Warning: Blast of negativity coming, watch your step.
It’s not your fault by any means, -quite the opposite actually, your presentation makes every album look much better than it actually is - but this round is sooo boring. It seems everyone’s feeling warm and cosy in his comfort zone. The only band that made a bold move was The Cure and even that was in a terribly wrong direction. As far as I’m concerned it wouldn’t have made any difference had they called it quits after Pornography, there was no way they could top that in any case. Sure, it’s catchy, it’s fun, there’s even an occasional nod to their former aphotic (hard to top dithyrambic, but let’s keep throwing fancy words around) selves, but it’s not The Cure anymore, not the one I love (pun intended) anyway. Just listen to Screw, that’s all you need to know about this album.
Outside of boring, this round was also very bad. Not only do they play it safe, they don’t even keep the same level of their previous attempts, everyone is close to their worst.
Struggling to find anything positive to balance things out, ok I got it. When in doubt, you can always talk about U2. There’s a very real chance that they have the best album of this round, how times have changed! It goes without saying that compilations don’t count, otherwise it would be the usual suspects again. They ‘re still too big for their own good, more than mildly annoying, but at at the same time you can’t underestimate the influence of this album – well, U2 in general, but Joshua Tree alone should be enough to convince anyone. Also, many people I were - with some of those still am - close with adore this album, so it's tied with some personal memories as well, especially I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With Or Without You, even though I'll always say that, contrary to popular belief, Running to Stand Still is the best song here.
And I found another one, R.E.M. ‘s version of Strange is so good it made me go back and check how The Wire did it - let’s be honest, I wouldn’t even realise this was a cover hadn’t you brought it up – and it made a tiny bit more sense this time around, so big props to R.E.M. for that.
Nothing constructive to add about Sister or Blue Bell Knoll, you rated the former slightly higher and the latter slightly lower than expected, so it’s gonna come down to who’s got the sprint finish, still predicting – and rooting for - Cocteau Twins.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Yeah I've never understood the claim that the Joshua tree is front loaded and then falls flat. Then again I've heard it 20 billion times and am clearly not biased in anyway 🙄 . But it's such a strange concept that Running to Stand Still isn't an immediate masterpiece in people's mind. The lyrics, even Bono's performance is the most passionate in possibly the whole album next to Exit, and that slide guitar is to die for, along with the calm piano and drums to boot. I wonder if Bullet the Blue sky just turns people off somehow and from there the album gets the bozo bit flipped, even though the eerie sound of jet fighters in edge's guitar shooting down the women and children who run into the arms of America... (fucking brilliant track if you ask me)...
...ok well it's my number one album so I'll just stop there. As I said earlier, I'd probably just be foaming at the mouth with an overdose of nonsense if I wrote this thread. So just super excited to read it from afar. Overall though it's a really balance, solid response, so kudos to you for tackling such a "touchy subject" with great finesse. Proper Exit shout out though... possibly my favorite.
By the way you inspired me to do something I had never done before, but I listened to British Invasion bands in chronological order. Just kidding, I chickened out and only did Beatles and Stones even thought I made a pretty cool list whereby I could've done like a sweet 16 challenge. It was a cool experience. Again I love listening to artists in order of their chronology, but never really did it to compare like this, so really cool jam there. Perhaps when I have more jam, I can jam while I jam.
Also Cocteau Twins is another artist I need to spend some time with... my whole family loves them and I'm like a deer in the headlights with them still.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
@kokkinos, fair points all around. I am generally easy to please. And I liked all those albums. Hell the only album I kinda didn’t like so far in this project was the smiths debut. But I came around on that one and now enjoy it. So yeah your points about the cure and the rem and u2 albums of last set are well taken.
@Roundthebend, yeah like I said I do feel the first 4th of Joshua tree is perfect. I don’t like it nearly as much after but your points about exit and some other tracks are legit. Maybe they need to grow on me after many plays - many plays they are not likely to get cuz I just have a lot of stuff I like and want to check out and I don’t see myself going through a Joshua tree phase. But alas my loss probably. _________________ -Ryan
okay, on May 2nd is the exact or close to the exact 1/3rd point of year. Here are my top 3 to 5 of various genres or umbrellas of several genres. And my top 10 so far.
HIP HOP of all kinds This is a broad genre I have done very little listening with this year.
actually... nevermind. I just looked and I have listened to 4 hip hop projects and written some kind of comment on like 3 or 4 of them. if I did make a top 3 would be lame, but would be #1 The Plugs I met 2, #2 Bob's Son and #3 Tyron. TOP blindspots are the new BROCKHAMPTON.
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Top 3 Electronic music catch all (i be dumb about this "genre") ((Nurture maybe should be included in the upcoming "Pop Catch-all" faux-genre, but whatever.)
#3 ISLES by Bicep
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Isles by Bicep
(Consistently gorgeous Future Garage/Ambient Techno album with lots of twists and turns and a consistent melodic and rhythmic beauty that I loved.)
#2 NURTURE by Porter Robinson
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Nurture by Porter Robinson
(Happy, at times nostalgic, electropop album. Despite loving much of it and feeling a certain sense of giddy happiness at its best parts, some of the deeper cuts feel aimless and disjointed and that pulls it down a good bit.)
#1 FOR THOSE I LOVE by For Those I Love
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For Those I Love (2021) by For Those I Love
(This is an album wrapped up in the death of David Balfe's best friend. It explores beautifully all the angles of that grief, and all the memories David wants to reminiscence about with his friend. It's about dealing with grief, and trying to move on. Musically it's Spoken Word Poetry, House, Art Pop and some other elements. This is a great album.)
