The Most Stupid Question

-
I've heard my share of stupid questions at work, among them is the famous 'Does this come in paperback?' on a book that is two days old. I really can't believe that I am still asked that question, by now I know I've told everyone in Raleigh -at least once- that 'No, it takes a year to come out in paper.'
But today, I got possibly the most stupid question in a long time.
Someone asked me what the new Sade album sounds like.
Why ask that question? What are you expecting, pre-Warner Brothers Ministry? It's like asking what the new AC/DC album sounds like [AC/DC] or if the new James Patterson book is good [no].
There are certain artists that have perfected a sound, found a faithful base and decided not to fuck around with it. Sade is one of those artists. If you like the sound of one of their albums, you like them all. It also makes it all that easier to sell the album. I can just say 'It sounds like Sade' and make the sale. Unlike trying to sell the new Vampire Weekend album by saying, 'It sounds like Paul Simon during his Graceland period writing music for Japanese video games.' If you haven't heard it, its tough to imagine what I just described, but trust me, thats what it sounds like.
So please, no more stupid questions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Houses Of The Holy, Led Zeppelin

-
Image
If you were to rank the 10 Greatest Led Zeppelin songs, none of them would be on Houses Of The Holy . If you were to extend that list to 25 songs, there's a good chance that 6 or 7 would be on the fifth Led Zeppelin album. The first CD I ever bought and my favorite Zeppelin album for a long time (it's now Physical Graffiti ), Houses Of The Holy might be the most solid of all their work, no real dogs among the eight tracks. Just real good (not great) rock songs. Like most Zeppelin albums, this one opens with a punch in the face. "The Song Remains The Same" kick starts the glorious Zep machine. The driving riff, the stellar drum work, all trademarks of the first song on any Led Zeppelin album. Don't believe me, just check track 1 of every Zeppelin album you own. Then, with "The Rain Song", the album comes to a screeching halt. It's Zeppelin at their most tender, until the five minute mark when the storm breaks. John Paul Jones' string arrangement
Read more

The Dude & I

-
Not even sure I should admit this because of the effect it might have on my man/hip cred score (which I would guess is somewhere in the low 60s), but up until last week I had never seen 'The Big Lebowski.' I don't know why its taken me over 11 years to see the movie. If you knew me you'd figured I would have seen the movie long ago, maybe even in the theater. It seems like my kind of movie. And it was. I love this movie. Its not a Top 10 movie. Yet. But it could get there with some more viewings. The cast is perfect, the script is divine, the music is amazing. I'm just waiting for the first time I can use "You're out of your element Donnie" at work, and I was humming 'Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)' in the shower this morning. [Which is a Kenny Rogers & First Edition song?!? Really.] Now I have to start working on some of the other movies that some how slipped passed me.
Read more

Daylight Savings Vinyl

-
Image
I spent the extra hour last night watching 'Zombieland' instead of listening to records, but at 2am the neighbors usually frown upon a loud stereo, so I decided to make last Sunday 'Record Day'. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968) - Hailed as a classic, this is one of the most unique albums in rock's history despite also being one of the least rock albums. Jazz, folk, blues & classical are all better descriptions for the 8 tracks that make up this song cycle. This is not one of those albums you'll get right away, it may stir emotions upon your first listen, but it needs to be listened to repeatedly as it unfolds. Famously recorded in just three sessions with Van singing and playing guitar in a booth and the rest of the musicians playing live in the studio along with him. Only the strings and horns were added later. Besides Van's stream-of-consciousness lyrics, its the upright bass of Richard Davis that stands out the most, especially on the epic
Read more