Have listened to this many times. Enjoyed it again.
I've listened to this album hundreds of times. It's part of my DNA by now. Pulp is by far the best British rock band of the era.
I'm listening to Bayou Country from CCR as my album of the day. It's good, solid music and it lays the blueprint for their sound and I understand the place this album has in music history. But man, the squealing guitars, and the bluesy swampy sound is a bit rough in fluorescent cube farm I'm working in right now. I'm looking forward to Proud Mary as the next track, it's cool to hear such a giant song in the smaller context of this album and track list. Trying to imagine hearing this for first time in 1969. The song literally rolls, like on the river, and the ebbs and flows become hypnotic.
Wow, this was difficult to get through. I own a later Walker album called Drift, which is quite different as he got experimental.
Queen has been so overplayed by this point in my life, it's hard to really get into this. I cannot listen to bohemian rhapsody any more. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace. I wish I could listen to it for the first time on a record player in the mid 70s. But I was one years old at the time. I understand the history and importance of this.
My album today is the White Album by the Beatles. There looks to be a lot of upheaval during the recording of this album. And people talk about how fragmented and disjointed the album is. It's also the first album where Yoko Ono became part of the recording process apparently. Which affected the connection between Lennon and McCartney. I think it's always something that sounded like the individual parts of the album didn't always come together to make a cohesive presentation like other albums. But there are songs and moments on the album that stand up there with any of the major work that the Beatles have done. It's always been a great listen, no matter where I've been in my life. Maybe just because it's not as polished or thematically connected like previous ones - people don't like it?
I'm listening to Beggar's Banquet by the Rolling Stones, it was released in December of 1968. I looked it up to see how it fit in with other album releases by the Rolling Stones. My favorite Stones album 'Exile on Main St.' would come out about 4 years later in 1972. I would consider myself a fan of the Rolling Stones, and they've had quite a long and amazing time as one of the greatest rock bands ever. My wife doesn't enjoy them as much, so I don't really get much chance to listen to them. So far, I'm enjoying this album. It's not as clunky as some of the other albums of this era. It felt like Queen has quite a distance between the great songs on "Night at the Opera" and their lesser tracks. I've not heard this album in it's entirety. It flows better. Each song feels whole and complete comparatively. The blues feel real and I can connect to this better than I thought. It's what happens to a band that has been together and around for so long. Classic rock stations ruined a lot of this music already for me. Instead of nostalgia rock, this feels pretty fresh. I've been dismissive of the Stones because of how large they loom. And whether their later output cements or tarnishes their legacy. I think this is amazing, and I hope people can get past thinking of them as a lame older band. Maybe I would start with myself.
I'm listening to Broken English by Marianne Faithfull. I've never listened to this album before, and only have tangentially heard of Marianne as part of the 60s London swinging rock scene. And she dated Mick Jagger famously. First impressions are positive. This is why I'm doing this funny generated album web site for a chance to find something new. I would have liked this album if I had explored and given her a chance. It connects with Television Marquee Moon, it feels of that time and place when punk was exploding. It's been a revelation to hear this on this morning when Trump leaves the White House. Marianne had quite a tough and colorful life leading up to this album, and I feel it all wash over me. I would like to spend some more time with this album. The title track and the one about Lucy Jordan are my favorites so far.
From what I read, this album has the highest number of songs that ended up on the best of Bob Marley. I'm a fan of reggae as everyone should be, the rhythms take and transport you to a time and place far and away from my office cube. The music is great, and the attention to social issues are always welcome. Growing up, I was more familiar with Marley's music from his greatest hits album. Which I think I ordered through the Columbia House CD club. It was everywhere. From posters on the wall at college, to every stoner kid ever taking on Bob Marley as their favorite music. It all feels embarrassing to me now. I've spent a lot of time recently with Catch a Fire, an earlier album recorded in 1973. I would have to say that would still be my fave so far. But I'm still working my way through this one. It's always a joy to hear this music, and it never gets old.
