I found it surprising how many of these songs I've never heard before, and I think of myself as a Beatles fan. I guess I've never thought of this as a "real" Beatles album, given that most of it wasn't written by them. But it contains so much of what's great about them - the arrangements are so fun: the inventive bvs on Please Mr Postman, great lead guitar lines, inventive doowop harmonies, often strange drumming choices (the constant floor tom playing all the way to the climax in Money (That's What I Want)), and Ringo suggesting absolutely delighted to take his turn on I Wanna Be Your Man. Sure, some of it is raw and shambolic - Lennon's double tracks, the thin handclaps on Roll Over Beethoven, and the weird stereo separation (obviously not George Martin's fault) - but it feels live, and captures some of the magic of the Cavern/Hamburg. And it's ace.
I was scared of them at 14 - too loud and emotional - and even now I prefer the reggae versions by Little Roy. The sound of someone screaming isn't ever going to be my favourite sound. But I wasn't on the right side of history - clearly this was the greatest album of 1991, and not 5:30's "Bed" or Blur's "Leisure". And nowadays I do enjoy its melodicism. Maybe one day I'll analyse the prevalence of medial chord changes in this album, in particular the way that it supports chromatic melodies. But for now I'll be "he's the one / who likes an our pretty songs / and he likes to sing along / but he don't know what it means".
This was, I think, the first thing I've ever listened from start to finish. Pretty sure I hadn't heard any of the last five songs before, and it definitely tails off: "Endless Nameless" is too much.
Plus, the stuff that Spotify took me to after this was bloody awful (Jane's Addiction, Fugazi, Pearl Jam) so I think I'm better off having not really been into grunge. Guess I just wasn't an angry enough kid.
Are there too many Beck albums?
These jams are fine, if a bit lazy. I suppose it's classic gen-X - Odelay with the edges sanded down. But it's definitely no "Sea Change"
This is a fascinating crossroads record.
Stylistically, it's definitely not country and western. Ray Charles took in the country canon and treated it like a jazz head - reimagining standards in the "modern style". To contemporary ears it sounds, ironically, more dated than actual country. We are in full easy listening territory: syrupy backing vocals; gorgeous strings; and Ray Charles in full crooner mode - it could be Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole.
Not that that's a bad thing, but it does feel like a long double album, and is lacks variety. I could've done with a few more of the bangers that defined most of his 60s work.
The racial dimension feels radical - a black r&b star taking white-coded songs and transforming them, partly as proto-soul and partly 50s balladry, in a style that was neither black nor white.
Overall, I don't love the songs (I'm not really up on my country standards), but the arrangements are so classy and the piano playing is sublime.
Despite being recorded in exile, basically this is a straight-up joyous jazz record. Some deep swinging numbers "Masuru" absolutely tears it up. There's also - since it's 1972 - some heavy electric fusion ("Inner Crisis"), and some spiritual jazz - "Unhome" is a particularly lovely meditative moment.
That is, until the last track, "Ingoo PowPow (Children's Song)" which is like fusion with African elements, and feels really refreshing. Think Bitches Brew with some chanting. Really good stuff.
There's a moment in "get back" when John Lennon looks straight at the camera and deadpans "a-whabapelooba-a-wha-bap-boo" and is playing the clown pretending to be bored with it. That was 12 years after this album, and the Beatles are struggling trying to recapture what they used to love about music. Their touchstone is this, the first flush of rock and roll, and after everything they've accomplished, this reminds them why they started.
And 60 years on...it's still thrilling.
There's lots of reasons why I should like this: Geordie solidarity; literate pop; and the common consensus is that they're great.
But I find this a hard listen
His thin voice, bad MIDI horns, sub-house piano, obvious jazz-lite chord progressions...it's just bad 90s pop music. I think perhaps I prefer my pet shop boys staying in the 80s.
Is it a coincidence that this pops up the day after she died? Either way, it's cool to hear it.
I find straight-ahead country music annoyingly saccharin and obvious. Unless I'm into the story... In which I love it. This album has about half and half. Sorry Dolly.
What? I have to listen to Robbie fucking Williams?!
I actually don't mind him as a personality. I enjoyed Heat magazine, back in the day. His journey from Take That to Glastonbury was great tabloid story. The monkey film was a cool twist on a biopic. He is clearly a charming man. And Angels is an undeniable modern classic.
But this is absolute shit. Reeks of insincerity and cynicism. Britpop by numbers. Lyrics are absolute bobbins.
Sound like musical theatre troupe doing The Bluetones. Like Northern Uproar on a million pound budget. It reminds the listener that the 90s often crap and oasis weren't necessarily a good thing for Britain.
And the key change in "Hope I'm Old Before I Die" is a fucking war crime.
The drumming is impressively bombastic. But these are nursery rhymes for morons.
Joyful combination of Beatlesque rapid pop with Californian-sized production and rich college chorale harmonies. Wonderful.
A new Neil Young album to me, which I enjoyed, especially the looser soul sound like the outro to "Walk On". Although I like a lot of his songs, I have to admit that I don't find Neil Young's strangulated voice a source of pure joy, particularly in the higher registers, which there's a lot of in this. So, not bad, and I'm sure there'll be better NY albums to come..
And it starts so well - the unsettled pastoralism of "Strange Boys Play Weird Openings" has so much promise. And then the moronic Football chant rhythm of Malibu Beach Nightmare starts, and you realise - that opening was the best thing about it.
Oh man, this is awful. The tastelessness of Hair Metal. The 80s polish on punk. Apparently they're from Finland, so I guess that makes it alright (these are the original Tygörz!). But there's so many cliches, it's like Spinal Tap without any self awareness. Maybe they're actually being ironic. Either way, I found it a difficult listen.
Also, I strongly recommend not reading the lyrics to "Lick Summer Love" if you want to keep your lunch.
Yeesh. Horrible.
Ah this is more like it. An album I am really fond of.
Hard to separate the emotional response to this and be objective - Tracy Thorn singing "you're a girl and I'm a boy" will always feel like the warmest of blankets.
In fact, both of the Tracy Thorn joints are staggeringly good, even 30 years on from their initial teenaged punch. I remember I couldn't actually hear the "Better Things" baseline from the cassette player in my yellow Mini, but I still loved the tune - just Tracy and some skittering percussion.
Ok, it's not ALL great. (It could only ever be down from "Protection") - it's actually rather a cold album in places. And, as you might expect from a load of stoners, it's pretty lazy. Tricky reusing his verses (and then again on Maxinquaye)..then just straight nicking lyrics from the Specials. Weather Storm is a five-minute piano solo over a loop. And could they really not get Horace Andy to sing "Light My Fire" in tune with that monster beat (or the other way round)?
Some of the beats have not aged well - Euro Child particularly. But no wonder - this sound became the template for trip hop and downtempo "chill out" CDs. It's not exactly Massive Attack's fault for being pioneers.
All in all, though, and especially since my eldest is due to head to Bristol for her first term at University in two days, this was almost too emotional. I think I'll always love this album.
