Weapons of Mass Belief -Terrorist Youth.
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Currently playing... Megadeth "United Abominations."Is that any good at all? I've heard some rather mixed reviews - the general drift has been that the music is pretty good, but that Dave has gone more than a little loopy after 9/11 and that the lyrics reflect that. As a big 'Deth fan, I really hope it is great, but I'm far from certain that it will be...Overall it's a pretty good album. The music is pretty much standard Megadeth, firmly in the vein of "The System has Failed" with some reminders of "Rust in Peace." Some of the solos irritate me, but oh well... The album is definitely better than anything that came out during the "Youthanasia"/"Cryptic Writings"/ "Risk"/"The World Needs a Hero" period. I personally would have scrapped the remake of "A tout le monde," which is now a cheesy-sounding duet with the lead vocalist from Lacuna Coil... yech...
As far as the lyrics go... I used to think of Mustaine as having left wing political stripes, but this album seems to be all over the map in terms of political tendencies... It's clear that he's anti-UN. I wonder if some of the other lyrics, e.g., Amerikhastan, where he sings about Califarabia and New Yorqatar, and of coming after "Jihad Joe," are supposed to be taken as tongue-in-cheek/sarcastic, or...? It's hard to tell. Overall, it seems this album is anti-Washington, anti-UN, and anti-Muslim-extremist (but I may be misinterpreting certain songs). At the very least, the lyrics are provocative, controversial, and make for an interesting exercise in self-reflection.
If you end up getting it, I'd love to hear your take on the lyrics...
The lyrics are all here. I'm a political science doctoral student, so I always get all exasperated by things like the "United Abominations" lyrics, no matter where they come from - I wanna scream that, no, Dave, the United Nations does not force children into sex slavery, even if its constitutive states might do so. And lines like "Just gimme ammo for the United Abominations" sounds a bit too much like Skrewdriver and their ilk to me - not to mention that "The U.N. is right, you can't be more 'un'" isn't exactly clever. Also, the "Washington is next!" line about promoting sex and war in kindergartens... well, he just sounds like yet another one of the James Dobson/Tim LaHaye crowd. Remember this whackjob? Or this yahoo? I'd hate to see a guy I liked so much turn into a similar dipstick. But, hey, who listens to metal for the lyrics?
On the other hand, "Gears of war" is a great song - and not just because of the lyrics.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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The radio at work is playing some Jack Johnson right now, I think. I can't remember the name of the song. It's the one that's all like "Please please, please don't drag me... please please, please don't drag me down..."
Ugh. Once upon a time I actually liked some of his songs. That time has passed. Fortunately, so has the song.
Now "Lightning Crashes" by Live is playing. That one's tolerable.
Getting ready to see Twisted Sister's only North American concert this year (in Oklahoma July 15th) by listening to "Under the Blade" in its entirety.
"Good evening! Ha ha ha, welcome to our show
If you've got that problem, yeah, well, I think that you should know"
Jane Doe by Converge. I have no idea what the lyrics are half the time, but it's intense and I like it.
Surfergirl by Paul Wright.
Moneytalks by AC/DC
Signs by Tesla
random stuff by Poison, Creed, Matchbox Twenty, etc on my Rhapsody Radio station
oh, and a bit of Jukebox Kartel and Marty Casey as well.
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'Pirates of the Saskatchewan' by the Arrogant Worms
Oh, I used to be a farmer and I made a living fine,
I had a little stretch of land along the CP line
But time are hard and though I tried, the money wasn't there
And bankers came and took my land and told me fair is fair
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always "no"
Hire you now, they'd always laugh, we just let twenty go!
The government, they promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
Then I thought who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone
I'm gonna be a PIRATE! on the River Saskatchewan!
(ar.. ar.. ar..)
Chorus:
Cause it's a heave-ho! hi-ho!
Coming down the plains
Stealing wheat and barley and all the other grains
And it's a ho-hey! hi-hey!
Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores.
Arr!
Well you think the locals farmers would know that I'm at large
But, just the other day I saw an unprotected barge
I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser,
I rammed their ship, and sank it, and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of Moose Jaw spans a mighty river
The farmers pass in so much fear, their stomachs are a-quiver
Because the know that TRACTOR JACK! is hiding in the bay,
I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with their hay!
Chorus
Well Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat
He'd follow on the shoreline but he didn't own a boat
But cutbacks were a-coming and the Mountie lost his job
Now he's sailing with me and we call him Salty Bob.
A swingin' sword, and skull n' bones, and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST- SCREW IT!
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon, I'm the terror of the sea
If ya wanna reach the Co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!
Chorus
Well, pirate life's appealing, but you don't just find it here
I've heard that in Alberta, there's a band of bucaneers
They roam the Athabasca, from Smith to Fort McKay
And you're gonna lose your Stetson if you have to pass their way
Well winter is a-coming and a chill is in the breeze
Our pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime, but now I 've to go,
I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico!
Chorus
Repeat Chorus
Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores.
Hey! Love that Arrogant Worms' "Birthday Song". Funny s&%~! Got into them about the same time as Liam Lynch "MY United States of Whatever", was a hit. Meant to praise the Dropkick Murphys back a page or so ago, but missed my chance, Mr Shiny. Respect for the Irish punk!
Tonight, it's a Styx mix cd. "Suite Madame Blue", "Blue Collar Man", "Lorelei", Tommy Shaw's solo "Girls with Guns", his cover of KISS "Love Gun" and some other stuff.
