posted by david on Fri 6 Dec 2002 @ 10:41 PM

Shania Twain is exactly the kind of performer that I swore I would never mention in a weblog for 'discerning music nuts', but her latest album employs a gimmick that I find fascinating and kinda repulsive. I was a little astonished that Glenn McDonald over at The War Against Silence would give a Shania album time of day until his review explained how purchasers of her 'Up' album got two discs for the price of one. Seeking to please both her pop and country fans, one disc (coloured red) consists of pop songs and the other (coloured green) consists of country songs. The interesting thing is that both discs contain the same songs in the same sequencing, with one deploying mixes that emphasise steel guitars over synthesisers and vice versa. On one level I find it amusing and proof that her music has so little integrity that it doesn't matter if you fed one of her songs through a sausage mincer, you'd still wind up with the same crap. On another level, I find it offensive to these who invest their hearts and souls into music, where she instead has invested in a highly paid record producer to twiddle some knobs to make it sound cute (yes, I know Robert 'Mutt' Lange is her husband - he's still an overpaid knob twiddler). And then, just to make things really silly: only the US version has the country disc. Outside the US, you still get two discs, but the green disc consists of "Eastern" mixes instead. This whole thing strikes me as marketing gone mad. Head on over to Shania's website and click on the "Up!" button if you don't believe me, you can sample the pop/country versions side-by-side.

posted by david on Thu 5 Dec 2002 @ 10:46 PM

While the crummy exchange rate has kept bands like U2 away from Australia, early next year will see two big-name rock acts hitting the country within a comparatively short period of time. The Rolling Stones will be playing in February, mostly in stadium venues but Sydney fans will probably be falling each over in an attempt to buy tickets for the sole Enmore Theatre show. Ticket prices for the tour seem rather exorbitant, ranging from $70 to $350. The tour has been getting some rave reviews from critics so hopefully you'll at least get a great show for your money, but whether it's worth the expense is a different question. Shortly after that, Bruce Springsteen will be bringing the re-assembled E Street Band back to Australia for the first time since 1985. Having seen them play a few times, I can only say that they are one of those must-see acts as Bruce will spend over two and half hours bounding around the stage leaving you feeling as exhausted as he will look. Tickets for his shows are a little more reasonably priced, ranging from $88 to $152. I don't know what this article by Paul Cashmere is on about - he seems to have conveniently ignored the $350 tickets for the Stones tour when comparing them to the Springsteen ticket prices (check them yourself). As I've noted before, I still feel it's a pity that up-and-coming musicians are unlikely to have the chance to witness some of rock's great performers in action.

Rolling Stones tour: tickets on sale Wed 11 Dec through Ticketek
Bruce Springsteen tour: tickets on sale Mon 9 Dec, tour promoted by Kevin Jacobsen

posted by david on Wed 4 Dec 2002 @ 08:47 PM | read or post comments (3)

There are few music stories which get extensive coverage beyond the music press but there's been some interesting coverage of Peter Garrett's announcement that he is quitting Midnight Oil. The news was announced quietly, on their official website, and left many people asking questions. Will he never play with Midnight Oil again? Will the band continue under the Oils name? And what exactly does Peter intend doing instead? I suspect that Midnight Oil will play again, perhaps not on proper tours criss-crossing the country but there will probably be occasional performances for specific occasions. They may even record again, doing it for fun and free of the pressures of producing a commercial success. In a formal sense though, this announcement strikes me not as a resignation but as an announcement that the band will no longer exist. Indeed, in the eyes of the general public, Peter was Midnight Oil (how many can name any of the other band members?) and in live performances, Peter was the focal point, perhaps one of the most striking frontmen in the world. The band cannot and should not continue without him. What next for Peter? It appears that he has made that decision already so we'll just have to wait for the next announcement. There has been some speculation that Peter is about to enter politics which, given his outspoken beliefs, can't be entirely disregarded. For now though, it's time to mourn the loss of a band which not only achieved success on a national and international level, but was always musically inventive, passionately focussed and breathtaking on stage (anyone who has ever seen them live will attest to that). In years to come, I have no doubt that they will be remembered as one of the most important bands this country has ever produced.

Links: ABC Online - The Age - The Sydney Morning Herald: Bernard Zuel, Lisa Pryor - Billboard - Rolling Stone - BBC - Austin American-Statesman - Brisbane Courier Mail - Chart Attack (Canada) - Undercover: Peter quits, Sony boss surprised

posted by david on Sun 1 Dec 2002 @ 03:03 PM | read or post comments (3)

Chris Isaak likes to party, especially when he's surrounded by a couple of thousand friends who wanna party too. Last night, that's what happened. An unashamed showman, Chris had the audience eating out of his hand after only a few songs with an irresistably entertaining mix of bawdy humour, energy, silly suits and some rocking music graced by his devastating voice. With Silvertone, his band of 17 years standing, Chris showcased songs from across his career plus a laidback cover of Roy Orbison's "Only The Lonely". His antics iincluded a stroll around the top balcony, inviting audience members on stage to dance and swapping places with his drummer for a song (yes, Chris played drums and his drummer sang). Musically, his band may not be groundbreaking but they're a slick unit who tackle his simple and catchy 60s-pop songs with aplomb and they're always ready to act the straightmen to Chris's tongue-in-cheek clown. His rapport with his audience was effortless, whether it be drily commenting "you're late" to two people hurriedly making their way to their front row seats mid-song or cracking up in laughter when someone held up the handcuffs they'd brought along. After the show, he and two members of his band then spent over an hour in the foyer autographing merchandise and chatting to fans. This was one of the best gigs I've seen in a while - DO NOT miss him if you get the chance to catch him live.

see the rest...