SCD Mixtape 5

[Lisnaholic]

^ Yep, impressive skills with the tambourine, with the guy making the most of his position at the front of the stage.

EDIT: In the spirit of ultimate bants, mixtape 5 could have been 'tankrolled' with "Never gunner give you up, never gunner let you down...!"

^ Good one !
I'm not inventive enough to come up with a pun, but I did remember this song (which Cat Stevens himself would probably rather forget):-

[Trollheart]

Puns aside, songs I know ending in GUN:

Janie's Got a Gun (Aerosmith?)
Billy Get Your Gun (Jon Bon Jovi)
The Sound of a Gun (Chris de Burgh)
Under the Gun (Asia)
Billy's Got a Gun (Def Leppard) - sound like he and Janie are heading for a showdown!
Annie Get Your Gun (Squeeze)
Zap Gun (Dwarves)
Gun (Chvrches)

I'm sure there are plenty more if I went a-Googling.

[Guybrush]

I feel like I should mention James and the cold Gun which was the record label's choice for lead single off of Kate Bush's debut album. She, of course, insisted it should be Wuthering Heights and fortunately got her way.

@Lisnaholic that Cat Stevens song is great 😄

[Trollheart]

It's any nationality you like this time, as long as it's English or American! Yep, it's an Anglo-American takeover for Mixtape 5. In terms of genres, a little wider, with punk, pop, hip-hop and film music. And Throbbing Wotsit. Right then, let's get on with it, shall we?



Song: "Switchblade"
Artist:  Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Nationality: American
Source: 2nd album Viking
Year:  2004
Genre: Punk Rock
Submitted by: Buckeye Randy
Familiarity: Zero
Comments: I've been - very - slowly making cautious inroads into punk rock, though much of what I have seen categorised as such you actual punks probably would laugh at in the same way I would were someone to label Bon Jovi heavy metal! Still, it's a start. Rise Against, Frank Carter, a few others have all impressed me. I've never been a fan of punk rock, but like many other genres i don't like, I'm finding you can't just tar them all with the one brush. Especially punks - they'll kick your head in if you do that! So what's Lars and his illegitimate buddies got to show me, other than (gulp) a switchblade? Well, I'd say they sound more metal than punk (what in the name of John Lydon would I know about it, you ask? Fair point). I'm used to hearing punk played at ear bleeding volume and breakneck speed with a lot of violence and aggression, and this, well, isn't. I like it. I like it a lot. Lars even does a kind of punk rap, which is, well, interesting. I know Randy is a big punk fan, and I must say, so far all his selections have been a hit with me. This is another. Great guitar work. Angry vocal reminds me a little of Paul Di'anno from Iron Maiden. Cool.
Rating:


Song: "Hit By a Rock"
Artist: Throbbing Gristle
Nationality: English
Source: 12th live album At the Highbury Soundhouse, London
Year:  1979
Genre: Industrial/Minimal Synth/Post-industrial
Submitted by: Lisnaholic
Familiarity: I still have nightmares!
Comments: This, on the other hand, I expect to hate. I suffered through one TG track years ago and it left me psychologically scarred. I was just getting over it, able to sleep every third night, then this appeared out of the murk to traumatise me again. Lisna, you're getting my psychiatrist's bill, buddy! I do think it's particularly sadistic of you to foist a live version on me, extending the original by four minutes. Wouldn't have thought that of you. Anyway, as expected it's mostly noise and effects, guitar feedback and some visiting aliens who just happened to drop by and witness this strange ritual by the beings who inhabit the third planet from their sun. I guess I could say the drumming is okay. So I will. The drumming is okay. And there's some sort of low horn or something like a ship's foghorn running through it oh and now there's vocals of a sort, like someone howling basically. I know how he, she or it feels. I guess there are people who get pleasure out of this, but I ain't one of 'em. To be fair, the constant hum and feedback does remind me a little of Hawkwind, to whom I've found myself listening recently. Not as good though. Yeah, definitely not for me. Hello? What do you mean, you're all booked up for appointments? This is an emergency! Hello? Yes it's me again, Doctor. Yeah, Throbbing Gristle again. Oh I assure you they do exist. Wednesday at four then? Thanks. See you then.
Rating:


