Oct 31 2022
Live!
Fela Kuti
30 Oct/22: I know next to nothing about Afrobeats as a genre and wow, this album is quite the introduction! Absolutely loved it, this is live music at its best. Standouts after listening to the whole thing once: Black Manâs Cry and the Baker/Allen drum solo.
Something that surprised me right from the start is how much the trumpets remind me of the Salsa and Latin sounds of my youth; but of course theyâre similar! Cuban salsa especially has a ton of influence from African sounds, so that was a component I held onto while listening to the record and it really enhanced the experience.
5
Nov 01 2022
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
31/Oct/22: This is one of the albums I canât be objective about; is one of my top 2 Unplugged records (the other being Soda Stereoâs âComfort y MĂșsica Para Volarâ) and just a fantastic live album in general. I never really appreciated the choice to leave out their biggest hits and instead go for lesser known songs and a selection of covers, but today it really hit me: some of these covers are among my favorite Nirvana songs in general, namely âWhere Did You Sleep Last Nightâ, âLake of Fireâ and âThe Man Who Sold the Worldâ.
Listening to Nirvana today also made me feel⊠nostalgic for what could have been, the evolution we never got to hear both from Nirvana and specifically from Cobain. I would give an organ to hear a solo project, or collaborations with artist outside of the grunge sphere⊠but alas, here we are. Very thankful to get the chance to revisit this old favorite for sure.
5
Nov 02 2022
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Listening to this album transported me to the 90âs: Trapper Keepers, colorful bomber jackets, triangle patterns everywhere. The music in 3 Years is so joyful it made me wanna get up and dance around the house, definitely put me in the mood to discover more of this type of hip hop. The lyrics unfortunately were too⊠earnest for me? Thereâs too much religion in these tracks, some songs are just too preachy in general. I 100% see why it belongs on the list, super happy I got to spend the morning learning more about Arrested Development and their place in music history, but I probably wonât be revisiting this particular album soon.
3
Nov 03 2022
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim is part of the soundtrack of my high school life, particularly âPraise Youâ and âRockefeller Skankâ. But as much love as I have for those songs (and later hits like âWeapon of Choiceâ) it never occurred to me to listen to the whole album? Bless streaming sites.
On the topic of YCALWB, I loved every minute of it. The repetitiveness of the whole thing makes it super easy to have on the background while working, but then I pay attention and it makes me smile. Gotta take a look at all the other FBS albums I missed.
4
Nov 04 2022
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
Coming in all I knew about this album is that it has the theme for the Exorcist, which in hindsight created certain expectations that made the listening experience less⊠satisfying than it mightâve been otherwise. There is a lot of innovation and I have a ton of respect for what this 17-year old musician put together, but personally I found the album meandering and inconsistent. There are brilliant bits, but also parts that made me thing âoh yes, there is a teenager behind itâ. Inconsistency aside, the first 4 minutes alone made me curious enough to want to check out more of Mike Oldfieldâa catalogue and if the internet is right, I should not be disappointed.
3
Nov 07 2022
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
Ok how is Winter in America not on Spotify? Itâs fantastic!! I can see how Gil Scott is considered a precursor to hip hop and rap, thereâs wonderful poetry here as well as just⊠good music. Loved The Bottle and H2Ogate Blues, but overall the experience was inspiring.
After listening I went straight to Pieces of a Man, which opens with a wonderful poem based on the slogan âThe Revolution Will Not Be Televisedâ. The rest of the album doesnât get that political but itâs still a fantastic sou l record. 5/5 for both albums, will revisit a lot.
5
Nov 08 2022
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
What a way to start a weekt and continue my lessons on hip hop (Also thank you to the ppl that put this album on YouTube); from the opening skit I was smiling and the vibe never went away. It was a joy through and through, and learning more about how innovating it was and the impact it had on the culture just made it all the more enjoyable. 5/5, recommending it to everyone.
5
Nov 09 2022
Is This It
The Strokes
Not as memorable as I remembered it to be, but still a solid debut. I never noticed that the whole record goes just for about 35 minutes!!! Back in the day it felt longer. Although I personally much prefer Room On Fire, Is This It will always have a soft spot in my heart for being one of the records that introduced me to garage rock.
