This is nice. Got slowed down on listening to this due to a couple little listening projects in recent weeks. Today I finally listened to this in full. I must say that the rock instrumentation and the more full-bodied pop rock sounds here are well done but they don’t hit me like his earlier albums. I think it reminds me most of XO but I suppose I have had more time and way more listens to that 1998 LP so that album has become more emotionally moving for me.
This album is full of the expected Smith melodies, and they are incredible. He just had a way with creating some truly amazing tunes. And, despite being draped with many layers of pop and rock and much more production work, the lyrics are brutal at times and really make things tragic sometimes right in the middle of a bright, sing-songy track. Which is dope.
I don’t have much else to say. I like this album a good deal and will return soon.
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@baystateoftheart, hmmm... some cool ones there and some that I have wanted to check out as well... let's do this one which is super cool:
CHANGE! I am going to move away from the rocking BEA list for awhile.
Looking at my Overall, these following albums are ones that I somehow and against all odds, have NEVER listened to or gotten into or given a real chance to despite another album in these discogs being all time faves of mine:
1. Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis/1998 (I have never given this nearly enough time and love and attention. Considering I love Talk Talk, this needs to be rectified)
2. Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg by Gillian Welch/2016 and 1996 (her debut is great, Gillian is a gem and an all time great. These are recordings from that original recording session or sessions for her debut.)
3. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo/2000 (This band is a great example of a trap I sometimes fall into, where I love and adore 1 album and yet I get so focused on that one album I find it hard to extract from that one and explore the whole massive discog surrounding it. I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is brilliant, now I need to explore their other great records.)
4. Red Roses for Me by The Pogues/1984 (I adore Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. And I really love the majority of their 1988 third album. But this, their debut, I have no thoughts because I have given it tops 2 listens and never really explored it.)
5. There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You by Palace Brothers/1993 (I love I See A Darkness. I have heard this, and I have heard other Oldham-affiliated or solo albums. But I don't think I ever really gave this attention, instead I have been laser focused on that one masterpiece.)
6. Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris/2003 (I love half a dozen Emmylou albums but outside of 1 or 2 listens years ago I have never given this album nearly enough attention. So now here it is.)
7. Floss by Injury Reserve/2016 (Their latest album is such a monumental and unique achievement that I have a tendency to think of it in isolation. But I really should have already listened to some of their back catalogue. But I never have. I want to give Floss its first listen or 2 or 3.)
8. Phantom Limb by Pig Destroyer/2007 (Same old story, I have become obsessed with 1 or 2 albums by this band and been lazer focused on them and never moved on from them even after dozens of listens. This is their follow up to the classic 1-2 punch of Prowler in the Yard and Terrifyer. So, yeah I wanna hear this.)
9. Relayer by Yes/1974 (Have heard this a few times but I feel like I never gave it enough tender loving care listening-wise. What I remember about it, though, is fucking nutso wild whoa.)
10. Embrace by Embrace/1987 (one of the essential early emocore albums, with one of the most personally idolized artists in my life - McKaye - and yet I have never given this nearly enough spins and attention. Considering I worship Minor Threat and respect almost all Fugazi, I need to give this the attention it deserves.) _________________ -Ryan
Good pick. This has been on my to do list for a while but I haven't heard an album from them before. If I had of known of them and heard this in the late 80s and when I was starting to discover this type of music this would probably be a favourite now. This was some really good bluesy, punky, swampy, deranged tunes. Not every song worked for me on first listen, but there were some great songs, and his vocal performances were fantastic throughout the whole thing. I wouldn't be surprised to discover his singing was an influence on Frank Black. Actually from about halfway through the album musically they brought to mind Pixies and I wasn't expecting that, but I loved hearing what must have been an influence on them. 8/10, and 14/29 for 1981.
Before If I Should Fall From Grace With God I had a tape with Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash on one side and Red Roses For Me on the other. It may not be an all time favourite like the other two but I still think it's great.
