Thanks for posting – interesting background, I reckon we’re going have to get you drunk one night so can dish the dirt on these c/suckers you helped produce. Also, quite a varied taste in music – I don’t think I could sit and watch Cliff Richard And The Shadows even though I appreciate that in their time they were the kingpins and actually excellent musicians which they’re not always given credit for.

Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective – I tried and failed just couldn’t enjoy, maybe I’ll try again.

First of all I will abstain from telling all as one never really knows who is reading this website but I will attempt to provide a flavour of me and my musical taste.

Born near Edinburgh not long after the war my father, who was quite a well known session musician, moved to London to work for EMI. This is where my love affair with music began as I grew up surrounded by the sounds of Adam Faith, Shirley Bassey, Frankie Vaughan and Alma Cogan, as well as of course Elvis. I also have worked in various aspects of the music industry, nothing too major, mostly PR work and on occasions in the studio mixing and helping to produce bands that you will have heard of, but as they mostly were complete and utter c/suckers I will refrain from naming names.

My musical tastes are quite catholic having experienced the crazy times that were the 60’s and 70’s I enjoy a wide and varied musical collection: for example this week I’ve enjoyed Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective, Bach: 6 Cello Suites a wonderful box set by the French cellist Pierre Fournier. I’ve also watched Cliff Richard And The Shadows – The Final Reunion [DVD] as it rekindles some lovely memories for me.

Ken

so I think I agree with you all but did like the discussion Spacedino lol

Actually its great to see this discussion here and Spacey you are right, it is what I hoped for when I started this website – so great stuff and long may it carry on – think I’d better hide the sharp knifes first though.

I can understand both points of view here but lately I have been going through phases of not buying albums and buying individual tracks instead. Then I make a playlist May 09, June 09 etc. with these tracks on. Its sometimes works well as I do enjoy the songs on these playlists but I do also wonder if I’m missing something even better or would get more reward from buying the album – I cant work out if I’m being lazy or if its the magpie in me that just wants to hear the highlights of an album.

I think another reason is the lack of good albums these days – albums with 10 or 11 songs on it to make me go “mmm…I like that”. This has actually changed recently with the help of Spacey and his great recommendations and love of classic albums and I’m actually buying and re-buying albums these days by Them Crooked Vultures, Siena Root, Porcupine Tree, Colour Haze, Roy Harper, Wishbone Ash to name a few that are actually great albums that can be listened to all the way to the last track without falling asleep.

Ken – I would like to hear more from you as you obviously are a music lover at heart and do bring much to the table here. What are you listening to now – what can you recommend for me and my friends here. You also appear to have quite a colourful past – would love to know more. All in all the Dog is a happy man.

First off, yes – I am a dinosaur and proud of it! The sources of this pride are many-fold, but they basically hinge on the fact that I am of that generation where we learned that in order to appreciate any artists genuine talent, we need to listen to more than a snippet of their work. And, to fully understand and empathise with the artist’s meaning, the work has to be allowed time fully enter our senses.
I can appreciate art in many forms, but I have to admit, the first time I seen anything by Dali, I just thought “what on earth do we have here’? Over time I began to understand it a little bit more, but I did not fully get it until visiting the Dali museum in Barcelona just a couple of months back and taking the time to appreciate what he was getting at.
Yes, it may be archaic, old-fashioned, out-dated, but personally I still think it necessary to listen to the full album. This may not be the trend which the present CD or download buying public or the record industry is promoting at the ,moment, but there are still bands will and do follow this formula. I don’t know if you have listened to last month’s album of the month, but I think both Laughing Dog and Mr Sin will agree that to only listen to one or two tracks off of Porcupine Tree’s – The Incident, would be to totally demean the album. Same with my own personal album of the year, Siena Root’s – Different Realities.
I obviously don’t know what generation you are from, and as of yet you haven’t given us much of an idea of what kind of music you prefer, but there are some people out here (I’m sure I’m not the only one) who still do prefer the album as a whole. I think there may even have been a discussion on this topic on the Amazon forum at some time, I’ll see if I can find it sometime and we’ll see how opinion lies.

Anyway, there’s no point in either of us getting upset about it. I think The Dog intended his website for these kind of discussions.

I still think the Music Mix is a great idea, it’s just that I tend to use it in a different way from you. Is there anything wrong with a bit of a mixture of people on the site? And, I have found a few new bands to listen to off of it, so thanks Dog!

I do not wish to be too argumentative with you and spoil what is becoming a rather good music website; but I feel that your approach to music is outdated and quite archaic, to put simply, you’re a dinosaur.

