View Full Version : Sven listens to hundreds of albums
This may or may not pan out, but hey... we're always up for a new ambitious thread, right?!
Anyway, so between the Top 100 thread that I'm doing with 3 other lovely gentlemen that I opted out of writing for at length in an effort to prioritize my time onto several other projects (including structuring and researching a book that I hope to write in the not-too-distant future), taking a full 14 credit slate at my college (Brooklyn College rulezeez!)--for all of which I "have to read" several books a month and write lengthy papers--interning part-time at the Lincoln Center, and working at Barnes & Noble, I've somehow, for the last month or two, been able to familiarize myself with a new album a day ("new" here = new to me, not "recent").
Let me clarify: it's not just that I listen to a new album every day. It's that I listen to it, really listen to it, at least twice. It's not white noise or background music. I try to engage it as thoroughly as possible, on its own terms.
This has been a very rewarding experience. My horizons have expanded, and will continue to expand, I'm sure. An exciting journey. And now, because I am spending a lot of the time on the computer doing homework, which means that I'm spending a lot of the time on the Internet seeking out distractions, I'm going to record that journey here. I hope you get some recommendations out of it, I hope to hear some recommendations from you.
Let's start the fun.
1. Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
2. Time - Time
3. Jackson Browne - S/T (aka Saturate Before Using)
4: The Incredible String Band - The 5,000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion
5: Budgie - S/T
6. James Gang - James Gang Rides Again
7. Jesus Lizard - Goat
8. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
9. Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
10. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
11. Kool & the Gang - Celebrate!
12. The Pixies - Come On Pilgrim
13. The Replacements - Let It Be
14. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
15. Duran Duran - Red Carpet Massacre
16. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
17. Todd Rundgren - Arena
18. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
19. Sister Sledge - We Are Family
20. Todd Rundgren Live at the Tarrytown Music Hall
21. Georgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity
22. The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
23. Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers
24. Gentle Giant - S/T
25. PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
26. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
27. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...
28. The Velvet Underground - Loaded
29. Air - Moon Safari
30. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
31. 10cc - Deceptive Bends
32. 10cc - How Dare You!
33. The Hungarian Philharmonic - Beethoven's Symphony #2
34. George Harrison - Dark Horse
35. George Harrison - S/T
36. Supertramp - S/T
37. Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar
38. Maria Muldaur - S/T
39. Suicide - Suicide
40. De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
41. Frijid Pink - S/T
42. Klaatu - Hope
43. Jackson Browne - The Pretender
44. Klaatu - S/T aka 3:47 EST
45. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - S/T
46. Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon
47. Rare Earth - Ecology
48. John Cale - Paris 1919
49. Low - The Great Destroyer
50. John Cale - Fear
51. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
52. Deltron 3030 - S/T
53. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
54. Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
55. Paul McCartney - Ram
56. Paul McCartney - McCartney II
57. Paul McCartney - Tug of War
58. Paul McCartney - McCartney
59. Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial
You get pre-rep just for the high concept.
Day 1. Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/1473.jpg
Many thanks to Milky Joe for this recommendation!
I'm a Paul man. I make no apologies. He may write less ambitious music, it may lack John's poetic politics. But by gum, his melodies are so strong and inventive and dulcet. Listen to the dreamy Bluebird to get a sense of McCartney's evocative harmonizing. The jovial title track is practically a world in itself, exploring different faces of a melodious orb. Mamunia is an okay track, as is its follow-up, No Words, though that one sports a killer guitar sound that escalates beautifully. Helen Wheels sounds about as close to Joe Walsh as one can sound before one is actually Joe Walsh. Which is a good thing. My favorite part of the album are its last two tracks, Picasso's Last Words (which features a wonderful reprise of the pulsating Jet halfway through) and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five. Both songs, like the title track, travel across many different beats and scales that are nice, then groovy, then rocking, then thoughtful, then back to nice.
In short, a great album. ****
D_Davis
09-22-2008, 09:12 PM
sounds cool.
365 **** albums? Tres cool.
365 **** albums? Tres cool.
Nah, I don't think so. That's way too daunting a task.
These are actually albums that I've never heard before. I'm taking recommendations from friends, pop culture lists (goddamn Pitchfork, etc), artists, etc. If I like 'em, awesome. If I love 'em, even better! But already, in the past couple of months, I've listened to some real dogs. I'm sure it will happen more and more as I branch away from my comfort zone.
Also, I'm not going to keep my capsules about them relatively pithy, for time reasons. I'm a busy man.
Milky Joe
09-23-2008, 05:42 AM
Glad you like the album. The bridge on "Mamunia" absolutely kills me every time I hear it. It's one of my favorite tracks. Paul could sing like no other human.
Day 2. Time - Time
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/FRONT.jpg
A solid Yugoslavian psychedelic blues band, kind of a mix of Rare Earth and Three Dog Night. Debut album, exceptionally deep sound, thanks mostly to singer Dado Topic, whose vibrato you can feel in your marrow. I'm tempted to call the album's masterpiece its last track, Makedonija (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO_8RG28WRo&feature=related)--its anthemic tone perfectly blending with its progressive noodling. However, I've got to give it up to Za Koji Zivot Treba Da Se Rodim (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=japEKxiOaRg), a ten minute long grind of gyrating flutes, a soaring organ, and jamming guitars. Never a dull moment. Check it out. Unfortunately, aside from these tracks and the interesting blues jam Hegedupa Upa, the album never feels like much more than a heavy retread of that popular soul jazz sound. Exquisitely crafty, though, and I think that, this being their first album, their later stuff is probably much more unique.
***1/2
Day 3: Jackson Browne - S/T (aka Saturate Before Using)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/saturate.gif
I'm not going to say that all of these songs don't sound the same. Unfortunately, that's the trap of this kind of Paul Simon/James Taylor/Jim Croce/Don Henley-type man-of-the-70s-with-guitar type of music. HOWEVER (and this is a bit however), every song (aka, his sound) was completely engaging to me, from the slightly-too-Eagles-soundingy Jamaica Say You Will to the more Cat Stevensy piano-accentuated My Opening Farewell. The best song is the hit: Doctor My Eyes. Goddamn, that's a great song. I never was less than moved by Browne's voice (my inspiration to listen to this album came from seeing him on the Colbert Report last night--he still sounds great!) and he's clearly sincere. I love it when he hits those higher notes and sustains them, as in A Child in These Hills. And the groovy Under the Falling Sky accentuates a similar twisting of chord progression that I relate with Thin Lizzy (and the percussive thrust is awesome!).
Verdict: very good, though a little too anonymous. Perhaps subsequent listens will unearth some shades that I missed. ***, bordering on ***/2
dreamdead
09-25-2008, 07:40 PM
Needs less music influenced by the '70s. Needs more music drawing from '90s and metal. :)
Needs less music influenced by the '70s. Needs more music drawing from '90s and metal. :)
Will take into consideration in the next few days. I just have a much greater wealth of albums from the 70s than I do from the 90s. (Much greater interest, too, admittedly.) But the idea is to expand horizons and take suggestions, so yes... it'll happen.
Day 4: The Incredible String Band - The 5,000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/rsz_incredible20string20band.p ng
Eeeeeh, gotta say, wasn't too big a fan. The first two tracks, Chinese White and (especially) No Sleep Blues, were out of sight. Then the album devolves into a mesh of anonymous sitar noodling, horrible echo delays, and an overall cacophony of concentrated flower-power that was a little too wild for me. Perhaps they're as great as everyone says they are, but thus far, besides those first two tracks which show great potential, I remain unsold.
**
Boner M
09-26-2008, 10:34 AM
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is the only ISB album I've heard, but it's awesome. Dunno why I haven't heard more.
Haven't heard the other three. Time sounds like my kinda thing.
Day 5. Budgie - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Budgie_-_Budgie.jpg
Listen to Nudist Disintegrating Parachutist Woman without thinking of Led Zeppelin (particularly Dazed and Confused). Listen to Homicidal Suicide without thinking of Deep Purple. Listen to All Night Petrol without thinking of Black Sabbath. Listen to The Author without thinking of the vocal work of Janis Joplin. The only track on this album that doesn't feel like a culmination of the hard-driven proto-70s-metal aesthetic is Rape of the Locks, a sweet, pulsing, thrashing jam twists its influences into something sublimely original, even if you do get flashbacks of BOC. Point is, no song on this album actually fully sounds like any singular knock-off. This self-titled debut album from one of the heavier rock bands of the early 70s frequently summons moods and atmospheres that are more than the sum of its very obvious influences. Definitely recommended if you're into that bluesy-structured heavy-metal zen to whom the likes of Judas Priest owe their careers.
***1/2
Ah, Budgie. Them's were the days. I do appreciate these wayback machine experiences, Sherman.
I do appreciate these wayback machine experiences, Sherman.
Yeah. I'm definitely a product of twenty years before I was born, it seems.
Day 6. James Gang - James Gang Rides Again
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/James_Gang_-_James_Gang_Rides_Again.jpg
There are few albums that I would be able to point to someone and say "Listen to this album, it defines my taste in music perfectly." Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything. Kansas's Leftoverture. Electric Light Orchestra's Mission: A New World Record. Perhaps a few others. Now, I can officially add this album to that list. From the opening funkification of the popular Funk #49 to the surprising strings that close Ashes, the Rain and I, this album never released me from its talons of southern rock. Best moment: when Walsh starts playing effing BOLERO in the middle of The Bomber. A perfect range of verbal tension, introspection, harmony, and gnarly jams. Can't speak highly enough of it.
****
Day 7. Jesus Lizard - Goat
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/B0000019HY01_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
The second time through the album, it sounded even more monotonous than the first time through. A couple of songs (Mouth Breather and South Mouth) feature some pretty mad riffing and a barreling force of energy that was absolutely contagious, but for the most part, the production was too unvaried to be really interesting to me. Heavy thuds, grinding guitars, the same tempo throughout, and unintelligible yelping. It's not a bad sound: the songs themselves are better than the album as a whole. I like it more than I ought to, but not by much.
**1/2, maybe ***
Day 8. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/gc_fire.gif
Rockabilly punk that never raises from the trap into which most punk groups fall: every song sounds the effing same. Jack on Fire, Promise Me, and She's Like Heroin To Me do a few interesting things amidst the monotonous production, and thus stand out. But I can't help comparing this album to the far superior X album Los Angeles, which demonstrates a similar vibe but manages a greater thrust and more variant dynamics. Certainly not bad, and occasionally shows great potential, I love the singer's delivery and the slide guitar is a wonderful touch. I just wish the spectrum was a little more colorful.
