#the next ones are ram and zappa

[missionel]

happy birthday to my favorite 5 year old

[yesterdaysanswers]

Disco-Test・Francone Mussida (PFM)・Ciao 2001 (date unknown, sometime in 1977?)

(as always, thanks to @quantumabyss6​ for helping with this!)

translation:

Let's go back to the guitar and go back to Premiata Forneria Marconi: Francone Mussida has listened, tried to recognize and commented on ten Italian and International records. This is the selection criterion: Meat Loaf to talk about the new American names, "Consequences" to discuss - about the gizmo - the possible technical evolutions of the guitar, Steve Howe of Yes to mention romantic rock, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana to judge two different aspects of the superstar. To continue talking about the guitar, we proposed to Mussida an Englishman, Gary Moore (of Colosseum II) and an American, Al Di Meola. The Bee Gees, on the other hand, were only the pretext to return to the American market which PFM continues to aim for. Finally, two Italians: Riccardo Zappa and Chrisma, two different and opposite examples of music made in Italy, the first more personal, the second more imitative. Francone did not guess much: but this was not the essential. The disco-test is not a prize quiz, it is a different way of proposing an interview.

MEAT LOAF - Bat out of hell (from the LP of the same name)

-They sound like Yes, English rock'n'roll I would say. No, this is not Steve Howe's style... the beginning was very nice, but it has nothing to do with that anymore... now they sound American. 

-In short: British or Americans?

-The enigma is there. But I would say English. Among the rock performers there has been a remarkable leveling, unless there is a very strong personality, it is difficult to judge his feet. I instinctively find a lot of energy in this record. But it's not my favorite kind of music. 

-They are a new American group, Meat Loaf. Todd Rundgren produces them. What new names have you liked recently in the US?

-We have played in small clubs, and we have had contacts mainly with jazz players. The American new wave? Rock'n'roll doesn't change, it remains what it is.

LOL CREME & KEVIN GODLEY - Fireworks/Stampede (from the LP “Consequences”)

-Is it a soundtrack? Are they a percussionist? (listens very concentrated, editor's note). Who's going to write this music here? I cannot understand the purpose: however, it is well done. It goes from conventional classic to modern, Ravel, Debussy, there is moog behind it. He is a Moog player! The guitar? It escaped me, it seemed just a passing effect.

-It is the two of 10cc who invented the "gizmo".

-Ah, the one to prolong the vibrations of the strings. I have visited two types, one electromagnetic (when you strum you make a magnetic field vibrate), and one with current, which works more or less on the same principle. It's cool. In terms of experiments, electronics do much more, because we have to transform the guitar into a synthesizer. I don't think the guitar can evolve, I would rather say that its future is in involution, understood as a rediscovery of acoustics, which is the most important thing in full electronic boom. Especially young people have to rediscover. The latest evolution of the guitar was the coupling with synthesizers: beyond this, it would be better to change its name.

STEVE HOWE - Ram (from the LP “Beginnings”)

-Leo Kottke? I've heard some of his records. Is it not him? So, wait... there are two of them doing this kind of thing, the other one also played with Kottke. They use the guitar fully, like a piano, with the pick mixed with bare fingers, like the classical guitar: however the strings are made of metal, or are 12 as in this case, and then iron thimbles are used, always with the technique of the classical: singing and accompaniment together, for which the instrument becomes self-sufficient. Apart from this prerogative, the 12-string gives the idea of ​​the spinet or the harpsichord. I really like this record.

-But you haven't told me who he is yet (listens to the next piece, editor's note)

-Yes? He seems too good to be Howe. Unless he completely changed his style, hey, he changed! And maybe he found his own direction, he should make more of his records himself. I didn't like the last of Yes at all. From the English romantic era, the one with the best ideas, and technically most capable, in my opinion was Fripp.

BEE GEES - Night fever (from the LP “Saturday night fever”)

-I do not know. There is a lot of feeling, but there are many doing this thing. The rhythm is funky, but more English, the melody is not so conventional.

