MIx - Minnesota Connections: General Thoughts
To Aaron's credit, he has waited very patiently while we work our way through Volume 3.
In my defense, in addition to a busy schedule, for the first time in our endeavor I'm listening to a cd filled with songs that are all new to me. That makes life more complicated, and the commenting more difficult. It definitely takes a numbr of listens to form a good opinion, and it would be wrong to comment too quickly.
A good theme, one that I would find difficult to duplicate. While I could put together a cd of New England or even just MA bands, I do not seek out local bands in the way that Aaron seems to. I don't go to shows and don't seek out local bands specifically. So unless you want a cd of The Cars, Aerosmith, and of course, Boston, I'll let this theme alone.
My acquaintance with Aaron is generally tangential, and so my understanding of his tastes are based on a) his manner of dress, b) his participation in 44, and c) his e-mail address. A few more details fleshed themselves out through volumes 1 and 2, but those were reactions to what was put in front of him and were not of his choosing. This collection changes my opinion of Aaron somewhat dramatically. Underneath that beatnik exterior, and despite an apparent respect for the greats of jazz, there appears to be a bit of a cowboy. Granted, these aren't quite country and western songs, but they are certainly strongly influenced by that genre - most of them anyway.
There is an odd incestuousness, or circular self-referential nature to a large number of these tracks. Lots of the same people operating under different guises. That obviously goes a long way towards cementing the feel of this collection, certainly more so than the Minnesota connection might alone if Aaron had indeed thrown together Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks and Prince. It tightens the collection up enormously. It also cuts down on the potential diversity.
With all that said, it's a solid collection, with some stand-outs, and some others that leave me flat, the details of which will follow.
posted by Pat at 9:34 AM
1 Comments:
No hurry on the comments. Busy here too, and I know I got it out before everyone had completely digested Dan PR.
As far as seeking out local bands goes, I don't do this to the extent that many people do. There are a few bands around that I try to see as often as possible (not so easy these days). Then there are a few that I if I see they are playing, and we were planning on going out, we will catch the show. Most of the groups on this collection are the former, and they all stem from my (our) affection for Accident Clearinghouse.
People will often refer to their taste in music, or an artist as "eclectic." It seems many of these people are getting the definition of eclectic from the dictionary in which Alanis Morissette found ironic. What they really mean is "he is a singer/songwriter." Or, "I like Elvis Costello." If you were to look at my CD collection I think that you would find it to be truly eclectic (as may be the case with all of us, and hopefully this endeavor will make all of us even more so). Not that the cowboy observation is wrong, but to give Pat a broader view of my tastes, here is a quick rundown of some of my favorites, and some other stuff that is in heavy rotation in my CD player:
As Pat noted, Monk, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins. The Beatles, Beck, Bjork, George Harrison (and the others), Johnny Cash, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, Wilco (only one CD right now, but more to come), Elvis Costello (see, I told you I'm eclectic), Tori Amos, as well as various other jazz, classical, a bit of rap, some ska, etc. etc.
But, no, this collection is far from eclectic. At first this collection was going to be "Minnesota Music." I had planned to try and find a wider range of artists that I have heard (live or on The Current), but I decided that I could easily fill ten songs with the artists with whom I was more familiar, and it would give it a tighter sound. It also increases the risk, as I have stated, of someone disliking a good portion of it.
Anyway, this comment was longer than it should have been, but maybe it gives Pat a broader notion of my tastes, and a bit more on how it became "Minnesota Connections."
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