2 April 2013 (Day 92) – Work After Easter And Bruce

The first work day after the Easter break is one of the quietest days of the year as many people take an additional day off.  As the school holidays have kicked in, other stake leave for the entire week in order to spend quality time with the kids.  This year seems to be no different. 

I speak to a colleague of mine who went to Springsteen’s final Hanging Rock gig.  Sadly (for me), that show turns out to the night to go, a massive 29 song marathon which is essentially an expanded version of my night (sans Red Headed Woman), plus Incident On 57^th Street, Jackson Cage, The Rising, Lonesome Day, Candy’s Room and Prove It All Night.  Despite this, my colleague is still disappointed that, despite going to two shows on the tour, she did not get to hear Thunder Road.  I point out that it is practically the only track that’s been played at every one of the five I’ve seen in my life.  I don’t think this dented her positive feelings but I know it picked up mine. 

My colleague also repeated Bruce’s promise from the stage that he will return to Australia within a much shorter time frame than in the past.  Most acts say this and very few deliver on the promise.  In any case, I figure I’m in a win/loss situation.  If Bruce returns soon, say within 2-4 years, it will be a win.  The overwhelmingly positive reviews of the shows and full houses will almost certainly ensure that the next Melbourne gig will probably involve Etihad Stadium.  This will probably be a loss as the relative intimate nature of Rod Laver Arena will be lost.  Having said that, I’ve seen gigs there from both AC/DC and U2 who both were able to create an amazing atmosphere there with their fan base so there’s still hope.

After that, it was to my desk for some serious catch up work.  This can be seen in that most of my sections for the day were dominated by instrumentals:

(252) Bela Fleck & Flecktones – Greatest Hits Of The 20^th Century

I think I’d be right in guessing that Bela Fleck would be the only artist with albums in my Collection whose primary instrument is the banjo. As the title of this album infers, this is a compilation of tracks from his career to the end of 1999.  The Sinister Minister kicks things off in fine fashion, a track that sounds appropriately titled.   A live Stomping Grounds continues the good times but many of the remaining tracks are played a little too safe for my liking, a situation not helped by Communication with vocals from Dave Matthews. 

(253) Tortoise – Beacons Of Ancestorship

Dating from 2009, this is the most recently released Tortoise album I own. This album incorporates quite a futuristic sound deftly integrating electronic sounds into the mix.  Indeed, many of the early tracks remind me very much of a similarly themed album, Future World by Trans Am albeit without guitars playing so prominent a role.  Things change a little on Minors, a track that could very well be adopted as the theme for a television detective series and the few tracks after that are more in Tortoise’s time honoured tradition.

(254) Aphrodite’s Child – 666

People who own this album are loath to admit it for two reasons; first the music is generally described as that most despised of genres, Prog[ressive] Rock and second, the band included in its membership both Demis (My Friend The Wind) Roussos and Vangelis (he of Chariots Of Fire fame).  But I don’t care about either factor when the music is as exciting as this.  Released in 1971, well before either act had recorded the music which made them [in]famous, this is a concept piece subtitled The Apocalypse Of John 13/18.  I’m assuming that this and the album title are biblical references to the end of the world with tracks including the words, Babylon, Four Horsemen, Beast, Locusts, Lamb and Trumpets in the titles. (And if anyone can explain to me how a track titled Altamont fits in, please let me know.) But the lyrics are not the reason to hear this but rather the music which I’d dispute is Prog at all.  If there is a dominant musical influence on this work, it is undoubtedly that of Frank Zappa which looms largest.   The double album concept, instrumentation used and the combination of mostly shortish tracks culminating in a large epic track near the end have all the hallmarks of Zappa’s work, especially Uncle Meat.  Another reference point, musically speaking, is undoubtedly the Mothers Of Invention live album Ahead Of Their Time which, although released decades after 666, is of a 1968 performance from a tour the musicians could very well have seen.