[kj] OT: Billy Bragg: Proud to meet the Queen, have symphonic works performed w/ his lyrics

Brendan bq at soundgardener.co.nz
Tue Oct 16 19:10:12 EDT 2007


I flatted with a guy who was a wanker DJ on a big, shitty rock station
about 3-4 years ago, and they plugged 2003. Not sure if they played any of
it, I don't listen to radio, but they probably did. Loose Cannon and that
kinda stuff. I heard Millenium a lot on the radio in 94, albeit student
radio. But that still made me and my mate go and buy the album. I think
Pandemonium and KJ 2003 would have sold really well, and you always get
people who will pick up the next album (and the one after) just on the
strength of the previous ones.

Islands don't come cheap either.

SO many people I bump into know of Killing Joke. Maybe Night Time was
their heyday in terms of popularity and sales...




>

> WHat royalty checkes? Hoe's Anus sold about 5 copies in the US, and I have

> one of them. The last time KJ was played on ANY us radio was some stuff

> from Pandemonium, and "Money is not Our God" before that. You can't even

> hear (new OR old) KJ on college radio any more. Unless they are huge stars

> in the UK (which I doubt) I think any $ they've gotten in the past decade

> from the Joke is just spare beer & cigar money.> Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007

> 10:00:49 +1300> From: bq at soundgardener.co.nz> To: gathering at misera.net>

> Subject: Re: [kj] OT: Billy Bragg: Proud to meet the Queen, have symphonic

> works performed w/ his lyrics> > He seems extremely prolific, always up to

> something new, which renders> some of the moaning about the lack of

> progress on the KJ front a bit> unfair IMO. He's probably quite happy with

> the royalty cheques for KJ> coming in regularly...Pandemonium on must have

> made a fortune, all those> new Nu Metallers buying up the latest album!

> (Okay Nu metal probably post> dates 1994 to be honest). 2003 with Grohl's

> name on it would have helped a> lot. I'm sure there are a bunch of people

> who have bought everything since> Pandemonium and on, and like me, gone

> into the back catalog as well. I> think they picked up a lot of momentum

> with that album...they probably> deserved it after the years of crap post

> BTATS (excepting Extremities).> > And as much as he dismisses the

> importance of money I get the impression> he's actually pretty shrewd with

> it, I was surprised to find out recently> that not only did he work at or

> manage York St studios in NZ back in the> day, be seems to have been the

> one who set it up. Perhaps with a mix of> his own and others' funds, but

> I'm sure he did well out of it...and good> on him.> > Sometimes it's

> albums like that one we're talking about, where you really> aren't

> expecting to enjoy it, that your lack of preconceptions really> helps your

> eventual enjoyment, and changes your perspective. I used to> think punk

> was absolute shite, now I finally get it, thanks in fact to> Killing Joke

> and The Gathering. Still think a lot of it is limited shite,> sounds the

> same, but some of that stuff like Rudimentary Peni etc I can> get into.

> (Would have to say I probably prefer the 'post punk' stuff more,> on

> balance, but still have a lot to listen to...)> > What I would call my

> favourite song ever, if I had to choose one, was> sitting on an album (my

> favourite album) for about 10 years, relatively> undiscovered, because it

> comes just before another previous favourite...I> was always just hanging

> out to hear the next track and never heard it> properly, until my little

> brother said what a great track it was...jarred> me into re-analysing it,

> and it just grew and grew on me.> > Anyways, I'll give Symphonic Zep a

> listen and let you know what I> think...but I'm a huge Zep fan so it won't

> be an unbiased opinion. Zep are> still in my top 5 bands. (Killing Joke,

> Soundgarden, Tool, Zep, and> depending on how I feel on the day, probably

> Kyuss...)> > > > Honestly, I haven't heard the symphonic Led Zeppelin

> stuff and am not> > eager to. That sounds like one of the worst ideas in

> history to me.> >> > Seriously, though, since being EU

> Composer-in-Residence, what has Jaz> > done other than make cameos on

> other bands' stuff? Is that what the job> > entails? I'd actually like to

> know. But I don't wanna sit through> > symphonies of classic rock. Ugh.>

> >> > -Oliver> >> >> >> >> > Brendan wrote:> >> what's goin' on with Jaz

> and that high falutn '> >> "EU-Composer-in-Residence" stuff? Hmm?

> -Oliver]> >>> >> Expanding his musical interests wider and deeper, I think

> it's brilliant> >> myself. Haven't got any of that stuff, but am keen to

> get the Symphonic> >> Led Zep, Oceania etc...I've heard some of the

> symphonic version of> >> Kashmir> >> on Youtube and it sounds great to

> me...I tend to agree with him that all> >> the previous symphonic rock

> albums are trash (although I do think that> >> those symphonic / operatic

> elements in Queen, ELO, Beatles etc aren't> >> too> >> bad).> >>> >> I sat

> through a few songs of Metallica with an orchestra on telly a> >> while>

> >> back and it was god awful (to me)...didn't enhance the music at all,>

> >> quite> >> the opposite.> >> >

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