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Top 3 Punk and Hardcore Punk album (note: not including some less aggressive post punk albums such Dry cleaning, nor experimental or post rock albums that also have post punk in spades such as For The First Time)
#3 1집 by Slant
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1집 by Slant
(The ghost of Bad Brains and Minor Threat howls in the bones of this 17 minute onslaught of pure hardcore punk energy. Absolutely badass and vital punk statement.)
#2 SOUTH LOOP SUMMER by Hospital Bracelet
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South Loop Summer by Hospital Bracelet
(Truly exhilarating pop punk/midwest emo debut album full of the raw energy of some seriously energetic and fun and earnest young punks.)
#1 DRUNK TANK PINK by Shame
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Drunk Tank Pink by Shame
(Continuing a trend of punk albums absolutely kicking my ass in 2021, this album goes ahead and kicks ((perhaps)) the very hardest. Post punk, dance punk, noisey rock, artsy heaviness, oh my!)
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Top 5 Grind/Death/Avant-Garde/Extreme Metal albums of 2021 (note, initially this included black metal thus the number 5 on this list being avant garde and black metal. But placed Black metal in next category so that i didn't lose Solar Paroxysm and Yoth Iria.)
#5 NOWHERER by Victory Over The Sun
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Nowherer by Victory Over The Sun
(A really refreshing as hell blend of black and avant-garde metal full of atmosphere, lo-fi bits and weird tunings and a general sense of originality and oddball passion in spades)
#4
COME AND SEE by World Peace
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Come And See by World Peace
(Imagine Nails. Then take away the guitar and replace it with a second bass player. Then add in a few almost groove/nu metal snippets to give you brief 4-15 second breaks from the Powerviolence onslaught. That is what this album is. Yep, its as excellent as that sounds.)
#3 MORAL COLLAPSE by Moral Collapse
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Moral Collapse by Moral Collapse
(This is a kickass Death Metal album that provides some of that sick, thick, intense Technical Death metal as well as really mind-bending avant-garde and experimental metal.)
#2 IMPERATIVE IMPERCEPTIBLE IMPULSE by Ad Nauseam
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Imperative Imperceptible Impulse by Ad Nauseam
(Avant-Garde Metal, Death Metal, some Black Metal sounds I think, some ambient stuff, jazzy stuff nestled away in the rhythms, etc... this album is so fucking good I can't even write a logical parenthetical/summation snippet that does it justice. Its just, it's solid, folks. Check it out if you like experimental and dissonant metal music.)
#1 INTERSTICE by Knoll
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Interstice by Knoll
(One of the best Grindcore/Deathgrind/Mathcore-ish albums I've heard. A brilliant, intense, unique debut album that absolutely blows me away. Since listening to this I have heard this BY FAR more than any other album. Whenever I think I like an album a little more, I relisten to this beast and give myself a little shake and come to my senses.)
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Top 5 Thrash/Black/Sludge/Doom/Other metal not included in previous more stacked category
#5 ETEMEN ÆNKA by Dvne
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Etemen Ænka by Dvne
(Progressive/Sludge metal with not enough Sludge for my tastes, but a whole lot of great moments. I quite liked this one.)
#4 AS THE FLAMES WITHER by Yoth Iria
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As The Flame Withers by Yoth Iria
(No expert on Black Metal or Melodic Black Metal, but I think this is a really cool album. That's it, that's all I'll say parenthetically).
#3 BURY ME BENEATH THIS ROTTING EARTH by Body Void
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Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth by Body Void
(Sludge. SLLUUUUDGGGE! GRRRRRR!!!! Yep, this shit is heavy and quite disgusting and quite excellent sludge and doom metal. This is the kind of heavy that you can get buried in.)
#2 SOLAR PAROXYSM by Mare Cognitum
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Solar Paroxysm by Mare Cognitum
(Great atmospheric Black Metal album with some really gorgeous soaring melodic parts and crushing and intense blast beat-heavy bits and a nice swirling pool of sound that makes for a nice place to take a little 56 minute swim in when you're in the mood for some black metal goodness.)
#1 BIONIC SWARM by Cryptosis
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Bionic Swarm by Cryptosis
(Just an all around great Thrash record and great album in general. This has rekindled my love of the genre. If you like metal or thrash even a little, this is recommended to you.)
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Top 5 Post-Punk, Experimental Rock, Post Rock Catch-Almost-All
#5
WASTELAND: WHAT AILS OUR PEOPLE IS CLEAR by Lice
Sturle Dagsland by Sturle Dagsland
(A strange blend of experimental rock - whatever that means or communicates to you - avant-folk, nordic folk, industrial, art pop and much more that when all added up makes a truly original and beautiful album journey.)
#2 NEW LONG LEG by Dry Cleaning
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New Long Leg by Dry Cleaning
(Post Punk and Art Punk. Oh and REALLY GREAT Post Punk and Art Punk. Oh and this band and album is fucing awesome. And the lead speaker is already a first ballot hall of fame vocalist. Florence "Flo" Shaw, remember that name.)
#1 For The First Time by Black Country, New Road
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For The First Time by Black Country, New Road
(An awesome mix of post-rock and post-punk and post-otherstufftooprobably, with consistently awesome rhythmic explosions, wild horn solos and just a little something for the whole fam.)
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Top 5 Screamo/Emo/Emoviolence/Mathcore/Metalcore/Post-Hardcore (weird fucking mix I know. I mean kinda weird.)