4
Nov 10 2022
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
I hoped I would enjoy it more, but I found the history behind the duo far more interesting than the album itself. The songs blend together after a while, with a few surprises (like In The Pines, an early version of Nirvanaâs âWhere Did You Sleep Last Nightâ). Thereâs a lot of Jesus here, and some of the lyrics can be surprisingly heavy, but besides the historical appreciation I donât see much to revisit in the future.
2
Nov 11 2022
Third
Portishead
A 1-star review of this record said it sounded like the soundtrack to their anxiety and⊠yeah! But thatâs what made me like it so much; this record feels weird, atmospheric, and the perfect companion to long walks in these increasingly dark fall afternoons.
I read a little bit about the albumâs influences (including John Carpenter film soundtracks) and you can totally get how they came together to form something like this. âThirdâ gave me what I was hoping from Tubular Bells without becoming predictable or redundant.
4
Nov 14 2022
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Another good debut from a fantastic band! It doesnât yet feel 100% like the QUOTSA I would come to know and love, but the record still has a ton of good rock tracks (my favorite being âWalkin on the Sidewalksâ) and leaves you wanting to see where theyâd go next.
3
Nov 15 2022
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Ok Roxy Music has no right to be this enjoyable. Knowing nothing about it except for the album cover I was expecting dated tracks I could appreciate but not be invested in; next thing I knew I had listened to the whole thing like 3 times đ
. I wish I had the technical or historical knowledge to explain why this record sounds the way it does: it reminds me of 50âs music but also of a lot of stuff that came after, even of music outside the U.S. like Sui Generis. Iâm really looking forward to tackling âFor Your Pleasureâ and delving deeper into Brian Enoâs other musical projects.
4
Nov 16 2022
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Oh Eminem. When âThe Marshall Matters LPâ came out I was 14 and it blew me away; I spoke very little English at the time but knew enough to be both scandalized and fascinated by this skinny dude rapping about not being like everyone else and killing his wife đŹ. I loved the album but didnât go looking for his previous work, so Iâm coming to this only knowing âMy Name Isâ, which still makes me laugh.
This album is so⊠over the top, so committed to be both funny and horrific, that is impossible for me to take offense at the worst parts (it feels like listening to the music version of Scream, or Rob Zombieâs horror movies). But there is real anger underneath, a very real sense of desperation and a weird vulnerability, and that I think sets it apart from other stuff of the late 90âs. Eminem doesnât brag about being handsome or rich or a badass, instead he raps about how pathetic his life is, how he was bullied into an almost coma, how much working a low-wage job sucks and how much this is pretty much is only chance at making it. The urgency is compelling, present everywhere but specially in tracks like âRock Bottomâ; it really reminds me of why growing up Eminem felt so relatable despite the. misogyny. This was truly an end-of-century anthem.
3
Nov 17 2022
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
Another artist I know by reputation and basically just 1 song, the one that gives the title to todayâs album. Iâm not American and wasnât expecting to connect or be interested in patriotic rock, but Born in the USA is not that at all!!! Instead, Springsteen sings about disillusion, the lie of the American Dream, and what it feels like to grow up knowing thereâs no future, no way out. The musicâs made to fill stadiums; no wonder so many ppl ignored the more critical parts and focused on the catchy lines. Personally itâs not the type of rock Iâm drawn to (not enough variation, sounds to⊠clean?) but I definitely see why it deserves a place on the list, and I leave with a big dose of respect for The Boss.
3
Nov 18 2022
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
I listened to the whole album about 3 hours ago, and I canât remember any of the songs except for Scooby Snacks. It wasnât unenjoyable or hard to listen to! Just a little bit⊠samey. I wouldâve loved it if Iâd listen to it in the 90âs (especially the chill beats and overall relaxed vibe on most of the songs) but right now I donât find anything in it to hook me in or make me want to check out more of their stuff. Definitely will revisit this weekend with a fresh set of ears and maybe more patience for 90âs hip-hop/rock fusion projects.
2
Nov 21 2022
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
Ah this was good funk rock to end the week with. One of my favorite things about the record is the emergence of political commentary in some of the lyrics and also the surprisingly⊠cynical? Dark? tone in super mellow songs like âSomebodyâs Watching Youâ; it definitely added a layer of enjoyment to the experience and gave me ever more reason to revisit the album afterwards.
Other highlights: âEveryday Peopleâ (one of those I knew about but never listened in full), âI Want to Take you Higherâ and the fantastic, you-gotta-dance-to-this-and-pretend-youâre-in-Woodstock âSex Machineâ.
