At first I thought I wasn't feeling this. It felt inconsequential and too lowkey. But then as it continued and ever so subtly sunk in, the little nonchalant style of flow and beats and the interstitching between tracks started to get to me. I then quite liked to loved it. That switch occurred from track 3 abouts. Anyway, this is good. Its so funny and offhandedly so. Doesn't linger on one vibe or joke or whatever but instead just kinda lowkey floats from one little bit to another. Not all of these little moments of humor and self-reflection work for me, but there are a lot of em and so usually the next works better for me. The rapping seems pretty good at best. The lyrics are good usually. And the production is kinda all over the place but has its great moments too. Not my fave or top 5 hip hop albums of last year, but still pretty good.
1. "Gift" at Sogetsu Hall by Ichiko Aoba (Its a live record of the great Ichiko Aoba. Nothing more to say.)
2. The Normal Album by Will Wood (Dark Cabaret/Prog Pop is how its designated.)
3. Melinoë by Akhlys (Atmospheric Black Metal)
4. Toda história pela frente by Kaatayra (black metal)
5. Peaceful as Hell by Black Dresses (industrial metal I believe)
6. Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy (nu disco)
7. 真っ黒 (Makkuro) by tricot (math rock)
8. 서울여자 (Soul Lady) by 유키카 [YUKIKA] (City Pop)
9. The Balladeer by Lori McKenna (country americana singer/songwriter)
10. Kintsugi by 大森靖子 [Seiko Oomori] (pop rock) _________________ -Ryan
This RYM sums up my thoughts pretty well, but enjoyed it still enough to not downgrade the 3.5 I gave. Virtuoso Gipsy Kings don't have, but missing the heart they do.
Quote:
Nevertheless, I have my reservations about this. Firstly, there's Di Meola who has always to me been a clinical, joyless shred merchant and does nothing here to alter my perception of him. Just listen to how tediously generic the opener becomes when he takes over the rhythm part (and he's an accomplished drummer doing that! No excuses). Yes, he can tear through a scale like nobody's business but the man is borderline tasteless. Secondly, there is the issue of Paco's improvisational skills. While certainly an extraordinary flamenco guitarist, it's rather obvious that he has not had much exposure to "playing the changes" as he is repeatedly caught off key when attempting solos over the various progressions and has to rely on a kind of theatrical bravura to compensate. To his credit, he did improve in this area in the years to come but few people ever seem to notice just how poorly suited he was at this time. The "theatrical bravura" brings me to my next qualm about this album: its barely concealed shallowness. Several of these tunes have appealing, valid and interesting elements that are worthy of earnest exploration but they quickly get drowned out by the guitarists trying to outdo each other. I expect theatrics like this from a creatively third-rate technocrat like Di Meola and I can forgive them from De Lucia who was a little bit out of his element but I expect better from a true jazz great like McLaughlin. Caught up in all the dick-measuring, he's just as boorish as his companions. This is an album you put on and you'll get some "WHOA!" and "wow!" because these guys can play really, really fast on acoustic guitars but the deeper you look, the less there is. It's not something completely without artistic value like, say Yngwie Malmsteen or Steve Vai but it's still basically highbrow guitar wanking with some scattered moments of inspiration (and even a funny bit involving Henry Mancini's Pink Panther theme)
2. Merc, "Gift" at Sogetsu Hall by Ichiko Aoba
3. Applerill Top 100 (8 Picks Left)
1. From the Choirgirl Hotel by Tori Amos
3. Ode To Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs by Nicole Dollanganger
4. Morton Feldman: String Quartet No. 2 by FLUX quartet
8. Zolin Sagt 025 by Baby Zionov
9. souljaboytellem.com by souljaboy
10. Be Not Nobody by Vanessa Carlton
11. Night Ripper by Girl Talk
12. Serene Grace by Chansey
19. Trust In Rock by "Blue" Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon
26. Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) by various artists
Vaguely world music made by an Italian husband and wife duo in Morocco.
Pretty boring.
