The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
----
I wouldn't want to ask people to just give me money cause they like my website, but do please take a quick look at Barger's Boutique. You might find yourself a little something-something for 2 or 3 bucks that you just can't resist! Any of the round images you find around MoreThings will get you to an Amazon page to buy my stuff and help ol' Al keep the lights on.
Links
To explicitly state the obvious, these external links go to interesting and provocative websites, but they speak for themselves. I don't necessarily agree with anything they say - especially that no-goodnik Richard Marcus.
*************
All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
September 11, 2007
New Album Releases, 9-11-2007: 50 Cent, Kanye West, Kenny Chesney The big talk this week is the friendly rivalry ginned up by new albums from 50 Cent and Kanye West. Being a historically bigger seller, 50 Cent probably thought he was making a never to be answered for threat when he said that he'd retire if West got bigger first week sales numbers. However, West seems to be eating his lunch at the moment, what with being the #1 seller currently according to both Amazon and larger Nielsen numbers.
As gangster rappers go, 50 Cent seems like a reasonably amiable fellow. I wouldn't expect much out of Curtis, though. He is by trade a thug, not a musician. Does he actually play an instrument, or read music? Seems like a nice enough guy, however.
Kanye West, on the other hand, begs for ridicule on SO many levels. For starters, he's got this utterly ridiculous need for narcissistic self-aggrandizement. Think of that Rolling Stone cover from last year with him as Jesus on the cross, complete with the crown of thorns. Study that image for a minute. It's not ironic or a humorous poke at religious types. He's quite serious in wanting to see himself as a persecuted martyr. When he's carrying on about "Jesus Walks," it's not because he's such a fan of the carpenter from Nazareth, but more that he thinks that He Himself is the savior.
But the only persecution he can conjure up is that he sometimes doesn't win every industry award. Sure, he's a rich multi-platinum artist with a Grammy or two, but he has a childish tantrum like a world class whining bitch any time he doesn't get an award. Given his penchant for black foolishness and cheesy conspiracy crap, I'm guessing that his recent MTV awards shut-out was a set-up from Bush after Kanye bravely called the president out on the Katrina telethon. "That's two years in a row, man - give a black man a chance."
Really though, he's mostly not much of either a composer or a rapper. He gets a lot of artistic credit cause he's black and mad, but neither one of those attributes is evidence of musical achievement. He's got some pretty good skills as an arranger and producer, but there are precious few memorable songs on his albums. All the clever production tricks in the world don't mean squat if they're just dressing up a turd sandwich. He did create "Gold Digger," so I'll give him credit for one outstanding pop song. That still doesn't make him Jesus or a respectable adult, however.
Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates is the 13th album by Kenny Chesney. For being a big star, I cannot recall or even recognize a single song title on his hits album. Wasn't he married to somebody famous once or something? Then I looked at the album cover and it came back to me. Ah yes, he's that country singer with the cowboy hat. Unlike on previous albums though, he apparently had no hand in the writing of any of these songs. Maybe some outside help has conjured up a memorable tune in here somewhere.
