YTSEJAM Digest 3798
Today's Topics:
1) Thoughts on FII after nearly a year: how did it age? {Part 1}
by Michael Bahr <durnik@goodnet.com>
2) Thoughts on FII after nearly a year: how did it age? {Part 2}
by Michael Bahr <durnik@goodnet.com>
3) IRON MAIDEN: First Night of the World Tour
by Volodya <provibe@club-internet.fr>
4) Review Copies
by "=?iso-8859-1?q?R=D6NNQVIST,?= GREGER" <GREGER.RONNQVIST@INFODATA.SEMA.SE>
5) Re: YTSEJAM digest 3788
by babs@sgenaa.cc.geneseo.edu (Barb Battaglia)
6) re: earplugs
by AEllis1222 <AEllis1222@aol.com>
7) ACOS on video?
by "Vaughn, Brandon" <VAUGHNB@CHIPOLA.CC.FL.US>
8) Re: Harps and the SF DT show
by Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU>
9) vote for hank!
by "L. Jason Hartman" <lhartm1@gl.umbc.edu>
10) Van Halen and DT on the continent, confirmed, check out NEVERENDING , DREAMS for more info (hidden in the text...)
by Choon-Kang Walther <rcwalthe@studi.unizh.ch>
11) HELLOWEEN's First Show
by Volodya <provibe@club-internet.fr>
12) Re: Attn: NY Jammers
by Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU>
13) big rant - ok, not so big
by Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 02:24:19 -0700
From: Michael Bahr <durnik@goodnet.com>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Thoughts on FII after nearly a year: how did it age? {Part 1}
Message-ID: <35444EC3.2F1@goodnet.com>
Michael Bahr wrote:
>
> You know, in a big way, a lot of rock albums age sort of like sets of
> Magic cards. (Magic players will know what I mean by this). There are
> some early hyped cards that everyone was dying to get, but the truly
> strong ones that age well are the complex, subtle, versatile cards.
> Everyone seems to appreciate when something is a genuinely
> well-thought-out good idea. This rings especially true for FII.
>
> Let's just take a look at the songs and see where we stand:
>
> 1. New Millennium
> Early on this song was getting the "well, can't complain, but nothing
> spectacular" review from the majority of Jammers. Everyone seemed to dig
> the KC-esque keyboard intro, and the Chapman Stick sound has always been
> appreciated. The early complaint was that the lyrics at times seemed too
> commercial... "The tide is turning now BABY." I understand why people
> feel that way and that prevailing opinion was pretty much what kept NM
> off the top-tier. Now, months later and hundreds of listens later (and I
> mean that), NM is generally considered one of the three top-tier songs
> on this record. The pure fury of the performance, the excellent (and I
> mean EXCELLENT) live renditions of it, and sadly the decline of other
> songs that aged poorly, have made it better than it was; it aged very
> well.
>
> Initially: B- Now: A-
>
> 2. You Not Me
> Boy, has the band ever caught a load of shit over this one! The
> collaboration with Desmond Child and the seeming commercialness of this
> tune had its initial reviews way down there. We later got You Or Me from
> the Hollow Years single, and the prevailing opinion varied... YOM was
> obviously less concise but at the same time projected so much more of a
> DT-style sound. As time went on and this song was gradually introduced
> to the live set, it sounded better in concert, and its reputation
> gradually improved... but no matter how much you try, you can't polish a
> turd. I wish that it had at least been a commercial success because OFB
> really needs it.
>
> Initially: D Now: C
>
> 3. Peruvian Skies
> This is a song we all thought was decent at first. Very
> Metallica-esque. The double-bass at the end was perhaps a bit
> ostentatious but we could forgive that. The early chorii are just
> beautiful, and the guitar work throughout is top-notch... this is what
> many of us call a "Petrucci song". (he did write the lyrics, so this is
> really his spotlight.) As time goes on it has neither aged well nor
> poorly... there's no annoyance forcing us to skip to the next track
> during our marathon listens, but neither is there the urge to hear it,
> the adrenaline rush like the one we get when we hear, "How can you keep
> your head, and not go inSANE??!" or "And the MYSteries we NUR-TUUURE,
> are the fabrics of our lives!" You see what I'm getting at. This is a
> typical second-tier song from this album.
