Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2020 - 2026) - Music Diaries

AfterHours · 2020-01-03T12:42:55-05:00

WHAT IS THIS LOG??? This is a log where, over the course of a given week or set of weeks, I consistently track about 90% (or even as much as 100%, but not always) of the Rock, Jazz and Classical music I am listening to, and/or the Films, Paintings/Visual Art I am viewing. Sometimes I track all of it but when I am extra busy this is almost never the case. For the given week(s) I also rank all the selections. The rankings on this log only reflect how much I favored them during the given period of time, not "overall" or "all-time". Therefore, while higher rated works will more frequently out-perform works rated lower than them, this will not always be the case -- they will not always reflect the same rankings on my "Greatest" lists. Just because a work is rated above another does not mean I enjoy it more 100% of the time (just most of the time; closer to 100% the wider the ratings differential). Many factors can make me temporarily favor a lesser rated work over a higher rated one, including but not limited to: -Very often, a new work to me will rank higher than it usually might, even above others with higher ratings, due to being temporarily enhanced by the excitement of discovery. There can be a similar "excitement of discovery" when I've made a new realization about a familiar work, and especially if I've just upgraded it to a higher rating, or am considering doing so. -My mood or perhaps even something in my personal life during the given week(s) may cause me to temporarily favor a particular genre or expressive type. -I may be particularly focused on a genre or artist or type of art (etc) so my interest is more heightened towards those over others during the given week(s). -One of the factors taken into account for the rankings here is how much time I spent on a work and/or how much I listened to, viewed or evaluated the work during the given week(s). Ex: If I listened to Highway 61 Revisited 10 times but Velvet Underground and Nico only 1 time, there is a very good chance I was much more consumed by Highway 61 Revisited during that time frame, and it will likely out-rank it here, even if otherwise I usually would favor, rate and rank Velvet Underground and Nico above it. These kinds of factors are temporary and are ultimately not given permanent consideration in my overall ratings and rankings as they usually only apply for a matter of days or a week or two, so would tend to represent a minority of my experiences with a work. My overall ratings reflect the ranking and rating that work most consistently sustains over the course of time, not fleetingly. On this log, a higher ranking than expected for a lower rated work can be a legitimate reflection that I am strongly considering upgrading it. Similarly, a lower ranking than expected for a higher rated work can be a legitimate reflection that I am considering downgrading it. But neither of these are always the case -- just an indication that it might be. Sometimes, more revisits may be needed to make a final determination, especially if with a work that has been stably rated and ranked for a considerable period of time before that. To qualify for inclusion here, the work has to rate 6.8 or above -- or at least did so at some point during the given week(s). If I include an additional "Top 10+" for lower rated works (such as 4.8/10-6.7/10) then of course those can be included as indicated. Below the "Top 10+" list(s), you will find where I log any ratings changes to the music, films or paintings/visual art for the given week(s). This has usually been reserved for ratings changes to works rated 6.8/10+ (or upgraded to this), unless otherwise indicated. Ratings updates initially colored in BLUE are those I've revisited within the given week(s) or, if not, very recently before that (close enough). Ratings updates initially colored in RED are not based on a revisit of the work DURING the listed week(s) or very recently, but usually a result of ratings tweaks being made in comparison to others or it may be part of a "domino effect" of changes that can follow from a change in my ratings scale or a general reconsideration of an artist, type of work, genre, etc. Below that you will find where I track my "Top 50 Works of Art of the Year". These are what I favored the most over that year, whether the work is new or old to me. The higher the ranking, the more I favored that work and the more it dominated my interests over the course of that year. Again, this will not always reflect the same rankings as one will find on my overall "Greatest" lists, as it is for that year only, but will certainly tend to favor the higher rated works. Very rarely does anything below 8.8/10 end up winning for the year, and if it did, it was probably considered 8.8/10 or above at that time even if not any more. This log started back around 2008-2009 on a site called listology (that crashed later) and began as just a really good way to track what I was listening to or viewing and also became a good foundation from which to build my lists from as they were rapidly growing at that time (especially as these had expanded between rock, jazz, classical, cinema, and later, paintings). Updates could be difficult to keep up with as my lists expanded and this log became a good source to see them all in one spot so one didn't have to keep checking each individual list out to see if anything had changed. This log also soon became a good source from which a lot of interesting discussion would take place, and this remains my favorite reason for keeping it running. It is also just sort of a personal "game" (so to speak) with myself, to keep my interest and discipline peeked along the way, to help keep my mind "sharp" in thinking with and determining ratings/rankings along the way and across a huge scale of qualitative increments. Outside of that, the "Top 10+" rankings for each week or set of weeks, the "Top 50 of the year" rankings, and so on, are rather meaningless in the scheme of things, in that they're ultimately not too essential for the main lists that I work on but rather "notes" or a reflection of my thinking along the way. It's all terribly nerdy, of course, but it works for me, and over the years some users across listology and BEA seem to have found it of some interest too, and that community and discussion has been helpful for me in fine tuning my lists, my views, criteria, analyses, etc (and hopefully, helpful both ways, too). Ultimately, my favorite result is if the log leads to interesting discussion about the works themselves, about ratings/rankings, about discoveries in art, and the like. So if you feel inclined to share your thoughts or have a question, or have a recommendation, you are more than welcome to do so. I try to take up all discussion and answer all questions. Generally speaking, all are welcome (particularly those that are genuine, not trolling). Naturally, those questions best aligned to which works/genre(s) I'm most currently featuring on this log (which also displays my immediate, active interests), are (usually) those that get the better and quicker responses. If I am very focused on a particular art or genre, I am not usually all that good at discussing much about another, as I am best with those I am actively invested in, being inspired by and actively thinking about. While there are certain common denominators that make all art comparable, each art tends to require its own way of thinking and evaluating it in its own contexts, and I tend to get fairly immersed in this alone when I am seriously invested in a particular genre or type of work, therefore I find it difficult to shake that mindset and discuss other works as freely and with as much interest. That said, if you have something to say or ask about any of the various arts I pursue, whether I am actively logging it or not, just go for it. It can never hurt and I'm not here to stop or inhibit you from saying what you want when you want to say it. Even if I don't give a good answer right then and there, it's harmless to get it out there and we can always come back to it when it's more aligned to my active interests (and you can always remind me later too). One last note: I lead a fairly busy life and when I am replying or posting on BEA, it is usually in between things plus often from my phone (not the best for typing). So although I usually keep a BEA tab open throughout the day for quick access, I am not (usually) ACTIVELY on the site for more than short spurts of time here and there and am often hurried when I reply or say something. So forgive me if those replies can be haphazard (poorly written, punctuated, descriptively rushed, etc). They are usually a bit sloppy with me banking on the hope that I still got the gist of my main idea(s) across. You are always welcome to follow up if you want clarification or don't know what the hell I meant! I can usually explain something better if I return to it with a little more time or by the second or third crack at it (we hope), but I usually don't try and further clarify any of these unless someone continues the discussion or asks me to. My more official reviews/analyses for a given work (though infrequent) tend to be better, more well thought out, better detailed and specified, examples of what I actually think about said work(s) than my often haphazard replies or the notes in this log, which are usually more the "gist" or "general idea" or an "abbreviated version" of my thoughts. So take my more haphazard replies/notes with that in mind, and feel free to ask further if I haven't explained myself well enough. I do hope to add more official reviews/analyses in the future. _________________________________ Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2020) NOTE: This is a log of my favorite works of music, cinema and/or visual art for the given week(s). The rankings here will not necessarily parallel my overall rankings, as these are only what I favored for the given week(s). To qualify for inclusion, the work must be rated 6.8/10 or better (or at least was at some point during the week). This log will also include updated ratings for my various lists (below the "Top 10+" section) Below that, there will be a running listing of my "Top 50 Works of Art of the Year". This is simply a log of my favorite art over the course of this whole year, whether old or new to me. This list is cumulative, week-to-week, until its final standings at the end of the year. Recommendations and suggestions welcome. For my criteria, go here: http://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15503 Bold = Newly added Bold + Italics = Was already listed but recently upgraded/downgraded Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week(s): 1-1-2020 - 1-12-2020 The Doors - The Doors (1966) Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) The Third Man - Carol Reed (1949) A Genuine Tong Funeral - Carla Bley/Gary Burton (1967) Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane (1969) We Insist! Freedom Now Suite - Max Roach (1960) All Bitches Die - Lingua Ignota (2017) Let the Evil of His Own Lips Cover Him - Lingua Ignota (2017) ...NOT RATED YET ... but probably at least 7.5+ & excellent chance at 7.8+ with further listens Sunset Boulevard - Billy Wilder (1950) Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise (1996) History of Heat - Sadaf (2019) ...NOT RATED YET ... but probably at least 7.3+ & solid chance