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.
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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.
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All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
December 04, 2007
New Album Releases, 12-4-2007: Blake Lewis, Ghostface Killah, Dewey Cox It's slim pickings for new music in these last few weeks of the year. Probably the most interesting new thing is a movie soundtrack. John C Reilly has a new movie coming out, which sounds like it's largely musical parody, including original songs aimed at Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and of course Johnny Cash. The soundtrack album for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story has gotten some good notices for the actual songs. Then there's the unlikely image on the cover of John C Reilly striking a Jim Morrison pose. Oy.
Audio Day Dream comes from Blake Lewis, who was an American Idol contestant. Apparently, he is some kind of corporate idea of a "rebel." Now, besides the ridiculousness of the concept of a "rebellious" corporate tool, I've never heard a single legitimate good song from anyone ever associated with American Idol. If you had any actual talent or vision, they'd never let you anywhere near their stage. I mean, could you imagine a young Eminem or Bob Dylan being allowed on this show? For starters, they have personalities, and no such thing would be tolerated in an American Idol. But of course, it's already top 10 at Amazon, so what do I know?
Ghostface Killah has The Big Doe Rehab. He's from the Wu Tang Clan. For all the hoopla about Wu Tang, I can't remember a single one of their alleged "songs." Still, he's bona fide legitimate and from the street, I'm guessing, so this is probably great and powerful art.
Beyond that, it starts dwindling down to a lot of rap re-releases. In the case of the at this point positively necrophilic pimping of Tupac Shakur, that'd be the half dozenth or so re-re-re-release of the same crappy alleged "music."
The best of the lot, I suppose, is N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton [20th Anniversary Edition]. Yeah, we need a special anniversary issue of this mediocre rap crap, as if it were a landmark classic like Sgt Pepper or Purple Rain. NWA, please!
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Daft Punk Alive 2007 Virgin Electronica, Acid House, Club/Dance, Left-Field House, House
Ghostface Killah The Big Doe Rehab Def Jam East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop, Hardcore Rap
Blake Lewis Audio Day Dream Arista Pop Idol, Teen Pop
Original Soundtrack Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Columbia Comedy Rock, Film Music, Traditional Country, Rock & Roll
Trace Adkins American Man: Greatest Hits, Vol. II Capitol Contemporary Country
Aloha Light Works Polyvinyl Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
David Bowie David Bowie Box [Box Set] Sony Album Rock, Experimental Rock, Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
The Breakup Society Nobody Likes a Winner Get Hip Punk-Pop, Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
James Brown The Singles, Vol. 4: 1966-1967 Hip-O Select R&B, Soul
William Christie Haydn: Die Schopfung (The Creation) Virgin Classics Classical Choral Music
Nick Drake Fruit Tree [3CD/1DVD] Fontana Island British Folk-Rock, Baroque Pop, Progressive Folk, British Folk, Folk-Rock
Drama Gangsta Grillz: The Album Atlantic / Wea Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Eazy-E Featuring...Eazy E Priority West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap, G-Funk, Dirty Rap
4 Bonjour's Parties Pigments Drift Down to the Brook Mush Indie Pop
Nelly Furtado Loose: The Concert [CD/DVD] Geffen Pop/Rock, Urban, Dance-Pop
Godsmack Good Times, Bad Times: 10 Years of Godsmack Republic Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal, Post-Grunge
Idlewild Scottish Fiction: Best of Idlewild 1997-2007 EMI/Parlophone Indie Rock
Jay-Z American Gangster [Acappella] Roc-A-Fella Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Pop-Rap
Wyclef Jean Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant Columbia Contemporary R&B, Pop-Rap, Alternative Rap, Reggae-Pop, Party Soca
David Korevaar The Ricardo Vines Collection Koch International Classics Modern Piano Music
The Libertines The Best Of: A Time for Heroes Rough Trade US Garage Rock Revival, Punk Revival, Indie Rock, Britpop, Punk Revival, Indie Rock, Britpop, Garage Rock Revival
Mack 10 Foe Life: The Best of Mack 10 Priority West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, G-Funk
Grachan Moncur III Inner Cry Blues Lunar Module Hard Bop, Post-Bop, Modern Creative
RoisÃn Murphy Overpowered EMI Indie Electronic
N.W.A Straight Outta Compton [20th Anniversary Edition] Priority Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap, West Coast Rap, Golden Age
Shauna Rolston Dreamscape CBC Modern and Contemporary Music for Cello
Pants Yell! Alison Statton Soft Abuse Indie Pop
Pittsburgh Slim Tastemaker Def Jam Party Rap, Alternative Rap
Chris Schlarb Twilight & Ghost Stories Asthmatic Kitty Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Styles P Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) Koch Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap
The Teardrop Explodes Peel Sessions Plus Mercury Post-Punk, New Wave
Tender Forever Wider K Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Too Short Get Off the Stage Zomba West Coast Rap, Dirty Rap, Hardcore Rap
2Pac The Best of 2Pac, Pt. 1: Thug Amaru / Interscope West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, G-Funk, Hardcore Rap
2Pac The Best of 2Pac, Pt. 2: Life Amaru / Interscope West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, G-Funk, Hardcore Rap
Various Artists Busoni: The Complete Two Piano Programme EMI Classics Modern Piano Music
Various Artists Valentin Silvestrov: Drama Koch International Classics Contemporary Chamber Music
Rufus Wainwright Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall Geffen Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Chamber Pop, Cabaret, American Popular Song
Westside Connection The Best of Westside Connection Priority West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap, Hip-Hop
Woelv Tout Seui Dans la Foret en Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur? K Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Singer/Songwriter
The Wreckers Way Back Home: Live from New York City Warner Bros. Alternative Country-Rock, Contemporary Country, Country-Pop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter *********************
Ghostface Killah has 
