Rodney On The Rocks
I think Rodney is officially dead. He's been actin' mighty poorly lately, freezing up every time I try and use the search arrows when I'm on the shuffle playlist so that I have to let his battery run down before I can recharge and reboot him again, although I must admit I do have that way of really putting the hammer down on that search dial in that intrinsically OCD way of mine. Er, not to mention the numerous times I've dropped him on the treadmill where he'd hit the conveyor belt and go flying backwards into the wall behind me. The ol' war horse has hung in there, by cracky. But now he's not breathing. No pulse to speak of. Joe tried working with him all day yesterday and pretty much called it. And I think my warranty has finally run out, although after one visit to the Apple store already I think his runt-of-the-litter health problems just finally just caught up with him, as was inevitable. I held his cold, flat, square body in my hands. I pressed him against my heaving breast as if my body heat would revive him. I stroked hy name engraved on his shiny metal back. Then I slid him gently into his blue canvas sleeve, velcroed him snuggly inside, and tucked him away on the shelf above my computer cabinet. Au revoir, sweet Rodney Amadeus Bingenheimer Anonymous. During a time in my life when friendship was desperately needed and yet on the wane, you were the most faithful companion I had in just these last two years alone.
Well, fudge. Now I need a new iPod. And I'm not likely to see that kind of loot anytime relatively soon. Although I did splurge and gank some new used product that came through this week... one of which was a bit, um, exorbitant for a used CD that actually wasn't the highly sought-after long-deleted first Traveling Wilburys album. But more on that later...
Because first I got the freshest Scritti Politti White Bread Black Beer, of which I've heard good things, and not all of them from Scritti Politti fans at that. I used to have their single to "The Perfect Way" back when it was released in 1985, but other than hearing a few tracks from older albums here and there I've never really owned anything else by them in all these years. So far of what I've heard it's a pretty mellow album with bright, pulsating synth rhythms and sinuous acoustic guitar pieces with production and songcraft often likened to that of XTC. This is the first track off the album, "The Boom Boom Bap", to sort of give you a taste of the entire disk.
"The Boom Boom Bap" - Scritti Politti (m4a file)
Available for 7 days.
The latest from Slayer, Christ Illusion, of which I am reading from several reputable sources is the best thing they've put out since Reign In Blood and since that is pretty much the only Slayer album I'll even listen to these days that's praise that matters, as far as I'm concerned. Here's the first track off the album, "Flesh Storm", which like many of the rest feature heavy imagery of politics and war, especially what goes through the minds of soldiers living day by day in the face of suffering and the effluvia of death. "Ever wonder what it takes/To be questioning your faith/This is what it's like/When it happens every Goddamn day".
"Flesh Storm" - Slayer (M4a file)
Available for 7 days
The brand new The Brand New Heavies Get Used To It. Tracy has been touting this album for awhile on her On The Verge website so I thought I'd take a used copy home and give it a spin. A little different from previous outputs, with a pretty even amalgam of neo soul, disco, funk grooves, and old-ish school R&B send-ups like this second track off the album "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" which I believe samples a Jackson 5 song but it's been awhile so I can't remember off the top of my head. Some of it is a little too smooth and overproduced for what normally gets my blood pumping (a problem I have with many neo soul artists) but what I've heard so far sounds like it will grow on me with repeated plays. Damn, I could really use one of them iPods right now.
"I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" - The Brand New Heavies (M4a file)
Available for 7 days.
Okay, now lastly, the bigg'un.
Ultimate Prince was originally scheduled to be released around the same time at his new album 3121 and our inventory has been saying that we were due a shipment for some time now, but they never came in, and Kevin told me that he heard that they had decided not to release it after all in order to focus all their promotion on the new material instead. So when this baby came in used (from a regular customer who sells back a lot of promos) I want into store-wide spazz mode, practically running a lap around the inner parameter of the building clutching the disk to my chest screaming "AHHH! AHHHHH! DIBS! DIIIIBS!" before I suddenly became embarrassingly aware that I was the only one showing any interest in the damn thing anyway. But no so much because of a lack of interest in Prince, but the fact that we were selling this used at $49.99 which was too rich for everyone's blood, including mine. When I went home the other night I puttered around on the web a bit and noticed that Amazon had the durn thing as an import and being sold (new and used) doe $95, so figured that had to be about right if evil thing hadn't been intended for release after all -- and knowing Prince like I do I could see him pull an album at random and hold it almost indefinitely (The Black Album, anyone?) so yeah, one way or another I was gonna scrape some pennies together, by gum. But with a boost from Tracy's employee discount card (I really need to get me one-a those) I managed to shave off 20%, so yeah, that's not too bad for an album not scheduled to be released anymore. Since the first disk is nothing but the original single versions of all his early Top 40 hits, of which I already have, I'm basically getting it for the second disk full of remixes and 12"'s, many of which, er um, sounds like I may already have as well, but it least it does have the totally awesome 12" version of "Let's Go Crazy", titled Special Dance Mix here, that was originally featured in the opening scene of Purple Rain and has the wicked guitar solo and chaotic piano bridge that I love so much. Take a gander, if you've never had a chance to hear it:
"Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)" - Prince (M4a file)
Available for 7 days.
But, uhhh... this morning I noticed something else. The album listing on CD Universe's website has it listed as being released... August 22nd. Next week. For $17.49. Whoops.
Okay, so I'm a Prince nut. Living in sin with an even bigger Prince nut. At least I'm the most popular girl at work right now, because now that I went and bought the damn thing everybody wants a freakin' dub. Guess that'll learn me.
Well, fudge. Now I need a new iPod. And I'm not likely to see that kind of loot anytime relatively soon. Although I did splurge and gank some new used product that came through this week... one of which was a bit, um, exorbitant for a used CD that actually wasn't the highly sought-after long-deleted first Traveling Wilburys album. But more on that later...
