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Vacation Dispatch #1
If nothing else, my first day in Toronto completely allayed my guilt over spending way more money than I can actually afford on this trip (and also next month's). I'm not even DOING anything, just playing at a little bit of home away from home for a couple of days in an overpriced 46th-floor condo overlooking Lake Ontario and it fucking rules. You can't take it with you and I've got good credit with no major purchases planned (save maybe a new computer), so FUCK IT, might as well use it for frivolous shit like this, even if it takes me years to pay it off, right?
I fly so rarely that I manage to always underestimate just how much I hate it.
Truncated album reviews that double as recaps of the day to follow!
Wikipedia Sez: I See a Darkness is the sixth album by American musician Will Oldham, released on Palace Records on January 19, 1999 as the first album under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The album features appearances from Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, David Pajo, and Peter Townsend.
Prior Familiarity: None!
What I Did While Listening: Sat on the balcony, sipping coffee and watching boats come and go, along with the occasional plane landing. I had gotten in pretty late the night before and slept for like 10 hours straight with the window open and sounds of the street far, far below soothing me in a way that they probably only do for people totally unaccustomed to them. I know that all big cities kinda overwhelm me to a certain degree, but this is some next level shit, Toronto's got BIG Megacity-1 energy, particularly at night. In both good ways (today I went across the street to get groceries, the exit led into a tunnel, and when I came out I was back in my own building TELL ME THAT IS NOT A MEGABLOCK) and bad (I'm in those condos that went viral last year on TikTok for all the stabbings and whatnot TELL ME THAT IS NOT A MEGABLOCK), but I do quite enjoy it in small doses.
Verdict: I think anything I listen to on this trip is gonna get at least a full half-point extra in the final analysis just because I'm in such a good mood, but I dug it! A lot of the lyrics felt pointedly at odds with the vibes, though. Maybe it was on purpose? Still, good lazy balcony music.
Favourite Song: Madeleine-Mary
Wikipedia Sez: Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it has been described as pop, but also infuses Mitchell's folk rock style, which she had developed through her previous five albums, with jazz inflections.
Prior Familiarity: Low.
What I Did While Listening: Made supper (tortellini with vodka sauce), which was the most labour-intensive thing I did all day. Seriously, I mostly just laid around and watched movies and a bit of wrestling and read some comics and some other stuff (apparently I've missed getting a TON of Dracula Daily emails, that shit never even went to my spam folder, annoying) and listened to music, all things I could and would have done at home, but elevated many times by the sheer lack of other responsibilities looming over me for a goddamn change (not to mention the view).
Verdict: Pretty good! This list has been really super horny for this specific strand of folk artists and while that doesn't look to be abating any time soon (spoiler: there's more Neil Young on the way!), the jazzier numbers here kept it feeling real fresh. Again, it's got that vacation bump going for it, I still can't listen to the Night at the Roxbury soundtrack without fondly remembering that one summer I spent on the shore of Lake Huron playing it on repeat.
Favourite Song: Free Man in Paris, but Raised on Robbery and Twisted are both a lot of memorable fun, too.
Wikipedia Sez: Antichrist Superstar is the second studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 8, 1996, by Nothing and Interscope Records. It was recorded at Nothing Studios in New Orleans and produced by the band's eponymous vocalist along with Sean Beavan, former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The recording of the album was marred by excessive drug use, which provoked a high level of antagonism between band members. Consequently, it was their last release to feature contributions from founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, who was acrimoniously fired partway through recording.
Prior Familiarity: Fair.
What I Did While Listening: Unwound after my busy day of doing nothing, went over tomorrow's packed itinerary (I'm going to the movies! That's it! It's a twenty-minute walk to the theatre, so I am planning to leave a little over an hour early because me and my current D&D character have one big thing in common, but the route will also take me past the place I'll need to catch the bus to Stratford on Wednesday, so there's a bonus reconnaissance element to the trip and yes I picked this particular place to stay primarily because it was close by to make it easy to find what of it), and got ready to take an extra-long bath.
Verdict: It's... okay. I've gone in before about my ability to separate the art from the artist (that's not even it, really, you can't separate them, it's more about just not writing the art off because of the artist even as you keep both in mind ANYWAY), but this one's still pretty freshly... unpalatable, in a way that makes it tough to enjoy. It's okay, though! Apparently it's a concept album? lol sure
Favourite Song: The Beautiful People remains a real toe tapper.
