Bands Missing From Rock Band

The Cure
Friday I’m In Love. Just Like Heaven. Love Cats… The Cure is cult, and there’s tons of classic Cure songs that I would kill to play. If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you know what I mean!

Depeche Mode
Okay, so I’m a huge Depeche Mode fan. But really, can you imagine anybody who wouldn’t want to play Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence?

Genesis
Give me Congo, Mama and No Son Of Mine any day! While we’re at it, throw some of Peter Gabriel’s solo stuff in there!

Firewater – The Golden Hour

Jamie introduced me to Firewater a few years ago, when I first moved to the Bay Ara. The band is actually from the other side of the country (New York City), but Jamie has close ties with Tod A (the band’s songwriter and front man), and he gave me a bunch of the CDs and encouraged me to attend their ’04 live show at The Bottom Of The Hill. I liked the music, and thought that the concert was exceptionally good (better even than Gogol Bordello, another one of Jamie’s tips).

After that tour, the sporadic updates that I got on Tod started getting increasingly unusual. He had gotten divorced. He had become fed up with America after Bush’s reelection. He had sold all of his belongings and had embarked on a long journey to Asian and Middle-Eastern countries. He wanted to see the world and collect music. He even kept a travel blog about his experiences.

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Das Befriedigt Meine Triebe…

You know the BPjS, the infamous German department that “censors” violent video games? Well, they’re actually overseeing all media, not just computer games. Including music. And Die Ärzte, a German Punk band that’s been active since the 80s, used to be regular customers of the BPjS. Honestly, I can’t think of a single Ärzte song that was actually harmful to us kids (broadening our horizon was more like it), but charming stories about a girl named Claudia and her dog/stallion, a teenage brother/sister duo having sex when their parents weren’t home, and a monster under the bed that ate a boy during the night didn’t sit well with the authorities back in the days. Go figure.
Much more importantly, though, the band’s music kicked ass (and their live concerts are legendary). Very catchy punk/rock songs that all of Germany’s generations X and Y can recite in their sleep. Now in their 40s, “The Doctors” (the German translation of the band’s name) are still going at it, and if their latest single/video is any indication, they haven’t lost their touch one bit. This is the uncensored version of the video, but it’s nothing you couldn’t see in an R-rated Zombie movie. Don’t be scared to click the play icon above! (Thanks to Wolfi for the tip!)

Music Associations

I’ve often thought that music is the only form of expression that transcends its original purpose – and influences many other forms of art. Every other form of entertainment is usually absorbed in isolation, but music is complementary. You listen to it when writing, when making levels…when working on any piece of art. Every couple has “their song” that reminds them of a emontional time. Crafts are the same, and the music that you listened to gets forever associated with what you were creating at the time.

I can think of several music albums that have a connection with something I was working on:

Depeche Mode – Violator
The good old days. I was working on my Burg Schreckenstein level in the 3D Construction Kit (and in particular the hills to the lake and the boat house) at the time.

Deine Lakaien – Winter Fish Testosterone
I was working on The Troopers’ Playground, and in particular level 05 (the Underground Temple) when listening to this album.

Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
I really got into Marilyn Manson when making Beyond Belief – really the only Marilyn Manson album I ever got into (more for a lack of trying than for dislike of his music, though). I also listened to Depeche Mode’s “Ultra” a lot during this time.

Toto – Dune Soundtrack
I started he Armageddon 3 level for Quake when I was visiting Ritual Entertainment in Dallas for Quakecon 97. Something of a prolonged job interview, I stayed an additional week in the office afterwards and got to use the computer of Joe Selinske (who was on vacation) to make some Quake levels. I also got to listen to Joe’s CD collection – and the Dune soundtrack was prominently featured.

Ace of Base – Cruel Summer
Yes, I know – it’s Ace of Base. But just having moved from Europe to Texas I was looking for anything that reminded me of home, and the new (and AFAIK final) album by Ace of Base fit that bill. I was listening to it a lot when working on my Sin levels, particularly cleanup work on the chase through the abandoned buildings (2nd mission – started by Mike Wardwell).

Smashmouth – Astrolounge
Another guilty pleasure album. But what can I say, it sticks out in my mind. That album was actually a lot of fun to listen to, and I particularly remember creating the fireball traps in The Vault under the White Tower listening to the first track (“Who’s There?”)

