Category Archives: music

Why the Nirvana “Nevermind” album means so much to me…

When the Nirvana “Nevermind” album first came out in 1991, I immediately went out and bought it after seeing the band’s hit songs played on MTV on a non-stop basis. Plus, their songs from the album were being played all over rock radio back in the day. I was in junior high when the album first came out and Nirvana started getting big.

When I was a kid in junior high, the first thing I would do when I first came home from school in the afternoon was turn on the TV to watch videos on MTV for the rest of the evening. Each time a Nirvana video came on, I would turn the volume up. So I went and got myself the “Nevermind” album which I listened to obsessively on a nonstop basis. It’s one of those albums you’ll never get tired of. You can listen to over and over again and I still do listen to it 30 years later.

The album meant so much ’cause it definitely changed my life. I was going through some rough times then like with all the scoliosis stuff I went through and Nirvana helped get me through all that. I also gotten more and more interested in songwriting ’cause of Nirvana.

Nirvana gotten so much hate over the years but I never understood why. Kurt wrote amazing and beautiful music. He wrote songs like they actually meant something. People always bitched about how Nirvana songs were so simplistic but Nirvana songs are not as easy as some of you think ’cause you have to get the rhythm right.

“Nevermind” was definitely an important masterpiece. I love the album all the way through and it still holds up. Still a great fucking album. I love every song on it but I love the way the album ended. I think “Nevermind” definitely had the best album endings. That final track, “Something in the Way” gives me goosebumps each time I hear that haunting song.

Nirvana definitely changed the world of music. Love them or not, they still mean so much to many people even to this day. Kurt maybe gone but the music is forever.

Kev

Pop star Nicki Minaj is not for the vaccine… of course, she is attacked by liberals and the mainstream media…

Nicki Minaj has always been a pretty leftist pop star but did she just take the red pill about the covid vaccines??? It certainly seems so. She’s all over her twitter account attacking the vaccine like mad and I’m like blown away seeing all this.

I’ve never really been a fan of this lady but I’ll respect her for this one. She just made me like her just a little more.

Just like with Eric Clapton and Van Morrison, they spoke out about their bad experiences with vaccines, of course, they got trashed by leftism and now Nicki is another music artist speaking out about the bad experiences with the covid vaccine.

All she’s doing is speaking out her bad experiences with it which she is doing nothing wrong but of course, the left is accusing her of spreading misinformation.

I think what she’s doing is pretty mind blowing and hope she keeps it going.

What happened with “Freedom of Expression”??? We’re not allowed to have that anymore? It seems so with all this “covid” censorship in social media nowadays, it’s disgusting.

Just to be aware about something, not all leftist people are for the vaccine. I’m seeing plenty of die-hard liberals that are not for it. We all should have the right to question the vaccine doesn’t matter which side you’re on politically.

I almost want to buy a Nick Minaj album because what she’s doing is so great but not yet. I’ll start checking out her songs in youtube at least. I’ll wait to see if she doesn’t sell out, ya know, bow down to the left ’cause I hate it when this happens and then I’ll think about getting an album of hers.

I thought attacking blacks is racist??? But nope, here we are seeing all kinds of people bashing Nicki ’cause they don’t agree with her on something. They can’t call her racist even though I’m sure they want to.

Kev

All this over hype of the Metallica “Black Album” 30th Anniversary boxset and it ended up being overpriced on release day… huh????

There’s so much hype of the Metallica 30th Anniversary boxset of the “Black Album”. The “Black Album” that smash hit album in the 90’s which helped Metallica become an even more mainstream of a band. The overhype of this boxset is pretty insane really. The band promoting it everywhere for a while now… they did it through Guitar World, the Howard Stern show, their own official podcast and it’s pretty much everywhere you see really.

Well the Black Album boxset just came out today… while it’s all exciting and good the physical boxset is about a whopping $240 and if you just want the digital version through Itunes, that’s $140.

Anyhow, it seems that most people might agree that the 30th Anniversary set might be a bit overprice ’cause people’s been getting the “The Blacklist” covers album instead by Metallica which just topped the Top 40 rock charts today… “The Blacklist” covers album is $50.

I understand that the 30th Anniversary is something to celebrate but is all this overhype over an overpriced boxset necessary? It’s definitely nothing more of a cash grab for sure. I wanna get the Metallica “Black Album” physical boxset with all the goodies in it but not right away though. Maybe next year I’ll start saving for it ’cause I try to buy everything that Metallica comes out with. I do want to get it, don’t get me wrong.

“The Black Album” is great, though.