I'm listening to the first album from Van Halen released in February of 1978. First off, I'm not sure Eddie's guitar genius fits in with a tired morning sitting in a fluorescent cube. Beyond that, it makes me start thinking about being young and driving around with my brother and his friends. I was too young to enjoy this at the time. But Van Halen was always mixed in with the music we listened to on cassette. The alchemy here is pretty stunning and fully formed on their debut. I know Eddie died in 2020, so it's bittersweet to hear his work so early in his career. I remember a former manager for the group said Eddie was dumb as a rock and they always purposely tried to keep Eddie from talking too much in interviews. I think it was understood though that Eddie and his guitar did all the talking, and changed popular music and what hard rock sounded like. I'm not sure how this album might fit into my current life. Perhaps when we need to some upbeat music to clean the house, or some other chore. It's like a freight train. And the best part of listening to these albums is hearing their hits within the context of their original album. The back half, or side 2 of the album, is full of the sort of rocking songs I would expect. With these songs literally pulled out of the air, and never had existed before, I get why this album was so big for guitar rock. I can't imagine listening to this on a regular basis, but I'm enjoy it today.
I'm listening to The Cardigan's 'First Band on the Moon' and I'm having a little trouble with it. I'm two songs away from their gigantic hit 'Lovefool' and I can imagine liking this in the 90s. I think no matter how jaded and serious you can get about music, it's always nice to be open to some very finely produced pop music. I went into this album thinking I would not enjoy it very much. It makes me wonder if this is really one of the 1001 Albums I MUST listen to before I die? Lovefool has kicked in now. It's a great song and I have no complaints about hearing it again. Though I believe in the last twenty years I've been very sick of it. It was everywhere in TV and movies for a while. I would take this off the list. It's a great little album and very finely crafted musically. And the singing and vocals are nice. It's gotten to be sicky sweet. I'll finish the album. We are doing a Black Sabbath cover, okay well this is kind of cool. And odd. Okay it's finished and I'll say it was sugary and sweet, and elevated above your standard pop - but just not my speed these days.
I'm now listening to the debut album of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from the year 1976. All I can think is how much I miss Tom Petty and everything about him. I'm not sure I can ever get tired of listening to Tom Petty. The songs sound fresh and it's a joy to hear these legendary hit songs within the context of the album as a whole. Listening to his voice, it's unique and I'm wondering how in the world it should work. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Sometimes you can look at something on paper and wonder how it could possibly work in real life. If I was building a rock star out of clay, I feel like I would end up with something very far away from Tom Petty. It doesn't make any sense the more I think about it. But it's all here to start in the first album. I'm enjoying this immensely. As we all know Tom became a legend, and one of the greatest rock musicians ever, he looms large even though he has passed. It's very simple and awesome. I'm very fucking excited to hear American Girl in it's original context at the end of the album.
Well, this is an interesting one, and I'm trying to figure out the context and time that it's from. I've not heard of this album or this person before. I'm hearing Leonard Cohen, Richard Hawley, Sufjan Stevens and the Flaming Lips. Some neat guitar work and psychedelic elements. I started reading about the history of this album. This was made in 1969, and it feels like a blueprint for a lot of the music I've enjoyed over the years. I started playing this album as I got on I-95 this morning and it didn't register for me until "Weighted Down (The Prison Song). The album is getting scratchy and his voice feels like it's struggling. It's an album that documents a time where the musician is going through some serious psychological trauma. And forgive me, but I'm really enjoying this beautiful breakdown.
The Coral. I actually own this album, and I remember it primarily for their vocal harmonies and "Dreaming of you" as a big song in my world. To the point I bought this album I think because of the strength of that song. It's a decent British rock/pop album from the early 2000s. I've always been a fan of British rock and it reminds me of the band British Sea Power. Where they had a great song and I went all in. But this album right here does not hold up for me. I think it should be taken off this list. It brought some nostalgia this morning, and it's pleasant sounding enough, but this will be the last time I purposely listen to it.
Well it's time to listen to Oasis and their 2nd album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? I'm very happy to give this a listen and enjoy one of the great albums of all time. The first song Hello is one of my favorites and I love how it starts very quiet and builds into a great song with a catchy hook. I've spent hours and hours living in the world of this album. I've thought of movies I could make with some of these songs as a soundtrack. It almost makes me re-think the order of Brit Rock greats. Pulp is still #1. But maybe this album pushes Oasis ahead of Blur for the morning in my head. I own this album in digital format and on vinyl. It's become such a part of our culture and life, that it seems like I should be tired of it by now. In the past I've grown weary with Oasis and their brotherly squabbling. And their output after this album was a bit spotty until their eventual break-up. They had some great singles come about from later albums, but I believe this is the high water mark for this band. This was lovely to visit on a random Thursday morning and relive all the good feelings it brings about. Where things felt very possible in the 90s and these big hooks and choruses floated through all the moments my friends and I shared.