-It is the best-selling record in the United States, where you will be going shortly.

-On our last album we highlighted the rhythm, a bit forgotten. I speak of compatibility: it is not that melody or harmony have faded into the background. However, we have no ambitions for top places.

-It was the Bee Gees.

-Sex appeal and youth, easy listening with a bit of Donna Summer.

JIMI HENDRIX - Midnight lightnings (from the LP of the same name)

-I would be tempted to say Robin Trower. But it should be Hendrix. It's a big disappearance, even though he'd already said almost everything. His authority was in having exploited the guitar in an unconventional way, not linked only to the blues, but as if it were an ante litteram synthesizer. Hendrix is ​​one of those who influenced me the most, followed by Bob Fripp and John McLaughlin.

-This is one of the posthumous records, where the other instruments were recently recorded by studio sessionmen and added to the guitar track.

-That's why Trower came to mind, that is, an imitator. These operations make no sense: it is not Schubert's unfinished with the final twenty bars missing. No, here you just want to open everything that's left.

SANTANA - I’ll be waiting (from the LP “Moonflower”)

-Saying Americans is an understatement. The singer is good, there is a good feeling. I expect a guitar or a sax to come out... The guitar, here it is. But there is no room for the soloist, he is at the service of the piece. Only the general feeling is perceived, and can be heard only if he has musicality or not. And I'd say it has. It sounds like Santana, but it's not him, Santana doesn't do these things. An imitator? Uhm, I don’t think it’s George Benson, he is much more jazz. There is certainly a South American influence.

-It's really Santana.

RICCARDO ZAPPA - Sonata mediterranea (from the LP “Celestion”)

-(listens thoughtfully, editor's note) If I weren't the one to answer, I'd say he sounds a lot like me! (laughs, editor's note). It's a group of course, since it's an Ovation, and a classical guitarist with the Ovation doesn't exist. From the rhythm, but also, you know, the language of the guitar, it seems Italian to me. The impression is great. Are two playing the guitar, or does he overlap?

-Overlaps. It's Zappa.

-Riccardo, right? He's good, I've heard of him.

-Is there any new Italian musician that seems interesting to you?

-Walter Calloni, drummer, and Claudio Pascoli, saxophonist. I have listened to many new groups. We get dozens of tapes in the office, at the Zoo, there is an opening moment today, as opposed to a couple of years ago, but ideas are usually lacking. You return to the melody. Supergroups? No, Italy is not ready yet.

CHRISMA - What for (from the LP “Chinese Restaurant”)

-It’s a punk. Is it Italian? There are a lot of Italians who make non-Italian music. It tells me absolutely nothing, it communicates nothing to me. Who am I? No, it doesn't matter, it matters more what they mean: more than anything else, trying to keep up with the times, they feel young, current.

-Do you remember New Dada, when you played with Quelli?

-Is Maurizio Acieri, huh? I was thinking of him when I said "Italians". I don't know him personally, I don't know if this record comes from his own spirit of initiative or if it's a recording operation. You can say that he is convinced of punk: The New Dada were pieces of the Rolling Stones, after all.

COLOSSEUM II - The inquisition (from the LP “War dance”)

-It should be McLaughlin, or someone who mimics him, an Englishman. Good drummer, but he doesn't seem English to me. Is it Al Di Meola?

-He is the guitarist who said no to Genesis, Gary Moore, of Colosseum II. The drummer is obviously Jon Hiseman.

-Anyway, the style is McLaughilian. I can appreciate the technique, but apart from that I don't like it. It is really difficult to recognize an instrumentalist when you are faced with a progenitor of a certain type…

AL DI MEOLA - Devil dance on a Spanish highway (from the LP compilation “Jazzrocks”)

-This is Al Di Meola! Nice, but listen to the uniformity of expression. I don't know if you realize the difficulty of recognizing. It's not McLaughlin, though.