at 7.8+ with further listens Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - Neil Young (1969) Suspicion - Alfred Hitchcock (1941) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino (2019) ...Echoes Tarantino's influences throughout, such as Sergio Leone, Welles (Touch of Evil), Scorsese, old B movies (etc). The whole film plays with the idea of a "western within a western", and its nostalgic recreation of late 60s Hollywood makes several references to the present while also being the past. The ending in which Tarantino subverts history, replaces it with his own ultra violent resolution, thus giving the middle finger to his critics that have denounced him for this very thing, can be viewed from several angles. Here he seems to be using it to alter the course of history, as a force of "good", to rearrange the trajectory of the very period and sort of filmmaking that shaped his own, but this is also left very ambigious, open ended and allusory for the viewer to recreate how events may have transpired in this new "course of history", and thus rendering the whole period lovingly immortal instead of its actual horrific end. Here he seems to transform the "end of the 60s" (which Tate's murder symbolized) into an immortalization of it, lending extra creedence to the nostalgia trip we've partaken in with him in all the previous scenes (which seemed shaky in their necessity, or were they?). Is Tarantino also alluding to not just a salvaging of a bygone hollywood era but perhaps Polanski too thus rewriting the trajectory of his life and potentially altering a key historical precedent to the recent Hollywood climate to which Tarantino himself has been lambasted for ("#Metoo" etc)? Im not sure but the film begs many such possible questions/ambiguities and interpretations in its apparent motivations and in its many quotations (of Leone, Welles, through the revisionist characters and events, etc) and the many possible allusions stemming from this. This may all hold the potential for one of the better films of the decade, potentially very intriguing in the context of a swansong and the conflation of period, Hollywood, Tarantino's influences, personality and juxtaposition with the time-line and inspiration of his life and career. Quite an interesting work and extraordinary in ways, but overall I am somewhat torn on just how great it is. But as noted, there seems potential left for much more interpretation and significance depending on just how profoundly Tarantino has conflated these elements and influences with his own art and how well this holds up through multiple views (does it hold up AS cinema, IN the filmic language itself or is too much of this only relevant if you know the history, backstories etc?). At times Tarantino's integration seems significant while during stretches I wasn't sure, or perhaps missed the correlation... Well worth another viewing or more, with potential for upgrade. Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix (1967) Miracle in Milan - Vittorio de Sica (1951) Pavilion of Dreams - Harold Budd (1978) Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus (1972) Late For the Sky - Jackson Browne (1974) Laura - Otto Preminger (1944) Odd Man Out - Carol Reed (1947) A Better Tomorrow - John Woo (1986) This Year's Model - Elvis Costello (1978) Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan (1975) FAMILIAR ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RE-RATED: Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) 8.2/10 to 8.3/10 Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus (1972) 8.3/10 to 8.2/10 Pavilion of Dreams - Harold Budd (1978) 8.3/10 to 7.9/10 NEWLY ASSIMILATED ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RATED: All Bitches Die - Lingua Ignota (2017) 7.6/10 FAMILIAR FILMS - RE-RATED: The Third Man - Carol Reed (1949) 7.3/10 to 7.6/10 Miracle in Milan - Vittorio de Sica (1951) 8.1/10 to 7.6/10 Suspicion - Alfred Hitchcock (1941) Not Rated to 7.3/10 Laura - Otto Preminger (1944) 7.3/10 to 7.0/10 A Better Tomorrow - John Woo (1986) Not Rated to 7.0/10 NEWLY ASSIMILATED FILMS - RATED: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino (2019) 7.1/10 Odd Man Out - Carol Reed (1947) 7.0/10 TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2019) PAST WINNERS: 1995 - 2018 (NOTE: My series of "Top 10 of the Week" lists only actually goes back to 2008. Prior to that are simply my noted favorite works of each given year without any attempt to keep further record) 2018: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 2017: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2016: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2015: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 2014: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2013: Requiem - Giuseppe Verdi (1874) 2012: Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 2011: Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 2010: Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 2009: Nostalghia - Andrei Tarkovsky (1983) 2008: The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963) 2007: Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart (1968) 2006: Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 2005: A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964) 2004: Kid A - Radiohead (2000) 2003: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002) 2002: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1998) 2001: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 2000: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 1999: Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor - J.S. Bach (1723) 1998: OK Computer - Radiohead (1997) 1997: The Bends - Radiohead (1995) 1996: 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick (1968) 1995: Throwing Copper - Live (1995) TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2019) 1. Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 2. The Doors - The Doors (1966) 3. Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 4. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) 5. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822) 6. Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 7. Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) 8. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground (1966) 9. Das Lied von der Erde - Gustav Mahler (1909) 10. String Quintet in C Major - Franz Schubert (1828) 11. Mass in B Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach (1749) 12. Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" - Franz Schubert (1826) 13. Symphony No. 5 - Gustav Mahler (1902) 14. Requiem - Guisseppe Verdi (1874) 15. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 16. Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992) 17. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1808) 18. Elektra - Richard Strauss (1909) 19. Don Giovanni - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1787) 20. Symphony No. 41 in C Major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1788) 21. Dreamtime Return - Steve Roach (1988) 22. Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix (1968) 23. Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino (1994) 24. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major "Hammerklavier" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1818) 25. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1804) 26. Winterreise - Franz Schubert (1828) 27. Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart (1969) 28. The Blue Angel - Josef Von Sternberg (1930) 29. M - Fritz Lang (1931) 30. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette (1995) 31. Desertshore - Nico (1970) 32. Pelléas et Mélisande - Claude Debussy (1898) 33. Peter Grimes - Benjamin Britten (1945) 34. Variations in Dream-time - Anthony Davis (1982) 35. Symphony No. 5 in E Minor - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1888) 36. The Days of Wine & Roses - Dream Syndicate (1982) 37. Sonata in G minor for Piano and Cello, Op. 19 - Sergei Rachmaninoff (1901) 38. Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones (1972) 39. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (1991) 40. Glagolitic Mass - Leos Janacek (1926) 41. Symphony No. 8 in G major - Antonin Dvorak (1889) 42. Quartet for the End of Time - Olivier Messiaen (1941) 43. Fidelio - Ludwig van Beethoven (1805; revised 1806-1814) 44. Dimension Gate - Aurora (1994) 45. Master Of Puppets - Metallica (1986) 46. Post to Wire - Heather Duby (1999) 47. Frigid Stars - Codeine (1990) 48. Hejira - Joni Mitchell (1976) 49. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 50. Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta - Bela Bartok (1936) TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE DECADE (2010-2019) 1. Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2. Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 3. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 4. Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground (1967) 6. Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 7. The Doors - The Doors (1967) 8. Brazil - Terry Gilliam (1985) 9. Peasants' War Panorama - Werner Tubke (1987) 10. The Garden of Earthly Delights - Hieronymus Bosch (circa 1500) 11. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1998) 12. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) 13. Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" - Franz Schubert (1826) 14. Requiem - Guisseppe Verdi (1874) 15. Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992) 16. Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) 17. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822) 18. Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (1969) 19. Symphony No. 15 in A Major - Dmitri Shostakovich (1971) 20. Symphony No. 4 in E Minor - Johannes Brahms (1884) 21. Mass in B Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach (1749) 22. Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958) 23. Nostalghia - Andrei Tarkovsky (1983) 24. Faust - Faust (1971) 25. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1808) 26. Glagolitic Mass - Leos Janacek (1926) 27. The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963) 28. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964) 29. Metropolis - Fritz Lang (1927) 30. Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" - Antonin Dvorak (1893) 31. Symphony No. 41 in C Major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1788) 32. Symphony No. 3 in F Major - Johannes Brahms (1883) 33. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1804) 34. Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom (2010) 35. The River - Bruce Springsteen (1980) 36. Even the Sounds Shine - Myra Melford (1994) 37. Variations in Dream-time - Anthony Davis (1982) 38. Lady of the Mirrors - Anthony Davis (1980) 39. Improvisie - Paul Bley (1971) 40. Philosophy, Medicine & Jurisprudence - Gustav Klimt (1907) 41. The Reminiscences of Judge Schulze (Parts II, III, & VII) - Werner Tubke (1967) 42. The Beethoven Frieze - Gustav Klimt (1902) 43. Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock (1958) 44. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 45. Werckmeister Harmonies - Bela Tarr (2000) 46. Afternoon of a Georgia Faun - Marion Brown (1970) 47. Ptah, the El Daoud - Alice Coltrane (1970) 48. Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino (1994) 49. Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese (1976) 50. Hex - Bark Psychosis (1994)

