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Showing posts from October, 2013

Six More Records

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Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (1968) First, I want to apologize to S&G. Side two is a remarkable collection of songs, up there with the best sides in rock history, and I have gone 43 years without hearing it. Don't worry, I've already kicked my own ass. "Fakin' It" is a great opener for side 2 and I instantly fell in love with its groove. "Punky's Dilemma" is a great follow up, although my copy has a scratch in it that covers the first half of the song. "Mrs. Robinson" is simply one of the top 50 greatest rock and roll songs of all time and "Hazy Shade of Winter" is a late 60s firework display. The album closer, "At The Zoo" is what you'd expect from S&G, pleasant harmonies and quirky Simon lyrics. Clocking in at a little over 29 minutes (29 minutes for two sides? what the?) their fourth album also contains the hit "America". Ask anyone over the age of 50 how long it took them to hit

My Severe Problem With The Rock Station In Grand Theft Auto V

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One of my favorite aspects of the GTA series is the music. The music budget for any GTA game must be in the tens of millions; more than entire budgets for 75% of all games made, would be my guess. 250 songs spread across 15 channels of music. I love a handful of stations in the current game (reggae, punk, funk and a pair of the hip hop ones), but was very disappointed in the rock station. Technically, Los Santos Rock Radio, is listed as 'classic rock and pop rock' and the DJ is Kenny Loggins, who's not as lame as you would initially think. So, none of dislike is aimed his way. The beard that rocks LS I come to GTA games hoping to hear music that I can't normally get on the radio, a hidden gem, a 'deep track'. Especially from a genre I'm very familiar with. GTA IV's rock station (DJ'd by Iggy Pop!) was littered with 'deep tracks' from major artists, great songs that are under (or never) played on radio. The Doors "Five to One&