25 Jun 2013

Mounting projects at work and a super busy personal life (I got engaged!) have kept me from the blogosphere for a few weeks. So please accept my apologies for the tardiness!

Dear Guelph Music Club, I have neglected you, BUT you have never been far from my thoughts! I was so diligent in weeks one and two, please allow me to catch-up now with my fav picks for weeks three to five…

#3: Simon & Garfunkel – all the albums!

What I love about it:
Ok I know I’m cheating a bit here by not actually picking one album, but I must confess to only ever actually owning the “best of” Simon & Garfunkel, which I acquired sometime in my pre-teens. Liking folk music has never been hard for me – probably has something to do with being from rural Nova Scotia and growing up around a lot of acoustic guitars. Simon & Garfunkel were easy listening, but they also seemed to have a dark side. Some of their songs had a very creepy under-vibe. I really dug that back then, and still do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fp91cqBhAE

#2: T-Rex – Electric Warrior

What I love about it:
I was in my twenties when I discovered T-Rex (late to the party!). Before then, the only version of “Bang a Gong” I had ever heard was Rober Palmer’s version in the 80s (Eww, right?!). Anyway, this is a SOLID album start to finish for anyone with a mild inclination toward the glam era of rock (it wasn’t all bad, honest!). If I said T-Rex was better than Bowie I’d probably be shot, but I will go so far as to say that I think Marc Bolan had that same “special something,” that same talent that Bowie had, and I think (had his girlfriend not wrapped their car around a pole and killed him) that T-Rex would have been a great and continuing success. That voice… “Girl I’m just a vampire for your love.”

#1: Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

What I love about it:
Everything, OF COURSE. For me (a huge metal fan), I don’t even feel worthy of writing about this album because Black Sabbath freaking CREATED heavy metal. They are to heavy metal what Elvis is to modern rock n’ roll. And for that, I, and a million other metal heads are eternally grateful. Right from the first notes of the opening track, people stood up and paid attention to this album – and the hair stood up on the back of your neck! So there it is folks, if I had to count it down (which I haven’t been, but if I did!) Black Sabbath gets my top slot for THE BEST album 1963 – 1973.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vi1mHigGZE

Looking forward to the next Guelph Music Club adventure!

Yours in tardiness,
Chuck xo