Best Ever Albums

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:50:49 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/16/2014 02:50

Thank you, sp4cetiger. Same here - it was a pleasure through and through. I hope I kept it relatively interesting and worth your while and everyone else's.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 20:31:47 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/16/2014 01:31

Thanks, Mercury! I may stop back in with more questions, but that's it for me for now. Definitely a pleasure.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 13:51:13 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/15/2014 18:51

Jhereko wrote:

Hey Mrc. Kinda a random specific question but since you adore The Tallest Man On Earth what do you think of José González? Both swedish, both folk singer songwriters both have had success outside Sweden. I'm quite fond of José so I was curious.

I fucking love me some Jose g. His version of Heartbeats was like a major part of the soundtrack of my teens . An his albums In Our Nature and Veneer I love. It's kinda funny because I see TMOE and Gonzalez is like two opposite sides of a coin. Whereas Kristian Mattson is exuberant and extroverted with lots of adorned and elaborate lyrics, Jose is sad, kinda maudlin and introverted and has very sparsely worded lyrics. Although they're both Swedish and total peers and they both make indie folk with primarily an acoustic guitar they are so very different.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:29:31 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/14/2014 23:29

Hey Mrc. Kinda a random specific question but since you adore The Tallest Man On Earth what do you think of José González? Both swedish, both folk singer songwriters both have had success outside Sweden. I'm quite fond of José so I was curious.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 22:28:16 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/13/2014 03:28

sp4cetiger wrote:

Thanks for your patience, Mercury. I want to do a question or two more before I move on to the next chart.

From your contributions to the recent tournament, it seems that you're quite knowledgable about hip hop. Where does this fit in to your musical taste tree? Do you see it as a form of Americana?

Sorry for the long delay on this reply. To be honest when it comes to hip hop I consider myself maybe a step above tyro - a novice - a primer - a beginner, etc. I've heard maybe abouts 150-200 hip hop albums total tops . But yeah I am passionate about what I love, and I love a lot of rap and hip hop music massively .

And yeah it's a beautiful art firm. Being someone who loves great lyricists and songwriters that is what initially drew me to it. I feel many, if not most, of the truly great and transcendent writers (in my mind) to emerge from pop music in the last 25 years have come from rap. It's such a changing, nimble, bendable poetic art form. I love it.

Do I think of it as Americana? No. It has it's genesis in America but so does many musical forms that I don't think of as part of this genre called Americana. But that is a genre mostly defined for me in the Basement Tapes, Bob Dylan, The Band, etc.

Hip Hop is however awesome! And big respect to Skinny who was one of the main people who inspired me to get really into it about a year or 2 ago. As a matter of fact Liquid Swords and Internal Affairs - 2 of my absolute faves - were direct recs from him.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 10:08:18 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/11/2014 15:08

Thanks for your patience, Mercury. I want to do a question or two more before I move on to the next chart.

From your contributions to the recent tournament, it seems that you're quite knowledgable about hip hop. Where does this fit in to your musical taste tree? Do you see it as a form of Americana?

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Fri, 7 Nov 2014 00:43:16 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/07/2014 05:43

sp4cetiger wrote:

Sorry for my absence here, I just started a new job on Tuesday and haven't had much free time since. Will get get back into it soon.

It's no problem, brother. Thanks for the update.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Thu, 6 Nov 2014 20:22:06 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/07/2014 01:22

Sorry for my absence here, I just started a new job on Tuesday and haven't had much free time since. Will get get back into it soon.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Mon, 3 Nov 2014 23:15:24 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/04/2014 04:15

sp4cetiger wrote:

I did! I'm a little on the fence about her lyrics (needs more listens), but the melodies were instantly appealing.

Oh good! Yeah her lyrics are adorable and actually at times really wise and excellent. Also there are parts in that album where the lyrics seem to get or do get cheesy and campy like the chorus for "Step Off" or "Merry Go Round" or the overtly heavy handed lyrics at times on "Follow Your Arrow". The thing is those are all great tracks and I honestly just adore that album.

sp4cetiger wrote:

Aside from the Thunders album, the other '70s punk and post-punk albums on your chart:

London Calling - The Clash
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols
Pink Flag - Wire
Entertainment! - Gang of Four

That's a lot of Brits! What is it about the British wing of the punk movement that attracts you? In particular, I'd like to hear some advocacy for this one:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols

For whatever reason, kids these days talk about the Sex Pistols like Johnny Rotten took a shit in their cheerios. I mean, I wouldn't put that past him, but still..