***
Day 9. Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/jacksonbrowne-runningonempty.jpg
Perhaps ousting Frampton Comes Alive as my favorite live record of all time, this album convinces me of the greatness that people mean when they refer to this guy's ability to craft a song. Most of all, it's his ability to beautifully finish a musical phrase that blows me away. The final double track The Load-Out/Stay is enough for me to create a permanent place in the higher tiers of my esteem for Browne. That's not even to mention The Road, You Love the Thunder, Cocaine, Love Needs a Heart, and the emotional title anthem. The prevailing feeling of the album is that of a man literally just about gone, galvanizing his exhaustion in some of the most involving and driven recordings I'll ever want to hear. A masterpiece.
****
Thirdmango
10-02-2008, 01:13 AM
I'm loving this list so far, the 70s is an era I really haven't delved into as much as I would have liked and I think it's where I'm going to be going to next.
Day 10. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/BeeThousandCover.jpg
A whole lotta static, some sloppy dissonant wankery, 20 songs of wildly varying quality, a handful of nearly brilliant songs (maybe one or two that ARE brilliant--Tractor Rape Chains and Hot Freaks), a sound bordering between lo-fi "authenticity" and incompetence. Genius? I don't care enough to think about it.
**1/2
Boner M
10-02-2008, 02:51 AM
(maybe one or two that ARE brilliant--Tractor Rape Chains and Hot Freaks)
Echoes Myron? Smothered in Hugs? I Am a Scientist? Queen of Cans and Jars? The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory? COME ON!
Echoes Myron? Smothered in Hugs? I Am a Scientist? Queen of Cans and Jars? The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory? COME ON!
You know what's hilarious? Each of those songs (except for Smothered in Hugs, which was boring--I hate that blungblungblungblungblungblung sound) are part of my "nearly brilliant" qualification. I also like Kicker of Elves. It's the other 13 songs that make me go "eeeeeeh..."
Derek
10-02-2008, 02:54 AM
I'm not a huge fan of that album and actually prefer Alien Lanes. Whoever recommended that one to you is clueless about your taste in music though.
I'm not a huge fan of that album and actually prefer Alien Lanes. Whoever recommended that one to you is clueless about your taste in music though.
Blame the bastards at Pitchfork.
I hate to come off as so easily pigeon-holed, but I think it's time to learn to accept who I am. Bring on Kool & the Gang!!
Boner M
10-02-2008, 03:00 AM
You know what's hilarious? Each of those songs (except for Smothered in Hugs, which was boring--I hate that blungblungblungblungblungblung sound) are part of my "nearly brilliant" qualification. I also like Kicker of Elves. It's the other 13 songs that make me go "eeeeeeh..."
"Demons Are Real" is awesome too: Pollard best vox IMO.
That said, I also prefer Alien Lanes.
"Demons Are Real" is awesome too: Pollard best vox IMO.
It's hard for me to accept the strength of an album on fifty seconds, you know? I'm not saying that's what you're doing... it's just that it seems like this album is a compilation of fifty second clips of wildly divergent quality. Some of the good sticks. Most do not ("Demons Are Real" included, sry bone-mac). I guess it's like your thing with compilation movies.
That said, I also prefer Alien Lanes.
This album nearly makes it. It demonstrates potential. If these guys have better stuff, I'm not adverse to spinning it. Maybe I'll get to it sometime this year. :)
Derek
10-02-2008, 03:09 AM
Blame the bastards at Pitchfork.
I hate to come off as so easily pigeon-holed, but I think it's time to learn to accept who I am. Bring on Kool & the Gang!!
I definitely didn't mean to suggest you can be pidgeon-holed, just that I've seen you complain about enough samey/lo-fi/static rock to know this wouldn't be your thing.
Listening to clips of Half Smiles of the Decomposed on iTunes is proving quite rewarding. Perhaps their more streamlined sound works better to emphasize Pollard's obvious songwriting strengths. I hate to sound like I'm anti-lo-fi (early Beck > late Beck), but these clips are shining, I have to say.
D_Davis
10-02-2008, 03:13 AM
Bee Thousand is awesome. One of the best lo-fi rock albums I've ever heard. I love how raw and honest it is. It's just a couple of dudes with some instruments, beer, and a tape recorder, pouring their hearts out in these tiny little pop gems. Yes there is potential to make the songs better, and that potential would be fulfilled on later albums, but the unpolished diamonds on Bee Thousand possess a beauty that was lost once the production become more pristine and technical.
My favorite from these dude's is Tobin Sprout's solo album, Let's Welcome the Circus People. It's brilliant.
D_Davis
10-02-2008, 03:15 AM
Listening to clips of Half Smiles of the Decomposed on iTunes is proving quite rewarding. Perhaps their more streamlined sound works better to emphasize Pollard's obvious songwriting strengths. I hate to sound like I'm anti-lo-fi (early Beck > late Beck), but these clips are shining, I have to say.
Half Smiles is an awesome record. Probably my favorite later period GBV album.
If you get a chance, check out their performance on Austin City Limits - if this doesn't make you a fan, nothing will.
Do you like The Mountain Goats? I'd transplant your praise of Bee Thousand onto Darnielle. Love that guy's passion.
D_Davis
10-02-2008, 03:23 AM
Do you like The Mountain Goats? I'd transplant your praise of Bee Thousand onto Darnielle. Love that guy's passion.
Never heard of them.
Can I like both, or will I need to uproot my enjoyment of GBV and transplant it to The Mountain Goats?
Derek
10-02-2008, 03:28 AM
Never heard of them.
Can I like both, or will I need to uproot my enjoyment of GBV and transplant it to The Mountain Goats?
No, because The Mountain Goats are boring and Darnielle's voice is terrible. Pitchfork and others love them though so don't let me dissuade you from checking them out.
Winston*
10-02-2008, 03:32 AM
You can make the jump from liking either The Mountain Goats or Guided by Voices to liking both of them, but you must be aware that in doing so you must also make the jump from very white to extremely white.
D_Davis
10-02-2008, 03:33 AM
No, because The Mountain Goats are boring and Darnielle's voice is terrible. Pitchfork and others love them though so don't let me dissuade you from checking them out.
I was just listening to The Sunset Tree - the dude sounds like Weird Al.
No, because The Mountain Goats are boring and Darnielle's voice is terrible. Pitchfork and others love them though so don't let me dissuade you from checking them out.
It is true that anything more than maybe twenty minutes of Darnielle begins to annoy because the dude's got hundreds of songs and they all sound exactly the same. But his commitment never fails to move me. And the dude can strum.
I wasn't joking:
Day 11. Kool & the Gang - Celebrate!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/KGCelebrate.jpg
It's incredible how the difference between soulful funk music and kitsch is a slight variance in production considerations. Strip away the sax, turn up the bass, it's funk. Soften the piano chords, take away a few backup singers, it's kitsch. Unfortunately, this album is nearly divided in half between quality grooves and blandness of the likes you'd expect stepping into a department store. The title track (natch), Take It To the Top, and especially Jones v. Jones, a superb lamentation of divorce, are all tip-top shoe-shining sauces made of awesome. Unfortunately, Love Affair and Just Friends make me snoozy, and the instrumental Morning Star seems fitting for the opening credits of a television show produced in the mid-80s. Nothing like the jams they were kicking out on their first few records. My bias tells me this is a quality record, because when it's strong it's Herculean, but my critical faculties are saying that it's a mixed blessing.
Biased Analysis: ***1/2, Proper Analysis: **1/2
Milky Joe
10-03-2008, 06:54 AM
All Hail Texas West is the only worthwhile Mountain Goats album, I think. It actually reminds me a little of Bee Thousand, except with acoustic guitars.
Day 12. The Pixies - Come On Pilgrim
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/r7460691154552054wm6.jpg
Two things: Frank Black's wail and brevity. Twenty very short minutes, this has gotta be one of the greatest bursts of rock music ever recorded. I love the wigged out structure of their songs (Doolittle is one of the all-time greats), but mostly it's a matter of Frank Black's conviction funneled through his fragile yelp of a tenor that sells me. The Holiday Song is now, next to Debaser, my favorite Pixies song. Too good, too good.
****
D_Davis
10-03-2008, 05:42 PM
Sven, have you heard Double Nickels on the Dime, by The Minutemen?
If not, you should check it out for this project.
Sven, have you heard Double Nickels on the Dime, by The Minutemen?
If not, you should check it out for this project.
I got the album and listened to the first third of it and really really liked it, so I'm totally game. Love the song Shit from an Old Notebook.
D_Davis
10-03-2008, 05:55 PM
I got the album and listened to the first third of it and really really liked it, so I'm totally game. Love the song Shit from an Old Notebook.
Awesome.
It's a great album. I just dl'ed the mp3 version. Haven't listened to these dudes since high school.
I also wouldn't mind hearing what you have to say about The Zambonis. 100% Hockey...and Other Stuff. By no means do I think it is a superb album, but damn is it ever fun and creative.
Also, I remember a while ago I mentioned Too Much Joy to you - I can't remember, have you checked out the Cereal Killers album?
I also wouldn't mind hearing what you have to say about The Zambonis. 100% Hockey...and Other Stuff. By no means do I think it is a superb album, but damn is it ever fun and creative.
Also, I remember a while ago I mentioned Too Much Joy to you - I can't remember, have you checked out the Cereal Killers album?
No and no. I like these recommendations. I will use them.
D_Davis
10-03-2008, 10:19 PM
Sweet.
Sometimes I can't tell if Too Much Joy counts as a guilty pleasure or not, but every time I think they do, I throw on Cereal Killers and I am instantly reminded of how awesome the songs are. To me, it's pretty much the epitome of 1990s college rock - poppy as hell, lots of wit, and good, solid upbeat rock 'n roll. The single I first heard, Crush Story, is an awesome song.
Day 13. The Replacements - Let It Be
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Replacements-LetItBe.jpg
Super awesome. I've always loved what I've heard of The Replacements and don't know why it's taken me so long to listen to a whole album. Love the thrust of the opening track and the hazy whirlpool of the last track. The softness of Androgynous is welcome, though the softness of Sixteen Blue (which evokes the strong melodies of John Fogerty) outstays its welcome a bit. Black Diamond rocks. I like the compositions, mostly, and how it adds a layer of complexity to your straightforward punk. Also, Westerberg's voice, post-punk-proto-grunge, is wonderfully emotional. Highly recommended.
***1/2, bordering on ****... I'll definitely listen to this one more.
D_Davis
10-04-2008, 05:28 PM
I've never been able to get into The Replacements, although they have made some of the best no-budget videos of all time.
Day 14. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/devoarewenotmen.jpg
Hated it! Combine XTC and The Cars, strip away lyrical wit and musical complexity, add an unbearably heavy dollop of sassy syllabling and repetitive riffs, licks, and numbers and you've got one of the more irritating albums I've listened to yet. If we are to be entirely open in our disclosure, I will concede that Space Junk has some nifty production, but that's pretty much the extent of my appreciation for this.
