Just As I Am by Bill Withers
This has "Ain't No Sunshine" but it's so much more than that. The first track "Harlem" is my favorite Bill Withers song, and the whole album features some immense talent, including Booker T. (who also arranged and produced) and many of the MGs (most prominently Donald Dunn), as well as Stephen Stills. Hope you like it.
I agree this has lot of very good songs on it, not just Ain't No Sunshine. Harlem is really good, the covers were different enough to be interesting - even if he seemed to take the desperate sadness out of Everybody's Talking -, but speaking of sadness it was the three sad songs here (Hope She'll Be Happier, I'm Her Daddy and Better Off Dead) that makes this a really good album for me. That ending of Better Off Dead, and therefore the ending of the album, shook me a bit. There I was buoyantly grooving along to the sort of funkiness of the song despite the lyrics, and then bang! I did not expect that. As to the music thanks for the info above, that was good to know going in. I think the quality of the musicians helped here as they found that balance of cool to listen to music that doesn't distract from the great vocal performances of Bill Withers. A really good album that I think I liked slightly more than Still Bill despite Still Bill having my favourite song of his, Leon On on it. 8/10, and 28/44 for 1971.
Always good to see you back here Repo. My initial instinct was to go with Motorhead, but that Legend album looks appealing so Death In The Nursery it is.
Top 33 Music Albums of 1971 by EyeKanFly (last pick)
6. Teaser And The Firecat by Cat Stevens
17. Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
20. Nursery Cryme by Genesis
21. The Yes Album by Yes
22. Pearl by Janis Joplin
25. At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band
29. Every Picture Tells A Story by Rod Stewart
30. The Great Concert Of Charles Mingus by Charles Mingus
31. Junkies Monkeys & Donkeys by Jericho Jones
32. Lo Ultimo En La Avenida by Ismael Rivera Con Kako Y Su Orquesta
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Skeletal electronic beats and melodies with a strange vocalist over the top, sometimes sounding like some old timey bard and sometimes sounding like a chant. I'd be lying if I said I loved this. Outside of being impressed by how forward-thinking and unique it was for the late 60s, I wasn't overcome emotionally nor blown away by the complexity here. Some parts are outstanding, I adore for example "Lovefingers" - something about that organic drum groove and the building elements of electronic sound that come in. It seems that with each sound added, the whole mood of this song shifts. Awesome. I also like the opening 2 songs. Velvet Cave is very disorienting and interesting, that synth tone sounds like something off an LCD Soundsystem album which blows me away. And, finally, the closer is cool, "Misty Mountain" that is.
There are stretches of this album where I am mostly just listening placidly and outside again of a sense of fascination at what these 2 people m,anaged to create in '68 or whatever, I feel nothing. The dynamics of the builds, the highs and lows, they just aren't there. Maybe that just has to do with the limitations of the new technology that they have not mastered yet. Or maybe that is what they were going for artistically - sort of a stoic march, eerie and tense with no release. Idk. It was a good enough album as an album. But a fabulous document and fascinating as a nugget of innovative genius.
Half Grab bag of albums of interest within Death Metal, Grindcore, Powerviolence, Hardcore Punk, Crust Punk, D-Beat, Screamo, Sludge Metal, and other genres that are part of the punk/hardcore punk tradition in one way or another. And Half the highest ranked album's from The1ChiefRocka's Overall all time chart. I picked his because its a unique one and somehow only 12 votes! Everyone, go feast your eyes on that chart.
5 from my grab bag:
1. Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form by Crowbar/2001 (Been meaning to listen to this closely for, LITERALLY, 18 years! I remember the first time hearing NOLA by Down and seeing that 1 or 2 of the members of that supergroup were members of Crowbar and I thought "I should check that out"... never did. Its really thick, heavy, nasty SLUDGE as far as I understand. Looking forward to this one.)
2. Sadness Will Prevail by Today is the Day/2002 (Up there with any swans album in terms of darkness and oppressive hopeless atmosphere. This is a massive 2 hour and 15 minute mix of sludge/noise rock/avant garde metal and found sounds and like all kinds of stuff stuffed together into a daunting listen. I started this a bit back and tbh it kind of unsettled me despite checking a ridiculous amount of boxes in what I am into musically lately. Before picking this, Pray for me.)
3. Godflesh EP by Godflesh/1988 classic debut ep released in 1988. Will be getting this soon I think but picking it will speed that along. Early industrial sludge metal)
4. Monuments to Thieves by His Hero Is Gone/1996 (crust punk from a memphis band that lasted 4 years and was gone. Super alluring stuff.)
5. 01010101 by Portraits of Past/1996 (90s screamo. interesting.)
Now 5 from Tha1ChiefRocka's overall chart:
#5. The Power and the Glory by Gentle Giant/1974 (Familiar I am with Gentle Giant but not this album.)