-It's really Di Meola. You finally guessed it! What about the American guitarists?

-I really like a group with two guitarists in unison. They are called Steely Dan. In Italy they are little known. They have great taste and emotion, without being super technicians, they are extremely communicative. I've heard a lot of things about Frank Zappa. This Di Meola is very good, but he is too cold.

-What is the prototype of the average American guitarist today?

-Difficult to say. Everyone has their own way, their own style. But George Benson, who I expected you to make me hear, is one who encompasses class, experience, craft. The prototype in Italy? Mah! I think... in our last LP I tried to play without amazement, working on the melodies, with some simple inventions... Anyway, I don't say I am the "prototype", because I still have some fundamental requirements: for example knowing how to do more "scene".

[broken-clover]

AU-gust Day 16- Treasure Hunters

Hmph. I was so sure I’d be able to finish yesterday, but after being stuck in a car so long I guess I was just too tired.

This one isn’t especially long, and I’m not sure if it really counts, either? I mean, treasure hunting is involved, but I mostly wanted to do something with my GG Persona AU. Then again, what, am I going to go to jail if I don’t do all the prompts perfectly?...well, maybe.

(Also this one has a smidge of Sinbed because self-indulgence. Sorry not sorry)

For a guy who wore an eyepatch, Sin had pretty good eyesight, at least when it came to scouting. The good new about that was he made for an excellent finder of treasure chests hidden at the end of dungeon hallways, and seeing how their ragtag ‘Investigation Team’ was made up entirely of schoolkids with shaky paychecks on the best of days, they appreciated any shiny trinkets they could sell off for healing items and weapon upgrades.

The biggest downside was that, though he was an excellent chest-finder, he wasn’t quite as good as noticing the shadows guarding it until it was too late.

“Dammit, it was guarded?” He hissed, recoiling as the dark sludge formed into a trio of Principality.

“And they’re decently strong ones, too! But it doesn’t look like there’s a good way to evade them, we can’t run!” Said Potemkin, balling his large hands into fists. “Should we try and call the rest of the team? I’m not sure if they’re too far away to hear, but-”

“It doesn’t matter!” Elphelt shouted, pulling out Miss Travallier to shoot her card and summon Anteros. “Just don’t let your guard down!”

They didn’t have any major tricks up their sleeve, but between Potemkin’s physical skills, Elphelt’s healing spells, Ram’s fire, and his own pool of Personas on-hand, Sin couldn’t find it in him to be especially worried.

Elphelt boosted everyone’s defense with Marakukaja before taking a step back. Potemkin lunged forward to attack head-on, and Sin summoned Perseus to fire up a Mazionga. They seemed off to a strong start, with the two victims of their attacks taking a decent chunk of their health off before they could even attack. If they kept up the quick attacks, then they had a pretty good chance to make it out unscathed, right? He was feeling confident about that.

...At least until a flurry of cards tangled around Elphelt, and she suddenly collapsed to the ground like a marionette with snipped strings.

“El?!” He shouted, falling back halfway through another lightning strike. Sin dug through his pockets for a revival bead while Perseus took a thankfully nonlethal blow. “Guys, be careful! At least one of them has an instant-kill spell!”

They still had a few beads on-hand, but as soon as he felt Elphelt stir, he heard Potemkin shout in pain and felt the vibration of him collapsing. “S-shit! El! Get up! We’re taking hits!”

“I am injured.” Ramlethal’s voice managed to carry over the other sounds of the firefight, with a definite tinge of concern to her usually-neutral tone. Nike was fast, but she still struggled to dodge the attacks of three enemies all at once, all the while with Ram trying to find a revival item for Potemkin.

The three shadows managed to get lucky with instant-kill spells remarkably often, leaving the remaining members scrambling to use whatever revival items they had while avoiding more potshots, and any hits they could actually land were quickly healed.

