Music can often affect my short term mood to what seems a disproportionate level. I have been thinking about why this may be, in particular trying to consider the pieces of music that more frequently cause a change in my emotions.
1. Music with a specific association to a past event.
This is quite obvious; many things can cause associations to memories, events, other people, and so on. Examples: Clutching at Straws (Marillion) with a very depressed evening when I was 17 or 18; Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) with seeing E.C. live and being the first dance at our wedding.
2. Music which I relate to.
Feeling a strong connection with something because of perceived personal similarities is of a nature with association with memories. For example, the strong themes of mental turbulence and illness in the music of Dream Theater (I know, they are Americans, they can't help it).
3. Familiarity
Knowing anything in great depth or over many years can imbue it with a value of its own. There are some albums that I can obsess over for a period of time, and which subsequently I come to know with great familiarity. That this can then lead to an emotional response of listening to them again isn't hard to see. Examples: take your pick.
4. Music (lyrics) with an emotive theme.
I am susceptible to emotional content in all forms of media. I can easily shed a tear or become otherwise deeply involved in a film, book, or music. Examples: Snow (Spock's Beard) both the darker parts and the joyous and triumphant sections; Bright Eyes (Art Garfunkel).
5. Lower level effects
There appears to be a more subconscious level at which some music can affect people; most often this is referred to when speaking of dance/electronic music, usually in terms of high tempo music with a strong beat. I would also extend this to include pieces that include strong crescendos, in certain major keys, and so on. Examples: The Prodigy; The Ode To Joy (Beethoven).
6. Virtuoso performances or compositions
This is one aspect that interests me as it seems more unusual to me. I can often become overwhelmed, usually exemplified by complete focus and tearfulness, by a particularly skilful or complex segment of a piece. Most frequently, because of the type of music I listen to and the nature of composition and arrangement, this is a guitar or keyboard solo of some sort, but can be anything (even percussion - my Father would be disturbed if he knew). Examples: Rick Wakeman twiddling away; Bach.
7. Appositeness
I wasn't sure what word I could use for this, so I shall describe what I mean. Sometimes, you are listening to a song or piece of music and a part of it, maybe a line of lyrics, maybe a instrumental solo, maybe the sum of the whole seems so completely right and perfect. It doesn't need to be particularly complex or clever, but it feels as if nothing else could work. Dave Gilmour seems to have the knack of this for me; he isn't the pinnacle of a great technical guitarist (although he is very good), but sometimes he just played the right notes in the right place and it was perfect.
Of course, any given piece of music may trigger one, more, or all of these. Or I may be slightly weird and be over analysing a broken emotional response. Whatever it may be, music can flick my switches.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
04 March 2009
26 February 2009
A brief tribute
I managed to sit down and watch the Queen: Live AT Wembley DVD which I received for Christmas whilst I started the post-move paperwork shuffle.
I won't say too much as most of it has been said over the years. Freddie Mercury was a great performer and entertainer. I consider him one of the best front-men in the business, and he had one of the greatest singing voices to go with it. His early death through AIDS was a great loss, and I still remember hearing the radio when it was announced on the news. At least his legacy as a musician, and in helping to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS lives on. He is ion many ways one of my heroes.
It is too easy to forget the rest of Queen. John Deacon and Roger Taylor are a good rhythm section. Brian May is a underrated guitarist, and in my opinion was the strongest song writer in the group. It was also unusual to have a band in which every member was a good enough singer that they could sing lead vocals if they wanted[*].
As an added bonus, I have finally ejected Nickleback from my head. I quite enjoy them, but it is my wife's favourite driving music and various snatches of their songs have been stuck in my head for about a fortnight. It is a relief to have Freddie and Brian going over 'Is this the world we created?' instead.
*Somebody please gag Phil Collins
I won't say too much as most of it has been said over the years. Freddie Mercury was a great performer and entertainer. I consider him one of the best front-men in the business, and he had one of the greatest singing voices to go with it. His early death through AIDS was a great loss, and I still remember hearing the radio when it was announced on the news. At least his legacy as a musician, and in helping to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS lives on. He is ion many ways one of my heroes.
It is too easy to forget the rest of Queen. John Deacon and Roger Taylor are a good rhythm section. Brian May is a underrated guitarist, and in my opinion was the strongest song writer in the group. It was also unusual to have a band in which every member was a good enough singer that they could sing lead vocals if they wanted[*].
As an added bonus, I have finally ejected Nickleback from my head. I quite enjoy them, but it is my wife's favourite driving music and various snatches of their songs have been stuck in my head for about a fortnight. It is a relief to have Freddie and Brian going over 'Is this the world we created?' instead.
*Somebody please gag Phil Collins
25 March 2008
Second-hand items
As you will note from the links on the right hand side, I make use of second-hand options such as Green Metropolis, Amazon Marketplace, and E-bay. I feel that buying second-hand is a positive thing. It reduces waste by encouraging people not to throw things away, and also by reducing the market for new items, and reducing the need for wastefully large print runs which can end up destroyed untouched.
I also try to be as strict as possible about not illegally copying material, be it CDs, games, books, or essays. Whilst I am happy to accept the disgusting greed of the music industry and the poor treatment of the writing and recording artists, I still feel that stealing music (for example) is not only illegal, but probably does have a negative knock-on effect on the artists themselves.
I realised the contradiction in these positions the other day. I try to buy items second-hand. This means I am usually buying from an individual who bears no relation to the original source of the book or CD in question. No royalties will be paid to the author of the book, there will be no boost up the charts for the musician.
From the point of view of the artist, I may as well have acquired an illegal copy. The sole direct beneficiary of my second-hand purchase is the existing owner. In some cases, for example Green Metropolis, there are additional benefits to the second-hand purchase, such as a portion of my money going towards other beneficial projects.
So what is more important to me, the reduction of waste by buying second hand, or supporting the artist for their work?
How are games developers paid?
Whilst ruminating on the issue of artists being paid for second-hand sales of books and CDs, I started to think about how games developers are paid.
As I understand it (and I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong, I really don't know that much about it), a musician or band will be contracted by a record label to produce a set number of works, and be paid an amount for that contract. They may also receive a share of royalties or gig income.
Similarly, an author will be contracted by their publisher to write a novel, or multiple novels, be paid for that contract and possible share royalties.
In both fields there will also be the small, independent artists who will carry their own publishing and management costs, and the profit they turn from sales and gigs is what they earn.
