#40.Back In Black

I thought that it would be appropriate to start this countdown with something big. As I type this, I hear Hells Bells ringing in the back of my headphones. This is a favorite album of many, and for me this is also true. I’ve been listening to this famous AC/DC album since I was in seventh grade. Come to think of it, seventh grade is a good place to start for this countdown. In that memorable year, my friend Scott and I began listening to the standard classic rock favorites and aspired to become famous rock musicians. That was also the year that I picked up the guitar and started to teach myself how to play. When I really think about it, it was this album and a few inspiring local guitarists who could play the solos to “Back in Black” and “You Shook Me all Night Long” that really got me going on the guitar. Seventh grade was really a landmark year for music with me. I originally started getting deep into music with Green Day CDs. Even though they are looked down upon these days for “selling out” I can’t help but appreciate what they have done for me. I can honestly say that I would not have started to take music seriously if I hadn’t heard Green Day. Although I don’t really listen to them anymore, I still owe them a lot.
Enough about Green Day and let’s get back to AC/DC. I originally purchased this album (back when people actually bought CDs) in Pittsburgh PA. I was on a vacation with my family and we stopped at a local Best Buy-esque store and I bought Back in Black and a Dropkick Murphy’s CD. As you can see, AC/DC has had a much more lasting impact on me than the Dropkick Murphys. The first three tracks (Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill and What do you do for Money Honey) are just killer. Angus Young and Brian Johnson reach down into hell and pull out the flaming corpse of former lead singer Bon Scott and burn their way through these tracks; with the usual sleazy lyrics and the massive guitar tone, AC/DC easily coasts through the first 14 minutes of the album.
Just recently, I have found a new way to approach this album for those of us who want to discover deeper meaning from a band that is definitely not known for their poignancy. This was the first album released after former singer Bon Scott died in the late 70s. New lead singer Brian Johnson has a voice much more on par with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin than Bon Scott did. The strength of Johnson’s voice lends a demonic presence to the heavy rock based sound. I imagine that all of the lyrics on the album are being recited by Bon Scott from the grave. Brian Johnson’s voice is the sound of Bon Scott from Hades. If you listen closely enough you might see what I mean by this. I believe that the whole album was intended to be a tribute to everything that embodied Bon Scott’s life; this is represented in the lyrical approach the album takes. The experience is all the more chilling if you pretend that Brian Johnson is the demon or ghost of Bon Scott.
Continuing, after the first three tracks, “Given the Dog a Bone” doesn’t really do it for me. The lyrics are a little too generic and cringe-worthy. However the next four tracks are obvious standouts (Let me Put my Love into You, Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, and Have a Drink on Me). My personal favorite out of these four is “Back in Black”. The riff is one of those moments where heavy rock music has been defined in three chords and a little blues lick. All of the solos on this track, and all the other ones are incredible instances of one of the top hard rock lead guitarists at work. I know that Angus Young’s style is not very different than a heavier version of something Jimmy Page might play, but he plays with a lot of feeling, which is something I always enjoy. The little solos he drops feel like beads of sweat falling off the neck of his guitar. I always feel like I am on stage right next to him.
Everybody knows “You Shook Me All Night Long” as a party track but I remember middle school and high school dances. It was always one of the very few rock tracks that the DJ would play. In some ways it is not appropriate for little kids with its subject matter, but obviously it is very catchy and generally accepted. Sometimes I wish they would have played some other songs off of the album because it isn’t quite as good as some of the others. I think the fact that it has also been overplayed to the point of death is another reason why I can’t enjoy it as thoroughly as I used to. “Have a Drink on Me” is another great track with a really cool opening riff and good lyrics capturing the late Bon Scott’s lifestyle. Like all the other songs, the solos are great.
Before I go any further I just want to mention that I don’t have very much knowledge of the drummer or bassist. In some ways they are almost replaceable members of the band. I hate to say it, but neither member plays anything interesting throughout the whole album. I feel really bad for the bassist because he doesn’t get a chance to play really anything except for root notes; he is obviously overshadowed by the Young brothers and Brian Johnson but the production of his bass ads to the heaviness of the album so I guess that helps his case. The drums as pretty boring but the way they sound are something special. The drum sound on this album might be one of my favorite on any record. I really wish producers would make the drums sound like this more often. Good job on the production of the whole album Mutt Lange, it really brought the album into classic status. The guitar sound is full and so are the vocals. On a side note, Mutt Lange is Shania Twain’s ex husband I think, and let me tell you, he is one ugly dude, so I guess there is hope for ugly producers everywhere.
Getting back to the album, “Shake a Leg” is probably the other filler track on the album that I really could do fine without. There is nothing new expressed there that hasn’t already been on every other track. Finally, “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” is a good closer anthem. At times it seems a bit hokey but the attitude justifies the statement so I think I can approve of it.
All in all I really like this album, and love blasting it on my speakers. It is one of those albums that sounds really good if the volume is turned up to 11 (Spinal Tap anyone?). I think it is best listened to at night while you are driving in your car on course to a party or a sporting event (In general I think I will be recommending good moments in which one should listen to an album in order to reach its full potential). Speaking of sporting events, how could I forget all of the times I heard “Hells Bells” before the football team took the field? It was always an exciting experience to hear AC/DC blaring out of the speakers before crushing some skulls. Okay well maybe not crushing skulls but I think you get the idea.