>
> Initially: B Now: B
>
> 4. Hollow Years
> What the hell happened? Wasn't this song supposed to spend all day
> airing on VH1 and preparing OFB for a new era of arena tours? It COULD
> have, and we know it. DT needs to drop their mgmt and label RIGHT NOW
> and get working with someone who knows how to make it happen, like
> Radioactive Records or Mav/Sire/WarnerBros. I don't mean to sound harsh,
> but Elektra etc. had their chance and squandered it. And DT has been
> through this too many times, with the likes of Atco and Mechanic. Hell,
> I'd say go to Metal Blade but then they're doomed to perpetual
> obscurity, though they would never have to bow to corporate pressure
> again. Dammit, it ain't too late to save Hollow Years if someone with
> chutzpah gets things moving. Alas that this will probably not happen. I
> don't know if it's the same way with many other fans, but I get really
> quite angry when I see DT get the short end of the stick all the time.
> The song itself? No offense guys, but it's got more cheese than Domino's
> Pizza. It's perfectly cute and listenable in its own way, and we know
> its purpose was to finally get you some of the credit you so richly
> deserve. Too bad it didn't happen as planned.
>
> Initially: D Now: D
>
> 5. Burning My Soul
> This song got early airplay and heavy concert play, and it's probably
> the "crunchiest" thing on FII and sonically seems to be the successor to
> The Mirror or Caught in a Web. Our memories of this tune are fond
> because when we first heard it on the radio it meant that a new DT album
> was on the way. However this song does not age well and to be perfectly
> blunt, Portnoy does a more thorough and lyrically better job of reaming
> the music industry in Just Let Me Breathe. :) "Twisting turning losing
> all sense of yearning, living and learning..." it's just there because
> it rhymes, and only maybe "living and learning" really applies to the
> situation, because no matter how bad a contract a musician has, they
> don't "lose their sense of yearning" to write more tunes. Burning My
> Soul just doesn't cut it anymore.
>
> Initially: B Now: C-
>
> 6. Hell's Kitchen
> This is the least-liked of DT's instrumentals, but then again so was
> Erotomania when it was new, and now many consider Eroto to be DT's best
> instrumental. Hell's Kitchen is good... it's a second-tier song on this
> album... but it never has the impulse, the energy that Erotomania has.
> It gets slightly repetitive at times too. It does stand on its own
> merits, and is better alone than as a mere solo during BMS.
>
> Initially: B- Now: B-
[to be continued...]
-- - Mike Bahr - Prism Records - d u r n i k @ g o o d n e t . c o m - http://www.goodnet.com/~durnik/------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 02:24:59 -0700 From: Michael Bahr <durnik@goodnet.com> To: ytsejam@ax.com Subject: Thoughts on FII after nearly a year: how did it age? {Part 2} Message-ID: <35444EEB.5216@goodnet.com>
{continued from first post}
> 7. Lines In the Sand > What can I say that I haven't already? We thought it was great right > out of the gates, with a little bit of opposition by those who were > unhappy with Pinnick's role, but now, this song is thought of as quite > possibly DT's finest. By far the best on FII, it's a 13-minute > masterpiece that takes us up, down, around and through all of DT's > better musical ideas and exercises. The lyrics are downright brilliant, > and the verses gradually build themselves up to a very tangible climax. > In a way, the chorii with the LaBrie/Pinnick interplay is just icing on > the cake, almost an afterthought, to the core of the rest of the song. > Say what you will about this one, because chances are we agree. > > Initially: A- Now: A+ > > 8. Take Away My Pain > This song is very difficult to work with because it is quite possibly > DT's most personal-experience-relative song. And I'm not talking only > about John Petrucci Sr. here, but about the listener. Initially it was > very likable because the harmonies were beautiful, the solo was > fantastic, and the content was solid. However as time went by it became > less and less fulfilling each time I heard it. People on the Jam brought > up the "cheeze" factor and they had a point there. A big thing that > dogged this song was that it followed Lines in the Sand on the CD... and > it's tough to compete after a masterpiece like that is fresh in the > listener's mind. This all changed for me when my grandfather died last > Friday and I put on some music to help me try and deal with it. I > listened to Rush's "Bravado" and "Afterimage", and this song. The first > two got to me, but TAMP hit like a hammer. It is just unbelievable the > impact this song can have when it becomes personal. I don't know how > Petrucci can even manage to play this live, I'd be far too distracted. > The demo versions are different and have merit in their own regard as > well. Overall? This isn't a first-tier song, and is more of a > specialty... I know that when someone experiences a death in their > family, this will replace Bravado as my recommended listening when they > ask what songs they should listen to in their hour of sadness. > > Initially: A- Now: B+ > > 9. Just Let