Because first I got the freshest Scritti Politti White Bread Black Beer, of which I've heard good things, and not all of them from Scritti Politti fans at that. I used to have their single to "The Perfect Way" back when it was released in 1985, but other than hearing a few tracks from older albums here and there I've never really owned anything else by them in all these years. So far of what I've heard it's a pretty mellow album with bright, pulsating synth rhythms and sinuous acoustic guitar pieces with production and songcraft often likened to that of XTC. This is the first track off the album, "The Boom Boom Bap", to sort of give you a taste of the entire disk.
"The Boom Boom Bap" - Scritti Politti (m4a file)
Available for 7 days.
The latest from Slayer, Christ Illusion, of which I am reading from several reputable sources is the best thing they've put out since Reign In Blood and since that is pretty much the only Slayer album I'll even listen to these days that's praise that matters, as far as I'm concerned. Here's the first track off the album, "Flesh Storm", which like many of the rest feature heavy imagery of politics and war, especially what goes through the minds of soldiers living day by day in the face of suffering and the effluvia of death. "Ever wonder what it takes/To be questioning your faith/This is what it's like/When it happens every Goddamn day".
"Flesh Storm" - Slayer (M4a file)
Available for 7 days
The brand new The Brand New Heavies Get Used To It. Tracy has been touting this album for awhile on her On The Verge website so I thought I'd take a used copy home and give it a spin. A little different from previous outputs, with a pretty even amalgam of neo soul, disco, funk grooves, and old-ish school R&B send-ups like this second track off the album "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" which I believe samples a Jackson 5 song but it's been awhile so I can't remember off the top of my head. Some of it is a little too smooth and overproduced for what normally gets my blood pumping (a problem I have with many neo soul artists) but what I've heard so far sounds like it will grow on me with repeated plays. Damn, I could really use one of them iPods right now.
"I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" - The Brand New Heavies (M4a file)
Available for 7 days.
Okay, now lastly, the bigg'un.
Ultimate Prince was originally scheduled to be released around the same time at his new album 3121 and our inventory has been saying that we were due a shipment for some time now, but they never came in, and Kevin told me that he heard that they had decided not to release it after all in order to focus all their promotion on the new material instead. So when this baby came in used (from a regular customer who sells back a lot of promos) I want into store-wide spazz mode, practically running a lap around the inner parameter of the building clutching the disk to my chest screaming "AHHH! AHHHHH! DIBS! DIIIIBS!" before I suddenly became embarrassingly aware that I was the only one showing any interest in the damn thing anyway. But no so much because of a lack of interest in Prince, but the fact that we were selling this used at $49.99 which was too rich for everyone's blood, including mine. When I went home the other night I puttered around on the web a bit and noticed that Amazon had the durn thing as an import and being sold (new and used) doe $95, so figured that had to be about right if evil thing hadn't been intended for release after all -- and knowing Prince like I do I could see him pull an album at random and hold it almost indefinitely (The Black Album, anyone?) so yeah, one way or another I was gonna scrape some pennies together, by gum. But with a boost from Tracy's employee discount card (I really need to get me one-a those) I managed to shave off 20%, so yeah, that's not too bad for an album not scheduled to be released anymore. Since the first disk is nothing but the original single versions of all his early Top 40 hits, of which I already have, I'm basically getting it for the second disk full of remixes and 12"'s, many of which, er um, sounds like I may already have as well, but it least it does have the totally awesome 12" version of "Let's Go Crazy", titled Special Dance Mix here, that was originally featured in the opening scene of Purple Rain and has the wicked guitar solo and chaotic piano bridge that I love so much. Take a gander, if you've never had a chance to hear it:
"Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)" - Prince (M4a file)
Available for 7 days.
But, uhhh... this morning I noticed something else. The album listing on CD Universe's website has it listed as being released... August 22nd. Next week. For $17.49. Whoops.
Okay, so I'm a Prince nut. Living in sin with an even bigger Prince nut. At least I'm the most popular girl at work right now, because now that I went and bought the damn thing everybody wants a freakin' dub. Guess that'll learn me.
posted by Melissa at 12:59 PM
2 Comments:
I'm sorry to hear about Rodney. I would not have known the origin of his name but for the fact that I watched The Mayor of the Sunset Strip this week. Very interesting fella, but kinda sad, too. My Tivo tivo'ed it because I have "Tori Amos" in my wish list and her name was on the description. She was in it for about 2 seconds, didn't speak, they just showed Rodney talking to her. I felt duped. But, glad I got to learn about Rodney, kind of fascinating actually.
Anyway, I read that iPod batteries only last a few years, then go kaput and they can't be replaced. I think I read that in Portfolio one time. Apple loves to keep that a little secret, the assheads. I have a Pink mini I named Tuscy and she's only about a year and a half old, so hopefully we have some time. But I think it makes me a bad iPod mommy that I'm craving for the latest version with pics and video. Poor Pinky. Ok, I've rambled enough.
Hey, as long as you don't abuse Tuscy like I unintentionally abused mine, she should probably hold out for ya for a good while. Joe got his the same day I got mine and his is still in top working order -- but of course he's a stickler about not dropping it in any way.
Actually I don't really know where Rodney as a name for my iPod came from, orginially. He sort of morphed into half Rodney Bingenheimer and half the lead singer of The Dead Milkmen -- but mostly I wound up with that because Joe had already taken "Dennis Podman" for his iPod's name so it didn't leave me with much else to work with.
I have also just discovered that I have a FOUR year warranty instead of one year, so I'm going to try and send him back to the Apple store again like last year. At this point I wonder if I'm just delaying the inevitable, though.
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