2015-09-24 Queen of the Stone Age

Stone Age Style

5 Players: W, J, M, G, K


Stylin'!

Game: Stone Age: Style is the Goal expansion
Choice: M
Location: W

Game One
K (140 pts), G (130 pts), J (118 pts), M (114 pts) & W (107 pts)

Final Tally:
K was declared this week's queen victor

Game Notes:

• "Losty keeps his tool intact"
• other name suggestions: Spacey/Toony/Tuney/Losty/Dopey

Music Notes:

 

Augustus Pablo: East of the River Nile (1977)

 

[Notes from RollingStone.com] Dub music might be the most accurate-ever musical translation of stoned brainwaves. In the hands of Augustus Pablo, who transformed his signature instrument, the melodica, from kindergarten singalong helper to the sonic equivalent of an indica-packed ice bong, dub reached its most sublime heights. This instrumental set is his chill-out masterpiece, with productions by dub's two grandmasters, King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry, along with grooves by a Seventies reggae A-team and occasional vocal fragments that surface like half-formed thoughts before slipping away again. Potent.

 

 

ZZTop: Tres Hombres (1973)

 

[Notes from AllMusic.com] Tres Hombres is the record that brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process. It couldn't have happened to a better record. ZZ Top finally got their low-down, cheerfully sleazy blooze-n-boogie right on this, their third album. As their sound gelled, producer Bill Ham discovered how to record the trio so simply that they sound indestructible, and the group brought the best set of songs they'd ever have to the table. On the surface, there's nothing really special about the record, since it's just a driving blues-rock album from a Texas bar band, but that's what's special about it. It has a filthy groove and an infectious feel, thanks to Billy Gibbons' growling guitars and the steady propulsion of Dusty Hill and Frank Beard's rhythm section. They get the blend of bluesy shuffles, gut-bucket rocking, and off-beat humor just right. ZZ Top's very identity comes from this earthy sound and songs as utterly infectious as "Waitin' for the Bus," "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Move Me on Down the Line," and the John Lee Hooker boogie "La Grange." In a sense, they kept trying to remake this record from this point on -- what is Eliminator if not Tres Hombres with sequencers and synthesizers? -- but they never got it better than they did here.

 

Jerry Garcia Band: Don't Let Go (2001, Recorded May 21, 1976)

 

[Notes from AllMusic.com] During the 20-month hiatus that the Grateful Dead took from the road, lead guitarist Jerry Garcia began fronting and touring with one of the premier cover bands of the time. Don't Let Go captures this powerhouse rhythm section in the intimate confines of San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre only a few weeks prior to the Dead's resuscitation. This all-star incarnation of the Jerry Garcia Band includes Dead members Keith Godchaux on piano and Donna Jean Godchaux on vocals. Since the late '50s, Bay area bassist John Kahn had been performing with the likes of blues legends John Lee Hooker, Michael Bloomfield, and Nick Gravenites. Kahn remained with the band until they disbanded following Garcia's death in August of 1995. Ron Tutt, while perhaps best remembered as Elvis Presley's favorite drummer, has also performed on more Top 40 singles and albums than almost any other drummer -- the notable exception being Hal Blaine. This band is about infectious rhythms and soul. Garcia plays with an energy and freedom of spirit which he rarely achieved during his final two decades with the Grateful Dead. This was likely due, at least in part, to the encyclopedic catalog of material -- drawing from such disparate sources as Allen Toussaint's "I'll Take a Melody," J.J. Cale's "After Midnight," and Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door." The band uses the structure of each song as a platform for their unique brand of instinctual aural acrobatics. The interplay amongst the instrumental quartet is best described as inspired telepathy. For instance, between the verses of Hank Ballard's "Tore Up Over You" the rhythmic pockets left by Garcia's incendiary guitar leads are filled in with a swing time precision and grace that harkens back to Benny Goodman or Duke Ellington's orchestra. Don't Let Go is highly recommended for the curious enthusiast as well as the insatiable Deadhead.

 

Morcheeba: Parts of the Process (2003)

 

[Notes from AllMusic.com] Parts of the Process reflects on five albums and seven years for the London trip-hop act Morcheeba. This stunning 18-track set isn't chronologically arranged, but all the hits and staples are here. Morcheeba loyalists may be slightly disappointed by the exclusion of "Who Can You Trust?" but overall, Parts of the Process captures the beauty of Morcheeba. Big Calm seems to be the major album represented with "The Sea," "Over and Over," "Let Me See," and the song for which this album is named, "Parts of the Process." Other amazing tracks from the band's first release, Who Can You Trust? -- "Tape Loop" and the brooding chill of "Trigger Hippie" -- make this album more complete. But other select cuts are equal in style and still appeal. Cuts from the less popular Charango album add a bit of flair to Morcheeba's sophisticated catalog, especially "What New York Couples Fight About." Even the stormy narrative "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day," from Fragments of Freedom, is chalked in. Those who found Morcheeba's 2001 Back to Mine collection crucial to the band's body of work shouldn't distress; that album doesn't really fit with the direction of this collection. Instead, the trio treats listeners to two brand-new tracks. Big Daddy Kane joins Morcheeba for the funkadelic, hip-hop groove "What's Your Name," while "Can't Stand It" is the band's attempt at chamber pop. While Morcheeba isn't one of the more exclusive acts of British electronic music, they've assessed their power as artists. Parts of the Process is well-suited for those unfamiliar with the band, while still tailored for those faithful followers, too.

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