(1)
Journey In Satchidananda (1971) by Alice Coltrane
This is generally a pleasant listen. I was expecting something a bit wilder from Avant-Garde Jazz. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. I'm not really into jazz, but my two favorite jazz albums are both of that subgenre (The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and Karma, fyi). In any case, this album has a chill, relaxing, otherworldly quality to it that's nice, but doesn't transport me as much as I feel like it ought to. Most likely that's a problem on my end, because plenty of other people seem to love it. The eponymous first track is the best. On the last four, the different elements don't come together as well for me as they do on track one. Particularly track four, Something About John Coltrane. But I think that might mostly be because I find jazz bass solos to be kinda impotent and wimpy and unfitting.
57/100
(2)
Do Melody A.M. by Röyksopp. It's been forever since I listened to that album, but I think I liked it alright.
(3)
My ten are split between two lists:
BEA top unrated albums
1: 286. The New Abnormal by The Strokes (2020)
2: 406. Highway To Hell by AC/DC (1979)
3: 423. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz (2021)
4: 438. Ocean Rain by Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)
5: 442. The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New (2006)
RYM top unrated albums
1: 140. Flood by Boris (2000)
2: 153. Silent Hill 2 by 山岡晃 [Akira Yamaoka] (2001)
3: 155. Jenny Death by Death Grips (2015)
4: 159. You Will Never Know Why by Sweet Trip (2009)
5: 162. Boris at Last -Feedbacker- by Boris (2003)
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
Really crisp and precise production throughout this record, and while remaining within the realm of downtempo throughout, there's a surprising degree of sonic variety. I definitely prefer the tracks that are instrumentals or have sampled vocals - the occasional original vocals aren't as special. Overall, Melody A.M. is a beautiful album with a relaxing vibe, perfect for cooling down in this heat wave. On some tracks, the drums get crunchy in a really satisfying way. I look forward to repeat listens in the future, and I'm starting this at a light 4/5, or 75/100 on BEA.
3. Top Albums on Top-Rated BEA Overall Charts Updated in the Last Year
Repo [8/18/25]: 4. Fire Of Love - The Gun Club
KitchenSink [12/24/25]: 2. Chapter 139 - 2-2 Liters - DJ Screw
Antonio-Pedro [8/27/25]: 16. Bad Timing - Jim O’Rourke
CharlieBarley [6/5/26]: 1. Gimme Shelter - Merry Clayton
Larcx13 [7/16/25]: 10. Can’t Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan
HoldenM [7/2/26]: 6. Boys And Girls In America - The Hold Steady
Mercury [5/23/26]: 4. Through Silver In Blood - Neurosis
pjerske [6/5/26]: 2. The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick - John Fahey
Lowkey [11/24/25]: 1. Peripheral Vision - Turnover
seb7 [8/17/25]: 1. Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk - Jeff Buckley _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Rhynersoft silly music is meaningful magicalProfile Utah
(1)
You Will Never Know Why (2009) by Sweet Trip
Indie pop/dream pop/indie rock. Male and female vocals. Melodic, bittersweet, nostalgic, romantic, dreamy, pop-ey but also kinda rock-ey. This should be right up my alley. In generally I really dig this kind of music. But I don't understand the acclaim (on RYM) of this album. It's fine, but far from a shining star of the genre. For this kind of music, the instrumental stuff seems kinda generic, and the vocals are also mostly nothing special. It feels like most of the time, this band is just doing their best impression of Stereolab, another artist in this genre-space that I don't connect with as much as others seem to. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to listen to this album. (In fact, I think it's probably a bit better than most of Stereolab's stuff.) There are some good songs here (e.g. Forever, Darkness, Pretending, Your World Is Eternally Complete) But overall it doesn't really move me, at least not nearly as much as would warrant its overwhelmingly positive reception over on RYM. BEA's ranking at around 2,000 overall is more appropriate, in my opinion. It's very listenable, not bad by any means, and it's firmly of a genre that I'm very inclined to like, but as a member of that genre it's not particularly special.
61/100
(2)
Join Johnnyo in analyzing Steely Dan's Can't Buy a Thrill. I'm sure he'd welcome any of your thoughts on it over in his thread devoted to the album.
(3)
My ten are split between two lists:
BEA top unrated albums
1: 280. The New Abnormal by The Strokes (2020)
2: 408. Highway To Hell by AC/DC (1979)
3: 422. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz (2021)
4: 436. The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New (2006)
5: 443. Ocean Rain by Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)
RYM top unrated albums
1: 138. Flood by Boris (2000)
2: 154. Jenny Death by Death Grips (2015)
3: 157. Silent Hill 2 by Akira Yamaoka (2001)
4: 160. Fôrça bruta by Jorge Ben (1970)
5: 161. Boris at Last -Feedbacker- by Boris (2003)
(1)
(2)
Join Johnnyo in analyzing Steely Dan's Can't Buy a Thrill. I'm sure he'd welcome any of your thoughts on it over in his thread devoted to the album.
I started a graduate program this summer, which is taking up most of my spare time out of work... sorry to be posting more sparsely here and not to jump in track-by-track on this one.
This is the second Steely Dan album I've heard after Aja. On their debut, there's not quite as much jazzy sophistication, but they make up for that with a heavy dose of catchiness. Not a single track is filler, and there are memorable pop hooks everywhere. Do It Again and Reelin' In The Years are the only songs I knew going in, but Dirty Work is the one currently stuck in my head. Overall, Can't Buy A Thrill is tightly written, played, and produced; very slick, very West Coast, and very smooth. Combined with the acidic lyricism, it's easy to see why the band are classic/yacht rock legends with a large cult following. The band's attitude and vibe don't really match mine, so I don't think I'm destined to join the cult. But with every song I hear, the more respect I gain for their craft. I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of their discography in time, but (to pull from another influential band from the West Coast) my approach to their catalog will be Walk - Don't Run. Starting at a high 3.5/5, or 70/100 on BEA.
317. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
409. Highway To Hell - AC/DC
482. At Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers Band
488. Deep Purple In Rock - Deep Purple
491. For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music
500. The Fat Of The Land - The Prodigy
502. Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
505. The Who Sell Out - The Who
514. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
532. Out Of The Blue - Electric Light Orchestra _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Rhynersoft silly music is meaningful magicalProfile Utah
(1)
Força Bruta (1970) by Jorge Ben
Yet another MPB album I think is just fine but nothing special, yet for some reason people just adore. I don't get it. There's always the chance it's the language barrier. I didn't bother looking up a translation of the lyrics, because that pretty much never makes me like music in a language I don't understand any more than if I continue not understanding it. The cuíca gets kinda annoying after a while. It's fine in small doses, but after a while enough is enough.
So, overall, it's perfectly listenable (mostly), but I don't connect with it much at all.
54/100
(2)
Highway to Hell. It's on my list too, so maybe we can both listen to it if you want to pick it for me.
(3)
My ten are split between two lists:
BEA top unrated albums
1: 280. The New Abnormal by The Strokes (2020)
2: 408. Highway To Hell by AC/DC (1979)
3: 417. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz (2021)
4: 441. Ocean Rain by Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)
5: 444. Lemonade by Beyoncé (2016)
RYM top unrated albums
1: 138. Flood by Boris (2000)
2: 153. Jenny Death by Death Grips (2015)
3: 154. Silent Hill 2 by Akira Yamaoka (2001)
4: 161. Boris at Last -Feedbacker- by Boris (2003)
5: 174. LP! by JPEGMAFIA (2021)
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