PaulMaul
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Posts posted by PaulMaul
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I'm very fond of this version:
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To one of the best contributors here, and one of my favorites:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!!
James
Thanks James Jeffrey! Incidentally, in case I come across anyone on facebook, my real name is Dave Schmidt, just so you know who I am!
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Happy birthday, Paul! How's that ELO collection coming?
Funny you mention that...I hadn't listened to the 5 CD's I bought in months, but two days ago I heard "Telephone Line" on my cable "Music Choice", so I put "Face the Music" and "New World Record" in my car for tomorrow's commute....
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Thanks everybody! It was a nice day indeed.
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Incredibly cool photos. Wish I could say I'm surprised at EC's fantastic graciousness and hospitality, but that seems to be par for the course.
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I love the Beastie Boys too, especially Paul's Boutique. And MCA was always my favorite, being one of my Brooklyn homies
I'm completely shocked, I haven't followed them much lately and didn't even know he was ill. Very sad about it
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I was cranking some Sabbath on the way to work this morning. It suddenly occurred to me while listening to "Paranoid" that the lyrics are similar in a lot of ways to the Beatles' "I'm a Loser." Obviously the Sabbath lyrics are a lot less light-hearted, but compare especially the respective final verses:
"What have I done to deserve such a fate
I realize I have left it too late
And so it's true, pride comes before a fall
I'm telling you so that you won't lose all"
(One of John's great lyrics, IMHO...the Beatles were great at engaging the listener...)
"And so as you hear these words telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but I'm too late."
Very similar flavor. Sabbath were big fans of the Beatles, so there might be an influence there......
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How is it that Guns N Roses gets in and Bon Jovi and the Raspberries also once again has been overlooked. Why not White Snake, KISS ,or RUSH, over Guns N Roses? The Beastie Boys seriously? How the hell did they get in above the others I mentioned? I thought they were a one hit wonder band anyway a bunch of college boys trying to rap.
Monica
Clearly, what this all comes down to is whose ox is being gored. When you like a given artist, and dislike another, it will obviously influence how deserving you feel they are.
I think Rush belong, but of course I'm a big fan. On the other hand, I can't stand Kiss. While they clearly were very influential in many ways, I think they're among the worst songwriters ever to grace a record, and marginal players and singers as well.
The Beastie Boys are not remotely what you have stated, but as someone who only ever heard "Fight For Your Right," I can see how you might develop that opinion. I think "Paul's Boutique" is one of the most creative, amazing albums ever produced, but you still might hate it if you're not open to that type of music.
I think the best solution for remaining sane is to realize the whole thing is a joke and not attach any importance to it.
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With all due respect, in 30 years will anyone really care about the Beasties or RHCP? Whereas 40+ years since their respective careers started, bands like the Guess Who and ELO are still played constantly on the radio.
I like the Beastie Boys, and I hate the Red Hot Chilis. But regardless of that, both bands have already been around for close to 30 years, so I think it's fair to assume these bands have stood the test of time popularity-wise.
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As someone who has no nostalgia tied in to any of this....
I like several of the songs on Boats ("Nowhere to Hide" for example) quite a bit. But those songs seem much less unique to me than Eric's previous material. There were a lot of singer/songwriters writing piano-based songs of angst at the time, some of which also have well-crafted lyrics. I like many of them, by artists like Peter Hammill. However, I have never heard anything remotely like Eric's first solo album. To me it is far more original, far more indicative of his musical genius than Boats.
Honestly, if the first Eric Carmen song I had heard had been "Run Away" or "Boats", I don't think I would have pursued his other works with too much energy. I'm happy that others love them so well, but I guess I just don't "get it."
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It sounds like Eric could just do "Boats" songs in concert to satisfy his diehard fans...
Of course if he wanted to attract a more mainstream audience he would have to add songs from other albums.
I'd consider myself a diehard fan at this point, and "Boats" is not one of my favorites. I much prefer Eric's Raspberries material and the first solo album. I do like Marathon Man and She Did It, but for the most part it's not my bag musically (though lyrically very interesting).
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Doubly incredible since he lost the tips of several of the fingers on his fretboard hand at age 17.
One of the things I always found unique about his work was the way he would overlay two different guitar solos. I never heard anyone else do this and the effect was interesting. To see what I mean listen to the following track starting at 4:00:
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I'm a big fan of their original albums. Especially "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Sabotage." Not as big a fan of the Dio era, but a new album by the original members would be fanastic. Ozzy has one of the most unique voices in rock and it was still holding up last time I checked.
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But mostly why I don't understand the whining, is that the expansion of this site into other subjects (political etc.) does NOT preclude music discussions here. On the contrary, if you want to talk music, YOU CAN TALK MUSIC. Nobody is stopping you!
While what you say is technically true, let me try this analogy:
I set up on a street corner to give lectures on the subject of Differential Equations. Not many are interested, but I do attract a few passersby.
You set up on the opposite corner and unveil a sequence of exotic dancers, each more alluring than the last. I think it's a fair bet that my audience would dwindle.
The political discussion is by definition heated and passionate in ways discussion of music can't really hope to match. So I do think when Cartoon World really gets going that it can have a chilling effect on musical discussion, with potential music-related posters feeling: "What's the point? It will just be lost amidst the noise."