*1/2
Day 14. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Hated it!
*1/2
:sad:
:sad:
I know! It totally seems like my thing, but it killed me.
I know! It totally seems like my thing, but it killed me.
Well, to be fair, this one was probably a lot more impressive at the time of its release (1978, when I first bought and loved it), than in any year hence (which, I'm assuming is when you caught up with it). In its time, it really was a classic: from the genre-warping aesthetics of Satisfaction to the too-cool for rock/to weird for punk lo-fi sensibilities of Mongoloid and Jocko Homo; however, they divided critical lines, even back then. So, glad to hear you at least made the effort.
Boner M
10-06-2008, 01:36 AM
If you don't like "Mongoloid", I'm not your friend and I won't read your thread(s).
monolith94
10-06-2008, 02:43 AM
Day 14. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/devoarewenotmen.jpg
Hated it! Combine XTC and The Cars, strip away lyrical wit and musical complexity, add an unbearably heavy dollop of sassy syllabling and repetitive riffs, licks, and numbers and you've got one of the more irritating albums I've listened to yet. If we are to be entirely open in our disclosure, I will concede that Space Junk has some nifty production, but that's pretty much the extent of my appreciation for this.
*1/2
Bah, I'm listening to "Uncontrollable Urge" right now in incensed reaction to this! Fie!
If you don't like "Mongoloid", I'm not your friend and I won't read your thread(s).
You'll come. If I write it, you'll be there.
Boner M
10-06-2008, 02:41 PM
You'll come. If I write it, you'll be there.
Cool that you like "Mongoloid"!
Cool that you like "Mongoloid"!
You!
Day 15. Duran Duran - Red Carpet Massacre
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/300_166890.jpg
Yeah, I've heard it before, but it's fuckin' awesome, so I listened to it again.
****
Day 16. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/VU.jpg
The first all-out masterpiece since I started this. Sister Ray, of course, is possibly the greatest song ever produced. The title track is an excellent propulsive burn. I Heard Her Call My Name is crazy genius, with the kind of guitar solo that you can't figure out how they pulled off. The instrumentation on The Gift is hypnotic, underscoring the most gloriously effed up story I've ever heard. The other two tracks, the faux-psychedelic Lady Godiva's Operation and Here She Comes Now, are solid. Beautifully fuzzy, communicating dissatisfaction, disengagement, and disillusionment through a haze of distilled rock'n'roll!
****, (M), a 10, or possibly a bear, if we are rating on that scale.
D_Davis
10-07-2008, 03:49 PM
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Right on.
Yup.
I see we agree on all points.
Day 17. Todd Rundgren - Arena
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/497.jpg
My love the Wizard is not a secret: this guy is a True Star (and I'm totally going to see him on Saturday!!). He plays every instrument, produces himself, writes himself, he's a pop-genius, constantly redefining genre, skirting its edges with wit and talent. That said, this last album is kind of stale, relatively. The concept is "arena", but it too strongly resembles his last album, Liars, which was an instrospective electro-pop experiment. Feels like he took some cuts from that era and added some guitar solos and tinny drum loops (am I the only one that is bothered by drum loops in rock music? It's so transparent and too perfectly timed... they sound more like a metronomic digital crack than drums.). Still, despite the failure to meet the concept's potential, it is perfectly fine album on its own terms with some choice tracks, Courage being the best (classic Rundgren sound), Strike and Mountaintop being great rockers. Best of all, the album contains the lyric "This used to be a nice place/and now your dick is in the mayonnaise". Brilliant.
***
Boner M
10-09-2008, 05:09 AM
Wow, that might be the worst cover I've ever seen. Still need to check out some Rundgren tho (I know, know...).
I actually listened to WL/WH for the first time in a while yesterday. Your review is spot-on. I think that album is where everything I like about rock music stems from.
Wow, that might be the worst cover I've ever seen. Still need to check out some Rundgren tho (I know, know...).
Listen to Something/Anything first and work your way around that album. Then venture into his post-Hermit of Mink Hollow era. Weird stuff. His work with Utopia rocks and I'll always love him, no matter what, for what he did with Meat Loaf in Bat Out of Hell. Then, you're on your own. He gets pretty inexplicable sometimes.
Day 18. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/double_nickels.jpg
There isn't a bad cut on the album, but the sheer volume of songs ultimately kills the album as a whole, rendering it useful only as a vehicle for singles. Under the weight of 43 tracks, each similarly produced track threatens to become unmemorable, which makes the album a difficult listen (compare to 69 Love Songs, which features a wealth of approaches). My recommendation: slip one or two of these songs into a mix. Familiarize yourself with them. Repeat.
sum - ***, parts - ***1/2
D_Davis
10-09-2008, 09:44 PM
Day 18. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
There isn't a bad cut on the album, but the sheer volume of songs ultimately kills the album as a whole, rendering it useful only as a vehicle for singles. Under the weight of 43 tracks, each similarly produced track threatens to become unmemorable, which makes the album a difficult listen (compare to 69 Love Songs, which features a wealth of approaches). My recommendation: slip one or two of these songs into a mix. Familiarize yourself with them. Repeat.
sum - ***, parts - ***1/2
I agree. I still haven't listened to the whole thing, but I like just about every song on the album. It's just too much, and my interest starts to wane. Could have been split into 2 or 3 AMAZING albums.
I agree. I still haven't listened to the whole thing, but I like just about every song on the album. It's just too much, and my interest starts to wane. Could have been split into 2 or 3 AMAZING albums.
Yes!
D_Davis
10-09-2008, 09:49 PM
I should say, still haven't listened to the whole thing in one sitting.
I bounce around a lot to my favorite tracks, or listen to it broken up into smaller chunks.
I think the style of the music just suits smaller albums.
I think the style of the music just suits smaller albums.
Well, it is broken up into four sub-sections (one for each member of the band + one leftover) that are supposed to be more unified than the album as a whole. I buy that.
Day 19. Sister Sledge - We Are Family
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/SisterSledge-WeAreFamilyDeluxeEditi.jpg
A disco masterwork. I admit that the 8 minute long title track is a bit long, but hey... suck it. Whoever invented that cool tukkatukkatukka disco guitar sound is a goddamn hero.
***1/2 normally, **** (M) when listening to it while snorting coke off the breasts of a rollergirl during an orgy
Acapelli
10-11-2008, 11:11 PM
have you listened to any of arthur russell's disco work? kiss me again (under the dinosaur moniker) and is it all over my face (loose joints) are some of my favorit songs ever
Day 20. Todd Rundgren Live at the Tarrytown Music Hall
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/music/rundgren.jpg
I didn't have time to post this yesterday because we didn't get back until way late, but instead of an album, I went to see Rundgren and it. Was. Dynamite. Seriously one of the best concerts to which I've ever been. Really highlighted were his compositional genius, his proficiency at instrumentation, the virtuosity of his voice, and the strength of the songwriting in his last album, Arena. They really did that album justice: it was much better live. Anyway, it's always great to see musicians who were important to my development in a live setting. Genius.
have you listened to any of arthur russell's disco work? kiss me again (under the dinosaur moniker) and is it all over my face (loose joints) are some of my favorit songs ever
I've only sampled his stuff and have never been impressed. I will seek these out, though.
For the none of you keeping close dibs on the list, you'll notice that I missed a day. It's okay. I foresaw it. Hence "365-ish".
Day 21. Georgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/MusicCatalogGGiorgioMoroder-FromHer.jpg
The last song is so flipping cool that it's a shame that by the time I got to it (only 25 minutes from the start) I was kind of synthed out. Still, lots of respect for Moroder, even if I think it gets a touch monotonouse (the first four tracks utilize practically the same beat). The last half fares better, but the last track soars.
***
Acapelli
10-14-2008, 08:43 AM
from here to eternity is a favorite of mine (the song and the album)
Day 22. The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/bigcomeup.jpg
Can't think of a single bad thing to say: this is some great electric blues. Particularly love the Beatles cover, She Said She Said. I'd like to hear from anyone with an issue--what's to hate? I love that they aren't trying to situate themselves... there is no posturing. This is the real stuff.
****
Day 23. Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/1416637.jpg
Pretty great! A couple of weak spots in the middle, and perhaps I am slightly irritated at Chilton's transparent emoting, but that does not detract from the steady stream of solid tracks, excellent lyrics, impeccable compositions, creative structuring, and exciting sounds. Solid pop... if you like good music, give this a spin.
****
Sorry cats. No album today. Too busy.
Spinal
10-17-2008, 03:54 AM
Just a post to say I've been reading. Enjoying this thread quite a bit.
Derek
10-17-2008, 05:18 AM
Just a post to say I've been reading. Enjoying this thread quite a bit.
Ditto. Although I've unfortunately never been able to finish reading your thoughts on the Georgio Moroder album since my eyes are invariably drawn to that moustache. Definitely a full **** for that beast.
Spaceman Spiff
10-17-2008, 02:29 PM
I've got to say that we have similar tastes in music and curmudgeon-ness. I too loathe youthful "aren't we the coolest!" narcissism in my music for being so "hip." Bring on some VU and then wash it off with "Levitate Me" from Come on Pilgrim.
I really dig WL/WH, but it's probably a testament to how great they were, that it's my least favorite album from them.
1. Loaded 10 (Sweet Jane, Rock and Roll, New Age and Oh! Sweet Nuthin)
2. VU and Nico 9.0 (Sunday Morning, All Tomorrows Parties, Black Angel...)
3. Velvet Underground 8.5 (Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, Afterhours)
4. White Light/White Heat 8.0 (WL/WH, Sister Ray)
Thanks all three for your encouragement! (And I make no apologies for Giorgio's 'stache.) I will choose the next three albums in your honor.
I did not have time to post one yesterday, but there was one. So today, I will post two.
Day 24. Gentle Giant - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/12105.jpg
Now one of my new favorite prog albums. More introspective than the cosmic Yes, more refined than the chaotic Can, more complex than the thick but simple Floyd, more excitingly structured than the comparatively blunt form of ELP, more harmonic than the dissonant King Crimson (all relative--love all the bands cited, which excel in their own ways)... great, thrilling music in any number of ways.
****
For Spinal.
Day 25. PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Rid_of_Me.jpg
1. Rid of Me - Excellent song. I remember when my older sister would play it. I appreciated it less then. Good to know that people can change for the better.
2. Missed - Her voice is amazing. I'm not so sure about the production here. It kind of draws out the music's insufficiencies (the guitar track is a bit uninspired though it gets better when it gets fuzzier) and the strength is clearly the vocal work, which gets drowned out. Still, pretty good song.