Today I'm listening to Groovin' by the Young Rascals. It's all very familiar, and I'm enjoying the music and like I've said many times before - context is nice. Of course I've heard 'Groovin' and "How can you be sure" many times on the radio and in popular culture. These songs aren't created in a vacuum, so it's interesting to see how a song fits in within the context of a large number of songs. I've always been more interested in the full album as a way to understand an artist. Singles are lovely and all, but I would like to know where they originally came from. I'm currently listening to 'A Place in the Sun' and I definitely prefer the original - but they bring some soul to it and do a decent cover. It makes me want to immediately find the Stevie song and give it a listen again. Listening to these albums is great because of the roads and rabbit holes it sends me down trying to figure out how popular music came to be. Oh Stevie Wonder you have made my morning better. And I can now imagine a place in the sun, and there is hope for everyone.
I was going to say this reminds me of the group Gravediggaz, before I realized this Pharcyde album was released a good 4 years earlier. This came from the west coast, though it feels closer to the east coast rap I'm most familiar with. The interplay is pretty awesome, and the beats sound fresh for an album so old. I was reading that the Pharcyde began touring with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul after this album was released. I cannot imagine how fucking great that show would have been. This album was a good thing to hear on a sunday morning.
This morning I'm finishing up listening to Nitin Sawhney's album called "Beyond Skin" from 1999. This feels fresh to me, and it was a great thing to hear last night as I was getting ready for bed. It's very close to some of the lounge/chill/instrumental playlists I often listen to on Spotify. I'm also a fan of world music and rhythms and this had some really fantastic parts related to Indian culture. The title of the album makes sense, it's like music that transcends culture and skin color and connects you with these beats and rhythms that feel elemental. You connect with it, even though it feels worlds away from my point of view. Surprising and very enjoyable.
I'm listening to some music from Marvin Gaye from 1973. Let's Get It On. The first song is of course known as a song that people listen to - to get sexy. It's a pretty well known trope in popular culture to play this song as a signifier of sexy time. It's hard to escape the connotation. Makes me think of Jack Black as well from High Fidelity. Which I think why it's important to listen to this album as a whole, and not just for the stereotypical song about fucking. I'm enjoying it so far. Wikipedia says its a blueprint for years to come on how to put together a slow jam. It makes me want to find out more about Marvin Gaye. I know there is tragedy and it has to do with his father. I wish I could connect so deeply with someone, they way Marvin connects to all the ladies and men with this record.
Nope. I get the significance, and I understand how this album was important for a whole genre of music. It's just not going to work for me. I suffered through this album.
The album of the day is Transformer by Lou Reed and it's made me very excited. I know it produced one of the Reed's most popular songs 'Walk on the wild side" which I've enjoyed for years. But it's 'Perfect Day' that is by far my most favorite song from this album. I'm sure it has a lot to do with a certain scene in Trainspotting, a movie I've seen so many times. Besides the subject matter, a really great dark comedy that gets funnier every time you watch it. Except the baby scene of course, which devastates every time. I'm enjoying this album and it's like an old friend I get to hang out with this morning in my office cube. It makes me want to dive back into the entire Velvet Underground catalog today and absorb it all into my head. Good for David Bowie to champion Lou and help birth this album into existence. This might be exactly what I needed this morning in my life.
I'm listening to the debut album by Suicide from 1977. I believe the album is called Suicide as well. I've been reading about this album and listening to the first song. So far it's right up my alley. "Musically, Suicide has been described as synth-punk, electronic rock, and synth-pop, while also being labeled electronic and minimalist." It's scratching the itch this morning. It's fun to hear some of the origins of the music I really enjoy. It's alien and pulsating and the words are spoken. Why have I never heard of this music? It goes to show that there will be always new music to discover in life. This doesn't sound like music that came out the same year Star Wars was released. It sounds very fresh and clearly the blueprint for a lot of the music I've loved over the years. I'm all in on this.
This morning we have Leonard Cohen and his album "I'm Your Man." I've loved Leonard Cohen for as long as I can remember. Tower of Song and Everybody Knows? Five stars no doubt. The other songs are great and I'm Your Man also a highlight. The synthesizers and 80s style music doesn't sound dated like so much of the music of the period. As mentioned in some reviews, his voice sounds engaged and lively, and this was exactly the music I needed on this cold February morning. It's like taking a trip with an old friend. Living in Leonard's world is always a welcome respite. Leonard and Johnny Cash are who I would always turn to in very difficult times. After 9/11 I listened to nothing but Cash for weeks on end. On the morning after election 2016, I was in shock and feeling very lost - Leonard came through to help me feel whole. Everybody Knows! In it's original context! The pandemic has been fucking brutal lately, thanks Leonard for helping to help me feel sane and okay again.
