Feels like sitting alone in a boat that's just slowly swaying back and forth in the water, except there is no water. It's just a boat a void with a disturbing lack of texture. It's a foam filled comforter in primary colors floating in space.
I had never heard of this before. It’s hard for me to hear that giant 80’s drum machine snare and stay open minded. The was the first sound in music I remember being taught by someone older that it was dated and lame. But the second track takes that sound to such an extreme that I was on board and was sort of disappointed when it was toned down in later tracks.
Listened to this while driving across the country. Perfect atmosphere for it. I listened to it three times. I can't believe I've never heard "Here I am". There's some great genres blending in that one, country, southern rock and Motown vibes. I want an Aretha Franklin cover of that song. Also, I keep thinking about how effective the simple the repeated cascading piano line in The Way I See You is. I also really enjoyed the bass in Early Morning Breeze. That one almost has hints of 60's psychedelia sound. Throughout the whole album she comes across so confident but utterly unpretentious. Loved it.
The White album is an obvious five star album in general, but it's not a five star Beatle album for me. I find it the saddest Beatles album. They sound further apart from each other than on any other album. They are doing a ton of experimenting on this album but they feel directionless and disconnected as a group. More than any other album it feels like they are just taking turns with a John song, then a Paul song then a George. There are multiple songs in which the lead vocals and harmonies are done by one Beatle. There are some absolutely incredible songs on this album: Julia, Blackbird, Dear Prudence, Helter Skelter, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I Will, but there's also obvious filler. Wild Honey Pie, Don't Pass Me By, Why Don't we Do it in the Road?, Bungalow Bill. Don't get me wrong, I still love every song. (Except maybe Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie). Many people have suggested that if this had been cut down to a single album it would be their greatest achievement. I disagree. Even the great songs are missing that full Beatles magic. Especially for McCartney, this is the first album where you can hear a glimpse of what their solo careers will be. Some good stuff, but nothing that feels as good as those true John/Paul calibrations. Also, I don't love the mix on several of these songs. Long Long Long, for example, It think it's a really interesting song, but the way it's mixed is so muddy it's hard to listen to. Also, they use echo in weird ways that make certain instruments feel small and isolated. All that being said. It's the White Album and a I love it. But before this one I usually reach for Revolver, Rubber Soul, Abbey Road or Help. Let it Be too. Many people consider Let it Be to be a step down from the other albums of the late 60's but what I love about Let it Be is what's missing from this album. You can hear the Beatles playing and singing together, feeding off each other.
Love love the production. It’s so clean and clear in a way that supports her voice perfectly. She, like Dolly, reminded me what’s great about country. Unpretentiously relatable life issues. My only complaint is that some songs get a little same-sy. Highlight for me: Slow Burn, Mother, Space Cowboy, Wonder Woman.
This genre was never my thing, but I went in open minded. I was able to appreciate some of the musicianship and there was enough variety for me to see that they were exploring boundaries within the genre. I was on board for about a song and a half but then it turned into white noise and made me feel bad. This is still very much, not for me. I haven't really tried to listen to this kind of stuff in a long time and this was the first time as a parent, which made me listen to the lyrics from a very different place. I found myself getting angry at the sentiment of many of the songs. In some ways a get it. Rock and Roll was originally all about rebellion, as was Punk and Grunge, and many others, and in some ways this is that same spirit of rebellion just taken to an extreme. But to me it just paints a picture of pathetic dudes threatening violence on the world for not loving them. Real incel energy. Honestly, I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics, so I don't know if the text supports this picture. But it feels like it does.
Just like how Led Zeppelin birthed a decade of guitar shredding rock that mostly paled in comparison to its source, listening to this gave me a similar feeling and a glimpse of the future of 80's pop trying to build off some of this magic.
