Quizzically, He Asked

Nat, of Nat Pike's Wired for Sound, says: "Here's a "thirty music questions" thing that is making the blog rounds. I didn't make up the questions (except one), so steal them if you wish."

I shall. Thanks, Nat!

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?

Given that a fair portion of my collection is given over to musical theater recordings, I'm counting composers as "artists." So, I'm not surprised that Stephen Sondheim CDs represent the biggest number of CDs in my collection.

2. What was the last song you listened to?

Again, I'm interpreting "song" liberally. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," from the Revenge of the Sith score.

3. What's in your CD player right now?

See above--Star Wars Episode III--Revenge of the Sith

4. What song would you say sums you up?

I don't think one does.

5. What's your favorite local band?

Don't have one/know any.

6. What was the last show you attended?

April 19 - Bob Dylan. Too short a set (14 songs only) but amazing to see the master live (first time, for me).

7. What artist do you consider to be very underrated?

John Mellencamp doesn't get nearly the respect a songwriter that he deserves.

8. What's the shittiest band you've ever seen in concert?

None, really. Some high school bands at dances and such.

9. What band do you love musically but hate the members of?

I don't really hate any band members, per se. Sure if I knew some I would.

10. What is the most musically involved you have ever been?

Four years of singing in the Glee Club in college, including a tour of Eastern Europe.

11. What show are you looking forward to?

I would be looking forward to the U2 tour when it comes to town, but, alas, I didn't get tickets. First tour I'll miss since I started seeing concerts in high school with scalped tickets to the Zoo TV tour.

12. What is your favorite band shirt?

The U2 Popmart tour T-shirt, with the four band members' faces done in pixelated style.

13. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?

I don't drink, so I suspect a day with Bono might be a wasted opportunity. I'd love to shadow Stephen Sondheim for a day.

15. Sabbath or solo Ozzy?

If forced to listen to either at gunpoint, I'd choose Sabbath.

16. Commodores or solo Lionel Ritchie?

Don't know much of either, but would opt for Commodores, as the Ritchie I do know I'm nonplussed by.

17. Blackjack or solo Michael Bolton?

Blackjack. Can't be as bad as solo Bolton. Can it?

18. The Eagles or solo Don Henley?

Eagles.

19. The Police or solo Sting?

Sting. I like the police, but Sting's songwriting got a lot more adventurous when he left.

20. Doesn't emo suck?

No idea of what emo is.

21. Name 4 flawless albums.

The Joshua Tree, U2; The Lonesome Jubilee, John Mellencamp; Passion (Original Broadway Cast, written by Stephen Sondheim), and Painted from Memory, Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. None are technically flawless, but I can't imagine that any album truly is.

22. Did you know that filling out this survey makes you a music geek?

I doubt that. I think it makes me more of a bored blogger.

23. What was the greatest decade for music?

Rock music? 1960s
Musical theater? 1970s

24. How many music-related videos/DVDs do you own?

Not many. U2 live from Boston; U2 at Red Rocks; Sting Soul Cages tour; Sting Unplugged; Sondheim's Passion, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George; a few others.

25. Do you like Journey?

Not particularly.

26. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?

Braveheart by James Horner, as much as I love John Williams.

27. What was your last musical "phase" before you wised up?

Hm. As a naive teen I loved Bon Jovi. Does that count?

28. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc you've ever bought?

Some string quartet doing U2. Blech.

29. Do you prefer vinyl or Cd's?

CDs. Vinyl was already fading when I got into music.

30. What is your guilty pleasure CD, that being the CD you love but would be ashamed to admit you have in your collection?

I have a CD of a symphony doing Sting music that I must reluctantly admit to liking.

Until Whenever