November 2020 Challenge Thread: The End Is Near

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Day 11: Veteran's Day
If you know a veteran, play an album in their honor. Or, play an album from an artist who served.
John Prine - Common Sense

John was drafted in 1966 into the Army. The war in Vietnam was escalating, but Prine was sent to Germany where he served as a mechanical engineer. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Prine said his military career consisted largely of “drinking beer and pretending to fix trucks.”

 

[Gavaxeman]

Catch up Day8 Sound-Track Sunday
Play an album that that includes a track that's prominently featured in a film soundtrack. David Bowie again - title track was used to great effect in two moments in “The Perks of being a Wallflower” movie - worth a watch

 

[Goodlivingav]

Day 11: Veteran's Day
If you know a veteran, play an album in their honor. Or, play an album from an artist who served.

Elgar Symphony No2 - Barbirolli/ Hallë Orchestra

OK, this one had me scratching my head a bit...the only thing I could come up with was that my Dad had done his national service, like everybody else had to back then. Being inducted into the band of the Royal Corps of Signals gave him the opportunity to do some serious practice and this took him, after demobilisation, to Music college, then to D'Oly Carte, then here to this orchestra where he was principal Oboe. I know he was very proud of this particular recording, as it showed off how well the whole wind section fitted together. This was a very special moment in British Orchestral culture and a lot of the recordings that come from this time are benchmarks for me. I also studied for a while with the principal Bassoon on this record, Charles Cracknell, who took me in at a time when I was anything other than promising and just giving so generously of his time made me believe in myself.

 

[Gavaxeman]

Catch up - Day 9: Great Lyrics
Play an album that's notable for its great lyrics. The mighty Morrissey with his career best album - lyrics are superb throughout -

“There's gonna be some trouble
A whole house will need re-building
And everyone I love in the house
Will recline on an analyst's couch quite soon
Your father cracks a joke
And in the usual way
Empties the room
Tell all of my friends
I don't have too many
Just some rain-coated lovers' puny brothers
Dallow, Spicer, Pinkie, Cubitt
Rush to danger
Wind up nowhere
Patric Doonan, raised to wait
I'm tired again, I've tried again, and
Now my heart is full
Now my heart is full
And I just can't explain
So I won't even try to..”

 

[D Jilla]

Day 11 - Veteran’s Day

Spinning one for one of my best friends, an Army vet. He’s a big hip-hop head (and big Kendrick fan), so here’s a Kendrick Lp with an army green cover:

 

[Gavaxeman]

Day 10: And Now for Something Completely Different...Pt. II
This a continuation of @Gavaxeman 's theme from September. Pick an album and show off some memorabilia related to it!- catch up - couldn’t not do this one could I! So here’s a nice signed Kenny Jones print that came with a CD box set that I had framed with the Small Faces Decca debut

 

[RowBearToe]

Day 11: Veteran's Day - If you know a veteran, play an album in their honor. Or, play an album from an artist who served.!

Fugees - The Score

My sister-in-law is an Army vet and a huge Lauryn Hill fan. So this one goes out to her!

 

[ranbalam]

Day 10: And Now for Something Completely Different...Pt. II
This a continuation of @Gavaxeman 's theme from September. Pick an album and show off some memorabilia related to it!

The Firm - S/T

This is my OG copy from when this was released, and for memorabilia here is my ticket stub from the tour...my first ever concert. I was such a Zeppelin crazed teen, the release of this record and concert meant so much to me. While I didn't love The Firm nearly as much as I did Zep, I was thrilled to see Jimmy Page on stage. And check out that ticket price, 15 bucks!

 

[ranbalam]

Day 11: Veteran's Day - If you know a veteran, play an album in their honor.

Today I'll honor my father-in-law Wes.

He served in the Navy during Vietnam on an aircraft carrier, as an avionics guy on the USS Enterprise and the USS America.

He's probably the smartest guy I know and is an inventor, a published author, and to top it off has been fighting brain cancer for over two years and doing pretty damn well all considered. He's truly an awesome person.

He's not all that into music, so I decided to go with another Navy man for my music selection.

Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth



Wes on the USS Enterprise

 

[Wicked Dreamer]

Day 11: Veterans’ Day

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy and the Poor Boys



John Fogerty served in the Army Reserves from 1966 to 1968, right before CCR took off.