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

DommeDamian wrote:

What do you do when you listen to an album that you know is fantastic or profound yet yer just like "meh I ain't feeling anything"?

Depends what you mean by “know”

If it has legitimate relatively “objective” characteristics, that I can foresee this by, even without the work yet becoming personally affecting or resonating with me

for example:

If it’s sound world is creatively unique, truly distinguished from others, especially if thoroughly so (not just one instrumental, but thoroughly)

Are its vocals, if it has any, closely mimicking someone else, or are they one’s own unique voice, revealing of this or a unique personality, POV, or characterization?

Those are strong indications, virtual guarantees, of a truly (or thoroughly) creative artist

Now, if these factors (sound world plus and/or vocals) are also aligned into an emotional and conceptual whole, really saying something about the artist or world or from a special or compelling (unique, interesting, revelatory…) point of view…

And then… If this is also accomplished throughout the album (not just one part or song, but many or all of them)

Then there is a very good chance it is at least 7.5 and I’ll note that I should return to it regardless of personal connection thus far…

Or I should listen to other genre touchstones (if I find I haven’t) to make sure of these points and get used to the emotional and creative and expressive tenets of the genre and then try it again to see how it is propagating such or developing upon or further from it.

During all this just noting things like what it’s expressing emotionally, as a concept/theme, and how derivative or creative it is… if these observations can and are being made successfully (and if the album is expressing them successfully) will, on its own, usually lead to finding the quality, impact, emotional impression of it requisite to its rating relative to history or other genre high marks.
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Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

Last edited by AfterHours on 07/18/2026 21:52; edited 2 times in total

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

theredkrayola wrote:

Your affinity for Call of Ktulu surprises me considering your relative dislike of Orion. I think the two are approximately equal in terms of quality, in addition to being similar in terms of mood (lengthy, complex, heavy yet poetic..)

Don’t really see them as all that similar, other than both being the token epic instrumental to their respective albums. Ktulu is quite a bit more vigorous, aggressive, its progression and multi-climactic resolution and coda quite a bit more impactful. Orion is more pristine, technically precise, “classical” (aligned just fine to its album) just as Ktulu maintains more thrash, emphasis, ferocity… but also the growling feedback, the distortion, the tension quite a bit different and of greater intensity, a pretty different take on thrash, epic instrumental by the band… They are only alike in mostly superficial regards, really…
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Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

AFTERHOURS VERSUS SCARUFFISAURUS REX!!!!

