So I gave this a new listen. Listened to it once a couple years ago when puncture placed it at #1 on his chart. I thought it a bore then. I quite like it now.
Its impressive that this trio can build up these engaging, heartfelt, simmering little nuggets without going overboard or ever becoming melodramtic. I see why its considered a classic of '89 and a classic of its genre, Slowcore(?) yeah its cool. The songs are great, the embellishments are solid with one song at least that I heard horns (pretty and catchy at that), and with cool pretty guitar licks thrown in, etc.
Anyway, I liked it. Didn't buowl me over. but yeah its gonna be something I come back to
8.2/10, goes to #10, just behind The Cardiacs' "On Land And In The Sea" and just ahead of The Stones Roses' debut.
So I gave this a new listen. Listened to it once a couple years ago when puncture placed it at #1 on his chart. I thought it a bore then. I quite like it now.
Its impressive that this trio can build up these engaging, heartfelt, simmering little nuggets without going overboard or ever becoming melodramtic. I see why its considered a classic of '89 and a classic of its genre, Slowcore(?) yeah its cool. The songs are great, the embellishments are solid with one song at least that I heard horns (pretty and catchy at that), and with cool pretty guitar licks thrown in, etc.
Anyway, I liked it. Didn't buowl me over. but yeah its gonna be something I come back to
8.2/10, goes to #10, just behind The Cardiacs' "On Land And In The Sea" and just ahead of The Stones Roses' debut.
All this talk about Galaxie 500 made me pull out my Luna CDs. I haven't listened to Luna or Galaxie 500 in years. I was familiar with Luna first, so maybe that's why I preferred them to Galaxie 500. For years I never knew they were related or connected, and for some reason this surprised me. So I'm going to listen to both and see which one I prefer all these years later. Galaxie 500 seems to be the more popular one, so maybe I'll find out why. I've got Luna's Bewitched in my overall top 100 but Galaxie 500 never made it out of my year charts. So maybe they'll move up and on to my top 100. You never know.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
nice, bobby. I'm curious about Luna and will see if I can get to liustenin g to some of them soon. Let me know how you're revisit and comparing/contrasting goes.
definitely one of the HOF albums of 1989 as Tilly may put it. As it is critically lauded, and it basically changed the 90s like few albums from the late 80s did. Alternative Metal, Funk Metal, dudes rapping and getting funky over top occasional thrash metal riffs, etc, ... so much of the defining sounds of "rock from the 90s, and especially 96-2001 can be found here.
But this is much better than most of it. There are songs like Woodpecker From Mars and Surprise! You're Dead which are just baller metal songs. There are songs like the classic "The Epic" (which I heard about 250 times due to its inclusion in Madden '05 I think, which are plain and simple revolutionary with its dynamic mix of hard rock, rapping, funk, thundering drums and the wailing and strange vocal heroics of Mike Patton.
Then there are strange detours which work surpringly well, like the all-time great cover of "War Pigs"... like, holy shit, this band nailed that tribute to the Gods of Metal. (within 10 years Bizkit would cover Behind Blue Eyes, and Linkin Park "Comfortably Numb" and these covers would make me wanna hurl... they did when I heard them as a teen or early 20s kid, now I really don't care). Also the strange beauty of "Zombie Eaters" is miraculous! I mean I saw "Zombie Eaters" on the tracklist and was not expecting this.
As for my general thoughts on the album seperate from influence and in a vacuum as much as I can do, well I like it a lot. Unlike a lot of fans of the band, I am not a fan of Patton's vocals. They are in the same tier of Okay-bad as the lead singer of RHCP. Don't kill me. They are unique and I give him credit for that.
The rhythm section is MONSTROUS! I mean they can so perfectly segue from a thrashy part to a funky groove to a classic metal Hammer of the Gods sounding power, that I am consistently just in awe of them. The guitarists are good too.
Is this my favorite kind of music? nah. But I think I have bad associations of all things Alt Metal/Nu Metal from growing up in the 90s and so that colors my reactions here. Again, in a vacuum, this album is deserving of classic status.
so, 8.2/10 ish and moved it to 21 on chart just AHEAD of Beneath The Remains (which needs revisit) and just behind Altars of Madness (which I recently l;istened to again and is similarly influential and which I prefer slightly.