Depeche Mode – Exciter
This is probably the weakest Depeche Mode album of recent times, but it’s Depeche Mode! So I played it a lot when working on Unreal 2. Particularly Mission_04, a set of levels that never got finished and didn’t make the final game. Mission_04 was a mining planet similar to Total Recall with a surface bases and some deep underground tunnels.

These days, I don’t have a favorite albums anymore – because the iPod shuffle has replaced the CD player. Whatever new albums I buy go straight into the shuffle and are rarely listened to as a whole. That’s kind of sad when you think about it…but kind of cool at the same time as well! The shuffle keeps digging up songs that I’d almost forgotten. Like the song Fighting TheGreen (from “Winter Fish Testosterone”), which played as was driving home tonight.The music reminded me of making TTP – and inspired me to write this post.

Got any music albums that remind you of a certain time in your life? Post them in the comments!

P.S.: For our wedding this Saturday, we’ll play Vanessa Carlton’s “San Francisco”. That’s the song that Victoria and I associate with good times

More Cowbell!

Damn you, SNL! So I’m listening to Peter Gabriel’s Family Snapshot, a really good song that I could get into. But all I can think of as I listen to the instrumentation (especially for the studio version) is “more cowbell!” MORE!

My Ambivalent Romance

It seems that the marketing machine is in hight gear for My Chemical Romance, a band I’d never heard of until last week because I don’t listen to radio, and…well, because I’m getting old and just not down with the kids anymore. MCR were the live act on Saturday Night Live a week ago, and yesterday I saw them plastered all over iTunes. The thing is, I kinda liked the SNL performances. In a day and age when we usually fast-forward though the musical live acts (except for the occasional inspired performance, like Beck this weekend), I took the time to listen to both MCR songs. They seemed a bit too concerned with their image (what were those outfits and the hairdo about?), but still, they were a good live act and made me listen. Fallout Boy didn’t manage that, and the much touted Killers certainly didn’t manage to do that (just to pull two examples out of my hat).

Being the good consumer whore that I am, I bought the MCR album on iTunes yesterday (after some complications, documented a few posts below). First impressions are mixed. It’s good, solid punk rock, but the only song that stands out in any memorable way is Welcome To The Black Parade. Which, coincidently enough, is also the SNL performace that I remembered. The rest kinda goes through the motions. As I said: good, solid punk rock. But not inspired in any way. Maybe the other tracks will grow on me after a few more listening sessions. If not the album will go into the depths of the iPod shuffle to randomly reappear every few weeks as a pleasant, but forgettable reminder. Like Finger Eleven a couple years ago. Back when I still listened to radio…

One Hit Albums

Da schlendere ich heute abend also so nichts ahnend, laut vor mich hin pfeifend durch die Gegend, als mich auf einmal ein Stoeckchen am Kopf trifft. Und als ich wieder halbwegs klar sehen kann, sehe ich einen manisch lachenden Wolfi um die Ecke verschwinden.
Na gut, natuerlich entspricht die Geschichte nicht ganz der Wahrheit. Ich kann gar nicht pfeifen. Aber das Stoeckchen, das mir Wolfi da via Roland zugeworfen hat, hebe ich natuerlich gerne auf. Um Musikalben gehts da, auf denen ein Track gut genug war, zum Kauf zu ueberreden – nur um dann festzustellen, dass der Rest nicht wirklich zu was taugt. Oder, wie Boris es ausgedrueckt hatte:

Also, gesucht sind Musikalben (keine Compilations) die man hat und von denen man genau einen einzigen Track hört.

Na dann. Mal sehen, was ich zusammenkratzen kann.

Vertical Horizon – Everything You Want
Der Titeltrack wurde so oft im Radio gespielt, dass ich irgendwann nicht anders konnte, als mir das komplette Album zu kaufen. Und das ist recht mau. An den einen oder anderen Track kann ich mich noch erinnern, aber ausser im iPod Shuffle habe ich die Band schon seit Jahren nicht mehr angesteuert.