Me Breathe > This is one of those songs that started off good and has more or less > stayed that way. Portnoy does a wonderful job of smiting some entities > that needed to be smoten (grin) and this song does it with the best > overall package. Hell, THIS could have been a perfectly credible hit > single. The groove is just wonderful, the little tastes of Welcome to > the Jungle and Learning to Live are noteworthy, and overall the band did > a decent job here. Second-tier material just because of how dated it is > and because it never reaches any higher. > > Initially: B- Now: B > > 10. Anna Lee > This song got probably THE most criticism early on (sort of like that > TV commercial... "CHEEEEEEESE to the rescue!") and it definitely fills > the "Elton Niche" for this record. Petrucci's sound is downright > Brian-May on this track, and that had some appeal... LaBrie hasn't > written many tunes, so its understandable that there would be some kinks > for him to work out. I think this song really needed a proper > presentation to truly shine. When it came out at the European shows on > the FII tour, it was done downright well, and people started to > appreciate it on its own merit. It still doesn't even QUITE reach the > second-tier, but it's no Hollow Years either. :) > > Initially: F Now: C+ > > 11. Trial of Tears > There's always a Myung mind-twister on each album, and FII is no > exception. A lot of the early commentary, aside from praising the > naturally mind-boggling funky bass solo, was to the point that this song > would have to age well and would be thought of as the Learning to Live > or Scarred of this record. It doesn't quite have the scope or depth of > LITS, but this song accomplishes what it set out to do. The imagery is > awesome... you can practically SEE the wasteland as you stand there, the > winds blowing past you and the hazy horizon in the distance. Typical > Myung... he should write fantasy novels. First-tier. > > Initially: B+ Now: A > > Addenda: Speak to Me, Cover My Eyes, The Way It Used To Be > You know, B-sides always have a certain mysterious aura about them, > probably because they tend to be a pain in the ass to get copies of. > However it's clear why these tunes were left off FII and now I'm glad > they were. STM is practically U2... LaBrie did better with Anna Lee and > I think we can really see that now. Cover My Eyes is a fun, upbeat tune, > and a blast to listen to, and also completely devoid of the depth that > DT usually lends so well to their songs. And TWIUTB was just AWESOME on > the first listen, and seems less so every time... the first half of this > song is beautiful but let's face it folks, the second half is just > really damned boring. > > How does this album fare against its counterparts? I think it has less > throwaways than WDADU and at the same time less top-shelf stuff than > Awake. Look at the top-tier material from each album, since that's > really the only fair comparison between albums of different eras, with > different numbers of songs, and so forth: > > WDADU: Ytsejam, The Killing Hand, Only A Matter of Time > Images: Pull Me Under, Take The Time, Metropolis, Learning to Live > Awake: 6:00, Eroto/Voices/TSM, Lifting Shadows, Scarred > ACOS: ACOS > FII: New Millennium, Lines in the Sand, Trial of Tears > > FII seems to tie Awake for second place behind the still-champion IAW > in this regard. I'm not one of those who thinks DT should make IAW 2... > far from it. I think FII is their best album in my personal opinion. > However looking at it with a deeper analysis, it's clear that no album > has packed the kind of incredible canonical material onto itself all at > the same time than IAW... which has two second-tier songs that might > well be first-tier on WDADU or Awake: UAGM and To Live Forever (from > that era). > > Please, pick this post apart with all thine might and discuss the hell > out of it for weeks. It sure beats "bootleggers suck" threads, I > guarantee you. :) > > -- > - Mike Bahr - Prism Records > - d u r n i k @ g o o d n e t . c o m > - http://www.goodnet.com/~durnik/
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 14:22:39 +0200 From: Volodya <provibe@club-internet.fr> To: "ytsejam@ax.com" <ytsejam@ax.com>, bglist@bigfoot.com Subject: IRON MAIDEN: First Night of the World Tour Message-ID: <3363450F.5D657A6@club-internet.fr>
Hi everybody! Yesterday I was lucky enough to see the first show of Iron Maiden's Virtual XI World Tour. And here's the set-list:
Iron Maiden, Zenith Arena, Lille, France, 26th of April 1998. 1. Futureal 2. The Angel and the Gambler 3. Lightning Strikes Twice 4. Man on the Edge 5. Heaven Can Wait 6. Fortunes of War 7. The Clansman 8. When Two Worlds Collide 9. 2 Minutes to Midnight 10. The Educated Fool 11. Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger 12. Hallowed be Thy Name 13. Afraid to Shoot Strangers 14. Evil that Men Do 15. The Clairvoyant 16. Fear of the Dark 17. Iron Maiden 18. The Number of the Beast 19. The Trooper 20. Sanctuary
"And this evening, the first night of the tour, we'll be burned on our brains for the rest of the tour. Everywhere else we go in the world we'll be thinking: CAN THEY BEAT THAT FIRST NIGHT?" - Blaze Bayley, Lille, 26/04/98.