Oh yes I love me some punk! And the British punk is perhaps my favorite sort. But honestly punk/hardcore/proto punk etc is probably the genre that I have the most favorites from (outside of the general country/Americana genre if you wanna count that.) I mean I could honestly see myself on any given day or week including any mix of 20 punk albums on my chart. Most are just outside the top 100. And if you see this list you'll see it's more close to even between NY/LA - American and British bands. The albums off the top of my head that have been on my chart in the past:

Los Angeles by X
First Four Years by Black Flag
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys
Leave Home by Ramones
Bad Brains by Bad Brains
L.A.M.F. by Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers
Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell by Social Distortion

And those are just the American ones.

----but, to be honest, yeah I suppose I do have a preference or a leaning toward the classic British albums. They sound generally more snotty, less arty. Clearly those are general statements that don't bear out. But I just think that British punk scene of the late 70s was the greatest era and melting pot of rock talent ever. Still is. I can't think of anything that truly comes close for me. I mean The Clash, Pistols, Wire, Costello, Damned, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Gang Of Four, Pop Group, etc etc etc. It seems crazy to think they all emerged basically the same time in basically the same place. Wow!

--------

As for my love for the Sex Pistols. I don't know why stupid ass kids hate on it now. And whenever I see such disrespect, it saddens me. "Never mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols" is still to this day the THE sound of punk. It defines the attitude and style better and more directly than any other album. It is still to this day absolutely invigorating and brilliant how absolutely upfront Johnny Ritten and company are about their intentions: they are there to OFFEND people and ENRAGE people and ANNOY people. They are there to make a lot of other people have less back off from expressing how much they dislike other people. It's pretty anti social a lot of the time and the album revels in this. It pulls no punches. It's a bracing and excellent album for that. The Johnny Thunders ripped off riffs and the loud thundering production and some of the coolest vocals ever! And the lyrics that are still pretty ear catching and offensive as I listen today in 2014 like "fuuuuuuuck this and fuuuuuuuck that fucking little fucker fucking brat(???)I don't wanna a baby that looks like that!" I really am not sure what he says there except fuck many times. And the lines about the queen being a moron and anarchy and the Antichrist and how stupid specific companies are and the lyrics about abortion, the whole album is thrillingly mean. Like, mean spirited, ill natured not nice, SNOTTY. And the album also sounds GREAT!!!!! What is people's problem? Their loss I suppose.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Mon, 3 Nov 2014 17:00:05 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/03/2014 22:00

Aside from the Thunders album, the other '70s punk and post-punk albums on your chart:

London Calling - The Clash
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols
Pink Flag - Wire
Entertainment! - Gang of Four

That's a lot of Brits! What is it about the British wing of the punk movement that attracts you? In particular, I'd like to hear some advocacy for this one:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Sun, 2 Nov 2014 21:49:55 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/03/2014 02:49

Mercury wrote:

And, oh, how did you end up liking the remainder of Musgraves' album? (Not trying to turn the tables on you... lol.)

I did! I'm a little on the fence about her lyrics (needs more listens), but the melodies were instantly appealing.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Sun, 2 Nov 2014 16:49:35 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/02/2014 21:49

sp4cetiger wrote:

I'll have to put that one on next. Right now I'm in the middle of Musgraves' Same Trailer Different Park (love that opening track).

One of the things I was surprised by after a careful look at your chart was the amount of punk. The highest ranked punk album was a new one for me: So Alone by Johnny Thunders
It covers quite a bit of ground for a punk record and almost feels like a summary of the movement up to that point. There's a surf rock re-imagining ("Pipeline"), a Sex Pistols send-up ("London Boys"), a track from his New York Dolls days ("Subway Train"), and a closer that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Stooges album ("Downtown"). How did you stumble across So Alone? Are you a big fan of Thunders' other work as well?

Also, where do the New York Dolls stand for you in the '70s punk/protopunk pantheon?