#6. Temple IV by Roy Montgomery/1996 (I am either blanking on who R. Montgomery is or I really have no clue. Interested to see what this be.)
#7. Quebec by Ween/2003 (This and The Mollusk have always managed to stay riiiight outside of reach for these games. Somehow I never heard either and only heard Chocolate and Cheese and liked it... probably the album art lets face it. Well I am ready to finally listened to this and THESE acclaimed albums by these weirdos.)
#9. Romanworld by Romanthony/1997 (Had never even heard of this album or artist as far as I know before seeing Rocka's chart. I think its electronic music, maybe dance music? Idk)
#10. Lรคther by Frank Zappa/1996 (Never really heard of or heard about this particular Zappa release. No idea what to expect.) _________________ -Ryan
Skeletal electronic beats and melodies with a strange vocalist over the top, sometimes sounding like some old timey bard and sometimes sounding like a chant. I'd be lying if I said I loved this. Outside of being impressed by how forward-thinking and unique it was for the late 60s, I wasn't overcome emotionally nor blown away by the complexity here. Some parts are outstanding, I adore for example "Lovefingers" - something about that organic drum groove and the building elements of electronic sound that come in. It seems that with each sound added, the whole mood of this song shifts. Awesome. I also like the opening 2 songs. Velvet Cave is very disorienting and interesting, that synth tone sounds like something off an LCD Soundsystem album which blows me away. And, finally, the closer is cool, "Misty Mountain" that is.
There are stretches of this album where I am mostly just listening placidly and outside again of a sense of fascination at what these 2 people m,anaged to create in '68 or whatever, I feel nothing. The dynamics of the builds, the highs and lows, they just aren't there. Maybe that just has to do with the limitations of the new technology that they have not mastered yet. Or maybe that is what they were going for artistically - sort of a stoic march, eerie and tense with no release. Idk. It was a good enough album as an album. But a fabulous document and fascinating as a nugget of innovative genius.
Interesting take, Mercury! I see what u mean if though I LOVE it. But it's very different and I remember that I had more respect for their creativity than outright love for their sound at first.
Skeletal electronic beats and melodies with a strange vocalist over the top, sometimes sounding like some old timey bard and sometimes sounding like a chant. I'd be lying if I said I loved this. Outside of being impressed by how forward-thinking and unique it was for the late 60s, I wasn't overcome emotionally nor blown away by the complexity here. Some parts are outstanding, I adore for example "Lovefingers" - something about that organic drum groove and the building elements of electronic sound that come in. It seems that with each sound added, the whole mood of this song shifts. Awesome. I also like the opening 2 songs. Velvet Cave is very disorienting and interesting, that synth tone sounds like something off an LCD Soundsystem album which blows me away. And, finally, the closer is cool, "Misty Mountain" that is.
There are stretches of this album where I am mostly just listening placidly and outside again of a sense of fascination at what these 2 people m,anaged to create in '68 or whatever, I feel nothing. The dynamics of the builds, the highs and lows, they just aren't there. Maybe that just has to do with the limitations of the new technology that they have not mastered yet. Or maybe that is what they were going for artistically - sort of a stoic march, eerie and tense with no release. Idk. It was a good enough album as an album. But a fabulous document and fascinating as a nugget of innovative genius.
Interesting take, Mercury! I see what u mean if though I LOVE it. But it's very different and I remember that I had more respect for their creativity than outright love for their sound at first.
Me too! Respected this a lot and thought it had a lot of cool sounds, but after several listens it became a favourite. Such a great album, accessible, weird, forward-thinking, genius. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Coming into this, I knew 5 of 11 songs from a greatest hits comp, with the title track being a masterpiece and the others mostly solid. The other 6 that round out this record almost all fall into the solid category, except for the closer, which is just goofy and bizarre. Looking at the credits, it's notable that all the best songs here were not written by The Turtles themselves. But they certainly did a good job at realizing the potential of other songwriters with their upbeat pop rock. There are enough great songs here for a strong EP, particularly near the middle, but filler knocks Happy Together the album down to simply quite good. Also, it's a bit less of a sunshine pop record than I was expecting/hoping. 3.5/5.
