Ryan Dembinsky

It is one of the great debates in rock music. Any self respecting music fan holds an opinion. Nobody likes to make the choice, but you have to side with one or the other. Who is your favorite member of Pink Floyd: Roger Waters or David Gilmour?

I hadn’t thought about this for ages, but somehow I stumbled upon a Rolling Stone review from 1984 of Roger Waters’ Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking album today by none other than Kurt Loder. Don’t get me wrong, Kurt Loder can write a mean review (super witty double entendre intended), but man was he way off the mark here. Loder not only berated the album, but he crossed into the hot zone.

Throughout the entire review, Loder offers up a savage beat down of ol’ Rog, but here’s the crux of his stance:

“The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking suggests several things. First, that the most important musical component of Pink Floyd is actually guitarist David Gilmour (whose latest solo album assumes new luster in comparison to this turkey). Second, that Waters should have a long session with his therapist before making any future public utterances about the human condition. And third, that even the most exalted English rock legend shouldn’t try to sell swill to a public that’s demonstrably less piggish than the pop star himself. Think Pink, Roger.”

Well, it might be 18 years late, but I am a Roger Waters man, so I am here to defend. For starters, Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking is an epic masterpiece and Loder should have been fired on the spot for missing the mark so embarrassingly. But more to the point, here’s ten more reasons to aid you in your internal, eternal debate of whether to side with Roger Waters or David Gilmour. Disclaimer: Don’t get me wrong, I love Gilmour too. In fact, I actually bought a butt ugly cherry red Stratocaster in high school because I liked Gilmour’s so much. Nevertheless, I side with the whisperer.

10. Marv Albert – In Amused to Death’s It All Makes Perfect Sense, Marv Albert appears as himself providing in-game (song) commentary of a submarine captain zeroing in and firing missiles on an oil rig. READ ON for more on why Roger wins…

There must be something scientific in the development process of human’s music taste that varies depending on if you have an older brother or sister in your formative years. Being the former, there’s a serious glitch in my Motor Cortex that malfunctions from time to time and attracts toward some seriously questionable material. I attribute this entirely to my sister.

Anyway, the following is a list of some of the guilty pleasures that may or may not be on the iPod and may or may not be on the recently played playlist. Thanks a lot sis. Then again, my younger brother likes STS9 and superpokes with heady Crystals on Facebook, so I guess you can’t win either way. Read on for ten of the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Credibility is overrated anyway.

10) Who’s Johnny – El Debarge:

Ahhh, the astonishingly underrated 80s hit, “Who’s Johnny?” – the theme from Short Circuit by the one and only El DeBarge. If there is one good thing about being subjected to a list of terrible eighties guilty pleasure songs it’s that they never disappoint in the video department. The courtroom dance segment at the end is simply epic and there is a really nice cardboard cutout of Steve Guttenberg in there. This must be one of those Night Courts. If you’re seeking some new moves, look no further than the jury. Side note: I think actually owned that VCR.

READ ON for more of Rupert’s list of 10 Guilty Pleasures from the ’80s…

For this week’s Bust Outs, we’re meandering a bit from the beaten path. While it’s not the bust out you might be expecting, it’s a bust out nonetheless. We trust you have all seen Toy Story, so hopefully you’ll catch our drift here. If not, just chalk this one up to us having a flashback. Enjoy!

Fikus: Guys, I’m losing it. I can’t take another day locked up this lousy old toy chest. We’ve been trapped inside this dusty hot box at this crumby Barn out in the middle of nowhere for years. We need to band together and bust out of here. First, they pass us over in favor of flashy new material, then they take that jerk Destiny Unbound out without even thinking of us, and then they hang it up for good? That’s it, I’ve had it. Plus, these damn cluster flies are driving me insane.

Flat Fee: I hear you, Fikus. Count me in. I was supposed to be a great one. When Trey created me, Ernie said I was one of his best ever. I should have been one of his favorite toys. Instead, I’m locked in this dark chest with you knuckleheads complaining day in day out and nobody even knows I exist. Everyone thinks I am just some twisted variety of that other Fee. I am a serious composition with a great horn arrangement. That other Fee is a crappy noob tune about freaking paper cuts and nipples. READ ON for more of this Phish-y Toy Story…

You might know him as Mr. Telluride, the King of Newgrass, or just the curly haired red-head who never stops a wailing on that mandolin – unless of course to wail on the fiddle or howl at the moon. As we gear up for the heart of festival season and that special little bluegrass jamboree just north of Durango, let’s get down to business and chat with one of the brightest sounds and smiles of every summer.

We’re speaking, of course, about Sam Bush of the Sam Bush Band, Newgrass Revival, the Bluegrass All-Stars, Strength in Numbers, and an ongoing list that could easy span the rest of the page. Thanks for taking the time Sam; it’s an honor.

Hidden Track: After a big 2006 and 2007, releasing the Laps in Seven album and the On the Road live DVD, what’s on tap from a commercial perspective for 2008?

Sam Bush: Going around the country playing gigs with my band (Byron House, Chris Brown, Scott Vestal, & Stephen Mougin), jamming at festivals with friends and enjoying the communication of music with the audience.

READ ON for more of Rupert’s interview with Sam Bush…

You should have seen this one coming. With gigantic festivals of 40,000+ capacity crowds popping up more often than Willie “Mays” Hayes, the little ones are going to get some praise. Well, the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL earned plenty of it over this past Memorial Day weekend from the 12,000 attendees who experienced a pretty flawless execution.

