Guitar Hero II woes

Well, I give up. I’ve been having a problem with Guitar Hero II ever since I bought it: at multiple points during gameplay, the fret board (i.e., the notes you need to play) and song will freeze up — but not the screen itself, funny enough: the band characters still rock out like they’re playin’ something — and when play resumes, the fret board, and the guitar audio track behind it, will be out-of-sync with the vocal, bass and drums tracks (to ear-curdling effect, as you can imagine).

It seems to be a widely reported problem, and indeed, some persons clearly have it worse than I do: mine usually doesn’t freeze up more than a dozen times per song. Others have suggested that it might be specific shipments (i.e., a bad press or two). I bought the two-disc Guitar Hero & Guitar Hero II package today — I didn’t have the first one, and, frankly, it may have the best track list of the lot — and while Guitar Hero worked perfectly, the new copy of Guitar Hero II has the same problems as the old one (outlined above).

I too tried playing GH2 with all the various permutations of widescreen mode and progressive scan being on and off, to no avail. Oddly enough, when I played Guitar Hero III (for Playstation 2, as all these other titles are, obviously) with both widescreen mode and progressive scan on, it worked like a charm; just the slightest of skips every now and then, and all the tracks were still in sync afterward (which is worst part of the GH2 problem, by far).

What finally led me to giving up on GH2, however, was the discovery that practice mode doesn’t suffer from this problem: basically I just wanna play the songs — Wayward Son is AWESOME! — and now I know I can, so long as I make it through the game once in the skippy-crappy version (to unlock all the tracks for practice). I’m reasonably happy with that; especially since the world seems to have moved on to Guitar Hero World Tour et al.

So I’ll return the two-disc package tomorrow, buy myself a copy of Guitar Hero and cut my losses, as it were. Unless they come out with their own “track packs” of the GH and GH2 tracks for the Wii (the system I started playing GH3 on); then I’ll be dippin’ in my wallet again.

The Trews and the Capital Music Hall

I bought tickets for this one with some trepidation. I’d seen these guys open for Gordie Johnson and Big Sugar a few years ago (at the old Capital Music Hall on Rideau, come to think of it), and had been blown away by their guitarist, John Angus; he and Gordie got goin’ on a few songs — man, what a show.

But the trepidation surrounded what seemed to be a new sound on their third album, No Time For Later. My first impression — a few months ago now, I guess — was that it was often repetitive, and downright dull. The only addendum that subsequent times through brought was a snort or two at the new oak-cudgel diplomacy in their lyrics.

Now, before I continue, I know I’m being hard on these guys. But it’s only because I really liked their first two albums, and I think they’re truly talented musicians. At the end of the day, however, they’re boys from down east makin’ it big, and that’s wicked (or deadly, as they say on the rock). I wish ‘em all the best, and that sentiment carried me through the subject ticket purchase.

So I get there around 9 p.m. or so and I don’t even know who’s opening. Turns out that it was supposed to be Rise Against, but ended up being a band from Toronto called My Darkest Days. Talk about f***in’ apropos is all I’m going to say about them. Again, Canadian boys, so good on ‘em, and they may have been filling in on really short notice. Definitely not for me, though.

But by the time they’re off and the roadies are startin’ to set things up for the Trews, it’s gettin’ really hot. I mean obscenely so. It was a replay of the Airbourne show I saw there in April. Again, amazing band; just amazing. (Great opening act too in that case, though: Endeverafter are f***in’ showmen in the best sense of the word.) But, crazy hot and tons of technically difficulties. Sound problems, delays. There were close to a dozen ear-piercing tones this time, though, that we weren’t subjected to last time. Just completely unprofessional. The place is a f***in’ joke. If Tool came to that place, I’d still have to seriously think about passing (and their my favourite band, in case that wasn’t coming across).

So the Trews finally come out, and they’re complaining about the heat and the fog — yeah, worse than down east, they said; fog machine was workin’ overtime — ’cause it’s really bad. Anyway, what can I say: they’re touring their new album, so they played a lot of tracks off it; and I still don’t like it. The backdrop was neat, though. I liked the light show (although my relief at being spared a second round of My Darkest Days’ seizure-inducing onslaught may have played a role there).

Anyway, I ended up taking off early, after a lacklustre solo from John Angus — it was cool, but nowhere near what he’s capable of. I swear the guy wouldn’t have broken a sweat if they hadn’t been playing on Mercury. But enough of that. As I said, good on ‘em, and lots of people around me seemed to be enjoying themselves, so there ya go.

More on message…

Sleater-Kinney was another great example of a band with a voice; I’m still making my way back through their stuff, but that was clear from my second or third time through The Woods.

Let’s Call It Love blew me away; here’s a selection:

…
Want it like you never have
Timing and tiger strength
…
And you better be my bloody match
…
Been such a long time
I’ve wasted all my fucking time
…
Let’s call it love

My dear, look at my face
I’ve been waiting for you in the same old place
I’ve got a long time for love
My body is all shook up
like a bottle of pop and I wanna go off
I’ve got a long time for love
Lock the door, lock it on up
I won’t let you go until I’ve had enough
I’ve got a long time for love
…

The words may not read like much, until, first, you realize they’re written by a woman, and, second, you hear them belted out by Carrie Brownstein, complemented by the band’s raw, rhythmic cacophony. It’s powerful stuff.

Hawksley Workman and the message

I bought For him and the girls, lover/fighter, and Treeful Of Starling the other day on my brother’s recommendation; boy, am I impressed. How have I missed hearing about this guy for so long? And a good ole Canadian boy, no less!

He’s that rare combination of voice – in the sense of having something to say, a message – and talent. I find myself drawn to those musicians, in spite of any apathy in might initially have regarding their music; that is, without that voice – again, the broader sense – I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

Some musicians seem to lose their voice. The analogy of a well is popular and apt. Some have more to draw on. For example, Chris Cornell’s is shallow – his lyrics have become increasingly strained since Badmotorfinger. Tori Amos’s seems deeper. I say ’seems’ because I’ve lost interest in her over these, oh, goin’ on 15 years now, I guess; but there are likely a variety of reasons for that, not the least of which is how much I’ve changed since then. There’s less doubt with Chris because, unlike Tori, I still enjoy Audioslave’s music; or its potential, anyway. But his lyrics are inane.

Aside: All that’s in the past! Rage is back, baby!

All that to say, I like Hawksley Workman’s music more each time I listen to it, and that has more to do with his voice – no need to clarify now, right? :-) behind it than the music itself. For example, I could see Panic! At the Disco playing a song that sounds just like Paper Shoes, but isn’t nearly as compelling.