Them ol' drunken music ultimatums.

[less]

Let's answer the kinds of questions you get during proper night out with other musictards. To the uninitiated, and ultimatum means you cannot choose "I dunno"; you must have an answer, and you should preferably back it up with your reaonsing. YOUR reasoning, mind you, not anyone else's. All these are hypothetical questions, and you hopefully won't have to defend your stance on whatever you say. That said, insight into other people's minds is always good.

Anywho...

1) Choose one act or band to have the comeback of their lives. It doesn't matter whether they're disbanded, dead, or suck nowadays. The act or band you choose will come back from the dead (literally or figuratively) and make their best album ever, with a tour to back it up and so forth. Their fate after this point is open and not what this question is about. One group/artist/whatever gets to come back from wherever they are now, be it the land of the dead or just the swamp of mediocrity, and produce their best effort yet. Who, and why?

2) Choose one artist that was taken from us prematurely that, because of divine intervention or whatever, would still be alive. Unlike the last question, all natural laws apply, they just didn't die in the first place; Lennon would be 67, Hendrix would be 65, Kurt would be 40 and so forth. Speculate as to how their career would have proceeded had they not died, and tell me which one of them should have been the one to live and why, if you were the one who decided.

3) Which band/artist/lineup/whatever, dead or alive, would you like to make a cover of which song, and why? The song obviously needn't even have been written at the time of the artist in question's career; wanting Robert Johnson to cover "Losing My Religion" is perfectly legitimate answer. (Wouldn't that be awesome, by the way?)

Feel free to add your own, but put some thought into it, yeah?

 

[The Fireball Kid]

1) Choose one act or band to have the comeback of their lives. It doesn't matter whether they're disbanded, dead, or suck nowadays. The act or band you choose will come back from the dead (literally or figuratively) and make their best album ever, with a tour to back it up and so forth. Their fate after this point is open and not what this question is about. One group/artist/whatever gets to come back from wherever they are now, be it the land of the dead or just the swamp of mediocrity, and produce their best effort yet. Who, and why?

It may sound a bit stupid, but Minor Threat. Minor Threat, same as Death, were at their peak when they broke up! They were maturing and making music that was much more melodic and interesting. Ian Mackaye's lyrics were deeper than ever, and the guys were even better when it came to playing their instruments. If they made one more album, I'd have no doubt that it would be epic, seeing how the members moved on to other bands and matured even more, in terms of music and their ideologies.

2) Choose one artist that was taken from us prematurely that, because of divine intervention or whatever, would still be alive. Unlike the last question, all natural laws apply, they just didn't die in the first place; Lennon would be 67, Hendrix would be 65, Kurt would be 40 and so forth. Speculate as to how their career would have proceeded had they not died, and tell me which one of them should have been the one to live and why, if you were the one who decided.

I'd have to say Death. Chuck died and they disbanded, but I feel like it was just too soon, y'know? Death were at their peak. I think that around that time, they had matured and began to make music that was technical (wanky), melodic and contained lyrics that were highly metaphorical. I would've LOVED to see them make at least one more album, seeing as The Sound of Perseverance is, in my opinion, their greatest album.

3) Which band/artist/lineup/whatever, dead or alive, would you like to make a cover of which song, and why? The song obviously needn't even have been written at the time of the artist in question's career; wanting Robert Johnson to cover "Losing My Religion" is perfectly legitimate answer. (Wouldn't that be awesome, by the way?)

If Allan Holdsworth were to cover Son of Thirteen by Pat Metheny Trio... God, I'd love that.

 

[Lamb]

1) Cursive. Since the release of Domestica they have gone from being, in my opinion, the best post-hardcore band to being mediocre at best, fading into indie obscurity. Kasher forgot his depression, and replaced it with intelligence, and it just didn't work, however, if he were to get all of that back and release one final album of such power and feeling it'd be the most musically beautiful album of all the time, I have trouble even thinking of what an album that is better than Domestica would be like, and the mere thought of such an album leads me to having premature multiple eargasms.

2) This is the easiest one, Elliott Smith. His career would probably have become a lot brighter, for a bit, his near death experience would have probably lead him to getting serious counseling, but eventually he would release an album that fully captures his depression and can actually be called his greatest album, because while all of his albums are amazing, it's way too hard to say which one is the definite best album. D=

3) Johnny Cash doing a cover of AFI's I Wanna Mohawk(But Mom Won't Let Me Get One) it'd be the single most hilarious thing ever and I'd laugh for hours at how silly it is, and in the end would admit, I like Johnny's version better. That or Jets to Brazil covering Brian Eno's Burning Airlines Give You So Much More. Words cannot express how beautiful that song would work if it was done by Jets to Brazil, imagining Blake's vocals full of emotion and rapsing their way through the cryptically beautiful lyrics, the slowed down guitar and pseudo-punk feel would show that poppy Bowie-esque song in a completely new light.