“Dammit! My SP is almost gone! Do we have anything for that?!” Sin barked, as Perseus fired a flimsy bolt of lightning that barely nicked one of the Principality.

“I-I think Ram just drank our last coffee…” El stammered in reply, trying to revive Potemkin yet again while only hobbling by on a handful of HP, herself. “I have enough for a few more healing spells, but we’ve only got the one bead left. Are you sure we can’t run?”

At every opportunity, they had tried, only for the shadows to intercept them. He liked being an optimist, but Sin knew that things had gone horribly downhill. When he tried to conjure more electricity, all it got him in return was a hard smack that knocked his Persona to the ground.

“Shit, brace yourselves- !”

“Did someone need assistance?”

A familiar silver-and-purple gundam skated into the room, throwing up a barrier wall to catch a couple of magic blasts.

“Finally! There you are, we’ve been looking for you!” An echoing voice came from the large machine, but its mouth didn’t move. “Good think you make such a racket.”

“Bedman! About time!” Sin felt himself grinning.

“Looks like you’re all in rough shape. Good thing I brought backup.”

The shadows were still too distracted by the new barrier to care much about the newcomers who ran into the treasure room right under their noses. Ariadne and Thalassa carried Bridget and May in their respective free arms, while Zappa ran along behind. The mechanical Persona began releasing purple smoke from its head-pipes, and a glimmering veil surrounded both it and the second half of the Investigation Team.

“Get ready for an overclock!” The echoing voice shouted. “You're buffed! May, you’re on healer duty, but just focus on knocking out those shadows!”

“Roger!” Bridget hopped off of Ariadne, and began barraging the Principality with physical attacks as soon as the barrier wall began to fragment. Zappa trailed behind with curse spells as Mania dangled over him limply. May did as instructed, throwing on a few mild healing spells, but the evasion buffs made it so it was less necessary than usual.

Following the initial difficulty, the battle swiftly shifted sides. The enemies finally burst back into piles of darkness and faded away, leaving behind nothing but a small pile of money.

“Oh, god, finally…” Sin sat on the ground and tried to catch his breath. “Nearly thought we were goners for a second.”

“Don’t run off like that next time!” May chided him. “How did you even get stuck in here in the first place, it’s a dead end!”

He pointed over his shoulder. “I saw a chest! I thought there’d be something valuable in it.”

“Well, if we cleared this room out, more shadows shouldn’t appear for a while, right?” Asked Elphelt, as she wandered toward the unattended box on a pedestal. “And since that almost got us into some hot water, it’d better be something good.”

“Yeah!” Sin managed to spring back up, following after her. “I’ve got the picks, let’s see what we got!”

Everyone else trailed behind, more than a little interested in whatever shiny trinket was so interesting that it nearly got half their team killed. Sin easily jimmied the lock open, pried the creaky lid back, and...

“Uh...looks like a cheap gemstone...and a piece of armor we already have.”

A collective groan went through the group, plus a few muffled curses and less-than-polite gestures. Sin still pocketed the small gem, but he was in the same boat as the rest of them. “Well, I guess you win some, you lose some. Let’s head back to the safe room to take a break. Bedman, think you can carry Pot? I don’t think we’ll have any luck trying it ourselves.”

The mecha nodded, scooping the unconscious man up like a sack of potatoes. “Everyone can hop on if they don’t feel like walking.”

A few took him up on the offer, and they all headed back. Maybe it was just imaginary, but the safe room felt far warmer and cozier than the rest of the dungeon. At least they knew no more shadows would be popping out to take them by surprise.

“Must be nice having a Persona you can ride in, Bedman.” Bridget said, sliding off the machine’s arm. “Ariadne can barely carry me!”

“Morpheus is remarkably comfortable on the inside, though I can admit it was frightening the first time I was dragged into him. For all I knew, he could have been trying to eat me.”