4
Nov 22 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
I was 100% predisposed to love everything about this album just by knowing âLike A Prayerâ and âExpress Yourselfâ are here. And⊠yeah! It took me a little bit to process but by the 2nd time âOh Fatherâ came around I was sold.
The religious tone of the album threw me off, not gonna lie, and at this point in my life Iâm not necessarily searching for the kind of sound âLike a Prayerâ offers, but I was ultimately won over by how personal Madonna gets in these songs. Instead of evoking her more (sexually) provocative side, Madonna reflects on bittersweet, violent relationships in âTill Death Do Us Partâ, sings to an abusive dad in âOh Fatherâ, asks us to not settle in âExpress Yourselfâ and makes her best case to get into heaven in âAct of Contritionâ. This is the Madonna I want to remember, one who was brilliant at combining sound with substance to create memorable performances.
4
Nov 23 2022
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
Liked this one more than I thought I would! âAll I Wanna Doâ still sounds as fresh as it did in the 90âs and âRun, Baby, Runâ makes me wanna sing in front of the mirror, but the 2nd half of the album loses steam and didnât leave me with a super memorable impression. Not a fan of her ballads and I hope I never have to listen to âThe Na Na Songâ ever again.
3
Nov 24 2022
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
I donât remember having ever watched Shaft but the theme song is epic; it really makes you feel like youâre 8-feet tall and the coolest person around. The rest of the album doesnât quite reach those heights but thereâs some fantastic stuff here, particularly the 2nd half with âNo Name Barâ and âDo Your Thingâ. Didnât love the overall record enough just now to give it more than 3 đ, but will definitely revisit it later, as well as more of Isaac Hayesâ work.
3
Nov 25 2022
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
I donât really know why this album made the cut when the first list was compiled, and it doesnât surprise me to see it removed from the latest edition of the book.
âOur Aim is To Satisfyâ starts on a promising note with âKeeping Things Togetherâ, but it didnât manage to keep my attention for long, not even with the super explicit âThe Rough and The Quickâ. Maybe I just havenât had enough exposure to trip hop beyond Portishead and Massive Attack? Will revisit on the weekend to see if it improves with familiarity.
2
Nov 28 2022
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
Imagine being in the audience, slowly warming up to Waterâs charismatic performance until youâre out on the dance floor having the time of your life. As a jazz & blues newbie I canât say whether this is a good intro point to Muddy Waterâs music or to blues in general, but I enjoyed it so much that itâs on regular rotation since I got it last Friday.
4
Nov 29 2022
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Might be the season, or the Christmas-decked malls full of rosy-cheeked families and shiny wrapping paper everywhere, but I found Frank Sinatra in this album impossibly charming. As much as I love how much music has evolved and the weird places itâs gone, thereâs something timeless about one person singing love songs in front of an orchestra. Kinda see why so many people swooned to Sinatra; thereâs something about his voice and the arrangement that makes you feel like youâre the only two people falling in love in the world.
The bookâs bit for SFSL ends with âTruly, the art of the three-minute pop song begins and ends hereâ, and itâs hard to argue with that statement. SFSL was meant to be a hit in its day and Iâm surprised to say that it holds up as a classic.
3
Nov 30 2022
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Wtf. Today I learned what Tropicalia is; I knew a little of Caetano Veloso but never knew the genre could get so weird đ
. Os Mutantes sounds like The Beatles meeting Bossa Nova with a dash of The Velvet Underground and samba thrown in. No wonder the whole Tropicalia movement was at odds with both sides of the political spectrum; its rejection of media mass appeal feels ahead of its time when looking at where we were in the 60âs in Latin America and the power of military dictatorships at the times. A new addition to my regular music rotation.
4
Dec 01 2022
One World
John Martyn
Another one for my âglad-I-listened-but probably-wonât-try-againâ list. It is a very inventive record for sure, but it sounds dated and it didnât give me anything solid enough to hold onto. Didnât love his voice either, much preferred the instrumental parts.
2
Dec 07 2022
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
Serj Tankian has such a memorable, weirdly melodic voice for rap metal. Really enjoyed their debut (although âToxicityâ was my trusty high school companion and will always have a special place in my brain), my favorite parts are where they add other cultural influences to come up with demented, brilliant songs (like in âSugarâ and âSuggestionsâ) and things you still donât hear anywhere less. Extra honorable mention to âSpidersâ, still one of my favorite SOAD songs.
4