3. Legs - Cool, Pixies-ish. Passionate.
4. Rub 'til It Bleeds - Kinda drones on, but not unwelcomely. Pretty cool riffing and I love it when the whole thing explodes halfway into it.
5. Hook - So far the weakest track, however. Something about it makes me feel queasy, and it's not the sleaziness, which I love.
6. Mansize Sextet - Ooooooo, strings! And ramps up the sleaze. What's not to like? I ask.
7. Highway 61 Revisited - The production on this album is progressively more and more annoying. It's like a sonic bog, where all the instruments stew in a slop of sound, refusing to be distinct. Still, great, great cover that does everything a great cover should do: it captures the spirit of the original while Harvey claims it as her own.
8. 50 ft. Queenie - A classic that I've never really liked. It's the speed that bothers me. I suppose I'm just not high strung enough...
9. Yuri-G - Ah. A much more palatable clip. More strings!
10. Mansize - Allow me to be candid: the strumming style espoused in the verses of this track is something that my leanings actively battle. It's such a boring sound that I'm surprised at its ubiquity. I'm glad this album has used it sparingly, and the chorus parts of this song bring what's needed. But that strum... it just doesn't do it for me.
11. Dry - The multitrack vocals, however, are totally doing it for me. Beautiful song. Probably my favorite song of hers that I've heard.
12. Me-Jane - Good.
13. Snake - I'm beginning to think this woman is preoccupied with sexuality. What do you think?
14. Ecstasy - Solid but somewhat weak conclusion to a pretty great album.
Verdict: Ms. Harvey - ****, Mr. Albini - *1/2, the album - ***1/2, though I can see my appreciation for the songs increase with familiarity.
dreamdead
10-19-2008, 04:20 AM
Yeah, the songs on this album are solid, but the production was fairly poor in my estimation. The guitars are just kinda fuzz too often. I borrowed this album and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea from a coworker, but the latter album was truly remarkable and thus my money went that route. I went back and grabbed Is This Desire? as well, but the understated techno underpinning makes it kind of sit there and not get played.
Still, I should revisit this one sometime.
Spinal
10-19-2008, 04:57 AM
Verdict: Ms. Harvey - ****, Mr. Albini - *1/2, the album - ***1/2, though I can see my appreciation for the songs increase with familiarity.
Might want to check out 4-Track Demos which contains many of these songs in a form than is more direct and intimate. Glad you enjoyed this. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea and To Bring You My Love are the unquestioned masterpieces in my opinion. "Dry" is indeed a beautiful song. It should have been on my top 100 list. Don't know what I was thinking.
Day 24. Gentle Giant - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/12105.jpg
Now one of my new favorite prog albums. More introspective than the cosmic Yes, more refined than the chaotic Can, more complex than the thick but simple Floyd, more excitingly structured than the comparatively blunt form of ELP, more harmonic than the dissonant King Crimson (all relative--love all the bands cited, which excel in their own ways)... great, thrilling music in any number of ways.
****
This is a great album, and one of my favorites too. Nice pick.
For Derek (and sorry Russ!):
Day 26. Genesis - The Lamb... Lies Down... On Brooooooaaaaadway
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/gelld.jpg
This is beautiful music. I love how clearly idiosyncratic it is while still managing to craft exemplary pop songs. The Carpet Crawlers and Cuckoo Cocoon just about kill me with their genius. I've only got one more word: masterpiece.
****, bear, 100, lion, 10, (M), 99 (on trans's scale), Citizen Kane
Spiff, I will do your album tomorrow. This one happened by circumstance.
Day 27. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/DJ_Shadow_-_Endtroducing.jpg
At the risk of being labeled a philistine, I'll make no attempts at hiding my ambivalent feelings about "trip hop" and extended tracks of droney loops and hiphop drumbeats. I like it sometimes (love Tricky, Massive Attack is fun, do the Gorillaz count?), but as a whole, I just don't find it engaging. It seems like a willful attempt at distancing the experience from the analytical capacity of our consciousness. "Trip" being the operative word, as in, replicating the disassociation of being on a mental lunchbreak. Anyway, that's me. That's my bias. I like pop songs. I like construction that confronts one's expectations of narrative and poetic structure, as well as classical forms. I don't get that with this album. I get some groovy beats, some cool sounds, yes, and some interesting layering. But it's all just a wash in my brain. The effect of everything is a monotone. Something wonderful to relax to, no question, and it's certainly a beautiful creation. But does one have to say they love Stagecoach if they hate Westerns?
Appreciation - ****, Satisfaction - **1/2
Spinal
10-20-2008, 05:14 PM
Hey! I reviewed that album at the old site after it was assigned to me in a CD swap. Here's what I wrote. Man, I'm silly.
I imagine that the music of DJ Shadow probably works great at one of those late night get-togethers where you’ve got several quality friends over but not enough to qualify as a full-blown party. There’s a dreamy, intoxicating quality to the selected grooves and occasional vocals. Hearing snatches here and there in between enthusiastic conversation, I imagine I would feel rather “with it” and enjoy knowing that a memorable evening was being underscored appropriately. DJ Shadow’s moniker is well selected, as he seems to truly embrace the sound of twilight. There are a couple aggressive beats here; however, most of the tracks seem to call to mind a sort of dreamtime for adults. Unlike someone like Fatboy Slim, for example, I doubt DJ Shadow would inspire me to dance unless it was in a dimly lit room with someone I wished to hold close. It seems to me an album that is not meant to be experienced in and of itself, but rather to provide atmosphere and texture to a pleasant evening that needs only a subtle touch. Unfortunately, I was not able to create those conditions during the few times I listened to Endtroducing… Indeed, I strangely found that the closer I listened to the album, the less rewarding I found the experience. Distracted with other activities, I found the album to be warm and soothing. Listening intently with headphones, I found the layering of the music to be simplistic and occasionally tedious. My main complaint – which is probably unfair for this sort of ambient experience – is that most of the tracks just don’t seem to go anywhere. Sounds build one at a time on top of each other and then essentially repeat themselves for about six or seven minutes. The occasional exceptions, such as a bizarre organ solo are most welcome. I will also mention that I greatly enjoyed “Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain”, which seemed to be the most successful construction of an individual track possessing variety and taking the listener on a genuine journey.
All in all, I am glad to have been exposed to this artist and would enjoy hearing more of his work, particularly under the conditions I have described above.
A very great description of nearly my exact response. Thanks!
Derek
10-20-2008, 06:30 PM
For Derek (and sorry Russ!):
Day 26. Genesis - The Lamb... Lies Down... On Brooooooaaaaadway
This is beautiful music. I love how clearly idiosyncratic it is while still managing to craft exemplary pop songs. The Carpet Crawlers and Cuckoo Cocoon just about kill me with their genius. I've only got one more word: masterpiece.
****, bear, 100, lion, 10, (M), 99 (on trans's scale), Citizen Kane
Yes, yes, yes! I'm glad you got around to this one after loving Selling England By the Pound. I can't think of another double album that's as consistently awesome as this...one of my absolute favorites.
And I will be checking out that Gentle Giant album for sure. Sounds great.
Yes, yes, yes! I'm glad you got around to this one after loving Selling England By the Pound. I can't think of another double album that's as consistently awesome as this...one of my absolute favorites.
I am humbly grateful for your suggestion that I pick up those albums. My appreciation is boundless.
There's no way you won't like Gentle Giant. I really wish I had the time to go all out and write more than a few sentences on these, because there are tomes to be written about many of these albums. I guess what I'm doing with this project is obtaining a larger sampling of music with which I am inexperienced in order to see where I could potentially go with writings of some kind. I wish I wasn't so bothered with school. Bah.
For Spiff
Day 28. The Velvet Underground - Loaded
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/2025617.jpg
Let me just say that the first three tracks are godly. Particularly love Rock & Roll, which has some great strumming and layering. Very ebullient. Very alive. Unfortunately, the album steps back after those tracks and becomes merely a roster of solidly constructed and very good rock songs. Not bad, but it feels like they are less concerned with creating an exciting sound than they are constructing a solid, marketable product, which is respectable but the extent to which they nerf that beautiful sound they achieved with White Light/White Heat is unquestionably sad. It's nice that they're trying different things and everything, but I'm just not seeing that spark of crafty brilliance. Just some good songwriting.
***, maybe ***1/2, tough to say... I'm having a hard time not comparing it to WH/WL
Boner M
10-22-2008, 03:42 AM
I think "Cool it Down" is as good as the first three tracks, but you're right... it's the very definition of a frontloaded album.
I think "Cool it Down" is as good as the first three tracks, but you're right... it's the very definition of a frontloaded album.
Cool. Recommend an album, B-man.
Day 29. Air - Moon Safari
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/MusicCatalogAAir-MoonSafariAir-Moon.jpg
Following in the gooey steps of the Cocteau Twins and presaging the thumpy drones of Daft Punk, my feelings are torn between my love for grooviness and my dislike for all things New Agey. It would be unfair of me to not mention the sheer beauty of tracks like Ce Matin La (those horns are goddamn beautiful), Kelly Watch the Stars, and La Femme D'Argent (with its sublimely awesome jazzy keyboard riffing). New Star in the Sky is moody and worthy of Pink Floyd (sans the voxboxing). But I don't think the album as a whole, no matter how wobbly their sound or neato their unorthodox digressions, successfully shakes off the stigma of well-produced muzak, particularly in the woman-sung songs (I'm thinking mostly of All I Need, though You Make It Easy is only marginally better), which are far too bland to be significant.
***
dreamdead
10-22-2008, 07:26 PM
Ce Matin La is indeed beautiful. So much so that I still contemplate rebuying the album occasionally just for that track. But then I remember that, like you said, the rest is so bland.
I often think about picking up Air's follow-up for some reason, though. I think bacon's review set me down that road...
Boner M
10-22-2008, 08:06 PM
Cool. Recommend an album, B-man.
Any album? Hmm... y'heard The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight?
Any album? Hmm... y'heard The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight?
Have not. Will work on its acquisition. Watch out for it.
transmogrifier
10-23-2008, 09:23 AM
Suicide - s/t
Boner M
10-23-2008, 11:46 AM
Suicide - s/t
Hmm... probably too droney for our 'sos.
D_Davis
10-23-2008, 02:45 PM
Suicide - s/t
Awesome album.
bac0n
10-24-2008, 07:21 PM
Great pick on the Moon Safari. La Femme d'Argent is one of my favorite chillout songs. The only weak track on the album, IMO, is Sexy Boy.
