Title Goes Here

So I watched Star Trek: TNG as a kid. A lot. I never really liked Wesley Crusher. He annoyed me. I never really was able to sit through all of Stand By Me (even though I liked the novella). I think I really started to notice Wil Wheaton again in the PA DND podcasts. He joined the group in series two. Then I saw him a couple times in Big Bang Theory, and then on TableTop from Geek & Sundry. It was then that I think I really began to appreciate him. Now that I’m following him a bit more, specifically on his blog, I am realizing just how much I really like and respect the man. I empathize greatly with his most recent post, it seems to echo so much how I feel about my own work.

I suppose a lot of my own struggles with mental health revolve around my studies. Studying psychology one is presented with the problem of constantly thinking “that sounds like how I feel” while at the same time wondering if you have munchausen syndrome. Do I actually feel like that, or am I just writing this on the intake form because I know it will catch their attention? I feel like Timothy Leary doing his intake tests for prison.

I’ve been in and out of therapy for over 20 years. I know I should be in therapy now. I’m not entirely sure why I’m not. Well, I know why I’m not going to see a therapist at the school, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t see anyone.

I’d like to finish off with something witty, but I got nothin’.

Anyway, feel better soon Wil…

My Collection: Highway to Hell

Okay, so I’ve been gone for a while. It’s been a bit of a rough stretch, I’ve had some trouble adulting. Poor eating habits combined with lack of exercise have combined to make the last few weeks not good in the sleeping department, contributing to the mental health woes, but after a good run last night, I’m hoping I can get back on track. I might even have the next update a little early. So, on to the music…

Now, here we are at Highway to Hell. I’m not going to go through the tracks in too much detail, this is going to be a bit more about my overall feelings on the album. First off, I’m going to mention that I have a lot of trouble picking an all time favourite anything. My tastes change so much with my mood, that it’s tough enough to pick a top five anything, let alone favourite. This feeling is amplified in my musical taste as well. However, in this case, there is little doubt that Highway to Hell is my favourite AC/DC album. Talk about starting off right, with the title track an instant classic on side one, track one. While I would consider it one of only two truly stand-out tracks on the album, there are few weaknesses on it. It just fits together so well as an album, while maintaining a sense that every song is distinct and different. Something more modern albums have a lot of trouble doing. In my ratings of albums, this aspect of album creation gets a lot of credit. Making music is tough enough, being able to make a dozen different songs, and make them all sound unique is quite an accomplishment.

I find it ironic that one criticism of AC/DCs work in general is that they keep putting out the same album over and over again. I, of course, think this is abolute bollocks. It might hold a bit more weight in the Brian Johnson era, but in my humble opinion Bon Scott does not get enough credit for his writing contribution. While I think the overall song quality dropped a bit after Bon’s death, there is no doubt the Young boys and Mr. Johnson can still put out a rockin’ tune. Have they managed to get back to the album-craft that they achieved with Highway to Hell? Not really, but that’s okay. Not every hit needs to be a home run…

My Collection: Powerage

In my humble opinion, Powerage is one of the more underappreciated AC/DC albums. The 1978 release didn’t sell nearly as well as 1976’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (US 6x platinum), or its immediate successor Highway to Hell (US 7x platinum). It didn’t even sell as well as Let There Be Rock (US 2x platinum). Personally I chalk this up to lack of ear-grabbing singles, but what do I know. Therin lies the perceptual problem with Powerage specifically, and with certain albums in general. If there isn’t a hit single, and there pretty clearly isn’t one on Powerage, then the album is essentially lost. Forgotten by all but the most die-hard fans. There is probably only the one “hit” single on Let There Be Rock, and it’s still not an overly popular one (even if she is a whole lot of woman). While the lone single released from Powerage, Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation, certainly sounds like an AC/DC single, it just isn’t in the same stratosphere of popularity of a Dirty Deeds or Highway to Hell. So what does that make the album as a whole? Fantastic, that’s what.

It’s a great album. Interesting and distinct songs. Good lyrics, catchy riffs, solid beats. What’s not to love? Without much doubt, it ranks right up there with Highway to Hell as my favourite AC/DC albums. While the highs may not be as high as Highway, it arguably has fewer lows. I don’t want to say too much about Highway to Hell, as that’s next up in the My Collection rotation, so I’ll just leave it at that, and get to what’s what on Powerage.

Right out of the gate we have the sinlgle from the album, Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation. As I mentioned before, it certainly sounds like a single, but for whatever reason it doesn’t get the lovin’ that AC/DC singles usually do. That’s too bad, as it does hold up pretty well as a side 1, track 1. Down Payment Blues sounds completely and utterly like Bon Scott. Along with Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer, these two songs are how I would describe him musically to someone who had never heard of him. After another solid track in Gimme a Bullet, we get to one of the two hiccups on the album. It’s not that I don’t like Riff Raff, it’s just that it wears on my. I find it overly repetitive, and not very interesting. It does seem a little tragic that some awesome Angus guitarwork is mired in the middle of the song, as that’s really the only redeeming quality.

Now, one of the qualities of this album is that tracks 5 through 8 are arguably better than tracks 1 to 4. That’s pretty rare, but starting with Sin City (which should have been a single) you are treated to four tracks of gold, highlighted by the criminally under-rated Gone Shootin’. This is easily my favourite track on the album. It’s just so damn, cool. Following this is a great track to end an album on, Up to My Neck in You. Unfortunately it isn’t the last song on the album. Here we have hiccup number two, Kicked in the Teeth. I see this as almost Riff Raff part 2. I honestly this the album would have been much better without this track. Up to My Neck would have been a great track to end on. Kicked in the Teeth just can’t maintain any good rhythm. It seems ovely janky and disjointed. Kind of like my writing, I suppose, but still a bad way to end an album. It just sort of, ends. Without the ending, and with a slightly better opening, I think this album would be remembered as the classic it should be.

I can’t really blame them for the poor ending. I have no idea how to write endings either, but you still need to do something better than just an abrupt end, followed by silence. Too bad you can’t fade away in writing…