Our Daily Dead

Rented a tent, Rented a tent. Rented a, Rented a tent…

“I was drawn by the sirens of Titan
Carried along by their call
Seeking for a way to enlighten
Searching for the sense of it all
Like a kiss on the wind I was thrown to the stars
Captured and oredered in the army of Mars
Marching to the sound of the drum in my head
I followed the call

Only to be Malachi Constant
I thought I came to this earth
Living in the heart of the moment
With the riches I gained at my birth
But here in the yellow and blue of my days
I wander the endless Mercurian caves
Watching for the signs the harmoniums make
The words on the walls

I was drawn by the sirens of Titan
And so I came in the end
Under the shadow of Saturn
With statues and birds for my friends
Finding a home at the end of my days
Looking around I’ve only to say
I was the victim of a series of accidents
As are we all”

~~ “Sirens of Titan”, Modern Times, Al Stewart

See also: Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

~~The ODDones for OurDailyDead.com

Technorati tags: Rented a tent, sirens of Titan, Malachi Constant, harmoniums, Al Stewart, Kurt Vonnegut

From the folks in Canada we find out that Billy Henderson, member of the Spinners, has died at age 67.

Henderson died Friday of complications from diabetes at a Daytona Beach, Fla., health care facility, his wife, Barbara, said.

The 1972 song “I’ll Be Around” was part of a string of Top 20 Spinners hits that included “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Then Came You” and “The Rubberband Man.”

The five-member band of high school friends formed in 1954 in Ferndale, Mich., a Detroit suburb. They went on to be nominated for six Grammy Awards and became the second black musical group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Four of the original band members, including Henderson, continued to perform together until recently. He was dismissed from the group in 2004 after suing the group’s corporation and business manager to obtain financial records.

~~The ODDones for OurDailyDead.com

Technorati tags: Spinners, died, diabetes, Hollywood Walk of Fame

Over at the Blog Critics Magazine music section and Sterfish we read that Hip-Hop Is Dead. Or at least according to the hip-hop artist Nas and his new album titled “Hip-Hop Is Dead”.

Sterfish writes:

“Driven by a James Brown sample, ‘Where Are They Now’ name checks virtually every notable rapper of the late 1980s and early 1990s. [Nas] bemoans the fact that many of these artists have been forgotten by newer generations: ‘Rap is like a ghost town / Real mystic / Like these folks never existed…’ He also gives them praise, calling them ‘the reason that rap became addictive’ and any artists he doesn’t mention in the verses, he shouts out at the end of the song.”

“The theme of disappointment with some of the current generation of hip-hop appears more prominently on ‘Carry On Tradition.’ The song is all about continuing the traditions of previous generations and Nas uses the opportunity to talk about the way some newer artists (who remain nameless) don’t do that. He chides them on their ignorance of early hip-hop (’Let’s see who can quote a Daddy Kane line the fastest?’) and the way they use acclaim for their ‘bricks’ to hate on bigger, more established names.”

“‘Black Republican’ is the long-awaited collaboration between Nas and former rival Jay-Z. The end result is pretty good with the two of them showing off their contrasting styles from the hook (where Nas calls himself a ‘black militant’ as opposed to the title) to their verses. The dramatic classical music sample adds to the spectacle.”

“Even though Nas titled his album Hip Hop Is Dead, the album serves to prove that hip-hop is far from dead. In fact, with all the controversy over the album title, anyone who listens to it will realize that Nas doesn’t actually think hip-hop is dead. He is just frustrated with the way things are right now, just as some fans who grew up with him are. Hip-hop has survived being called a fad, censorship, tragedy, introduction to suburbia, and even police raids against mixtape DJ’s. It’s not going anywhere but that doesn’t mean we can’t demand more from it. That might really be the message of Hip Hop Is Dead.”

~~The ODDones for OurDailyDead.com

Technorati tags: Blog Critics, Sterfish, Hip-Hop Is Dead, Nas, Hip-Hop, Dead, James Brown, Daddy Kane, Jay-Z