First off I gotta say I love everything about that post! 😉

Yeah, do check out "High Low And In Between"! That was the first thing I'd ever heard by Townes. I still remember like it was yesterday being at the counter of Vintage Vinyls listening booth/area and listening to a used CD copy they had of it. I was 16 and I can honestly say, and I'm sorry if I say stuff like this a lot - but trust me this was EXTRA special, that when "Highway Kind" came on in the headphones with that haunting acoustic guitar and plain, mildly mournful and lonely voice coming in and hearing the words "My days they are the highway kind, they only come to leave...." "I don't know too much for truth but my heart knows how to pound, my legs know how to love someone, my voice knows how to sound...." "And you're the only one I want but I've never heard your name. Let's hope we meet some day. If we don't it's all the same." I truly was stunned. It was like a 2 way mirror or window. Like I was granted a view from the point of view Townes Van Zandt and it was also like he was speaking thoughts that I had in the most eloquent, succinct and powerful way. Totally corny, I know, but that's kinda how it felt.

Also the other tracks, the gospel of "Two Hands", the lovely "Greensboro Woman" the contemplative look at heaven that is on "You Are Not Needed Now", the playful Grateful Dead-esque "Standin'", the classic TVZ plain spoken poetry of "To Live's To Fly" and the title track, and of course the 2 minute lyrical/parable narrative of "Mr Mudd and Mr Gold." all make it a grand record. I think you'll love it.

-------

And as for Kacey. Glad you like it. It's a pop country gem. And I just love her songwriting. Lovely.

------

Now into the main course. 😄 - Johnny Thunders.
Yeah I agree with your analysis. It really does cover a lot of the pre punk bases and in doing so infuses the styles with his own punk attitude. And yeah, I love punk. My first chart on here was probably 30% punk. I was really obsessed. Still love it. And probably my favorite or one of my all time favorites that would fall into that category is definitely "So Alone". It's an interesting album to me because while it really puts forward and really oozes a cocky, swaggerous, taunting, rock and roll badassness , it also harbors underneath the facade a sadness and apathy and a feeling of disappointment. At least that's what I hear. It feels like a war of those 2 concepts of accepting the junky bad boy life while also kinda coming to grips with how fucked up and lost Johnny was. It's a tragic album in a way.

As for how I discovered it, well when I was about 15 I got this book from the library all about Alternative/Punk Rock and it's history and mostly it was just a big book of reviews of thousands of albums post '75. It was written by this British reviewer named Dave Thompson. Anyway, i basically took that book and made it a point to list every album he gave a perfect 10 to - a list of about 50 albums - and go and listen to all of them. "So Alone" was on that list. And I fell in love. If you want to see that whole list - it being probably in a way the most influential list for me when I was getting into music and to this day - it's here -----> My special, boyhood list by Mercury

And yeah for other Thunders, I absolutely love "L.A.M.F." (Like a mother fucker) by Johnny Thunders and the heartbreakers. It's just a absolutely quintessential NY Punk album. It's as filthy and down and dirty and swagtastic as albums get. It's also like a Gangsta Punk album, with lots of references to the gang and street life of Thunders in NYC. It's great. And kinda demoralizing because those dudes were really fucked up. Also Thunders guitar sound was HUGELY influential! It was great on its own terms, but it's really fascinating how much Steve Jones of the Pistols stole his thick rock and roll sound! As did the damned and to a degree the clash. Etc...Awesome!

-------

As for the Dolls. Yeah they are amazing! Their debut is one of the 20-30 greatest punk or proto punk albums ever. And I actually enjoy their brand of punk before punk more than the stooges or the MC5 or any of those. So, I guess in my personal view of the pantheon of proto punk they are number 1 or up there with early Patti Smith, and garage freaks like the Sonics, Monks, etc. Also their sophomore album "Too Much Too Soon" shouldn't be overlooked! It's not as great or iconic as their debut, but it's super charged glam punk of the highest order (outside of, obv., their debut).

-----

All this talk of Punk is making me crave some! I think I will revisit some Thunders affiliated music right.... Now!

And, oh, how did you end up liking the remainder of Musgraves' album? (Not trying to turn the tables on you... lol.)

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Sun, 2 Nov 2014 15:04:38 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/02/2014 20:04

Mercury wrote:

I had "High, Low And In Between" on my chart for awhile. It's my favorite of his studio albums and contains the song "Highway Kind" which I don't have words to describe how fantastic it is.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

So Alone by Johnny Thunders

It covers quite a bit of ground for a punk record and almost feels like a summary of the movement up to that point. There's a surf rock re-imagining ("Pipeline"), a Sex Pistols send-up ("London Boys"), a track from his New York Dolls days ("Subway Train"), and a closer that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Stooges album ("Downtown"). How did you stumble across So Alone? Are you a big fan of Thunders' other work as well?