I will gladly listen to this album again today. I've lived and breathed this music for a long time. It makes me happy to think about. The definition of a classic is a piece of art that amazes you yesterday. If you looked or listened to the art today - it's wondrous. If you find it years from now, on a random day because of a web site - it will be fucking evergreen. A must listen for British rock/pop.
This morning I started listening to Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes on my way into work. It's my first time with this album as I haven't listened to a lot of soul over my life. I remember a time when I couldn't stand the longer versions of popular songs. For example, growing up and listening to CCR - I would have to skip
I Heard It Through the Grapevine because it was 11 minutes long. That felt like forever. I want a song full of hooks, easily accessible, and I want it fucking short like a normal song! Or the long version of Light my Fire by the Doors, that was also painful to sit through for me in years past. But age has mellowed me I guess. This album with it's four songs, it's long instrumental sections, and the honesty of the singing - wow. It feels expansive and epic, and also very intimate and personal at the same time. Taking it slow has never felt so right. This was a lovely thing to hear this morning.
So my next album is Kid A by Radiohead. It has been a long time since I've listened to this. I was reading about this and how many Radiohead fans of the day were so gobsmacked by OK Computer - that it wasn't what we had wanted. Then I was reading about Rockism, and how people believe guitar based rock and roll is the highest form of musical art. I remember how they released this on the Internet and I had many friends who purchased it online. I did my best at the time to appreciate it. It was not accessible at all, and I wanted it to be a certain way. And with age and wisdom I see that was not an especially fair thing to do to a band. And evidenced by how much I enjoyed 'Moon Shaped Pool' their most recent album - I should have been more open minded. They have proven themselves to a be a band that confounds expectations and still produce some great work. I'm already thinking about this album is not easy to jump into, and I'm only 2 songs in. I think it's something I will have to live with for a while to get what it's putting across. On a cold and snowy morning, listening to Kid A on the way into work is an interesting experience. It made my highway driving on I-95 feel more cinematic. I'm enjoying this album the deeper I get into the tracks. I listened to Moon Shaped Pool quite a lot in the last few years. And I listened to OK Computer endlessly. I can see this album being a bridge between those two worlds and it's sounding good to me. It feels like a Radiohead morning. I'm not sure what that means exactly. Maybe it's the gray weather, or maybe the snow, or perhaps the cube farm I'm sitting in. It might be the fluorescent lighting. It's helping to make sense of my world.
I have enjoyed The Verve in the past and like many, I've spent hours listening to the great Bittersweet Symphony. Urban Hymns as a whole has a large presence in my music history. This album did not grab me, and none of the songs really stood out for me. It's interesting to hear a stepping stone to a much greater album - but not something I would return to.
The first couple songs were hard to get into. It defitely picks up though and helped motivate me to clean my kitchen. I listened to a lot of this type of music in the mid-late 90s - so it's enjoyable. Bits and pieces sound too much of the 90s, a bit stale. But overall I liked this.
This is a mouthful, I'm listening to a band named 'Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart' with an album named "Rising Above Bedlam." I have no idea what to expect here. Allmusic says they specialize in experimental ethnic pop and fusion. The first track is pleasant so far, it reminds me of Primal Scream and their landmark Screamadelica album. The album as a whole breezes by nicely, and I'm enjoying the different voices that come together to make a cohesive album. Despite how eclectic and experimental the whole thing feels. I'm not sure I will revisit this at any point soon, but I enjoyed the ride and how nice it floated through my life.
I'm listening to Time out of Mind by Bob Dylan. It's difficult to really 'rate' an album such as this. A towering figure in music for so many years, it's hard to find a place to begin. Maybe I can start in the most superficial way possible. The songs are pleasing and I really enjoyed the first track. I recall this album coming out and listening to it at the time. I revisit Dylan fairly often and I have not returned to this one as of yet. It's pretty universally well reviewed. People talk about his voice and he is sometimes dismissed off-hand because of how he sounds. This happens to Neil Young as well. I love both artists and enjoy taking them exactly how they are with their distinct voices. I'm enjoying this very much. I'm not worrying too much about the entirety of Dylan's career when thinking about this current album. The general idea is that it's a return to form, or one of the better later period Dylan albums to come along. 'Trying to get to heaven' is a mid album highlight, and a nice accompaniment to another cube farm pandemic Monday. As the album finishes up, I'm saying I very much enjoyed it - though when jumping back into Dylan the next time, it probably wont be this.