In games, there are the small independent developers who operate in much the same fashion. They design and write the games, and what they can sell is their income.
There are also the development teams maintained by the major publishers. Do they operate on a similar contract basis? Publisher X offers a development team a contract to produce a specific game. Are the developers paid direct salaries, do they receive an amount from the project coffers, do they receive a share of royalties?
This is all just idle wondering, but could it have an effect on the way games are developed? Has it had an effect on the way that books are written and music composed?
18 March 2008
Music and games again
As I mentioned in my first post on this topic, I was interested by games such as Guitar Hero long before Audiosurf came along. Now a copy of Guitar Hero III has dropped into my lap. It is rather quite fun indeed. I feel many hours of playing coming on, although maybe I won't be dedicating as much time to is as I intend to with Audiosurf. The selection of songs is great, being largely seventies and eighties rock and metal, with a light dabbling of rocky blues.
I have already started investigating purchasing a second controller, and an adapter so that I can play Frets On Fire on my PC.
Talking of new controllers, I think my trusty old Logitech mouse is finally dying, so a new one is in order to keep my Audiosurf performances at their best. Currently I am considering the Razer Krait and the Speed-Link Styx.
I have already started investigating purchasing a second controller, and an adapter so that I can play Frets On Fire on my PC.
Talking of new controllers, I think my trusty old Logitech mouse is finally dying, so a new one is in order to keep my Audiosurf performances at their best. Currently I am considering the Razer Krait and the Speed-Link Styx.
13 March 2008
More musical games
Last night, the Lovely Lady Duck and I went to the house of our friends. They introduced us (after tasty Sainsbury's burgers) to the joys of PaRappa the Rapper.
PaRappa is a rhythm action game released for the original PlayStation in the mid 1990s. The standard controller is used for input. As with other rhythm games, you have to press certain buttons in time with the music, in this case rapping.
As an experience, it was surreal and amazing. My first attempt with controller in hand led to fits of giggles as a moose dressed in a police uniform attempted to teach me to drive. The bright graphics style, the insane characters, crazy lyrics, and rather giggly friends made this an evening to remember (although I think the resident kitten was less impressed).
Purely as a game, I was less impressed. Feedback between actions and game response seemed random at times. Developing an effective style was very hard, and some things have only made partial sense after reading through the Wikipedia page linked to above. But, it was one of the very first games of its kind, so there were likely to be crinkles to iron out. The drastic shortness did seem like a bit of a bonus, given the difficulty of some songs.
I do now have a drive to explore more rap style music, hopefully We7 will oblige.
PaRappa is a rhythm action game released for the original PlayStation in the mid 1990s. The standard controller is used for input. As with other rhythm games, you have to press certain buttons in time with the music, in this case rapping.
As an experience, it was surreal and amazing. My first attempt with controller in hand led to fits of giggles as a moose dressed in a police uniform attempted to teach me to drive. The bright graphics style, the insane characters, crazy lyrics, and rather giggly friends made this an evening to remember (although I think the resident kitten was less impressed).
Purely as a game, I was less impressed. Feedback between actions and game response seemed random at times. Developing an effective style was very hard, and some things have only made partial sense after reading through the Wikipedia page linked to above. But, it was one of the very first games of its kind, so there were likely to be crinkles to iron out. The drastic shortness did seem like a bit of a bonus, given the difficulty of some songs.
I do now have a drive to explore more rap style music, hopefully We7 will oblige.
25 February 2008
Crossover
Before I met the Lovely Lady Duck, the most important thing in my day to day life was music It is still the case that offered a choice between my music collection (and suitable audio equipment) and most human company, it would be the music that came to the mythical desert island.
Music can have a dramatic effect upon my emotions. It can powerfully affect me, invoking various feelings. Some pieces have brought me close to a state of euphoria. Also I find great intellectual interest in listening to music and understanding the histories and development of the musicians.
Although I prefer to listen to music in a state as close to that intended by the composer as possible, I find interest in experiencing different ways of listening; mono rather than stereo, really bad speakers, with earplugs in, and so on. Different experiences can give different, and wider understandings of the music.
Another of my favourite activities is playing computer games. I have been intrigued by games such as Guitar Hero, or the open source alternative, Frets on Fire, but have never managed to try them out. All of a sudden there was a flood of coverage on gaming websites about Audiosurf. The constant positive comments nagged me into submission; I submitted and purchased Audiosurf on Steam.
Wow. I am not going to bother explaining the game mechanics, I am getting too excited. Wahoo! Why I find this game so wonderful:
Music can have a dramatic effect upon my emotions. It can powerfully affect me, invoking various feelings. Some pieces have brought me close to a state of euphoria. Also I find great intellectual interest in listening to music and understanding the histories and development of the musicians.
Although I prefer to listen to music in a state as close to that intended by the composer as possible, I find interest in experiencing different ways of listening; mono rather than stereo, really bad speakers, with earplugs in, and so on. Different experiences can give different, and wider understandings of the music.
Another of my favourite activities is playing computer games. I have been intrigued by games such as Guitar Hero, or the open source alternative, Frets on Fire, but have never managed to try them out. All of a sudden there was a flood of coverage on gaming websites about Audiosurf. The constant positive comments nagged me into submission; I submitted and purchased Audiosurf on Steam.
Wow. I am not going to bother explaining the game mechanics, I am getting too excited. Wahoo! Why I find this game so wonderful:
- Fun, action game play that shockingly hasn't got frustrating (yet).
- A wide variety of styles, different modes, different intensities, but a standard core game.
- Trippy graphics that are trippy. Wahoo! Trippy.
- My music defines the game. I can pick and choose what I want to play based on my choice of music. I can be competitive with other people about something the really matters to me. Wahoo!
13 September 2004
You Got A Smoke?
Black Moon - Emerson, Lake And Palmer
Black Moon was the last studio album released by ELP coming at the end of a long period during the eighties and nineties which saw three albums (one of which was from Emerson, Lake and (Cozy) Powell) released. Since Black Moon there has been the endless rumour treadmill of further reformations and releases, but isn't there always?
As a last album release, this is quite a one. Ten tracks with the standard ELP mix of song types and a slightly non-standard ELP sense of unity. This album has a definite sound and feel and it pervades all of the various output, the full group compositions, the Lake ballads, the classical arrangements and the Emerson output. This is something that wasn't always there in classic ELP albums in my opinion, with the possible exception of Trilogy (and Pictures of course, but that doesn't really count).