RTB, so many great choices, but I'll go with Xenakis. I don't know how long that comp is though.
A la Ping Pong- Extrem Musik a la Ping Pong Phase I
A Tent- Six Empty Places
Ache- De Homine Urbano
AD- Conspiracy
ADN' Ckrystall- Jazz' Mad
AGeM- Sekunda
Agencement- Agencement
Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale- Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale
Alvaro the Chilean With the Singing Nose- Drinkin My Own Sperm
Amber Route- Snail Headed Victrolas
Purplepashranker, rater, & music list makerProfile Western Australia
What a great concept/project. Wilco and Billy Bragg, a pairing I never would have imagined but it seems to work, writing and performing songs using unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics. I don't know much about Woody Guthrie but I quite like Wilco, and love Billy Bragg, having been a fan since the mid '80s so this sounds good in theory. I also saw Billy Bragg live in 2012 where he played two sets in the one night, with the first set being all songs from the Mermaid Avenue project (the second set was a greatest hits/career highights) so I had an idea of what to expect here and had wanted to check some of this project out for a while. It was a great set, full of stories about the songs and the song writing process in between a lot of the songs. I don't remember much details storywise but I do remember it coming through loud and clear how honoured and privileged Billy Bragg felt to be asked and allowed to work on this project. I felt honoured and privileged to witness Billy Bragg performing. It was a memorable night. Anyway onto this album and it was pretty good. I definintely prefer when Billy Bragg was singing, but that's to be expected with my Billy bias, and therefore Stetson Kennedy and All You Fascists were the two standouts for me. In fact I think I remember All You Fascists from the gig. It may not be the sort of genre I love to listen to, but I still enjoy it and would happily listen to this again and/or more of the project. 7.5/10, and 36/60 for 2000.
Yeah Aktuala may have been a bit unusual but it was a bit dull. Maybe Ache will be a bit more interesting.
Top 55 Music Albums of 2000 by Mercury (3 picks left)
7. Nuggets From Nuggets: Choice Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era by Various Artists
9. Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! by Orchid (Screamo)
12. The Lioness by Songs: Ohia
14. Alone With His Guitar by Hank Williams
15. Live by Built To Spill
18. The Hour Of Bewilderbeast by Badly Drawn Boy
19. Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down by R.L. Burnside
20. Rancid 2000 by Rancid
26. Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons by Blonde Redhead
28. The Night by Morphine
Wow! So much better than the last Danish psychedelic rock record I just listened to! (Wouldn't necessarily think I'd ever be saying that.) 2 near-20 minute tracks of proggy psychedelic jamminess. No vocals on track 1 which was a plus for me, but the vocals on track 2 weren't bad. It was a fun album too, with little embellishments of well-known tunes thrown in here and there like Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times" riff thrown in at the end of track 1. Sorry Alrune Rod, but it seems that Ache is the superior of you two.
I love R.L. Burnside.
A la Ping Pong- Extrem Musik a la Ping Pong Phase I
A Tent- Six Empty Places
AD- Conspiracy
ADN' Ckrystall- Jazz' Mad
AGeM- Sekunda
Agencement- Agencement
Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale- Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale
Alvaro the Chilean With the Singing Nose- Drinkin My Own Sperm
Amber Route- Snail Headed Victrolas
Ame son- Catalyse
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
Here's another one that's been on my to-do list for 5+ years. Hearing this means I've now listened to each of the first 8 R.E.M. LPs. It gets off to a bizarre start with Radio (one of a few semi-duds on the tracklist), but quickly picks back up with Losing My Religion, by far the best known in this collection of songs. It is indeed a great tune, but my favorite on the album has to be Near Wild Heaven. Very catchy jangle pop with cool vocal harmonies. While such peaks aren't plentiful, the album is mostly very solid, including a string of good songs that creates a strong finish. Well worth a listen, even though it's neither one of their most consistent nor one of their most highlight-packed records. 3.5/5.
