Not gonna lie, I was worried when RtB nominated this and told me what he loves about it cuz I thought I'd hate it and either lie through my teeth here or trash it and make him feel not bad (as he is an adult and could handle it) but at the very least slightly bummed.
😁
Glad you liked it though, I think that a lot of U2's post 80s albums are somewhat underrated among the "serious" crowd. They may not be cool, but they're definitely good. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
With an album such as this, one that has many songs, each with its own very distinct aspects and each polished to a fine sheen, I sometimes feel after even 2 or 3 listens I am not fully set up to give much thought outside of very vague thoughts like "I like it". But I'll try to describe what I like about this album with a few paragraphs (Cuz I really did like it a lot lot).
First off this is just a rock solid album! The vocals of Mr. Cerati are always powerful and sung with authority. He really kills it on each song. The songs are each uniquely good to great and each tackles sometimes very very different styles. The way the music can be epic and symphonic and mysterious on "Verbo Carne" and be downright groovy and badass on "Rio Babel" and be beautiful and sweet and brilliantly detailed on "Beautiful", then an instrumental electronic track like "Aquí & ahora (Y después) - each with a very distinct sound yet all delivered and sung and performed with the same power is impressive.
I imagine if I spoke the language the lyrics would be cool to delve into. But as it is I have to do my best understanding every 20th word and understanding the emotion of the songs which is fine. Its no coincidence that I have no foreign language album on my overall chart. Something is lost when I can't understand the words. Note to self: learn the following languages asap: Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, French and German (to start).
IDK i am definitely not describing the album well. There are some Art Pop touches (not to the degree I expected) there are some cool Art Rock songs and parts, there are cool horn sections and there are these cool drum parts that skip and groove and are just cool, there are pop rock tunes and epic symphonic sounding stuff, cool little synth parts, etc etc. Gustavo grabbed from his whole tool bag of sounds and influences when he made this epic album and I really like it a lot.
Okay, and one thing I just noticed as I listened a 3rd time while reviewing, is that this album absolutely gets better (for me) as the album progresses. Like I like the art rock and more pop songs early and there is a lot of variety, but right when I'm starting to lose a little interest I am hit with a murderer's row of bangers with tracks 10-13, (Y Si El Humo Está En Foco..., Paseo Inmoral, and the two Aqui &Ahora tracks). Holy shit.
fave songs are Y Si El Humo Está En Foco... (Just a fantastic electronic groove), Verbo Carne, Perdonar Es Divino, Beautiful, Río Babel, (That middle section killed), Tabú (Great drum part and amazing opener), Paseo Inmoral (That beat may be a bit cliche but in the context of the album and song it absolutely rocks my socks off), Aquí & ahora (Y después) (jesus christ this song is sooooooo fudgin coooooool!) and "Bocanada". (that's 9 of the 15 songs, so an astounding batting average indeed.)
Okay, and final thought, the cover is so goddamn cool. Gustavo is saying with that cover "I am a cool motherfucker and this is my album and come here and you'll be in good hands for the next hour." I don't know what exactly it is, its just badass. It's almost Prime-Dylan levels of badass cover (Blonde on Blonde is still king but this is a great one).
Okay and on that somewhat trivial note, this is a great one and I added it to my 1990s chart after3 listens. its great and its a 4/5 easily and maybe over time I'll move it to 4.5/5. _________________ -Ryan
I actually like Post by Bjork! I am finally turning a little corner with her. (Don't like her vocals still).
White Blood Cells is such a nostalgic trip down memory lane. I love that album and part of me had forgotten how much I listened to that album when I was 13 and 14. Its great!
And still love that Bruno Pernadas album and its on my chart as a result.
Also that Sheena Ringo is so wild and over the top massive pop sounds explosion whoa whoa whoa! It's not my tempo as of now but undeniably impressive in its exuberant, fearless, in your face sounds.
Loud City song is undoubtedly more abstract and simmering than Have You In My Wilderness and maybe its an indication that I am just a bit basic, but I like her more melodic and more poppy follow up more than Loud City Song. BUT LCS is indeed truly brilliant and there is still much and many layers to unravel with repeated listens.
Okay that's my up date.
I ahve been away from here too long.
I also realized that my Infamous Bob Dylan Chart has been a work in progress for more than 7 years now. And I realize I need to fix that with at least a weekly or bi-weekly update until I finish the reviewing and ranking and grading. I do love the man and I think I'm ready to continue my voyage across his massive discog. _________________ -Ryan
i have been off in cyberpunk 2077 and off in singer songwriter land.
ilike singer songwriter albums because i feel like its generally specific. it feels like i am getting a relatively direct communication or link from the artist. there is not much to hide behind or anything. the artist seems to be directly putting themselves out there for me to hear and understand or not. also i like folk, country and wordplay so those are put to the forefront often times in a good singer songwriter albums.. also my undisputed, no contest, #1 artist in any medium ever is Dylan. and dylan is sorta the godfather, the supreme commander of singer songwriters. he is a legend and i can't express how much he's influenced me and how much i love him (as much as one can someone i have never met).
as a result of this general appreciation of dylan i have been spending much of my life since 12 trying to find other artists like dylan.
anyway, I just wanted to say that.
