So I finished this series on my YouTube channel last week. Finished sharing the last video yesterday on Social Media.
And while time can tell how far it reaches, the numbers as of right now tell the story.
I'm pretty proud of this, having analyzed and given somewhat thoroughly every track in depth for Thud, an album I do love. I mean it is from Kevin Gilbert who is a super unknown name, but still people at least seek his music out on YouTube (even though most of it is not there right now).
I just feel like what James Bickers said about things going right under people's noses. Thud is a great record that a lot more people should know it, including so many of these other versions. But as of right now, they would have find a download somewhere or buy them from the Estate..or on ebay or discogs or whatever.
But they should. I dunno, there's not much more I can do. And I will look to do this again I think at the point the Shaming Multi-Disc comes out.
People want to sleep on brilliance and great content..their loss I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh and the View Count numbers are not correct as I have given evidence of how YouTube's new-ish algorithm removes views.
Video 1 - When You Give Your Love to Me 47 Views, 6 Likes
Video 2 - Goodness Gracious 18 Views, 5 Likes
Video 3 - Joytown 39 Views, 6 Likes
Video 4 - Waiting 17 Views 6 Likes
Video 5 Tea for One 34 Views, 4 Likes
Video 6 Shadow Self 22 Views, 5 Likes
Video 7 The Tears of Audrey, 27 Views, 4 Likes
Video 8 Shrug (Becaue of Me and You)/ Because of You, 18 Views, 4 Likes
Video 9 All Fall Down, 16 Views, 3 Likes
Video 10 Song for a Dead Friend 21 Views, 3 Likes
Video 11 Kashmir, 20 Views, 4 Likes
Video 12 Waking the Sun, 27 Views, 3 Likes
Video 13 Until I Get Her Back, 36 Views, 5 Likes
Video 14 Miss Broadway + Big Heart 17 Views, 3 Likes
Not enough time right to elaborate in detail, but I stumbled on this YouTube Channel the other day and I must say, I'm liking a lot of the content. Namely the video below about 5 albums to get into Modern Prog.
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Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (2013)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
Spock's Beard - Snow (2002)
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute (2005)
Haken - Aquarius (2010)
Of course seeing Kevin's Shaming record in there immediately grabbed my attention. Steven Wilson, The Volta and even Spock's I follow to a point. Haken of course, not my thing, but I follow. Although most usually go with The Mountain (2014?).
His channel though has been going for a little over a year and he has 27 thousand subscribers, lol. I might add more about that at a later time.
But in that sense, he has the reach for this taste in music similar to people like CoverKiller Nation.
This guy's videos are edited of course, so he obviously spends time with them (unlike someone like myself who doesn't have the time really at this point).
And just going through many of his videos and taste, he does cover a lot of mainstream(hipster) stuff as well, but in that sense, he and his channel is unusual and unique. And honestly, I think I'd be up from hearing about it from this channel rather than say The Needle Drop or some others at this point.
Certainly a channel to checkout and maybe pass more along about in here in the future (and maybe fill some of the void left by the loss of MinistryofMusic I suppose).
oh and I chimed in below on my 5 suggested Modern Prog albums (leaving off many of course)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
dredg - El Cielo (2002)
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third (2006)
The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading (2007)
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I (2000)
This entry was created awhile ago I think when I was doing these the Summer of 2015. Anyway, I have thought about this and have wanted to get back into these, and of course the biggest obstacle with them is time. Looking up dates, etc and then writing blurbs.
And what seems like somewhat of a new approach, I think I may be able to expedite them, much like my Albums of the Year countdowns by skipping the Blurbs, at least for now, and just posting the list/calendar/chronology of releases and release dates of those.
Kevin and PoS are the absolute stone cold classics, and there many records from this year from artists who I consider the best album from that artist (Doves, The Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, etc)
And instead, maybe add in just a Ranking per the below, which is just a guestimation of course.