Acapelli
10-24-2008, 09:29 PM
i would also like to throw in my support behind suicide's first album
Another day where I have two entries because I didn't post yesterday:
Day 30. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/underwatermoonlight.jpg
Sorry, B. Man, but this gets an "eh". Not ecstatic enough. Kinda drudging and uninventive. Not offensive. I was uninvolved. I did really like that neat guitar riffing on "Old Pervert," though.
**
Day 31. 10cc - Deceptive Bends
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/10cc-Deceptive-Bends-171423_2006081.jpg
Sans Godley and Creme, the artistic pretenses are gone and we have a playful, inventive collection of boogie-rific pop. The definition of "my kind of thing". Great solos, fun production, soaring vocals, and an infectious attitude.
****
Boner M
10-25-2008, 12:15 AM
Another day where I have two entries because I didn't post yesterday:
Day 30. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
Sorry, B. Man, but this gets an "eh". Not ecstatic enough. Kinda drudging and uninventive. Not offensive. I was uninvolved. I did really like that neat guitar riffing on "Old Pervert," though.
**
Bah. Drudging? Not ecstatic enough? What about "I Wanna Destroy You"? The title track? That chorus is as ecstatic as pop music gets. "Kingdom of Love"? "Insanely Jealous"? COME ON.
Are you a Robyn Hitchcock fan? I haven't actually heard any of his solo stuff, though I've been meaning to for ages, esp. cos of his Demme involvement.
Right on the mark with Underwater Moonlight, Boner. I bet it'll grow on Sven if he just gives it a few more listens. Even though that album is a classic, I would have been more inclined to recommend the sublime Invisible Hits.
Bah. Drudging? Not ecstatic enough? What about "I Wanna Destroy You"? The title track? That chorus is as ecstatic as pop music gets. "Kingdom of Love"? "Insanely Jealous"? COME ON.
Funny story: I actually listened to the album twice without ever hearing the title track. I guess when I put it on my iPod, I copied the whole album without copying that track. Weird. Anyway, I love what they do with the guitar during the chorus. Strong melody. An okay track. It's not a bad album. It feels very generic. I relistened to each of the tracks you mention and other than that missed title track and I dunno... without going into an enormous dissertation about the music's construction and my tastes, I could scarcely come close to describing why I find it limp. It's very formulaic and conventionally produced. It's fine rock--if it was on in someone's car, I would not be upset. But it does not engage me.
Day 32. 10cc - How Dare You!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/10c_how_dare_you_1997_cd.jpg
Greatest album cover ever, and the music lives up to its gloriously vivid and elaborate set-up. I was wrong to write off Godley and Creme before because this album dismisses all artistic pretense, resulting in a work of dynamic pop art that in practically incomparable in terms of playfulness and wit. I offer this album as a suggestion to all those baffled at my lukewarm response to Underwater Moonlight to get a sense of what it is I admire in musical construction. "Rock 'n Roll Lullaby," "I'm Mandy Fly Me," and "Don't Hang Up" represent a trifecta of unbearable awesome. Kinda borders on Kinksy musical theater, but in what way is that not the greatest thing ever?
********
Day 33. The Hungarian Philharmonic - Beethoven's Symphony #2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/4177BBHPPTL_SL500_AA240_.jpg
A sprightly delight.
****
Kurious Jorge v3.1
10-27-2008, 01:31 AM
10cc is awesome.
Day 34. George Harrison - Dark Horse
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/B000008GED01_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Hmmm... maybe the weakest solo album of any Beatle, I was distracted by its genericness and unengaged by most of its function as a vehicle for Harrison's usually strong melodies, here largely absent in favor of a largely functional roteness. Far East Man is a pretty great tune, though, and his version of Bye Bye Love is played with all the chilliness that its lyrics suggest, stripping the song of its typical irony. Welcome, but too little.
**
(cheating a little...)
Day 35. George Harrison - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/A060830-02_GeorgeHarrison_GeorgeHar.jp g
Ah, now this is the George I'm talking about. Refreshing, harmonic, life-affirming. Dig.
****
Spaceman Spiff
10-29-2008, 01:24 AM
Day 28. The Velvet Underground - Loaded
Nuh uh. New Age, and especially Oh Sweet Nuthin are the best songs on that record. I lose my shit at that intense drumming at the end of the latter.
I really dig ...Endtroducing, but I can understand your reservations, and I sorta do agree with them regarding the less succesful songs on that record. Probably has something to do with my audio mixing background, but that album is astoundingly crafted. Not mundane in the slightest, I think (in response to Spinal).
If you want to hear some breathtaking mixing that feels more human (for lack of a better word), put on Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys. One of the very best records ever, and one that reveals new (and awesome) layers every time I hear it.
Day 36. Supertramp - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/00082839314923.jpg
I didn't know that this album existed until a week or so ago. I was content to let their mid-to-late-70s tetrafecta speak for itself. It's interesting to see the buds of a great new sound beginning to blossom (before the inevitable wilt with the sadly appropriately titled Famous Last Words). A little more experimental here, with some great moments, frequently more daring than I'm used to hearing from them (guitar solos were not so much their thing). However, what this album illustrates to me (much in the same way that The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway did, only more indirectly) is the ability of pop structure in songwriting to elevate music into the stratosphere. Here they're stuck between convention and progression and the sound they create is fun and interesting, but it's nothing compared to the unabashed ebullience of Breakfast in America.
***
Alright, new thing: this isn't going to be a day thing anymore. This is just going to be an "As I listen to them thing." It will no longer be daily project because I'm finding that to be up in the air too often. I will still be listening to new albums at the same rate. Next entry soon!
37. Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/bonsai.jpg
Taking a break from all the 70s stuff (God, I love it so!) with a dose of heavy experimental metal that, surprise surprise, is actually pretty good! The music is held together with excellent beats and melodies that feel like they have a narrative purpose, opposing the typical noise wankery of other such music. I'm not going to say it was a masterpiece, but it was a blast of sorts. I could do without the creepy vocal stuff--I'm not sure I like it when my spine tingles.
***
38. Maria Muldaur - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/B000002KBZ01_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Do yourself a favor. Check out the song Midnight at the Oasis. You'll thank me. Here is a collection of country-folk (not a genre with which I am typically "down") with which I can get down. Very rich production, her storytelling is infectious. Only a couple of duds, but they are far between. Strong album.
***1/2
Hey Sven, if you're still looking for obscure-ish recos (of the 70's American Prog-scene vibe), try to locate the Pampered Menial album by Pavlov's Dog. I seem to remember something from you about an appreciation for creative falsetto's. You'll either love it, like me, or you'll really, REALLY dislike it. They've definitely got their own sound, and their 2nd album, At the Sound of the Bell, is every bit as good as their 1st.
Whatta ya got to lose?
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3504/209q2hinf7.jpg
D_Davis
10-29-2008, 10:50 PM
38. Maria Muldaur - S/T
I'm going to get this for my wife - I think she'll dig it.
Hey Sven, if you're still looking for obscure-ish recos (of the 70's American Prog-scene vibe), try to locate the Pampered Menial album by Pavlov's Dog. I seem to remember something from you about an appreciation for creative falsetto's. You'll either love it, like me, or you'll really, REALLY dislike it. They've definitely got their own sound, and their 2nd album, At the Sound of the Bell, is every bit as good as their 1st.
Muchas, muchas gracias.
Oh, and for everyone, this is the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYUlqqq85xY) I was talking about by Muldaur. D, this is more or less representative of the vibe you get from the whole album, plus a little more slide guitar.
Spaceman Spiff
10-30-2008, 12:13 AM
Hey Sven, if you're still looking for obscure-ish recos (of the 70's American Prog-scene vibe), try to locate the Pampered Menial album by Pavlov's Dog. I seem to remember something from you about an appreciation for creative falsetto's. You'll either love it, like me, or you'll really, REALLY dislike it. They've definitely got their own sound, and their 2nd album, At the Sound of the Bell, is every bit as good as their 1st.
Yep.
Sven, I'd recommend that you check out Moondog, if you haven't. He was a blind cosmologist who did a lot of avant-garde jazz on instruments he invented.
39. Suicide - Suicide
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/B000040OBS01LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Songs I liked: the first song, Ghost Rider. The fourth and fifth songs, Johnny and Girl.
Why I liked these songs: Ghost Rider, because I guess there was a novelty in the sound, plus the propulsion is fairly intense. It is a sound, though, wherein by the second song I was fairly bored (though I do love the keyboards that come in a quarter of the way into it). Methinks that Bone-daddy was correct: the drone, by God, the drone is killing me! Johnny I liked because of the classic blues progression--I'm a sucker for it, and the way it doesn't try to cohere lyrically while sticking steadfastly to that blues structure was cool. Oh, and speaking of keyboards, that's why I liked Girl. Breaks the monotony and becomes quite entrancing. Note: it appears as though I am more entranced by melody than rhythm. While I would not deny that, exceptions abound.
The one song I thought was patently ridiculous: Frankie Teardrop. I think that perhaps it is this song that has given this album its reputation. Am I wrong to think that? It's so extreme that there has to be some truth in that. Anyway, I thought the story illuminated nothing. It squanders its Kafka-like setup in favor of lame shrieks and stammerings in an attempt to horrify. Did. Not. Work. I know the aim is somewhat different, but compared to the lucidity of Eminem's Kim, it was simply laughable.
Long story short, despite the drone, I'm surprised at how easy it was on the ears. Not a terrible groove, but I'm going to play the bias card and state that I wish there was more melody. Because when it was melodic, it was pretty great.
**1/2
Sven, I'd recommend that you check out Moondog, if you haven't. He was a blind cosmologist who did a lot of avant-garde jazz on instruments he invented.
Oooooooh, man. If there's one thing that, like, is entirely and absolutely opposed to every fiber of my being, it is avant-garde jazz. I should listen to some Moondog at any rate, so thanks for the reminder. He's got a pretty interesting story.
Spaceman Spiff
10-30-2008, 02:47 AM
Oooooooh, man. If there's one thing that, like, is entirely and absolutely opposed to every fiber of my being, it is avant-garde jazz. I should listen to some Moondog at any rate, so thanks for the reminder. He's got a pretty interesting story.
Heh. It's sort of Prog-y, though. And it's not totally avant-garde to the point where there's no real musical synchronicity. Let me put it this way, do you dig early King Crimson, or Bitches Brew? Moondog at his best is cut from the same cloth.
do you dig early King Crimson, or Bitches Brew? Moondog at his best is cut from the same cloth.
Yes and yes. I will check some out.
Boner M
10-30-2008, 02:29 PM
I kinda agree w/ you RE: Frankie Teardrop, it's just too desperate and has no replay value. The other 6 tracks rule, though you should've singled out the hauntingly pretty "Cheree".
dreamdead
10-30-2008, 03:14 PM
37. Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar
***
I am... intrigued. Thanks for the heads-up on this.