 

[occasionalutopia]

1. If this was constrained by the being dead bit I'd have gone for Waters-Gilmour Pink Floyd, but since this is an awesome magical game:

Queen. Musically epic and Freddie's stage charisma actually deserved superlatives like legendary. The tour, my god the tour! I'd no longer have to sit around with fellow fans eating mediocre Chinese takeout wishing we weren't limited to watching Queen on DVD. Plus I'm siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick of people butchering Queen songs at every.talent.contest.imaginable. Only one man does it rite plz.

2. Jeff Buckley. One great studio album and ... who knows what else if he was still around.

3. Jeff Buckley rescuing every Leonard Cohen song (sorry less, that train of thought refuses to be dislodged atm XD). Shiina Ringo reinterpreting Benjamin Biolay's Negatif - heavily accented French and all - because I'd love to hear Biolay's elegantly broody piece infused with the passion she brings to all her work. And that raspy pixie minx voice. Ooh that raspy pixie minx voice.

 

[Audrey]

1. Queen. Musically epic and Freddie's stage charisma actually deserved superlatives like legendary. The tour, my god the tour! I'd no longer have to sit around with fellow fans eating mediocre Chinese takeout wishing we weren't limited to watching Queen on DVD. Plus I'm siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick of people butchering Queen songs at every.talent.contest.imaginable. Only one man does it rite plz.

2. Jeff Buckley. One great studio album and ... who knows what else if he was still around.

You stole my first two. X3

3. I'd love to hear Swans' "Love Will Save You" covered by Ulver.

 

[Lord Yu]

1. Idiot Flesh, Fancy was a classic. SGM is great but they don't have the comedy that Idiot Flesh had. Who knows what madness they could have produced with another album.

 

[Trias]

1-) Jason Becker. I do not want resurrection -he is not dead. I do not want a musical comeback -he still composes godly music. But his ALS has crippled his body and speech... he can't play anything anymore, he can't compose as fast as the notes come to his mind. I wish he had never got cursed with that ALS... then there were no need for miracles anymore, he'd just continue progressing beyond human limits both in creativity and ability, and surely surpass Paganini's fame. For this question, Michael Kiske make a close second.

2-) Now, now. Chuck Schuldiner. All of Death albums after Human was amazing, but Chuck had already stated many times that vocals had limited his ability with guitar, which he felt like his real instrument for music. Thus, in Control Denied, he used only guitar, and we saw what kind of different "entity" he had become when he was concentrating on the guitar. A very unique sound (mostly due to high delay and reverb amount) with a far more mature, technical style was the thing we found ourselves alone with. Indeed, it was only the tip of the iceberg; rest of which we'll never be able to see. For this question, Chris Oliva and Hideki Matsumoto make close seconds, and I'd really have considered Jason Becker as an answer if he was dead, luckily, he's not, and I believe he'll win the disease.

3-) Eric Johnson making a cover of Pet Shop Boys' Yesterday When I Was Mad. Simply because it'd have been awesome.

 

[Buskuv]

Let's answer the kinds of questions you get during proper night out with other musictards. To the uninitiated, and ultimatum means you cannot choose "I dunno"; you must have an answer, and you should preferably back it up with your reaonsing. YOUR reasoning, mind you, not anyone else's. All these are hypothetical questions, and you hopefully won't have to defend your stance on whatever you say. That said, insight into other people's minds is always good.

Unfortunately, my musictard friends reside within the cavernous, and often disturbing catacombs known as the internet. However, I will not dissapoint, I'll answer with earnest and probably some fanboyism.

1) Choose one act or band to have the comeback of their lives. It doesn't matter whether they're disbanded, dead, or suck nowadays. The act or band you choose will come back from the dead (literally or figuratively) and make their best album ever, with a tour to back it up and so forth. Their fate after this point is open and not what this question is about. One group/artist/whatever gets to come back from wherever they are now, be it the land of the dead or just the swamp of mediocrity, and produce their best effort yet. Who, and why?

I'm going to agree with Yu on this one, and say Idiot Flesh. Fancy is one of my all time favorite albums; their musical direction and humor is something I've rarely heard rivaled by any band, and the fact that they had three albums that not only defied conventional musical theory and genres, they were unique within their own right; eccentric, esoteric, intelligent and goofy, the band itself is something I would put along Mr. Bungle as one of our generations most interesting and just plain kickass bands.

