For everyone who missed the sixties who still want to grow up to be a hippie, Amon Duul II's Carnival In Babylon in all it's psychedelic surreal exaltations, was Amon Duul II's last true dose of tripping hippie vibes. A faction of a Munich hippie commune that originated in the late 60s, this offshoot was the one who were more musically inclined, and although these tendancies shined through occasionally on previous albums, Carnival In Babylon is where they were really able to consolidate their free-forming attitudes with some semblance of coherence, but not to worry no top 40 station still would touch them with a ten foot pole in their worst nightmares and soundest minds.

It`s hard for someone who wasn't there in the autumn of 1971 to imagine why Carnival In Babylon was met with so much chagrin both in media circles and with hard core fans because in retrospect it was such a pivotal album for Amon Duul and it was more for those who wanted to trip out to directionless jams high on illicit drugs that it was the beginning of the end. In fact, more meaningful experimenting was taking place here than during the feakout days of Phallus Dei, Tanz Der Lemminge and Yeti as and it was obvious that this was a thing of the past with the record companies, if not in the creative energies that rested within the Amon Duul II communal as the drugs wore off. It's not as if there were any real radical changes occurring here, the band`s creative faculties were as fertile as ever, but there were many refinements which allowed many of the these qualities that were betwixed amid the narcotic blurrs of the band's formative stage to ascend. By no means approaching musical virtuosic proportions, more thought was given to arrangement and composition here with distinct qualities showing through such as the contrast and counterpoint demonstrated by the diametrically opposed guitar players Chris Karrer and John Weinzierl who can be distinquished by their respective technical and more artsy approaches to their individual playing. Although the extended psyched out pieces Shimmering Sands, Hawknose Harlequin and Kronwinkel 12 ( which was the commune's Munich address ) still nod back to the previous freeform musical convictions they are more rounded with more pronounced ethno- atmospheric undertones most notably East-Indian sensitvities that make them sound more like bona-fide musical compositions.

Still avoiding commercialism, there were nonetheless still enough spacey trippy aspects to the music created by Karl-Heinz Hausmann's glittering electronic colouring and Farfisa organ to satisfy druuged out audiences. The murky lyrics still needed decoding here and were as dark and gothic as ever but with the streamlining in the music we get more of Renate Kanup' s graphic witchy vocals playing off the more organic male counterparts which adds to the overall minor-keyed strangeness of the music which is belied by the mirthful album title. Tables Are Turned and All the Years Round, complex pop songs if anything, are the two tracks on the record that still capture the aura and spirit of the hippie culture as they groove and flow with more Eat Indian nuances with Renate's warped vocals conjuing up mezmerizing images as if to say we're still hippies!

Two bonus tracks which appear on the Revisited Records CD, Skylight and Tatzelwurmloch, are extended freakouts which might have been orphans from the Yeti sessions which are drenched with East Indian hues for those who can't get enough continuous mind blowing relentlessness. The latter sounds like some more recent Acid Mothers Guru jams who no doubt spent many hours listening to Amon Duul II as young acid freaks. Really intense jamming on this one with heavy world beat afflictions and clocking in at roughly 18 minutes it makes this CD worthwhile even if you didn't like the stylistic deviations on the rest of the accompanying original album.

Carnival In Babylon is one of the more overlooked Amon Duul albums by it's startling appearance in the Amon Duul II timeline and transitional nature, but it is weird and wonderful and definitely one of the more interesting jewels in the Amon Duul II catologue and hopefully the passage of time will allow for more rational evaluations of this Krautrock gem.

by Vibrationbaby


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So Far to Fall, the B-side, isn't nearly as interesting a song, though it is somewhat better than other numbers on this album as well as most of the Lake material from Works Volume 1. The lyrics on this one are, to put it bluntly, quite terrible. About the only thing I find that saves this song is the interesting use of brass instruments in a somewhat jazzy big band feel.

Interesting songs, but still a far cry from what ELP had been. A typical ELP single from the time period only of interest to die-hard fans, collectors, and completionists. Two stars.

by progaardvark


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Samsung P2 MP3 Player Review
Gadget Reviews

Samsung’s P2 is their flagship MP3/PMP device with many features, starring the full screen touch interface. Bluetooth also plays a supporting role in the feature set, giving the player the ability to connect to wireless headphones and to your mobile phone (in future updates).