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Revisiting recent, notable Scaruffi ratings changes

And various notable ratings discrepancies of plus or minus 0.5 or more, plus whatever else I may want to revisit for comparisons, to double check, etc

Rock/Jazz - Running Log

Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) 8.3/10 to 8.4/10 / SCARUFFI: 8/10 Tracks: 1: 7.3 / 2: 7.0 / 3: 6.5 / 4: 6.1 / 5: 7.1 / 6: 6.0 / 7: 6.1 / 8: 6.4 / 9: 7.3
Well-Oiled - Hash Jar Tempo (1997) 8.2/10 to 8.4/10 / SCARUFFI: 9/10
The Ascension - Glenn Branca (1981) 8.2/10 to 8.4/10 / SCARUFFI: 8/10
Remnants of a Deeper Purity - Black Tape for a Blue Girl (1996) 8.3/10 to 8.4/10 / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd (1967) Maintained 8.4/10, dropped slightly in ranking / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
A Genuine Tong Funeral - Carla Bley and Gary Burton (1967) 8.2/10 to 8.3/10 / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
Perfect From Now On - Built To Spill (1997) Maintained 8.3/10, dropped slightly in ranking / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10 Tracks: 1: 6.4 / 2: 7.1 / 3: 7.0 / 4: 6.6 / 5: 7.2 / 6: 6.6 / 7: 5.9 / 8: 6.6
Yeti - Amon Duul II (1970) Maintained 8.2/10 … under strong consideration for 8.3+ / SCARUFFI: 8/10
Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones (1972) Maintained 8.2/10 … under strong consideration for 8.3+ / SCARUFFI: 8/10
Tago Mago - Can (1971) 8.4/10 to 8.2/10 / SCARUFFI: 8/10
Fire of Love - Gun Club (1981) 7.9/10 to 8.1/10 / SCARUFFI: 9/10
Good - Morphine (1992) 8.0/10 to 8.1/10 / SCARUFFI: 9/10
Conference of the Birds - Dave Holland (1972) 8.3/10 to 8.1/10 / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen (1967) 8.0/10 to 7.9/10 / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
Barrett - Syd Barrett (1970) 7.4/10 to 7.6/10 / SCARUFFI: 8.5/10
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969) Maintained 7.2/10 (almost as often: 7.3-7.5) / SCARUFFI: 7/10 Tracks: 1: 6.4 / 2: 6.9 / 3: 6.5 / 4: 7.1 / 5: 5.6 / 6: 4.1 / 7: 6.8 / 8: 5.4 / 9: 7.0
Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin (1971) Maintained 7.2/10 (sometimes 7.3-7.5) / SCARUFFI: 7/10 Tracks: 1: 5.9-6.0 / 2: 5.9-6.0 / 3: 6.5 / 4: 7.3 / 5: 5.5 / 6: 6.1 / 7: 6.0 / 8: 7.0
Bangerz - Miley Cyrus (2013) Maintained 6.9/10 / SCARUFFI: 4/10 …her life falling apart… split personality crises, two faced, crumbling inside and out with a self-destructive, insatiable impulse and rather pathetic view of herself, even cringe at times, between that of non-chalance (pretense of not caring) to pain to heartbreak to defiance to hostility… and just may be some sort of secret minor masterpiece, a lost soul broken inside, pretending to be fine while riding a wave of transgression, in fact pained and lashing and reaching out behind the front of exhausted dirty hedonism and haphazard female liberation Tracks: 1: 5.4 / 2: 5.6 / 3: 4.0 / 4: 5.0 / 5: 6.1 / 6: 5.8 / 7: 5.3 / 8: 5.8 / 9: 6.7 / 10: 6.5 / 11: 4.8 / 12: 6.3 / 13: 6.8
Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970) 6.8/10 to 6.4/10; 6.4/10 to 6.8/10 SCARUFFI: 7/10 Tracks: 1: 6.5 / 2: 6.1 / 3: 6.0 / 4: 6.3 / 5: 5.8 / 6: 6.1 / 7: 4.0 / 8: 5.6
Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin (1969) Maintained 6.7/10 / SCARUFFI: 6.5/10

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NOTABLE DISCREPENCIES WITH SCARUFFI

+/- 2.5 OR MORE
Have A Marijuana - David Peel (1968) (AH: 5.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Croce - Father Murphy (2015) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 4.5/10)
Bangerz - Miley Cyrus (2013) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 4/10)
Apocalypse, girl - Jenny Hval (2015) (AH: 7.6/10; SCARUFFI: 5/10)

+/- 2.0 - 2.4

+/- 1.5 - 1.9
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1998) (AH: 8.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac - Butthole Surfers (1984) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Stateless - Dirty Beaches (2014) (AH: 7.5/10 / SCARUFFI: 6/10)

+/- 1.1 - 1.4
Moondance - Van Morrison (1970) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Laughing Stock - Talk Talk (1991) (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Cop - Swans (1984) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Surfer Rosa - Pixies (1988) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Telescopic - Edith Frost (1998) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)

+/- 1.0
Repeater - Fugazi (1990) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Safe as Milk - Captain Beefheart (1967) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Bozo - Lida Husik (1991) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Songs the Lord Taught Us - Cramps (1980) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
You The Night And The Music - Gallon Drunk (1992) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
New York - Lou Reed (1989) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Filth - Swans (1983) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Tim - Replacements (1985) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Let It Be - Replacements (1984) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones (1971) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan (1975) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 6/10)
Badmotorfinger - Soundgarden (1991) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 6/10)

+/- 0.9
The Good Son - Nick Cave (1990) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Good - Morphine (1992) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Nail - Foetus (1985) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Atlantis - Sun Ra (1967) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Third Ear Band - Third Ear Band (1970) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Uncle Meat - Frank Zappa (1969) (AH: 8.1/10; 9/10)
Fire of Love - Gun Club (1981) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Barrett - Syd Barrett (1970) (AH: 7.6/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Underwater Moonlight - Soft Boys (1980) (AH: 7.6/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Return of Red Emma - Lida Husik (1993) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Low Kick & Hard Bop - Solex (2001) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
After the Rain - Michael Jones (1988) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
If I Could Only Remember My Name - David Crosby (1971) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
The Lemon of Pink - Books (2003) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Green Thoughts - Smithereens (1988) (AH: 6.6/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Bringing it All Back Home - Bob Dylan (1965) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)

