Perhaps I was a late bloomer to the ways of New Order. I knew Bizarre Love Triangle. Didn’t everyone? But it wasn’t until the Trainspotting Soundtrack when it hit me. Temptation. It was around that time when I started thinking about writing my own music. I soon realized there was a lot more going on than simple dance beats synced to a MIDI synth.

Peter Hook revolutionized how a bass was to be played and complimented it over guitar and synth combinations. Stephen Morris played drums more accurately than a drum machine ever could yet was a splendid and innovative programmer. Gillian Gilbert played and programmed synths like keyboardists always should have. And Bernard Sumner, while not the greatest live singer, laid it down in the studio with his simple guitar lines.

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I first heard Tortoise in fall of 1996 while at my first year at MTSU. I was in Joe’s dorm room. Hey played Millions Now Living Will Never Die on his AIWA stereo. I was instantly hooked. It was jazz. But to label it jazz was a little too narrow. It’s was more that anything goes. It was way more. At that time, I was really not in to lyrics in music. I felt they distracted from the musical content. I still feel this way a lot of the time. But this band completely spoke to me. And changed my life and outlook on how music should be constructed. And yes, Johnny Machine remains a favorite drummer to this day. Recognize.
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It’s quite known that Prince makes records and never releases them because of label problems or his own demons. It’s a sad but true state of affairs. Luckily there are typically leaks. And sometimes A+ quality. The leaks were more frequent in the 80s. But that’s ok as that was his most creative and adventurous era, in my humble opinion.
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Well, Billy’s done it again. He’s releasing another record, Zeigteist, today. This time, I believe, with only Jimmy as the other original member. Sadly, I am less than interested. In fact, I don’t know of a Smashing Pumpkins song I listened to post-Mellon Collie. I never even purchased Adore.

But the fact remains that from 1989-1996 Billy and the Smashing Pumpkins or rather the Billy Corgan Experience released a shit-load of great material.

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Back in the day, my good friend listened to a lot metal bands. Some good, many shitty. Aside from most of the metal he listened to, he introduced me to a lot of very cool diverse bands. Anthrax is the one I can still listen to and not completely cringe. Slayer, too.

Anthrax is a weird one. Their records were moderately serious yet had a funny side to them. They didn’t take themselves too seriously like the other three of the Big 4: Metallica (still bores me to death), Slayer (I do like them from time to time) and Megadeth (if constipation was musical, it would sound like Megadeth). It was impressive that Anthrax didn’t always wear black, too. They wore neon shorts from time to time. That took balls in the mid 80s when being “men” was being “metal.”

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Typically overlooked to the guitarists or other melody leader of groups/bands. To me they are the propellant to the bomb of sound.

1. Jim Glennie (James)
2. Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing, Neil & Tim Finn, Marc Ribot) – Sebastian, in an old interview, once said, “I try and emulate the [NYC] subway.” And if you know his playing style, his description is spot on.
3. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings)
4. Carole Kaye (Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Simon & Garfunkel) – It might be better to delineate what Carol didn’t play on in the 50s, 60s and 70s. It certainly would be easier.
5. Dave Holland (Miles Davis, Bonnie Raitt, Thelonious Monk) – His work on In A Silent Way brings me to tears every time.
6. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Free Kitten, Lydia Lunch)
7. Peter Hook (New Order)
8. Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) – If you don’t start shaking your booty to one of her bass-lines there is something intrinsically wrong with you.
9. Charles Mingus (Charles Mingus) – Gospel jazz. Yeh-yeh.
10. Me’shell Ndegéocello (John Cougar, Rolling Stones, Indigo Girls)

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