The sound itself is again different from classic ELP, it is quite hard edged, mostly very tight and almost lyrically depressing at times although that is more a comment on the differing times of writing I suspect.
One thing that is notably subdued is Keith Emerson's usual virtuosity. There aren't many points where he really lets himself go, some may claim age and he was having some medical issues with his hands around this point, but having seen him live toward the end of 2003 he got over it. But I digress, to be honest you don't really notice, in some ways it is even a good thing, the overall sound is much more unified at times which aids the format of shorter tracks. Emerson's slightly slower and more controlled style always adds to the harsher edge of the album, although in some tracks he still plays as openly and warmly as we are all used to.
Lake and Palmer shine in this album. Carl Palmer is as varied and adaptable as ever, moving around his kit as the atmosphere of tracks requires and going for his synth drums as much as ever. Greg Lake's guitar work is still nothing special, but who cares about that. His voice has dropped even further and he sounds utterly lovely. Definitely someone you would want to be singing your bedtime lullaby.
The individual tracks are well formed. Of the group tracks, Black Moon and Paper Blood shine through, but all are strong. The two Greg Lake ballads are fairly standard fare, but with the added bonus that the lyrics are good, Close To Home stills shows what a great pianist Emerson is, even when not at top speed. I always used to think that the arrangement of Romeo and Juliet was incredibly heavy handed and clunky, but more recently I heard the original again and realised that Prokofiev was possibly even more heavy handed and clunky himself. Still a corking arrangement.
Overall, one of my favourite ELP albums. Some fans may find the tightness of the tracks, the more moody feel and the relatively subdued nature of Keith Emerson's playing detracts from it. This isn't classis ELP, but I like the slightly different side to the music. Did I mention how gorgeous Greg Lake sounds?
Recommended to:
ELP fans.
Greg Lake groupies.
People looking for a very talented keyboard playing without too much prog rock pomposity.
Those who love a wonderful baritone singing voice.
Not recommended to:
People who think post-Tarkus ELP is heresy.
Those who consider 'arrange' to be a dirty word.
Anyone who can't appreciate the male voice at its lovely best.
Black Moon was the last studio album released by ELP coming at the end of a long period during the eighties and nineties which saw three albums (one of which was from Emerson, Lake and (Cozy) Powell) released. Since Black Moon there has been the endless rumour treadmill of further reformations and releases, but isn't there always?
As a last album release, this is quite a one. Ten tracks with the standard ELP mix of song types and a slightly non-standard ELP sense of unity. This album has a definite sound and feel and it pervades all of the various output, the full group compositions, the Lake ballads, the classical arrangements and the Emerson output. This is something that wasn't always there in classic ELP albums in my opinion, with the possible exception of Trilogy (and Pictures of course, but that doesn't really count).
The sound itself is again different from classic ELP, it is quite hard edged, mostly very tight and almost lyrically depressing at times although that is more a comment on the differing times of writing I suspect.
One thing that is notably subdued is Keith Emerson's usual virtuosity. There aren't many points where he really lets himself go, some may claim age and he was having some medical issues with his hands around this point, but having seen him live toward the end of 2003 he got over it. But I digress, to be honest you don't really notice, in some ways it is even a good thing, the overall sound is much more unified at times which aids the format of shorter tracks. Emerson's slightly slower and more controlled style always adds to the harsher edge of the album, although in some tracks he still plays as openly and warmly as we are all used to.
Lake and Palmer shine in this album. Carl Palmer is as varied and adaptable as ever, moving around his kit as the atmosphere of tracks requires and going for his synth drums as much as ever. Greg Lake's guitar work is still nothing special, but who cares about that. His voice has dropped even further and he sounds utterly lovely. Definitely someone you would want to be singing your bedtime lullaby.
The individual tracks are well formed. Of the group tracks, Black Moon and Paper Blood shine through, but all are strong. The two Greg Lake ballads are fairly standard fare, but with the added bonus that the lyrics are good, Close To Home stills shows what a great pianist Emerson is, even when not at top speed. I always used to think that the arrangement of Romeo and Juliet was incredibly heavy handed and clunky, but more recently I heard the original again and realised that Prokofiev was possibly even more heavy handed and clunky himself. Still a corking arrangement.
Overall, one of my favourite ELP albums. Some fans may find the tightness of the tracks, the more moody feel and the relatively subdued nature of Keith Emerson's playing detracts from it. This isn't classis ELP, but I like the slightly different side to the music. Did I mention how gorgeous Greg Lake sounds?
Recommended to:
ELP fans.
Greg Lake groupies.
People looking for a very talented keyboard playing without too much prog rock pomposity.
Those who love a wonderful baritone singing voice.
Not recommended to:
People who think post-Tarkus ELP is heresy.
Those who consider 'arrange' to be a dirty word.
Anyone who can't appreciate the male voice at its lovely best.
09 September 2004
Tired
Tyr - Black Sabbath
A Sabbath album from the eighties, long past the time of Ozzy Osbourne. Two Toni's head things up, the ever present Iommi on guitar and Martin on lead vocals. With Neil Murray on bass and Cozy Powell behind the drums, this was a line-up with much experience in the heavy rock scene and it offers a bit more than some of the varying Sabbath line-ups that marked the albums following Ronnie James Dio's exit at the start of the eighties.
The tracks are all solid affairs, all showing off Iommi's great skills as a player of hard riffs. There are some classic lines on this album that match his output from the height of the original Sabbath. The rhythm section is competent and Tony Martin comes through as one of the most able of the singers the group employed.
The music itself is good, with a hard edge that will be welcome to those who prefer Master of Reality and Mob Rules to Technical Ecstasy. Sometimes the tracks seem to lack a little energy and enthusiasm, but I think that this was a symptom of eighties rock in general. The latter half of the album does pick up in pace though.
Overall, a good mix of classic Iommi guitar work with eighties style heavy rock. In my mind the pick of Sabbath albums from that era, and a good one in the overall canon although the occasional lack of energy prevents it from being a true classic.