2. Computerwelt [Computer World] by Kraftwerk
4. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
5. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
6. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
7. Dare by The Human League
8. Faith by The Cure
12. Ghost In The Machine by The Police
15. Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones
17. Face Value by Phil Collins
18. Killers by Iron Maiden
Live At Montreux Jazz Festival by Anna Von Hausswolff
This has most of Dead Magic, excluding a good portion of the opener The Truth, The Glow, The Fall, as well as the track The Marble Eye. Other 2 songs are from The Miraculous, an album I've heard a few times, but it did not resonate with me like her other work, for some reason. So these cuts were kinda familiar but not really, and the 4 from Dead Magic are favourites. Overall a great performance, the band sounds extremely tight and even manages to sneak in a few improv jam parts. Anna's vocals are at their absolute peak here, the organ/synth sounds ominous, the whole recording's full of energy, mysticism. Both the slower, beautiful and heavier moments are performed incredibly well, the songs are slightly changed for the live setting, but not much. The only thing I didn't like was the aforementioned shortening of the opener The Truth, The Glow, The Fall. While the album didn't really blow me away (it's all songs I've known before), it's a course in how to make a masterful live recording, both in terms of sound/production and performance. 8.5/10
(2)
That's a lot of great albums (again). Go with Killers this time.
(3)
2021 and 2022
Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit
Sadness - _____
--
40 Watt Sun - Perfect Light
Molly Nilsson - Extreme
Gloios - Lide
Yard Act - The Overload
宇多田光 [Hikaru Utada] - Bad モード [Bad Mode]
Trentemøller - Memoria
Cate Le Bon - Pompeii
Cities Aviv - Man Plays the Horn _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Biomech by Ocean Machine
Should this be grouped under Devin Townsend? Seems like this was basically a solo project. Anyway, it was solid, not much to write home about but it piqued my interest. I think if I had listened to this when it came out (or around that time) I probably would've liked this a lot more. It's very similar in style to what I was listening to at the time, and unfortunately I think I've grown away from that style a bit. I guess the only other thing to add is that the album started off with a bang but gets substantially less interesting the longer it goes on (which isn't too long, and it's all still enjoyable). 3/5ish, totally middle-of-the-road.
3)
Mercury's Top Albums of the 1990s
The albums I'm most looking forward to are in bold, but I'm open to all of them!
31. Souls at Zero by Neurosis
45. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
56. March 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo
57. His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) by Little Walter
61. Heartwork by Carcass
71. Most Things Haven't Worked Out by Junior Kimbrough
76. Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order (1928-1932) by Tommy Johnson
86. Far Beyond Driven by Pantera
92. The Aftermath... by Dystopia 93. The Complete Folkways Recordings 1958 by Joseph Spence _________________ 51 Washington, D.C. albums!
Purplepashranker, rater, & music list makerProfile Western Australia
I've never really been into Iron Maiden, never really disliked them either, apart from maybe a brief unfair and prejudiced judgemental period of time here or there when I was younger an unwise. They were just always there doing their thing. Had a mate that liked them so I would hear a bit every now and again. This is now the 5th Iron Maiden album I've heard, and after their self titled debut it's probably the one I've liked the most. I guess I like them better before they were as grandiose as later on. Interestingly the two songs I liked the most from one listen are two of the lower rated songs here, Innocent Exile, and Prodigal Son. I think it was Prodigal Son where I heard an Iron Maiden --> Alice In Chains lineage I've never thought of before. I preferred the back half of the album over the front half but overall a good album. 7.5/10, and 27/30 for 1981.
2. Computerwelt [Computer World] by Kraftwerk
4. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
5. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
6. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
7. Dare by The Human League
8. Faith by The Cure
12. Ghost In The Machine by The Police
14. Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones
17. Face Value by Phil Collins
19. Movement by New Order
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
In almost every way this sounds like the little brother of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. I love their second album, its a classic. This album, being very similar, I also quite like. The shambolic, drunken, lostness of the sound and the vocals are so great and without fail they draw me in. And I relate to the whole attitude of this album. The way it gets all sad and weepy and drunk one minute and then all fiery and proud and... well, drunk the next. It's awesome. The production isn't yet there and not nearly as sharp or flattering as their next 2 classic LPs. The songwriting isn't quite there yet either. But yeah overall there isn't much here I didn't really like.