Also, where do the New York Dolls stand for you in the '70s punk/protopunk pantheon?

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Sun, 2 Nov 2014 13:10:00 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/02/2014 18:10

sp4cetiger wrote:

....
I love TVZ, but I don't think of him as either an albums artist or a singles artist -- rather, he's a compilation artist. I have his debut album on my chart, but it's more of an honorary spot than anything else (I'm not knowledgable enough about his catalog to pick the perfect comp). Can you tell us a bit more about how you settled on this particular compilation? I've never seen the accompanying documentary, would you recommend that as well?

Also, I don't know how familiar you are with his catalog, but if you could, rank the albums you've heard (live, studio, or compilation).

Well I tend to agree with you on TVZ. His Studio LPs aren't bad, as a matter of fact they're wildly consistently very good. But I feel there is always something missing. Sometimes I feel the production is too much or a little too clean or sweet. Sometimes it's that there just aren't enough stand outs and just a few songs reign supreme so it happens that it casts the rest of the tracks into an almost "filler" light. Or on his acoustic live albums, although great, I have the opposite problem. I feel the stripped down guitar and vocal approach captures his personality and poetry but not the full atmosphere of the more epic and brilliant songs.

I had "High, Low And In Between" on my chart for awhile. It's my favorite of his studio albums and contains the song "Highway Kind" which I don't have words to describe how fantastic it is. Especially that version. But while it had undoubtedly some fantastic songs, the production on there isn't always my cuppa tea - like the clean little triangle chimes on "Greensboro Woman". I mean I LOVE "Greensboro Woman" but that recording and those fucking triangles don't do it any favors in my opinion.

Anyway, I came across this soundtrack because I found
It used at Vintage Vinyl (local record store). And I had just seen the movie (which is fascinating. Highly recommended look at the strange personality and life of TVZ. Great music and great interviews with his friends like Guy Clark and Steve Earle.) Anyway, I looked at the track listing and the fact that it was 2 discs and I got it. And at that point I only had 1 studio album of his.

This comp has it all. It has some of the best cuts from the classic "Live At The Old Quarter", interspersed with some choice studio tracks from all his early albums up to the late 70s. It includes the same stunning version of "Highway Kind" that I love. It has studio versions of "Rake", "Nothin'"Flyin' Shoes" etc. It also has this staticy, eerie, live version of "Black Crow Blues" which is just astounding, and overwhelmingly beautiful. And the little vocal snippets of Townes talking taken from interviews contained in the movie at the beginning of each disc is a nice touch. It's brilliant.

As for how I rank his albums I've heard in full, including live albums, and studio albums it goes ....

0. BE HERE TO LOVE ME (2005)
1. High Low And In Between (1972)
2. Live At The Old Quarter (rec. '73, released '77)
3. Our Mother The Mountain (1969)
4. The Late Great Townes Van Zandt (1972)
5. Townes Van Zandt (1969)
6. Rear View Mirror (1993
7. Delta Momma Blues (1971)
8. Rear View Mirror Vol 2 (2004)
9. Highway Kind (1997)
-------

Oh and thank you for your condolences.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Sun, 2 Nov 2014 12:19:21 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/02/2014 17:19

Mercury wrote:

As another note, my aunt Kim passed away last night at 12:05 from cancer. And in my grief the usual feelings took over and the usual griefy questions of why? and declarations of making more of my life and treating my acquaintances with more love and respect. And a much much smaller personal loss last week was Cardinals Outfielder Oscar Tavares suddenly dying at 22. So I guess I've had some wake up calls lately. And as I sit listening to this, one of my oldest friends, the inspiration and beauty of the album is being driven home more than ever.

I'm sorry to hear about your aunt. 🙁

I don't have a particular go-to album in moments of grief but I have a touch of envy for those who do. I imagine it must be like when you're a child and you hug your favorite stuffed animal after being sent to your room.

Speaking of poignant... there's this:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Be Here To Love Me by Townes Van Zandt

I love TVZ, but I don't think of him as either an albums artist or a singles artist -- rather, he's a compilation artist. I have his debut album on my chart, but it's more of an honorary spot than anything else (I'm not knowledgable enough about his catalog to pick the perfect comp). Can you tell us a bit more about how you settled on this particular compilation? I've never seen the accompanying documentary, would you recommend that as well?