You stated “When I listen to music I put on a CD and play it right the way through, I don’t skip from track to track and I very rarely listen to compilations” – this, is not conducive to record company strategy or to the buying trends of this musical generation. I still have a few trusted contacts in the music business and they all confirm that the album as a commercial entity is dead, has been for a number of years. The future is the single track.

Now, I know there is much written about this, and I expect you reply with statistics proving me wrong, don’t believe them – the future of music is the single track. Please consider two things:

• Downloading music enables the buyer to preview then select the track that he/she wants, it is no longer a requirement to buy a whole album to hear your favourite track
• The overall quality of albums is in decline. I can remember buying albums where every track was good (an example being this month’s album of the month) now if any song after track number 6 is worth listening to you’re a lucky man. I think Laughing Dog agrees with me here as he has commented on this in his discussion on ‘Old or New – I just don’t know any more’ where he reflected on the lack of quality in new albums; this I believe supports my argument here.

Awaiting your reply

Ken

But now I must protest in the strongest possible terms!!! The Furries, the best Welsh band ever!!! My dear little canine friend, how wrong can you be? Haven’t you ever even heard of Man? I believe I am committing an act of gross indecency even mentioning them in the same breath, but I will not accept anyone even considering that there is a greater Welsh band than Man. Just look at the lyrics:

I like to eat bananas
Cause they got no bones
I like marijuana
Cause it gets me stoned

Sheer profundity, The Furries couldn’t even come close.

And with your comment on Guru Guru, I hope you realise you now have the entire (freak) Teutonic nation taking up arms and marching on Doha. I would get out now while you still have a chance. Head for Siberia now before it’s too late.

Probably, although I can’t definitively state this, Genesis were better with Ray Wilson than with Phil Collins bleating over everything. I only heard a couple of tracks with him but they sounded OK. I don’t have a problem with Phil’s drumming, far from it, but his singing really gets me down.

So really, as I said, I don’t think this is a bad mix, far from it, and I have now ordered up an Irma Thomas CD on the strength of it and I am trying to work out what the best Anita O’Day one is.

Oh and by the way, I’m not hard, except with words maybe, but whatever you do, never,never, ever wind up Mrs Spacepig!!! Many times I have seen grown men reduced to tears by her.

However…………………….Death Cab for Cutie are worth your attention – I just love any band with the balls to do an 8 and a half minute song these days and get away with it – just great. The rest of the album is good too with the highlights being “Bixby Canyon Bridge”, “Pity and Fear” and “Grapevine Fires” recommended my friend.

Lucinda Willams is not one of a thousand American female warblers she is THE American female warbler great voice great song and so many memories – maybe you had to be in the car with me and rest of pack to appreciate the effect my singing had on my pups as we drove down through France.

Athlete – I know this ain’t your cup of tea but its mine and apparently Sinny’s as well so leave us alone – there’s nothing wrong this little acoustic ditty – I know it wont change the world but it made me happy for 2 minutes and 54 seconds plus it mixed well with Lucinda and Gomez but that’s another post.

You wont make many friends in the Dog house hold by slagging off the Furries the best Welsh band ever – think I’ll make ‘Mwng’ Decembers album of the month just to wind you up.

Guru is great smooth jazzy R’n’ B soul – Guru Guru are tosh I’m surprized even you can listen to them

Dada – probably the best 99p I have ever spent. Just uncomplicated good honest rock songs that get my foot atapping what’s wrong with that?

Agree about Golden Animals but this song is good

Genesis – I actually like both versions I even saw them with Ray Wilson in Birmingham and they were great – the guy could really sing but alas didn’t last too long.

So in my defence your honour I tried my best , honest I did, and you did like some of the songs – so hey roll on December and 20 songs about Santa and his pervy little elves

Ken you make your point well but I think that you don’t understand Spacepig yet – he might appear to be a moody old bugger but in the short time I’ve known him he really only has one thing at heart – and that is the music. Your idea of a music mix is similar in many ways to mine and I thank you for your kind words, but don’t knock Spacey – for one thing he sounds hard (always asking to meet outside the pub for a fight) plus he kinda knows what he’s talking about when it comes to music; and he defiantly knows what he likes and doesn’t like. Think of Victor Meldrew with headphones on and I believe you won’t be far away – when he compliments one of the tracks off the music mix you know you’ve done a good job.

But this is what is so good about music and THE reason for me starting the blog to generate discussion which it certainly has here – may it continue.

Ken – one thing you haven’t done yet is provide some idea as to your taste in music. Your background is very interesting – what are you listening to at the moment?

If I was you I would not change the way you are as you do love you music yeah though I would like to see what songs would be in your music mix