Houses of the Holy
"The Italian Job" for about the 5th time in the background.
I'm a political science doctoral student, so I always get all exasperated by things like the "United Abominations" lyrics, no matter where they come from - I wanna scream that, no, Dave, the United Nations does not force children into sex slavery, even if its constitutive states might do so. And lines like "Just gimme ammo for the United Abominations" sounds a bit too much like Skrewdriver and their ilk to me - not to mention that "The U.N. is right, you can't be more 'un'" isn't exactly clever. Also, the "Washington is next!" line about promoting sex and war in kindergartens... well, he just sounds like yet another one of the James Dobson/Tim LaHaye crowd. Remember this whackjob? Or this yahoo? I'd hate to see a guy I liked so much turn into a similar dipstick. But, hey, who listens to metal for the lyrics?
On the other hand, "Gears of war" is a great song - and not just because of the lyrics.
Yep, I'm inclined to agree with your analysis. Lyrics do matter to me, and I usually find the lyrics of metal bands more interesting and thought provoking than those of mainstream pop rock bands... but you're right, Mustaine's political rhetoric is becoming increasingly simplistic... which also characterizes the Michael Moores of the left wing, as much as it does the government administration(s) Mustaine is so eager to criticize. It's not only a shame that he has stooped to that level of simplicity... what is worse is that he is using his music as a platform to preach these simplistic (and yes, arguably dangerous) analyses/viewpoints to his fans. WASP made a similar mistake on "Dying for the World." Blackie Lawless seems to have taken a step back on the latest WASP offering, "Dominator," but still...
I have become hooked on Pandora Radio at www.pandora.com . Currently my David Byrne channel is playing Boy About Town by The Jam.
Thanks The Eldritch Mr. Shiny, I had forgotten to add "tessie" to my Ipod. Yay!
My Drop kick Murphy's CD was on my They Might Be Giants CD which I thought I had loand out and never gotten back...
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Yep, I'm inclined to agree with your analysis. Lyrics do matter to me, and I usually find the lyrics of metal bands more interesting and thought provoking than those of mainstream pop rock bands... but you're right, Mustaine's political rhetoric is becoming increasingly simplistic... which also characterizes the Michael Moores of the left wing, as much as it does the government administration(s) Mustaine is so eager to criticize. It's not only a shame that he has stooped to that level of simplicity... what is worse is that he is using his music as a platform to preach these simplistic (and yes, arguably dangerous) analyses/viewpoints to his fans. WASP made a similar mistake on "Dying for the World." Blackie Lawless seems to have taken a step back on the latest WASP offering, "Dominator," but still...
Y'know, I did not see most of the lyrics as criticism of the government - instead, on about half the tracks, he sounds like he drank the government's Kool-Aid. He's anti-UN, anti-sex ed and wants to keep America "pure" from immigration and foreign religion - at least that is how I saw that whole Californistan and Jihad Joe thing. Of course, this meshes very uncomfortably with "Gears of war"... I guess I don't know what to think. It is still good enough musically that I'll probably pick it up anyway; after all, I can just burn the ones I like and ignore the silly parts. That's what I did with "In my darkest hour", which is quite possibly the whiniest, least charming song ever recorded.
Over to something cheerier. In the player tonight:
Opeth - "Moonlapse vertigo"
Rainbow - "Kill the king"
Overkill - "Skullkrusher"
Amon Amarth - "Once sent from the Golden Hall"
Pink Floyd - "One of these days"
System of a down - "Aerials"
Bathory - "Equimanthorn"
After that, I'll probably throw in Amon Amarth's album "The crusher" and Rammstein's "Reise, reise". It's paperwritin' time!
"Edison's Medicine" by Tesla
Stone Temple Pilots
Goo Goo Dolls
U2
Well, since I'm here, I'm listening to Weezer's "Only in Dreams". And I can't, as evidenced by the time of my post. Ahh, Weezer. My late-night insomnia buddy.
Sing, sing, sing (with a swing) by Benny Goodman.
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Slayer - "Bloodline"
Pantera - "I'm broken"
Megadeth - "She-wolf"
Dark Tranquility - "Terminus" (gottta love that video...:D)
Opeth - "The funeral portrait (homemade "300"-themed video, but, hey, it works!) and "The grand conjuration"
Sometimes, I really love YouTube...
I'm listening to the guy two cubes over try his best to expel his lungs through his nose.
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The Haunted - "Bury your dead"
Amon Amarth - "Cry of the black birds"
In Flames - "Cloud Connected"
Arch Enemy - "My apocalypse"
Entombed - "Damn deal done"
At The Gates - "Blinded by fear
So many good Swedish bands...
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Testament - "Do not resuscitate"
Obituary - "Find the arise"
In Flames - "Jotun"
Amon Amarth - "The pursuit of vikings"
and...
The Jam - "Going underground" and "A town called Malice", which is quite possibly the best song ever written.
Or is it this one? I can never quite decide...
Director of Sales
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"The Funeral" by Band of Horses
Soooo goood....
Snoring... Grrrrr!
James Marshall Hendrix.
The Wind Cries Mary Stockholm Sweeden, just over 40 friggin years ago.
If 6 was 9...well, some random pix put up to that amazing song
Castles Made of Sandanother random pix montage. Still amazing song though.