The near-buttonless design comes together very nicely with a solid build quality common to Samsung’s portable devices. Wrapped inside this player is a well thought out interface that most people will be able to just pick up and use. Despite a few complaints, the P2 is definitely something to consider even though it commands a higher price than similar capacity MP3 players.

Quick Look
* Colors: Black, White, Burgundy
* Capacities: 4GB, 8GB
* MSRP: $200, $250
* Supported Audio: MP3, WMA
* Supported Video: SVI 480×272 @ 30FPS / WMV9 SP 320×240 or 480×272 @ 30FPS
* Other Supported Formats: TXT, JPEG
* Screen: 3” 480×272 (16:9) 262k Color
* Size: 52 X 100 X 9.95 mm
* Weight: 86g
* Battery: 35 hours audio, 5 hours video
* Other Features: Bluetooth Headphone Support, Bluetooth Phone Support (November), RSS Feeds, FM Recording, Alarm, Calendar

Design
I have really appreciated the latest designs from Samsung especially in the latest generation of MP3 players. The minimalistic design is very sturdy and material tolerances are tight. Samsung’s design department is on point and could rival Apple’s. I would love to see them make an all-in-one desktop PC.

The P2 is comprised of two halves, the plastic face - or touch screen - and the back metal plate. The touch screen is very scratch resistant and as long as you’re not laying the P2 face down, the touch screen will hold up well. But if that’s not enough, you can still apply the supplied screen protector. I will note that the glossy screen will show finger prints like they are going out of style, but it is inevitable with gadgets in general and especially with touch devices.

The latter half - or the back metal - is a smooth, semi-matte finish, hard-coat painted. My P2 is starting to show wear in the form of scratches from setting it on hard surfaces. The scratches are minimal and don’t show much, and the hard-coat of paint has not worn down to metal under normal use and light abuse. I was able to scratch down to bare metal with my keys, but with a sharp edge and intent. Overall both materials will hold up well. If you are more wreckless with your players, you can always pick up a case for the P2.

The P2 commands a premium price compared other similar capacity players and rightfully so, due to all the packed in features like Bluetooth and a brilliant large screen. But I believe that the price premium is also justified in the quality of the hardware. As I described above, it is a well-designed and well-built player.

Keep in mind you are trading a little bit of usability for the coolness and fun factor of the touch interface; the P2 is not something you can use blindly in your pocket or without looking. I, as someone who doesn’t like touch interfaces, still believe that it was well thought out and executed with precision, despite a few minor gripes.

Links:
http://pages.samsung.com/ca/p2/
Gadget Reviews

Well, as luck would have it, over here in Oakland, from my Lower Hills perch, I can hear the trains at all hours as they run up and down the line along the bay a little more than two miles from here.  I love listening to the different train horns, even in the middle of the night, although I imagine they must drive the folks in the flatlands absolutely bananas.

The train horns are tuned to five or six-note chords that are beautiful and sometimes surprising.  You have the standard “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” type of configuration…

Download audio file (train-horns-diminished.mp3)

…as well as another fairly standard pentatonic-based offering.

Download audio file (train-horns-pentatonic.mp3)

Sometimes there are beautifully voiced major seventh chords…

Download audio file (train-horns-major-7th.mp3)

My favorite is this more sinister one that seems to have been lifted from Bernard Herrmann’s score for Vertigo.

Download audio file (train-horns-harm-minor.mp3)

There’s another even creepier one that I keep hearing, but I can’t quite work out the pitches.  Another time, perhaps.

Remixing is much more than mere remastering. Remastering is just processing the already existing 2- channel stereo mix to make it louder and clearer. Remixing however means that all of the separate musical elements (instruments, vocals and effects) can be treated individually with modern (or vintage!) audio equipment and the balances be reconstructed - for example bringing to prominence elements that once were buried, like backing vocals, percussion, acoustic guitars, etc.

And that is exactly what Nick Davis, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford have done here: they've beautifully restored and rebuilt the entire classic-era Genesis output and the results are stunning. The music now resonates with a power and clarity that really wasn't there before.

A disc-by-disc detail_

Trespass - The most picture-perfect album here, pure and pastoral and devoid of the eccentricity that sometimes plagued the later ones (no 'Willow Farm' or 'Harold the Barrel' here). The 12-string guitars ring clearer and louder. Dusk in particular is a revelation. Peter's voice now rid of the excessive reverb, shines troughout. An innocence never fully regained in broad display.

