Author: ernopepper

507. Richard Strauss

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(July 2023) Episode 507 is RICHARD STRAUSS. Most know him from the opening to Also sprach Zarathustra used in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” one of the many tone poems for which he is known.  He lived a long life and his output was so voluminous he was considered a specialist in many forms, from songs to operas.  My favorite pieces are his choral works, containing enough dissonance to keep me interested.  His style was Romantic, maintained for decades after the style went out of fashion (he died in 1949), although he did incorporate modernist elements.

Favorite piece: Metamorphosen

Favorite choral piece: Deutsche Motette

Favorite tone poem: Also sprach Zarathustra

Favorite chamber piece: Two Pieces for piano quartet

Favorite opera: Elektra

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: It’s not bad, but there’s also nothing that grabs you, and there are many first-half-of-the-20th-century composers I would pick first

506. Tina Turner

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(June 2023) Episode 506 of the “opus project” is TINA TURNER, including her work with IKE & TINA, begun after her recent passing.  Few if any performers can match her dynamism on stage and in voice; I had not fully appreciated her powerful delivery before this episode.  Add to this her personal story of overcoming Ike’s abuse to become an international star, reaching a pinnacle with her mid-1980s hits. While these songs are how my generation knows her, my favorite stuff is the Ike & Tina albums from 1970-73.  It’s fantastic gritty, funky soul.  (Their earlier R&B material is less interesting.)   

Favorite album (Ike & Tina): Feel Good

Favorite album (Tina solo): Acid Queen

Favorite song (Ike & Tina): I Like It

Favorite song (Tina solo): Whole Lotta Love (yeah, it’s a cover, but what she does with it is funkalicious)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Those early 70s albums are essential funk/soul

505. Weedeater

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(June 2023) Episode 505 is WEEDEATER. While not widely known, this trio came out of the North Carolina sludgecore scene to put out five good stoner/sludge metal albums between 2001 and 2015, the middle three of which are excellent.

Favorite album: Sixteen Tons

Favorite song: Riff

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes if you like the low loud heavy grind.

504. Kadavar

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Episode 504 is KADAVAR. On first listen, you would think this is some overlooked 1970s heavy metal outfit. Nope; they’re a contemporary trio out of Germany who has been touring and recording over the last decade. They do an expert job of recreating not just the sound of 70s thunder rock but the look too (check out the album cover below). On the two most recent albums (one a collaboration) they venture into prog metal, with some of the best Pink Floyd mimicry I’ve heard (and it’s good).

Favorite album: Abra Kadavar

Favorite song: Come Back Life

Most interesting album: The Isolation Tapes

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes. I enjoyed discovering them and look forward to their next output.

503. Bongwater

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(6/14/23) Episode 503 is BONGWATER. Some bands are so off-the-wall that part of the appeal is listening and wondering “how could anyone think of such a thing?”  Such is Bongwater: part band, part performance art project of the duo of Mark Kramer and Ann Magnuson (who you will recognize as an actor from various TV shows and movies).  There are sound collages, bizarre stories spoken over trippy psychedelics, shock lyrics, and lots of far-out cover songs. They had a brief and unique run in the late 80s/early 90s.  I am drawn by the audacity.

Favorite album: The Power of Pussy

Favorite song: Folk Song

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Try it if you like bizarre stuff

502. Faust

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(June 2023) Episode 502 is FAUST. Unlike most of the other German outfits listed as Krautrock, they never ventured beyond their experimental roots.  Their approach eschewed conventional structure and form, but in doing so they influenced the development of ambient and industrial music. Their discography lacks an iconic album (such as Can’s Tago Mago or Kraftwerk’s Autobahn) that identifies the band, but that also means it will require me to return to the recordings several times to appreciate it more. After a 70s heyday, they reunited in the 90s for a long string of eclectic albums.

Favorite album: Faust IV

Favorite song: Krautrock

Favorite late-period song: Fresh Air

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: Maybe too esoteric for most, but try Faust IV, Ravvivando or Fresh Air to see if it appeals.

501. The Four Tops

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(June 2023) Episode 501 is THE FOUR TOPS. Motown superstars, their hits have become indelible parts of our culture, powered by the songwriting giants of Holland-Dozier-Holland.  They’re also remarkable for their durability, a foursome from high school that lasted decades. Not to detract from their signing talents, the Four Tops do feel like a corporate product of the label, at least in comparison to artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder who branched off toward their own unique and creative sounds. The Four Tops kept it up through the 70s and 80s, but their treatment of funk and disco lacked spark and edge.

Favorite album: Reach Out

Favorite song: Reach Out I’ll Be There

Favorite post-Motown album: Main Street People (1973)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A collection of their greatest hits is enough

500. Gordon Lightfoot

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(June 2023) Episode 500 is GORDON LIGHTFOOT. Begun after his passing, I entered this episode without knowing his work other than the five songs* that were staples on soft rock stations. He’s a national hero of Canada, and his long recording history affirms why.  While the famous songs were all from his more pop-oriented singer/songwriter period in the 1970s, I prefer the more conventional folk approach of his 1960s albums. Strong voice, gentle guitar, good themes. One hidden gem is “Solo,” his aptly-named spare last album (2020).

Favorite album: The Way I Feel

Favorite song: Long Thin Dawn

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: I realize I should have paid more attention to his catalogue, so I recommend you do too

* “If You Could Red My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Carefree Highway,” “Rainy Day People,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald“

499. The La De Das

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(6/1/23) Episode 499 is THE LA DE DAS. They gained popularity in New Zealand in the late 1960s by recording the sounds of the contemporary big acts in the UK and US. While their quality never matched that of the bands they mimicked, there are a few cool songs. Their style was standard for the era: blues rock, psychedelic, lots of covers, and even an obligatory concept album (“The Happy Prince”).

Favourite album: The La De Das

Favourite song: How Is The Air Up There?

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Rather than seek out La De Das albums, buy the fantastic Nuggets II box set, which features “How Is The Air Up There?” – well worth the investment.

498. Sir Lord Baltimore

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(May 2023) Episode 498 is SIR LORD BALTIMORE. They were making heavy metal music and didn’t even know it, as the genre hadn’t been defined yet. A power trio out of New York City recorded two excellent albums of heavy, bluesy, fuzzy, frenetic rock, sort of a blend of Cream and MC5, released in the same years Black Sabbath was getting going (1970-71). Then they fell apart, and reunited decades later for a revival album which was not good.

Favourite album: Kingdom Come

Favourite song: Kingdom Come

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: their albums are in deep dive territory, but have aged like fine wine