Song: "B.O.B. (Bombs over Baghdad)"
Artist: Outkast
Nationality: American
Source: 4th album Stankonia
Year: 2000
Genre: Pop rap/Conscious rap/Hip-hop
Submitted by: DJ Chameleon
Familiarity: I know of them, never heard anything by them
Comments: This hammers along at some pace! It's a little too fast for me, to be honest, but it's catchy enough. In the video, why is the road green? Is that to symbolise the Green Zone in Baghdad? If so, clever. From the title, I would have assumed it was a protest song against the Iraq war, but from what little I picked up of the lyric it doesn't seem so. Certainly a lot of energy in it.
Rating:


Song: "Fiery Gun Hand"
Artist:  Cardiacs
Nationality: English
Source:  7th album Sing to God
Year:  1996
Genre: Progressive Rock/Art Punk/Experimental Rock/Zolo
Submitted by: Guybrush
Familiarity: I heard one album, probably for my progressive rock history journal. I recall not liking it.
Comments:  This isn't too bad. Hear a lot of Bowie mixed in with Talking Heads, and I can get the prog rock vibe from it, but it's more uptempo and energetic than most songs of that genre I've heard. Prog punk? Stranger things have happened. Pretty good really. Quite surprised. The Yes-style keyboard run in the final minute is good, actually reminds me also of the end of "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" by Genesis.
Rating:


Song: "Cavalry"
Artist:  Bear McCreary
Nationality:  American
Source: 34th album The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season One OST
Year: 2022
Genre: Cinema music/Score
Submitted by: Saulaac
Familiarity: Zero
Comments: Kind of does what it says on the tin, doesn't it? You hear a cinema/TV theme called "Cavalry", you know what to expect. And you get what you expect. It's good stuff, but sure so is Zimmer and Williams and Goldsmith and all the rest. Hard to pick out a great soundtrack composer; they're all really competent and effective, but could I pick one from the other? I hadn't even heard of this guy before now. But it's pretty generic for this kind of backdrop. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing special neither.
Rating:


Song: "Machine Gun Ibiza"
Artist:  Prefab Sprout
Nationality: English
Source: 5th album Jordan: The Comeback
Year: 1990
Genre: Progressive Pop/Pop Rock/Neo-psychedelia
Submitted by: The Antichristoph
Familiarity: Love this album, even though I'm not a huge fan of the Sprouts (especially at Christmas!)
Comments: The tale is oft told, do ye but seek through the journal pages of the scribe Trollheartus Overblownicus in the hallowed pages of Music which also doth Banter, of how this album came into my possession, but let's just say I was never a huge fan of these guys. Having listened to this album, I didn't become one, as such, but I do love this album. Every track is special, and while this isn't even close to my favourite, hey, it fits the bill. Got a nice kind of jazzy, lounge-style, laid-back feel to it.

Fair warning: @DJChameleon you're picking the next theme, so get yer thinkin' cap on. I'll be back.

[Saulaac]

Trying to concentrate on Mixtape 5 this evening, but the rest of the fam are watching Eurovision on French telly in the other room.
Curious to see what Eurovision has to offer this year, but also interested to have a good few listens of the fifth mixtape.

[Buckeye Randy]

1. Switchblade by Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards - I submitted it and I love it.  A very classic rock feel from a punk icon.

2. Hit by a Rock by Throbbing Gristle - I gave up recreational drugs years ago and this isn't the sort of music alcohol can help with.  Very pained.