+/- 0.8
Lullaby Land - Vampire Rodents (1993) (AH: 8.2/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Double Nickels on the Dime - Minutemen (1984) (AH: 8.2/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Well Oiled - Hash Jar Tempo (1997) (AH: 8.2/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Atomizer - Big Black (1986) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
California - American Music Club (1988) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Hot Animal Machine - Henry Rollins (1986) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
A Picture of Nectar - Phish (1992) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
The Beatles - The Beatles (1968) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 6/10)

+/- 0.7
Fare Forward Voyagers - John Fahey (1973) (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Hosianna Mantra - Popol Vuh (1973) (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
For Alto - Anthony Braxton (1968) (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Mu - Don Cherry (1969) [Parts 1 & 2] (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Dream Theory in Malaya - Jon Hassell (1981) (AH: 8.3/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Half Machine Lip Moves - Chrome (1979) (AH: 7.8/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Lost Works of Eunice Phelps - Maquiladora (1998) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Labradford - Labradford (1996) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
At Action Park - Shellac (1994) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Telephone Free Landslide Victory - Camper Van Beethoven (1985) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
On Fire - Galaxie 500 (1989) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Delete Yourself - Atari Teenage Riot (1995) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Marshmallows - The For Carnation (1996) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Live From a Shark Cage - Papa M (1999) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Balaklava - Pearls Before Swine (1968) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
The Land of Rape and Honey - Ministry (1988) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Ornette! - Ornette Coleman (1961) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Fantasia For Guitar & Banjo - Sandy Bull (1963) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Ptoof! - Deviants (1967) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Fontessa - Modern Jazz Quartet (1956) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
New York, NY - George Russell (1959) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Giant Steps - John Coltrane (1959) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Structures From Silence - Steve Roach (1984) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Saxophone Colossus - Sonny Rollins (1956) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Weasels Ripped My Flesh - Frank Zappa (1970) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Tweez - Slint (1989) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost - Mark Lanegan (1994) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Crazy Rhythms - Feelies (1980) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
1933 Your House is Mine - Missing Foundation (1987) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Conspiracy - Jeanne Lee (1974) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Far Cry - Eric Dolphy (1960) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy - Sun Ra (1963) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Pithecanthropus Erectus - Charles Mingus (1956) (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis (1950) [recorded 1950; released as LP 1957] (AH: 7.3/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
The Long View - Marty Ehrlich (2002) (AH: 8.2/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso (2014) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Beware (The Funk is Everywhere) - Afrika Bambaataa (1986) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Paid in Full - Eric B & Rakim (1987) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon (1978) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
The Guild of Temporal Adventurers - Kendra Smith (1992) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
The Visitor - Jim O'Rourke (2009) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Good Old Boys - Randy Newman (1974) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
12 Songs - Randy Newman (1970) (AH: 6.8/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
With Fontella Bass - Art Ensemble of Chicago (1970) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Purple Rain - Prince (1984) (AH: 7.7/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Private Dancer - Tina Turner (1984) [10 Track International Edition] (AH: 7.2/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)
Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis (1960) (AH: 7.2/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)

+/- 0.6
Saxophone Improvisations, Series F - Anthony Braxton (1972) (AH: 8.4/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Geek the Girl - Lisa Germano (1994) (AH: 8.4/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Spiritual Unity - Albert Ayler (1964) (AH: 8.4/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Not Available - Residents (1974) (AH: 8.4/10; SCARUFFI: 9/10)
Freak Out! - Frank Zappa (1966) (AH: 7.9/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
15 July 1972 - Taj Mahal Travellers (1972) (AH: 7.9/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Pavilion of Dreams - Harold Budd (1978) (AH: 7.9/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth (1988) (AH: 8.6/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Spirit of Eden - Talk Talk (1988) (AH: 8.6/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Head Over Heels - Cocteau Twins (1983) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
In A Silent Way - Miles Davis (1969) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
666 - Aphrodite's Child (1971) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
2 - Earth (1993) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Robin Holcomb - Robin Holcomb (1990) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Freedom Suite - Sonny Rollins (1958) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
White Soul - Green (1989) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Buy - Contortions (1979) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Amsterdam - The Lofty Pillars (2001) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Head Over Heels - Cocteau Twins (1983) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
A Burning Circle And Then Dust - Lycia (1995) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Day In The Stark Corner - Lycia (1993) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
2 - Kraftwerk (1971) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Freedom Now Suite - Sonny Rollins (1958) (AH: 7.4/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
6 - Supersilent (2003) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Vade Mecum (Part I and II) - Bill Dixon (1993) (AH: 8.1/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Reign in Blood - Slayer (1986) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul (1989) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1976) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Johnny Comes Marching Home - The Del Lords (1986) (AH: 6.9/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die - Country Joe and The Fish (1967) (AH: 7.6/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Hounds of Love - Kate Bush (1985) (AH: 7.1/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)

+/- 0.5
Faust - Faust (1971) (AH: 9.0/10; SCARUFFI: 9.5/10)
Novus Magnificat - Constance Demby (1986) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Bricolage - Amon Tobin (1997) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Cyclops Nuclear Submarine Captain - Dogbowl (1991) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Free Jazz - Ornette Coleman (1960) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Symphony For Improvisers - Don Cherry (1966) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Consumer Revolt - Cop Shoot Cop (1990) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen (1967) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
A Rainbow in Curved Air - Terry Riley (1968) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
In Den Ghaerten Pharoahs - Popol Vuh (1972) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
The Emotional Plague - Supreme Dicks (1996) (AH: 8.0/10; SCARUFFI: 8.5/10)
Temple Of The Morning Star - Today is the Day (1997) (AH: 8.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) (AH: 8.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Indian War Whoop - Holy Modal Rounders (1967) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Unsane - Unsane (1991) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
You Can't Pray A Lie - Laughing Hyenas (1989) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Ruby Vroom - Soul Coughing (1994) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
The Firstborn is Dead - Nick Cave (1985) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
In Praise Of Learning - Henry Cow (1975) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Phantasies And Senseitions - Bugskull (1994) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
May I Sing With Me - Yo La Tengo (1992) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Damaged - Black Flag (1981) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Prayer For The Halcyon Fear - Tiny Lights (1985) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Monster Walks The Winter Lake - David Thomas (1986) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
King Kong - Jean Luc Ponty (1970) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Departure From the Northern Wasteland - Michael Hoenig (1978) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (1976) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Streams - Sam Rivers (1973) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Removal of Secrecy - Rova Saxophone Quartet (1979) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Rocket to Russia - Ramones (1977) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
The Problem With Me - Seam (1993) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Blanket Warm - Lullaby For the Working Class (1996) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (1983) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Hole - Foetus (1984) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Goat - Jesus Lizard (1991) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Ladybird - Shit And Shine (2005) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 8/10)
Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - The 13th Floor Elevators (1966) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Between The Buttons - The Rolling Stones (1966) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 7.5/10)
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (1971) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Closer - Joy Division (1980) (AH: 7.5/10; SCARUFFI: 7/10)
Stand! - Sly & The Family Stone (1969) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)
The Soft Bulletin - Flaming Lips (1999) [Original 13-track Vinyl Release] (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015) (AH: 7.0/10; SCARUFFI: 6.5/10)