Kev

Spencer Elden aka Nirvana Baby suing Nirvana for “Nevermind” album cover after repeatedly re-creating it himself over the years…

Well this one is really strange… Spencer Elden famous as the naked baby on the legendary Nirvana “Nevermind” album cover is now suing the band and calling it child porn. I call it strange ’cause this the same guy who repeatedly re-created it over the years himself under the pool and this guy also had plenty of interviews with the music press talking about the album cover like he had no problem with it. He’s now asking $150,000 from every defendant.

What’s with the sudden flip-flop?

https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/25/22640120/nirvana-sued-by-nevermind-baby-alleges-album-cover

He had plenty of time to sue the band if he didn’t like it, why he did he wait for years to do it? I guess he’s desperate for money and attention. Is he in financial trouble? Sounds like it.

Kurt Cobain is not around to defend himself but I’m sure Dave and Krist might have something to say about this soon. Blame the parents for allowing it to happen. According to some info about Nirvana, Spencer’s father was a friend of the photographer who took the legendary photo so blame him for it. How come the Dad isn’t name in the lawsuit? Oh, that’s right you can’t blame your own family.

This lawsuit will go nowhere. The judge is gonna throw it out. Just watch.

Kev

44 years ago today, music world lost Elvis Presley…

44 years ago today, we lost one of the greats. I can see why Elvis meant to so many. I don’t have a lot of Elvis music in my collection but I have a few Elvis albums. Just a Greatest Hits and a few live albums, that’s all I think. Yes, I am a fan like most. I definitely would love to get more Elvis on vinyl for sure.

While I like hearing his rock n’ roll stuff, I was more into the ballads ’cause that’s where his talent really shined.

RIP King…

Kev

This Johnny Cash quote explains his addiction with studio recording…

That quote is very inspiring. You want to know why Johnny Cash has a very large album discography over the years, this is why. The man in black was very addicted and obsessed with the studio. A lot of musicians and bands only record in the studio when they need to but with Johnny Cash, that was all he ever did.

According to his album discography, he has a total of 67 studio albums. His debut record was titled, “Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar” (yes that was the title) and that album had the hits “Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues”, the two songs that made him famous. Johnny recording albums one after another up until his final album that he recorded when he was alive: “American IV: The Man Comes Around” (in 2002) and then he passed away in 2003.

He has a very large album discography but I’ll think he has tons of unreleased stuff too and they are trying to release some of it. I would think Johnny’s vault would be pretty huge.

Originally Johnny never really wanted to become a country singer. He wanted to sing gospel but he had to sing country ’cause it was the only way for him to get into the industry.

I love Johnny Cash though and I’m a massive fan. I have all of Johnny’s American albums but don’t have a lot of his older albums ’cause he has so many. I just have a greatest hits album and a few live albums too.

Johnny Cash definitely was obsessed with the studio. It was the only thing he was good at and he died what he loved doing.

Kev

Going to live concerts and playing live gigs in the age of Covid Control??? No Thanks, not for me…

It’s great that live music has finally returned both national and local… I was thinking about going back out there to see concerts for myself both national and local… and since I’m a musician myself, I was thinking about playing some open mics and few gigs. Make a comeback to live gigging was gonna be my goal but I don’t think so anymore.

I was kind of looking forward to going back out in the music scene but since I’m seeing that a lot of venues both national and local venues forcing their bands and music fans to take the vaccine and going back to “Mask required”, I don’t think so.

So I’m done with this music thing in the Capital Region, I’m out. No more going to concerts national and local and no more playing gigs of my own until we get our freedom back and the bullshit stops.

It’s no surprise that the covid control is gonna get worse even though covid is done and over with.

I’m seeing a lot of NY venues forcing the vaccine and masks so nope… not for me, sorry. I’m done with it all.

Yeah, even though live music is back… cancel cultures continues as well ’cause bands are cancelling their tours left and right for “Safety concerns”. *yawn*

As for playing gigs of my own, I’ll just continue to do that at home and do it with a video camera virtually for the internet. I prefer to do that more nowadays. I’m thinking of getting back into songwriting again and continuing to learn new cover songs all the time. Yeah, I’m still making and playing music of my own.

Eric Clapton and Van Morrison are the only two musicians that are fighting back at this dictatorship and I’m thankful for them at that.

Musicians, bands and venues that take the covid virus seriously are nobodies to me. I’m so done with them.

Kev

Led Zeppelin official film Documentary coming out soon…

Led Zeppelin just announced that the band is releasing their very first ever film documentary. Yes, that’s right. The band never made one before. A lot of big and legendary bands made plenty of film documentaries but Led Zeppelin never did one until now. Sure… Led Zep released one concert movie, “The Song Remains The Same” which took place at Madison Square Garden and the film included scenes in which the 4 members took turns acting in. The band also released a few live DVDs but never had extra documentary like footage. Now the band is finally doing their very own rock doc.