Overall Rating: 7
Track Based Rating: 8

Best tracks: Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill, What Do You Do for the Money Honey, Back in Black, Have a Drink on Me.

Album Countdown introduction (two posts in a day? Wow)

I have been formulating a definitive list of my favorite albums for quite a while now and thought that there would be no better place to work on an ambitious project like this than while I was spending a semester in Ghana. There is a lot of down time in between classes without TV or high speed internet so things can get boring sometimes (sad to say). Anyways, one of my favorite things to do is sit and listen to music so this project is very exciting for me. I will be counting down from 40 which should last me the whole semester, if I do like three week or something like that. In order to make this list I had to listen to certain albums repeatedly so that I could decide where each would fall on the list. For each selection I will be giving it a score 1-10. The 1-10 rating system will be very particular so even though I am choosing from my favorite albums I will be rating them as unbiased as possible. Sometimes my favorite albums are not flawless artistic achievements but mean something to me for other reasons, whether it is a certain age I started listening to it or a special time and place I first heard another. Mostly, the 1-10 rating system is decided based on how consistent the album is in terms of lyrics, musical ideas and production.
I will also be rating each album uniquely according to how many tracks each has. For example, if an album has 15 tracks I will give it a rating out of 15 based on how many tracks are essential; basically which tracks would make a given album perfect? If all are necessary then it would get a full score of 15.
There will be comprehensive reviews of all albums. Most of the time I will be reminiscing about how each album has affected me over the years (or year for that matter). Music is a very personal experience and one that should not be taken for granted because, just think of what life would be like if you had never heard one of your favorite songs rise out of the haze of a crowded college party, or while you were slow dancing with that special someone in middle school for the first time. Or that time you were driving by yourself down a long and empty road late at night coming home from your best friend’s house. Maybe you wouldn’t have the same friends, maybe your life would be drastically different if you didn’t follow your heart and let the music guide you through those times that everyone has experienced. Although it is cliché, music can bring all walks of life together around the world, and for that I say let the countdown begin and thanks for taking this journey with me.