maybe more will be added later:
Chroma Key - You Go Now
VAST - Music for People
The Appleseed Cast - Mare Vitalis
At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
Ulver - Perdition City
I Can't Believe It's Not Rock - I Can't Believe It's Not Rock (pre-The Dissociatives)
Sculptured - Apollo Ends
Mew - Half the World is Watching
20. Klimt 1918 - Secession Makes Modern Music
19. Steve Stevens - Flamenco A Go-Go
18. Galactic Cowboys - Let It Go
17. The Flower Kings - Space Revolver
16. The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
15. U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
14. White Willow - Sacrament
13. Enchant - Juggling Nine or Dropping Ten
12. Doves - Lost Souls
11. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
10. Spiral Architect - A Skeptics Universe
9. sElf - Gizmodgery
8. King's X - Please Come Home Mr.Bulbous
7. Spock's Beard - V
6. Transatlantic - SMPT:e
5. Call Florence Pow - These Are the Plans...
4. Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
3. Fates Warning - Disconnected
2. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I
1. Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True
Spiral Architect - A Skeptic's Universe
rel January 18, 2000 Wiki Pg
Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions (CD)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (CD, Black Version)
Warpaint - Heads Up (Vinyl)
The Beach Boys - The Smile Sessions (Boxed Set, Vinyl+CD)
This is for this band called Unlocking the Truth and I just saw the documentary Breaking a Monster this evening at the Trylon Cinema in Minneapolis. Good film/documentary in a lot of ways.
My criticism of it includes a couple of things
1) Why was there next to no exposure to THE METAL SCENE. The real gauge about their music is really how the Metal scene, Metal listeners, Metal fans, etc take to their music. It seemed good, but we didn't get much of it
2) The whole MAJOR LABEL NIGHTMARE contract, etc. With it seems countless of examples in history of bands signing a deal to a major label and then things go down hill, etc. Why did they do it? I suppose vulnerability/naivete, etc.
And the people at Sony when they signed that contract, especially that woman who kept talking and trying to appease to the naive stereotypes of these kids, lol. BLECH. She, nor more or less all the executives didn't seem to know ANYTHING about Metal, about their tastes, or just the kids themselves.
It's like did they ever hear of an album called The Shaming of the True released by Kevin Gilbert? Or the large numbers of bands who get into legal issues with their label? Prince?, lol.
But issues aside, it is a cool documentary, showing how things can escalate and change almost overnight for just some normal inner city kids who happen to like and play Metal, a style of music most of their peers don't care for.
Their drummer Jarad, I think I liked the most as he seemed the most down to earth of the 3, and also the most about emphasizing their music 1st.
Now their sound overall, in the film I like the 1 single they showed them play live and record in"Monster," but it's clear Slipknot and some of the doom influences have shown up in their newer music, which they just released their debut album Chaos on June 17th. The 1st video for it "Take Control" is kind of a Slipknot tribute, just with the masks.
I actually think in seeing their evolution, it would have been cool if they just were an instrumental band. They'd be more unique musically, just as they are in race/culture, being all-black and kids doing Metal. But had they not, they probably would not have received the exposure they did, which is sad, but true. I suppose seeing someone like Tosin from Animals as Leaders being Black and playing in an all-instrumental band, but gradually getting more popular, would likely have had them take a similar trajectory if they were just instrumental.
Also odd how the dude who helped them get signed and "discovered" and is/was their manager, Alan Sacks, was a co-creator on the TV show Welcome Back Cotter, along with discovering the likes of The Jonas Brothers and I thought he said Demi Levato.
1/13/14 12:57AM
This may be worth sharing, not that so much because it's a story about 2 kids who like and are playing Metal. Which that is all well and good I suppose, namely because their sound reminds me more of some of the thrash and old school stoner/doom metal.
But the fact they are 2 minority kids, being black or African American. And they don't care the fact their peers may not be into Metal.
Is it a stereotype? sure. And would it be good if it changed aka more minorities or just African American kids liked Metal? certainly.
Would I expect to see a lot more kids like them soon? not really, but stories like this can often inspire and surprise people over time.
I made this video as quickly as possible this morning before work (I have to get to work early, 6-6;30AM-ish, to beat Rush hour per construction, and there is Overtime available that really is NEEDED, rather than wanted).
But yeah, this is sort maybe the 1st of
1) a few videos like this, taking the idea from Coverkiller Nation, or fun hypothetical speculation if an artist didn't die, where would they be now? what would they have done, etc.
2) more videos specifically about Kevin Gilbert, my collection, etc..in other words, a Random Artist Feature should happen soon. If not before, then hopefully around the time of his 50th Birthday on November 20th, 2016.
Yes, 20 years ago on this day, Kevin Matthew Gilbert died.
I have some kind of video in the works that I hopefully will be able to share before the end of today. But in the mean time, I hope all the fans out there will revisit Kevin's recorded works and remember him and/or learn about his life and the legacy he has left us with the last 20 years..
I'm pretty sure I've heard some of the alternate live versions of "The City of the Sun" and a few of the other 'Shaming tracks. Perhaps even this version, I forget.
But this is cool to revisit again, even as different and stripped down as it sounds live. The Spoken Word does add a bit as well.
