Big News! This is the first ever official Audiodaughter book review. I’m not sure if there will ever be a second (Okay, there will probably be another. I’m halfway through a Pamela DesBarres book right now), but that’s okay. If this were the only book review I ever wrote-I would be proud to admit it! Ready? Here goes…
Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic
“Let it Blurt” paints a much different picture of that ‘Lester Bangs’ guy from ‘Almost Famous.’ While Cameron Crowe saw Bangs as his hero (and painted him so), Jim DeRogatis’ account dives deeper into the heart, soul and history of Lesley Bangs. After all, Bangs’ real life contained a lot more than speed and his paranoia and cynicism ran a lot darker than what was shown on the silver screen. DeRogatis even recounts the same story of when Crowe and Bangs first met, afterward informing the reader that the time with Crowe was one of his only pleasant moments on that trip back to California. But where ‘Almost Famous’ stops (after one meeting and multiple phone calls in a few weeks’ time span), ‘Let it Blurt’ keeps going all the way up until the ultimate demise of “America’s greatest rock critic.”
To be honest, I haven’t yet finished “Let it Blurt.” However, I fear that if I wait until it’s finished, this review could go unwritten for a few more months. It’s not that the book is poorly written-It’s certainly not. As a matter of fact, I believe the reason it’s taking me so long is due to the sheer depth of knowledge that spills from its pages. It’s intense and it’s awesome. The stories of Lester and his friends are so well researched and colorfully described, I often find myself lost in imagination only halfway through a sentence. I keep stopping to take in the scenery, to look around the party and see who else I can spot in the crowd. I keep trying to imagine just how amazing it would be to sit across the room from Lou Reed- and give him shit.
It may be dreary at times, but ‘Let it Blurt’ is also filled with humor-if only in accounts of Bangs’ absurd antics. There are moments when I’ve gasped and wondered how the book would continue on for a hundred more pages if Lester got himself killed in yet another episode of drunken stupidity. I’ve also spent a lot of time swooning over the incredible situations Bangs found himself in with various musicians. This book is heavy (both in theme and size), but it’s amazing. I may not be through with it yet, but I’m sure I won’t be giving up my red Chuck Taylors any time soon.
Audiophiles' Red-headed Step-child
Monday, March 14, 2011
AD Wandering-Bobby Long, Columbus
I bought tickets for Bobby Long's performance the same day the show was announced. I'd only discovered him a few weeks prior, but I was still pretty hooked. The album came a week or so before the gig and I loved every second of it. I knew, knew, knew it was going to be an excellent show! I'd seen quite a few interviews and clips of Long performing on his couch at home. His painful shyness always amused me. It never occurred to me that his timidity would affect his performance. That's exactly what it did, though.
Not to say it wasn't a good performance. He voice was as lovely as on the album and his picking was sensational. He sounded exactly like he did on 'A Winter Tale.' There's a connection you can feel with an album that's incredibly important. Equally important, though, is the connection you can feel with an artist during a gig. A good show can take those emotions from the record and quadruple them. They can turn a packed venue into a cathartic event, no matter how big the crowd. A great gig will leave you still feeling the emotion of that night, under those lights, with all those other people long after you've returned home. That connection is hard to make when the singer spends the entire hour staring down at his feet.
The opening act, local band Yellow Light Maybe, was definitely the highlight of the evening for me. Not only did I get my fair share of eye contact, but so did the rest of the audience. Even after a fowl-up at the beginning, the guys pulled it off with a laugh and a story. For a bar packed with Bobby Long fans-there was much more movement during YLM. Afterward, while the local guys hammed it up with friends, fans and bartenders, the England-native stood behind a merch table while his keeper herded fans through the line as quickly as possible.
Maybe I've become spoiled. I spent last year following a band around who's crowd size tripled in 6 months. Those fine gentlemen still came out after each show, signed autographs, posed for pictures and hugged fans. They scream out to people in the balcony and tease rowdy, swooning girls in the most charming way possible. Then, when they perform, they do it with passion, power, musicianship and tons of eye contact with their fans. Yes, I'm definitely spoiled. But if a relatively unknown band like Yellow Light Maybe can make me happy, I feel like Bobby Long should have been able to have done a better job, too.
All in all, I don't regret driving the hour and half to Columbus or spending my money on the ticket. Yellow Light Maybe would have been worth my 15 quid even without Long. I missed the connection with Bobby and skipped his show when he came to Cincinnati. He sounds great live, he puts on a less than moving show. I will, however, head out to see Yellow Light Maybe again.
Not to say it wasn't a good performance. He voice was as lovely as on the album and his picking was sensational. He sounded exactly like he did on 'A Winter Tale.' There's a connection you can feel with an album that's incredibly important. Equally important, though, is the connection you can feel with an artist during a gig. A good show can take those emotions from the record and quadruple them. They can turn a packed venue into a cathartic event, no matter how big the crowd. A great gig will leave you still feeling the emotion of that night, under those lights, with all those other people long after you've returned home. That connection is hard to make when the singer spends the entire hour staring down at his feet.
The opening act, local band Yellow Light Maybe, was definitely the highlight of the evening for me. Not only did I get my fair share of eye contact, but so did the rest of the audience. Even after a fowl-up at the beginning, the guys pulled it off with a laugh and a story. For a bar packed with Bobby Long fans-there was much more movement during YLM. Afterward, while the local guys hammed it up with friends, fans and bartenders, the England-native stood behind a merch table while his keeper herded fans through the line as quickly as possible.
Maybe I've become spoiled. I spent last year following a band around who's crowd size tripled in 6 months. Those fine gentlemen still came out after each show, signed autographs, posed for pictures and hugged fans. They scream out to people in the balcony and tease rowdy, swooning girls in the most charming way possible. Then, when they perform, they do it with passion, power, musicianship and tons of eye contact with their fans. Yes, I'm definitely spoiled. But if a relatively unknown band like Yellow Light Maybe can make me happy, I feel like Bobby Long should have been able to have done a better job, too.
All in all, I don't regret driving the hour and half to Columbus or spending my money on the ticket. Yellow Light Maybe would have been worth my 15 quid even without Long. I missed the connection with Bobby and skipped his show when he came to Cincinnati. He sounds great live, he puts on a less than moving show. I will, however, head out to see Yellow Light Maybe again.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Pains of Being Pure at Heart's Belong
While I'm still not 100% sold on PoBPaH, I have no major beef with the band or their new album. Instead of reviewing this too soon, I thought I'd embed their album up here and let you have a listen for yourself. Feel free to leave a comment or shoot an email with your thoughts. As always, if you like it-Buy it.
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