Each album was incredible, and each subsequent release was better than their last, in my opinion. They disbanded at their peak, and to hear something better than Fancy would probably push it to my favorite album ever.

That good.

2) Choose one artist that was taken from us prematurely that, because of divine intervention or whatever, would still be alive. Unlike the last question, all natural laws apply, they just didn't die in the first place; Lennon would be 67, Hendrix would be 65, Kurt would be 40 and so forth. Speculate as to how their career would have proceeded had they not died, and tell me which one of them should have been the one to live and why, if you were the one who decided.

Frank Zappa, my friend, Frank Zappa. Not only was he one of my favorite artists from any decade, from any genre of music, I also would have loved to have his take on modern music. His parodies of the supurfluous and pretentious artists of yesteryear were both amusing and intelligent; his political meanderings and messages were often presented in ways that were unconvential, and forward thinking, and not to mention awesome. I would have loved to see his absurd and eccentric humor flowing into every genre he could manage to grasp, with the upheaval of musical directions and barriers, I would have loved to see him dabble in everything from Indie, to Hip Hop and to Metal.

3) Which band/artist/lineup/whatever, dead or alive, would you like to make a cover of which song, and why? The song obviously needn't even have been written at the time of the artist in question's career; wanting Robert Johnson to cover "Losing My Religion" is perfectly legitimate answer. (Wouldn't that be awesome, by the way?)

For this, I must endeavour to venture into the most far removed recesses of my psychological being; so, I'll answer later.

Feel free to add your own, but put some thought into it, yeah?

No.

 

[mow]

too many people for number 2, ill have to think about that one, but in the meantime here is 1 and 3

1) Choose one act or band to have the comeback of their lives. It doesn't matter whether they're disbanded, dead, or suck nowadays. The act or band you choose will come back from the dead (literally or figuratively) and make their best album ever, with a tour to back it up and so forth. Their fate after this point is open and not what this question is about. One group/artist/whatever gets to come back from wherever they are now, be it the land of the dead or just the swamp of mediocrity, and produce their best effort yet. Who, and why?

Eric Dolphy. easily. He's basically the Jeff Buckely of Jazz. Career just starting, a marvellous one at that, taugh in the finest schools of jazz (the school of Mingus and the school of Coltrane, along with team ups with Coleman Hawkins, Ken McIntyre, Chico Hamilton, Prince Lasha, Booker Little, Ornette Coleman, Andrew Hill & Max Roach; garnering praise from all those musicians who are certified legends in their own rights ) and one of the most indcredible multi instrumentalists in jazz histroy and stands on equal goruns with Rahsaan Roland kirk in that regards to the point Dolphy is considered the first true flute and alt soloist in jazz history. His lead quartets created 2 records that are by far the best avant grade jazz recordings that ive ever had the pleasure of hearing (out there and Out For Lunch). Live material was unparalled, Live @ The Five Spt Vol1. topping my top 10 live jazz records of all time. all this from a guy who started recording only 4 years before his death.

If he lived he would've surpassed Mingus, Trane and Davis combined.

3) Which band/artist/lineup/whatever, dead or alive, would you like to make a cover of which song, and why? The song obviously needn't even have been written at the time of the artist in question's career; wanting Robert Johnson to cover "Losing My Religion" is perfectly legitimate answer. (Wouldn't that be awesome, by the way?)

Ali Farka Toure covering Coldplay's Don't Panic.

 

[sel]

1) Choose one act or band to have the comeback of their lives. It doesn't matter whether they're disbanded, dead, or suck nowadays. The act or band you choose will come back from the dead (literally or figuratively) and make their best album ever, with a tour to back it up and so forth. Their fate after this point is open and not what this question is about. One group/artist/whatever gets to come back from wherever they are now, be it the land of the dead or just the swamp of mediocrity, and produce their best effort yet. Who, and why?

Jeff Buckley - coming back from the dead to release an album better than Grace and Doing a tour that surpasses his Live @ Olympia? (I'd relinquish both testicles to have a time machine to take me back there) Come on, don't tell me I'm the only one drooling on my keyboard right now. Why? Well it's obvious - I haven't heard a voice like that.
You see, that my number one until I saw Occa's post and remembered queen xD. Only reason I'm pushing him down to number two is because his death was more recent. Lol technicalities.

3) Tinariwen covering 'Hey Joe.' Tell me that would not be fucking awesome