This morning, I'm listening to Rain Dogs by Tom Waits. I like Clap Hands it's got a nice flow and rhythm to it. Like a carnival this is. It makes me think of Charles Bukowski and fun house mirrors. Like a kaleidoscopic, jerky dance along some mirror world of my own. Most Tom Waits listening I do is focused on Mule Variations. Could I become more of a fan of Tom Waits? Listening to one of his albums is challenging and sometimes not very pleasant. Other times I get swept up in melodies that come out of nowhere and make me think this could be the greatest song ever. Maybe this is just what I needed.
It's time for Disintegration by the Cure for my daily listen. I've not really gotten to deep into the Cure, besides them being a big part of the music landscape. When I say landscape, I mean the music I listen to along with friends and family. I should like them a lot more. They are definitely my kind of band. So far I'm enjoying this album and how epic and moody it seems. It's almost like I've heard the whole album by osmosis. In one way or another they have left a blueprint across a lot of the music I listen to. I enjoy how this album is breathing and stretches out and gives the songs time to expand. It's been a greatest hits album so far, every song I've run into on the radio or on a soundtrack. I've not listened to this album over and over again like many similar albums. It seems very familiar though, like it's so baked into our culture I've been exposed over the years.
I'm now listening to the self-titled debut album of the band Boston. It opens with "More than a feeling" and it's one of the more recognizable songs for people of my generation. It's been played a thousand times on a thousand different classic rock stations throughout my life. Two for Tuesday! Rocktober! Or whatever gimmicky way to sell classic rock to the public. It was very effective, I've met many people who jumped on the classic rock bandwagon and never left. This might sound better if I had not heard all of these songs many times before. I should say it "sounds" very good and the music is very cleanly produced like a lot of music of the time. It's a giant of an album in the classic rock cannon. But I've heard it too many times over the years to really appreciate how great it was at the time. Too bad.
Today's album is Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C from 1986. I was 12 years old when this album came out and I remember watching the famous video on MTV where Aerosmith bashes through the wall and becomes part of the track. For most of my life, Run-D.M.C was not a big part of my musical education. In my later life, I started working my way back through the 'golden age' of rap and learning how it all started. Boogie Down Productions quickly became a favorite artist, and I pretty much ignored the music put out by Run-D.M.C. After giving this an honest listen, I get how much they and Rick Rubin influenced hip-hop from the get go. It's like they were kind of a joke by the time I became aware of them. The Addidas and the blingy image, threw me off taking them seriously. If my Dad listened to rap at the time in the late 80s, it would have been his old-man music by the time I turned 18 in 1992. My Dad listening to rap is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I also got turned off my reality TV and "reverend run" and all the sexual assualt allegations about his brother Russell. I appreciate this album and it definitely holds up. Stripping away all the context, and trying to pretend this is the first time I've ever heard this album - makes it really shine.
This morning I'm listening to 'Off the Wall' by Michael Jackson. I was looking on the Internet to see where things are at with Michael being a pedophile. Do we give him a free pass? It's become difficult to continually have to separate the art from the artist. And what sort of responsibility does MJ's asshole Dad Joe have to do with how his son turned out? So this landmark album that combines all the greatest the world of music (pop, rock, disco, etc) has to offer in 1979. It's difficult to know what to do here. I guess try and listen to it - solely focusing on the music and production. The music is fun and bubbly. The ballady songs towards the end of the album has dragged it down for me quite a bit. As long as the music kept moving, I didn't have as much time to think about how creepy MJ was in real life. The last couple of songs are better and have tied up the album nicely. Takes me back to when I was a kid, and this talented artists I didn't know much about - moonwalked on the Grammys. It was literally the biggest thing to happen at the time. I miss those times and that artist. Before it all got fucked up.
I listened to self titled Moby Grape album from 1967. One of the previous records was from the lead signer of this group "Skip Spence." I enjoyed these songs quite a bit, definitely one of the better examples of late 60s psychedelia that I've heard. I would like to hear this with better quality and not a random Vimeo. The songs are surprisingly fresh, and the guitar work and harmonies were a step above.
