Cameron Carpenter – 10 CC – Vinyl Season One

Well I had to wait for the DVD to be released but I have finally seen Season One of Vinyl. I first heard about the HBO series a couple of years ago as Nigel Grainge and I grabbed lunch at the Imperial Pub after his keynote address at Indie Week. We were catching up on each other’s careers as we had not seen each other or worked together for years. At MCA I was the Marketing Manager for Nigel’s label Ensign and looked after everyone from The Waterboys and World Party to Sinead O’Connor, The Blue Aeroplanes and Stump. I immediately liked Nigel on first meeting and he taught me a lot about marketing and the music industry (as well as Arsenal). Before he started Ensign Records he worked at Phonogram in London and signed Thin Lizzy, 10 CC and The Boomtown Rats. He is a true music man.

Cameron Carpenter – 10 CC – Faceoff

My god Facebook can be an ugly little sandbox to play in. It seems populated by narcissistic bullies who feel it is their right to yell as loudly as possible about what their beliefs are and try to shame you into seeing things their way. There is no compromise, there is no fear of repercussions, and there is little or no consideration of other’s feelings. If it was a bar I walked in to I wouldn’t even order a drink.

JAIMIE VERNON – MUSIC BUCKET CHALLENGE

There’s a new Facebook challenge going around that asks people to choose the 12 albums that have “stayed with you” over the years. I’m not sure what they mean by that exactly. “Stayed with you” like your dog does when you’ve got a half-eaten bean burrito sitting unattended on your plate while you remote control your way through 177 channels on your TV set looking for a Season 9 marathon of the ‘Simpsons’? Or “Stayed with you” like a bad one-night stand that turned into a three-year commitment, a shared bank account and pink throw pillows on the bed you’ve had since Middle School?

Cameron Carpenter: Past & Present Tens – Earthquake Weather

In 1989 the late Joe Strummer released a great solo record by the name of “Earthquake Weather”.  It seems as if we are right in the middle of it right now. Depending on your age and musical taste there recently have been a series of major quakes and after-shocks which are shaking the world of music to its very core. Last week was no exception.

Cameron Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock’n’Roll – V is for Various

Nadia’s column yesterday started a beehive of activity on Facebook as she mused in her writing about music that she currently hates. It is amusing to read the comments and the passion that music can evoke. For the majority of my writing career I have always tried to stay on the positive side of the fence and write about bands and music that moves me and, by doing so, hopefully turn some people on to something new, or, something old and great. At the same time there is nothing I enjoy more than a good band thrashing in print.

Cam Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock’n’Roll – Covers

I got an email yesterday from Paper Bag Records offering up a free download of “Paper Bag Records Vs The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars”. They have taken bands from their roster (Elliott Brood, Born Ruffians, Cuff The Duke, The Acorn and seven others) and covered the classic “Ziggy Stardust” album and even included the bonus track “John, I’m Only Dancing”. It got me thinking about cover songs, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Cameron Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock – M

Montrose
For my money there is not a better hard rock album than the eponymous debut by Montrose. Released in late 1973, and produced by Ted Templeman, the record paved the road for the L.A. scene that would be developed in the late seventies with Van Halen being at the epicentre.

Templeman was a rocker before he became one of the in-house producers at Warner Brothers. He had cut his teeth in the late sixties with cult favourites Harpers Bizarre. At Warners he produced the self-titled debut by The Doobie Brothers as well as their second album “Toulouse Street”. He is credited with co-producing “Tupelo Honey” with Van Morrison and it was here when he first worked with guitarist Ronnie Montrose and Bill ‘Electric” Church.