32. I Thought I Was An Alien - Soko
39. Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
49. Up For A Bit With The Pastels - The Pastels
51. The BBC Sessions - Belle And Sebastian
53. Europe - Allo Darlin'
55. Still Night, Still Light - Au Revoir Simone
59. Lazy Ways - Marine Girls
60. If You're Feeling Sinister: Live At The Barbican - Belle And Sebastian
61. Ed Buys Houses - Sidney Gish
65. Town Age - ็ธๅฏพๆง็่ซ [Soutaiseiriron] _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Metta, Benevolence BBC 6Music: Live On The Invitation Of Mary Anne Hobbs by Sunn O)))
I'm not often in the mood for Sunn O))) wizardry, today I wasn't really feeling it too much. But the quality is around the same as on Pyroclasts and Life Metal, with the addition of Anna Von Hausswolff on the first 2 tracks. Even as a big fan of hers, I wasn't that impressed with her work here as she didn't stand out much. That may be a positive though, the first 2 compositions sound very homogenous and she fits right in. Especially on the 2nd one, Pyroclasts C#, which is more of a toned down piece led by her synths. The best moment was definitely in Troubled Air when, after what feels like hours of relentless, droning guitars with subtle synths on top, a wild trumpet appears. Should probably relisten to it at another time, it's nice. 7.5/10
(2)
Veronica Falls debut is possibly my favourite jangle/twee pop album. A lot of gothic, post punk, even noise elements.
(3)
2021
Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit
Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time
Blanck Mass - In Ferneaux
Portico Quartet - Monument
Adele - 30
Trhรค - Endlhรซtonรซg
R.A.P. Ferreira - The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures
Tirzah - Colourgrade
Amyl & the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
Aesop Rock & Blockhead - Garbology _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
This is the 5th Leonard Cohen album I've listened to now and his albums still fail to grab me (although I did like his first album a bit more than the rest). I can see why he is beloved and respected but he doesn't do that for me. The music is good but it's there to support the vocals, lyrics, and songwriting. That's what it's all about, and the lyrics are too literary for me. I'm not sure what he is saying most of the time, just guessing. I am a simple man and prefer my lyrics straightforward and obvious, much like the lyrics in the album I am about to assign to Zep. The vocals are the best thing about this album for me, but again not exactly my style when it comes to emotional vocals, too stoic and controlled for my liking. Even the well known songs from this album that I've heard a few times here and there don't stand out for me. It also probably didn't help that this was the wrong time for me to listen to a depressing album like this. In between Christmas and New Year, on annual leave from work, in the middle of summer, spending time with my family and friends, is one of my favourite times of the year. But this is the first chance I've had for a while to devote my attention to an album. Luckily even Leonard Cohen can't bring me down from my high. A solid 7/10 with more respect than like, and 37/45 for 1971.
Amyl and the Sniffers Zep, with a top 10 album of the year for me, and one of the best punk albums for a while.
Top 65 Music Albums of 1971 by Mercury (5 picks left)
4. Journey In Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane
10. 'Frisco Mabel Joy by Mickey Newbury
12. Live-Evil by Miles Davis
15. John Prine by John Prine
16. If You Saw Thro' My Eyes by Ian Matthews
19. Live In Cook County Jail by B.B. King
21. Coat Of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
24. Getting Ready by Freddie King
25. Time Of The Last Persecution by Bill Fay
27. Delta Momma Blues by Townes Van Zandt
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
Yes! This is so great! How have I never heard it before?? My favorite from the grab bag so far, against stiff competition. Lusciously jangly guitars, beautiful intertwining female and male vocals, strong songwriting, and gorgeously twee composition. The singles are all great, but some of the album tracks are even better. Now I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the second album from Veronica Falls. This one debuts at #4 on my 2011 chart with a very high 4/5.
3. That was fun, so I'm going to add a bonus round of five more pop subgenres: blue-eyed soul, C86, dance-pop, progressive pop, and space age pop.
Pop Genre Grab Bag: Blue-Eyed Soul
4. From Elvis In Memphis - Elvis Presley
5. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexys Midnight Runners
6. His Band And The Street Choir - Van Morrison
9. Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs
10. Hard Nose The Highway - Van Morrison
15. Picture Book - Simply Red
16. Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
17. Don't Stand Me Down - Dexys Midnight Runners
19. Mad Dogs & Englishmen - Joe Cocker
20. H20 - Daryl Hall & John Oates _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Purplepashranker, rater, & music list makerProfile Western Australia
A cool spiritual jazz album. I loved the trancelike drone of the opening title track, and the emotion in Something About John Coltrane made that another highlight. The closing track was lovely, but overall the whole album was a bit too relaxing for me to fully enjoy. Even though this had the better song with Journey in Satchidananda I rank this not far below Universal Consciousness, which I think is better as a whole. A high 7.5/10, and 31/46 for 1971.
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is really good.
Top 65 Music Albums of 1971 by Mercury (4 picks left)
10. 'Frisco Mabel Joy by Mickey Newbury
12. Live-Evil by Miles Davis
15. John Prine by John Prine
16. If You Saw Thro' My Eyes by Ian Matthews
19. Live In Cook County Jail by B.B. King
21. Coat Of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
24. Getting Ready by Freddie King
25. Time Of The Last Persecution by Bill Fay
27. Delta Momma Blues by Townes Van Zandt
32. Jack Johnson by Miles Davis
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