Nursery Cryme - A cleaner mix and powerful sound. Seven Stones and Fountain of Salmacis are enhanced, as are the acoustic tracks For Absent Friends and Harlequin.

Foxtrot - Now more powerful than ever. The Watcher of the Skiesintro (the definitive Mellotron piece of all time) bursts forth unstoppable, as does the rest of the song. Same with Get 'em Out.... Horizons, Steve's classical piece now sounds as if the man was right there in your living room playing it for you and Supper's Ready now has its middle Mellotron transition fixed (no longer out of tune) and it's fade out slighlty extended to feature Steve's tapping licks in his outro guitar solo.

Selling England by the Pound - A masterpiece enhanced. From the very first notes of Dancing With the Moonlit Knight you're hearing musical elements that were not there (or at least not as evidentñy) before.

The Lamb - By far the weakest album here. Lots of filler and the sound of a band fragmenting. Also the sound is not as enhanced as I hoped. Still, The Lamia remains as wonderful a moment as it ever was. A very cool feature is that the DVD play replicates the original slide show from the tour along with matching live pics and video fragments, as to approximate the original experience.

Extras - Twilight Alehouse sounds great and the ending drum solo by Phil sounds as if it was recorded just yesterday. The rest is presumably made of rudimentary 2-track reels and therefore not remixed. Still, The Shepherd, Pacidy and the like reveal the even more pastoral side that didn´t make it to 'Trespass' but was integral to ther '69/'70 live show. The Shepherd in particular features the angelic voice of one Tony Banks. The Jackson Tapes are harsh sounding but reveal the origins of The Musical Box and Fountain of Salmacis amongst others - way before Phil and Steve entered the picture, so due credit to Ant and Mayhew here.

About the 2007 interviews_

Every musician involved is featured (it's great to see Ant) except John Mayhew. These are very long - around 35 to 45 minutes each. As discussed in the forum, none of the guys - except Steve Hackett - are particularly fond of this whole era, but still they kindly discuss it in detail.

About the video extras_

Though the quality varies, it's great to finally have official releases of the Belgian 'Nursery'-era 4-song live TV appearence, the French Bataclan 'Foxtrot'-era show (amazing video clarity, though heavily edited performances) and Italian 'Selling'-era full-ish show. Also included are Midnight Special 1973 TV appearance and other goodies.

Flaws?

Little to none. I wish the interviews had subtitles and also some of the video extras are misplaced among the discs (i.e. 'Foxtrot'-era show on the 'Selling' DVD, etc.), but these are very minor details.

In conclusion_

A stunning package from a stellar band at the peak of its creativity. Get it 'in by Friday!!!

by JulioSouth


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Condolences to the family of Jdimytai Damour. It is very sad that he was trampled while trying to make a living as a worker at a Wal-Mart store.

Now, what can we learn from this? And, who is to blame?If we were to turn to philosophers or folk musicians, we might get the proper answer. An artist like Woody Guthrie might be inclined to point out that the situation was more of the usual games between the rich and the poor. The rich Wal Mart owners set the stage for the working class bargain hunters to trample the working class temporary worker. And, now, some in the corporate media are willing to side with the corporation, of course.

I am horrified to see some mainstream news coverage vilify the shoppers who went through the doors. And, an AP headline that threatens to hunt the shoppers down. The AP/Yahoo News headline is: "Sought: Wal-Mart shoppers who trampled NY worker". And, it states:

Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down.Criminal charges were possible…

It is very clear from the story, and the obvious facts, that Wal-Mart is at least equally, but perhaps more to blame than the shoppers. Who profited from the chaos being created? –the shoppers who believed they were getting a discount on goods which are already marked up for retail? or, the company who would make a profit, nonetheless from every customer they could get to the door, the ones who got the sale, and even the ones who would feel the need to buy something else when the sale item got sold out? (What is the term in retail? Bait and switch? Evidently these shoppers had experienced it before, or they would not have started lining up before 3 am in the morning.)

The AP/Yahoo News story is amazing in its distraction on the shopper, instead of the corporation. It quotes someone as saying that the shoppers acted like "savages". It paints a portrait of them being uncaring by continuing to shop (instead of noting that the shoppers could have been confused or in shock by having been in such a large crowd and experienced a tragedy, when they were only going somewhere to shop.) It assigns no blame to Wal-Mart, and even publishes the official line from the spokesperson/Vice President from Wal-Mart, which will help to bolster the company image and get their spin on the story out in public before the inevitable civil or criminal lawsuit against them.