3. Bombs over Baghdad by Outkast - I'm not a hip hop guy but I certainly recognize the talent here.  Thanks for sharing.

4. Fiery Gun Hand by The Cardiacs - The opening with early 80's new wave sound is a deceiving cover for an insanely fun song of creative virtuosity!  Takes me back to the spirit of college radio playing Gong and Tin Huey. Well Done!

5. Cavalry by Bear McCreary - I'm sure this is fine in a movie setting but not something I would ever listen too as a stand alone.

6. Machine Gun Ibiza by Prefab Sprout - There's nothing here to hate but there isn't anything that grabs me after one listen.  I imagine I could like this with repeated listens.  Thanks for sharing.

[Saulaac]

1. Switchblade by Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards (submitted by Buckeye Randy)

Didn't know this band. The vocals were solid, and a good bit was around 1:00 where the singer steps it up yet another gear and gives a strong melodic descant for about a minute.

It was a strong rock track. The lyrics sounded banterous but I couldn't make out all of it. Grateful to have come across their memorable name for the future.

3.5 out of 5 marks


2. Hit by a Brick by Throbbing Gristle (submitted by Lisnaholic: note - I'll get you for this!)
I was expecting hell after reading TH's warnings (hell as in absolute chordal and rhythmic nonsense). And it did seem at first that I was listening to a pre-concert soundcheck gone wrong.
But then out of nowhere, an industrial groove started picking up. After about 3 minutes some sort of Hendrix spirit kicked in, playing around an F minor/ E flat minor riff, and there are other bits and bobs going on that make this track enjoyable. So not as bad as I initially thought. In fact, I liked it.

4 out of 5 marks


3. Bombs over Baghdad by Outkast (submitted by DJ Chameleon)
Always liked a bit of Outkast. I didn't know B.O.B.
Starts out with a high snare and I thought we might be going jungle. It didn't go jungle, and actually seemed to have a lot of different things going on.

Very fun and bouncy lyrics. With some twerking, car suspension and boob movements to accentuate the bouncy aspect.

3:00 was a good bit with the Santana type guitar solo. My fave bit was at 4:00 where the outro is a rising E minor > F major > F sharp major > G major progression (with some jazzy augmented or diminished notes in there but I can't work out which), which incidentally acts as a nice counterpoint to the descending B flat pattern at the beginning of the song. But that last 20 seconds is gold.
Liked it!

4.5 out of 5 marks


4. Fiery Gun Hand by The Cardiacs (submitted by Guybrush)
I didn't know this tune but I think I heard of the band. For the first few seconds I couldn't help but think of an upbeat Pinball Wizard riff. The first part was a nice A minor mood, which then stretches out into different chord progressions and jumps around a bit. Big moment at 3:24 where the guitar solo lets rip. And then an unexpected Canterbury passage at 4:00 with some quirky changes. This was an enjoyable track, despite the five guys on the album cover cheekily staring at me whilst I tried to write this review.

4 out of 5 marks


5. Cavalry by Bear McCreary (submitted by Saulaac)
Bear McCreary - Cavalry
If I didn't know that McCreary was in his mid-forties then I might have assumed this piece was from a contemporary classical composer from the early 20th with its vertiginous whirlwind-type runs provided by the strings and backed up by the timpani/kettledrum/horns/piccolos. So I thought it was good of him to have captured that timeless aspect.

And after all, what better weapon to have than a few other individuals joining your cause and galloping at speed over bumpy terrain alongside you. Sometimes, the very sight of the dust cloud coming up over the hill is enough to give your adversaries a squeaky bum moment.


6. Machine Gun Ibiza by Prefab Sprout (submitted by Public Enemy Number 145,099)

The band name alone was recognisable along with the voice. Had to give myself the jump-lead treatment (i.e. a quick google search) to backtrack and remind me of the titles I heard i.e. "Cars and Girls" and "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" which prob made it high in the charts/on the radio which is why those ones live rent-free in my head.