 

[Eriatarka]

Day 11: Veterans Day
Tyler Childers - Live On Red Barn Radio I & II

 

[jfitzy]

Day 8: Sound-Track Sunday

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Original Score by Danny Elfman

I adore The Nightmare Before Christmas. And I just recently picked up the soundtrack on vinyl. It’s actually my first film/soundtrack I’ve ever purchased. Beautiful pressing and the packaging is great as well.

 

[jfitzy]

Day 9: Great Lyrics

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush

Well, I dreamed I saw the knights in armor coming
Sayin' something about a queen
There were peasants singin' and drummers drumming
And the archer split the tree
There was a fanfare blowin' to the sun
That floated on the breeze
Look at mother nature on the run in the nineteen seventies
Look at mother nature on the run in the nineteen seventies
I was lyin' in a burned out basement
With a full moon in my eyes
I was hopin' for a replacement
When the sun burst through the skies
There was a band playin' in my head
And I felt like getting high
Thinkin' about what a friend had said
I was hopin' it was a lie
Thinkin' about what a friend had said
I was hopin' it was a lie
Well, I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships flying
In the yellow haze of the sun
There were children crying and colors flying
All around the chosen ones
All in a dream, all in a dream
The loading had begun
Flyin' mother nature's silver seed
To a new home in the sun
Flyin' mother nature's silver seed
To a new home

 

[Yer Ol' Uncle D]

Day 12: Still Fresh
Play an album that came out this year.

Happy birthday Neil Percival Young.

A little love and affection
In everything you do
Will make the world a better place
With or without you



Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Return To Greendale

 

[RowBearToe]

Day 12: Still Fresh - Play an album that came out this year.

Tall Tall Trees - A Wave of Golden Things

I haven't heard a lot of talk about this album, but it's one of my favorites this year!

 

[thefsb]

Day 12: Still Fresh

Play an album that came out this year.

This album was recorded 17 days ago which is pretty fresh (yeah?) and very, very good.

Music from Saharan WhatsApp 10 by Bounaly





I enjoy a good hi-production album as much as the next person but this kind of recording makes me want to cry.

This is a name your price release on Bandcamp so go buy it!

 

[jfitzy]

Day 10: And Now for Something Completely Different...Pt. II

St. Vincent - Actor


I’m a huge St. Vincent fan. She’s the only artist I’ve seen live 3 times (which may not sound like a lot but I generally don’t go to too many concerts). For my birthday a couple of years ago, my wife bought us “VIP” tickets to one of her shows. This included an exclusive acoustic performance followed by a Q&A with her before the concert began. We also received this signed poster. It was a really amazing experience and made me fall in love with her even more.

 

[thefsb]

Catch-up for

Day 10: And Now for Something Completely Different...Pt. II
This a continuation of @Gavaxeman 's theme from September. Pick an album and show off some memorabilia related to it!

Ken Ueno - Talus - Boston Modern Orchestra Project cond. Gil Rose

Wendy Richman is a viola virtuoso, teacher and awesome person. Ken Ueno wrote the piece Talus for her. The piece opens with a scream which refers to the time that Wendy fell of a stage and broke her foot, including her talus bone. Ken saw an x-ray of it and the image reminded him of a sonogram and that inspired some ideas in the composition, iirc. Ken is an accomplished and sophisticated composer and around that time he was also singer in the band Blood Money that I was in together with Jon Whitney of Brainwashed.com fame.



In May 2018 Wendy returned to Boston to perform a solo version of the piece. I was there and managed to get some photos including of the opening scream. Even if you don't care for this kind of music, you should listen to the first 10 seconds on Youtube.

In these four images Wendy 1) prepares to play, 2) screams, 3) plays, 4) looks pleased with audience appreciation.





Technical note on the images. The first three of these pictures have banding that's the result of high-frequency pulsation in the stage light and the silent-shooting electronic shutter in my camera. I wasn't willing to use the mechanical shutter because of the noise it makes and I had checked for banding before this so this was quite a disappointment. Ken told me later they used a different light for this part of the evening's program. Ken is big on social media and apparently these pics got good engagment stats.

 

[jfitzy]

Day 11: Veterans Day

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here


A buddy of mine is a veteran. His favorite Pink Floyd album was Piper at the Gates of Dawn. I don’t have the on vinyl so I’m spinning Wish You Were Here. Regretfully, we haven’t kept in touch these past few years so this pick feels fitting.

 

[jfitzy]

Day 12: Still Fresh
Gorillaz- Song Machine: Season One

I don’t buy too many new releases. Mostly because there are so many older albums I need/want in my collection. But this new Gorillaz record kicks ass so I had to get it.