glad you liked that Mclachlin album, Luigii, - you are impressing me by being so open minded about these albums and listening to them without hipster preconceptions. Your glowing review of that Aerosmith album blew my mind cuz they are a band that most on BEA or RYM would take lame shots at and make asinine boomer or dad rock jokes about. Anyway, you're awesome.
Personally maybe it is me trying to open my horizons or my mind set is to listen to albums in a sort of vacuum, (Thought that is not possible since we are in the present) But I at least understand that making an album can be a challenge or on an individual basis, stuff that can be corny or lame doesn't phase me. Maybe that's due being my form of cool which can be uncool. Or just liking stuff that isn't cool. Like Kenny G's Breathless is an all time favorite and would most likely be in the decade chart for the 90's. Unless 1992 has some amazing stuff that I would need to dig for.
Ok, I feel like I should enjoy this way more. Its odd, weird and doesn't feel like a part of its time. Even when the 90's had rock acts that were weird, this feels more weird to me. Something in the likes of The Residents (an act I want to give a listen to whenever the opportunity sets in). But the more weird isn't the Achilles heel that I have with this album. I would say the biggest issue is that while this album keeps you on your toes an sounds like a weird smoothie, it doesn't have a track where I would remember in the future. Or more importantly compared to California the weirdness at some points never sounds like it has a complete structure and the interest for it kind of hits a bit of a low by the tail end, even with the ambient outro. So with 1993, I'd compare this to the Melvins album where I feel like on a better day this could be mid 80's range but on a worse day could be a mid 70's. But an admirable record no doubt.
Grade:80
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Mercury, Sawayama. Favorite album of 2020 and second favorite album ever. Still curious what you thought on Caracal even though I knew you quite admire it. Enjoyment is a different discussion.
(3)
BEA's Top 100 Albums of 1993
(34) Paul Weller-Wild Wood
(35) James-Laid
38 Sting-Ten Summoner's Tales
(41) Manic Street Preachers-Gold Against The Soul (Let's see if this is better than Morphine's album)
58 Jamiroquai-Emergency On Planet Earth (R)
(62) Mariah Carey-Music Box
(64) Meat Loaf-Back Out Of Hell II (would have to listen to the first Back Out Of Hell album)
(65) The Auteurs-New Wave
(66) Sepultura-Chaos A.D.
(67) Buffalo Tom-Big Red Letter Day
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
well, Charli XCX was #1 on 2020 chart for about 10 hours. Hope she enjoyed it while it lasted cuz the reign of SAWAYAMA starts now. Holy shit this album is so amazing. Its easily the best pop album I've listened to or at least my favorite pop album since probably about 2013, Maybe since The 20/20 Experience was the last time I had a similar enthusiastic reaction to a pop album or artist. I love other pop but this RINA is something else. She managed to kind of distill and bottle every sound of my youth (and hers as we are the same age) that I heard on the radio, then mix that bottle with her own charismatic, downright brilliant vocals and her own modern twist. She also just knows how to make every. single. song. on this album sound special with some detail or whatever.
When she is doing a Britney song she fucking OWNS it and kills it and in those moments I wonder how the hell she isn't the biggest pop star in the world? When she mocks up a fake concert vibe in "Who's Gonna Save You Now?" she sounds like the most swaggering badass rocker in the world. When she makes a sadder ballad she pulls it off perfectly. When she sings over an absolutely stellar bassline like in "Comme Des Garcons..." she completely massacres the track and it becomes this undeniable force-of-nature performer, etc. Every song and sound here (including the elephant in the room that I haven't mentioned, the heavy NU METAL riffs that dominates a few songs here - STFU and XS are 2 of the best Metal/rock/pop songs I've maybe ever heard in my life.) is executed to near perfection.
A great pop star I feel needs to be somehow both relatable (doesn't have to be related) and somewhat Magnetic or nearly larger than life. Rina has both qualities in spades. I can't remember the last time I felt so emotionally invested in a stupid pop song lyric about a first kiss at the age of 13. But somehow when she said that, I instantly remembered also 2003 and my first kiss and I was transported right there and I felt the song. It was a bit wild how fast I was on board with everything Rina did on this album.