#5 TERRITORIOS by Tenue
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Territorios by Tenue
(Very cool, massive, emotive screamo album, with some vicious intensity at points and also a lot of pretty walls of guitar intensity.)
#4 ULTRAPOP by The Armed
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Ultrapop by The Armed
(Post Hardcore meets Noise rock meets noise pop at points. Some cool electronic bits, some messy hardcore excellence as well as bits of mathy virtuosity, this album is just a really LOUD, at times thrilling, always interesting mix of genres that mostly work really well. Check it out if you like these styles or if you want to damage your ears as efficiently as possible.)
#3 VIVRE ENCORE by Lorem Ipsum
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Vivre Encore by Lorem Ipsum
(Not only an interesting mix of genres - Screamo, Chamber Music, Folk - but also just a great album divorced from the novelty of the sound. It woulda been cool enough that they attempted this Marriage of styles at all, the fact that it’s a brilliant and cohesive and stirring album is far beyond what I expected I decided to check it out.)
#2 MIRRORS by Pupil Slicer
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Mirrors by Pupil Slicer
(Well crafted debut by this trio. Equal parts sophisticated and primal. Dynamic and rewarding album from start to finish. Highly recommended for fans of Dillinger or maybe Converge. Mathcore at its finest based off the limited exposure I’ve had to the genre.)
#1 MODERN GROTESQUE by Dreamwell
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Modern Grotesque by Dreamwell
(Astounding album. A complete triumph. I'm finding it hard to describe. This is "Screamo", "Post-Hardcore", "Emo" with elements of "Post-Rock", but done so exceptionally and thoroughly that those descriptors seem to fall short when I type them.)
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Top 5 Psychedelic Rock/Neo-psychedelia/psych or weird-stuff-of-a-psychedelic-nature Albums
#5 ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH by The Spirit of the Beehive
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Entertainment, Death by The Spirit Of The Beehive
(A bit of an odd album. When I hear it, it's as real and tangible as that pond on the desert's horizon. And when the album ends, its as gone as ... well, that damn pond. Anyway, shitty attempts at poetic metaphor aside, this is a strangely gauzy, smoky, ethereal album that flows effortlessly and then ends and leaves me feeling like I just had a beautiful dream but can't remember for the life of me what that dream entailed.)
#4 LEAP SECOND by M. Caye Castagnetto
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Leap Second by M. Caye Castagnetto
(Unique art pop, avant- folk, experimental album that manages to sidestep easy description in basically every way.)
#3 L.W. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
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L.W. by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
(On one hand this is just another King Gizzard album and the third in their series of albums exploring their brilliant microtonal experimentations, on the other hand more of a good to great thing is, well, good to great!)
#2 WORLD'S MOST STRESSED OUT GARDENER by Chad VanGaalen
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World's Most Stressed Out Gardener by Chad VanGaalen
(I wildly fascinating psych rock and folk album. I thought of many other artists when listening yet, at the same time, generally VanGaalen manages to carve out a place which is his and his alone.)
#1 SHYGA! THE SUNLIGHT MOUND by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Family Album by Lia Ices
(Serene, melodically rich, subtly varied, art pop and piano-driven folk singer/songwriter album.)
#8 COURSE IN FABLE by Ryley Walker
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Course In Fable by Ryley Walker
(A warm, damn-near-perfectly recorded Prog Folk album with delicate and beautiful jazzy parts and a certain upbeat and extroverted willingness to go wherever the music takes it/him. This is a BEAUTIFUL album and a breathe of fresh air in music form.)
#7 MUSIC CITY JOKE by Mac Leaphart
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Music City Joke by Mac Leaphart
(A wryly smiling, sad-eyed country album. Best country I've heard this year filled with some touching and beautiful and, at times, quite devastating lyricism that will be right up all you John Prine fans' alley.)
#6 GLOW by Alice Phoebe Lou
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Glow by Alice Phoebe Lou
(Yet another standout Singer/Songwriter album in the Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Soft Rock vein. Its a well made album start to finish, an album where every aspect of its sound is crystalline and intentional and executed beautifully. Highly recommended of course.)
#5 THE DARKEST SKIES ARE THE BRIGHTEST by Anneke Van Giersbergen
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The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest by Anneke Van Giersbergen
(This is just an exuberant, unapologetically romantic and hopeful album full of melodies and loving lyrics that will make you swoon and will possibly reacquaint you with that younger, more loving and more optimistic person that you have always been but have tried to forget. All over the top crap aside, this is just a gorgeous singer/songwriter album.)
#4 HEAD OF ROSES by Flock of Dimes
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Head Of Roses by Flock Of Dimes
(Powerful, elegant, mature album from one of the most talented indie rock musicians of the last decade. This is an album that I don't think that badass 25 year old Jenn Wasner so many of us fell for back in 2011 could have made. This is a woman coming fully into herself and the delicacy and the balance of the album reflects that. Still, she wisely makes room for a couple Goddamn stone cold classic Wasner guitar solos to absolutely melt your face right off.)
#3 VULTURE PRINCE by Arooj Aftab
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Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab
(Sublime set of Chamber Folk from Pakistan - I mean she is in the states ((I think)) now and has been for awhile but the sounds are a mix of Middle Eastern music and balladry with Chamber Folk and Classical - that is absolutely mesmerizing and brilliant.)
#2 CHEMTRAILS OVER THE COUNTRY CLUB by Lana Del Rey
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Chemtrails Over The Country Club by Lana Del Rey
(Well, it’s another excellent Lana Del Rey album. Lyrically excellent and balanced. Musically lush yet stripped down with just the right amount of subtle spice and variety added in to keep it low key riveting. If you like her standout 2019 album, you’ll like this. Probably my fave Lana album yet.)
