Friday, March 31, 2006

Song Request: Blackbird

Blackbird
(Lennon/McCartney)

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

***

Salah satu lagu The Beatles yang paling gloom dan "dark". Blackbird adalah kiasan atau metafora dari kematian. Secara harafiah, Blackbird itu adalah burung gagak, yang konon akan bersuara kalo akan ada orang yang mati. Bait isi, bercerita cukup jelas tentang kematian. Dengan mengatakan: "all your life, you're only waiting for this moment to arise" (sepanjang hayat, kita hanya menunggu momen ini (kematian) datang). Mungkin secara sepihak, Blackbird bercerita tentang desperate-nya (seorang) manusia menghadapi kenyataan di dunia sehingga memilih bersiap menjemput ajal (waiting for this moment to be free).

Don't be afraid to die, cause it'll come no matter what!
All your life, we're only waiting for those moment to be free
!

***
Requested by: Ikka (paravory@lycos.com)

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Pearl Jam 8th Studio Album

Pearl Jam tengah bersiap merilis album baru, yang direncanakan edar tanggal 2 Mei nanti. Album yang rencananya berjudul "Pearl Jam" (selftitled) ini adalah studio album ke-8 setelah 3 tahun yang lalu mengeluarkan "Riot Act". Salah satu track yang direncanakan menjadi singel, berjudul "WorldWide Suicide" sudah bisa didonlot versi preview 15 detik-nya. Eddie Vedder mengatakan jika album ini akan kembali ke root lagu-lagu Pearl Jam seperti pada era "Vs" dulu. Dalam preview lagu "WorldWide Suicide" memang terkesan model lagu yang berlandaskan angst suara gitar, meski menurut pendapat saya malah lebih mirip dengan model riff lagu "Do the Evolution". Anyway, "WorldWide Suicide" bisa secara gratis didonlot di situs resmi Pearl Jam mulai 8 Maret 2006, tanpa Digital Rights Managements. Sehingga, lagu tersebut bisa di-share gratis ke semua orang.

Persiapan rilis album baru ini juga diikuti dengan perubahan layout dan desain pada website resmi Pearl Jam (www.pearljam.com). Tema lama yang merupakan kesatuan kode desain dengan konsep desain "Riot Act" (gambar dark-gloom tengkorak) diganti menjadi desain dengan artwork yang brilian (meski bagi beberapa orang relatif familiar dengan model desain dari AmesBros*). Background tiap halaman bisa dinikmati dengan fitur "reveal background" sehingga pengunjung site bisa dengan bebas melihat artwork-artwork tersebut di tiap halaman. Berikut gambar atau artwork yang sudah di- revealed**, sehingga bisa langsung dipasang di desktop atau dijadikan avatar (just click-away)!

Can't wait for May 2nd!


*AmesBros, biro desain grafis milik Barry Ament, kakak (atau adik?) dari bassist Pearl Jam, Jeff Ament, yang sering terlibat dalam penggarapan grafis Pearl Jam mulai dari artwork sleeve CD, bonus TenCLub, dll.
**Thanks to aNiMaL from Pearl Jam world Forum!

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

20 Album Grunge/New Wave Sepanjang Masa

Situs AskMen membuat daftar 20 album terbaik Grunge/New Wave (atau lebih kita kenal dengan: musik rock-alternatif 90-an) sepanjang masa. Masa yang sebagian orang bilang adalah masa diversifikasi aliran paling ekstensif, dengan kemunculan Seattle Sound di awal 90-an, sampai ke era merajanya band-band British yang outstanding, macam Radiohead, Stone Roses dan kawan-kawan. Anyway, here's the list:


01. Pearl Jam: Ten
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"Undoubtedly one of the greatest first albums of all time. These Seattle boys sure know how to rock."
Part of the '90s Seattle grunge triumvirate completed by Nirvana and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam debuted with Ten, their most accessible, least self-conscious album. Over time, PJ's rep as a politically correct band just a little too above it all to prostitute its music on MTV has nearly superseded the music. But before that, they were a simply an in-your-face, in-your-head, loud, melodic rock band. And lead singer Eddie Vedder was known for his possessed stage presence and a primal growl that sounded like it required three vocal chords. The personal, narrative singles "Alive," "Jeremy," and "Even Flow" catapulted the reluctant band into the 10-million-plus-sales division. Subsequent albums are more intricate, subtle, thematically complex, and, in many ways, better than Ten. But the band may never repeat the stampede caused by this debut. --Beth Bessmer
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02. Nirvana: Nevermind
03. Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger
04. Radiohead: OK Computer
05. Beck: Odelay
06. Foo Fighters: Foo Fighters



07. Alice in Chains: Dirt
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"Definitely one of the bands with the "negative, down on oneself" Seattle sound."
Alice in Chains were initially tagged with the "grunge" moniker, when in fact their haunting, ponderous sound was far closer to the progressive rock of Queensryche. Their second album, Dirt, is a moody, portentous affair, filled with occasionally inspired riffing from guitarist Jerry Cantrell and hair-tossed wailing from singer Layne Staley. Perhaps the band got lumped in with Generation X because their lyrics focused upon depression, death, and drugs. Certainly, titles such as "Down in a Hole," "Junkhead," and "Hate to Feel" didn't leave much room for doubt as to Cantrell's perspective. The quartet did have a slightly lighter, almost poppy side to them, though, as "God Smack" and "Hate to Feel" indicate. Ultimately, Dirt is classic angst rock. --Everett True
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08. Nine Inch Nail: Downward Spiral
09. Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine
10. Mudhoney: Mudhoney
11. Jane's Addiction: Ritual De Lo Habital
12. Stone Roses: Stone Roses
13. Creed: Human Clay



14. Stone Temple Pilots: Core
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"While many blasted these guys from San Diego for being too 'inspired' from the boys of Seattle, STP put out some good tunes."
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15. Jesus and Mary Chain
16. Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes
17. The Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness


18. Temple of the Dog: Temple of the Dog
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" This group combined members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden."
This 1991 Seattle supergroup brought together Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden with the surviving members of Mother Love Bone (Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard) and Eddie Vedder, later of Pearl Jam. The experiment worked. Cornell shines, seeming more comfortable here on this tribute to his former roommate and deceased MLB lead singer Andrew Wood than with his own band. "Hunger Strike" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven" combine glam and grunge better than anything in Love Bone's catalog, while "Wooden Jesus" is less didactic than anything in Pearl Jam's oeuvre. Most of the songs may be about loss and addiction, but this is compelling music for black days. --Charles R. Cross
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19. PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love
20. Hole: Live Through This