Next up is a Jazz album called Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk. I know the name, and I've heard of some of the collaborators on this album from 1957. It's the sort of Jazz I've had trouble with in the past. The reviews describe this album as challenging and idiosyncratic, and that means it keeps taking me out of the music. The first song, and name of the album, feels disjointed and scattered and I'm having trouble staying connected. The 2nd song feels better and grooves along well enough, I can hear Monk and how he is in the lead - and the other band mates follow. From what I can see this is a Hard Bop album and this might be the exact kind of Jazz I'm not a fan of. Though I find myself getting drawn into some of the quiet parts of this album. Though it seems like something comes along and interrupts my listening. I own some jazz, and have enjoyed it as art form for many years. My wife is a big fan of the Jazz Vibes playlist on Spotify, which is as far as I get with Jazz these days. And it's background music for the most part. The latter half of this album was very well done.
The album I'm listening to today is called "Bert Jansch" by Bert Jansch. A Scottish folksinger who looks to have influenced quite a long list of favorite artists with his mid 60s folk. It's pretty easy to connect Neil Young directly, which is to say I'm enjoying this. The confessional nature of the lyrics draw you in, and the guitar work is pretty dam spectacular. Reminds me of John Fahey with his guitar. It's a lovely album and I can see it ripple across many of my favorite folk artists.
I'm listening to Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp this morning. Reading the artist biography puts them close to a lot of artists I enjoy. Trip-hop was a big deal for me back in the late 90s, so there is much I can enjoy form this album. Though it's quite strange at points. Like a soundtrack for a dream I'm having. Is that a Theremin I hear? Okay a song later in the album has grabbed me, it's called 'Utopia' and it's scratching an itch right now. It's like the best James Bond theme song that was never used for James Bond. This will go on my playlist of songs I enjoy from the 1001 album thing I'm doing.
It's Green River time, a 1969 album from Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR). Much has been written about the band, so I'm not sure what else new I might have to say. This music was easy to connect when I was a kid. The music had great hooks and it sounded like all the country music and rock and roll my parents always listened to. I enjoy a lot of the music from the late 60s, but there is a special place for this music that went against the grain. I don't know. It's just enjoyable on a different level than most other music at the time. There is something deep and spirited about this music; like it organically grew out of the soil in America. And it had all of our experiences baked into the music. I've always enjoyed this music and nothing has changed to this day. It's silly I haven't listened and enjoyed all the music on this album. The curse of the greatest hits collection that often feels arbitrary on what tracks are chosen.
This morning I'm listening to 'Odessey and Oracle' by The Zombies released in 1968. I've heard Time of the Season many times over the years and I had no idea how good this album was. I've really enjoyed this and it is quite a journey through the late 60s with this band. Of the 'psychedelic' albums of the late 60s, this is by far the most enjoyable album track by track i've heard. I really like 'This Will Be Our Year' I'm sure Ive heard this before. Maybe it has been covered by someone. I'll check that out. I've already added to my playlist to hear over again. Really enjoyable!
It's time to listen to some Heaven 17, and their 1981 album Penthouse And Pavement. It's a bit rough going to be honest. I'm all for Electro-Pop and Synth and I've enjoyed a lot of similar types of music over the years. The Trainspotting soundtrack is to this day top five soundtracks of all time for me. It features Heaven 17's most famous song I think - called 'Temptation' and its very enjoyable. I listened to it again this morning and verified the enjoyment. This album is hard to digest, and it might need another hook or two - just to keep me invested. It feels more like just beats and repeated lyrics over and over and lots of other odd noises mixed in. I'm a big fan of Kraftwerk and it's mentioned that this album feels like where Kraftwerk left off with The Man Machine. Maybe I need to give that album another listen because I'm not enjoying this as much as I did that album. I'm halfway through this album, so we'll see how the side B feels. Adding the synthesizer to pop music was an important step forward - but this band is a hard listen in 2021. I'm Your Money is hitting the spot towards the end of the album, just because the end sounds very much like Kraftwerk.
This morning I'm listening to Devo and their album "Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" recorded in 1978. I want to like this band a lot more than I actually do. I enjoyed the first track - Uncontrollable Urge, and the 2nd track I know from my own listening or maybe heard it in a movie - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Which takes a song by the Stones I've heard a million times and makes it interesting again. There are plenty of interesting moments on this album, but it's not something I would put into rotation or come back to. Uncontrollable Urge might make it to my 'best of 1001' playlist. I love everything about this group, their name, and the all around general existence of this remarkable band. But I'm not sure this album is cohesive enough to really amount to something great.
