Bob’s Jukebox: A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Posted: July 15, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Bob's Jukebox, Culture | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This week on Bob’s Jukebox, I’ll be discussing the Pink Floyd album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. This is another one I’ve spoken about previously, just over ten years ago, so I don’t blame anyone for not remembering (and this is a bit of a different and more expansive take). At some point I will be discussing (most) every Pink Floyd album, although I don’t want to focus on any one artist for an extended period of time, even if they are the greatest artist of all time. Don’t take it from me; it was voted on all the way back in 2014 for Bobapalooza: Clash of the Titans. And no, I didn’t rig the voting. Who do I look like, the IOC?

So why start with this one, you may ask? It’s quite simple, really. This was the first Pink Floyd album I ever heard, and it started my lifelong fandom.

Go ahead, gasp in shock and dismay. Yes, as a matter of fact I was born under a rock and then raised by wolves. In a barn. On Mars. Are we done here?

I distinctly remember seeing the video for “Learning to Fly” on MTV (and if that doesn’t make me sound old, nothing will) and the sound captured me completely. I had to find more of this incredible new band. The entire album was intoxicating, and when I found out they had so many (allegedly better) albums out there, I started slowly working my way through their back catalogue. We’ll get to those albums eventually, but one thing at a time. (Don’t worry, I’ll be doing the entirety of The Wall as a single post.)

Pink Floyd is another one of those artists that you just can’t compare to other artists, because they’re just that good; you can only compare them to themselves. Is Momentary Lapse the best Pink Floyd album in existence? No, but it is my baseline for what a good Pink Floyd album should be (“you must be at least this quality to be considered good”). We’ll discuss my favorites as we get to them, and this isn’t one of my top three, but it is one of my top five… or six, depending on how you count them. We’ll get to that too.

Right from the start, the use of ambient sound leading into an instrumental on “Signs of Life” just works for me. This album probably has my favorite use of instrumentals paired with ambient sound outside of Animals, and yes, I realize that’s a bold statement considering that both Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon exist. I said probably, and I love each of them for their own reasons. “Learning to Fly” as previously mentioned is sublime.

“Dogs of War” is the turd in the punch bowl. It is the rare Pink Floyd song I just don’t much care for. It’s derivative and boring. I usually skip past it. But I promised myself I would listen to the entire album, and listen I did. My opinion has not changed.

Fortunately, we then get into the meat of the album, where the music and the lyrics combine together into something truly magical. Again, not the best Pink Floyd ever produced, but still well worth the price of admission. Even decades later, lyrics like “Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love? / Was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?” hit like a hammer. Even when the lyrics don’t quite rise to that level (“Yet Another Movie”, I’m looking in your direction), Gilmour’s guitar work is still delightful.

Overall, this was the perfect introduction to Pink Floyd. It’s middle of the road (for Floyd), not their best album by a long shot but far from their worst either (and I can’t wait to see the flack I get when we get to that one).

Bobapalooza 2014: Clash of the Titans – The Final Bobapalooza

Posted: June 25, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Bobapalooza, Culture, Internet | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

First I want to thank all of my wonderful contributors: Janet Currie Konigsberg, Matt Foster, Scott Soper, Yillah Natalia, and Marek Swiderski. You gave me a wide range of talent to choose from, and you make it worth it every year.

But that’s not what you came for. You came to see –

THE FINAL BOBAPALOOZA LINEUP!!!

That’s right, folks. You heard it here first: the Clash of the Titans is the ultimate and final Bobapalooza. As the Kurgan once said, “it’s better to burn out than to fade away.” But let us not dwell in sadness; let us instead revel in THE GREATEST BOBAPALOOZA EVER.

First we have the band that needs no introduction, but is going to get one anyway. The winner of the Clash of the Titans, and the headliner of Bobapalooza 2014: Pink Floyd! This was a hard-fought victory against some of the greatest artists of all time, and as a long time Floyd fan myself, I can’t deny being quite pleased to see them win. Their catalogue of legendary songs is extensive, and Dark Side of the Moon spent over 11 years on the Biilboard Top 200… consecutively. (It was on even longer if you tally the total time it spent there, and Billboard actually changed the rules to prevent albums setting records like that again.) Titans indeed.

And then we have the STAGE OF LEGENDS. This year I offer you a blend of old and new, heavy and soft, sweet and sour and what the hell? Bands that have undoubtedly left their mark on music, one way or another. They are:

Jefferson Airplane (Nominated by Scott Soper) – From Scott: “Go big or go home. When it comes to the one band you’d break your leg to go see in their prime it has to be Jefferson Airplane. Maybe they’re so compelling because they broke up so tragically and never got a chance to perform for so many of their fans. So many songs were at peak power when those artists were just starting out; you can only imagine what they might have done with more time.”

