Arachnophonia: “Lou Reed, Metal Machine Trio: The Creation of the Universe”

Posted on November 26, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker William (class of 2021) and features an exhibition catalog documenting a 2015/2016 3-D sound installation featuring Lou Reed’s controversial 1975 album Metal Machine Music. Thanks, William!

Lou Reed, Metal Machine Trio: The Creation Of The Universe

This is Lou Reed, Metal Machine Trio: The Creation of the Universe. Originally published in 2015 by the Cranbrook Art Museum, the collection contains essays on Lou Reed’s double album, Metal Machine Music as well as photos and reproductions of archival material. When Metal Machine Music was released in 1975, the overwhelming response to the album was that it was one of the worst albums ever made. In fact, many fans returned their copies of the album under the assumption that they had purchased a faulty copy, according to Christopher Scoates. Lou Reed said it had the “highest level of returns of any record ever released.”

Before Metal Music Machine, Reed’s reputation as a solo artist wasn’t great. His best work was with the Velvet Underground under the management of Andy Warhol. The group disbanded in the early seventies because of conflicts within, mostly caused by Reed, it seems. Though Reed could be dear, the subject matter of his work was always provocative, dealing heavily with drug abuse, sex and sexuality and violence. There is a certain nihilism about Reed’s work and persona that help make sense out of Metal Music Machine, but it was unlike anything else he produced and the state of mind it operated under wasn’t clear at the time. Rolling Stone journalist Anthony Decurtis said in his 2017 biography of Reed that Metal Music Machine is a “hymn to speed”, so it’s widely assumed Reed recorded the album during a methamphetamine binge, but certainly more went into it than that. In Socates essay it’s clear that Reed was obsessed with avant-garde and experimental composers, so it wasn’t as unexpected as it seemed.

In an interview, Reed said that he partly intended for the album to repel “all those f—king a—holes” who only wanted to hear his biggest hits like “Walk on the Wild Side” and hits he wrote with the Velvet Underground. It’s a giant “F—k you,'” wrote music critic Lester Bangs, and endures more as a statement than a good album — a statement to everyone and everything conventional, that is. Critics questioned if even Reed’s most devoted fans would follow him through the more than an hour long album of experimental guitar feedback and distortion, loops of high-pitched screeches and squeals and the occasional, distant melody behind the wall of noise. He recorded it alone in his Manhattan loft with a couple guitars and amps.

It’s really no wonder the music library doesn’t have a copy of Metal Machine Music. Most people don’t listen to the entire thing, they just fast forward to see if it becomes bearable, which it doesn’t, really. But what’s fascinating to me about the album is the acclaim is has received in the decades since its release and the influence attributed to it. The Creation of the Universe exhibit catalog recognizes this influence and helps the listener make meaning where there seemingly is none. Accompanying the essays are photographs and explanations of Reed’s notes from the album’s production, as well as photographs from concerts of Lou Reed and the Metal Machine Trio performing Metal Machine Music.

Arachnophonia: Frank Ocean “Channel Orange”

Posted on November 21, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Gabi (class of 2020) and features Frank Ocean’s 2012 debut album Channel Orange. Thanks, Gabi!

Frank Ocean

Channel Orange

Pitchfork recently released one of their most famous lists, “The 200 Best Albums of the 2010’s.” Although these kinds of lists and rankings are subjective, and can even be controversial at times, they open up conversations about the cultural relevance of albums, and how they may shape and define a generation. While several artists appear multiple times throughout the list, the only artist with two albums to appear in the top 10 of Pitchfork’s list is Frank Ocean. Ocean scored the number one spot with his most recent full-length album, Blond (2016), and the number 10 spot with Channel Orange (2012). As Ocean has seen additional media coverage lately for hinting at new music releases coming soon, and opening an ongoing queer nightclub event in New York City, I wanted to revisit his first release, Channel Orange, available in the Parsons Music Library.