OKAY, BATH TIME, MORE DISPATCHES TO COME. Maybe!
I fly so rarely that I manage to always underestimate just how much I hate it.
Truncated album reviews that double as recaps of the day to follow!
Wikipedia Sez: I See a Darkness is the sixth album by American musician Will Oldham, released on Palace Records on January 19, 1999 as the first album under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The album features appearances from Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, David Pajo, and Peter Townsend.
Prior Familiarity: None!
What I Did While Listening: Sat on the balcony, sipping coffee and watching boats come and go, along with the occasional plane landing. I had gotten in pretty late the night before and slept for like 10 hours straight with the window open and sounds of the street far, far below soothing me in a way that they probably only do for people totally unaccustomed to them. I know that all big cities kinda overwhelm me to a certain degree, but this is some next level shit, Toronto's got BIG Megacity-1 energy, particularly at night. In both good ways (today I went across the street to get groceries, the exit led into a tunnel, and when I came out I was back in my own building TELL ME THAT IS NOT A MEGABLOCK) and bad (I'm in those condos that went viral last year on TikTok for all the stabbings and whatnot TELL ME THAT IS NOT A MEGABLOCK), but I do quite enjoy it in small doses.
Verdict: I think anything I listen to on this trip is gonna get at least a full half-point extra in the final analysis just because I'm in such a good mood, but I dug it! A lot of the lyrics felt pointedly at odds with the vibes, though. Maybe it was on purpose? Still, good lazy balcony music.
Favourite Song: Madeleine-Mary
Wikipedia Sez: Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it has been described as pop, but also infuses Mitchell's folk rock style, which she had developed through her previous five albums, with jazz inflections.
Prior Familiarity: Low.
What I Did While Listening: Made supper (tortellini with vodka sauce), which was the most labour-intensive thing I did all day. Seriously, I mostly just laid around and watched movies and a bit of wrestling and read some comics and some other stuff (apparently I've missed getting a TON of Dracula Daily emails, that shit never even went to my spam folder, annoying) and listened to music, all things I could and would have done at home, but elevated many times by the sheer lack of other responsibilities looming over me for a goddamn change (not to mention the view).
Verdict: Pretty good! This list has been really super horny for this specific strand of folk artists and while that doesn't look to be abating any time soon (spoiler: there's more Neil Young on the way!), the jazzier numbers here kept it feeling real fresh. Again, it's got that vacation bump going for it, I still can't listen to the Night at the Roxbury soundtrack without fondly remembering that one summer I spent on the shore of Lake Huron playing it on repeat.
Favourite Song: Free Man in Paris, but Raised on Robbery and Twisted are both a lot of memorable fun, too.
Wikipedia Sez: Antichrist Superstar is the second studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 8, 1996, by Nothing and Interscope Records. It was recorded at Nothing Studios in New Orleans and produced by the band's eponymous vocalist along with Sean Beavan, former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The recording of the album was marred by excessive drug use, which provoked a high level of antagonism between band members. Consequently, it was their last release to feature contributions from founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, who was acrimoniously fired partway through recording.
Prior Familiarity: Fair.
What I Did While Listening: Unwound after my busy day of doing nothing, went over tomorrow's packed itinerary (I'm going to the movies! That's it! It's a twenty-minute walk to the theatre, so I am planning to leave a little over an hour early because me and my current D&D character have one big thing in common, but the route will also take me past the place I'll need to catch the bus to Stratford on Wednesday, so there's a bonus reconnaissance element to the trip and yes I picked this particular place to stay primarily because it was close by to make it easy to find what of it), and got ready to take an extra-long bath.
Verdict: It's... okay. I've gone in before about my ability to separate the art from the artist (that's not even it, really, you can't separate them, it's more about just not writing the art off because of the artist even as you keep both in mind ANYWAY), but this one's still pretty freshly... unpalatable, in a way that makes it tough to enjoy. It's okay, though! Apparently it's a concept album? lol sure
Favourite Song: The Beautiful People remains a real toe tapper.
OKAY, BATH TIME, MORE DISPATCHES TO COME. Maybe!