Episode 18, where Mercurial soars high and Aztechnology falls low. Also happens to be the last episode of season 1!
Click below to listen to episode 19 or go to future Ares Subsidiary iTunes and Subscribe!
Shadowland and Jackpoint uploads for sources and further reading:
Aztlan Sourcebook
Corporate Guide
Germany Sourcebook
Neo-Anarchists Guide to North America
Seattle: 2072
Seattle Sourcebook
Shadows of North America
Shadowrun 20th Anniversary
Sixth World Almanac
Target: UCAS
Tir Tairngire: The Land of Promise
“Bring Your Love Back to me Baby” is definitely in my top three for Maria Mercurial hits. But “Who Weeps for the Children?” was number 1 for a reason, omae.
The best way to listen to the Quicksilver Queen is on vinyl. That’s not just me being old-fashioned and elitist, it’s the no-drek truth. For awhile, I thought CDs were the best- I’ve had a “Night Tears” disc (1st edition) for years that’s been almost worn out. Another collector in Denver had a vinyl edition. It was a custom vinyl- no idea how he managed that- so nothing on the mass-market for it. But the acoustics of vinyl are incredible, second only to the real thing. Music on comm-links and stereos always sounds a bit “tinny” to me. I guess my ears are just a bit too sensitive.
It’s really a shame that physical media’s the only way to really preserve the classics. There’s a lot of prolific artists from way back when- Journey, Radiohead, Nickleback- which I absolutely CANNOT listen to. They sound awful. But they sold and kept making songs, so maybe there was something to them that’s been lost as the data corrupts over time. Don’t get me wrong- if I had a chance to get an intact vinyl, it wouldn’t be one of those bands. Maybe if it was only 50- eh, 5 nuyen. It’d be worth a try, just to see.
Though, Maria Mercurial’s authenticity is part of why she’s so good. She’s not just popular, there’s actual substance behind her music. Most corp labels drown out any hope of creativity or heart, but because she’s on top she gets a lot of say in what she produces. You can definitely see the influence of Pink Floyd (early Pink Floyd) and AC/DC in her music, especially her stuff from the 50s. I think she really sparked a revival of the rock ‘n roll genre in the Sixth World. The corp-controlled artists who copied her produced mostly trash, but frag it, it was rock ‘n roll trash and I’ll take it!
She doesn’t have a half bad manager, either, Hernandez knows his biz. He’s been getting really interested in security, too, since an… incident. In any case, Maria Mercurial is the gold standard for music quality and music industry. She’s still going strong, and I think her stuff gets better every year. If you’re in Seattle, she always stops at Underworld 93 when she’s on tour.
Uh… is there a character limit on this?
No character limit! But to your main point, I agree! I love physical copies. I collect cassette tapes from the 1980s…
Chummer. Omae. Friend. Comrade. Next time you’re in Seattle, swing by U93. I have some serious drek to show you.
will do…