Gift Card Home Run

I had a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble that I decided to burn today. Have you ever had a gift card that you just wanted to use up, so you bought some things that you may not have otherwise spent your own cash to buy?

Today, I went all in on a couple things sight unseen, or unheard, if you will, and I hit the jackpot.

I was in a more musical mood than literary, so I picked out one good book (Absurdistan, by Gary Shteyngart - I've heard great things) and then focused on the CDs. Barnes and Noble is not cheap for CDs, but they do have a few bargains here and there.

First thing I saw walking in was the new Radiohead record, In Rainbows. I'll get back to this, but it's the one they offered online for whatever people wanted to pay. Crazy. Revolutionary. A major middle finger to the industry. I think they averaged about $4 per download. Whatever. I heard it was good, and I like a CD with all the trimmings, so at $11.99, I thought it was a bargain.

After that, I looked around for twenty minutes or so, trying to get in the mood for something. Usually, when that happens, I start easing back toward the familiar: bands I loved growing up, albums I had on vinyl or tape years ago. I found myself flipping through King Crimson.

Now, I've only known one King Crimson fan other than myself, and I haven't seen him since high school. I'm not an i-Tunes subscriber, but on Rhapsody there is almost no Crimson.

King Crimson has gone through (at least) four major phases as a band, and they all have their pros and cons. They are all anchored by Robert Fripp on guitar and other devices. They started in the late sixties with Greg Lake (of ELP) on vocals. You know some of those songs: In the Court of the Crimson King and 21st Century Schizoid Man most likely.

That lasted a few years, then in 1973 they put together a new line up. John Wetton became the lead singer. He was later the singer for Asia. Bill Bruford joined on drums, after leaving Yes at the peak of their success.

Their first album with this lineup was Lark's Tongues in Aspic, and that's what I picked up today. I have it on cassette, melting up in the attic. As hard as it is to get their older albums made this a major find. Give a listen to this album, or Red, and you won't believe this is the same singer (and bass player) who did Heat of the Moment.

In the 80's, they morphed again, with Adrian Belew on vocals and Tony Levin on bass. You may know the song Heartbeat but probably not. This is the incarnation I found first, and absorbed completely.

From the 1990's to today, they have gone through a number of odd changes, but most all of their material revolves around Robert Fripp's guitar experimentation. It's good, but I'm not loving it like the older stuff.

Now, on to the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows. Wow. Absolutely freakin' wow.

I rarely love a CD on first listen. It's hard to these days, because most artists give you a single or two and a bunch of nothing. The latest from Radiohead is astonishing. There are a couple tracks that are languid, but they still evoke the best moments of their best languid albums, like Kid A. There are pieces as good as the best of OK Computer, there are moments of genius, like on "All I Need", and believe it or not there are tracks you can dance to. You won't, but you could.

I haven't heard every Radiohead album all the way through, so I can't say this is their best ever, but it is one that held me, beginning to end, and left me stunned. One of the best I've heard in years, and one of the best I heard today . . .

. . . except for this other one I bought today, which is flawless: Global Drum Project, by Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo (and others).

Oh, my, god! I'll say it again, this record is absolutely flawless.

My favorite music is repetitive, trance-like, inspiring, and full of heavy beats. This record has it all. It makes me wish I were trying to learn drums instead of guitar (although the guitar work here is exceptional as well).

Mickey Hart is one of the two drummers from the Grateful Dead. I always thought his talent was masked with the Dead, but not his enthusiasm for the music. It's unusual to see a picture of Mickey Hart where he isn't smiling.

You either love the Grateful Dead or you don't. I'm one that loves them, but not as a follower. I've been to one Dead show. I did partake as one should, but I rode home on the Metro and went to work the next morning.

Post-Dead, Mickey Hart has explored world music like no other, and the rhythms on the Global Drum Project are nothing short of life affirming. It's a must.

That was the best gift card I've ever used.