rustypants speaks

i’ve gone for years surfing through musical phases that last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. i might get hooked on blues for a while, then abandon it all together for pink floyd, classical, or rap. jazz has always been a big one but even that comes in phases. all flavors of rock are acceptable, depending on the phase of my musical brain.

i’ve been teased for as long as i can remember for an insanely diverse taste in various genres of music and my 80gig iPod purchase 1 1/2 years ago was due in large part to my being tired of having to carry around 400+ cd’s in my car to keep from getting bored.

recently i’ve gotten stuck in a strange musical dichotomy phase.

my love of the grateful dead is no secret. back in junior high, i got the 3-LP Europe ‘72 album - it’s not the least indicative of a typical dead concert but the music was intriguing. psychedelic rock / bluegrass / folk / jazz / blues all wrapped into extended jam sessions = yummy music.

i’ve since acquired well over 60 bootleg concerts ranging from the late 60’s to around 1991. this is one of the phases i’m in right now, revisiting concerts and video of some 70’s and 80’s shows and just being in awe of their ability to make each show sound different, each song sound different, even after 20+ years playing the same tunes. their versatility impresses me and i’ve said for years that it’s awesome watching technically proficient musicians who enjoy playing together, playing together!

here’s a decent video of the dead in action back in ‘72.

my other current phase is about as far from the dead as you can get and still be in rock.

dream theater is a progressive metal band that’s been cranking out industrial strength speed / orchestral metal for 20+ years. i fall for bands like dream theater based on my early love of jazz fusion bands like return to forever - musicians who are stunning in their abilities individually, but then so in tune together that it seems they play as one. what makes this an unusual choice for me is that DT is VERY over-produced and sometimes almost comically melodramatic in their presentation. they’re tight, and not just because it’s packed together well in the studio: they are crazy tight in concert, too. but that progressive metal with melodramatic overtones gets up in my craw after a while.

and to be honest with you: i don’t really care for their vocalist. if there’s a weak link, he’s it.

but they have a killer “official bootleg” of their interpretation of PF’s Dark Side of the Moon that’s worth the price of admission.

this is a pretty good musical representation of dream theater laying down a track in the studio.

i can’t explain the strange phases i go through with music but i always know this: it’ll soon pass…

and next week it might be Jay-Z and Blind Lemon Jefferson. woo-hoo!