Giuseppe Zangara

I'm nervous, I'll admit. I'm sure I'll look fine, but will I feel fine?

I liked Berlin. I might like it again one day. It's just that there was this moment—I think it was late '02, early '03—where I realized I could no longer listen to Reed outside of the Velvet Underground. Albums I once enjoyed (Berlin, New York, etc.) were now aggravating to me. I lack a rational explanation for this, though my having a complete and sudden turnaround on something isn't without precedent. I once decided I was never going to wear denim again, and went six years without doing so. That's changing this weekend, however. I'm gonna buy some blue jeans.

Stick with Loaded until it clicks. There's only two duds on the album. About four, five years ago, I went through a period where I thought solo Lou Reed was a really good thing. Now, the only album of his I can tolerate is Transformer, and even then it's just to listen to "Perfect Day." John Cale's solo stuff holds up better—Vintage Violence and Paris 1919 are both fine albums, but I never feel like listening to them.

Songs for Drella is mediocre and Loaded is only really, really good, as opposed to great, which is what the first three VU albums are. And why compare the two? You could've picked any random Lou Reed solo album (since Cale was long gone by the time Loaded was recorded) and said "gee, Magic and Loss is one song rewritten 14 times, but it's still better than Loaded." Which, too, would've been a completely wrong, misguided thing to say. It's back to the drawing board for The Czech Republic.

It's a perilous line. "Providence" feels like it's going to collapse at any moment, but they manage to hold it together the whole time. How's Thrak. You got that one?

Where should I go from here? I already mentioned what albums I'm down with. Should I give SABB another chance? Or something else? Also, which King Crimson LP has the worst album cover. It's a toss-up between In the Wake of the Poseidon and Red, I think.

Gene, where do you stand re: Wetton's voice. I find it dull and effete.

It's supposed to be gibberish. What little narrative the lyrics have make that clear.

"Elephant Talk" plays like a Remain in Light outtake. I prefer Discipline to Remain in Light, though, as I've said on this board numerous times before, I've never been high on that particular Talking Heads album, "Crosseyed and Painless" and "Once in a Lifetime" aside.

His guitar is. Belew's vocals are kind of like David Byrne at his most over the top. I know you've said you haven't fully acquired the taste for Byrne's voice, so caveat emptor and all that.

Haha, Asia.

I don't like John Wetton's voice very much. I remember that being a big sticking point for me back when I heard Starless and Bible Black many moons ago. That hasn't changed with Red, but since most of the album is instrumental and KC's playing—Wetton's bass included—is so fucking tight here that I can overlook it.

"Put together sloppily?" Were you just searching for whatever phrase that might justify your dislike for that movie? Do you know anything about filmmaking?

i worked at a starbucks for 3 days & quit because of people like you. I'll have you know I'm never unpleasant about it!

"You'll always be a nobody, Levon. Always."

Well, yeah, there's a lot more technical flights of fancy going on with Discipline, but the similarities are there, with Adrian Belew's Byrne-isms being near the top of the list. "Thela Hun Ginjet" almost comes off as a cover of "I Zimbra." Red. The guitar tone on the title track is so awesome. That, and the recently revisited—as well as newly appreciated—In the Court of the Crimson King is the only KC I've listened to. (I'm not counting Starless and Bible Black, which, along with the debut, I checked out years ago and didn't get into.)

I wasn't refering to the Pit, though your confusion is delightfully comical.

Agent moved to another town and, according to him, is too poor to bring back the internet anytime soon. Milky quit here, though I still see him at the crappy board for stupid jerks now and then.

Not until Agent of Oblivion regains regular internet access.

I like getting a iced venti five-pump-valencia, one-pump-peppermint passion tea. And you better believe I order it that way, too. Their caramel apple ciders are nice, also, but I don't like coffee.

I'm thinking of starting a King Crimson thread.

Not watching tv has its advantages. And hey, I was in a Starbucks the other day; "The Weight" was playing. This was followed by "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You." Then they pissed it all away with James Blunt or Teddy Geiger or whothefuckever.

Last night, I was feeling anti-social, but I ended up going out, anyway. Had an okay time, but I probably would've had a better time staying in and watching a movie.

Hey, I wasn't feeling the first eight songs, but man, when track nine hit, I fell in love with music all over again.

I listened to the first three tracks from the stream. It's certainly better than anything he's done in a long time, but still nothing great. I'm just basing this off three songs, though; I would've listened to more, but I didn't have the patience to deal with the way the stream was set up. I'll try again tomorrow, maybe.