“I’ve got sandwiches!” Zappa chirped, hoisting up a makeshift lunchbox for everyone to see. “The boss lets me take the ready-made ones once they’re passed the sell-by date, but I promise they’re still good!”

“Ah, damn, that sounds perfect right now.” Sin went up to grab half of a turkey sandwich and begin munching on it.

After being revived, Potemkin found a place to sit near his much smaller leader. “I’m glad you were able to figure something out in the end. But next time, let’s be more careful. Treasure rooms are often more dangerous than one would expect.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Replied Sin, between bites of sandwich. “How’s Kratos?”

“Perfectly fine, I just don’t summon him unless I need him.” Potemkin reached across the table to pull out an egg sandwich, which looked positively miniscule in his large hands. “I’m not sure why you leave yours out so much when we aren’t in battle.”

Sin tilted his head. “Huh? What do you mean? He isn’t out now.”

The man gave him an odd look back. “What do you mean? He’s up there.”

When he looked up to where Potemkin was pointing, Sin was surprised to see that he was right. Perseus hadn’t dissipated, instead he sat on Morpheus’s shoulder, apparently perfectly comfortable where he was. He’d never realized how large Morpheus was, especially odd considering the respective sizes of their owners, but there was plenty of space for his Persona to sit and relax on his teammate.

“Huh?” The girls seemed to notice his staring. “What’s Perseus doing…?”

“I dunno, El. I didn’t make him do that.” He shrugged back. “Why does it even matter?”

“Hmm…” Despite herself, Elphelt had to side-eye the rather affectionate way Perseus cuddled up on his teammate, wrapping an arm around one of his pipe-horns. Hey, weren’t Personas supposed to be a manifestation of their owners...? “Hey, Sin, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what?”

“Do you...have a crush on anyone?”

Sin balked. “The heck? What does that have to do with anything? What made you ask?”

Behind him, Perseus’ gloved hand stroked Morpheus’ sleek metal head, before he went back to cuddling his horn.

Elphelt glanced away, resisting the urge to blush. “No reason. Just wondering.”

[365goalsfor365days]

#362: Watch Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 Movies of 2016

Lots of good ones on this list. 2 Thumbs Up

1. Zootopia (2016) <3

2. Hell or High Water (2016)

3. Arrival (2016)

4. Moonlight (2016)

5. Love & Friendship (2016)

6. The Jungle Book (2016)

7. Finding Dory (2016) <3

8. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) <3

9. Manchester by the Sea (2016)

10. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

11. Things to Come (2016)

12. Moana (2016) <3

13. Don’t Think Twice (2016)

14. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

15. Embrace of the Serpent (El Abrazo do la Serpiente) (2016)

16. La La Land (2016)

17. Sing Street (2016)

18. Little Men (2016)

19. The Nice Guys (2016)

20. The Cameraperson (2016)

21. Eye in the Sky (2016)

22. Tower (2016) <3

23. Only Yesterday (2016)

24. The Witch (2016)

25. Weiner (2016)

26. OJ: Made in America (2016)

27. The Wailing (Goksung) (2016)

28. Doctor Strange (2016) - Fun fact, a guy I went to high school with was on the team that animated Dr Strange’s eyebrows lol

29. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

30. Under the Shadow (2016)

31. Fences (2016)

32. The Fits (2016)

33. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

34. Cemetery of Splendor (2016)

35. Krisha (2016)

36. Long Way North (Tout en haut du monde) (2016)

37. April and the Extraordinary World (2016)

38. De Palma (2016)

39. Rams (2016)

40. 13th (2016)

41. Dark Horse (2016)

42. Almost Holy (Crocodile Gennadiy) (2016)

43. Aferim! (2016)

44. Tickled (2016)

45. Paterson (2016)

46. The Dark Horse (2016)

47. The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi) (2016)

48. Marguerite (2016)

49. Life, Animated (2016)

50. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (2016)