AC/DC (Nominated by Matt Foster) – You have to love AC/DC. Angus Young himself said “I’m sick to death of people saying we’ve made 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we’ve made 12 albums that sound exactly the same.” And we still keep coming back for more. The stage show is even better: “When I’m on stage the savage in me is released. It’s like going back to being a cave man. It takes me six hours to come down after a show.” – Angus Young

Weezer (Nominated by Matt Foster, seconded by Janet Currie Konigsberg) – Weezer has long been one of those bands I love to hate, right up until one of their songs comes on and I find myself singing along. How long? Oh, only about twenty years or so. Janet Currie Konigsberg finally convinced me they deserve a place among the Legends: “Twenty years ago Weezer came on the scene with Undone (The Sweater Song), and immediately filled the gap between Nirvana and Pearl Jam perfecting Nerd Rock. As each single was released, Weezer’s fan base grew by leaps and bounds. The crunchy chords and heart-wrenching vocals spoke to post teenage-angst 20-something slackers. I’ve always referred to Weezer as “My Beatles”; they are pop and punk and bubblegum and crunch, they are raw emotion and ADHD. The songs range from kick-ass-psych-you-up (Hash Pipe), to how-did-you-know-how-broke-my-heart-was?? (Say It Ain’t So), to romantic-but-the-world-doesn’t-understand-us (Island In The Sun), to I’m-not-really-sure-what-the-purpose-is-but-dammit-I’m-ME! (Pork and Beans). On top of great music, catchy lyrics, and a beat you can dance to, Weezer has made some of the best music videos of all time and managed to do so in an era where music videos have almost completely lost their importance in pop culture. Weezer: No self-respecting Stage of Legends (or Main Stage, for that matter!) would be complete without them.”

So…. Yeah. You can argue with her if you want. Not me.

Black Sabbath (Nominated by Scott Soper) – Scott nails it once again: “When it comes to Legends, there is one who has retained his title as the Prince of Darkness unchallenged across decades of American Popular Rock. The one, the only: Black Sabbath! Ozzy Osborne by himself would be a worthy contender for the Stage of Legends, but reunited with the original Black Sabbath for the new album 13 he seems completely at home, a master having traveled full circle. I would NOT go back in time to see Black Sabbath at their prime, and maybe that’s another test passed for a true Legendary band.

Simon & Garfunkel (Nominated by Matt Foster) – Everybody knows a Simon & Garfunkel song. Start whistling “The Sound of Silence” at a punk rock show and everybody around you will be singing along inside of a minute (if they don’t curbstomp you first; they’re still punks). From hippies to metal heads, there’s nobody who doesn’t like Simon & Garfunkel; they have a gentle, insistent sound that insinuates itself into your soul and makes you a better person for it.

Now you’re probably expecting the Main Stage, but there’s so much more this year! For the first time ever, I present to you THE BOBAPALOOZA MIDWAY!

When you get the urge to dance, slip in to the ALL NIGHT RAVE TENT, with special guest DJ RUST-RYU (http://www.mixcloud.com/rustryu/bangers-and-mashups/)! He’ll be spinning all night long, and of course he’s super request-friendly!

And don’t forget to stop by Uncle Scott’s Concession Stand, where you can pick up fresh kabobs, veggie treats, and of course all your favorite Bobapalooza swag (http://www.printfection.com/bobapalooza)! Uncle Scott will also be running his favorite (exceptionally weird) videos on his Jumbo-Tron monitor right over the concession stand! Here’s just some of the “fun” in store for you:

Disturbed – Land of Confusion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6KXgjLqSTg)
Capital Cities – Safe and Sound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX54fWP-os4)
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU)
AWOLNation – Not Your Fault (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm9-yVdxbSs)
Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoQYw49saqc)
Ludo – Love Me Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XH3oMNKApI#t=92)
Muse – Knights of Cydonia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Yc3HhSl1Q#t=87)
Primus – Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDfwUJzYQg&feature=kp)
Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I#t=71)
El Guincho – Bombay (NSFW) (http://vimeo.com/15247292)
DYE – Fantasy (http://vimeo.com/30798517)

And now, the MAIN STAGE! There’s plenty of variety and flavor this year, and many thanks to everyone who contributed.

The Thermals (Nominated by Janet Currie Konigsberg)
Boney M (Nominated by Marek Swiderski)
The Cult (Nominated by Matt Foster)
George Thorogood (Nominated by Scott Soper)
Kae Sun (Nominated by Yillah Natalie)
Metric (Nominated by Janet Currie Konigsberg)
Disturbed (Nominated by Matt Foster)
Al Green (Nominated by Scott Soper)
Sitali (Nominated by Yillah Natalie)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Nominated by Janet Currie Konigsberg)
The Black Keys (Nominated by Matt Foster)
Soundgarden (Nominated by Scott Soper)
Petite Noir (Nominated by Yillah Natalie)
James (Nominated by Matt Foster)
DJ Kool (Nominated by Scott Soper)

Be sure to check out all these artists and support their endeavors. The Official Bobapalooza 2014 Playlist™ is still to come, so stay tuned!

Once again, I’d like to thank all of my wonderful contributors from Bobapalooza past and present. You’ve made this entire endeavor worthwhile, and it’s been a blast. I hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as I have.