Kevin Gilbert - The City Of The Sun (Live + More Mix) 2016...just for fun. Kevin Gilbert - Bass and Vocals Nick D'Virgilio - Drums Russ Parrish - Guitar Spoken Word - Jamie DeWolf Live at: Rittenhouse Square (outdoors) Philadelphia Aug 23, 1995
Very cool sync-ed video montage, at a recent complete The Shaming of the True Tribute show in Germany I recall a few weeks ago.
I also just noticed the user who uploaded it, also uploaded "Water Under the Bridge" which if I had to pick 2 songs from 'Shaming, those are probably my 2 favorites, although I love the record so much that's not totally fair I suppose.
Also a note, how Monday the 17th of November would have been Jeff Buckley's 48th Birthday, and of course tomorrow, the 20th would have been Kevin's 48th as well.
Rather different arrangement of the final version that ended up on 'Shaming. I don't recall ever hearing this song live from Kevin before.
Anyway, quite different, but almost equally as interesting, even though Kevin and his perfectionist ways, I'm sure was still bound to change things up, tinker with many parts of this tune as he did.
In all likelihood, I'll write some kind of length of a review about this show and what it means to me to finally see Kevin's music live. My exact agenda before and after this show is not exactly certain. Taking a City Bus from where the Megabus drops me off (near the Amtrak Station) to Shank Hall, a Taxi or something else. And the same getting back there on Sunday morning at 9:10AM when I am scheduled to depart on the Megabus back home. Killing time from after the show until then, I may hang with some folks afterwards at a hotel/motel or even split one. It's all sort of up in the air right now. I just hope I don't totally throw my sleep cycle off horribly. Having Monday, the 21st off for MLK day is a relief.
But in the mean time, here's a nice overview about it, Kevin and Shaming.
Sex! Drugs! Rock-N-Roll! It's all here, and more - fame, greed, exploitation, despair - everything you¹d expect from a night at the opera, right here at Shank Hall. Chicago's Champions Of Nothing bring the saga of "Johnny Virgil" to life. The late Kevin Gilbert, composer of "Shaming," actually performed here at Shank Hall in 1995, and The Champs are excited to be taking the stage where their hero once stood. Opening will be special guests Department Of Revenge, and hosting will be Mark Krueger of WMSE's Planet Prog, heard every Sunday at 9 PM. We will be filming the show, so come on down and be a part of history!
The Band: With a combined professional experience of over a century in a wide variety of genres, the Champions Of Nothing came together in 2009 to realize the revival of one of the greatest rock operas ever written: "The Shaming Of The True" by the late Kevin Gilbert. In addition to their many other projects, these eight Chicagoland musicians have taken it upon themselves to rescue this masterpiece from undeserved obscurity, in order to keep the musical legacy of Kevin Gilbert alive for future generations of music lovers everywhere. For more information on "The Champs" and their many other projects, please visit www.ChampionsOfNothing.com.
The Man: Kevin Gilbert was one of the most talented musicians/composers/producers of Generation X, counting among his many collaborators Michael Jackson, Madonna, Keith Emerson and Eddie Money (with whom he earned a Gold Record, at age 22) during his tragically short life. His bands "Giraffe" and "Toy Matinee" achieved critical acclaim but little commercial success, and his major contribution to Sheryl Crow's hit album "Tuesday Night Music Club" was mostly unrecognized. Gilbert died in 1996 at the age of 29 during the recording of his magnum opus "The Shaming Of The True." His colleagues, recognizing the brilliance of the material, completed the album for release in 2000 and gave its only live performance at the ProgWest festival in 2002 - until the debut of "The Champs" in August 2010. More information on this amazing musician can be found at www.KevinGilbert.com.
The Story: "The Shaming Of The True" is a variation on the classic rags-to-riches-to-rags story arc; we follow the adventures of a young singer/songwriter named "Johnny Virgil," largely patterned after Gilbert's own personal experience, who moves to L.A. to try to become a rockstar. In order to achieve this goal he is forced to compromise his artistic integrity and become a "sellout," getting rich and cynical in the process. Yet eventually, fame and fortune prove to be too much for Johnny and a nervous breakdown forces him out of the game and into further misadventures. This story is all-too-common in show business, but made much more poignant given that it's mostly autobiographical. Mostly - because whereas an aging Johnny Virgil sometimes hears his songs "on the oldies radio," Gilbert passed away at the beginning of a most promising solo career. Our revival of "Shaming" is therefore also a celebration of the life of Kevin Gilbert and the star he would have become if fate had been kinder to him.