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Thanks so much to everyone for the thoughtful birthday greetings and other kind words. Just for the record, my real name is Dave, not Paul. The "Paul Maul" thing is just a silly Wacky Packages reference. If I had it to do all over again I'd pick a better user name!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the folks here on ec.com are a-number one, top of the list, numero uno...you get the picture!
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I'll leave it to Cartoon World to rip the liberal pontificating of Denny O'Neil in Green Lantern/Green Arrow....but remember, it was 1970
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I remember the first time I saw Adams' work... on his Green Lantern/Green Arrow run... it was captivating, as was the sound of Raspberries...
It sure was. The art on GL/GA is arguably superior to his Batman stuff. Once again, two panels are enough to demonstrate that he was head and shoulders above his contemporaries:
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At the risk of testing the patience of non-comic book fans, I want to post two more panels to show what a genius Adams is. He is a true master of "magic realism," i.e. the realistic portrayal of fantastic content.
In the panels below, a petty politician has been mouthing off about how Batman isn't so tough. In what follows, Adams does an unbelievable job of faithfully capturing human emotion. I've never seen anything approaching it.
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In 1972, at age 6, I was given my first comic book. It was this one:
I was totally captivated with the art, which was by artist/illustrator Neal Adams. While I had nothing much to compare it with, it just seemed so superior to any art I had ever seen. Neal had a command of realistic illustration superior to most other comic book artists, but had an equally vibrant sense of action and perspective. While his work was grounded in precise detail, it almost seemed simple and effortless in its quality and execution. Imagine seeing these on a comic book page for the first time:
I mention all of this because I feel much the same way about Eric Carmen's best songs as I do about Adams' best comic book work, which coincidentally was being created right around the birth of the Raspberries.
Some of Eric's best songs (for example, "My Girl") feature incredible detail and workmanship. Yet the melodies are so universal and appealing that I find myself wondering why no one came up with them years before.
With both Adams and Carmen, it seems almost unfair to compare the work to that of contemporaries. The work is so ambitious that it seems to deserve a separate category.
Another similarity: both Eric and Neal have keen intellects, and frequently hold forth on various topics not within the purview of their professions. (Neal came up with a grandiose theory claiming to explain the origins of the universe ten years ago).
The two main differences between these two artistic greats are:
1. Adams received his due and then some. He revolutionized comic book art, and has been tirelessly imitated (but never equaled) for the last 40 years. He is recognized as one of the few true immortals of comic book art. Unfortunately, whatever success and credit Eric has enjoyed doesn't approach what he deserves.
2. Ironically, Adams, having received great credit, is an egomaniac, demanding ever more credit and accolade. While Eric, whose true greatness remains a pretty well-kept secret, seems respectful and down to earth.
All hail to both of these great talents!
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Kirk posted it a couple of weeks ago, but I had not seen it before then, and it is excellent quality!
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I think the popularity of facebook has hurt all message boards. There is a lot of fun music talk, along with discussions of current events happening all of the time.
This message board, being organized around a particular topic, draws anyone with interest in that topic. While facebook does in theory allow for a similar setup, its primary organization is based on friends, not any topic. There are maybe two people on this forum I consider myself friendly enough with to friend on facebook.
When you try to use it as a topic-based forum, facebook comes of as very awkward and totally ill-suited to me.
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The website being referred to here is one of the most repulsive organs of human communication ever created. I saw its creator on the Dr. Phil show awhile ago, and was scandalized by his complete and transparent disregard for human decency in the pursuit of as much ill-gotten cash as possible. The existence and success of this website literally terrifies me about the future of our civilization.
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Anyhoo..I was so inspired that I just went to Amazon to order "The Best Of The Guess Who"..."Gordon Lightfoot's Greatest"..."Joni Mitchell's Best".."Paul Anka's All-Time-Hits"..."Bachman Turner Overdrive Take Care Of Business"...and the Stampeders "Sweet City Woman And Other Hits".
Congratulations! Don't forget to pick up some Rush!
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To clarify, I don't doubt the sincerity of everyone who loves this song, loves everything Eric ever did, or whatever they love.
My brother is obsessed with a songwriter named Peter Hammill. The guy has been making records since 1968. His style has changed and evolved a lot. Some of it I like, some not at all. Without exception, when he puts out a new record my brother calls me and tells me how great it is.
In a way it makes sense. When you really love an artist, they become like a companion and advisor. If someone familiar and trusted shows me something, I'm more likely to take it seriously than if it comes from a stranger. I'm also more likely to look for the best and ignore some flaws in someone I love.
Christmas with Eric
in That's Rock 'N' Roll
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Actually, it was the "grizzled but kindly loner" in a ghost town telling a story about the town's history in which the Partridge crew played old west denizens of the town (another tried and true sitcom angle). The old man was never grinchy, rather Reuben Kincaid played the grinchy guy from the past.
The grizzled guy teared up because he thought he was spending Christmas alone (once the Partridges fixed their ailing bus), but they felt sorry for him and came back to spend Christmas with him. Nice episode, nice song.