#1 17 POSTCARDS by Ted Barnes
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[url=https://op 5 Screamo/Emo/Mathcorewww.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=189784]17 Postcards by Ted Barnes [/url]
(Gorgeous folk album - for lack of a better and more descriptive word - that slowly blossoms the more you listen and the further you get in. The arrangements are pristine and sublime. The vocals are mostly not present, but when they are my god do they shine and cut to the heart of the emotion and soul of the songs they reside within. And the whole album, as a cohesive album, just flows and takes gorgeous side routes and by the time I was done listening I felt a strange peace. Stellar album that blew me away.)
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Top 5 Soul/R&B/Neo-Soul etc albums of 2021
#5 COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS by Arlo Parks
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Collapsed In Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
(Beautiful, assured and uplifting debut from this British singer and songwriter. Full of subtle and honest and understanding and warm soulful pop songs. She's now one of the most exciting young artists that I look forward to hearing all her releases going forward for years to come.)
#4 THE MOON AND STARS: PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DREAMERS by Valerie June
We Are by Jon Batiste
(Really cool mix of Soul, R&B, Gospel, Blues, Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Jazz etc etc. And maybe most remarkable is how Batiste and Co. are able to make these varied sounds and textures meld into a coherent album. Not just a coherent album, but a joyous, celebratory, powerful, bright, inspiring album. One of my favorite listens recently and highly recommended.)
#2 NOT YOUR MUSE by Celeste
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Not Your Muse by Celeste
(Absolutely beautiful debut from pop/soul/R&B/singer-songwriter Celeste. I am enamored by the wordplay, the compositions, the equal parts reserved and incredibly bright production, and HER VOICE (Her voice most of all). This is just really great.)
#1 SMILING WITH NO TEETH by Genesis Owusu
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Smiling With No Teeth by Genesis Owusu
(This album is so rich! The number of standout moments and songs is amazing. Owusu's willingness to dabble in so many seemingly disparate sounds and styles to get his voice across is toweringly impressive. And this is a debut! If you like Neo-Soul, funk, somewhat experimental hip hop, and also like it when artists show some love to that synthy punk of Talking Heads, you shouldn't miss this!)
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Top 3 Jazz albums of any kind (haven't heard enough jazz nor am I particularly smart about the world of jazz)
#3 CAIRN by Fergus McCreadie
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Cairn by Fergus McCreadie
(Just as an indication of how little jazz I've heard, I included this nu-jazz album with lots of amazing piano as my number bdespite it being one of the 20 or so albums I still need to find time to revisit and write comment on.)
#2 THE SPACE IN WHICH THE UNCONTROLLABLE UNKNOWN RESIDES, CAN BE THE PLACE FROM WHICH CREATION ARISES by Work Money Death
#1 PROMISES by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra
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Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra
(47 minutes of minimalist spiritual jazz-meets-classical-meets subtle electronic touches. I, at first, honestly thought this would probably be something that made me think I just didn't "get it" but by the end of the 1st listen and certainly by the end of the 2nd, I did feel a certain calm come over me and a certain wonder at the beauty of the music and life in general. Its a delicate, stirring, touching album that I highly recommend.)
Highest ranked albums that somehow never made it on any of these little lists which annoys me...
#31 overall and the highest not to be mentioned because I am a slut and a freak when it comes to folk and singer/songwriter albums lol
#1 Interstice by KNOLL
#2 For The First Time by BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
#3 New Long Leg by DRY CLEANING
#4 17 Postcards by TED BARNES
#5 Imperative Imperceptible Impulse by AD NAUSEAM
#6 Chemtrails Over the Country Club by LANA DEL REY
#7 Modern Grotesque by DREAMWELL
#8 Smiling With No Teeth by GENESIS OWUSU
#9 Vulture Prince by AROOJ AFTAB
#10 Mirrors by PUPIL SLICER
Hell of a life post, nicely done!
At some point I will decide it's time to dive deeper in 2021 and I will definitely use this as a guide.
I've only listened to a mere four albums out of your top ten, one I almost hated (Lana Del Rey), but, to be fair, I had zero expectations anyway, so it wasn't that big of a letdown. The other three were above average and I can confidently say I liked them (For The First Time, New Long Leg and Smiling With No Teeth), though I could hardly see any of them being elevated to the next status, i.e. really like/almost love, but then again no more than 4 or 5 2021 albums could make such a claim - all of them hip hop with the semi exception of Jon Batiste.
Hopefully this doesn't mean that the 80's project has come to an abrupt end - mind you, if you give up on it, I will usurp authority and declare The Smiths as the winners 😈 .
Well done, brother! Will use this as cheat sheet. I've sorta slipped on my 2021 listens.
hahah! thanks and I hope there are some goodies you also like here. Based off your tastes you just may love that Thrashy Cryptosis album or maybe you'll dig the Country niceness of Music City Joke. My clear number 1 of the year so far is a very very abrasive grindcore and deathgrind meets noise album. If you checked that out, I'd be honored. Those kids are like 18-22 years old who made that album and they are amazing and deserve lots of attention and love.
kokkinos wrote:
Hell of a life post, nicely done!
At some point I will decide it's time to dive deeper in 2021 and I will definitely use this as a guide.
I've only listened to a mere four albums out of your top ten, one I almost hated (Lana Del Rey), but, to be fair, I had zero expectations anyway, so it wasn't that big of a letdown. The other three were above average and I can confidently say I liked them (For The First Time, New Long Leg and Smiling With No Teeth), though I could hardly see any of them being elevated to the next status, i.e. really like/almost love, but then again no more than 4 or 5 2021 albums could make such a claim - all of them hip hop with the semi exception of Jon Batiste.
