Sessionography?

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Kory
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Re: Sessionography?

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Heston wrote:
09 Mar 2018, 7:17pm
Kory wrote:
09 Mar 2018, 6:39pm
Topper's first recording was CCR, if memory serves.
CC surely?
Yup, that's right—but I'm positive I read somewhere that it was CCR, which became my truth until now. I'm going to have to figure it out and write the author a letter lambasting them.
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Re: Sessionography?

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Looks like you might have been beaten to the punch WK:
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Re: Sessionography?

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Kory wrote:
16 Mar 2018, 7:43pm
Looks like you might have been beaten to the punch WK:
Sweet! I might have to pick up a copy!
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Re: Sessionography?

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Overview from Barnes & Noble:

Formed in London in 1976 by Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon at the outset of that city’s punk rock boom, The Clash went on to outlast their peers and create some of the most influential albums in rock ’n’ roll—not just punk—even breaching the mainstream in 1982 and earning the title “The Only Band That Matters” along the way. In their eight-year career, The Clash offered six CBS Records studio releases, including one double and one triple LP, and increasingly melded influences ranging from rockabilly to ska, reggae, and even hip-hop into their sound.

Veteran music journalist Martin Popoff dissects each of the 91 tracks, including the circumstances that led to their creation, the recording processes, the historical contexts, and more. In addition, an introductory essay sets the scene for each album, while sidebar features explore influences on the band, album art, non-LP singles, the band’s staunch political stance, and song details, such as running time, instruments played, engineers, and studios.

I hope it is not a "copy" of "The Complete Clash" by Keith Topping which is already a good book.
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Re: Sessionography?

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Author appears to be a heavy metal fan, going by his back catalogue anyway, so the Clash seems a curious choice for such a project. Still another welcome addition to the canon, cannot have enough of them I say.

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Re: Sessionography?

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the band’s staunch political stance
Well, this could provide some Clashy/Narc Clashy-themed amusement.
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Re: Sessionography?

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It seems like it could be something akin to The Beatles book Revolution in the Head or the Smiths' Songs That Saved Your Life.
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Re: Sessionography?

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Kory wrote:
19 Mar 2018, 12:32pm
It seems like it could be something akin to The Beatles book Revolution in the Head or the Smiths' Songs That Saved Your Life.
I enjoyed both of those books. If this is similar - I'd be happy. What I liked about both of those was that they provided more than just musical facts - they provided context and critical thought. Both books were not afraid to call a bad song a bad song. I've come across books that were clearly written by fanboys who consider everything released by the band they're writing about as gold - even the marginal songs - they weren't bad - they just weren't as good as the rest of their incredible output. Revolution in the Head is particularly good. MacDonald did a really fantastic job on that one.
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Re: Sessionography?

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WestwayKid wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:04pm
Kory wrote:
19 Mar 2018, 12:32pm
It seems like it could be something akin to The Beatles book Revolution in the Head or the Smiths' Songs That Saved Your Life.
I enjoyed both of those books. If this is similar - I'd be happy. What I liked about both of those was that they provided more than just musical facts - they provided context and critical thought. Both books were not afraid to call a bad song a bad song. I've come across books that were clearly written by fanboys who consider everything released by the band they're writing about as gold - even the marginal songs - they weren't bad - they just weren't as good as the rest of their incredible output. Revolution in the Head is particularly good. MacDonald did a really fantastic job on that one.
I like that aspect too, but you gotta be kind of careful with it or you come out biased, as MacDonald does for Paul over John. The other problem is when you're really interested in a particular song and they only write a little paragraph about it because they don't rate it as much as you!
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Re: Sessionography?

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Kory wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:40pm
you come out biased, as MacDonald does for Paul over John.
You think? I thought he was pretty balanced — he absolutely shreds a bunch of Macca songs I like, too. 😩

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Re: Sessionography?

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Inder wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:42pm
Kory wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:40pm
you come out biased, as MacDonald does for Paul over John.
You think? I thought he was pretty balanced — he absolutely shreds a bunch of Macca songs I like, too. 😩
I have to go back and look at it again - but I just remember it was the first time I ever read something where someone was actually critical of the Beatles. I found that refreshing. I'm as big a Beatles fan as anyone - but sometimes you've got to call a spade a spade. There is no world where "Flying" will ever be a good song. All kidding aside - he even tore into some songs that I really liked - as Inder points out above - and while part of me wanted to immediately jump in and defend said songs - I actually liked hearing a contrary opinion.

I think Simon Goodard must have used Revolution as a guide when he wrote Songs That Saved Your Life because it takes a similar approach.
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Re: Sessionography?

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Undoubtedly because I'm not a musician, but I couldn't read Macdonald beyond the introduction—which was quite good. I had much the same problem with Route 19 Revisited. There's just something proctological about this kinds of books, like military histories that need to account for every bullet fired at Shiloh. They have their value, but the audience is especially constrained.
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Re: Sessionography?

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WestwayKid wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:51pm
Inder wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:42pm
Kory wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:40pm
you come out biased, as MacDonald does for Paul over John.
You think? I thought he was pretty balanced — he absolutely shreds a bunch of Macca songs I like, too. 😩
I have to go back and look at it again - but I just remember it was the first time I ever read something where someone was actually critical of the Beatles. I found that refreshing. I'm as big a Beatles fan as anyone - but sometimes you've got to call a spade a spade. There is no world where "Flying" will ever be a good song. All kidding aside - he even tore into some songs that I really liked - as Inder points out above - and while part of me wanted to immediately jump in and defend said songs - I actually liked hearing a contrary opinion.

I think Simon Goodard must have used Revolution as a guide when he wrote Songs That Saved Your Life because it takes a similar approach.
Yeah, Gooddard says as much in the introduction, which I only know because I just re-read it a couple weeks ago!

As for the Paul bias in Revolution, I agree that MacD is fair with Paul's songs, but it's clear to me that he much prefers Paul's writing over John's. I think it's mostly because he finds John a bit limited in the way he writes melodies chromatically, whereas Paul is able to make breathtaking harmonic leaps.
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Re: Sessionography?

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Mar 2018, 1:53pm
Undoubtedly because I'm not a musician, but I couldn't read Macdonald beyond the introduction—which was quite good. I had much the same problem with Route 19 Revisited. There's just something proctological about this kinds of books, like military histories that need to account for every bullet fired at Shiloh. They have their value, but the audience is especially constrained.
For sure. I'm grateful for books like that because they really hit the spot for me but I can see them being boring for non-musicians/engineers.
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Re: Sessionography?

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I love Revolution In the Head.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


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