Recommended to:
Sabbath/Iommi fans
Eighties heavy rock lovers
Those looking for a little edge to their music, but retaining intelligibility
Not recommended to:
High octane bouncy slam pitters
Those who despise rock giants (or dinosaurs as they like to say)
Ozzy purists
A Sabbath album from the eighties, long past the time of Ozzy Osbourne. Two Toni's head things up, the ever present Iommi on guitar and Martin on lead vocals. With Neil Murray on bass and Cozy Powell behind the drums, this was a line-up with much experience in the heavy rock scene and it offers a bit more than some of the varying Sabbath line-ups that marked the albums following Ronnie James Dio's exit at the start of the eighties.
The tracks are all solid affairs, all showing off Iommi's great skills as a player of hard riffs. There are some classic lines on this album that match his output from the height of the original Sabbath. The rhythm section is competent and Tony Martin comes through as one of the most able of the singers the group employed.
The music itself is good, with a hard edge that will be welcome to those who prefer Master of Reality and Mob Rules to Technical Ecstasy. Sometimes the tracks seem to lack a little energy and enthusiasm, but I think that this was a symptom of eighties rock in general. The latter half of the album does pick up in pace though.
Overall, a good mix of classic Iommi guitar work with eighties style heavy rock. In my mind the pick of Sabbath albums from that era, and a good one in the overall canon although the occasional lack of energy prevents it from being a true classic.
Recommended to:
Sabbath/Iommi fans
Eighties heavy rock lovers
Those looking for a little edge to their music, but retaining intelligibility
Not recommended to:
High octane bouncy slam pitters
Those who despise rock giants (or dinosaurs as they like to say)
Ozzy purists
08 August 2004
I am not a number, I am a free man
Albums
90125 - Yes
The Yes Album - Yes
Fragile - Yes
Never Say Die - Black Sabbath
The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
Sona Fariq - Sona Fariq
The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
The first album with Bruce Dickinson at the microphone. Paul Di'Anno sang on Iron Maiden and Killers and I think it is fair to say he sang a fair bit better than Brucie could ever manage. However, Mr Dickinson has a certain charm of his own and added his own touch to the groups' sound and style.
The rest of the group, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith on guitars, Steve Harris on bass, Clive Burr on drums; are all on good form here. You don't expect vast levels of virtuosic talent from Maiden, and to be honest you don't get it. You do expect rock solid and fast riffs, plenty of crashing around on the drums and something that deserves a nice high volume and you get all of that in spadefuls. There is plenty of space in the sound for lots of bass work and that is a good thing, Harris is probably the most talented individual in the group and as well as playing some corking rock bass lines he writes a large proportion of the songs (or song, for the cynics among you).
Maybe it does get a bit repetitive for those not fully into the style, but it is great fun. A candidate for that one representative album of the genre. A couple of the classic popular Maiden tracks are here, number of the beast, run for the hills; but the album tracks are all top notch as well.
I don't have even a majority of Maiden albums, but this is one of my favourites of those I have heard. A great example of the new wave of British metal that hit the early eighties.
Recommended to:
-metal fans of all shades
-those looking for something fun, noisy and honest
-Patrick McGoohan aficionados
Not recommended to:
-people offended by references to the beast, whores and death and destruction
-those who cringe at the thought of three guitars being thrashed to within an inch of their lives
-anyone with a love for the pure tones of a choirboy
Laser Squad Nemesis
Time for a little analysis of Alliance results to date. Seeing as divsion one can't be bothered to finish their games I shall have a look at divsion two today.
The Brigantes and Bouncing Krauts have got away to corking to starts, perhaps a little unexpected, but looking at the league table, nothing seems certain at the moment. Doomed have only won one in three and even gobbo's crew are winning things. Even gobbo is winning things. The only conclusion that is easy to draw is that is nothing is certain.
Keep an eye on the Bouncing Krauts, they might go further than anyone (including this humble duck) predicted.
Other People's Mistakes
Eating too much chocolate. Bad for you, spoils it in the long run, bad for you.
90125 - Yes
The Yes Album - Yes
Fragile - Yes
Never Say Die - Black Sabbath
The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
Sona Fariq - Sona Fariq
The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
The first album with Bruce Dickinson at the microphone. Paul Di'Anno sang on Iron Maiden and Killers and I think it is fair to say he sang a fair bit better than Brucie could ever manage. However, Mr Dickinson has a certain charm of his own and added his own touch to the groups' sound and style.
The rest of the group, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith on guitars, Steve Harris on bass, Clive Burr on drums; are all on good form here. You don't expect vast levels of virtuosic talent from Maiden, and to be honest you don't get it. You do expect rock solid and fast riffs, plenty of crashing around on the drums and something that deserves a nice high volume and you get all of that in spadefuls. There is plenty of space in the sound for lots of bass work and that is a good thing, Harris is probably the most talented individual in the group and as well as playing some corking rock bass lines he writes a large proportion of the songs (or song, for the cynics among you).
Maybe it does get a bit repetitive for those not fully into the style, but it is great fun. A candidate for that one representative album of the genre. A couple of the classic popular Maiden tracks are here, number of the beast, run for the hills; but the album tracks are all top notch as well.
I don't have even a majority of Maiden albums, but this is one of my favourites of those I have heard. A great example of the new wave of British metal that hit the early eighties.
Recommended to:
-metal fans of all shades
-those looking for something fun, noisy and honest
-Patrick McGoohan aficionados
Not recommended to:
-people offended by references to the beast, whores and death and destruction
-those who cringe at the thought of three guitars being thrashed to within an inch of their lives
-anyone with a love for the pure tones of a choirboy
Laser Squad Nemesis
Time for a little analysis of Alliance results to date. Seeing as divsion one can't be bothered to finish their games I shall have a look at divsion two today.
The Brigantes and Bouncing Krauts have got away to corking to starts, perhaps a little unexpected, but looking at the league table, nothing seems certain at the moment. Doomed have only won one in three and even gobbo's crew are winning things. Even gobbo is winning things. The only conclusion that is easy to draw is that is nothing is certain.
Keep an eye on the Bouncing Krauts, they might go further than anyone (including this humble duck) predicted.
Other People's Mistakes
Eating too much chocolate. Bad for you, spoils it in the long run, bad for you.
29 July 2004
E-Bay Ahoy
Albums
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath's first album and for me one of their best. It has one of my favourite opening track openings (one day I shall write a list) and great tracks. Some of Sabbath's most famous moments are hear, the harmonica in The Wizard and the opening and riff of N.I.B. for example.