Hopefully this doesn't mean that the 80's project has come to an abrupt end - mind you, if you give up on it, I will usurp authority and declare The Smiths as the winners 😈 .
The fact that you hated LDR most recent album makes me sad. Kinda bored by it I understand, but there isn't anything unpleasant musically there to earn ire. At least I can't hear it. There are pianos and strings and nice melodies and some pretty words and its all quite laid back. What did you hate about it?
And I get it on the others. Based off your reaction to Pig Destroyer from my overall chart a few months back, I have a feeling you won't like my number 1. Its like Pig Destroyer but less technically sharp and with a bigger amount of death metal growls mixed in with the shrieks.
And no, I am working through the next and potentially last batch and deciding batch of those 80s bands' albums and will have an update soon-ish...i hope. I went through them in reverse order of most excitement, so Rattle and Hum, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and then Green. And... so far they have left me cold. I'm sure Strangeways, Heaven or Las Vegas and Daydream Nation (in that order) will turn this round around (lol). _________________ -Ryan
Okay, now onto the 6th albums of these 6 legendary bands. I'll go in the order of what I am most excited to listen to... reverse order saving the best and more hype for later.
what the fuck is this? like, i don't get what they were going for on this. it somehow is more politically preachy in a more obvious way than on any prior album, and yet also paradozically this album is the least vital and focused and meaningful of any of these first 6 albums. I find it weird, incredibly weird, all time first ballot hall of fame weird that U2 released this album, this strange and long and pointless and just out of nowhere album, right after The Joshua Tree. Like, what? The only thing similar was how The Clash released Sandinista! a year after London Calling - taking themselves and all their power at their peak and applying it to their least focused album. Now Sandinista is even weirder in every way, but also I like it more than Rattle and Hum. I can't understand what they were going for. This album feels like a victory lap. It feels like a weird gumbo of live and studio recordings, covers (including of themselves, aka just live versions of their own song or songs cant remember with an added gospel elelment, its just weird. some tracks were pretty good. But yeah, mostly this was a bit of a slog and bummer. 5.4/10
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The Cure's "6th" album KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME (1987)
next we had another album that, if I'm being honest, I had zero interest in listening to. Yet I did. I listened again and it was under better circumstances but man, yet another fucking 72 minute album slog that bored me most of the time - especially on first listen. Here The Cure try both their pop stuff similar to The Head On The Door as well as some darker Pornography era style gothic stuff and they add other weird and new sounds like horns and just little weird detours. On first listen was bored and wanted it to end. On second listen was still too long and unlike Disintegration doesn't have the songs and the cohesive flow to merit its length, yet I enjoyed it much more that second time. This gets a 6.8/10
And the third of the trilogy of these albums that I really just wasn't invested in as I listened is Green. Green...what can I say. Its really really good pop rock music. The opening track is the second best openbing track I've heard in their career only behind "Radio Free Europe". And they clearly sound like a band having fun and kinda knowing that a lot of their core fans probably will look at them as sell outs for moving to new company and making more pop and rocking and cleaner and louder and more distinctly radio-ready stuff. And the album actually works quite well. I need to listen again. But on first instinctive impression I will say while not as cool and sharp as Lifes Rich Pageant or Document, its almost at that level of incisive and lively and cool songwriting. The hits are great, Orange Crush is awesome, and its a solid album. ... 7.8/10
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The Smiths' "6th" album STRANGEWAYS, HERE WE COME (1987)
lowkey this has always been my favorite smiths album. even when i thought the little i'd heard of the debut was not great and when i thought the queen is dead and meat is murder are just ok, I always thought this one is actually really great. not sure why i always liked it more. It may have been just because I always thought "Girlfriend in a Coma" is awesome or that i had a few good cries whilst listening to "Last Night I Dreamt Someone Loved me". Or that the chorus of "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is perfect and iconic. and maybe it was mostly on the strength of that 3 song run of brilliance that I always thought Strangeways... was their coolest.
Well, anyway, i listened to this again for this project. and then listened a few more times. and... i really quite like or even love it. There is a MUCH less energetic vibe here compared to earlier albums. Not sure. Maybe they just weren't as bouncy and bouyant in life and that is reflected here. The mockable and ridiculous self pity and kind of sardonic and hateful lyrics of Morrissey are more obvious than ever on some parts here, to the point where I'm like "cool it, mate. it ain't cute anymore motherfucker." and yet... idk it is still incredible. its an awesome album. maybe the fact that i have heard this studio album of theirs the most and its behind only their Best... 1 and 2 comps for most listened to smiths record. But almost every second of this album I enjoy. it technically maybe isn't as brilliant and fresh and exciting as the queen is dead and its not as loaded as the 2 compilations i've covered here recently. but i think as far as a cohesive album i loved all the way through, this is right there with hatful of Hollow. I'll give this an almost even 8.9/10. This album was such a relief today, let me tell ya. Those first 3 albums (even the album i liked but kinda was more of the same - R.E.M.'s Green - made me second guess my life decisions. Strangeways is awesome. I may have overdone it giving it a higher score than The Queen is Dead. But idk as of now i really do like it slightly more.