40. De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/MusicCatalog_D_DeLaSoul-DeLaSoulIsD.jpg
It's tempting to call the amount of skits on this album excessive, but everything is so integrated, the songs flowing in and out of the spoken word and the music underscoring dialogue that it culminates into a practically brilliant vision. The production is so nice on the ears that it eases itself into your mind and blossoms into a model of lyrical complexity, at once disarming and militant. Brothers and sisters, I think we have a new favorite hip-hop album.
****
41. Frijid Pink - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Frijid_Pink_Album.jpg
At first I was ready to write them off as a carbon copy of Cream, but as the songs accumulated, the purity of their form began to hit me until by the end I was completely digging it. Of particular worth is God Gave Me You. I do think that the singer is possibly less enthusiastic as he should be given the style and tempo of the music. Perhaps that's what ultimately makes Cream the better band. Still, great psychedelic blues rock for those interested in the genre.
***1/2
42. Klaatu - Hope
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/klaatub.jpg
Derek, Russ, Davis, B. Machine, everyone reading, it is imperative that you download, purchase, steal, whatever this album. From the geniuses that wrote Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (not on this album), we've got here a resonant narrative of the last man on Earth, being told from the perspective of the cosmos, executed by a humdinger of a production crew, calling on the epic strength of the London Symphony Orchestra, this very well could be the greatest album ever produced, progressive or otherwise. Replete with funkiness, introspection, bombast, harrowing scenes, and gaiety. I can't speak highly enough of it.
A million shining stars
monolith94
10-30-2008, 10:15 PM
Walking through a graveyard listening to Loaded while thinking of loves gone by has been one of the singular great experiences of my life.
What do you think of Daft Punk's latest, Human After All?
What do you think of Daft Punk's latest, Human After All?
A couple of strong tracks muddled amidst a barrage of rote electronica. Their worst, though still listenable.
monolith94
10-31-2008, 02:00 AM
my first few listens, I'd have agreed with you, but it's really grown on me. Human After All and Make Love have to be two of my absolute fave. DP tracks. Make Love especially.
D_Davis
10-31-2008, 02:39 AM
40. De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
It's amazing. Prince Paul's production is second to none, perhaps only topped in the hip hop world by the Dust Brothers on Paul's Boutique.
This album is an absolute masterpiece.
Pease Porridge is one of the best hip hop tracks of all time.
Have you heard Prince Paul's albums "Psychoanalysis" and "A Prince Among Thieves"?
Both are awesome.
D_Davis
10-31-2008, 03:03 AM
You should try to get your hands on this:
http://www.thebigplayback.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bmonsters.jpg
The Boogie Monsters first album.
My all time favorite hip hop album
Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress (this track is the shit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARc_mdE_r6A&feature=related
Boogie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-PUSECOgxo
Strange
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6qN5rmTNCg&feature=related
Every track on this album is awesome. The production is out of this world. There are so many little things going on. I'm constantly hearing new things.
43. Jackson Browne - The Pretender
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/pretender.jpg
I'm surprised that I've mostly written off Mr. Browne until recently. His songwriting is unquestionably strong. And while he feels a little safe musically, the dulcet quality of his tone and the precision of his pitch allow him to complete his safe musical phrases like nobody else I've heard. I'd love to call this a masterpiece, so I probably will: each song after the next oozes with a nearly tactile emotive pleading that is futile to attempt dismissing.
**** (M)
monolith94
10-31-2008, 10:53 PM
What do you think of Deltron 3030?
What do you think of Deltron 3030?
I've actually never heard of it until now and it sounds amazing. Will obtain!
monolith94
10-31-2008, 11:27 PM
oooooooh I hope you like them as much as I do :)
Benny Profane
11-01-2008, 12:42 AM
When asked what type of music/band I hate the most, the first thought that comes to mind is Jackson Browne. Sorry, had to be said. He is terrible.
When asked what type of music/band I hate the most, the first thought that comes to mind is Jackson Browne. Sorry, had to be said. He is terrible.
Whoa. Even more than, like, Josh Groban? Or Toby Keith? That's some mighty hate, my friend.
Derek
11-01-2008, 07:53 AM
Whoa. Even more than, like, Josh Groban? Or Toby Keith?
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/specials/teen_choice/jonas_brothers/jonas_brothers02.jpg
Kurosawa Fan
11-01-2008, 02:53 PM
Any guy who wears white sunglasses should be punched. Hard. While we're at it, throw "bandanas around their neck" to that first sentence. I didn't know that fad escaped the 1800's.
Benny Profane
11-01-2008, 02:57 PM
Who are those butt-heads? I must know.
Kurosawa Fan
11-01-2008, 03:33 PM
Who are those butt-heads? I must know.
The Jonas Brothers! They're so dreamy.
44. Klaatu - S/T aka 3:47 EST
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/klaatu3a.jpg
Three words: greatest. Band. Ever. All of my comments about Hope apply here (minus the London Symphony Orchestra, though an approximation is achieved through excellent use of synthetic sound). A must for anyone interested in pop music, progressive music, or just music in general.
****
I'm beginning to think that I need to start listening to more bad music. All this great music can't be good for me.
ThePlashyBubbler
11-02-2008, 12:39 AM
Been reading along with the list, some excellent picks so far. A few recs you may have already heard:
Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
Lou Christie - Paint America Love
45. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/ELPdebut.jpg
Yet another band I've spent too much of my life taking for granted. This is a solid, if occasionally a little TOO rambly, album. Some of the instrumental excursions feel rote, some feel inspired, I'm surprised at the final track being a straightforward pop track (at least Yes had the gumption to mess up their pop mixes with prog sensibilities)... it stands out awkwardly, despite its fine shape. Love the keyboard work on Tank, and the 13 minute long track Take a Pebble is remarkable for being the best track on the album (an unusual feat for the most epic track to come off as the most evenly produced).
***1/2
Kurious Jorge v3.1
11-03-2008, 02:35 AM
I got a rec > Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage Animation Songs
It is pretty awesome to listen to this album while watching some random Man Ray films. Trust me.
Thanks all, for the recs. This is a very fun and enlightening undertaking.
46. Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/front-1.jpg
There's no fighting it anymore--I can't get away from prog. It's just not happening. Yezda Urfa has two albums, very under the radar, but it's massive stuff. Flutes and marimbas and cellos and glockenspiels... the sound is frantically Yes-ish, which is a little distracting (I love Yes for their ponderousness, whereas Yezda does not give you much in terms of spaciness). Still, love the sound experiments, the wild chord progressions, the operatic vocals. A must-listen for lovers of unpredictable musical progression.
****
47. Rare Earth - Ecology
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/ecology.jpg
The 70s at their most apologetically gentrified. Middle range white voices wailing soulfully, only grounded in earthen growls instead of spiritual shrieks. Still, four stars for this bad boy. Every song is groovy, well-orchestrated (the guitar solos on No. 1 Man are killer), and sincere. The high point is the closing song, an excellent cover of Eleanor Rigby that lays on even more magniloquence. The 11 minutes long I'm Losing You has always been a favorite tune of mine.
****
48. John Cale - Paris 1919
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/8544.jpg
I'm about to leave for the night, so I don't have time to say anything other than this album equals the quality of the best VU and Reed albums. Dig it. I'm about to bombard you with more stars:
******, or thereabouts.
Boner M
11-08-2008, 11:06 PM
Good stuff, but Fear is where it's @.
Good stuff, but Fear is where it's @.
I got that one today. Will listen soon, I'm sure. Anyway, now I'm outie. *poof*
49. Low - The Great Destroyer
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Low-The-Great-destroyer.jpg
My ambivalence here is the same ambivalence that informs my opinion of punk music: the form is too elementary. This is not to say that I am not a fan of simple music--I can be. But in instances like this album here, the music plods along without variation or zeal. The band makes it feel cumbersome, it's overproduced which washes any hints of interest away, the melodies are not compelling because, frankly, they're either non-existent or stupidly simple. Not a fan, but I see potential in the band. Cool album cover, though.
**
monolith94
11-10-2008, 01:44 PM
Deltron 3030! I'm eager to hear your reaction!
Deltron 3030! I'm eager to hear your reaction!
Alright, alright. This week.
D_Davis
11-10-2008, 01:54 PM
I don't like Low; they bore me.
Back in the day, my friend Ryan and I took a Low album, copied the tracks to a four-track, and overdubbed more drums, guitar, some bass, and keyboard, and totally filled out the tracks with some interesting instrumentation. It was a fun project - I wish I still had a copy of it, but I have no idea what happened to it.
50. John Cale - Fear
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/0000014558_350.jpg
His voice is incredibly beautiful. I'm kind of surprised at how little his vocals were used in The Velvet Underground. Hell, even Daltry let Townsend sing every now and then. All in all, I find this album inferior to the far more inventive and whimsical Paris 1919. The songs here feel a little too conventional. I like that he's not afraid to be soft (Buffalo Ballet is very nice), and his lyrical prowess is certainly impressive. The guy's got imagination. And the track Gun is a real stunner. I think my esteem will grow on more listens, the inevitability of which is assured.
***
51. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/Sad_wings_of_destiny_cover.jpg
A benchmark of heavy metal and in my estimation the most tempered and accomplished Judas Priest album that I've heard. The dynamic thrashing factor is toned down, and the brutality is not conveyed too much in the production, which feels minimal and crisp in comparison, but the songwriting is in top form and Halford's pipes are at their very best (the track Epitaph is shockingly Queeny in its vocal virtuosity). Like most metal, it's all very amusing while giving you a channel through which you can vent your primal need to pound your head and/or fists into a living being and/or a wall.
****
Hey Sven, hope you don't mind me taking this thread on a slight detour, but...
(I feel an ELO album is making an appearance soon anyway)
I know you're a big ELO fan, and I remember you once ranking their albums...and how stunned I was that Eldorado placed so low. I've recently rediscovered it after many years (when so often our initial feelings are supplanted by thoughts of "what the hell was I thinking?") and I'm relieved to find my feeling towards it remains unchanged. It was and is a beautifully-realized marriage of rock and symphony, which is why I couldn't understand why you never thought more highly of it. Sure, there are some minor gripes: Laredo Tornado is of questionable merit and Illusions in G Major, while a fine throwback rocker in its own right, seems out of place on this release. But my goodness, what about the greatness of Noboby's Child, Boy Blue, Poor Boy, Mr. Kingdom, and the gorgeous orchestrations?
I'd be interested in some thoughts from you. Why, you could even feature Eldorado as your very next review!
:)
Hey Sven, hope you don't mind me taking this thread on a slight detour, but...
