Blog Posts by Dave DiMartino

It's a sure thing that the albums released this week--the week of Thanksgiving and its accompanying sales bonanza "Black Friday"--are probably intended to sell by the boatload!

And just take a look at these names! Guns N' Roses, Kanye West, the Killers, Paul McCartney--these are all artists used to massive commercial success!

Luckily, because the music business is better than ever--and because today's hot artists are only concerned with making art instead of money--all these new records are great!

But just for fun, and to keep things from getting too boring, let's pretend they're not!

Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy (Geffen) It would probably be rude of me to mention that I've never been a fan of Guns N' Roses and always considered them horrendously derivative, howlingly obnoxious, and frightfully more famous than God ever intended them to be! Likewise, this much-discussed album has been as "long awaited" at my house as my 2010 tax bill! Upon finally hearing it, I have decided that

Conspicuously missing from this week's list of hot new music releases is the latest album by up-and-coming pop star Kanye West--whose long-awaited new album 808s & Heartbreak is, not to worry, coming next week!

Why has it taken so long? Experts agree that West's recent pronouncement that he will "go down as the voice of this generation" might be one very significant reason!

According to one informed observer, the press has yet again blown the lovable West's innocent claims well out of proportion! Because West, whose devotion to higher education has played a part in the nomenclature of all his previous works, made that statement in reference to the petri dish he was holding in his right hand! And it contained a hearty colony of drosophila melanogaster--or common fruit fly--all of whom strongly feel West to be the dandiest vocalist they've heard in their entire lives! But no one reported that, did they?

Sorry, Kanye--but once again, the press wins and you lose! Can't wait to hear the new

They say that time flies, and they--I know 'em personally--are right!

This past weekend I saw legendary rocker Van Morrison give a performance of Astral Weeks, his classic album released 40 years ago!

This week sees the release of a deluxe box set by Cheap Trick celebrating the release of their famous Live At Budokan, released 30 years ago!

Also released: Our Bright Future, the latest release by Tracy Chapman--whose memorable debut album won fans worldwide 20 years ago!

Nothing significant happened 10 years ago!

Additionally out: the long-awaited release of Coco: Deluxe Edition by superstar Colbie Caillat, commemorating her breakthrough album of a few months ago!

And finally, the above sentence--masterfully penned as it is--was written less than one minute ago!

Read it as it is, or wait for the expanded edition in my upcoming box set! You can have it for yours, too!

David Archuleta: David Archuleta (Jive) What's there to say about David Archuleta? A masterful singer who captured the

It was an historic occasion by any standard, but not one without precedent. In the last decade or so, major artists such as the Who, Brian Wilson, Arthur Lee & Love and even the Zombies have taken to performing in concert the albums that have cemented their status in the pantheon of popular music's legendary masters. Quadrophenia, Pet Sounds, Forever Changes and Odessey And Oracle have enjoyed that treatment, and on Nov. 7th and 8th--unbelievably, to many longtime fans--Astral Weeks was performed by Van Morrison at the Hollywood Bowl.

Originally released in 1968, Astral Weeks is regarded by nearly every cultural commentator as one of the high points of popular music, Morrison's best-ever work, and indeed among the top three or four pop albums ever recorded. And in the 40 years since its release, with the exception of "Cypress Avenue," fans have had little to no chance to ever hear Morrison performing any of the material from this classic disc; indeed, aside from his earlier hits "Brown

As I write this, it's mere hours before what may be the most important election in American history!

Tensions are fierce among many, as all of us--each and every one--perhaps engage our friends in heated discussion, study the evidence, and, finally, consider the ramifications of our vote!

And I for one am ready!

Though I usually find it distasteful to use this forum to further my own political opinions, so be it:

After prolonged and serious study, and carefully considering their respective merits, I have decided that yes--between the two of them, Britney Spears is hotter than Christina Aguilera!

Hopefully the world will agree!

Hinder: Take It To The Limit (Universal Republic) Recently a local music critic here in L.A. has taken to referring to the sort of music Hinder plays--you know, that whole mish-mash of testosterone-inspired Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Daughtrey kind of stuff--as "Flyover Rock." I mean, you've got to love her actually coming up with a term to describe it, true,

Holy smokes! Usually when I spotlight new releases, there are three or four major discs of interest, a few more that seem promising, and one or two with nice covers!

But this week there's simply too much great stuff!

And of course if I were to simply say that every new album was great, what sort of critic would I be?

Give up?

Tall!

Pink: Funhouse (La Face/Zomba) It's hard not to admire Pink for her sheer ability, sense of fun and daring, and literal ownership of a part of the color spectrum! Her new album features the single "So What" and includes a heady batch of collaborators including Max Martin, Butch Walker and Billy Mann, among others. It's kind of neat! As always, Pink skirts the outer limits of danger here--but perhaps wisely has avoided the tempting trap of following her previous album I'm Not Dead with one called Oops, Now I Am for kicks! In sum, any woman who knows full well that by calling herself "Pink" she will force any potential male fan to utter the words "I like

It's a big week for rock 'n' roll fans, as AC/DC--the legendary Australian rock band who set an entire generation on the "Highway To Hell"--has returned with their first new studio album in eight years.

And in these days of short-term artists who blaze to the forefront of pop with a giant hit single and then slowly fade away, how nice it is to encounter actual "career artists" today.

That said, eight years is a long time for any band to stay out of the spotlight--even giants like AC/DC--so the question of whether they still "have it"--that is, whether they still rock like nobody's business or are instead old, washed-up, kangaroo-loving rock hobbyists looking to relive their respective youths all over again--remains.

Plus, High School Musical 3 is out!

AC/DC: Black Ice (Columbia) In a remarkable retail coup, AC/DC's new album is exclusively available at Wal-Mart, so you can bet your boots that I--like most of my metal-loving friends--was waiting in line this morning to pick my copy

We're veering toward the middle of the year's fourth quarter--a time when nearly every week brings us a handful of new releases that will instantly emerge at the top of the charts and make everybody but us fabulously wealthy!

And sure, some weeks will bring us inevitable No. 1's like rapper T.I. or Metallica, or hot new contenders like Jennifer Hudson or Robin Thicke. On the other hand, however--some weeks won't!

Perhaps signaling a temporary lull in the inevitable sales storm is this week--which aside from heartwarming country hat-wearer Kenny Chesney, offers little today's top record execs can write home to their moms about!

But you know what? It's OK! Look at the bright side: There are a lot of new TV shows debuting, a lot of great new DVDs also out this week, and now, lots of time to spend combing today's hottest social networks looking for old friends and new acquaintances! You could also read a book, but heck: they're expensive! Oh well!

Kenny Chesney: Lucky Old Sun (BNA)