1989 was a heavy year, wasn't it? _________________ -Ryan
okay, and being who I am I tend to associate and subcatagorize albums obsessively.
Not just by genre (although that too) but by other associative qualities.
Like for example I have Faith No More's The Real Thing and The Jayhawks Blue Earth closely associated as the early incarnations of styles which would blossom into massive musical scenes in the coming decade-decade and half - Alt/Nu Metal and Alt Country respectively.
I also plan on reviewing thgese 2 albums back to back du to them being the 2 main people in Husker Du and both releasing widely-liked albums in 1989
Other examples are these 3 albums, the consensus top 3 hippest, most classic indie/alt rock albums of the year and which seem to have no similar qualities outside of their close association on all "hipster" lists of the year and the Decade (all of them are top 10 of the 1980s for example on this very site)
There are many more themes. But yeah that is where my head is at looking at 1989 as a whole. There are a lot of interesting veins and strains and paths to take to get a cool handle on this year of 1989.
I think I'll finish listening to Doolittle and give a cursory review of it, cuz I know yall haven't heard of it yet, then bieing that I love anniversaries and years of release and dates and stuff, I'm gonna see if any good albums came out on my birthday or when mommy was in labor the previous day. If yes, I'll listen to and review that. (June 29 or 28 1989 in case you were wondering). _________________ -Ryan
This is widely regarded as THE MOST INFLUENTIAL rock album of the 80s and 90s. And its the number 1 album of the 80s on this site and RYM (just a bit ahead of Talking Heads Remain In Light).
And I saw them live a few months ago, and even without Deal they were great and I was trembling with happiness watching the coolest cat in all the land rock the guitar (Joey is my fave).
Frank Black is an all time great lead singer and I love him here almost as much as I do on Surfer Rosa.
The melodies and dynamics and hooks, and the endless bottomless well of mind blowing little off the cuff sounds and ideas here makes it a pleasure to listen to. And it really is amazing how this lil boston band managed to influence and be ripped off or imitated by every goddamn rock band or alt rock band and indie band in one weay or another in the 90s.
This is a very consistent and brilliant album. And I respect the hell out of it. I don't know whether I love it or Rosa better, pretty close.
Anyway, yeah this is still number 2 of 1989 for me, this listen didn't quite hurl it over my recent obsession and my new number 1 of 1989. and its a solid 9.1-9.2/10 album.
Steve Albini is a douche.
okay, and now to find if I can listen to a birthday album. I checked before and found nothing, here's to hoping I am successful. I was always jealous that my ex had Hammerheart by Bathory to call her own (April 16, 1990... I shouldn't talk about this, anyway I slice it I get very very sad and feel a need to listen to Disitegration agian and cry...)
Okay, on June 28th, 1989, as my mom went into labor, this album dropped. The third album by the legendary KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. This is actually a first listen to this. I am familiar with Criminal Minded, and By All Means Necessary. And they are dope and for albums released in '87 and '88 they have aged quite well.
And as I listen to this album, 2 songs in, it seems this has aged better than even those 2 classics which came before this one. The first track is so freaking cool.
KRS had an emphatic, no-holds-barred delivery which I love. He wasn't a booming beast like Chuck, but he just always sounded ready to fight, and ready to unequivocally proclaim profound pontifications portending perilous predicaments. Rowdy, rough, but real, he harnessed harrowing and hard-won wisdom.
The video game sounding beat of Who Protects Us From You is kinda lame. And the song Breath Control ain't much. So yeah, this album aint perfect. But the first 5 songs come out and blaze a path of such excellence, the next 2 songs can't dim its glow. And thankfully the album gets back on track with Hip Hop Rules.
I love the Jamaican music vibes all over this album, especially love the seamless mix of hip hop and reggae in "Why Is That?".