(I feel an ELO album is making an appearance soon anyway)
I know you're a big ELO fan, and I remember you once ranking their albums...and how stunned I was that Eldorado placed so low. I've recently rediscovered it after many years (when so often our initial feelings are supplanted by thoughts of "what the hell was I thinking?") and I'm relieved to find my feeling towards it remains unchanged. It was and is a beautifully-realized marriage of rock and symphony, which is why I couldn't understand why you never thought more highly of it. Sure, there are some minor gripes: Laredo Tornado is of questionable merit and Illusions in G Major, while a fine throwback rocker in its own right, seems out of place on this release. But my goodness, what about the greatness of Noboby's Child, Boy Blue, Poor Boy, Mr. Kingdom, and the gorgeous orchestrations?
I'd be interested in some thoughts from you. Why, you could even feature Eldorado as your very next review!
:)
Here's my promise to you, my friend: I promise that when I have time, I will do a full-out review on that one. I've heard it a million times already (natch) and recognize it measure for measure, which will give me adequate insight I hope. Please understand that when I say it is a "minor ELO record," that's still very high praise. Do I think it's a bad record? Not in the slightest. But my preference leans much more towards ELO's more radio-friendly pop constructions as opposed to the massive symphonic-rock prog-ish style. Still, Laredo Tornado is a doozy and Illusions in G Major is a bucket of awesome. Wait... oh, ha. How 'bout that?
The orchestrations are indeed impeccable.
For the record, no ELO albums have been slated for this, because I've heard them all already and I'm trying to listen to things that I've only heard certain tracks from or heard in passing or not heard at all.
For the record, no ELO albums have been slated for this, because I've heard them all already and I'm trying to listen to things that I've only heard certain tracks from or heard in passing or not heard at all.
Well, in that case, may I recommend The Flying Burrito Brothers seminal classic, The Gilded Palace of Sin?
(looking forward to that Eldorado review)
Well, in that case, may I recommend The Flying Burrito Brothers seminal classic, The Gilded Palace of Sin?
I'll put it on the list.
52. Deltron 3030 - S/T
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/deltron3030_deltron30_101b.jpg
(a blurby based on irritations and inexplicit suppositions)
Do any other white people feel bad trying to claim rap as a defining musical form? It is a predominantly black form of expression in America, with still not enough white boys practicing it to deflect racial navigation. Deltron 3030 is interesting because the three rappers that make up the crew joined forces with Damon Albarn (as white as they come, but also, significantly, British) to create the Gorillaz, a multi-faceted project band that shaded the bold lines of culturally definitive voices into a funky shade of grey. Here, sans whitey, their music takes on the repetitive loops that more readily constitute rap (as opposed to the Gorillaz new wave funkiness), and as such, is not something I feel comfortable embracing as my own. Without dissecting the lyrics to pinpoint the political impetus in Deltron, I can, from a distance, respect the craft, recognize their wit, and perhaps acknowledge their relevance within the rap community as a whole. Fuck cultural gentrification. This album is solid, groovy, and fun, but I cannot claim it as my own.
D_Davis
11-13-2008, 05:19 PM
Do any other white people feel bad trying to claim rap as a defining musical form?
I don't.
Music doesn't belong to any one culture - it belongs to the soul of humanity. Music is an expression of our humanness, and while some cultures express this differently, I believe that music with integrity breaks down and transcends cultural borders and can speak to anyone. Does certain music speak more directly to certain cultures? Perhaps. Tuvan throat singing probably means far more to a Mongolian native than it does to me, but this doesn't prevent me from enjoying it on each and every possible level that I can, nor does it prevent the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms from moving me.
I think the same goes for rap and hip hop. Some of the most interesting developments in the genre came from white emcees, deejays, and producers like the Beastie Boys, the Dust Brothers, cLOUDDEAD, the Anticon crew, and so on.
I don't think it's a white or black thing - it's just a thing.
Spaceman Spiff
11-13-2008, 05:52 PM
^^
What he said.
Diggin' the Cale appreciation, by the way Sven. Really hate Judas Priest, but that has more to do with my distaste for that kind of music.
Kurious Jorge v3.1
11-13-2008, 06:04 PM
Deltron 3030 is interesting because the three rappers that make up the crew
there is only one rapper, and the other two (producer/dj) are asian.
there is only one rapper, and the other two (producer/dj) are asian.
Very interesting. I know I should've done more fact-checking before I made certain assumptions, but I think my overall point still stands: this is a product of a culture that is distinctively non-white.
Overall, I agree with Spiff & Davis in terms of artistic appraisal. Nor do I find it strange to appreciate it. As I prefaced, the blurby was predicated on a few suppositions I have that are ambiguous and inexplicable. Some things to consider: the blues--in terms of formal and political evolution, the gap between "hiphop" and "gangster rap," the import of lyrical punctuation.
Really, what my blurby ultimately bemoans is the co-opting of black culture by white demographics. It's already difficult for me to acknowledge that I live in a hugely gentrified neighborhood (call it white liberal guilt if you must), and bearing witness to the caucasification of an art form is icing on the cake. Hearing rap beats blaring through the headphones of hip white kids on the streets and subway has become a source of great sadness to me.
I realize that what I'm saying is fragile and slippery, possibly thesis worth if I were studying art, sociology, or anthropology. I like what you say, Davis, in theory: music should cross cultural barriers. But I think in your democratic statement ("It's just a THING") you may be overlooking the identification it has on the black community. I don't think it's been corrupted (or "evolved") enough to be just a thing at this point.
D_Davis
11-13-2008, 11:09 PM
How do you feel about the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique?
It is often cited as one of the most groundbreaking and influential hip hop albums of all time, even by "urban" publications like The Source and Ego Trip.
I do understand what you mean though, in a way. While I, as a white dude, appreciate rap and hip hop for its musicality, I do not try to adopt the fashion, slang, or attitude. This is key, and so to adopt some slang, but make it my own, I have to remain honest to myself (check myself) and full of integrity (keep it real). Most white kids don't know what it means to be in a gang (a gangsta'), and so when we see them pretending (frontin') it is a little sad and silly (wack).
There is a line, and I can't cross that.
Spaceman Spiff
11-14-2008, 01:10 AM
I dunno what Sven thinks of Paul's Boutique (I recommended it to him earlier in this thread), but I do know that it is one of the most intelligent, bewildering and amazing albums ever crafted.
And no DD, that's not hyperbole.
D_Davis
11-14-2008, 01:16 AM
I dunno what Sven thinks of Paul's Boutique (I recommended it to him earlier in this thread), but I do know that it is one of the most intelligent, bewildering and amazing albums ever crafted.
And no DD, that's not hyperbole.
In this case, no, it's probably not.
:)
It's a bona fide masterpiece of a very rare and grand kind.
monolith94
11-14-2008, 01:22 AM
Very interesting discussion.
Sven: would you feel similar sadness at a black person listening to Rimsky Korsakov on headphones in the subway?
I think the fact that Deltron 3030 is a hip-hop album that bucks "gangsta" trends and doesn't deal with typically african-american themes or topics distances itself a bit from this whole conundrum we find ourselves discussing. It's an album where Del is as quick to reference anime ("Neo-Tokyo") as he would be to reference common rap themes. I'd also label it hip-hop, as there's too much instrumental variation, not stripped-down enough to count as rap in my book. But there's another ambiguous definition. :)
D_Davis
11-14-2008, 01:26 AM
Music doesn't belong to any one culture - it belongs to the soul of humanity.
I want to amend this statement a bit.
Some music does belong to certain cultures in that it is predominately identified with a particular culture and was birthed from the things that gave rise to that culture or sub-culture.
Slave songs for instance, or rap, or gospel, or Tuvan throat singing...
However, once the music has been dispersed into the audiosphere, the realm of sound, the zeitgeist, then it becomes a part of a greater culture - the culture of humanity. The diaspora of music transforms what was once something culturally specific into something that can be enjoyed without prejudice. Music truly does break down socioeconomic borders. And once artists begin to help the music along it's evolutionary path, it begins to belong to everyone. The roots if its original ancestory are still there, but rap and hip hop have branched out into many other forms of music.
Duncan
11-14-2008, 07:14 PM
Very interesting. I know I should've done more fact-checking before I made certain assumptions, but I think my overall point still stands: this is a product of a culture that is distinctively non-white.
Overall, I agree with Spiff & Davis in terms of artistic appraisal. Nor do I find it strange to appreciate it. As I prefaced, the blurby was predicated on a few suppositions I have that are ambiguous and inexplicable. Some things to consider: the blues--in terms of formal and political evolution, the gap between "hiphop" and "gangster rap," the import of lyrical punctuation.
Really, what my blurby ultimately bemoans is the co-opting of black culture by white demographics. It's already difficult for me to acknowledge that I live in a hugely gentrified neighborhood (call it white liberal guilt if you must), and bearing witness to the caucasification of an art form is icing on the cake. Hearing rap beats blaring through the headphones of hip white kids on the streets and subway has become a source of great sadness to me.
I realize that what I'm saying is fragile and slippery, possibly thesis worth if I were studying art, sociology, or anthropology. I like what you say, Davis, in theory: music should cross cultural barriers. But I think in your democratic statement ("It's just a THING") you may be overlooking the identification it has on the black community. I don't think it's been corrupted (or "evolved") enough to be just a thing at this point.
So Brooklyn.
So Brooklyn.
Fuhgeddaboutit.
53. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/51YY2fkd9fL_SL500_AA280_.jpg
Okay, I didn't actually make it all the way through the album. There were two and a half songs left before the mediocrity overpowered me and I realized I had better things to do and better music to which I could do those things. I will admit that Seeing Other People is a solid track.
*1/2
Kurosawa Fan
11-15-2008, 11:40 PM
If I hadn't already given you rep for Kill Bill, you'd be getting it for this. I've never understood the love for this album. So, so utterly bland.
Milky Joe
11-15-2008, 11:43 PM
boo! BOOOOOO! "get me away from here I'm dying" is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Acapelli
11-16-2008, 12:41 AM
i hate you
D_Davis
11-16-2008, 12:45 AM
53. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
*1/2
I agree. This band is mediocre. Tiny little songs with tiny little emotions, and very little in terms of creativity.
Spinal
11-16-2008, 02:43 AM
Just listened to a few of their songs. They kind of sound like the band that did the Mentos theme.
D_Davis
11-16-2008, 02:50 AM
Just listened to a few of their songs. They kind of sound like the band that did the Mentos theme.
Except the Mentos band has more of an edge.
monolith94
11-16-2008, 03:58 AM
So much wrong in such a short space. It's like a little scrape of that ball of pure evil from the Fifth Element has fallen through cyberspace, onto match-cut.
Boner M
11-16-2008, 04:41 AM
Belle & Sebastian represent everything I hate about fey indie pop. And yet, I really like their music. *shrug*
monolith94
11-16-2008, 01:31 PM
I think that the culture which surrounds Belle and Sebastian can be kind of obnoxious, but the music itself I've always found to be quite fetching.