~~~~~
2. I love the sport of ping pong. Let's see how the music is.
~~~~~
3. Alphabet Game, Cohort 2 (2 picks left)
K: Pageant Material - Kacey Musgraves
L: Vision Songs - Vol. 1 - Laraaji
M: Warriorz - M.O.P.
N: In Search Of… (2002) - N.E.R.D.
O: The Masterplan - Oasis
P: The Final Riot! - Paramore
Q: Sheer Heart Attack - Queen
R: A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey - R.L. Burnside
S: Stronger Than Pride - Sade
T: The Slider - T. Rex _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
what can I say about this live album or this artist that would do either justice? She is, without a doubt, one of the best things in music and every album so far that she has released is marvelous. This live album is the first of her equally highly acclaimed (as her studio stuff) live albums that I've heard. And...its stunning, its peace and beauty personified. This is more along the lines muysically of her earlier straight folk studio albums and less like her masterpiece from last year (the intimate live set here is mostly guitar and otherworldly angel voice and not huge gorgeous ambient and string parts). There are moments in this album where it almost is TOO good, TOO serne, TOO gobsmackingly pure and beautiful to be made by a human. She is a master vocally and as a songwriter and her chops as a guitarist aren't bad either and they used to create , somehow, rich otherworldly musical places to get lost in. I am gushing a little here. Because this is top tier stuff imo. Chart worthy and this live album was exactly what my ravaged nerves needed to settle down and take this life in stride. I think I'll be doing a massive marathon of everyuthing Ichiko Aoba soon. Anyway, that is all. Moved this to top 5 of 2020 and also wnet and listened to windswept adon again and realized i was severely underrating it and moved it to top 5 as well. Her 2020 output is next level.
2.
@Baystateoftheart, I also, much like Tha1CheifRocka, love R.L. Burnside and I love the blues so of course I recommend and nominate
1. Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain by Gwenifer Raymond (American Primitive)
2. The Normal Album by Will Wood (Dark Cabaret/Prog Pop is how its designated.)
3. Melinoë by Akhlys (Atmospheric Black Metal)
4. Toda história pela frente by Kaatayra (black metal)
5. Peaceful as Hell by Black Dresses (industrial metal I believe)
6. Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy (nu disco)
7. 真っ黒 (Makkuro) by tricot (math rock)
8. 서울여자 (Soul Lady) by 유키카 [YUKIKA] (City Pop)
9. The Balladeer by Lori McKenna (country americana singer/songwriter)
10. Kintsugi by 大森靖子 [Seiko Oomori] (pop rock) _________________ -Ryan
I'll never forget my brother having me listen to Burnside for the first time.
I still think "Tojo Told Hitler" is one of the weirdest things anybody has ever recorded. I love it.
And the beginning of "Criminal Inside Me" always makes me laugh.
Lol yes! He has a way of being quite brilliantly hilarious in the guise of this down-and-dirty blues man. Both of those examples are prime exhibits of that aspect. _________________ -Ryan
I liked my only prior exposure to R.L. Burnside, and I didn't like my only prior exposure to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but here I think they're better than the sum of their parts. The JSBE was in need of a more charismatic frontman and better songwriting, while R.L. Burnside could have used more non-traditional instrumentals (though Too Bad Jim is very good as it is). Here, both needs are met, as Burnside is a consummate bluesman with the voice, humor, and gravitas to complement the noisy, energetic backing band. Not every song is a hit, but this is a fun listen throughout and better than I expected. 3.5/5.
K: Pageant Material - Kacey Musgraves
L: Vision Songs - Vol. 1 - Laraaji
M: Warriorz - M.O.P.
N: In Search Of… (2002) - N.E.R.D.
O: The Masterplan - Oasis
P: The Final Riot! - Paramore
Q: Sheer Heart Attack - Queen
R: Pet Grief - The Radio Dept.
S: Stronger Than Pride - Sade
T: The Slider - T. Rex _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
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Mercury
RoundTheBend
Tha1ChiefRocka
Purplepash
baystateoftheart
