction. I encourage anyone in Ottawa to drop by and get down. I’ll be the one dancing in the blue suit, Peter Parker-style.
Sepultura had great success as a thrash band and had a few great records under their belt. Then in 1996 the band decided to take a different approach to their new album. The sound for Roots was guttural, raw and tribal. It was a departure from what they had done in the past, and was a journey into the jungles of Brazil.
In order to achieve the new sound, beats were influenced by the indigenous music of Brazil. The guitars were outfitted with grittier, muddy, passive pickups – replacing the holy grail of thrash pickups, the EMG 81, and everyone played and sung around the groove of the song. When you listen to this record the rhythm is what drives it, it is a return to the bonfire and the banging of the drum.
With all of these influences front and centre the record still retains the heart and soul of the Sepultura sound. The result is a concept album that is enjoyed by even the most critical of fans. This record celebrated syncopated tribal rhythms that sounded heavy as hell without the need for breakneck speed. The worship of groove on this record went on to influence a great number of bands and albums to follow. This record added a color to the palate of metal, and people continue to paint with it. This album is voodoo magic
I was looking up some info on the Ghost Dog soundtrack (it being my favourite album at the moment), when I found this photo of the RZA:
Superheroes truly walk among us.
Unconvinced? Need further proof?:
What’s more superhero than getting Bill Sienkiewicz to do your album covers?
Holy shit, it’s like all the cool people are droppin’ like flies. I hate to do another downer post, but this deserves a mention.
Link Wray died on Nov. 5 and was buried on Nov. 8. He’s credited with inventing the fuzz sound and the power chord. Pretty much the staple of every punk and metal band that’s ever been. His song, Rumble, is probably one of the only instrumental songs to be banned from radio play for being too violent.
He died at 76, which is amazing considering how hard he rocked. Usually when you channel that much raw power, it kills you in your early years. I guess the deal he made with the devil to become so awesome had a longevity clause. Though not long enough if you ask me.
Today I picked up the new Neil Diamond album. I love it; soon I plan to live it. I saw Neil on Jimmy Kimmel last evening and he did the tune “I’m on to you,” earlier that day I was given a link from my buddy Jay at Spacejunk to the song “Hell Yea” after those 2 tracks I was sold and bought the cd today at lunch. The cd is refreshing and haunting; Diamond is emotional and macho at the same time, like Capt. Kirk of the starship Enterprise.
I have not been into an album like this for quite some time. Listening to the songs alone I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I have the attention span of a fruit fly and most albums are unable to keep my interest from beginning to end. It is a great and complete work.
Rick Rubin does an amazing job, I love the way he does stripped down music. The voice is front and centre; rich and commanding. Diamond speaks to me like a wise elder, divulging life lessons that he wants me to learn – because he cares. I care for you too Neil. Your wisdom is poured on all of us like anointing oil, preparing us for ministry.
