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Post by steelmonkey on Mar 2, 2024 21:07:48 GMT
Steel Monkey, still touring, playing frisbee, spending money on live music and riding around Mexico City on a bike...and today, getting together a laptop to use while en viage. Age: 66....not worthy of ian's list...but still...
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 6, 2023 23:27:06 GMT
Good points, all. Sailor grew on me a little but it really was but a scrap.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 4, 2023 23:06:33 GMT
Finally got my ears on the Broadsword extras. Some very interesting material. Unheard songs ( Inverness Sleeper, Me Dinosaur, Calafel), worthwhile alternate takes and fun snippets. But seriously, does including the 'Beastie' band shout backing tracks not open us up to parody? I mean, really. I guess its short enough to be okay, Like ads included on prior boxes, but do we need it?
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 4, 2023 22:43:20 GMT
Am I jealous and bitter that Brits and Europeans, in the last few years, got Clasp, Black Sunday and Wicked Windows while I got Holly Herald? Yes, Yes, I am.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 4, 2023 22:38:56 GMT
Saw my favorite rock band and, in fact, artist, of all time, twice last week and came away mostly very IMPRESSED with a few quibbles. Ever since 'The Rock Opera' with the permanent addition of background videos, I have described Jethro Tull live as ' A well made live documentary about Jethro Tull during which, every now and again, a Jethro Tull concert breaks out'. This tour, thanks to mostly good song selection (major points for including 3 or 4 new songs, each night) and the sheer talent of Joe Parrish, the increasing experience, enthusiasm and ever improving other guys and Ian's miraculous strength and freshness and both willingness and ability to stretch his flute playing and hold par on his vocals, the percent of 'live Tull' vs ''Documentary about Tull' was very impressive. Dark Ages and Aqualung alone added up to enough pure Tull for me to justify price of admission and other songs, new and old, mostly held their own although Sweet Dreams is getting a little stale and 'Hunt by Numbers', 'Pavane' and Holly Herald' are profoundly weak choices given the overall Tull catalog. I understand the logic of instrumentals to spare the voice but why such dreck when you can do instrumental versions of Tull classics or, if you insist on instrumentals that were born instrumental, strong ones like Pebble Thrown or Tripudium Ad Bellum or one of the Passion Jigs, fleshed out more. No excuse for bottom of barrel crap like Holly Herald or Pavane,
Unleash Joe...he can sing, he can play, he can revitalize Tull as shown on Dark Ages. The future of Tull is letting Joe Parrish sing and play more. There is nothing to lose. Dark Ages and Aqualung sounded as good as they did in 1979 and that's saying a lot.The new songs all sounded great with the whole band pitching in to material they co-owned.
Ian still thinks he is playing to curious newbies who crave greatest hits. True, there are some, but most of the audience are die hard Tull fans who want deep catalog masterpieces not Tull-lite by numbers.
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 10, 2023 16:11:21 GMT
I hope someone puts the orphan songs on you tube..without a CD player, I have no way to hear them and have not seen anywhere to buy them digital. My own fault for letting all music delivery sources lapse except my phone and tablet.
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 7, 2023 0:09:44 GMT
No joke re: time.....I think of this as a recent Tull album. 28 years, nah, it was a few years ago.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 28, 2023 2:14:48 GMT
John O'Hara looks like Dave Letterman. This can't be good.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 19, 2023 0:17:00 GMT
My next Barre gig will be paid in Mexican Pesos so between that, Canadian/American, dollars and British pounds, Martin's worth will take some high math to discuss. I agree that he is pretty customized for Tull more than the greatest guitarist ever and both Florian and Joe proved him NOT irreplaceable. Crisp is a factor in Martin's tours too....and the good material.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 18, 2023 16:15:30 GMT
Ian is from our planet. I have had a cell phone since about 2010 (late,right?) and I still talk loud cuz i don't really trust a phone without a cord.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 18, 2023 16:13:17 GMT
Just as a starting point, My Mexico City perch is a clean, private room with strong wifi in the center of town, perfect for public transport, walking and easy, municipal bike rentals. This costs $125.00 for seven nights, or it may approach $150 for a week as peso continues to climb vs dollar and euro. (The Mexican government did not print money during covid). Yup, $125-150 for a week, rooms for one or two people ( one, big bed).