I apologize for my recent lackluster write ups. I haven't been struck with the inspiration as much lately. I mean, for example, I liked this album a lot and I love The Pogues a smuch as the next fan of such music... but I just can't feel that fire.
★★★½ to ★★★★
(I mostly posted that grading system there so I could copy paste it later for other albums because I have no idea how to do that star thing... found someone on RYM with 'em and I jumped at the easy and lazy solution of copy pasta)
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@purplepash, some cool ones there. Let's do my fave of the bunch and what is STILL my fave Cure LP:
CHANGE! I am going to change it again and focus on some extreme stuff I have been meaning to hear.
Top ranked Grindcore, Deathgrind, and maybe some other stuff that I have already heard but just haven't given enough time and attention to. or have never heard.
1. Never by Think Again/2012 (A cool looking Japanese hardcore album... its on youtube and looks cool.)
2. Sadness Will Prevail by Today Is The Day/2002 (2+ hour experimental and abrasive album with a life crushing mix of noise, sludge, crusty punk, grindcore, avant garde metal etc... I have a feeling this could be an all time favorite once I really confront it and listen closely and dissect.)
3. Legenda by Armia/1991 (Polish hardcore/crust punk. Looks cool and has gotten some love online.))
4. World Extermination by Insect Warfare/2007 (Very intense and cool grindcore/deathgrind stuff... something of a modern classic of the genre that I have yet to really give a close listen to or enough time to. I am interested in diving in again. Also, silly, but I like how the title of the album is similar to one of the best albums ever also within the same genre - World Downfall by Terrorizer.)
5. Monuments to Thieves by His Hero Is Gone/1997 (Iconic underground crusty hardcore political punk album from a band that lasted for just a couple years and then was gone. Its on youtube. Need to just give this a listen already sheesh.)
6. Using Sickness As A Hero by Human Remains/1996 (I am not sure how I didn't know this existed until recently. A grindcore meets Tech death album that is absurdly gnotty and mathy and wildly aggressive, with the lead singer of Death, 31 minute EP... etc etc... this is right up my alley. Started listening recently and its fucking nuts.))
7. Symphonies of Sickness by Carcass/1989 (Recently listened to their disgusting debut and meant to return to their classic second album but I never did. I want to give this whole discography a new deep dive, starting with a needed relisten to this grindy death metaly classic.)
8. Misery Index by Assück/1997 (Of all the grindcore greats, Assück is perhaps the one I have least connected with SO FAR. I liked this and their 1992 album well enough when I heard 'em. But I moved on and I feel I need to give these folks their time.)
9. Document #8 by pageninetynine/2001 (In my constant agitated need to find that next thing I will love, I heard part of this album during a work break a few months back and I remember thinking "Holy shit! This is fucking awesome!" and then never coming back to it. It's classic screamo emo of the most extreme kind.)
10. Lobotomise by Incinerated/2017 (Kind of a new record! verrrryyyy tricky! Anyway this looks intense. A mix a death metal and grindcore and deathgrind and stuff with brutal cover art. Could be cool) _________________ -Ryan
Let's start with positives. First, the vast majority of the production is A++. Immaculate, butter-smooth, perfectly suited for the music. On the final record before his untimely death, Pimp C was really on top of his game. Second, the flows are also stellar, as he and Bun B ride the luxurious beats with skill and style. Now, onto the mixed results. As a sprawling hip-hop double album, it actually holds up better than many of its contemporaries and comes together quite well. However, there's definitely filler here, such as the second version of Like That. Underground Kingz could have been a stronger record if a handful more tracks wound up on the cutting room floor. While more positive than negative, hooks and features are also a bit of a mixed bag here (looking at you in particular, Pimpin' Ken). Finally, the lyrics are also uneven. At their best, they're regal and evocative in their imagery. At their worst, they're cookie-cutter displays of misogyny, which is far too often for this to be a great record overall. However, it does come tantalizingly close, and has plenty of sublime musical moments, making it well worth your time. 3.5/5.
