Probstisms

Tim Probst
Tim Probst
@Tim@www.timprobst.com

Early adopting super geek, musician, father, resident tech guru.

1,079 posts
7 followers

Category: Music

  • The Smashing Pumpkins

    My college-aged son and many of his friends have discovered The Smashing Pumpkins. They’re going through their Smashing Pumpkins phase much like I and many of my friends went through a Led Zeppelin phase at some point in middle or high school. You know the “phase.” It’s the journey of discovering a band from before we were born and thinking, at least for a brief time, that it may be the greatest band of all time.

    I have to admit, I have been thoroughly enjoying this moment. The Smashing Pumpkins is one of my favorite bands, and I distinctly remember listening to their albums non-stop in my college dorm and apartments in the ’90s. There was something about their music that spoke to me and my friends at the time. Perhaps my son and his friends are experiencing the same thing now. Perhaps it is the age or the environment that makes college the best time to get into the Pumpkins, or maybe it is just really good music.

    My son asked about my favorite albums and songs, and of course I mentioned Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. But then I pulled out a wild card – Mary Star of the Sea.

    You might be thinking – Tim, that’s not a Pumpkins album, and you would be correct. It’s an album that came out in 2003 by a band named Zwan after the Pumpkins broke up the first time. Zwan included Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin and was basically just another version of The Smashing Pumpkins with a few other musicians. If you are lucky enough to have the CD (or ripped it back in the 2000’s like I did), you have my third favorite Smashing Pumpkins album in your library. Hopefully, Mary Star of the Sea and other Zwan content will be released on digital platforms soon. I suspect all of the 20-somethings discovering The Smashing Pumpkins would immediately take to Zwan at the same time.

    Rock on!

  • The Jack White halftime show during the Packers-Lions game was fantastic. And then Eminem came out of the floor and blew the roof off the place!

    This is what a rock show looks and sounds like. Now, just imagine 3 hours of that kind of intensity!

  • Those of us of a certain age will remember thumbing through records, cassettes, and ultimately CDs at stores like Musicland in the ‘80’s.

    I distinctly remember these hearings and eventually seeing the labels on CDs at the store. I can confirm that the labels stopped no one from buying an album they wanted. I can also confirm that none of our parents were at Musicland with us.

    Interestingly, as an adult, I actively seek out the Explicit version of albums because I know that is how the artist intended. I suppose that means the labels finally have a good purpose.

    Tipper Gore, Twisted Sister and the fight to put warning labels on music

  • Thanks to the wonders of the interwebs, I happened to be listening to WXRT earlier today even though I live in a radio wasteland here n St. Louis. The DJ (yeah, they actually still have those) played an incredible new song by Mavis Staples called Chicago. I am so excited to hear the rest of the album when it comes out in November!

    I had the privilege to see Mavis earlier this year, and make no mistake, she still has a lot to say with that voice! Do not miss the opportunity to see her perform live.

  • Something tells me I am going to have this album on repeat for the foreseeable future.

  • Here’s an easy to understand example of how Trump’s inhumane policies are directly impacting our country’s youth.

    I know first hand the amount of work these young musicians put in to perfect their craft and the amount of stress and anxiety involved in auditioning for a high-level musical opportunity like this.

    These kids deserve so much better, and I hope members of the band decide to participate in some way on a personal level despite their commander’s racist leanings. wapo.st

  • Looking forward to watching Questlove’s latest creation about Sly Stone on Hulu! www.npr.org

  • ↬www.threads.net/@profgalloway/post/DFS2N6VPu3g

    Billy Idol played an incredible set at the Evolution Festival in St. Louis last summer. He and the band were a late add when Blondie canceled their tour unexpectedly. Billy Idol’s set was one of the major highlights of the entire weekend.

  • Absolutely incredible St. Louis Metro District Honor Choir performance yesterday afternoon! Bringing together the best artists from across the region can only produce amazing results. The best part for me was hearing how excited our son was to be able to sing in such a talented choir. We definitely heard some future music majors in that bunch, and I hope this experience inspires our son to try out again next year.

  • I’ve been on a bit of a Tom Petty kick this week. I had completely forgotten that Tom did a funny thing on the CD of Full Moon Fever at the end of Runnin’ Down a Dream.

    Remember that Full Moon Fever was released in 1989, and records and tapes were still quite prevalent at the time. So, at the end of Runnin’ Down a Dream, Tom tells the CD listener that the record and tape listeners need to flip their records and tapes. Very clever at the time.

    35 years later, I’m sitting outside listening to a speaker that’s not physically connected to anything with a hand-held computer (phone) in my hand also not physically connected to anything playing music that’s not actually stored physically anywhere near me.

    Fascinating stuff for sure, and this is why I love technology. Everything is possible!