Travis Dickerson Recording Studios Forum

QuoteI actually wouldn\'t mind another banjo album by BH if there were all more traditional songs like \'skeleton dance.\'  I thought he got a great sound out of it, unlike any banjo I\'ve heard.

More banjo would be awesome.  In the style of \'skeleton dance\' or otherwise.  

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Even if I completely dislike an album,  I don\'t think that he should be making music with the sole intent of pleasing his fans.  I think BH needs the creative freedom to make the music that he wants, even if he\'d know that  a particular piece might not be to most people\'s tastes.  In the end, I think that benefits the fans most.

I\'ve gone back and listened to songs of his I didn\'t care for before, and as my own tastes have evolved, I\'ve started to appreciate them more.  The freedom to experiment lets him challenge both himself as well as his fans.

  You are right that his freedom and willingness to take risks is what makes his music so good and will make his music much better in the long run.   Admittedly, I wasn\'t thrilled about some of the Best Regards stuff, but you\'re right, that may change in time, too (it often does).  I can\'t tell you how many times I\'ve heard something, gone, "This is like nails on a chalkboard." And then found myself, even days later, going, "This is genius." I was pretty skeptical of Island of Lost Minds when I first listened to it, but now I think--man, who has ever made an album like that before?  No one, and that\'s why it and Buckethead are so cool--he\'s out there and going where no man has ever gone before and I love him for it.  

Keep pushing the musical boundaries Buckethead!

Even a good intentioned swing and a miss is much preferable to my ears than a ho-hum, haven\'t we been here before album.
That was my take, is my take, and will likely always be my take.
I cut my teeth on Zappa afterall.  

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Yeah I have a few.
Have you heard his work with Dweez and Ahmet in the band Z?
Also nice.

I heard some cuts from Z a few years back, but at the time the CDs were out of print and I couldn\'t locate any used copies. I will have to scan the Internet to see if they are back in print.

On a side note, I recently purchased tickets for the Zappa Plays Zappa concert at the Egg in Albany, New York. I saw Dweezil and band the first time around in August 2008, excellent show! This one should be great also since Dweezil will be playing the entire Apostrophe album in running order in honor of his father\'s 70th birthday (December 21st 2010). I can\'t wait!  

"Children at Play" is my new favorite song.

Hrmmm . . . seem to be having discussion only with self again . . . happens a lot in the two million acre forest.  Otternaught likes "Bug Spray," he\'s a playful stream dancing sort of bot, and Seagulltron likes the "Joan" follow up.  No disagreement.

Then again, Children at Play takes me right to the concert scene.  I\'m standing there again, all over, but at home.  Brings back a concert on a certain full moon equinox where Buckethead upgraded the biorhythm of my nervous system.  He had white filters in the eyes of his face and I thought I was before the Great Sphinx.  The part that\'s seared into my consciousness started with the Bucket playing Hendrix right at me point blank from about five feet away.  His leg stretched waaay out to press a pedal and looked sort of like one of those old "Keep on Truckin\'" drawings.  Most surreal.  I can\'t quite describe what happened next.  The experience defies verbiage, but will always be with me.

Badgerbot gets thread all to self, kind of spacey . . . listening to quieter parts of Kind Regards.  Reminds me of that time, right about this part of the year, before Halloween, when we were on the Island of Lost Minds on a cloudy night.  Seagulltron and the Guardsman were there.

Music drifted over the ridge and we started up the bluff from the Bay of Beliefs.  The soft, alluring tune was of a peculiarly expressive quality.  Vivid impressions arose, those of loss from a distance, the sorrow of discord, and final reparation.  As we topped the ridge, the melody waned to hauntingly mesmerizing, a baptism of solitude.

A peaceful, picturesque cemetery covered the hillsides as far as the eye could see.  The tide was coming in beneath the necropolis.  The immense graveyard was still and the music had stopped.

A lanky scarecrow wearing a white pail was posed, propped up, beside the grand arched entryway to the cemetery.  Beyond the arch, a city of tombs, citadels, crypts and memorials was defined in gray hues.  A flock of chickens pecked at the ground beneath the macabre graveyard greeter.  Tall, thin, and dressed in denim jeans and a yellow parka, the motionless mannequin\'s arms were hugged close to its sides.  A white guitar was slung over its shoulder, matching the pale featureless face and . . . bucket?

The Guardsman strode to the gateway and asked the scarecrow for directions.  Beneath the white pail on its head, there was no change of expression on the porcelain visage.  Suddenly, however, Buckethead hunched forward and unslung his guitar.  He seemed to be returning from a disembodied state.   Flexing long dexterous fingers, he continued the former melody, and his last rites transformed into a spell of gypsies.

As the melody continued, concepts and images crashed forward . . .

The strangest adventures happened on that Island, but I digress.  I\'m sure the others have lots to say about more recent events.  Those were goods days, though.

Peak is my favorite song ,

ok I bought and finished listening to Buckethead\'s latest releases (Brain as Hamenoodle, Kind Regards, and Captain Eo\'s Voyage) I also have have BR and SC (both great) but I thought I\'d review the new ones here.

Brain as Hamenoodle: 8.2 out of 10.  I think this is a pretty cool album.  Brain sounds amazing on the drums.   Buckethead seems to play a more supportive role on this with the bass but it is still great to hear him play along.   Very funky.  I think it is very original, too, and sounds like classic Buckethead.

Kind Regards: 8.4 out of 10.   I think Buckethead plays even better on this album.  There are some super sweet bass parts, and I think each of the CDs are pretty good.  It is cool that there are 3 CDs worth of material.  

I can see myself listening to Hamenoodle and Kind Regards a lot more.   There is a lot of cool stuff there.

Captain Eo\'s Voyage: 7.8 out of 10.   I have only listened to this once, so far.  I\'m glad some people are digging it, but I think it is a bit too slow for me.  I actually really liked The Return of Captain EO song from ARDITR.  I think that album , and SBTS are better than "Voyage".   I may still have to listen to it a few more times to take it in.   I still think it sounds very melodic, but it is maybe a bit too polished.  It does seem a bit more focused than Hamenoodle and KR, but I still prefer those two.  I guess I wasn\'t really as into this one.  But it is still better than most other music out, these days.  I did like the bass on this, I wonder if it was Buckethead or someone else?  I\'m sure I could still have some good times listening to this, but it is not quite a favorite(yet.)

It took a bunch of listens before I really started to like Captain EO\'s Voyage.  Maybe it will grow on you too.  I like it a lot more than I like Brain as Hammenoodle.  Kind Regards has some great moments but I also don\'t find it to be nearly as good overall.  Interesting to hear a different opinion, though.  It is great that Buckethead can put out some much music in a few months that discussions like this are even piossible.

I find it very interesting that this album released so soon after this topic was created.  To me, that feels almost like Buckethead\'s response to the issue.  I realized, sometime during my second listen of the album, how struck I was by these songs.  I agree that it may take awhile for the album to grow on you.  Many songs are resonating even more with me since my first listen.  It may be one of my favorite albums so far.