Finger Eleven – Finger Eleven
Eine weitere Band, die einem im Radio so lange um die Ohren gehauen wurde, bis der geneigte *huestel* Kaeufer gar nicht mehr anders konnte, als laut “Ist ja schon gut, ist ja schon guuuut!” schreiend ins Geschaeft zu rennen. Aber ausser “One Thing” ist auf der CD kein einziges Lied, das mir jemals im Kopf haengen geblieben ist.

Fantomas – Delirium Cordia
“Selbst Schuld”, werden jetzt diejenigen sagen, die mit Mike Pattons Werken vertraut sind. Aber das Vorgaengeralbum “The Director’s Cut” war einfach so genial, dass ich zugreifen musste. Und es nicht haette tun sollen. Welches einzig gehoertes Musikstueck die Beruecksichtigung in dieser Liste rechtfertigt ist schwer zu sagen, das Album hat schliesslich nur einen (60 minuetigen!) Track. Der ausschliesslich aus Soundeffekten besteht. Atmosphaerisch ist die CD auf jeden Fall, und sie hat ein paar sehr kultige Passagen – aber an einem Stueck kann ich mir das nicht anhoeren.

Robbie Williams – Intensive Care
Mag man ueber ihn sagen, was man will, “Escapology” war echt gut gelungen. Und die Live CD auch. Um so schader, dass das Nachfolgealbum so plain Vanilla ist. An “Your Gay Friend” kann ich mich wenigstens noch erinnern, aber der Rest hat sich nie in meinem Gehirn festgesetzt. Eine Einschaetzung, die anscheinend vom einem Grossteil der Fangemeinde geteilt wird.

Die Drei ??? – Jede zweite CD der letzten Jahre
Mag diese Wahl auch etwas merkwuerdig anmuten und die Kriterien nicht 100% erfuellen – diese CDs sind in letzter Zeit sowas von hit and miss, dass ich sie einfach erwaehnen muss. Ich mag die drei ???, wie ich bereits vor etwas laengerer Zeit dokumentierte. Aber die meisten neuen Geschichten wirken einfach wie aus 10 vorherigen Folgen zusammengestueckelt, und die Setups werden auch immer langweiliger.
Inzwischen feiern die drei Detektive ja als “Die Dr3i” (kein Kommentar zu dem Namen) eine Wiedergeburt. Mal sehen, wie die neuen CDs im Vergleich abschneiden. Aber viel Hoffnung habe ich nicht. In Rocky Beach hat sich einfach eine Routine eingestellt, die schwer zu durchbrechen ist.

The Cure – The Cure
100%iger Treuekauf, The Cure muss man einfach unterstuetzen. Zu dumm, dass das Album nicht wirklich gut ist. In “Lost” kann ich mich wenigstens hereinsteigern, aber wenn es dann die ganze CD lang so weiter geht schiesst mir irgendwann Blut aus den Ohren. Und das ist nach den ersten paar Malen nicht wirklich so spassig, wie es sich vielleicht anhoert.

The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
Wie konnte man sich dieses Album nach “Elephant” nicht kaufen? Schade nur, dass “Get Behind Me Satan” einfach nur abgedroschen wirkt. “Forever Is For Her” finde ich gut, aber der Rest…naja, deswegen erstellen wir die Liste ja gerade.

Na dann, das waren doch mehr CDs, als ich mir auf Anhieb zugetraut haette. Coldplay gehoert natuerlich auch in die Liste, aber das haben schon genug Leute erwaehnt. Heutzutage hoere ich zu 90% iPod Shuffle, da gehen auch die Fehlkaeufe nicht verloren und tauchen alle Jubeljahre mal in der Playlist auf. Das Stoeckchen werfe ich mal Gunnar und Petra zu, zumal es sie frueher oder spaeter doch bestimmt eh erreichen wird Und natuerlich Victoria, damit sie ihr neues Blog um einen weiteren Post bereichern kann.

It’s Dead, Jim

Nothing says “Welcome home!” from a weekend trip (we went to Grass Valley for Victoria’s birthday) like a dead wireless router and a mad scramble to CompUSA to get a new one – 10 minutes before they close. 80 bucks later I got everything working again. Too bad we missed Heathrow’s big outing in Mill Valley while we were in Grass Valley, but at least there’s a report on Wolfi’s page. And the trip was a lot of fun, we got to meet several of Victoria’s old friends. I might have to write a report about it later.