Channel Orange was Ocean’s debut album, and his firm establishment as one of the most prominent figures in the R&B genre. Days prior to its release, Ocean posted a note on tumblr revealing that stories told through the songs on his album were about a boy, and took public ownership of his sexuality in a manner that also established him as a queer icon in the music world. The rawness and personal tone of the tumblr note is reflected in the tone of the album itself. After the album’s intro, “Start”, its first full-length song is “Thinkin ‘Bout You,” Ocean’s most famous single to date. This song evokes the emotions of longing for someone, and a lingering, unrequited love, in a simple way. Ocean sings that he’s “lyin down” thinking about this person, and creates a relatable image for the listener, who’s probably been there before. My best friend says that this song reminds her of Christmas-time, and sounds how winter weather feels.

My two other favorite songs on this album are “Super Rich Kids” and “Pyramids“. “Super Rich Kids” evokes a sense of nostalgia for me, as it reminds me the type of culture that surrounded me at a private high school in a big city growing up, and that continues to surround me at a private university. Ocean talks of materialism, and how it can cloud real emotion and “real love,” and lack of parental supervision for coming of age children that leads them to live dangerous lifestyles. As I came of age, I watched certain people around me live this kind of life, and in a strange way, this song reminds me of home. “Pyramids” is an epic standout as it is the longest song on the album, coming in at 9 minutes and 52 seconds. In this song, that can work well as a casual listen or a dance-floor hit with its electronic breakdown, Ocean uses ancient Egyptian imagery and figures like Cleopatra to depict the view of black women throughout history. As they were once appreciated as African queens, they are now objectified by pimps, which is the point of view Ocean takes on the second half of the song. The second half of the song drastically juxtaposes the first, being more rhythmic and hip-hop-esque, which reflects the pimp character’s attitude that Ocean is portraying. To me, this song is to Channel Orange as “Nights” is to Blond; a personal favorite with dynamic mid-point switches that take the listener by surprise and keep them interested the entire way through. Channel Orange remains a modern classic even 8 years after its release.

Arachnophonia: George Ezra “Wanted On Voyage”

Posted on November 13, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Colin (class of 2021) and features Wanted On Voyage, the 2014 debut studio album by British singer-songwriter George Ezra. Thanks, Colin!

George Ezra

Wanted On Voyage

I’m fascinated by the vocal talent of musicians and for some reason, I discover a lot of artists that I enjoy through listening to covers of their songs by a cappella groups on YouTube. I had no idea who George Ezra was until I listened to the Trinitones perform a mash-up of “Barcelona,” “Budapest” and “Paradise” over a year ago. The all-male group surprised me with their impressive talent, but also with the arrangement of the songs. I was familiar with the song “Budapest” because it had been playing on radio stations at the time, but the artist behind the song had escaped my familiarity. After listening to Wanted on Voyage however, George Ezra has become a frequent artist on my Spotify playlists.

Wanted on Voyage is Ezra’s debut album released in the UK in 2014. He had first been discovered by Columbia Records in 2012 from his videos on YouTube performing his own original songs. After being contracted to work for Columbia Records, Ezra found inspiration for his album in 2013 when he traveled by train across Europe, writing about the places he visited and the people he met. From this collection of memories, Ezra sat down and penned the songs for the album, immortalizing his journey.

The album gained many positive reviews on release, attributing the success to the relatively simple composition of the songs that are dramatically enhanced by Ezra’s ability to sing. A vital characteristic to Ezra’s music is his voice, which is naturally lower than many popular artists. The pitch of his voice adds flavor to his songs that make it appear as if these songs only fit the register that Ezra is able to perform in. Some highlights of the album for me are “Budapest” and “Barcelona,” which is not a surprise considering these are the songs that led me to George Ezra’s music. The mix between Ezra’s incredible voice and the instrumentation and production on both tracks really drives home the idea of why I enjoy his music so much. Another track I enjoy is “Did You Hear The Rain?” which was released as the first single from the album.