[All Photos by Joel Berk]

The wait to get both in and out of the festival totaled – I kid you not – zero seconds, the food and drink vendors were plentiful and delicious (cheers to that veggie pizza stand over by the Sunshine Stage), meeting up with people was a breeze and the bands threw the shit down. Over the course of four days and nights, the weather spanned a range of about forty degrees, the tornado sirens went off, the mud came and went (twice), the sunburn was everywhere and nobody seemed inconvenienced. Why? Because, festivals are pretty easy when there aren’t too many people.

That and the music was really, really fun. READ ON for more from Rupert…

Alright folks, we are about to embark upon assembling ten of the finest renditions of perhaps our favorite song in the entire world, the Phish epic, Harry Hood.

This is a song that is really definitive of the song structure that Phish became known for in the early days. Some call it a serial song as it is akin to progressing through serial numbers, but most often folks refer to this type of song with several composed sections and improv sections as the two distinctions, the “composed stuff” and the “jam.” The idea is they meander from section to section like wandering from place to place, environment to environment.

Harry Hood starts out as a reggae groove with a couple minor chords, beginning the song with a darker color, then weaving in and out of a catchy chord progression and a dirty-ass dark guitar riff, until finally it crescendos and resolves to the floaty happy place that is the end jam. The song typically concludes with the boys improvising in a pretty basic major key jam that builds and builds until the roof comes off and your arm hair feels like it’s falling out.

I should note that this is actually the second iteration of this list and with Phish having played it 258 times; it might not be the very last. Nevertheless, we’re getting closer to nailing it down. But enough of the introduction already, you all know the story and the song, so just let’s get to the damn list, right?

10. 12/31/1998 – MSG, New York, NY

This is a fairly unique rendition in that the into part is improvised and very eerie, which in the later years seemed more and more rushed – typical of most of the composed stuff in later years. Also, fed up with the glowstick war, but hoping for something green and glowy, the crowd successfully connected hundreds of the sorter glowrings to weave a gigantic “glowsnake” through the floor of the Garden. This one also gets a little favoritism here, because this was part of a hilarious trip including but not limited to fake tickets, Tom Marshall’s parents, skybox seats and lots of Jagermeister. READ ON for Rupert’s top nine versions of Harry Hood…

Over the past couple of months, I’ve wanted to write something about a growing obsession, which is The National’s May 2007 release, Boxer. The question was “what is relevant about writing about an album that came out an entire year ago that most people already know all about?”

Well, nothing really, but I revisited some reviews – in particular, the original May 2007 review on Pitchfork – and it struck a chord. This review by Steve Deusner, among about a million others, deemed the album, like its predecessor Alligator, a “grower” – meaning it grows on the listener as they embrace the quirky lyrical stylings and subtle nuances of the instrumentation. It’s kind of a bunk term, but whatever.

Boxer is the album equivalent to the Cable Guy, or as I like to call it, the “Mustache Movie.” It gets more powerful every time you see it. Anyway, this disc not only reels in the listener over time, but it continues to develop a new fan base as well, because it hooks people in like junkies and coverts them into passionate devotees who make it their mission to spread the word.

Thus, I suppose it is somewhat relevant to revisit the album a year later, because at least in this case, it really is a grower. So, what is it about Boxer and the National in general that has this effect on people?

READ ON for Rupert’s seven reasons why Boxer rules…

We’ve been meandering around with this Bust Outs column for a couple months now and in the midst of concocting quirky themes, we’ve up until now, overlooked the masters of the bust out. Well, from now on, we commit to righting them wrongs – starting today. This one is all about the Grateful Dead.

For our first foray into the vault, we’re taking the DeLorean back to 1973; a year highlighted by crazy long shows, the introduction of juggernaut new tunes like Eyes of the World, Row Jimmy, and China Doll, an increased interest in a jazzier sound including horns on tour for a number of all shows, some mind blowing space jams, the introduction of the Mind Left Body theme, the Wall of Sound, and finally, the passing of Pigpen. The year was full of transition, exploration, special guests and damn good music. So without further ado, let’s dive into some bust outs:

6/10/1973, RFK Stadium, Washington D.C. – That’s Alright Mama

While the nostalgia of hearing the Dead cover this Arthur Crudup tune one of only two times ever or the fact that both members of the Allman Brothers and Merl Saunders joined the band onstage might seem like reason enough to praise this zesty number, it’s the band’s playing that is the real treat. Multiple guitars and keyboards vying for space can obviously get hairy, particularly when there are ten plus minutes of improvisation, but this sounds like a group of musicians who telegraph one another’s every move. This cover includes not just jaw dropping solos, but a real spark from Saunders’ bouncier keyboards and Dicky’s trademark sunny noodling. More than anything, this is one of those great Dead jams that sounds both like a group of masterful musicians, but likewise a band who would set up in the backyard and play all day. READ ON for more GD gems from ’73…

This week the federal government will initiate the first round of the economic stimulus tax rebate checks designed to provide 130 million Americans with a minimum lump sum of $300 or $600 for joint filers. While the rebates are designed to help Americans combat gas and food inflation and provide stimulus to the sputtering economy, everybody knows the retail sector will reap the benefits.

Thus, we checked in with some of our favorite musicians to see what they plan to buy with their rebates and formulated a little quiz. See how well you know you know the shopping habits of some of the music world’s best and brightest.

READ ON to take the first Hidden Track Musician Tax Rebate Quiz…