Because of the age of the recording and the nature of production the album does sound a little rough at times, but I think the rawness can be an asset in places, some of the cleaner sounds of later albums don't entirely match the songs or the atmosphere. The songs themselves are pretty good; none are poor by Sabbath standards and some of the classics are here.
Ozzy is Ozzy, sounding as good as he is able (bless his socks), Tony Iommi shows off some of his best work, unfortunately in future albums he didn't always live up to his early standards. Geezer is good, giving us an early taste of his abilities. Bill Ward is, umm, well a reasonable drummer.
A very solid album and one that should be high on the list in the Sabbath catalogue.
Recommended to:
-Sabbath fans
-classic heavy rock/metal fans
-anyone looking for a good introduction to Sabbath
Not recommended to:
-people who don't like metal/rock
-those who like ultra-clean and precise production
Laser Squad Nemesis
Tongiht under the spotlight are the Faceless Consortium and the Hippo Squirrels.
tFC:
The undisputed rulers of Alliance. A line-up that is close to being unmatched, now well blooded as well as talented. There were some questions at the end of last season as to whether the clan would stay together long enough to defend their position, but if this was unfounded there are potentially only one or two clans who can touch them (on a good day).
HS:
They beavered away last season and looked to have good fun awith a good team spirit. Unfortunately, the lack of big names cost them dearly and there is a slight question over their lack of subs. One of the dearly loved clans who unfortunately probably won't manage too much in the trophy cabinet.
Other People's Mistakes
Getting carried away. By everything. All the time. For pities sake sit down and think about it first boy.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath's first album and for me one of their best. It has one of my favourite opening track openings (one day I shall write a list) and great tracks. Some of Sabbath's most famous moments are hear, the harmonica in The Wizard and the opening and riff of N.I.B. for example.
Because of the age of the recording and the nature of production the album does sound a little rough at times, but I think the rawness can be an asset in places, some of the cleaner sounds of later albums don't entirely match the songs or the atmosphere. The songs themselves are pretty good; none are poor by Sabbath standards and some of the classics are here.
Ozzy is Ozzy, sounding as good as he is able (bless his socks), Tony Iommi shows off some of his best work, unfortunately in future albums he didn't always live up to his early standards. Geezer is good, giving us an early taste of his abilities. Bill Ward is, umm, well a reasonable drummer.
A very solid album and one that should be high on the list in the Sabbath catalogue.
Recommended to:
-Sabbath fans
-classic heavy rock/metal fans
-anyone looking for a good introduction to Sabbath
Not recommended to:
-people who don't like metal/rock
-those who like ultra-clean and precise production
Laser Squad Nemesis
Tongiht under the spotlight are the Faceless Consortium and the Hippo Squirrels.
tFC:
The undisputed rulers of Alliance. A line-up that is close to being unmatched, now well blooded as well as talented. There were some questions at the end of last season as to whether the clan would stay together long enough to defend their position, but if this was unfounded there are potentially only one or two clans who can touch them (on a good day).
HS:
They beavered away last season and looked to have good fun awith a good team spirit. Unfortunately, the lack of big names cost them dearly and there is a slight question over their lack of subs. One of the dearly loved clans who unfortunately probably won't manage too much in the trophy cabinet.
Other People's Mistakes
Getting carried away. By everything. All the time. For pities sake sit down and think about it first boy.
28 July 2004
Funky Monkey
Albums
The Ladder - Yes
Supernatural - Santana
Poland - Tangerine Dream
Supernatural - Santana
This was an album hat caused a little bit of a stir when it was released (in 1999 I think). It had several top selling singles on it and made a bit of a splash with the public, a bit of for a latin-blues guitarist who had his British heyday in the seventies. Part of the success was because of some superb marketing from BMG, part because many of the tracks were collabarations with other well known artists spanning many boundaries (Wyclef Jean, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill and so on) and partly because there is some great music on there.
Sanatana is a great guitarist, not maybe as good as he thinks he is, but pretty good all the same. He is backed up with some atmospheric bass and organ work that fatten out the sometimes sparse guitar parts. The songs are strong and consistant, full of energy but relaxed, an oxymoron that the latin style really can pull off.
It does feel a bit like an ego trip for Santana at times, but that is to be entirely expected of course. And E.C. shows himself to be the better guitarist in the last track (entirely my opinion of course...).
Recommended to:
-those looking for a good long album to relax and get funky to
-Sanatana fans
-people who buy few albums but want some good latin style music that is both good and popular
-fans of skillful guitarists (who don't already own some Santana)
Not recommended to:
-fans of proper blues
-people who think ego and music don't mix
-snobs who think popular equals bad, you deserve to miss out on a good album
Laser Squad Nemesis
The LSN meet was a grand time, lots of brilliant people and fun to be had. More details when I get my photographs processed.
Tonight's clans are Rogue Element and The Dragons.
RE:
Last season's shock promotion, no-one rated RE but they won matches. They look underpowered to be taking on division one, but a confident start may reap rewards. It is hard not to see them dropping back to division two, but they took us all by surprise last time.
Dragons:
The Dragons took a beating last season. In part this was due to line-up problems and too many players defaulting games, but even with that taken into account, it wasn't pretty. With a stabilised line-up things should be better in division two and they have no little strength. I don't think it will be quite enough to face down the main contenders in the end, but this season will be a good confidence booster.
Other People's Mistakes
Don't take on more than you honestly think that you can handle. It is better to let people find alternatives at the start than to let them down and break your word at the end. It could end up costing you anything and maybe everything. Do enough well, rather than too much poorly.
The Ladder - Yes
Supernatural - Santana
Poland - Tangerine Dream
Supernatural - Santana
This was an album hat caused a little bit of a stir when it was released (in 1999 I think). It had several top selling singles on it and made a bit of a splash with the public, a bit of for a latin-blues guitarist who had his British heyday in the seventies. Part of the success was because of some superb marketing from BMG, part because many of the tracks were collabarations with other well known artists spanning many boundaries (Wyclef Jean, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill and so on) and partly because there is some great music on there.
Sanatana is a great guitarist, not maybe as good as he thinks he is, but pretty good all the same. He is backed up with some atmospheric bass and organ work that fatten out the sometimes sparse guitar parts. The songs are strong and consistant, full of energy but relaxed, an oxymoron that the latin style really can pull off.