I thought maybe it was overhype in my own mind and maybe I just was in a good mood when I heard SAWAYAMA all the way through the first time this afternoon. So I listened to it again. Then I listened to her equally all time great EP "RINA" then I listened to this album a 3rd time. And I am kinda still a bit shell shocked by how much I love this. Gonna be listening to this and her 2017 EP on repeat for a bit and then I will see where I stand. But as of now I think I MAY have just found a new fave pop star, someone I can play and love right alongside Justin Timberlake, early Cyndi Lauper, prime Prince, Spice Girls (yes I STILL adore them), Charli XCX, etc.
Thanks, Luigii for nominating this.
This gets a rare 95/100, best album of 2020 imo as of now.
3.
Top 10 albums of 2020 per RYM that I have not heard (excluding some stuff I just know i don't want right now)
1. Un canto por México vol. 1 by Natalia Lafourcade (#14)
2. Purple Moonlight Pages by R.A.P. Ferreira (#17)
3. Songs by Adrianne Lenker (#18)
4. Circles by Mac Miller (#20)
5. Shore by The Fleet Foxes (#24)
6. Ultimate Success Today by Protomyr (#27)
7. Miles by Blu &Exile (#28)
8. We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches (#30)
9. Set My Heart on Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius (#32)
10. After Hours by The Weeknd (#43) _________________ -Ryan
Was talking to me. Luigii recommended the 2020 album Charmed by DJ Sabrina. I told him I listened and he asked my thoughts, I said I liked it. Then luigii said I’m glad you liked charmed Mercury (with No comma) and now here we are. _________________ -Ryan
I did? I think I assumed it directed to me because the note was in the rec spot for me... or something.
I am not sure I know what this is referencing?
Was talking to me. Luigii recommended the 2020 album Charmed by DJ Sabrina. I told him I listened and he asked my thoughts, I said I liked it. Then luigii said I’m glad you liked charmed Mercury (with No comma) and now here we are.
Before I start, glad you loved Sawayama Mercury. Didn't expect it to be in your all time list. But here we are. Also didn't realized I missed a comma. Oh well.
(1)
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Yeah, this slaps pretty hard. This might be a bit of a hot take since I haven't finished the rest of the big metal albums for this year, but how are the rock albums slapping way more than the metal records? Just quite curious. But the same thoughts I would have with Get A Grip applies to this. Instrumentals are raging and addicting and fun. As well as the main lead for the band is charismatic and just entertaining the show. The only thing that might hold me from giving this a higher grade (And keep in mind this is a high grade) it would be I wished that jazzy bit in the intro, was sprinkled through a little more of the album. But otherwise this is another highlight for 1993. Also this was better than the Morphine album.
Grade:95
(2)
Mercury listen to Songs. You have some good choices. You may love this as well. Wasn't crazy for it, but it was great.
(3)
BEA's Top 100 Albums of 1993
(34) Paul Weller-Wild Wood
(35) James-Laid
38 Sting-Ten Summoner's Tales
58 Jamiroquai-Emergency On Planet Earth (R)
(62) Mariah Carey-Music Box
(64) Meat Loaf-Back Out Of Hell II (would have to listen to the first Back Out Of Hell album)
(65) The Auteurs-New Wave
(66) Sepultura-Chaos A.D.
(67) Buffalo Tom-Big Red Letter Day
68 Death-Individual Thought Process
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Before I start, glad you loved Sawayama Mercury. Didn't expect it to be in your all time list. But here we are. Also didn't realized I missed a comma. Oh well.
yep, nor did I. I love a good pop album especially if its super high energy and wild. Also love a good debut album - of course that shouldn't influence my feelings, but it does a little. Cuz I feel more like I am not missing something. If I listen to an acclaimed or great (to my ears) album by an established artist or band that has already released lots of albums I tend to feel like I'm not getting the full picture or like maybe I'm missing something. With a great and exciting new artist, I don't have that same feeling. i don't know, I know its a weird thought.