Kurt Cobain: About a Son is the soundtrack for a documentary movie consisting largely of interviews he did with journalist Michael Azerrad. The soundtrack album has NO Cobain music, however. It consists of a curious sounding hodgepodge of not obviously related artists including Arlo Guthrie, Leadbelly, David Bowie and the Butthole Surfers.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:
Animal Collective Strawberry Jam Domino Free Folk, Psychedelic Pop, Experimental Rock
Frank Black Bluefinger Cooking Vinyl Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Kenny Chesney Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates RCA Contemporary Country
Go Team Proof of Youth [Bonus Disc] Sub Pop Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
Joe Henry Civilians Anti Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop
Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills Bud Fox Swedish Pop/Rock, Indie Pop
Kanye West Graduation Roc-A-Fella Midwest Rap, Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop, Pop-Rap, East Coast Rap
Axe Riverboy Tu Tu to Tango JVC Victor Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
B5 Don't Talk, Just Listen Bad Boy Urban
Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil Vice Garage Punk, Garage Rock Revival
Vic Chesnutt North Star Deserter Constellation Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Urban Folk
C.O.C.O. Play Drums + Bass K Indie Rock
Elvis Costello My Aim Is True [Deluxe Edition] Hip-O British Punk, Pub Rock, New Wave, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll, College Rock, Pop/Rock, Punk
Cupid Time for a Change Atlantic Urban, Contemporary R&B, Southern Rap
The Deadly Syndrome The Ortolan Dim Mak Indie Rock
Ani DiFranco Canon Righteous Babe Alternative Folk, Urban Folk, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Anti-Folk
Film School Hideout Beggars Banquet Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
40 Cal Broken Safety 2 Koch Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap
Gang Gang Dance Rawwar Social Registry Post-Rock/Experimental, Avant-Garde
The Good Life Help Wanted Nights Saddle Creek Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Grayskul Bloody Radio Rhymesayers Underground Rap, Hip-Hop
Peter Green Splinter Group Time Traders/Reaching the Cold 100 Rec Guitar Virtuoso, British Blues, Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Blues
Hesperion XXI Ludi Musici Alia Vox Renaissance World Music
Hot Hot Heat Happiness Ltd. [CD/DVD] Reprise / Wea Indie Rock
Konono No.1 Live at Couleur Cafe Crammed Disc Afro-Pop, Mbira, African Folk
Latvian Radio Choir Peteris Vasks: Pater Noster; Dona Nobis; Missa Ondine Contemporary Choral Music
Little Barrie Stand Your Ground Play It Again Sam Us British Trad Rock, Jam Bands
Mono Gone: A Collection of EP's 2000-2007 Temporary Residence Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
DJ Muggs/Sick Jacken The Legend of the Mask and the Assassin Universal Latino Underground Rap, Alternative Rap
Oakley Hall I'll Follow You Merge Indie Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Americana
Adrian Orange Adrian Orange and Her Band K Lo-Fi, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Stephen Rice Gombert: Tribulatio et Angustia Hyperion Renaissance Choral Music
Original Soundtrack Kurt Cobain: About a Son Barsuk College Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Original TV Soundtrack The War: A Ken Burns Film RCA Original Score, Soundtracks
June Panic Songs from Purgatory Secretly Canadian Indie Rock, Punk-Pop
Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs Touch & Go/Traffic Entertainm Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Emma Pollock Watch the Fireworks 4AD Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Red Stick Ramblers Made in the Shade Sugar Hill Traditional Cajun, Western Swing Revival, Americana, Zydeco, Creole, Old-Timey
Johnathan Rice Further North Reprise / Wea Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Pop/Rock
Lionel Richie Live in Paris Island/Def Jam Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary, Urban, Quiet Storm, Pop/Rock
Mike Seeger Early Southern Guitar Sounds Smithsonian/Folkways Traditional Folk, Folklore, Old-Timey, Traditional Country
Billy Joe Shaver Storyteller: Live at the Bluebird Sugar Hill Americana, Outlaw Country, Honky Tonk, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock, Progressive Country
Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release Wichita Recordings Club/Dance, Electro-Techno, Techno, Neo-Electro, Alternative Dance
Various Artists Comedy Death-Ray Comedy Central Standup Comedy, Observational Humor
Various Artists Sentimental Journey [RCA] RCA Swing, Traditional Pop, Big Band, Vocal Jazz, Standards, Vocal Pop
Various Artists Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazon: Duets Deutsche Grammophon Operatic Duets
Various Artists Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer Harmonia Mundi Romantic Vocal Music
Various Artists Warehouse Tracks: Ten Years Dualtone Neo-Traditional Folk, Americana, Contemporary Folk, Country-Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Cowboy, Old-Timey
Bob Wills/His Texas Playboys/Tommy Duncan Seven Miles out of Town Varese Sarabande Western Swing, Traditional Country
Ann Wilson Hope & Glory Zoe/Rounder Album Rock
Bernie Worrell Improvisczario Godforsaken Improvisation, Post-Bop, Modern Creative, Funk, Soul-Jazz