Wanted on Voyage is a fantastic album that does not try to create complicated music. The purity of the instrumentation and vocals shine through on every track. George Ezra actually filmed a Mahogany Session video for “Budapest,” which is a video series that allows artists to acoustically perform some of their most famous songs for the world to gain a more intimate view of the artist. This particular video is great, because I honestly cannot tell the difference in the quality of Ezra’s singing between the video and the recorded song from the album. Wanted on Voyage truly shines as Ezra’s first step into the musical world and it manifested a popularity around him that still holds true to this day.

Arachnophonia: Les Miserables

Posted on November 7, 2019 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Danny (class of 2023) and features the popular musical Les Miserables. Thanks, Danny!

Les Miserables

At the end of the day, as I leave my shift and head off back to my dorm, I’m on my own. By myself, I have time to decompress and utilize that time to think about everything that is happening in my life. Most days, my thoughts are filled with happiness and satisfaction with the day’s events. Other days, my thoughts are foggy, due to the fatigue caused by the emotionally and mentally draining events of the day. Turning right outside of the Modlin Center for the Arts, I traverse back to my castle on the cloud, Lora Robins court. Once I arrive, I slump into my bed as I dream a dream.

As if it was not evident enough, certain phrases such as “on my own,” “in my life,” “turning,” “castle on the cloud,” and “I dream (ed) a dream” all contain one commonality; they are all wonderful masterpieces in the Broadway musical, Les Miserables. So, it is no question to assume that I was absolutely awestruck when I saw the Les Miserables piano/vocal score on the shelf. After years of looking, I had finally found the book that I had searched for all this time.

What makes this specific piece of music so compelling and important to me?

Les Miserables opened me to the world of theatre, Broadway, piano, and French history. To begin, the movie for the beloved musical reached theaters on Christmas day in 2012. Never taking any attention to the 10th or 25th anniversary performances, I never thought of myself to have any interest in theatre or music itself. It seemed to almost take away from the plot and add nonsense that could stated simply through plain dialogue. It was not until 2017 where I finally gave it a chance. On a rainy day one summer afternoon, I sifted through DVDs in my parents’ movie collection, seeing the one movie I vowed I wouldn’t watch. After all these years, I could have been missing out on an absolute gem. With this in mind, I inserted the disc into my computer and watched the 2012 movie. The movie blew me away. Yes, some of the most popular actors at the time were featured in the movie, but that was not the one thing that captivated me. What made me so in love with the movie was the music. The combination of fast and slow songs, heartfelt and fierce songs, and the melodies were breathtaking. Additionally, the strings and the complexity of the orchestral score made the songs stand out even more.

It was simply beautiful. Every song had been sung with heart and every instrument combined with the rest to create a full orchestra unlike any other. With this in my mind, I went straight to youtube to find the 25th anniversary concert. Seeing the full choir in the back of the stage and the giant pit in front of the actors shocked me. I never really thought of musicals and concerts to have such grand setups and stages. So, completely awestruck of what was in front of me, I took to find other Broadway musicals that had music just like Les Miserables. Although there are none that compare exactly to it, I fell in love with everything Broadway. It even prompted me to join my school musical and do something that years prior I thought was not interesting.

Now Les Miserables still touches me. On top of everything mentioned, it is what made me want to learn piano. The music was so beautiful that I knew that I wanted more of an experience with the pieces. I did not just want to sing the songs or listen to them through my headphones; I wanted to play them. So, after finding the sheet music at the library here at the University of Richmond, I took to the practice rooms and began to teach myself the piano. The very first song I learned was “Stars.” A simpler yet more heartfelt song, this song was one of the ones that made me so obsessed with the musical. Because of the impact Les Mis had on my life, it was a no-brainer to choose it, filled with drama surrounding love and revolution, with characters experiencing danger and confrontation at every corner.