-Ryan

International Students welcome... aka dance party

So last night we all went to the center of campus and hung out with the other international students at the welcome Durbar. I guess that is another word for party, but the name only reminded me of the Dewali night episode of the Office. There were no Indians present. Apparently people signed up to entertain the crowd (students...brave ones). There was a girl that opened the party with an A Capella version of a song by Patty Griffin. It was really good and intimidating haha. Then there was some authentic tribal drumming performances by a local group. All of the dancers were really funny and got right up in some of our faces as we sat and ate some dinner. There were some other performances, like an awkward stand up comedian girl, a kid singing "Desperado" by the Eagles and somebody reciting the Obama speech from November's election. All in all it was pretty fun. After all of that I tried the fu fu which is an authentic Ghanaian dish that, let me tell you, is an acquired taste. One doesn't chew it but swallow each piece whole after dipping it in the Goat Soup. I will have to get used to it for sure. Finally, once the dance party begun I kind of eased my way out of the crowd and hung out with some people from my group at the tables. Within about 15 minutes, it was a Ghanaian male takeover. Every female international student had a Ghanaian grinding with them and no other guys in sight. I guess that's what happens when you are from the United States and you don't have any rhythm, you get owned by Africa.

-Ryan

Week Two

The internet is so shaky that if I were to type a full blog online, the connection might cut out and I would be left with an empty page. Most of us here are hip to the idea of something I now call pre-typing. However, pre-typing is not the proper word choice according to the late George Carlin. For those who aren’t familiar with what I am talking about just check out Carlin’s HBO special “Jammin’ in New York” for an example. Since the last post I have been slowly breaking myself into Ghana. Sometimes I forget that I am actually in Africa. There are advertisements for Ghana Idol and then there is the Accra Mall which is exactly the same as a mall in the U.S. Most of the locals listen to R&B or Ghanaian hip hop which is very cool but probably as mindless as most American hip/hop (I can’t understand what they are saying). Just this morning I had some pancakes and heard Seal on the radio…home doesn’t seem so far away afterall. I’ve been having some trouble finding things to do during my down time. The last few days I traveled to the University Library to read some more of The Stand by Stephen King. I am on page 703 and nearing the end of what has been quite an exciting book. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of post apocalyptic literature. There are some parts that I could have done without but it reminds me of Lost so much that I can’t help but like it. Next up on the reading list is probably Slaughterhouse Five.
As I crept through the quiet corridors of the library, some insects scurried away into the book shelves and the spiders were spinning webs on old copies of works by Shakespeare and Dickens. There is something hypnotic about the ancient quality of the building. It is so quiet that one almost feels bad that they are whispering. It was originally built by the British and is considered the largest library in West Africa. It really isn’t that big compared to some libraries I have been to in the U.S, but it is fascinating none the less. All of the books are probably first or second editions of classics by James Joyce, William Faulkner and Henry James. The books are dusty and almost crumble into dust when I pick them up. I think I will definitely be going there almost daily just to soak up the ambience.
Meals have consisted of rice, plantains, chicken or beans. I usually eat pineapple for dessert. For breakfast I have been eating the Ghanaian version of an egg sandwich. They serve an omelet on “sweet bread” for only 90 pesewas which is the equivalent of about 70 cents in the U.S. I got dinner last night for 60 pesewas. There are certain foods that they sell for very cheap so I have been sticking to them. I still haven’t had any fu fu or banku but will probably try them very soon. I am hoping that it will taste good because there really isn’t much variety. Apparently Ghanaians used to only eat fu fu on a daily basis. It is basically just a ball of dough made from cassava and some sort of cornmeal substance that you dip into very spicy soup made with goat meat.
The locals tell us to stay away from the Rastas around here because they are “too friendly”. I think it is because they don’t want us near any of the pot that they carry around. There is a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in a work prison for possession of any type of narcotic. At least they don’t give you the death penalty like in Southeast Asia. There was a reggae fest held at the beach the other night and I heard it was good so I will probably check it out next time. I still haven’t gone out to any of the bars because I have heard that they are mainly full of expats and don’t really feel genuinely Ghanaian. I will have to go and see for myself in the future.
Classes will start next week and I finally finished registering yesterday. Instead of having an online registration, I had to go to every department and fill out a sheet of what course I wanted to take and give them a passport sized photo to clip to the page. It really was a pain in the ass and hope that I don’t have to change classes at any point. I have started taking the Twi language course (pronounced like “Tchwi”) and have learned to say “Ete sen?” which means “How are you” and a response could be “Eye” which is pronounced like “ehyay” which means “fine” or I could say “Bokoo” which means “cool”. Now that I think of it I remember a juice drink for kids back in the day called Boku which is the way the previous word is pronounced. I think they actually borrowed the Twi word for the name…crazy! Anyways, I digress, and I have learned some other phrases like “Me din de se” which means “My name is” and a few other helpful ones. The language is much easier than I thought because none of the verbs have conjugations. Maybe by the time I come back I will be able to speak it a little bit.
On a final note for now, January 21st has come to pass and I have not yet watched Lost. I received an email from my brother the next day saying that it was an absolute ten and can’t wait to actually watch it at some point. Last night when I was trying to get the internet to work, at about 1:30am it started working really fast and I actually got on to the ABC website and began streaming the newest episode. I got to see the very first shot of the new season which was a clock changing from 8:14 to 8:15 and I nearly shit my pants at just the sight of it. However I was not able to see anything else for the time being because the internet cut out. When it came back on I tried again but it didn’t work. Just that little glimpse into a whole new season really was awesome and I think I might try to buy the episodes and download them from iTunes once I have a more stable internet connection. The good news is that I got to use my webcam with Cindy for about ten minutes which was nothing short of a miracle. It really made my night and gave me hope for continuing to try for a better connection. I hope all is well back home and will continue to post on the blog a few times weekly. Feel free to comment if you would like so I know people are actually reading. I will also begin my top 40 album countdown within the week.