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 17, 2023 22:39:00 GMT
Martin Barre and his current band are impeccable, brilliant and worth every penny spent on tickets and time spent on travel. His contribution to the Tull universe before and since 2012 split is second only to Ian. But that does not change the basic fact that Ian Anderson and even the local janitors on stage are and will always be Jethro Tull.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 17, 2023 22:35:24 GMT
Great solution having guitar do the piano intro. Proof that Tull indeed belongs on the road and NEVER short their audience.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 17, 2023 22:29:33 GMT
The rubbing elbows tour(s) resulted in a lot of turkeys onstage, mostly radio personality types with low IQ and high annoyance as well as a few local, not talented and not charming wannabes that Ian tolerated and the audiences suffered.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:44:58 GMT
' These guys promoting 'Give Till it Hurts' into a sweet little song then adding more Tullisms, is nothing short of brilliant. All the more reason to get to Tullianos 2024.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:39:17 GMT
I'm working on a time machine and' Tull live in 1973' will be one of the settings. I'll keep you updated. Oh, BTW, I am NOT soliciting research and development money.....as a proud co-moderator, it wouldn't be right.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:21:54 GMT
Great story. The true history of rock and roll. I love learning who knew each other as schoolkids: Richard Thompson and Hugh Cornwell, David Bowie and Peter Frampton.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:18:56 GMT
I have no doubt this release will be stellar.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:16:45 GMT
To and from CDMX is easy and not expensive on, in order, Volaris, VivaAerobus or using Kayak to search for best deal. Once in CDMX, I know the terrain....made all the mistakes so you don't have to.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:15:02 GMT
Anyone interested in seeing MB in Mexico City next December is welcome to get in contact with me as I can help with accommodations, food, transport in and around CDMX and much more. I expect to go with two or three friends from Bay Area. We are not snobs about who joins our gang.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 9, 2023 23:09:51 GMT
Just back from few weeks in rugged Mexico (hitchhiked from CDMX to Tijuana...average temperature 105F) time to rest up and prepare for Tull doubleheader at end of month, 9-30 and 10-1. I'm ready if they are ! I continue to find new connections and musical themes hidden in Rokflote. I gave Zealot Gene a lot of time, too. Maybe not quite the incandescent band of about 1975 but not too shabby, either and still far ahead of the pack....any pack.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jul 6, 2023 19:06:01 GMT
Looking forward to 'new' Tull. What a creative era that was with Vetesse and Pegg buttressing Ian and Martin. I LIKE Gerry Conway's drumming...Listen to his 'lead' on 'The Clasp' and muscle on 'Seal Driver'.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jul 3, 2023 0:41:27 GMT
Barre and Crisp keep getting better and better. Can't wait to see them live again.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 26, 2023 0:39:51 GMT
Very impressive ad for the Prague and Brno concerts. Someone is not being generic !
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 26, 2023 0:34:55 GMT
Tonight and next Sunday my last two, EVER EVER, overnight work shifts with bike ride home at 2:00AM....so TAAB tonight and APP next Sunday will be ride home soundtracks.
All together I am 6 shifts short of retirement.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 17, 2023 19:31:12 GMT
Look here, guys, if my kid launches straight and true to college, I'll help with exorbitant ticket prices in exchange for a discount on your air bnb rates.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 16, 2023 16:50:35 GMT
And I am curious about Marshall of the free beer offer. I can think of worse starting points with another person than Tull dates and offer of a drink.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 16, 2023 16:49:24 GMT
This promises to be an amazing little chapter in Tull tour history. Looks to me like familiar, perfect size and sound venues and no instances of more than two nights in a row so good voice and energy built in. I'm seeing them twice in California this Fall and was thinking about Europe trip in January (sadly, to visit a friend in Hamburg who may be running out of road) but who knows, maybe England, me and Tull will somehow work out in April/May. Retirement looms and with it, horizon wide possibilities.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 16, 2023 16:38:14 GMT
Martin Barre selling out in NYC is a tiny data point of proof that the world is not totally in the toilet. I go to Mexico a lot anyway so i think I'll figure out a way to see him in Guadalajara this coming December.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 16, 2023 16:35:20 GMT
I promised to quit raving about 'The Perfect One' but that was before I started hearing echoes of it in 'Guardian'.
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