bit Generations: Coloris contribution by Cornelius.

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Cover Art: More - Best of the Mummers by the Champions Aqua String Band

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ABC-Paramount
ABC 401
No year listed.
No cover artist listed, not signed.

Excerpt from the back:
"In the forty years since 1921, Aqua has scoured every remote corner of the earth to use imaginative themes and costumes. Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil have represented the Spanish influence, while such exotic spots as Africa, Arabia, India, China, Egypt, Siam, Russia, the North Pole, and even Shangri-La have not been neglected. ... The vivid Siamese Dancers themes for 1955 will be long remembered by those spectators fortunate enough to have seen it. Especially notable was Captain Fred Kesel's glittering portrayal of the six-armed god Vishnu, for which he was awarded First Prize from the City of Philadelphia in the Captain's Costume division."

So apparently 'Mummers' are a New Years tradition in Philadelphia, part of a Mardi Gras-like parade of costumed people. According to Wikipedia the 'String Bands' are "large marching bands composed of saxophones, banjos, violins, string basses, drums, glockenspiels, and accordions with dancers and backdrops." The cover on this album is part of a pretty cool series, with others shown on the back. As you can imagine though the music, featuring songs like "Oh! Susana" and "Swannee River", is pretty horrible to listen to.

Beatles 'For Jukeboxes Only' Set

Been scouring eBay for crazy stuff and I found this collection of Beatles 45's released in the mid 90s. The colors are really cool but uh.... $675. But hey, shipping's free!

Cover Art: Yellow Bird by Jamaica Duke & The Mento Swingers

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Tiger/Dynamic Sounds
SLP 0004
No year listed.
Photo may or may not be by Herbert Gordon, design by Grimax Advertising Ltd.

Excerpt from the back:
"Intrigued with the magic rhythm and sesuous beat of the Jamaican "Mento", The Duke took up singing in 1961 and skyrocketed to world fame ... In this Album are some of the most beautiful and nostalgic Caribbean music - from the "The Yellow Bird", the story of a pretty girl who wanted to stay free like the Yellow Banana Bird, to "Jamaica Calling" which tells of the Hills, Valleys and Beauty that is his island in the Sun. This is a lively record for listening and dancing, and if you're having a party, then - put it on."

The quality of the recording here isn't very good, even though they name drop like crazy with Sony, Telefunken and Sennheiser. Doesn't matter though, this cover is too damn cool.

Cover Art: Single Bullet Theory

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Nemperor Records
ARZ 38368
1982.
Cover concept by Single Bullet Theory, photo by John Paul Endress.

Not much of note from the back on this one, it's mostly a photo of the band shooting squirt guns at the viewer. "EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - BUTCH BALL / ALSO ON CASSETTE" Well thank god.

It's 80s music, one of the few eras I don't listen to.

Radiohead @ Ford Amphitheatre

Along with 17,500 people I got to see Radiohead last Tuesday at the Ford Amphitheatre. Luckily they managed to get the place built before I got there. Even standing in the cheapo area on the lawn the show was incredible to watch. This was the second US show this tour, and they were generous enough to do not one but two encores. Here's the setlist:

Set: All I Need, There There, Lucky, Bangers and Mash, 15 Step, Nude, Pyramid Song, Optimistic, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, National Anthem, Idioteque, You and Whose Army?, Reckoner, Everything in Its Right Place, Airbag, Bodysnatchers, Videotape

Encore 1: The Gloaming, The Tourist, Just, Faust Arp, Exit Music (For A Film)

Encore 2: The Bends, House Of Cards

(thanks Coventry!)

If you could harness the power they had to please the crowd you could probably pull a V For Vendetta. I tried to take some pictures but the sheer distance (330 feet!) made everything blurry even with vibration reduction going at the highest ISO. I tried to take some videos too but the microphone on my camera is terrible. They didn't allow video cameras into the show, but some people got point-and-shoot videos. Check them out on YouTube.

The most amazing part of the show was the lighting. Instead of regular stage lights they had seven rows of hanging LED bars, four rows of LEDs above the stage, projected lights, fog, and an LED wall below a five screen display showing video feeds of all five band members. They mixed up the LED bars with wave patterns, skittering stripes and really beautiful star patterns. They played with the video feeds too, Thom had a camera on his piano so he could look larger than life during "You and Whose Army?"

Anyway here are some of my photos, but I'd recommend you check out GogDog's set (which includes the photo up top):

Five Word Review: Speed Racer

Your eyes will bleed rainbows.

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