The Castillian Blog

With the 20-year anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) upon us, a lot of air and ink have been expended trying to explain why. A few admirers have argued that the group’s singular and intensely arcane beats and rhymes are the secret. More enlightened commentators have attributed the Wu’s prosperity to RZA’s bold business plan, in which all his soldiers are pushed to secure solo deals beyond the hive—an arrangement that's been winningly replicated by cliques ranging from Dipset to Odd Future. But, as a journalist who has spent a lot of time around the edges of the Clan, and even written liner notes for some of their records, I find that the recent swarm of salutes misses the real reason that they still thrive after all these years. It’s simple: unlike other rap acts of their caliber, which desperately whore themselves out for cheeseburger ads and guest verses, Wu-Tang has remained elusive, tightly controlling information and access, and essentially maintaining an unprecedented scarcity to keep fanatics fiending for more.

Labels: celebrity gossip, killer bugs, Music

Labels: another word for pirate treasure, antics, Beasties, beer, Hiphopanonymous, History, inter-dimensional cross-rips, kids these days, Music, nyc

Labels: celebrity gossip, led zep, Music, road to hell is paved with

Labels: common human nature, fight the power, Hallelujah, Music

Like most people, I was initially confused by EMI’s decision to release remastered versions of all 13 albums by the Liverpool pop group Beatles, a 1960s band so obscure that their music is not even available on iTunes. The entire proposition seems like a boondoggle. I mean, who is interested in old music? And who would want to listen to anything so inconveniently delivered on massive four-inch metal discs with sharp, dangerous edges? The answer: no one. When the box arrived in the mail, I briefly considered smashing the entire unopened collection with a ball-peen hammer and throwing it into the mouth of a lion. But then, against my better judgment, I arbitrarily decided to give this hippie shit an informal listen. And I gotta admit—I’m impressed. This band was mad prolific.

It is not easy to categorize the Beatles’ music; more than any other group, their sound can be described as “Beatlesque.” It’s akin to a combination of Badfinger, Oasis, Corner Shop, and everyother rock band that’s ever existed. The clandestine power derived from the autonomy of the group’s composition—each Beatle has his own distinct persona, even though their given names are almost impossible to remember. There was John Lennon (the mean one), Paul McCartney (the hummus eater), George Harrison (the best dancer), and drummer Ringo Starr (The Cat). Even the most casual consumers will be overwhelmed by the level of invention and the degree of change displayed over their scant eight-year recording career, a span complicated by McCartney’s tragic 1966 death and the 1968 addition of Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono, a woman so beloved by the band that they requested her physical presence in the studio during the making of Let It Be.

Labels: Apple, blue-eyed merle's quasi-acoustic lunchbox band, Music

Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" made British chart history Sunday when it became both number one and number two in the Christmas singles charts -- although both versions were covers.

Alexandra Burke was almost guaranteed to take the top slot with her version after winning television talent show X Factor this month, and the song became the fastest-selling single by a female solo artist, figures show.

But in what appeared to be a protest at the manufactured music industry, fans of US musician Jeff Buckley kicked off an Internet campaign to get his classic version to number one instead, through downloads. It reached number two, making it the first time in 51 years -- and the first time ever at Christmas -- that the same song has held the two top spots in the singles charts, the Official Charts Company said.

In another twist, Cohen's own version of the song -- which he first released on an album in 1984 -- entered the charts as a new entry at number 36.

The tune has been covered numerous times, but Buckley's haunting version is widely considered the best. It remains strongly associated with the singer-songwriter, who drowned in Memphis in May 1997 aged 30.

Labels: A Christmas Story, aquacurricular activities, Barack Obama dedicated a song to you., Hallelujah, Music

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Bocephus, Music, political correctness, politics, whale kissing dukakis hugging moon maidens

"Rock-and-roll!" somebody screeched. "It's all over," Plant said with an impish grin. "Now we go to church."

Labels: led zep, Music

Labels: BU, football, Music

Labels: Hiphopanonymous, Music, politics

Labels: fun for the whole family, killing in the name of, Music

Labels: Blogs, Mississippi, Music