Also, I don't know how familiar you are with his catalog, but if you could, rank the albums you've heard (live, studio, or compilation).

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Sat, 1 Nov 2014 12:33:22 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/01/2014 16:33

sp4cetiger wrote:

I have to admit that I hadn't actually heard Tallest Man until I started studying your chart a few days ago, but I really enjoyed it. Although the influence from Dylan is pretty obvious, I agree with you that he really has his own thing going on and I honestly stopped thinking about Dylan after a track or two of my first listen. How did you discover Matsson? You mentioned in your chart note that the lyrics have special personal meaning to you. Do you associate The Wild Hunt with a specific event in your life?

Well, I suppose I associate The Wild Hunt with about November 2010. I was in a strangely optimistic and yet lost situation. I felt sort of like the graduate in The Graduate. I had finished a bunch if training and I was home and yet I was living at home with dad and I just didn't know what to feel. So, something happened and a person on Facebook saw that I mentioned Josh Ritter in a post and he and me became friends and tarted talking about music and he recommended the Tallest Man On Earth. That was the first I'd ever heard I him. And a but later I herd "The Wild Hunt" for the first time. And yeah I was strongly affected by it. It was because I felt that the music was passionate, optimistic, romantic, clear and just so refreshing. I felt a connection to Kristian Mattson like I haven't felt with anyone else in my musical life besides maybe Dylan.

The themes of the album seem to be wonder and wandering, being aimless and yet overcome by wonder at the beauty and possibility of life. And every song was emotionally stirring as powerful. Actually, I'm listening to it now as I write as the power is still there as much as ever. The slight, idk really, reverb(?) on the guitar and the way Mattson barks and howls out his passionate words just makes my eyes water with happiness every time. This is just by far the greatest album I've ever heard.

It's also something special about the way this record is presented. I can't stress enough how refreshing it is for me to hear a beautiful, succinct Folk LP that is exuberant and Extriverted and hopeful basically the entire way through. Even in its darkest moments such as on "Love Is All" and the tear jerker "Drying Of The Lawns" there is a certain wisdom and whimsical power there. Like the main character is learning from the pain and moving on with positivity and perseverance. I can listen to this album and these words and I ALWAYS feel hope and happiness from it. Album's divine.

As for specific lyrics that have a special significance to me, it hard to pinpoint it. The album kind of flows for me internally like a whole concept. The concept of which I've already rambled about in this overlong post. But for example the words of "King Of Spain" are just so rich and meaningful for me all about love an pride and dreams and how being in love can make anything feel possible. "A Lion's Heart" and "Kids On The Run" communicate again a great idea of love and being a sort of loner in the world. It's a wonderius idea. "Kids on The Run" has a similar affect on me that "Born To Run" possibly has on many others. It just communicates a lot of the youthful lostness that I felt and still feel. "Drying Of The Lawns" sounds like the greatest poet girlfriend ever writing a break up letter. It's so sad but also so poetically expressed. And you can really see it from the other person's perspective in why they are leaving you, or whoever this person is who is being dumped. "Love is All" is godly. The words the guitar an the greatest vocals I've just about ever heard. And it expresses the devastated grief that took me over whenever I lost someone I loved. "Hear come the tears. But like always I let them go. Just let them go. .... Future was our skin but now we don't dream anymore. Our house was made of spider webs and the clouds were rolling in." I don't know, that songs guts me everytime.

And on other stand outs (every fucking song) their are similar moments of emotion and vulnerability as well as power an happiness.

Yeah, so that is a small explanation of some of what I feel about The Wild Hunt.

As another note, my aunt Kim passed away last night at 12:05 from cancer. And in my grief the usual feelings took over and the usual griefy questions of why? and declarations of making more of my life and treating my acquaintances with more love and respect. And a much much smaller personal loss last week was Cardinals Outfielder Oscar Tavares suddenly dying at 22. So I guess I've had some wake up calls lately. And as I sit listening to this, one of my oldest friends, the inspiration and beauty of the album is being driven home more than ever. Life really is wonderful, wondrous and sometimes brief. There is no moral to what I'm saying. Just a renewed observation.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Sat, 1 Nov 2014 08:00:59 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/01/2014 12:00

Mercury wrote:

As for Kristian Mattson, well the first thing I thought of was Dylan when I heard him. The second thing I thought of was Dave Van Ronk for his more fiery, exuberant and extroverted personality than most early Dylan. Also I thought about Nick Drake due to his dexterous guitar playing/picking and alternate tunings. So, yeah I guess I didn't at first think of him as "sounding American" because there was far more to it to me than that.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Mercury — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:55:36 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 11/01/2014 03:55

sp4cetiger wrote:

I actually have another question from your earlier response.

