NEW MUSIC EAR

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE.
PINK

I first heard about Pink like many people with the song, "Get The Party Started" and since then have been a massive fan.  The cool thing is my wife is also a fan so Pink's music is one we can both enjoy listening to together.  Even now I look back on all the albums I am still surprised at the difference in the debut album, "Can't Take Me Home" compared to the later more Rock orientated material.

The first album was (no offence to Pink) pretty average fare, typical R n' B and Britney Spears-like Pop music.  Since the "Missundaztood" album with the aforementioned "Get The Part Started", "Just Like A Pill" and "Don't Let Me G…

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE.
RUSH

Rush were one of those bands I got into late, mainly because I just thought they were one of those bands my brother used to play that I would never understand like Pink Floyd (still don't get it!) and to a certain extent Led Zeppelin.  These reminded me of a kind of "university" music that only posh kids and "higher education" could really understand, to me the likes of overlong instrumental hippie stuff was boring as hell.  It pretty much opened my ears to a different kind of Rock music.  Sneaking into my brother's room playing gems on his much better stereo than mine when he was out, playing loud stuff like Thin Lizzyand the ultimate Rock introduction compilation…

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE.
MADONNA

Love her or hate her, Madonna sure has divided the music industry and its listeners for many years.  Although my Madonna music collection almost matches my Prince collection, the excitement of any forthcoming album since the release of "Music" in 2000 hasn't been as great as before said collection. My comments on her new album and any material from "American Life" onwards have met with such abuse in Facebook groups who obsess about the lady and would like an album of her opening an envelope in different places if it means defending her.

Like I said, I have been a Madonna fan since seeing her perfom "Holiday" on The Tube programme in the UK in 1984 at The H…

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE. 
FAMOUS BANDS, NEW VOCALISTS?

I was thinking about this debatable subject when I came upon Spandau Ballet supposedly ditching Ross William Wild because it was "not working as we hoped" after only a few gigs.  I also found in some Facebook groups about Queen that fans were actually wanting Adam Lambert and others to "replace" Freddie Mercury.

In my opinion if you change a vocalist with such a famous voice like Tony Hadley and Freddie Mercury for someone else you should also change your band name, not pretend that its the same band that had all the hits before, it isn't!

The vocalists more often than not make those songs hits, yes the band members may change every now and the…

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE. 
RAP AND HIP-HOP

I always tell people that I am not a big fan of Rap and Hip-Hop music which is partly true.  The 90s and beyond Rap is intolerable.  I remember hearing "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five and "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. These songs and tracks like "White Lines", "Step Off" and others by other top rappers such as Melle Mel made valid points, political and social and you could hear and understand every word.  They meant something.
Then Rap and Hip-Hop evolved into something strange, apart from LL Cool J who was still carryng on the 80s vibe, it became angry and evoked gangland imagery and aggressive action…

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE. 
ED SHEERAN

For regular readers of my blog it may have been expressed previously my confusion about Ed Sheeran.  I don't get it, I don't understand it and I am confused at all the adulation this guy gets.  Sure he can play guitar and he sings ok but to sell so many records and critics to be claiming he is one of the best songwriters ever is alarming
I admit I secretly liked "The A-Team", his debut single but then again I liked Coldplay's "Yellow" until they started releasing every song that sounded the same and was as twee and dull as the last.  I also liked Oasis' "Live Forever" before all the rest sounded like the others.  With Mr Sheeran he has not …

THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN RANDOM MUSINGS ABOUT MUSIC.  THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND, MUSIC IS TO BE ENJOYED AND ALSO DEBATED.  WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITES AND IDOLS AND EACH GENERATION HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS.  THESE ARE MINE.  SOME YOU MAY FIND INTOLERABLE, SOME YOU MAY FIND AGREEABLE. 
BEYONCE

Beyonce seems to have it all, men lust after her, women idolise her, she is in a powerfully rich couple and she seemingly can do no wrong.  For me, I used to really like Beyonce, she was part of a great girl singing group, Destiny's Child and like every red blooded male I thought she was gorgeous.

I had all the Destiny's Child cds and thought the video to "Bootylicious" was awesome.  This girl was obviously destined (no pun intended) to branch out on her own.  No disrespect to the other girls but Beyonce stood out.

I used to like the girl group En Vogue and I thought Destiny's Child were the closest thing to them with the sassy lyrics and attitude and great vocal harmon…

A NEW FEATURE ON NEW MUSIC EAR.  THE PLAYLISTS ON MY IPOD FEATURE LOTS OF VARIOUS ARTISTS SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY PLAYLISTS WITH YOU.  HOPE YOU SEE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES!
PRINCE

PLAYLIST PART 2

After the experimental surprise of "Around The World In A Day" came another, a stripped back album with lots of orchestration to accompany the film, "Under The Cherry Moon".  1986's "Parade" was quirky, strange and at times brilliant and unique.  I picked out 5 stand out tracks for my playlist, the well known and copied bare bones "Kiss" single and the laid back "Anotherloverholenyohead" are here.  The other two lesser known singles, the eclectic "Girls And Boys" and powerful and funky "Mountains" have made the list too.  The only other non-single I include is the simply magical ballad "Sometimes It Snows In April", ironically poignant now as it was the month Prince died in 2016.


1987 brought one of the…

Rock band Chasing Dragons are a female fronted quartet form Leeds in England.  The group comprise of Tan, Adam, Murf and Kate.  The style of music they play are undeniably heavy Rock, but with the melodies and superb combinations of the likes of Europe, Heart, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake.  Add the punky angst power of Guns 'N Roses and you get the idea!


In 2014 the band released their second E.P. "Checkmate" following 2012's debut "Take Flight For A Firefight".  I first heard Chasing Dragons on the track "Broken Jaws" and originally thought it was Evanescence.  On checking the song on YouTube there was this striking looking female vocalist (Tank) angrily stomping the stage.  Add this to a backdrop of heavy metal riffs and with the unique Rock imagery and the energy of the performance I was hooked.


"Checkmate" contained "Throw Down Your King" which has elements of Iron Maiden then slows down to a Heart vocal performance tha…