Machine Gun Ibiza had I not heard (starting to sound like Yoda) was defo along those same lines, albeit with a more...how should I put it...Iberian slant. Some nice electronic keyboard riffs that could perhaps remind me of a cruise or short stay in a Spanish resort. And what on earth was that last chord at 3:37? It sounded like the James Bond chord (E major 9) but a little lower like a E major 7 maybe. Anyway, a jazzy funkorious chord from Prefab Sprout.

Extra 1.0 mark for digging out an old band that has great lyrics, great tunes, and great pop nostalgic value!

4.75 out of 5 marks

[Lisnaholic]

Switchblade by Lars Fredericksen 
Another on-topic rocker with powerful guitar riffs from Buckeye, so that's all good. On the downside,  it's a song focusing on the tools of violence, and as I was searching for a Weapons song for my contribution, I realised that it's a topic I usually avoid in music. Peace and Love, man! So, nice guitar on Switchblade, but I didn't like the aggressive attitude conveyed in the spoken section that starts at 1:15 mins. It's a declaration from the kind of person that I would totally avoid irl, and includes a euphemism much favoured by the NRA and others: "protection" to mean "armed up, ready for a streetfight". After that low point, the song didn't do much beyond reprising what went before, so I found myself losing interest.
2.5 stars

Hit By A Rock by Throbbing Gristle
Very interesting to see people's reaction to this one, so thank you to everyone who found it to be an endurance test. In defense of its  chaotic fuzzed-up power, it has plenty going on:-
a portentous, sinister, opening with slow-building tension, like a steam train picking up speed. Then comes an unexpectedly light, almost spritely, percussive section which leads into an admittedly rather fallow section, but that just prepares the way for the piercing outrage of Genesis P's vocals which cut through everything and cranks up the anguish. Unlike some of the songs here, this seems to be about violence from the victim's point of view – or am I reading too much into the hard-to-make-out lyrics: "Hit by a rock... hit by a rock. Who did it? Who did it?". Even the ending is suitably industrial, suitably existential: instead of gently fading out, it a kind of stumbles and suddenly falls apart, and in the silence that follows, you can just make out Trollheart's sigh of relief.

Bombs Over Baghdad by Outkast
I commend you for your enthusiasm and loyalty to the rap/hip-hop genre, DJ. Sadly, I struggled to get any pleasure out of this song. I did like the chorus, with the girls singing the title and the main guy singing something about bang/plan. That part was quite invigorating after I abandoned any hope of understanding what it was about. But trying to understand was my problem with the rapping sections in between, during which a barrage of words is demanding my attention, but they are delivered too fast for me to follow their meaning. That's a combination that I actually find quite stressful, and it makes me wonder if, as an aging white British boomer, I may not be the target audience for Outkast's music. 
1.5 stars

Fiery Gun Hand by The Cardiacs
This track is the best so far in Mixtape #5. It's fast and unpredictable, and when the guy starts singing, it felt a little like a sped-up Bohemian Rhapsody or David Bowie. Then at 3:20 mins there's a zinging guitar solo that's like something off Here Come The Warm Jets - and like that album, this song is sophisticated, but with a touch of fun too. This is a band I plan to check out.
3.75 stars

Calvary by Bear McCreary
After Saulaac's positive comments about Hit By a Rock, I'd like to return the favour with this piece of music, but tbh, it didn't do anything for me. The heavy drumming, the splashes of grandiose orchestral effects seemed to be all drama and no hooks. Apart from the impeccable modern sound quality, to me it didn't sound very different from countless other movie scores that have been written since when? The 1950s, maybe.
2 stars

Machine Gun Ibiza by Prefab Sprout
Winner of the Mixtape#5 Best Vocalist Award, the singer has a pleasing, clear voice, although that didn't help a lot in understanding this song. Still, it's got a nice cool, relaxed rhythm and is the only song in this Mixtape collection that I would've liked to have been longer: maybe extended with a languid guitar solo or a bit of Doors-style keyboards from Ray Manzarek.
Good one, Trolls !
4.5 stars

EDIT: TH and others often mention their familiarity with the artists in the Mixtapes, which is an interesting detail imo. For me it's easy on Mixtape #5: Zero familiarity with any band apart from my own rec. Prefab Sprout is the only name I've actually heard of - and that's been more or less the same for all the Mixtape bands so far,I think.