I notice that you were careful only to mention American artists, but it seems to me that there are many non-American artists on your chart who also have their finger on the pulse of the American folk aesthetic. When these artists incorporate elements from American folk traditions into their music, do you feel that it ceases to be Americana? When I listen to the Rolling Stones or the Tallest Man on Earth, their music is so beholden to American folk/blues/country that it sometimes feels as if they're more American than most artists actually born here. Do you think an artist's musical heritage is more about where they're from or what they love to listen to?

I think that's a great question. I'd say in the case of the Stones they definitely loved American blues and other country and American folk and successfully fused it with their young brash British personality and made something uniquely their own. They sort of helped invent a whole new thing in and of itself, so I guess I never mentally associated them as being very American. Even though their influences were HUGELY so.

As for Kristian Mattson, well the first thing I thought of was Dylan when I heard him. The second thing I thought of was Dave Van Ronk for his more fiery, exuberant and extroverted personality than most early Dylan. Also I thought about Nick Drake due to his dexterous guitar playing/picking and alternate tunings. So, yeah I guess I didn't at first think of him as "sounding American" because there was far more to it to me than that. I felt connected to him as an individual musician seperate from such associations. Also if you hear Kristian's lyrics they aren't Americanized at all. He speaks of much more spiritual and emotional things and when he does mention specific things that can be used to pin point a culture or location, it's referencing the geography and locale and culture of Sweden and northern Europe. Hell, even the main theme and title of "The Wild Hunt" comes directly from northern European myth.

I suppose I don't know what my point is in those things I just said except to say not much and not answer the question. 🙁

To answer your question I think it depends. I think that the closer to present time the more easy it has become to drink in the music and culture of other far off lands. To the point now when a Japanese band can embrace and beautifully interpret British punk better than the Brits and an American Ivy League band can embrace and play west African music ably. I think in the 60s when the stones became what they were it was a lot harder and they developed their initial sound by seeing Howlin Wolf and some other blues men who toured England (rare at that time but still more common than it had ever been possible prior to the explosion of blues interests in the late 50s through mid 60s) in person a bit and from playing some of their records over and over until they could kinda play like them. But that sound the stones initially created was not really a perfect mimicry, and as a result something unique came out of the clash or mix of cultures. And then if you go earlier and go back to the 30s and the fact that Robert Johnson clearly had learned an mastered elements of East Coast style blues from a region a couple hundred miles away was a revelation and very unique.

So their is a gradient. At this point with the interweaving communication lines that exist and the easy access most people have to all forms of music that they are interested in, it seems distinct Regional and national sounds are disappearing. So, these days it has a lot more to do with what music you listen to and love than it does where you are from.

Way too long of an answer, sorry Sp4cetiger.

Oh and thanks, Borve.

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:21:18 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/01/2014 01:21

This chart is boss, much congratulations

Re: Chart study #3: Mercury

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:56:59 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/31/2014 20:56

I actually have another question from your earlier response.

Mercury wrote:

I love American music. And I'd say a lot of my favorite musicians seem to have their finger on the pulse, so to speak, of American roots and musical traditions. Whether Dylan or Waits or Townes Van Zandt, or Jeff Tweedy or Lucinda, etc, they all have a great feel for that distinctly traditional American folk aesthetic. A common theme to all of them is that musically they all were/are nicely grounded in traditional folk, deep blues, deep country. At the same time none of those artists were or are strict revivalists or purists. Rather, their bedrock is tradition while as well adding to tradition through their songwriting and experiments.

I notice that you were careful only to mention American artists, but it seems to me that there are many non-American artists on your chart who also have their finger on the pulse of the American folk aesthetic. When these artists incorporate elements from American folk traditions into their music, do you feel that it ceases to be Americana? When I listen to the Rolling Stones or the Tallest Man on Earth, their music is so beholden to American folk/blues/country that it sometimes feels as if they're more American than most artists actually born here. Do you think an artist's musical heritage is more about where they're from or what they love to listen to?