-Ryan

The Ghanaians say Akwaaba!

So I've now been here for almost a week and it is hot! Everyday has been like 90 degrees with a nice breeze occasionally. I have a roommate from Nebraska, come to think of it...most people here from ISEP are mid westerners. We haven't done too much yet because of orientation, but the food is good (spicy) and the locals I have met so far are pretty chill. We went to Accra today and stopped at the markets. We got off the bus and were mobbed by street vendors like we were celebrities. Everyone comes up to me and shakes my hand and says in a semi Jamaican accent "Hey man, what is your name? How long are you here, Why are you here?) it takes about ten minutes to walk ten feet. They have a lot of interesting things to buy here. Come to think of it, there is so much to talk about that I can't even remember it all. The internet is slower than dial up and the fact that I can actually post this is a miracle. I'm still shopping around for what connection I want to use. The food was only 60 peswas tonight, which is less than 60 cents American money. The exchange is 1.25 to 1.00 but the items are priced much lower. There is a gecko living in my room and I woke up the other day convinced that there was a spider crawling on my arm (malaria medicine much?). I'm thinking about documenting the crazy dreams that I have. At this point I hope they remain vivid without the nightmares (they are almost like John Locke esque visions). If anyone wants to see pictures, you will probably have to wait until I come home this spring. There are to be no spoilers about Lost because I can't watch it. I hope all of you that can, will enjoy it live every week. Soon I will be also posting full reviews of my top 25 favorite albums for the music fans out there to read. As of now I am still trying to catch up on sleep. Last week I went almost thirty hours without sleep on the way here. When I was in Heathrow I was hallucinating Ricky Gervais and the cast of Harry Potter. 8 hours in the airport with no sleep is a bad idea. I promise there will be more posts, but be patient. Hope everyone is doing well.

-Ryan

P.S. The toilets are nice and not just holes in the ground, however most people wipe with their bare left hands supposedly, no wonder why there are health problems.

Just got back from Honduras the other day, spent some time at Cindy's and now near Logan waiting to get on my plane to Ghana (via London). The trip to Honduras was great and extremely helpful in getting ready for Africa. I will have more to say about Honduras in future posts but for now I will leave you with a nice picture from the top of the mountain we hiked.

Hopefully the flight will go well today and I will see everyone when I get back in May or maybe in September. Follow the blog for now, it will be the closest you will get to Ghana.