3. Pray For Paris - Westside Gunn
8. A Martyr's Reward - Ka
10. The Night's Gambit - Ka
13. Wap Konn Jòj! - Mach-Hommy
17. Ensley - Pink Siifu
19. Reloaded - Roc Marciano
21. Days With Dr. Yen Lo - Dr. Yen Lo
23. Act II: The Patents Of Nobility (The Turn) - Jay Electronica
27. Behold A Dark Horse - Roc Marciano
29. Fete Des Morts AKA Dia De Las Muertos (EP) - Mach-Hommy _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
I’m going to give it to you straight. This is SECOND tier Motorhead worship from a bunch of guys who worshipped the Gene Simmons' side of Kiss just a few years prior. They’re not that smart. They’re not that talented. BUT, they’re a hell of a lot of fun to get TANKED to! They’re a bunch of guys who LOVE metal and the “(We Are) The Roadcrew lifestyle. And lucky for them they got to live it for a few years in the early to the mid 80s with four albums of their Pub Rock take on Motorhead. I definitely see their cult-like appeal to their faithful.
My Verdict: Stick to Motorhead! And if you want something a bit rougher. More evil. Go with early 80s Venom!
1. Miles Davis- In A Silent Way
2. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
3. Pharoah Sanders - Karma
4. Tim Buckley - Happy Sad
5. The Mothers of Invention - Uncle Meat
6. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm
7. Moondog - Moondog
8. Sonny Sharrock - Black Woman
9. Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro
10. Captain Befheart - Trout Mask Replica
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
Ka is one of the most consistent rappers ever. He's also an appropriate choice here given that he's one of the defining artists of drumless, building his production around sample loops when that was nearly unheard of. The beats and flow fit together perfectly, and the lyrics are carefully-chosen. The only problem for me, as usual, is the lack of variety when it comes to tempo and flow. The consistently plodding pace is hypnotic and great for building an atmosphere, but it's hard for me to fully connect with. An impressive and fascinating listen, but not a favorite. 3.5/5 for The Night's Gambit, just like the other four albums I've heard from him.
42. Jazzmatazz Volume 1 - Guru
45. Budding Ornithologists Are Weary Of Tired Analogies - Milo
53. Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion
55. Wap Konn Jòj! - Mach-Hommy
59. The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures - R.A.P. Ferreira
63. Ensley - Pink Siifu
66. Man Plays The Horn - Cities Aviv
71. Not Waving, But Drowning - Loyle Carner
74. Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags Of The 85 - $ilkMoney
79. All Balls Don't Bounce - Aceyalone _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Pompeii by Cate Le Bon
Much like Reward, this has a few standouts and then the other songs start sounding more and more alike. When you get to the end, you're more than ready to move on to something more engaging. At least that's what I felt. It's just not catchy or interesting enough for this sort of pop music. Pompeii leans into the 80s new wave-ish aesthetics, and does it really well to be frank. Overall didn't mind listening to this at all, the opener was great, but not sure if I'll be returning to it. 6.5/10
(2)
Interesting to see $ilkMoney on your list, loved that album in 2020. Give it a listen.
(3)
2021 and 2022
Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit
Sadness - _____
--
40 Watt Sun - Perfect Light
Molly Nilsson - Extreme
Gloios - Lide
Yard Act - The Overload
宇多田光 [Hikaru Utada] - Bad モード [Bad Mode]
Trentemøller - Memoria
Cities Aviv - Man Plays the Horn
Immolation - Acts of God _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
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