Keep on Rockin' folks. Volodya of OPEN ALL NIGHT RECORDS.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 14:21 +0200 From: "=?iso-8859-1?q?R=D6NNQVIST,?= GREGER" <GREGER.RONNQVIST@INFODATA.SEMA.SE> To: ytsejam@ax.com Subject: Review Copies Message-ID: <199804271221.RxrX@memo-smtp.sto.sema.se>
--- Inkommet fr=E5n INFODATA.SVA0193 +46(0)670-16060 98-04-27 14.21
-> ytsejam(a)ax.com
Hello!
I'm doing reviews in some various magazines:
* The forthcoming webzine "Sonitus" (http://www.apm.se/sonitus/). * The Norwegian magazine " "Tarkus" (http://home.sol.no/~prognet/tarkus/index.html). * The Swedish fanzine Wanted (http://www.ing.umu.se/~dsc/mori/wanted/wanted_e.html). -And I also have contributed some reviews to the website Prog Net (http://www.isminternet.com/prognet/index.html).
I wonder if there is any groups that want their albums reviewed in some of the aforementioned places. Then you can send me a review copy of your album/albums and i will review them for you.
Kind regards,
Greger Ronnqvist
Greger Ronnqvist Risselasvagen 66 B 833 35 Stromsund Sweden
Email: greger.ronnqvist@infodata.sema.se
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 08:51:42 -0500 (EST) From: babs@sgenaa.cc.geneseo.edu (Barb Battaglia) To: ytsejam@ax.com Subject: Re: YTSEJAM digest 3788 Message-ID: <v01510102b169f6e751f1@[137.238.26.12]>
>Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 12:43:17 -0400 >From: Lauzon.Gary@ic.gc.ca (Lauzon, Gary: IHAB) >To: ytsejam@ax.com ('DT') >Subject: Re: Ontario plates... >Message-ID: <1998Apr24.123933.1255.2320533@msmail.ic.gc.ca>
>>Ouchie. :) No, I'm serious. I drove behind another car from Ontario >yesterday >>(why are there so many Canadians in Colonial Williamsburg, anyway?) that >had >>the word "Ontario" written in a very boring, plain font. But I know what I >>saw the other day :)
Hello everyone, it's Babs. Let's see, I haven't posted in some time and this seems to be an intriguing post. Ok, I live not far from Canada (we typically see visitors from Ontario, my mother's Canadian and we've traveled on Ontario several times in my younger years. Could someone bring me up to speed on what Ontario plates have that others don't (laugh)?
That's what I get for skimming digests eh?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 09:45:08 EDT From: AEllis1222 <AEllis1222@aol.com> To: ytsejam@ax.com Subject: re: earplugs Message-ID: <8bfba9ad.35448be6@aol.com>
jefffalk@bu.edu<<My ear plugs cost about eight dollars. And they are professional ones. Quite good, too.>>>
Since I'm on my way to being a sound engineer, where do you get your earplugs?
Art
www.joestump.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 08:52:51 -0500 From: "Vaughn, Brandon" <VAUGHNB@CHIPOLA.CC.FL.US> To: ytsejam@ax.com Subject: ACOS on video? Message-ID: <41303F74D60DD111B56500609778A79C19045F@chipola.cc.fl.us>
Does anyone know if there is a video bootleg concert in which DT performs all of ACOS?
I know it is on plenty of CDs, but it seems a shame if during that whole period that the band was performing this classic, that it wasn't caught on video.
Anybody seen it on video? Maybe Mike P. has it on video and wouldn't mind sharing with us? :)
Brandon Vaughn vaughnb@chipola.cc.fl.us
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 09:59:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU> To: Multiple recipients of list <ytsejam@ax.com> Subject: Re: Harps and the SF DT show Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.96.980427095724.25521A-100000@njmsa.UMDNJ.EDU>
On Fri, 24 Apr 1998, woot wrote:
> > Where does one go about buying tickets for the DT show in SF? Are they on > sale yet? > > Are there any harmonica players on the list? I just bought me a little Lee > Oskar Tombo C diatonic for 35 bucks. It's harder than I thought, but it's > kinda fun. :) >
OK, quick question, probably stupid, but I'll ask anyway.
