New Muse not a winner ... yet

I'm still trying to get my arms around the new Muse CD, “The Resistance.”

I love the band's anthemic sound -- think next-generation Queen -- and approach to production. And I really liked 2006's "Black Holes and Revelations. But none of the new songs are jumping out at me. It’s pleasant enough, but I'm still trying to find the heart of the album. To other ears, "The Resistance" is getting "generally favorable reviews," so I'll keep trying.

Humorous sidelight: On release day, I wanted to buy one of the “deluxe editions” with bonus DVD, so went to Best Buy, which priced it $2 less than other places. So, I get there, and am scouring the racks, and a guy next to me asks, “You looking for the new Muse?” I gave him an odd look -- I was dressed for work, not wearing a band T-shirt -- and replied, “Yeah, are they out already?” Sure enough, Best Buy was already sold out. The guy says, “I think I’m gonna go to Target and pay the $2 more just to get a copy.” I said, “Good idea” ... then made a beeline for the door. No way dude was going to beat me to Target, just in case there was only one copy. Turns out Target had a half-dozen copies, so my guiltiness faded quickly. But it’s been a loooooong time since I ran into other music fans fighting for copies of a hot release. 

Update on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 11:13 AM by Logan Molen

Quick follow-up: I had been listening to this new disc on my computer or on my iPod. Stupid me. The real experience is with a good stereo system. So when I heard it in the car, whoa, it's a whole new experience. I still think some of the songs meander but the production reaches an entirely different plane on a good sound system.

Unbelievable day in Formula 1

It’s hard to top Formula 1 for off-the-track drama, but Tuesday’s developments were jaw-dropping for the world’s premier soap opera, I mean, motorsports series.

First we hear that the grand name of Lotus – my favorite team for many years -- will return to the series, funded by the Malaysian government and some investors from the country. WTF? A government in the team sport business? Lotus’ entry fills the 13th and final slot on the F1 grid, meaning we’ll have 26 cars next year. Sweet!

But wait, BMW-Sauber – on the rocks since BMW opted to pull out of the sport earlier this summer – finally found a buyer, and says it deserves to be on the F1 grid. If you believe this story, F1 may make room for the team and its two cars for next season. Good for Peter Sauber.

Then came the real bombshell: Renault admits it ordered driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to purposely crash at a race last year in order to help teammate Fernando Alonso. Team principal Flavio Briatore – the old dude well-known for dating supermodels like Heidi Klum – and chief engineer Pay Symonds have admitted their guilt in trying to fix the race and have left the team! I always thought Symonds was a good guy, so this news surprised me. Given the weak economy and the pullout of manufacturers BMW and Honda, and rumors that Toyota is next, Tuesday’s black eye makes you wonder whether Renault will see a window to pull the plug on the hundreds of millions it’s spending each year on the F1.

I also learned Tuesday that Montreal is getting its race back, meaning F1 is returning to North America after several years. Given that Peter Windsor’s American team will debut next season, I may have to start saving for a trip to see the action first hand. I'll certainly need a program to follow all the changes.
 

For music geeks: 4 worthy podcasts

I had some time off work the last few days and had time to catch up on some interesting music podcasts:

1. All Songs Considered has a wonderful interview with Beatles historian Kevin Howlett on the new Beatles remasters. If you’re a Beatles fan, there’s all kinds of wonderful insight into the new things listeners can hear for the first time. But the podcast also serves as a primer on the opportunities and challenges of recording and preserving music in the digital age. I’ve blogged and Tweeted about things like the Loudness War and the “warmth” of analog recordings but save your time and spend 22 minutes on this podcast.
2. The wonderful WNYC show Souncheck examines the songs people choose to have played at a funeral. I’ve given some thought to this one and really haven’t settled on any one song that captures my thoughts on life, death and everything in between. I’ve told my friends and family to simply make sure there’s a kegger backed by a variety of my favorite songs, with a good mix of punk, power pop and soul. What would your funeral song be?
3. On the heels of the Chris Brown sentencing, Soundcheck examines the topic of when bad people make great art. Brown, Phil Spector, Spade Cooley are among the bad folk who come to mind when this issue is raised. But an interesting side discussion comes from Randy Cohen, the NYT Ethicist columnist, who talks about how Richard Wagner’s horrible rep is softening in some Jewish circles.
4. The power of the pause: Weakened by the Loudness Wars that have ruined to 40 radio and inspired by this Slate.com article, Soundcheck offers a broader look at how the pause can be the most striking element in a song.