It does feel a bit like an ego trip for Santana at times, but that is to be entirely expected of course. And E.C. shows himself to be the better guitarist in the last track (entirely my opinion of course...).
Recommended to:
-those looking for a good long album to relax and get funky to
-Sanatana fans
-people who buy few albums but want some good latin style music that is both good and popular
-fans of skillful guitarists (who don't already own some Santana)
Not recommended to:
-fans of proper blues
-people who think ego and music don't mix
-snobs who think popular equals bad, you deserve to miss out on a good album
Laser Squad Nemesis
The LSN meet was a grand time, lots of brilliant people and fun to be had. More details when I get my photographs processed.
Tonight's clans are Rogue Element and The Dragons.
RE:
Last season's shock promotion, no-one rated RE but they won matches. They look underpowered to be taking on division one, but a confident start may reap rewards. It is hard not to see them dropping back to division two, but they took us all by surprise last time.
Dragons:
The Dragons took a beating last season. In part this was due to line-up problems and too many players defaulting games, but even with that taken into account, it wasn't pretty. With a stabilised line-up things should be better in division two and they have no little strength. I don't think it will be quite enough to face down the main contenders in the end, but this season will be a good confidence booster.
Other People's Mistakes
Don't take on more than you honestly think that you can handle. It is better to let people find alternatives at the start than to let them down and break your word at the end. It could end up costing you anything and maybe everything. Do enough well, rather than too much poorly.
15 July 2004
It's All Too Late
Albums
News Of The World - Queen
News Of The World - Queen
An album of songs at last. And some pretty good ones at that. As ever with Queen albums the great tracks are the album tracks as opposed to those that were released as singles. We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions are not to be discarded of course, but they are a little overplayed at the expense of some very good music.
The styles are well mixed, from the gentler Spread Your Wings and It's Late to the punky Sheer Heart Attack and the hard corners of Fight From The Inside and slightly more offbeat Mercury tracks like Get Down, Make Love.
There are no real explosions from any of the band members, Freddie's voice is fairly subdued, May's guitar work is as versatile, entertaining and good to listen to as ever without being virtuousic, Deacon and Taylor do what is needed and a little extra here and there. There is a fair bit more piano from Freddie than on a lot of the other albums and it works well and adds a nice sound.
A solid Queen album then. Not their best, but a long way from their worst.
Recommended to:
-Queen fans
-fans of easy to listen to guitar based rock
-pretty much everyone else
Not recommended to:
-people surprise by the revelation that Queen recorded tracks that weren't on the three Greatest Hits compilations
-those who think it isn't music without at least three key changes and time signatures with 11s in them.
Laser Squad Nemesis
As a special treat to make up for my absence, a double helping of Alliance predictions, Anaraknaphobia and the Crimson Scales from division one and the Bouncing Krauts and Brigantes from division two.
Anaraknaphobia:
Named after a Marillion album (possibly), their good taste may see this clan do well (possibly). A strong finish last season and a hat full of highly ranked players make this line-up one to be feared. Probably not quite strong enough to take the title, but I would be surprised to see them finish outside of the top three or four.
Crimson Scales:
One of the handful of season 0 clans still fighting, age seems to have wearied the Scales. They have made some good moves in the recruiting game though and are looking stronger than the line-up that was struggling badly at the end of last season. I am not convinced that this will be enough though and it will be another season of struggles to survive in the top flight.
Bouncing Krauts:
The second new clan this season and another one lacking some top flight names to give early confidence. Still a team to watch out for though, maybe next season rather than this, which will probably see steady games for a mid table finish.
Brigantes:
Another very experienced clan, but that didn't count for much last season with the Brigantes being clear wooden spoon winners. I think that was a harsh end result and they be boosted to do better this season, reaching a mid-table position that more accurately reflects their dedication to the competition.
Other People's Mistakes
And a double dose here as well:
Never be afraid to admit a mistake. Everyone really is very nice, and the
handful of bastards, well, they will meet their judgement one day. It
makes you feel so much better than sinking down in pointless blame
shifting and covering up.
Don't take little things too seriously.
News Of The World - Queen
News Of The World - Queen
An album of songs at last. And some pretty good ones at that. As ever with Queen albums the great tracks are the album tracks as opposed to those that were released as singles. We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions are not to be discarded of course, but they are a little overplayed at the expense of some very good music.
The styles are well mixed, from the gentler Spread Your Wings and It's Late to the punky Sheer Heart Attack and the hard corners of Fight From The Inside and slightly more offbeat Mercury tracks like Get Down, Make Love.
There are no real explosions from any of the band members, Freddie's voice is fairly subdued, May's guitar work is as versatile, entertaining and good to listen to as ever without being virtuousic, Deacon and Taylor do what is needed and a little extra here and there. There is a fair bit more piano from Freddie than on a lot of the other albums and it works well and adds a nice sound.
A solid Queen album then. Not their best, but a long way from their worst.
Recommended to:
-Queen fans
-fans of easy to listen to guitar based rock
-pretty much everyone else
Not recommended to:
-people surprise by the revelation that Queen recorded tracks that weren't on the three Greatest Hits compilations
-those who think it isn't music without at least three key changes and time signatures with 11s in them.
Laser Squad Nemesis
As a special treat to make up for my absence, a double helping of Alliance predictions, Anaraknaphobia and the Crimson Scales from division one and the Bouncing Krauts and Brigantes from division two.
Anaraknaphobia:
Named after a Marillion album (possibly), their good taste may see this clan do well (possibly). A strong finish last season and a hat full of highly ranked players make this line-up one to be feared. Probably not quite strong enough to take the title, but I would be surprised to see them finish outside of the top three or four.
Crimson Scales:
One of the handful of season 0 clans still fighting, age seems to have wearied the Scales. They have made some good moves in the recruiting game though and are looking stronger than the line-up that was struggling badly at the end of last season. I am not convinced that this will be enough though and it will be another season of struggles to survive in the top flight.
Bouncing Krauts:
The second new clan this season and another one lacking some top flight names to give early confidence. Still a team to watch out for though, maybe next season rather than this, which will probably see steady games for a mid table finish.
Brigantes:
Another very experienced clan, but that didn't count for much last season with the Brigantes being clear wooden spoon winners. I think that was a harsh end result and they be boosted to do better this season, reaching a mid-table position that more accurately reflects their dedication to the competition.