[Trollheart]

Just picking up on that, I personally make an effort to present an artist that is a) unlikely to be that well known to everyone else and b) one which might not generally be expected to be one I would pick. In other words, I shy away from prog rock, aor and metal, as I'm known for those genres (though I did put Iron Maiden in as the song really fit the theme). As an example, for this theme I considered Steve Earle's "The Devil's Right Hand", anything by Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi's "Shot Through the Heart" and "Under the Gun" by Asia, but all seemed too much like songs I would be expected to choose, so I went with something a little different.

Not saying everyone has to do that, but I think it's a good idea to mix it up when you can, trying to hit us with something we wouldn't expect WHO THREW THAT ROCK? OWN UP NOW! And also to stay away from songs everyone knows, e.g. if the theme were to be Heaven, I wouldn't want to see anyone suggesting a balloon that doesn't fly well mounting a certain staircase, or an ex-member of the GoGos proposing a theory about where Heaven is actually located, if ya get me drift.

These aren't rules, just suggestions. We all come, I think, to the Mixtape hoping to hear something new and fresh, and maybe be surprised ("Would never have expected that from him/her!") by members' choices. Think it's more fun that way. (Trollheart goes off to search through his comprehensive collection of Gregorian Chants for next mixtape...)

[DJChameleon]

Switchblade by Lars Fredericksen

This was a nice start to the mixtape. I enjoyed it.


3.5 stars

Hit by a Brick by Throbbing Gristle

This felt like an endurance test. I used to wine about lengthy tracks until I ventured into prog and Tool got a hold of me but I kept checking the time on this track to find out how much left and when it would be over. It was super hard to focus on the distortions that was happening. This is a one and done for me. Don't think I'd ever bother listening to this track again.


Skipping mines from Outkast.


Fiery Gun Hand by The Cardiacs

I know this band like I've heard of them but never heard this track. I would definitely check out more of their material.
The last minute and a half of this track really perked up my ears especially while I was listening to this mixtape while doing cardio at the gym.



Calvary by Bear McCreary

This instrumental was right up my alley. I'm a big fan of fantasy movies and games so it scratched that itch of other music I have heard while playing World of Warcraft.



Machine Gun Ibiza by Prefab Sprout

This was a nice closer to the mixtape. Another band I'm unfamiliar with but it didn't put me off from enjoying it. I want to echo others that complimented the keyboard riffs and the lyrics were pleasing.




Just for a heads up, my theme is food related tracks so if anyone wants to start thinking about what they will choose for the next one

[Lisnaholic]

^ Thanks for your reviews, DJ, and for the heads up about your chosen theme - but I think that may be a typo: foid ?!

Yep, I agree with you TH, about selecting tracks that aren't too obvious: that's how I've been doing it thus far, and as you say, it makes the mixtapes more interesting.

[DJChameleon]

Food related it was a typo that I didn't notice til you called it out 

[Trollheart]

I'm hungry. I could really go for some hot foid right about now. 

[Guybrush]

I've been going for what I think are great songs more than aiming for obscurity. I'll admit it saves a lot of time 😅 But I think even though an artist like, say, David Byrne is very well known and famous, most people by far are still very unfamiliar with his actual songs. And so it is for most big artists, so.. I'm thinking even if the artist is well known, it doesn't mean the song you pick is gonna be familiar to people.

I don't mind getting more familiar with you guys' favorite artists.

[Buckeye Randy]

I was late to the party and slow to understand what was going on.  Now that I'm established, I like how it's sharing obscure stuff, the unifying topic is just a vehicle that makes it fun.