Just finished the B&S album. The very last song wasn't terrible either, but man... what a blaaaaaaaand album. Do not understand. They may be proto-"fey indie pop" but that seems like even more reason to dislike them.
Note: not terrible music. Just terribly, terribly mediocre. Which I would argue is potentially worse.
Well, in that case, may I recommend The Flying Burrito Brothers seminal classic, The Gilded Palace of Sin?
No offense, homes, but I just listened to clips of this album and I think it's safe to say that I hate it already. Country rock is so not my bag.
No offense, homes
...none taken, dude.
but I just listened to clips of this album and I think it's safe to say that I hate it already.:cry:
You should listen to it proper (instead of clips). Have I ever led you wrong before? ;)
Country rock is so not my bag.
I quake with antici...pation to see what's in your bag.
Anyway, in the quest for 1K, you're repped for making the effort.
What about Pavlov's Dog?
What about Pavlov's Dog?
Acquired today. Have heard numerous tracks. Absolutely LOVE it.
54. Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/3578memo-deluxe.jpg
Surprisingly good for a 60+ year old trying to make rockin' pop. Very strong opening tracks make way for an easier but no less pleasant body with the occasional spike of excellence (Mr. Bellamy and That Was Me). Solidifies my esteem of McCartney as my favorite melody-maker from the Fab Four. Maybe not as political as John or as artistic as George or as collaborative as Ringo, but still a very skilled man. I'm listening to Ram right now and it is only intensifying my feelings of validation.
***1/2
Horbgorbler
11-16-2008, 07:33 PM
Totally digging the first Yezda Urfa album right now. Definitely the way I like my 'normal' prog: basically, not normal at all.
Totally digging the first Yezda Urfa album right now. Definitely the way I like my 'normal' prog: basically, not normal at all.
Yeah, it's good, but Sacred Baboon I think bests it. Glad you're listening. :)
D_Davis
11-16-2008, 08:13 PM
I'm interested in what you think of the Trashcan Sinatras. While their fan base often crosses over with Bell and Sebastian's, there are those like me who like one but not the other. I think of the Trashcans as the more mature version of B&S; the older brother if you will. I mean this in terms of instrumentation, production, and lyrically. The Trashcans have produced some of the most lush and beautiful pop music I've ever heard.
Check out their first album, Cake.
Sacred Baboon
Just got it, listening now. Will weigh in soon. Sounds like they're fans of Yes (but then, who isn't?)
What about Pavlov's Dog?]
Acquired today. Have heard numerous tracks. Absolutely LOVE it.
Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Like I said before, it's mostly very extreme reactions: "Omigod, I can't believe these guys never made it big!" vs. "Omigod, I hate that lead singer's voice!"
Be sure and expose yourself to their second official album too (they recorded a third album, but it never received an official release).
Btw, I fall into the "Omidgod, I can't believe these guys never made it big!" camp.
Horbgorbler
11-16-2008, 11:13 PM
Yeah, it's good, but Sacred Baboon I think bests it. Glad you're listening. :)
Heard both now, but still slightly prefer Boris. The less polished production gives it a homey, human element missing in a lot of its ilk. And "Texas Armadillo" is just too fun.
55. Paul McCartney - Ram
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/1273737171.jpg
So perfect. I doubt I will hear a better Paul album. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is one of the defining songs of my adolescence, so there's that sentimentality going for it. But aside from that, it's simply a matter of creating strong melodies produced creatively, and Paul's knack for stripped down bluesiness, lots of funky keyboards, irregular percussion, and otherworldly harmonies (absolutely kicking the asses of the boys Wilson) certainly culminate in a frighteningly awesome relic of the booming post-psyche rock era.
****
56. Paul McCartney - McCartney II
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/pctc258_a.jpg
If nothing else, I implore you all to check out the song Check My Machine because it's soooooooo weird and groovy and rockin' and unlike anything I've ever heard. For that alone, the album deserves four stars, but luckily the rest of the album, from the opening hit Coming Up (the refrain "Like a flower!" is forever imprinted in my mind as some kind of ecstatic musical transgression) to the closing hit Goodnight Tonight, speaks of impeccable craftsmanship, frequently experimental, sometimes misguided a bit (Secret Friend is simply too long, and some of the mechanized sounds are a bit rote), but never less than ebullient.
****
57. Paul McCartney - Tug of War
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/PaulMcCartneyalbum_-_TugOfWar.jpg
I guess you could say that I'm going through a phase. George Martin back in action, filling the sound with his strings and a stringent application of 80s technology, producing a rich, never-dated sound. Impeccable, really.
****
Acapelli
11-17-2008, 08:23 PM
temporary secretary is so weird
temporary secretary is so weird
Not one of the better tracks, but still a moderate delight.
Hey Sven, what with all this stroll down McCartney lane, are you going to do his first solo album (the Bowl of Cherries lp)? I love that one.
D_Davis
11-17-2008, 09:15 PM
You should call this thread "Sven gets a massive boner for Paul McCartney".
Wryan
11-17-2008, 09:46 PM
You should call this thread "Sven gets a massive boner for Paul McCartney".
I'd prefer "Sven exposes his massive boner for Paul McCartney."
Get it? See the slyness? I shock myself, sometimes.
Lasse
11-17-2008, 10:27 PM
I love McCartney. It's a bit strange that I don't own an album by him. :crazy:
Memory Almost Full was a very pleasant surprise.
Spinal
11-18-2008, 12:03 AM
I demand equal time. Review Double Fantasy please.
Hey Sven, what with all this stroll down McCartney lane, are you going to do his first solo album (the Bowl of Cherries lp)? I love that one.
I think the remarkable thing is not that I'm strolling down McCartney Lane or Penny Lane or Abbey Road or whatever, but rather that each album is consistently getting my highest rating. Why not stick with a good thing? It's like Wats focusing on Scorsese's filmography. After this, you will all crumble under the weight of my McCartney experience.
Oh, and in truth, I thought I had already done the first album. I listened to it a few times a couple of weeks ago, but I guess I never recorded it. Will remedy immediately.
58. Paul McCartney - McCartney
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/paul-mccartney-mccartney.jpg
Practically lo-fidelity, minimalist blues, tracks cut mostly on a whim, and you can tell. There's a handful of oh-so-solid tracks (his vocal work on Maybe I'm Amazed is unsurpassed by any Beatle solo track, That Would Be Something is a groovy lark, Momma Miss America is a rockin' blues jam, Man We Was Lonely is tip-top pop reminiscent of The Beatles, as is Teddy Boy), and a couple of duds (the percussive wankery of Kreen Akrore, Hot As Sun - Glasses never goes anywhere, Valentine Day is weak). However, what's special is not the strength of each number, but rather the culminating effect of a renegade pop master with his own 4 track recorder taking it on himself to forget those other jerks and cut a piece of his heart into plastic.
****
Spinal
11-18-2008, 11:54 PM
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is an awesome song. One of my favorites of his.
Boner M
11-19-2008, 12:33 AM
Boycotting this thread 'til the McCartney posts stop.
transmogrifier
11-19-2008, 12:41 AM
Boycotting this thread 'til the McCartney posts stop.
Indeed. Let's get iosos into some dance. I say, LCD Soundsystem s/t (2CD version)
Boycotting this thread 'til the McCartney posts stop.
How're you gonna know when they stop if you're boycotting? Tell me. TELL ME!!
Alright alright. I've listened to a couple more, but I'll save them for later. I dunno... the guy knows how to do it. Definitely suggested.
But for now, because everyone's a baby, the next few will be significantly different.
D_Davis
11-19-2008, 04:13 AM
A couple of suggestions, totally unlike anything you've listed here thus far:
The Last Man to Fly, by The Tear Garden
The Maria Dimension, by The Legendary Pink Dots
Valintino, by Long Fin Killie
Home is in Your Head, by His Name is Alive
Boner M
11-19-2008, 11:54 AM
If you don't write jazz-funk off as "jazz's deformed cousin" (quoth The Mighty Boosh), I'd recommend:
Nomo - Ghost Rock
One of my faves of the year.
Acapelli
11-19-2008, 10:12 PM
iosos - i remember you saying you weren't particularly fond of arthur russell from what you've heard, but i recommend his newest release, love is overtaking me. it's much more straightforward pop than what you've heard before
59. Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/album%20art/cover_114692712008.jpg
Starting with what sounds like the most gorgeous pop piano line this side of Styx (ha ha), David Surkamp's voice bluntly, violently, instantly disrupts the mood with what could potentially be the most incredible? annoying? virtuosic? vibrato tenor in the history of pop music, and let me tell you... it's absolutely beautiful. I spun this album about four times today, back to back, I simply could not get enough. It is strange, because my intolerance for unorthodox vocal work is notorious to those who know me (hence McCartney), and this is about as strange as they come. And yet... and yet... it could be that the band backing Surkamp (because let's face it, this is his show) is of the highest quality, surprising at every measure with a twist of a chord here, an unexpected percussive break there, a guitar solo. The opening track includes one of the most gorgeous flute solos ever. The biggest irony is that if Surkamp's voice were more conventional, it would be far less special somehow.
Look, bottom line: this is great, great tunage and Russ deserves all the rep I'm gonna give him.
****
59. Pavlov's Dog - Pampered Menial
****
This pleases me greatly.
I remember when I reacquired their music a while back and, having not heard it for many years, thinking, "Boy, Iosos would love this stuff." Vindication is a great feeling. Now, get their second album (At the Sound of the Bell), which I'm convinced you'll love as much as the first. Production is a bit slicker than the first, but new additions include a boys choir (!) and Bill Bruford (!!)
Finally downloaded their long-lost (and unreleased) third album. Pared back to mainly a rock band without all the frills, due, I suppose, to budgetary concerns. Not greatly impressed on first listen. Worth a listen for completists, tho.
Kurious Jorge v3.1
11-20-2008, 05:48 PM
Where is the review of my recomendation Sven? huh?
Where is the review of my recomendation Sven? huh?
Olivia Tremor Control... I'm on it. Sorry for the wait but there are loads of recommendations as well as other things to which I'd like to get.
Milky Joe
11-21-2008, 08:08 AM
That album deserves a lot of attention, to discover its intricacies. Whatever you do, don't rush it.
Announcement: I'm putting this off for a few more days. I've got millions to do in real life.
dreamdead
12-02-2008, 03:51 PM
Whenever you renew this list, I'd be interested in your thoughts on Enslaved's "Vertebrae" album. While they started out as Viking/black metal in the early '90s, they've become far more influenced by '70s prog rock of late. I could see you rather liking it.
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