I'm not sure what my pandemic life has become, but randomly being given a great album I'm very familiar with - is a total bright spot in my day. The first two songs are a fucking knock-out. Both of these songs are a wonder on their own, and give you these little pockets of joy and exquisite noise. It's like how I describe marrying my wife, all of life became so much more and I was transformed into a new and better person. It's like that with MGMT, i can't imagine a world existing without discovering this band and this album. Like the music and melodies always existed and organically came to the surface to make me smile. I enjoy this very much, along with their follow up album. Nothing more to say, essential and five stars.
Today I listened to an Elvis Costello album from 1994, called Brutal Youth. I've been tangentially aware of Elvis Costello since I was a young kid. The more I learned about music, the more I heard about his large influence on new wave and punk. I've not really spent much time with older albums that cemented his status, they were never very accessible to me when I would jump in. Maybe something with his voice? OR I can't understand anything he is saying. I do enjoy this album, it has lots of hooks and melodies that have grabbed me. It makes me want to do more and give all his albums a listen.
Today I'm listening to Pearl by Janis Joplin and released in 1971. I remember being introduced to Janis Joplin by my sister when I was starting to devour good music in my late teens. And this was done by sitting and listening to Me and Bobby McGee over and over again. Then Piece of My Heart became a big deal to me. I've never actually listened to any of her albums. Another in a long line of greatest hits artists I've enjoyed. I'm definitely enjoying this album, and that voice is towering and unique and full of feeling as always. And like other albums, hearing Me and Bobby McGee just roll out of the speakers is a lovely experience. It makes me think of road tripping in the 60s with Kris Kristofferson. It's the best feeling I can imagine right now. This is all tinged with sadness of what could have been had Janis not been part of the 27 year-old rock start death club.
It's time for The Boatman's Call from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. I have to be honest and say I don't recall listening to much, if any Nick Cave over the years. I know they have a very passionate fan base, and listening to this for the first time - I can see this being something I would like. The first song is mainly piano and Nick Cave, and it tells me all I want to know. It's thoughtful, introspective and I'm enjoying it already. It reminds me of Leonard Cohen, Richard Hawley, and Rufus Wainwright. My wife will not like this. I believe it would qualify as "whiny music" in her opinion. As the album rolls along, I'm enjoying how straight-forward the words are, though it does seem a little bible-y at points. I looked it up and Nick has many thoughts about the Bible and religion. I hopped out of the album and looked at what is popular for this artists - and I'm seeing if I actually know any of the songs. Not so much. I'm enjoying this, it might be too introspective and slow for consistent listening.
It's Friday and I'm listening to an album from 1999 called The Contino Sessions by the band named Death in Vegas. They are described as rock, electronic, industrial and minimal techno. The first song off this album is great, I'm already quite hooked on it. It's groovy and pulsating all at once. I can imagine I would have enjoyed this in 1999, which would have been my time living and working in Washington DC. It's good music to work to. It has a good beat, there isn't a lot of singing, and it keeps on moving and rolling through. The 3rd track was very good and helpful in keeping me on track. And track #5 kicks in with Iggy Pop adding just the right amount of sneer to fit well with this album. This might need some further listening, which is not as common when working my way through these albums. The final song is great and a nice way to end with an insistent beat that you just have to grab onto.
Well it was time for Nirvana and their 1993 album 'In Utero.' I can go back to 1993 in New Jersey, and my roommate had a monster sound system in his car. Whenever I would travel with him around the city of Glassboro - the music would be thumping. Like the many jackasses you see driving around with the stereo that makes everything on the car shake. This is where I started hearing In Utero for the first time. Nevermind had landed and Nirvana was the biggest and best band in the world at the time. It felt like at the time, In Utero was a bit of a disappointment for fans who wanted another Nevermind served up on a platter. Listening to this now, its difficult to listen without the overwhelming history associated with this band. I think honestly, I was focused more on Nirvana Unplugged in NY when it came out in 1994. The stripped down accessibility really appealed to me more than the angry noise that comes from being the biggest and most misunderstood rock star in the world. Still a pretty monumental achievement when looking backwards at this band.