Anyway, yeah I really like this album. and I'm gonna place it at #14, just ahead of Pretty Hate Machine and just behind the Stone Roses. Its a solid 8.5/10 album imo. _________________ -Ryan
Much like Uncle Tupelo after they broke up in 1994, the 2 main songwriters of Husker Du went out and made solo debuts in 1989. For Tweedy and Farrar of Tupelo in 1995 they formed new bands and relesed their debuts = Wilco's AM and Son Volt's Trace. For Mould and Hart, they went solo and released Workbook, Bob Mould's power pop/alt rock/jangly debut, and Intolerance, Grant Hart's eclectic, indie rock debut. Whereas Tweedy and Farrar stayed on the same musical track with a couple country rock albums, these 2 fellas both decided to break far away from the harsh hard post hardcore aspects of Husker Du. They both did it with different styles and with some success.
Now I'm gonna listen to both of their 1989 solo debuts. Starting with the less heralded debut by the slightly younger of the 2....
This album starts with a rocking riff which builds and is accompanied by a big sound of back up singers. From there it goes into somewhat warbly and trippy, unsettled and unsettling folk rock pop stuff.
okay, i walked away to listen and focus and now i'm back and some thoughts: The Main is so incredibly similar to the Pogues' "A Pair of Brown Eyes" that for a sec I thought it was a cover. Great song nonetheless. (not as great as the pogues song)
The song "Roller Rink" brings back the ORGAN! And...ITS... AWESOME!!!! I mean its so freaking great.
The whole album so far, in its best and worst moments has a consistent feeling of sadness and shambolic creativity which I really love. The parts that rock on this thing really really rock (like the end of Roller Rink, which is an instrumental btw).
On the song "Anything" Grant Hart sounds like a much cooler and better Conor Oberst, and the song is see-saws between somewhat peaceful and full on cacophonous rock. I love it. Oh and the end tribute to Little Richard is silly and fun.
The dramatic and beautiful song "She Can See The Angels Coming" is such a radical change of pace. Its gorgeous with its organ/keyboard gospel feel and the minimal tambourine beat, and the mournful vocal (some of the best vox on the album)... yeah the song is so unexpected and great.
And then the closer "Reprise is just noisy and dissonant fun.
All in all this is a REALLY solid debut solo record and i think its deserves a lot of love. I don't yet know how it measures up to Bob Mould's '89 album. Biut I'll give this a grade of 8.2/10 and place it at 15 of 1989.
Okay, and I'll post this and then get started on the next Husker Du related album. _________________ -Ryan
Oh and just a follow up I listened to this. Sounded like 90s REM. Was pretty. Great song structure and guitar playing. But got bored after 30 minutes. Will revisit, ibvi, cuz again it was gorgeous and nicely designed. But yeah I suppose I prefer the messy emotional shambolic atmosphere of Hart’s album.
Grade 7.4/10. Gonna go at about 25 for the year. _________________ -Ryan
Oh and just a follow up I listened to this. Sounded like 90s REM. Was pretty. Great song structure and guitar playing. But got bored after 30 minutes. Will revisit, ibvi, cuz again it was gorgeous and nicely designed. But yeah I suppose I prefer the messy emotional shambolic atmosphere of Hart’s album.
Grade 7.4/10. Gonna go at about 25 for the year.
I’m a Husker Du fan so I like Grant Hart but to me the Bob Mould solo work is just fantastic; those first cd’s are just heartbreaking.
Oh and just a follow up I listened to this. Sounded like 90s REM. Was pretty. Great song structure and guitar playing. But got bored after 30 minutes. Will revisit, ibvi, cuz again it was gorgeous and nicely designed. But yeah I suppose I prefer the messy emotional shambolic atmosphere of Hart’s album.
Grade 7.4/10. Gonna go at about 25 for the year.
In Husker Du, I always thought Grant Hart wrote and sang all their best songs. All my favorite ones, anyways. I never much cared for Bob Mould's songs. UNTIL... his Sugar albums, then it was a completely different story. Then I became a huge fan. Copper Blue is one of my all-time favorites and it's even in my top 100. I never much cared for his solo albums though with the exception of the one called Bob Mould. I thought they were unbelievably dreary. There was something I liked about Workbook though, even though I didn't care for it too much. I'm going to try it again and see if I feel differently now.
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