Other People's Mistakes
And a double dose here as well:
Never be afraid to admit a mistake. Everyone really is very nice, and the
handful of bastards, well, they will meet their judgement one day. It
makes you feel so much better than sinking down in pointless blame
shifting and covering up.
Don't take little things too seriously.
11 July 2004
I Want You To Know I'd Die For One More Moment
Albums
Since the last quack I have listened to:
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater
Another double album to look at, although this one is very much two CDs as opposed to two sides of vinyl. In fact, this is very much two CDs sold as a sinlge album by Dream Theater. The first CD is half a dozen ten or twelve minute tracks and the second a single piece, forty minutes or so.
The first CD is mostly from the heavier end of Dream Theater's repertoire (see below for utterly divergent rant). You wouldn't be blamed for thinking that the opening of the first was from a Metallica album, at least until the keyboard part kicks in. The tracks are all well written and sustain their length very well. Instrumentally things are superb, Jordan Rudess in particular merging his more proggy keyboard style in well with John Pretrucci's thrash lead and Mike Portney's heavy drumming.
My only reservation about the first CD is track four, The Great Debate. Politics and music have been bed fellows forever and music can be a powerful voice for thoughts and ideas. Sometimes however, it can feel a bit forced and unfortunately I think that this track does. The music is grand, but the lyrics seem shoehorned in and as important as the issues raised are, it does cut the enjoyment for me a little.
The second CD is a single piece and palys well as such. It leans much more in the progressive rock direction than the first and shows that the whole band are capable of thoughtful and gentle playing that you might find unexpected having only listened to the first CD. That isn't to say that it doesn't have its heavy moments though. As is to be exected from Dream Theater, the story of the piece is dark in places but has some lovely light moments and is written with a sense of humour (which can only be a good thing in my mind). At some points there are hints of Lake/Sinfield style lyrical desperation, but I'll let Dream Theater off.
A corking album, in particular I love the second CD, but both are great. One I shall keep close by me for a long time to come.
Recommended to:
-Dream Theater fans (and anyone who has heard from any of Mike Portnoy's many projects)
-Metal/rock fans who would like to try something a little more thoughtful and varied
-Everyone who can cope with slightly louder music
Not recommended to:
-Prog rock fans who think the genre (poor pigeon) finishes at the end of Rick's Moog (even though Jordan R does have his moments).
-People who think amplification is for degenerate philistines
Utterly divergent rant:
In my first year at secondary school (around the age of eleven for those as don't know the Enlgish school system) my English class was asked to produce an A to Z list of the form 'She had the aspect of an angel', the key points being the words starting with the letter a. My attempt for r was heartlessly rejected by my teacher, for which I was most miffed for I thought it was one of my better ones. 'He had the repertoire of a rat'. And exactly how many rats have you heard that can sing more than one tune? Hmmm?
Laser Squad Nemesis
Tonight we have the 99ers from division one and Aftershock Reloaded from division two.
99ers:
A clan to be wary of. Although they lack top fifty elite players, the 99ers line up has depth, with several players with a great deal of experience who are never far away from the top of the table. They should be capable of holding their own against the main contenders and I expect them to be one of teams fighting hard for a high ranking place.
Aftershock Reloaded:
For the players they have, Aftershock always seem to have under achieved a little. They have the quality to take it all the way, and are by far the strongest of the division two clans that weren't promoted last season. Even if they don't manage to beat the better of the demoted division one clans, they should be top three finishers this season.
Other People's Mistakes
Pay close attention when you first ride a bicycle with pedal clips. This is espescially important when slowing or stopping the bike. Although it is immensely amusing to slowly topple sideways (it really is), it is also quite dangerous and may damage the bicycle.
Since the last quack I have listened to:
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater
Another double album to look at, although this one is very much two CDs as opposed to two sides of vinyl. In fact, this is very much two CDs sold as a sinlge album by Dream Theater. The first CD is half a dozen ten or twelve minute tracks and the second a single piece, forty minutes or so.
The first CD is mostly from the heavier end of Dream Theater's repertoire (see below for utterly divergent rant). You wouldn't be blamed for thinking that the opening of the first was from a Metallica album, at least until the keyboard part kicks in. The tracks are all well written and sustain their length very well. Instrumentally things are superb, Jordan Rudess in particular merging his more proggy keyboard style in well with John Pretrucci's thrash lead and Mike Portney's heavy drumming.
My only reservation about the first CD is track four, The Great Debate. Politics and music have been bed fellows forever and music can be a powerful voice for thoughts and ideas. Sometimes however, it can feel a bit forced and unfortunately I think that this track does. The music is grand, but the lyrics seem shoehorned in and as important as the issues raised are, it does cut the enjoyment for me a little.
The second CD is a single piece and palys well as such. It leans much more in the progressive rock direction than the first and shows that the whole band are capable of thoughtful and gentle playing that you might find unexpected having only listened to the first CD. That isn't to say that it doesn't have its heavy moments though. As is to be exected from Dream Theater, the story of the piece is dark in places but has some lovely light moments and is written with a sense of humour (which can only be a good thing in my mind). At some points there are hints of Lake/Sinfield style lyrical desperation, but I'll let Dream Theater off.
A corking album, in particular I love the second CD, but both are great. One I shall keep close by me for a long time to come.
Recommended to:
-Dream Theater fans (and anyone who has heard from any of Mike Portnoy's many projects)
-Metal/rock fans who would like to try something a little more thoughtful and varied
-Everyone who can cope with slightly louder music
Not recommended to:
-Prog rock fans who think the genre (poor pigeon) finishes at the end of Rick's Moog (even though Jordan R does have his moments).
-People who think amplification is for degenerate philistines
Utterly divergent rant:
In my first year at secondary school (around the age of eleven for those as don't know the Enlgish school system) my English class was asked to produce an A to Z list of the form 'She had the aspect of an angel', the key points being the words starting with the letter a. My attempt for r was heartlessly rejected by my teacher, for which I was most miffed for I thought it was one of my better ones. 'He had the repertoire of a rat'. And exactly how many rats have you heard that can sing more than one tune? Hmmm?
Laser Squad Nemesis
Tonight we have the 99ers from division one and Aftershock Reloaded from division two.
99ers:
A clan to be wary of. Although they lack top fifty elite players, the 99ers line up has depth, with several players with a great deal of experience who are never far away from the top of the table. They should be capable of holding their own against the main contenders and I expect them to be one of teams fighting hard for a high ranking place.