/10 to /10
/10 to /10
/10 to /10
/10 to /10
/10 to /10
/10 to /10

Last edited by AfterHours on 07/24/2026 16:47; edited 30 times in total

Facetious Profile
Somewhere you've never been

AfterHours wrote:

No, possibly later on in the coming weeks?

If you do, would like to know if you recommend or not

I thought I already did make at least an estimate for the Odyssey? It’s been forever but it’s almost surely 8.5+, with a very good shot at 8.8+

Then again, Homer was a bit derivative of O Brother Where Art Thou? …don’t you think? J/K

My tentative rating for the film is 6.5 to a low 7, but it's entirely possible I'm letting my opinion of the original poem (probably 9.5 for me; The Iliad maybe 9) interfere with my assessment of Nolan's vision, although I don't watch adaptations with a purist lens anyway. (In fact, I thought Nolan's adaptation of The Prestige was excellent and an improvement on the novel, although the novel is obviously not even close to being a masterpiece on the level of the Odyssey.) Needless to say, Nolan is great as always at spectacle, I'm just not sure about the thematic depth because he does put in the effort to reinterpret the story and get new meanings out of it, but those changes seem to negatively affect the complexity of the original characters, especially Odysseus. Then again, Nolan's writing has almost always been flawed and unsubtle, so nothing new there.

I didn't remember you rating the Odyssey before, so I'd be interested in your thoughts on what makes it 8.5+ or even 8.8+ as well as your thoughts on the Iliad, which seems to me to be an essential text that complements, even "completes", the Odyssey in a sense.

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

Facetious wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

No, possibly later on in the coming weeks?

If you do, would like to know if you recommend or not

I thought I already did make at least an estimate for the Odyssey? It’s been forever but it’s almost surely 8.5+, with a very good shot at 8.8+

Then again, Homer was a bit derivative of O Brother Where Art Thou? …don’t you think? J/K

My tentative rating for the film is 6.5 to a low 7, but it's entirely possible I'm letting my opinion of the original poem (probably 9.5 for me; The Iliad maybe 9) interfere with my assessment of Nolan's vision, although I don't watch adaptations with a purist lens anyway. (In fact, I thought Nolan's adaptation of The Prestige was excellent and an improvement on the novel, although the novel is obviously not even close to being a masterpiece on the level of the Odyssey.) Needless to say, Nolan is great as always at spectacle, I'm just not sure about the thematic depth because he does put in the effort to reinterpret the story and get new meanings out of it, but those changes seem to negatively affect the complexity of the original characters, especially Odysseus. Then again, Nolan's writing has almost always been flawed and unsubtle, so nothing new there.

I didn't remember you rating the Odyssey before, so I'd be interested in your thoughts on what makes it 8.5+ or even 8.8+ as well as your thoughts on the Iliad, which seems to me to be an essential text that complements, even "completes", the Odyssey in a sense.

Thanks for your quick rating and notes about the film.

I added The Odyssey to my (Estimated! Unofficial! Grain of Salt!) Literature list. Link on “Top 10+” post.

Certainly has a shot at a higher rating but that’s what I am (more or less) comfortable with until I revisit it.

I’m not ready to say it’s equal or above the likes of The Doors s/t, VU Nico, A Love Sup (9.2s, 9.3s) when I have hundreds of listens and insights of familiarity with these over the years spanning since I last read the Odyssey and they’ve directly, over and over, held up in comparison to all the other art Ive consumed over that time, while The Odyssey remains an amazing but quite distant memory. That said, its not illogical to think or conclude that it is or may be above the likes of those too.

Its been 20+ years so I dont really want to discuss it at this time except just to say that it influenced practically every epic ever, it is seminal to the development to the “Hero’s journey” — and a hero primarily through cunning/intellect — its revolutionary storytelling, the narrative device of using flashbacks from (roughly) its mid point to flesh out all else, its theme of “homecoming”, and there is of course much psychological insight in its characters and circumstances — for instance, Odysseus battles not just foes and obstacles but trauma, isolation, and moral conflict. The circumstances act as a profound psychological mirror, exploring survival, war guilt, and the mind's ability to endure profound suffering. Massively influential on the thematic strands of so much, from the likes of Spielberg, to Apocalypse Now (or Conrad) …or Klimov’s Come and See, or The Lord of the Rings… The Searchers, Star Wars… to Dante’s Divine Comedy (probably indirectly for the most part)… to Joyce’s Ulysses… and so on…
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Facetious Profile
Somewhere you've never been

AfterHours wrote:

Thanks for your quick rating and notes about the film.

I added The Odyssey to my (Estimated! Unofficial! Grain of Salt!) Literature list. Link on “Top 10+” post.

Certainly has a shot at a higher rating but that’s what I am (more or less) comfortable with until I revisit it.

I’m not ready to say it’s equal or above the likes of The Doors s/t, VU Nico, A Love Sup (9.2s, 9.3s) when I have hundreds of listens and insights of familiarity with these over the years spanning since I last read the Odyssey and they’ve directly, over and over, held up in comparison to all the other art Ive consumed over that time, while The Odyssey remains an amazing but quite distant memory. That said, its not illogical to think or conclude that it is or may be above the likes of those too.