The film is titled “Becoming Led Zeppelin” and judging by the title, you can betcha it’s gonna be about the formation of Led Zeppelin and the early days of the band. The documentary will feature interviews with surviving members: Jimmy Page, Plant and Jones… since John Bonham passed on in 1980, I’m sure the doc might have an interview with Jason Bonham so he can talk about his father’s life in Zeppelin. I’m also sure there will be plenty of John Bonham footage in the film for sure. The film will probably feature some old John Bonham interviews, probably and old interviews with Led Zep manager, Peter Grant.

The doc will be about the formation of Led Zeppelin so I’m sure the doc will feature all the bands the guys were in before Led Zep… so you can expect a lot of Yardbirds stuff in it. Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were in bands before Led Zep too so the film will talk about that. I think the film will lead to the formation and to the recording of Led Zeppelin’s first album.

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/led-zeppelin-sanctioned-documentary

As a die hard Led Zeppelin superfan that I am, I’m definitely looking forward to this. I’m probably gonna get the BluRay when it’s out.

Why is Led Zep coming out with all these projects like the photo books, the remaster albums and this film, etc.??? Some may call it a cash grab but I don’t think so… it’s about keeping Led Zeppelin’s legacy alive and that’s Jimmy’s mission. It’s important to keep the band known even if they’re no longer around. They deserve to keep their name alive.

Kev

Collecting Vinyl is great and fun Hobby but It’s also a real challenge…

I’m pretty new and pretty late into getting into vinyl collecting of my own and it’s an experience for sure. I’m already am learning some stuff about vinyl but still got a lot to learn though.

For right now, I don’t have a huge collection of vinyl yet, it’s still pretty small. Have at least around 30 or something like that… but 4 of them have scratches and skip so I can’t play those 4… so I guess that’s another lesson learned that from now on when buying old and used vinyl, you check it before you buy to make sure it’s in okay enough condition. I learned that people sell old and used vinyls really cheap ’cause they are in shitty condition so you gotta watch for those ones. Some of the old cheap vinyls actually play all the way through, though. When people sell old and used vinyl at kind of high prices like $15 or over, that means they’re in perfect enough condition… plus the value of the vinyl.

When you buy “new” vinyls and remaster vinyls of older albums, you don’t have to worry about scratches, dust and dirt on them ’cause the new vinyls are always in perfect condition.

I buy vinyls from old to new ones. It don’t matter to me, I just want to get into the vinyl experience myself.

As for buying scratched vinyls by accident, I’m sure there’s a way to fix them so they can play all the way through. I’m doing research on that and there are multiple ways like deep cleaning, using wood glue, tooth picks and all that stuff. I’ll have to ask other vinyl collectors for advice to see how they fix damaged records.

I picked up a few vinyls from local stores in Greenwich that were selling them. I picked up Rush’s “Moving Pictures” and Bobbie Gentry “Patchwork”… those two played through really good… but I picked records by the Ventures and Bobby Darin which played like shit… I’m gonna keep ’em anyways and try to find ways to fix ’em.

I really love collecting vinyl, though. No wonder they made a comeback and why they gotten popular again ’cause they really do sound better than digital and CD for sure. When listening to vinyl albums, you can hear everything clearer and louder.

Vinyl is awesome. You get to own the album and see “album” covers again.

Although I started collecting vinyl… I still buy albums digital from Itunes and yes, I still buy CD’s too once in a blue moon still. CD’s are still hanging in there.

I’m just a big album addict. I love music… gotta have it in my life.

Kev

Weezer covers Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and it’s pretty freaking great… WOW!

Metallica’s been putting together an album called “Blacklist” which is a covers album of many different bands and artists covering Metallica songs from the “Black Album” only… as in celebration of the “Black Album”. Artists from all different genres cover Metallica songs from the “Black Album” and here is Weezer with their take on Metallica’s smash hit, “Enter Sandman”.

It’s pretty freaking awesome and Weezer nailed it just like they nail all the covers they do. Is there anything Weezer can’t do? It just proves even more that Weezer can play anything.

In this cover, sounds like they played all the riffs and rhythm parts note for note a little bit but they still sound like Weezer at the same time. It sounds pretty close to the original too, though.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if Weezer did a Metallica covers album? I bet they can pull that off with no problem. So far, this is the best cover I’ve heard for Metallica “Blacklist”.

Kev