Aftershock Reloaded:
For the players they have, Aftershock always seem to have under achieved a little. They have the quality to take it all the way, and are by far the strongest of the division two clans that weren't promoted last season. Even if they don't manage to beat the better of the demoted division one clans, they should be top three finishers this season.
Other People's Mistakes
Pay close attention when you first ride a bicycle with pedal clips. This is espescially important when slowing or stopping the bike. Although it is immensely amusing to slowly topple sideways (it really is), it is also quite dangerous and may damage the bicycle.
10 July 2004
Faces Smiling In The Gloom
Albums
CD Review, BBC Radio Three
A Passion Play, Jethro Tull
Passion, Peter Gabriel (music from Martin Scorsese's film The Last Temptation of Christ)
Crest Of A Knave, Jethro Tull
A Passion Play, Jethro Tull
A new album for me, I am writing part way through my second listening. A Passion Play is an album of two tracks, both just over twenty minutes. Let me warn you know, I am no fan of pigeon holing, I don't the idea of putting birds where they are free not to spread their wings. So, Jethro Tull's concept album then, he he.
I am just starting my exploration of Tull's music, so my comparisions on that front are not backed by any great knowledge. In instrumental terms, the album seems to make greater use of keyboard instruments, piano, organ, synths than other albums, but certainly not overly so. All of the other instrumental hallmarks that you would expect of Tull are there, lots of accoustic work, simple but effective bass work, flute and Ian Anderson's rather unique voice are all there and as good as on any other album.
The music itself then. The album is quite an experience. It is very much written as a single piece but moves around with a great freedom, although some may say insanity instead. Parts are very complex, parts very simple but it does hang together very well. I suspect when I know it well enough to start putting the lyrics in place as well, the sense of unity will only increase.
Apparently, Tull fans are quite divided by the album and I can understand that. It certainly seems to be fairly unique in their output and in a very different style. A lot of people just won't like the type of music, comparible as it is to the standard view of progressive rock of the seventies in a way that other Tull really isn't.
However, I love it. I loved it the first time I heard it and can only imagine that my love will only increase as I know it better.
Recommended to:
-Jethro Tull fans (with the warning that it is quite different)
-King Crimson and prog rock fans in general
-Those with a taste for the bizarre
Not recommended to:
-People who like their music straight forward
-Those for whom prog rock sends a shiver down the spine.
Laser Squad Nemesis
The first clans that fall under my beady eye are the 8-bit Fanatics from division one and the A.B.C Warriors from division two.
8-bits:
One of the best clans, active in the LSN community and with what seems to the outsider a brilliant team spirit. Some of them are even vaguely amusing. In game terms, maybe they aren't so strong. Lacking many top fifty elite players, they will find it difficult to crack the top teams in division one. They do have depth and shouldn't founder however. Scrapping it out mid-table seems likely, and one of the clans that with some lucky results might do a little better.
A.B.C Warriors:
A self-declared clan of rookie players, formed from fresh players. For that reason, they are difficult to judge. However, a good proportion of their players can be expected to start their climb to the top ranks here so good results are a distinct possibility. Inexperience will probably have a dulling effect however, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were mid-table at the end of the season, and outside chance for top tableness.
Other People's Mistakes
Mistaking perturbed for preturboted is a grave mistake. To confuse the feeling of being mentally agitated or being thrown into disorder with the shock and horror felt in the fraction of time before being slapped in the face by a large flat fish is a mistake many have made and to their great cost.
Quack!
CD Review, BBC Radio Three
A Passion Play, Jethro Tull
Passion, Peter Gabriel (music from Martin Scorsese's film The Last Temptation of Christ)
Crest Of A Knave, Jethro Tull
A Passion Play, Jethro Tull
A new album for me, I am writing part way through my second listening. A Passion Play is an album of two tracks, both just over twenty minutes. Let me warn you know, I am no fan of pigeon holing, I don't the idea of putting birds where they are free not to spread their wings. So, Jethro Tull's concept album then, he he.
I am just starting my exploration of Tull's music, so my comparisions on that front are not backed by any great knowledge. In instrumental terms, the album seems to make greater use of keyboard instruments, piano, organ, synths than other albums, but certainly not overly so. All of the other instrumental hallmarks that you would expect of Tull are there, lots of accoustic work, simple but effective bass work, flute and Ian Anderson's rather unique voice are all there and as good as on any other album.
The music itself then. The album is quite an experience. It is very much written as a single piece but moves around with a great freedom, although some may say insanity instead. Parts are very complex, parts very simple but it does hang together very well. I suspect when I know it well enough to start putting the lyrics in place as well, the sense of unity will only increase.
Apparently, Tull fans are quite divided by the album and I can understand that. It certainly seems to be fairly unique in their output and in a very different style. A lot of people just won't like the type of music, comparible as it is to the standard view of progressive rock of the seventies in a way that other Tull really isn't.
However, I love it. I loved it the first time I heard it and can only imagine that my love will only increase as I know it better.
Recommended to:
-Jethro Tull fans (with the warning that it is quite different)
-King Crimson and prog rock fans in general
-Those with a taste for the bizarre
Not recommended to:
-People who like their music straight forward
-Those for whom prog rock sends a shiver down the spine.
Laser Squad Nemesis
The first clans that fall under my beady eye are the 8-bit Fanatics from division one and the A.B.C Warriors from division two.
8-bits:
One of the best clans, active in the LSN community and with what seems to the outsider a brilliant team spirit. Some of them are even vaguely amusing. In game terms, maybe they aren't so strong. Lacking many top fifty elite players, they will find it difficult to crack the top teams in division one. They do have depth and shouldn't founder however. Scrapping it out mid-table seems likely, and one of the clans that with some lucky results might do a little better.
A.B.C Warriors:
A self-declared clan of rookie players, formed from fresh players. For that reason, they are difficult to judge. However, a good proportion of their players can be expected to start their climb to the top ranks here so good results are a distinct possibility. Inexperience will probably have a dulling effect however, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were mid-table at the end of the season, and outside chance for top tableness.
Other People's Mistakes
Mistaking perturbed for preturboted is a grave mistake. To confuse the feeling of being mentally agitated or being thrown into disorder with the shock and horror felt in the fraction of time before being slapped in the face by a large flat fish is a mistake many have made and to their great cost.
Quack!
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