OH! and I went ahead and started a project where I look and rank the top ten singer songwriter albums from each year from 1965 to 2019. also, for 1950-1964 i have heard so few singer songwriter albums I only included about 20 albums from that period. I am making charts for each decade (10-19, 1990-1999, etc) where i have 10 albums from each year and each page of 10 will be one from each year, so page one of say 1970-79 singer songwriter chart will be my number 1 such album from 1970 then 71, then 72 etc. And then the next page has each year's #2, then the next page is #3 etc etc.
I have the basic bones of the charts mocked up. Have a lot of relistens and lots of new listens to fully flesh out the years.
This project was easy for 1968-1975, but OH BOY the 1980s sucked so bad! There were lots lots lots less such albums made and they were mostly unfamiliar to me.
Now what I'll do is randomly list my fave singer songwriter albums (including a couple that aren't designated as singer wongwriter on RYM but I included because IDK i like the lyrics and they are solo artists. I'll put a * next to the unorthodox picks for Such albums.
2019 - Norman Fucking Rockwell by Lana Del Rey
2018 - Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves*
2017 - Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers
2016 - MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen
2015 - Have You In My Wilderness by Julia Holter
2014 - I Forget Where We Were by Ben Howard
2013 - Southeastern by Jason Isbell
2012 - There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth
2011 - Strange Mercy by St. Vincent*
2010 - The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man On Earth
2009 - Over the Stones, Under the Stars by Ned Collette
2008 - Shallow Grave by The Tallest Man On Earth
2007 - Armchair Apocrypha by Andrew Bird
2006 - Jokes & Trials by Ned Collette
2005 - Desaparezca Aquí by Nacho Vegas
2004 - Bittertown by Lori McKenna
2003 - The Magnolia Electric Chair by Songs:Ohia
2002 - Alice by Tom Waits
2001 - Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch
2000 - Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams
1999 - I See A Darkness by Bonnie Prince Billy
1998 - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
1997 - Time Out of Mind by Bob Dylan
1996 - Revival by Gillian Welch
1995 - To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey
1994 - Grace by Jeff Buckley
1993 - Happiness by Lisa Germano
1992 - Bone Machine by Tom Waits
1991 - Só by Jorge Palma
1990 - 1990 by Daniel Johnston
1989 - Oh Mercy by Bob Dylan
1988 - Lucinda Williams by Lucinda Williams
1987 - Sign O' The Times by Prince*
1986 - Graceland by Paul Simon
1985 - Hounds of Love by Kate Bush*
1984 - I Often Dream of Trains by Robyn Hitchcock
1983 - Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits
1982 - So Far by Bob Theil
1981 - Songs of Pain by Daniel Johnston
1980 - Peter Gabriel III by Peter Gabriel*
1979 - Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
1978 - Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon
1977 - My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello*
1976 - Radio Ethiopia by The Patti Smith Group
1975 - Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
1974 - Phases and Stages by Willie Nelson
1973 - Heart Food by Judee Sill
1972 - Pink Moon by Nick Drake
1971 - Blue by Joni Mitchell
1970 - After the Gold Rush by Neil Young
1969 - Songs from a Room by Leonard Cohen
1968 - Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
1967 - John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan
1966 - Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan
1965 - Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan
1964 - Another Side of Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
1963 - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
(a bit of a break where I'm just not familiar with enough to have a favorite - ALSO the big bang or galvanizing moment in Singer-songwriter albums history, the moment that the world of such albums blew up, was the release of FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN. Soo these are not the first things I think of when I think singer/songwriters, but they are solid.)
1959 - No. 4 by Jacques Brell
1958 - The Leprechauns Are Upon Me by Dory Langdon
1957 - Caymmi E O Mar by Dorival Caymmi
1956 - Chansons Possibles Et Impossibles by Boris Vian
1955 - Camino Del Indio by Atahualpa Yupanqui
1954 - Canções Praieiras by Dorival Caymmi
Best albums of the year ranks:
#1 - Bob Dylan with 8
#2 - The Tallest Man On Earth with 3
#2 - Tom Waits with 3
#4 - Gillian Welch with 2
#5 - Leonard Cohen with 2
#6 - Neil Young with 2
#7 - Lucinda Williams with 2
#8 - Ned Collette - 2
#9 - Daniel Johnston with 2
#10 - Dorival Caymmi with 2
I'll come through later with some notes on albums I have been listening to and maybe some reviews. That may be a while yet. Let me know your thoughts on...whatever you like. Let me know how stupid my list is lol _________________ -Ryan
Unless you mean that Agnes Obel album from 2016 which I haven’t heard and cannot remember the name of. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
this album is a dreary, smoky, creepy waltz through the addled mind and evil mind of a potential serial killer. strange snippets of lines like "murder on my mind" are repeated over a backdrop of kind of atmospheric sounds and paranoid themes. It's just a dark yet irresistible album.