-------------- AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT!!!!! THE 2 TITANS, THE MATCH TO DECIDE THE WHOLE THING!!!!!!!! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?--------------
Cocteau Twins' 6th album HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (1990)
First off, I was surprised to see (or notice again cuz I think I have had a similar surprised response before) that this album, and not Treasure, is generally considered their masterpiece. I guess its really clearly these 2 albums sharing the Cocteau Twins masterpiece designation, but here and RYM there is distinctly more votes and higher avg ratings and higher rankings for Heaven or Las Vegas. I would have guessed Treasure was their most acclaimed.
Next comment, I relatively recently listened to this on the You Must Listen To The Album After This Thingamajig when I was doing top ranked RYM albums that I either had never heard or had next to no recollection of. This was more the latter category of had heard but forgot all about it even back when i did that game (maybe a year or 9 months ago.) Now as I listen to this album after hearing all previous Cocteau Twins albums and I listen for the 3rd (and then 4th and 5th) time I have a lot more investment and interest and love of the band and album.
Okay, now as for this album. It's really good. To name song highlights would be naming essentially each individually crafted and perfected pop gem here. The entire albums is full of gorgeous melodies, brilliant and super clear and upfront vocals, and a (not gonna say the obvious adjective) distinctly ether--- (nope won't use that adjective either... hmm, if I can't say the d word or the e word, then how do I describe this music ...? Okay, each song has a distinctly heavenly quality, a certain floaty yet vibrant sound. Some of the keyboard and guitar tones would clearly have ansurdly huge and far-reaching influences on shoegaze and dream pop bands in the following decades. And Fraser vocally is at her best (along with her more intangible and weird performances on Treasure) here. I just quite enjoyed this album. But...
but... It's just really great. I didn't have the same almost out-of-body experience with this like I had with Treasure or even Victorialand. This album is technically perfect and as I love Cocteau Twins and consider this probably their 2nd or 3rd best album, I love this albuym to that degree and maybe with a couple more listens it will seep into my bones and become this special album. For now its simply incredible. Gets 8.5/10 Yeah kind of a wet fart of a close. So' I won't close that way.
I'll close by saying if this is an album that lulls me to a peaceful and romantic sleep than I can only think of a few things that could get me out of bed right now...
(I was hinting at a teenage riot in that last sentence. get it...? didyagittit???
Okay, super soulless and mechanical review now of this album which I have WAY WAY too much emotional investment in:
Track 1. Teenage Riot - 10/10 becuase nothing goes higher than 10 on this scale and i already said i'd be cold and scientific . okay? fuck it.
1. Teenage Riot - 12.<3/10-: omg omg omg... this song, i gotta be honest, it makes me cry. I adore it. some higher power went into this already great band and made them briefly prophets whilst they recorded this.
2. Silver Rocket.... -.... uh, like, 10/10.
3. The Sprawl... holy shit... 14/10 This is TOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD! The fact that the first 3 songs each feature the distinct brilliant vocalists of the group and the music fits so perfectly with their attitudes and vocal styles and also work so good together, its genius. This album is perfect...so far. (Yes this 3 song run blows the first 3 of The Joshua Tree out of the fucking water and here I thought just a week ago that was impossible.
4. 'Cross the Breeze - 10/10 has there ever been an uglier example of a perfect rock voice ever better than kim gordon? I mean like she hits these absurd shouted, no good pitch notes bad bad and yet it gets me... kinda hot and bothered? Kinda makes me want to go tear up the world and reset the universe, also kinda makes me want to go outside and talk to people in the hopes of meeting someone as cool as the way Kim Gordon sounds. Like, I can't describe how much I love her vocals and this song and this album. These songs are long and the long jams all sound sooo impossibly good, if I were to send one rock album into outer space as a representation of what rock music is and to scare and fascinate a potential higher powered alien species it would be this fucking album. ITS SO HUGE!!! SO GOOD! I am in love.
5. Eric's Trip - 8.5/10 - oooh there is Lee again, singing, heard what I had to say about Kim's badassery and tried to present himself like that dorky guy in Groundhog Day when he presented himself at that single men auction, know what I am talking about? anyway, enough of that. This is the first non-perfect song. But on any other album in this project so far I may like this toward the top of any of their tracklists. the beginning is kinda (purposely) awkward, but as the noise and insanely loud guitars continue and it amps up and up it gets better and better. This is great.
6. Total Trash - 9.5/10 - fucking amazing
7. Hey Joni - 10/10 fuucking amaazing!
8. Providence - 10/10 - fuuucking whaaat??? this is so brilliant and beautiful and like better than even when Godspeed does it. Gave me chills.
full disclosure I went out sipped on a beer and smoked and just listened to music this sweet amazing music for those last 3 songs and came back and updated the grades and notes when i finished. Suffice to say this album is making me, like, grow, yaknow?
9. Candle - 8.5 - cool song. like quite cool. The riff is gorgeous. It kinda feels almost idk thoughtful? whatever, its great. not as good as some of the tracks on this Album To End All Albums (at least indie noise alternative rock albums)
i just went and absolutely destroyed my overall chart. this album is making me rethink everything. how can i have so many albums on the same chart as this??? i may a bit buzzed as well. but no not really I already was thinking of fucking with my overall before listening and so there is correlation not casuation there or however that saying goes that people whip out when they wanna sound like intellectuals and which really makes the whole. world
hat.
them.
okay back to the tracks.
10.Rain King - 8/10 - its good. love the guitars. super noisy and abrasive. sounds like a middle finger to traditional rock musicians. you know what tho? I think thurston is my least fave of the vocalist. He's still cool and perhaps the most iconic or synonymous voice in the band but Kim Gordon gets me everytime and i'd say is number 1. Lee Ranaldo is number 2 and most of the time i am smiling when i hear his voice come in. Then 3rd is thurston and i like him a lot, but its just not the same. okay, next song.