Are "harps" and harmonicas the same thing?
If someone says that harps are those big things with lots of strings, I'll hunt them down and circumcise them with an axe.
Or is "harp" just the "cool" way to call a harmonica, for those who play it and all.......
just wondering,
Al
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 10:08:10 -0400 (EDT) From: "L. Jason Hartman" <lhartm1@gl.umbc.edu> To: mlyons@erols.com Cc: steve@fuzzfactor.com, spunkypebs@aol.com, ytsejam@ax.com Subject: vote for hank! Message-ID: <199804271408.KAA05915@umbc8.umbc.edu>
The Howard Stern fans on the net are getting together and voting for Hank the Angry, Drunken Dwarf as one of People Magazines 50 Most Beautify People. You do it right through the web site!
The address is... http://www.pathfinder.com/people/50most/1998/vote/index.html
Make sure you get the name right, it's... Hank the Angry, Drunken Dwarf
He's currently sitting at #35!!! hehehaha I just voted and moved him one vote ahead of John Travolta! He's also ahead of Julia Roberts, Wil Smith, Drew Barrymore, Denzel, Jewel, Alyssa Milano, and others.
Please help to get Hank elected!!! VOTE HANK!!!
Jason
PS - Please spread the word!!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 16:08:52 +0200 (CEST) From: Choon-Kang Walther <rcwalthe@studi.unizh.ch> To: Multiple recipients of list <ytsejam@ax.com> Subject: Van Halen and DT on the continent, confirmed, check out NEVERENDING , DREAMS for more info (hidden in the text...) Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980427160236.7223B-100000@troll.studi.unizh.ch>
Hi jammers whoever has asked about DT opening? First a little tease: It has been on the jam for a long while!!! Are you living on the moon? :-)
Yes, DT are indeed opening for DT. I suppose they will do as in April, as on their last part of the European tour, they will start in Zuerich, arriving here on the day before and gather from all over the world. (Derek from California, MP, JM, JP probably from NY, JLB from Canada, the crew from the US and England.) Here they will fetch their bus and then enlight the faces of their fans in Europe.
Cheers Choon-Kang
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 16:16:11 +0200 From: Volodya <provibe@club-internet.fr> To: "ytsejam@ax.com" <ytsejam@ax.com>, bglist@bigfoot.com Subject: HELLOWEEN's First Show Message-ID: <33635FA7.7F58718E@club-internet.fr>
Hi there, The following is the set-list of Helloween's first show opening for Iron Maiden. Helloween, Zenith Arena, Lille, France, 26/04/98 1. Intro 2. Eagle Fly Free 3. Push 4. Sole Surviver 5. Revelation 6. The Time of the Oath 7. Power 8. How Many Tears
Keep on Rockin', folks. Volodya of OPEN ALL NIGHT RECORDS.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 10:45:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU> To: Multiple recipients of list <ytsejam@ax.com> Subject: Re: Attn: NY Jammers Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.96.980427104336.14227B-100000@njmsa.UMDNJ.EDU>
On Sat, 25 Apr 1998, Isaac Sabetai wrote:
> > I'm going to be attending the DT show at Irving Plaza, and I'm probably > going to need to take a bus back to Boston. How close is Irving Plaza to > Port Authority, and how late does the subway stay open? Thanks. Please > respond privately. > > Isaac > isabetai@bu.edu >
I'm almost positive that the subways are 24/7. As for distance, you would definitely have to take a subway or a cab. Irving Plaza is in lower Manhattan, around 9th Street if I'm not mistaken. Port Authority is closer to midtown, around the 40's......someone please correct me if I'm wrong.......
-Al
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Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 11:25:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Al Balkiewicz <balkiewi@UMDNJ.EDU> To: TheListFromTheDepthsOfHell <ytsejam@ax.com> Subject: big rant - ok, not so big Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.96.980427112322.8036A-100000@njmsa.UMDNJ.EDU>
quick question....
Anybody else annoyed as fuck about the Empty Tremor "mailing list" thingy? with people responding to all the recipients and getting a 200-line header?
sorry for the rant, but it's a Monday, dammit
just wondering,.....
-Al
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End of YTSEJAM Digest 3798 **************************
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