(I was bummed that I had no outkast to use in this tournament then I gave this a relisten and i realized this is a great fill-in. This is like Nick Foles in the 2017 superbowl. it'll do just fine.)
This album is fucking massive and incredible! Has that same brilliant balance of bombast, heart, swag, and attitude that I adore about UGK's "Ridin' Dirty from the year after. This thing is a clinic on how to amke a dope ass southern/memphis hip hop album. Goddamn.
my listening wouldn't be complete without some west coast representation. This is such a sex-fixated, fun, strangely happy at times album. With that absolutely brilliant, cool, unaffected flow which is never tiresome. This album is like a lost soundtrack to a GTA game. love it. _________________ -Ryan
I've been familiar with this australian songwriter. but recently kinda sorta fell head over heels with his albums. The album i have fallen for the most was this 2009 album he did with Wirewalkers.
If you share with me a love for mid 70s Neil Young albums, Magnolia Electric Company/Songs:Ohia, some of those sad yet rockin tunes from Richard and Linda Thompson, or Leonard Cohen's brilliant phrasing and vocals, I think you'll enjoy this.
Wirewalker are just a couple people, a bassist and a percussionist, and they create a brilliant sonic backdrop to Collette's somewhat deadened, nasally, Cohen-esque vocal performances. The songs where the guitars come crashing down truly rock in a fatal and dour way which gives me chills. The songwriting is a brilliant lost, confused, literate buffett. The little touches like the extended absolutely gorgeous jazz guitar jam which takes up the last half of "Aspect", or the random "bursts" of twinkly wind chime percussion featured on the opener "The Idealist", the almost krautrock-ish pounding repetition featured on "Come Clean", etc.
The songs are consistently beautiful and engaging, the band consistently is ready to come in and create a jam worthy of Neil Young whenever the album or songs need it. And the earnest yet somewhat detached brilliance of Ned Collette as a vocalist and a songwriter shines throughout this absolutely brilliant album. I think this guy should have a bigger following around these parts. This album is highly recommended and I'mma give it a 9/10 and 4.5/5 and its now on my overall chart. _________________ -Ryan
I somehow never heard this album. This is weird considering I was 17 and the perfect audience for the arctic monkeys when this album became a big deal. I saw its ranked highly here on BEA. So I decided to listen to it (and it was nominated on the game thread so theres that too)
After one listen, I will say its certainly a solid rock and roll album, the energy is over the top in a good way, the songs are consistently pretty good, and the guitars have a jittery energy which is fascinating. I imagine if I had bought this album when I was a young man I would have really really connected with it - after all I did fall for The Strokes and The White Stripes for similar reasons. I even had a little love affair with the Libertines and Bloc Party. Again, it was weird I never listened to this back then.
The album does give off a swag and an "attitude" I don't connect with. I probably wouldn't have fallen for this aspect even when I was young. I think it strikes me as a put-on. Like a band which is puffing its chest out a bit, ready to stick it to the man and be just as badass as their forebears like the clash, and to show that they were just as badass as those american bands getting all the attention when this album was recorded. Now, that is rock and roll, that's an attitude as integral to rock music as it gets, but for some reason, just for me, it falls a little flat here.
The other elements of the sound, like the active and pummeling drums and the very active and cool bass lines are also very cool.
Maybe its the fact that I am just not in the mood for badass rock music in general, or maybe its because i'm 31 years old at my home office writing this stale review whilst checking work emails, maybe its because I'm literally hungry, but this torrent of badass riffs, basslines, vocal explosions, and drum beats hasn't moved me. I have listened to this arguably "Classic" rock and roll record as if I'm standing back from a painting with hand on my chin, I am saying "hmmm quite interesting....ooh, that was a nice little touch there... oh cool riff there, intriguing" and I am not actually in there as an active participant. I have a feeling if I had never heard Highway 61 Revisited and you played that album for me now, I wouldn't even stand up and get super excited for that (arguably the greatest rock and roll album ever created)- I'm just in a pretty numb and vanilla mood i guess.
Still i can hear why this was a bit of a phenomenon back in 2006. Not really my thing but It's a good listen and I'm glad I listened. 3/5 _________________ -Ryan
At its best this album is incredibly fun, especially as they winkingly introduce a thrash metal riff, then switch to power/pop punk a second later. This is a nice first listen of a new album for this new year. Nothing earth-shaking here, but the tunes are sometimes nice and the energy and the melodies are infectious at times.
"To the Guy Who Stole My Bike" is all about how his, the singer or songwriter or both, bike was stolen when, i presume, he was a kid. and how he has all this residual hatred toward that guy who stole it. its fun. also it reminded me how on October 7th, 1999, someone stole my Mongoose out of my backyard. I remember that day as it was my sister's birthday and that bike was my 10th birthday present and i loved that bike - was the first and still only bike I ever owned. and i took great pride in it. Me and that beautiful bike had 13 weeks together. summer to fall 1999 we had a little love affair. Then it was gone. I am strangely getting mildly emotional thinking about it. New year nostalgia blues. anyway, that song isn't that great tbh, but it was able to conjure up that emotion in me. so, well done, The Dirty Nil! _________________ -Ryan
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