Its been 20+ years so I dont really want to discuss it at this time except just to say that it influenced practically every epic ever, it is seminal to the development to the “Hero’s journey” — and a hero primarily through cunning/intellect — its revolutionary storytelling, the narrative device of using flashbacks from (roughly) its mid point to flesh out all else, its theme of “homecoming”, and there is of course much psychological insight in its characters and circumstances — for instance, Odysseus battles not just foes and obstacles but trauma, isolation, and moral conflict. The circumstances act as a profound psychological mirror, exploring survival, war guilt, and the mind's ability to endure profound suffering. Massively influential on the thematic strands of so much, from the likes of Spielberg, to Apocalypse Now (or Conrad) …or Klimov’s Come and See, or The Lord of the Rings… The Searchers, Star Wars… to Dante’s Divine Comedy (probably indirectly for the most part)… to Joyce’s Ulysses… and so on…

Thanks for your quick review as well, hopefully you'll get the chance to revisit it soon and in relation to Nolan's film. It's interesting that you mention war guilt, trauma, and moral conflict, because Nolan places most of his emphasis on these aspects, reflecting this in darker visuals, and even significantly modifying the plot and Odysseus' character. There are close thematic connections with Oppenheimer, along with allusions to common themes and occasionally specific scenes in his other films: memory and guilt in Memento, the chaos of war in Dunkirk, the moral dilemmas of a hero in his Batman trilogy, homecoming and family in Inception and Interstellar, etc. In a way it's perhaps a culmination of his own career, and acknowledgement of a text that has been a major influence on him throughout it.

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

EXPLANATION: WHAT IS THIS LOG??? Go here: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=571094#571094

For my criteria page, go here: http://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15503

To visit my Main lists, go here:
Greatest Classical Music Works: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15098
Greatest Albums (Rock & Jazz): https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15276
Greatest Songs/Tracks/Movements: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15246
Greatest Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15558
Greatest Paintings, Sculpture and Architecture: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15560
Greatest Works of Art: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16117

Various (in progress) genre lists, listed in order of how recently I've worked on them:
Best Action/Adventure Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=749761#749761
Best Comedy Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=748991#748991
Greatest Literature: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=691617#691617
Best Teen and/or Coming of Age Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=683219#683219
Best Gangster and/or Hood Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=682513#682513
Best Editing/Structure in Film History: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=667443#667443
Best Visuals (Color) / Best Visuals (Black and White): https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=666231#666231
Best Horror Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=656102#656102
Best Hip Hop/R & B/Soul/Funk Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=650323#650323
Best Animated Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=647884#647884
Best Comic Book/Superhero Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=646189#646189

Bold = Newly added
Bold + Italics = Was already listed but recently upgraded/downgraded

Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week(s): 4-27-26 - 7-26-26
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964)
The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci (circa 1495 - 1498) / Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy [Painting]
Sistine Chapel Ceiling and The Last Judgment - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1508 - 1512; 1535 - 1541) / Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Painting]
Through Silver in Blood - Neurosis (1996)
Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974)
Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom (2010)
Spirit of Eden - Talk Talk (1988)
The Survivors Suite - Keith Jarrett (1976)
Temple Of The Morning Star - Today is the Day (1997)
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965)
The Jazz Composer's Orchestra - Michael Mantler (1968) [aka, "The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra - The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (1968)"]
Guernica - Pablo Picasso (1937) / Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain [Painting]
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963)
Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane (1969)
A Genuine Tong Funeral - Carla Bley and Gary Burton (1967)
Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise (1995)
Out to Lunch - Eric Dolphy (1964)
Bad Moon Rising - Sonic Youth (1985)
Fire of Love - Gun Club (1981)
Master Of Puppets - Metallica (1986)
Sahara – McCoy Tyner (1972)
Good - Morphine (1992)
Fun House - The Stooges (1970)
Lady of the Mirrors - Anthony Davis (1980)
Faust - Faust (1971)
In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson (1969)
The Magic City - Sun Ra (1965)
Virgin of the Rocks - Leonardo da Vinci (circa 1483-1486) [Painting]
Sackcloth n’ Ashes - 16 Horsepower (1996)
Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan (1965)
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedy's (1980)
The Ascension - Glenn Branca (1981)
Ascension - John Coltrane (1965) [First Recording, aka "Edition II"]
Ptah, the El Daoud - Alice Coltrane (1970)
We Insist! Freedom Now Suite - Max Roach (1960)
Dimensions and Extensions - Sam Rivers (1965)
Spiderland - Slint (1991)
Bitches Brew - Miles Davis (1969)
The Days of Wine & Roses - Dream Syndicate (1982)
Sound - Roscoe Mitchell (1966)
Children of God - Swans (1987)
Through the Mirror - Endon (2017)
Episteme - Anthony Davis (1981)
Vision Creation Newsun - Boredoms (1999)
The Band - The Band (1969)
Blues For The Red Sun - Kyuss (1992)
Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus (1972)
Ride the Lightning - Metallica (1984)
Bangerz - Miley Cyrus (2013)
Pieta - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1498 - 1499) / St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Sculpture]
Impressions - John Coltrane (1961)
Slow, Deep & Hard - Type O Negative (1991)
Afternoon of a Georgia Faun - Marion Brown (1970)
Roots - Sepultura (1995)
Hot Animal Machine - Henry Rollins (1986)
Barrett - Syd Barrett (1970)
Laocoön and His Sons - Unknown Artist; suggested Athanadoros, Hagesandros, or Polydoros of Rhodes (circa 200 BC - 70 AD) / Vatican Museum, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Sculpture]
Light as a Feather - Chick Corea (1972)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin (1971)
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne - Leonardo da Vinci (circa 1501 - 1519)
Brilliant Corners - Thelonius Monk (1956)
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis (1959)
Extensions - McCoy Tyner (1970)
Croce - Father Murphy (2015)
California - American Music Club (1988)
Underwater Moonlight - Soft Boys (1980)
In A Silent Way - Miles Davis (1969)
Live at the Village Vanguard - John Coltrane (1961)
Pithecanthropus Erectus - Charles Mingus (1956)
Mona Lisa - Leonardo da Vinci (1505) [Painting]
Abduction of a Sabine Woman - Giambologna (1583) [Sculpture]
Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis (1950)
Another Mind - Hiromi Uehara (2003)
Toxicity - System of a Down (2001)
Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)
Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin (1969)
Interstellar Space - John Coltrane (1967)
Metallica - Metallica (1991)

Top 10+ SONGS/TRACKS for the Week(s)

FAMILIAR ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RE-RATED:
SEE HERE FOR RECENT UPDATES: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=758644#758644

NEWLY LISTENED - ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RATED:

NEWLY LISTENED - CLASSICAL WORKS - RATED:

FAMILIAR CLASSICAL WORKS - RE-RATED:

FAMILIAR SONGS/TRACKS/MOVEMENTS - RE-RATED:

NEWLY LISTENED - SONGS/TRACKS/MOVEMENTS - RATED:

FAMILIAR FILMS - RE-RATED:
SEE HERE FOR RECENT “ACTION/ADVENTURE” UPDATES: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=752087#752087

NEWLY WATCHED FILMS - RATED:

FAMILIAR PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART - RE-RATED:
SEE HERE FOR RECENT “PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART” UPDATES:
https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=753512#753512

NEWLY VIEWED PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART - RATED:

FAMILIAR LITERATURE - RE-RATED:

NEWLY READ LITERATURE - RATED:

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TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2026)
Notre-Dame de Paris - Main construction principally directed under Bishop Maurice de Sully (1163 - 1260, main construction; various additions, updates, restorations thereafter; reconstruction of fleche and roof from fire damages: 2019 - 2024) / Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964)
Spiderland - Slint (1991)
Suicide - Suicide (1977)
Geek the Girl - Lisa Germano (1994)
Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992)
Yerself is Steam - Mercury Rev (1991)
St. Peter's Basilica - Principal Architects: Donato Bramante (Original design and began construction of central Greek Cross plan: 1503 - 1514); Michelangelo Buonarroti (Revised plan and construction with updated Greek Cross design heavily informing the final result less the later addition of Maderno's Nave and Facade; revision and main design of the central Dome: 1546 - 1564); Carlo Maderno (Revised to Latin Cross plan with addition of central Nave; addition of Facade: 1603 - 1629); Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Revision of St. Peter's Square, addition of Colonnade: 1656 - 1667) (Building completed and opened by 1626; various revisions and additions thereafter) / Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Architecture, including Structural Sculpture]
Improvisie - Paul Bley (1971)
The Doors - The Doors (1966)
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822)
Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006)
Y - Pop Group (1979)
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1820)
Laughing Stock - Talk Talk (1991)
Chartres Cathedral - Master of Chartres (Anonymous French Architect) (early phase of construction from 1120s - circa 1165, with only the crypt, towers and West Facade surviving a fire of 1194; thereafter the main Gothic structure as currently seen was largely established structurally from 1194 - 1221; further completion and details from circa 1221 - circa 1250 with consecration in 1260; various modifications and additions thereafter) / Chartres, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground (1966)
Bullet in the Head - John Woo (1990)
St Paul’s Cathedral
The Sagrestia Nuova - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1520 - 1533; final composition completed later: 1559) / Medici Chapel, Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy [Sculpture and Architecture]
Taj Mahal - Ustad Ahmad Lahauri (1631 - 1653) / Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India [Architecture, including Landscape Architecture]
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Houses of Parliament, London
The Gates of Hell - Auguste Rodin (1889 "Expressionist" Version; Unfinished, revised between two main versions, 1880-1917; Bronze cast 1926-1928) [Sculpture]
Salisbury Cathedral
Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
Süleymaniye Mosque
Strasbourg Cathedral
Westminster Abbey
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC)
Mission: Impossible III - J. J. Abrams (2006)
Good - Morphine (1992)
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965)
Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)
David - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1501 - 1504) / Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, Florence, Italy [Sculpture]
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor "Appassionata" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1805)
Laurentian Library - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1524 - 1534; completed posthumously: 1571; Tribune of Elci rotunda added by Pasquale Poccianti in 1841) / Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, Florence, Italy [Architecture]
Reims Cathedral - Jean d'Orbais (Principal Architect: 1210 - 1228; additional architects, construction, modifications thereafter with the main phase of construction from 1211 - 1275; further modifications through 1345, High Gothic, Rayonnant Style) / Reims, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Milan Cathedral - Begun by Simone da Orsenigo; Several architects thereafter (Begun 1386; several stages of development through 1965) / Milan, Italy [Architecture and Sculpture]
Batalha Monastery - Afonso Domingues (1388 - 1402); Huguet (1402 - 1438 in which several Flamboyant Gothic elements were added; changed architects posthumously, continued construction, revisions, additions through completion circa 1517) / Batalha, Portugal [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral (original construction, primarily Romanesque: 1075 - 1211, Pricipal Architect: Bernard the Elder (late 1000s - mid 1100s?); Master Esteban (completed Romanesque Facade: 1103); Pórtico da Gloria, an early work of Romanesque sculpture, Master Mateo (completed 1188); Gothic construction, modifications (especially in the Cloister and some Interior features), more prominently major Baroque construction and modifications, these mainly from 1400s - circa 1770; most notably Fernando de Casas Novoa, constructing the North Tower (aka, da Carraca) and Baroque Facade (circa 1738 - 1760); various other, additions, modifications during that period and thereafter) [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Westminster Abbey
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1820)
Hungarian Parliament Building
Lincoln Cathedral
Jeronimos Monastery
Canterbury Cathedral
Church of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp
Amiens Cathedral - Robert of Luzarches (1220 - 1228; Building Plan and Principal Architect); Thomas and Regnault de Cormont (1228 - 1258); Renaud de Cormont (1258 - 1288; Mostly constructed 1220 - circa 1270; modifications thereafter) / Amiens, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
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Last edited by AfterHours on 07/23/2026 17:08; edited 4 times in total

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Facetious Profile
Somewhere you've never been

If you think Bangerz is a 6.9, then Taylor Swift's Midnights will blow your mind. Coincidentally another Scaruffi 4/10

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

Facetious wrote:

If you think Bangerz is a 6.9, then Taylor Swift's Midnights will blow your mind. Coincidentally another Scaruffi 4/10

Thanks I think Ive listened to it once some time ago, though I don’t recall rating it… yet!

Fwiw, I have doubts that Scaruffi’s ratings for things he says virtually nothing about on the bio page (except basic info and listing some hits) are all that “official” as of yet. Perhaps — especially mega mainstream artists he expects little of note from — he just checks out the hits or maybe gives it a cursory listen of the first songs and then that initial rating is an estimate (similar to cinema) until he really gets around to making a better, more close listening or thorough attempt at the artist and their music. Of course, who knows if this will ever happen with Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift — as I’m sure they aren’t a priority — though with Swift some details have been added in the last couple years or so, and as you know, some ratings changes as well.

Does this mean I think he’ll eventually drop a 7 for Bangerz? No idea. Maybe if he makes it through the album more than once. Maybe a 6 or 6.5 more realistic… but I gave it a 4 or so too on my first spin way back as you may or may not recall… which btw was way before Scaruffi ever rated it, which is mainly to say that we each drew the same ratings entirely separately — presumably each on only 1 listen, if even that for Scaruffi … 2nd listen forward for me, closer listening, it started rising quickly…
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