Anyway, yeah I listened to SAWAYAMA a couple times today which brings it to about 7 times total. And its weird cuz in a way my appreciation and love for the album increased, but at the same time I can see a few songs that I maybe don't quite groove with quite as much in comparison to the rest. Its like I can see its warts, but I feel even more like its a new go-to album. I stuck it on my chart and quite high. It won't be leaving my overall chart, but I may move it down a little.
Anyway, point is, I am glad i heard it to say the least. I also placed How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX on my overall as I adore that album too - not quite as much but its clear number 2 album of 2020 so far. (those albums replaced The Who's Who's Next and Charli XCX's Charli respectively.
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Also, I'm excited to listen to Songs - that album is so obviously my style and practically designed to be a good listen considering my love of solo artists, folk, and traditional singer/songwriters. _________________ -Ryan
Before I start, glad you loved Sawayama Mercury. Didn't expect it to be in your all time list. But here we are. Also didn't realized I missed a comma. Oh well.
yep, nor did I. I love a good pop album especially if its super high energy and wild. Also love a good debut album - of course that shouldn't influence my feelings, but it does a little. Cuz I feel more like I am not missing something. If I listen to an acclaimed or great (to my ears) album by an established artist or band that has already released lots of albums I tend to feel like I'm not getting the full picture or like maybe I'm missing something. With a great and exciting new artist, I don't have that same feeling. i don't know, I know its a weird thought.
Anyway, yeah I listened to SAWAYAMA a couple times today which brings it to about 7 times total. And its weird cuz in a way my appreciation and love for the album increased, but at the same time I can see a few songs that I maybe don't quite groove with quite as much in comparison to the rest. Its like I can see its warts, but I feel even more like its a new go-to album. I stuck it on my chart and quite high. It won't be leaving my overall chart, but I may move it down a little.
Anyway, point is, I am glad i heard it to say the least. I also placed How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX on my overall as I adore that album too - not quite as much but its clear number 2 album of 2020 so far. (those albums replaced The Who's Who's Next and Charli XCX's Charli respectively.
----------
Also, I'm excited to listen to Songs - that album is so obviously my style and practically designed to be a good listen considering my love of solo artists, folk, and traditional singer/songwriters.
I had a feeling you would say that for Songs. But when mentioning with some songs you don't groove with, I am kind of curious what tracks are you referring to? I could guess Fuck This World, maybe Love Me For Me though that's my favorite track on the album debatably and probably Akasaka Sad.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Before I start, glad you loved Sawayama Mercury. Didn't expect it to be in your all time list. But here we are. Also didn't realized I missed a comma. Oh well.
yep, nor did I. I love a good pop album especially if its super high energy and wild. Also love a good debut album - of course that shouldn't influence my feelings, but it does a little. Cuz I feel more like I am not missing something. If I listen to an acclaimed or great (to my ears) album by an established artist or band that has already released lots of albums I tend to feel like I'm not getting the full picture or like maybe I'm missing something. With a great and exciting new artist, I don't have that same feeling. i don't know, I know its a weird thought.
Anyway, yeah I listened to SAWAYAMA a couple times today which brings it to about 7 times total. And its weird cuz in a way my appreciation and love for the album increased, but at the same time I can see a few songs that I maybe don't quite groove with quite as much in comparison to the rest. Its like I can see its warts, but I feel even more like its a new go-to album. I stuck it on my chart and quite high. It won't be leaving my overall chart, but I may move it down a little.
Anyway, point is, I am glad i heard it to say the least. I also placed How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX on my overall as I adore that album too - not quite as much but its clear number 2 album of 2020 so far. (those albums replaced The Who's Who's Next and Charli XCX's Charli respectively.
----------
Also, I'm excited to listen to Songs - that album is so obviously my style and practically designed to be a good listen considering my love of solo artists, folk, and traditional singer/songwriters.
I had a feeling you would say that for Songs. But when mentioning with some songs you don't groove with, I am kind of curious what tracks are you referring to? I could guess Fuck This World, maybe Love Me For Me though that's my favorite track on the album debatably and probably Akasaka Sad.
I think Chosen Family is incredibly corny. But in a lovable way. and I think Paradisin' is a bit weaker, but enjoyable. Literally every other song is easily 88 to 100/100. _________________ -Ryan
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Mercury
RoundTheBend