11. Kissability - 10/10 - oooh my hawt. my hawt can't take it. Kim is back, babay! fitting name. also this is such a surreal and weird album. "you've got...kissability." well, thank you, Kim! Apreciate it and likewise. Although i know the message of the song is the exact opposite. leave me alone with your make-believe downer "well actually" comments. That solo is so siiiick!
okayokayoakyokayokay here it comes... the fucking trilogy the trilogy the trilogy is almost upon us everyone!!!!
12a - trilogy A) The Wonder - LEEEEEE!!!!!/10 (aka 9.5/10, not that i had to clarify it). Lee sounds like Kim on this song if you ask me. which no one, not one fucking time, has asked me that. hell, in real life no one has ever asked me my thoughts on this album, this musician, or this band. i don't have real life friends. not to mention irl friends that like good music or are as obsessive as i am about this fucking hobby.
12b. trilogy B) Hyperstation - i forget what this is about, better be a fucking Voivod-esque sci fi themed tech thrash song about ships and colonizing the galaxy and shit or i give this album a 3/10... lets seeeeee.... in 3, 2, 1, oooh love that transition. love those noises. sounds like Alien (maybe just the name) - okay and so the grade... fudge idk, lets say its 10/10 because of how fucking incredible it is and the fact it name drops the name of the album and the fact that the line that contains the words "daydream nation" is so cool and catchy and the fact that the guitars sound like hell and heaven are making babies. (oh and side note the song isn't about what i was hoping it would be about. but it doesn't matter its amazing.
12c. trilogy C) Z) Eliminator, Jr. - GRADE KIM/10!!!!!! (aka 11-17/10 in that range) - this riff is soo bloody heavy it makes me start speaking and typing in a shitty british accent! The sheer heaviness and intensity of this song could go toe-to-toe with Reign In Blood-era Slayer. (slayer dudes may disagree, i think there's a distinct cultural rivalry between metalheads and noise rock bastards like SY).
okay, and so that just ended and i am stunned. one of the best listening experiences i've ever had. you may have just read my thoughts in real time as I shifted this from being a top say 50 album all time for me to in the running for number 1. Its in that shortlist of impulse place at number 1 because why not with Clsoe to the Edge, Robert Johnson's complete recordings, Kind of Blue, Time (The Revelator), Highway 61 Revisited/Blood On The Tracks, and maybe Blue and Hounds of Love and The Wild Hunt. Okay, yes its a big group, But that is, for me, the greatest and most rarefied of company and I think this album belongs in that group. Its that good. Its stellar, game changing, inspiring, punishing, physically and mentally draining.
This is probably my fave 80s album as of this moment. and its just....i don't understand. Sister was great, like if you had asked me last week, i would say that sister was almost as good as this 1988 masterpiece. But now, despite how great sister and EVOL and Bad Moon Rising and all their albums are, this album blows them out of the water. Its almost too great and too epic and too perfect and too balanced of an album. Its a 1 of 1 unique and powerful artistic statement. I am in love.
based off my ridiuculous notes (and sorry if they were annoying or offensive, i just couldn't process how amazing this was) and all the hyperbole i just heaped on Daydream Nation, I thnink you all know what grade I am giving this... a grade I haven't really felt even remotely belonged on any of the previous 36 albums I heard for this project (36 if you include The Top)... this is the easiest 10/10 ever.
10/10
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Okay, and with that, lets tally up the final scores and then I think I will rank all 36 albums (maybe 37 if i throw The Top by The Cure in) and I'llk do all this arranging and re-evaluating of my 80s and overall charts while listening again to the best album Daydream Nation.
this round grades and ranks of the 6 bands 6th albums
#6 - Rattle and Hum by U2 with a 5.4/10
#5 - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure with a 6.8/10
#4 - Green by R.E.M. with a 7.8/10
#3 - Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins with a 8.5/10
#2 - Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths with a 8.9/10
#1 - Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth with a 10/10
which brings the final tally on this (mostly with only 2 exceptions) 1980s project to a decisive final standings for all 6 bands (RoundTheBend look away now... also maybe you too Repo due to your fave bands final placement and sudden drop in the standings.)
In last place with 43.5 total points and an avg grade across 6 albums of 7.25/10 is U2
In 5th place with a total of 48.1 points and a 6 album avg score of 8.02/10 is THE CURE
next 2 were within 1/10th of a point and I didn't expect this outcome in a million years based off that first album match all those weeks ago... but, alas...
In 4th place with a total of 49.3 points and an avg score of 8.22/10 is R.E.M.
In 3rd place, getting the bronze medal, with 49.4 total points and an avg score across 6 albums of 8.23/10 is... THE SMITHS!!!!(never thought i'd see cool, jangly post punk kids so excited about coming in 3rd, Bob.)
and then of course the final show down, the 2 titans, the band that literally got better and higher scores with each album and the band that was added last minute and ended up taking over the hearts and minds of the nation, we have the top 2.... drum roll...
In 2nd place, taking home a heavy-hearted silver medal, with a total of 50.2 points and an avg score of 8.37/10 is COCTEAU TWINS!!!!!
and, finally, coming in victorious, come-from-behind first place, and taking home the Gold Medal with a total 51.1 points across the 6 albums with an avg score of a whopping 8.52/10 is the amazing and gritty NYC bastards SONIC YOUTH!
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okay, and finally, I will now Rank the 36 albums from 36th to 1st.... some of these might not add up based off original comments as my opinion has developed, so bear with me...