This morning I'm listening to "The Queen is Dead" from the Smiths and released in 1986. I've gone through my share of times in my life where The Smiths were the only band on my mind. I was 12 years old when this album came out, so by no means do I know this band from any formative period growing up. Like a lot of artists, I've come at them later in life, and they have always been meaningful in my life. This continues with Morrissey's work as a solo artist as well. I don't get a lot of chance to listen to the Smiths, as my wife is not usually in the mood for anything from Morrissey as a rule. I get it, for every person that could spend hours listening to Neil Young, Morrissey, or Jarvis Cocker - like myself. There are lots of people who cannot even listen to these artists for even one second. It doesn't take away from the joy I get from listening to The Smiths on a sunny and cold morning in the state of Maine. These songs are going down like a fine wine, except I don't drink, so let's say some delicious coffee. It looks like many fans consider this to be the best album they ever did. How did anyone in 1986 make music like this? The music and lyrics are easily seen as a blueprint for many of the bands I like to come.
I couldn't find this album, I did listen to some songs from this artist and found the music charming and engaging.
I'm a bit cold sitting next to my window and listening to Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan. I'm not sure I have much add to many words dedicated to the career of Bob Dylan. I do enjoy this album, and have listened to it from start to finish many times over the years. It goes down easy and it makes me wish I had something artistic to contribute to the world. Bob just released a well reviewed album in his 80s I think, and it came out in 2020. Which is just a crazy thing to be doing when you get older. How does Bob Dylan even come up with an original song these days? Like the Beatles, he has been so influential, that you can hear them in so much popular music over the last 50 years. Maybe Bob doesn't listen to a lot of new music. Though I think there is a lot of great music to be found in all corners of the world. Anyway, this is not my goto Dylan album - but it's quite a milestone and I'm happy to hear it on this random Monday.
Right now, I'm listening to 'Fela With Ginger Baker Live!' by Fela Kuti released in 2009. It seems like this was made in the 70s from the way the music sounds and the cover of the album. Yes, the album on Spotify is listed as coming out in1971 - must have been re-released. It's an interesting album, and it's a big and loud and brash album for sure. It's listed as international, and one of the early album and artists to bring Afro-beat to the world. It's a breath of fresh air, it certainly doesn't sound like music I would typically listen to. I do enjoy world, and specifically African music - so this is a really nice treat. I will have to start digging into Fela Kuti's later albums in the 1970s - that brought this music to the forefront.
It might be my mood, my foot injury, or just all around exhaustion from this existence - but the album of the day is not landing at all. It's a concept album, or like a rock opera that apparently inspired Roger Daltrey of The Who to write Tommy. It feels a bit meandering to me right now and I'm trying to appreciate it's place in the British invasion and psychedelia. It's like this band put together the entire blueprint for something very familiar, and all the music is here and accounted for. But other bands (The Stones, The Who, et al) came and took this music and made it better and more accessible. But the music is here and the purists know.
The next one I have Speakerboxxx/The Love Below the double album from the southern rap group Outkast - released in 2003. I've listened to this in the past, and I recall it being difficult to make it through the whole thing. It's over two hours and I just started it. The first part is Speakerboxxx and the side known as the Big Boi side. I'm enjoying the energy and bounce on the Big Boi side, it's really helping me stay awake in the middle day on a random Tuesday. Having lived through the early 2000s I was very aware of this album, and the two hit songs were everywhere for a long time. Outkast was the biggest thing in the world at the time, funny how it was really the end - though I think hope someday they will re-unite. Enjoying this album today.
It's time for Curtis Mayfield and his landmark album from the 70s - SuperFly. It's an easy thirty-six minutes and it goes down very smooth. It's not an album I can see listening to very often. It's the odd effect of having listened to so much music over the years that was influenced by this album. And so it sounds very familiar, though I'm not sure I've ever listened to this full album. From my reading, it's a very important album from the 70s and I do appreciate it. I'm glad to have given it the chance.
Well it's time to write about Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin. It's another band and album that has been written about so many times - there is nothing much I can say. I was never a big Zeppelin fan to be honest, and I've mainly heard their music from secondhand listening. I gave this album a fresh listen and it's everything that people say it is. Will I listen to this again anytime soon? No. It's too ingrained in our lives to really appreciate it beyond it's mythology.
Arrival, a 1976 album by the Swedish band ABBA is the music of the day for me. And what a great day. I used to be judgmental about ABBA for some reason. I was very dismissive and they seemed like terrible bubblegum international pop for a long time in my brain. I can't believe anyone would listen to this garbage! This has changed. At some point I learned to let go and be willing to let the context and circumstances sweep me away and bring me joy. At some point, ABBA became a lovely band and I'm now filled with joy from listening to them. Just let go and let the music take you.