51. Aquarius (2016)

52. The Lobster (2016)

53. Gleason (2016)

54. Green Room (2016)

55. Queen of Katwe (2016)

56. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

57. Nuts! (2016) <3

58. Train to Busan (Bu-san-haeng) (2016)

59. Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

60. The Love Witch (2016) <3

61. Neruda (2016)

62. Gimme Danger (2016)

63. Southside With You (2016)

64. Hail, Caesar! (2016) <3

65. Our Little Sister (Umimachi Diary) (2016)

66. Fire at Sea (2016)

67. The Innocents (2016) <3

68. The Little Prince (2016)

69. Sully (2016)

70. A Bigger Splash (2016)

71. Loving (2016)

72. I, Daniel Blake (2016)

73. The Eagle Huntress (2016) <3

74. Deadpool (2016) <3

75. 20th Century Women (2016)

76. Jackie (2016)

77. Hidden Figures (2016)

78. Miss Hokusai (2016)

79. I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016) <3

80. The Last Man on the Moon (2016) <3

81. Don’t Breath (2016)

82. Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words (2016)

83. Dheepan (2016)

84. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

85. Demon (2016)

86. Certain Women (2016)

87. A Man Called Ove (2016)

88. Pete’s Dragon (2016)

89. Summertime (La Belle Saison) (2016)

90. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

91. Toni Erdmann (2016)

92. Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)

93. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

94. A War (Krigen) (2016)

95. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) <3

96. A Monster Calls (2016)

97. The Measure of a Man (2016)

98. City of Gold (2016)

99. Microbe and Gasoline (2016)

100. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

[ladyjaneasher-blog]

#reblogging myself bc i'm reading another book abt paul#and it's just as bad as norman's#and guess what#he hates mccartney and ram too#to the point of wondering if paul had#'undergone a lobotomy before leaving the beatles'#this book was written in 2010#charming#(: (: (: - Can you post the full quote from the book you've got where they say this?

For many people, Ram is one of Paul’s best solo albums, with a Beatles sparkle, notably on ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’, which became a hit single, as indeed Ram was a very successful album, reaching number one in the UK, number two in the US charts. Ram is certainly more highly finished than McCartney and it has an abundance of catchy tunes. Despite all the prevarication over the final song selection there was, however, a sense that Paul had released a record that still needed work. The lyrics are so-so, ranging from veiled sarcasm (‘Too Many People’) to simplistic celebrations of love (‘Long Haired Lady’) via novelty (‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’). Taken as a whole, there is a lack of discipline and focus as there was on McCartney, as well as a sense that, without a strong collaborator like John Lennon, or an authoritative producer like George Martin, Paul struggled to distinguish between what was good enough to release and what would be better cut.

Although frequently derided, the rock music of the early 1970s was often superb. Recent months had yielded Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel), Hot Rats (Frank Zappa), All Things Must Pass (George Harrison), Tapestry (Carole King) and Blue (Joni Mitchell); with Who’s Next (The Who), Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album, and David Bowie’s Hunky Dory soon to follow. All these records had a musical and/or intellectual weight that made them great in their day, and marks them as classics now. Ram is not and never was in the same class, which is concerning because there was much more of this sort of music to come from Paul McCartney. All such judgements are, of course, subjective. Many fans loved Ram. Other listeners wondered what had happened to the man who had been a prime mover in the world’s greatest pop band. While it had been ridiculous to suggest in 1969 that Paul McCartney was dead, one might wonder if he’d undergone a lobotomy before leaving the Beatles.

Whimsy had always been one of Paul’s musical moods, as it was one of John’s. In the context of the Beatles it was charming - Paul’s ‘Yellow Submarine’, for example, John’s ‘I am the Walrus’ - but in Paul’s solo career whimsy too often became annoying.

from fab: an intimate life of paul mccartney - howard sounes (2010) with the passage in question bolded.

the entire book is written in a similar manner. such as it is, steeped in the usual biased jargon more than reminiscent of the rock journalists and critics of the 70s.