These were between extremely disappointing to kinda good but forgettable which is ironic for one of them:
#36 - Rattle and Hum by U2 (1988)
36a. The Top by The Cure (1984)* (not included in project competition scores or whatever just kind of a throw-in
#35 - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure (1987)
#34 - October by U2 (1981)
#33 - The Smiths by The Smiths (1984)
#32 - The Unforgettable Fire by U2 (1984)
These are really solid:
#31 - Sonic Youth by Sonic-Youth (1982)
#30 - Three Imaginary Boys by The Cure (1979)
#29 - Boy by U2 (1980)
#28 - Fables of the Reconstruction by R.E.M. (1985)
#27 - Meat is Murder by The Smiths (1985)
These are really good:
#26 - Confusion is Sex by Sonic-Youth (1983)
#25 - Green by R.E.M. (1988)
#24 - Blue Bell Knoll by Cocteau Twins (1988)
#23 - Reckoning by R.E.M. (1984)
#22 - Head Over Heels by Cocteau Twins (1983)
#21 - Garlands by Cocteau Twins (1982)
#20 - The Head On The Door by The Cure (1985)
#19 - War by U2 (1983)
#18 - Bad Moon Rising by Sonic-Youth (1985)
These are actually kinda classic and I really really likes em a lot:
#17 - The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987)
#16 - EVOL by Sonic Youth (1986)
#15 - Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths (1987)
#14 - Seventeen Seconds by The Cure (1980)
#13 - Life's Rich Pageant by R.E.M. (1986)
#12 - Document by R.E.M. (1987)
#11 - Victorialand by Cocteau Twins (1986)
These are Masterpieces and all got high scores but under that 9.0+ threshold:
#10 - Pornography by The Cure (1982)
#9 - Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (1990)
#8 - The Queen is Dead by The Smiths (1986)
#7 - Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths (1987)
These are brilliant and I legit love them and got 9-9.9/10 which is impressive even by my standards:
#6 - Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths (1984)
#5 - Sister by Sonic Youth (1987)
#4 - Murmur by R.E.M. (1983)
#3 - Faith by The Cure (1981)
#2 - Treasure by Cocteau Twins (1984)
This is top tier all time great, down the checklist, first ballot hall of fame album of albums and is now in my pantheon:
#1 - Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth (1988)
it should be noted, based off the above updated ranking, if you take the ranks of the 6 albums for each band and add em up for each band and the lower the number the better, The ranking is actually...
Cocteau Twins - 88
The Smiths - 96
Sonic Youth - 98
REM - 105
The Cure 112
U2 - 167.
BUT Daydream Nation I will say is so far and away my fave I think the actual ranking is accurate.
------------------
I think I'll end my long post here.
okay, until next time, have a great life everyone. _________________ -Ryan
The fact that you hated LDR most recent album makes me sad. Kinda bored by it I understand, but there isn't anything unpleasant musically there to earn ire. At least I can't hear it. There are pianos and strings and nice melodies and some pretty words and its all quite laid back. What did you hate about it?
Well, you're right that hate is a strong word and should be used only in very specific context - at least I said almost -, so let me put it in other words, I can't see myself listening to anything by Lana ever again. The thing is she was a complete stranger to me -maybe I've listened to a couple of her hits without even knowing it's her and that's all, ask me to name a song by her and watch me fail miserably - and pretty much everyone in my social surroundings before getting on with this album, I don't think I've ever met a single person who likes her or at least listens to her in a somewhat habitual fashion - I guess a superficial explanation would be that she is too sophisticated for mass consumption and too commercial for "serious" listeners, lost somewhere in a grey zone - , so I didn't know what to expect, as I said in the previous post mostly nothing but deep inside I - foolishly enough - had some hopes. . What I hated/disliked? You know, it was a walk down memory lane. As kids, they would take us to church - not every week, I was a master at making up excuses, not to mention I pulled off a Houdini multiple times 🫢 , but more than I'd have liked anyway - , which, as you can imagine, was a torturously boring experience. The only thing we could do to find some courage and create the illusion of time passing faster was trying to figure out if the service was drawing to a close, but even that was impossible, it all sounded the same, we couldn't recognise any part. The same thing happened with this album. Furthermore, her annoyingly snobbish delivery didn't help her case either. Still, I don't regret giving her a chance, I have the tendency of sounding harsher in written form compared to spoken and I think I did it again, but the truth is I 've had much worse, that's for sure.
Mercury wrote:
And I get it on the others. Based off your reaction to Pig Destroyer from my overall chart a few months back, I have a feeling you won't like my number 1. Its like Pig Destroyer but less technically sharp and with a bigger amount of death metal growls mixed in with the shrieks.
Thanks for letting me know, I 'll keep away. 😄
#5, #7 and #10 also look a bit terrifying, I'll try my luck with #9 and #4.
Mercury wrote:
And no, I am working through the next and potentially last batch and deciding batch of those 80s bands' albums and will have an update soon-ish...i hope. I went through them in reverse order of most excitement, so Rattle and Hum, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and then Green. And... so far they have left me cold. I'm sure Strangeways, Heaven or Las Vegas and Daydream Nation (in that order) will turn this round around (lol).
The fact that Strangeways is on the better end of the spectrum makes me happy, but the last round isn't that much about individual performances, all eyes are on the trophy, looking forward to it!
Edit: We posted almost simultaneously, so the last part of my comment makes no sense.
Anyway, tons of stuff to talk about, I'll come back with more thoughts.
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RoundTheBend
Mercury
Repo
Jasonconfused
14 years
