Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 30 minutes ago).
"Too much water. Never enough. Except on the tracks that don't quite have as much water, but Ichiko probably has the best vocal chops for 2020 singer/songwriters, by an ocean-wide margin."Reply
"*Not really a review but more a summary of my thoughts on this album. Well its kinda a review but I aint gonna bother to fix every little mistake so its more just some paragraphs i wrote making me feel like an edgy critic. Also remember that all this is just my opinion so dont get butthurt, well ...""*Not really a review but more a summary of my thoughts on this album. Well its kinda a review but I aint gonna bother to fix every little mistake so
its more just some paragraphs i wrote making me feel like an edgy critic. Also remember that all this is just my opinion so dont get butthurt, well
except for the objective things i wrote before "Does it live up to the hype?"
Source Tags & Codes, I am reviewing the international version which features the tracks "Invocation" and "Life is elsewhere"
3rd studio album + major label debut
Post-Hardcore/Indie Rock/Art rock band from texas ...Trail of dead were infamous for their explosive live shows.
They had released to albums prior to source tags & codes, the self titled one in 98 and "Madonna" in 99.
Together with bands like Modest Mouse and At the Drive-In they were hailed as "saviors of rock from the evils of nu-metal".
Released to critical acclaim in 2002, and pitchfork giving it a rare perfect 10. Does it live up to the hype?
Well the first 10 minutes definetely made me think so. The tracks "Invocation", "It Was There That I Saw You" and "Another Morning Stoner" add upp
to probably my favorite opening 10 minutes of any album ever, and I beg you, listen to those three tracks before reading this review because
I dont want to spoil it for you. I will explain in detail what makes me think those three tracks are absolute perfection.
The album opens with cold static and noise in the track "Invocation, then in comes a gorgeous piano piece and warming strings.
The song sums up the major feel of the album with no clear words being heard, and that feeling is, at the same time, the harsch coldness of a snowstorm
being neutralized by the warming of a volcano. The static noise is the ice, and the piano and strings is the fire and together they become
pure musical bliss. However, the major theme of the album has not yet been revealed...
The question is answered in the proper opener "It was there that i saw you", it reveals that the major theme of the album is the pain of longing,
of loss and heartbreaking nostalgia, just look at the song title. "It WAS there that I SAW you". Keywords: WAS and SAW.
The sentence is written in past tense, its something that has BEEN and it is tearing him apart, just listen to his pained voice.
The song instrumentally is flawless. Beginning with a subtle guitar line and then breaking into an explosion of volcanic guitars and
freezing cymbals. Then goes into this simple yet effective guitar trade-off then building up tension to a hypnotizing crescendo only Post-Rock legends
like Godspeed You! Black Emperor can rival. Then back into the vortex of noise for an explosive finish and what we have left are just guitar feedback
and the static the album began with.
Segwaying to the next track and possibly Trail of Deads most famous song: "Another Morning Stoner". This song is again, a perfectly crafted song:
Gracefully structured as it rises and falls, deeply layered lyrics and gorgeously textured music with strings and guitar noise etc. and thats not even
talking about the explosive and passionate performances. Finishing with a hard hitting mantra of "What is forgiveness? its just a dream. What is forgiveness? its everything."
And then we get the answers why this album is labeled as Art Rock: all these field recordings and static in between tracks. They definetely add a lot of
depth and personality to the album but sacrifices a better album flow sadly.
And then we get to the part where the album falls of its majestic throne and into a more inconsistant ride.
The next two tracks "Baudelaire" and "Homage" are not bad but they feel a little out of place aswell as does not live up to the standard set by
the preceding tracks. They feel out of place because they both dont feature the main singer instead the Bassist and Drummer sings respectively.
None of them are bad singers at all but their voices and emotional resonance does not fit the overall sad and melancolic theme of the album IMO.
But main vocalist Conrad Keely is definetely my favorite of the three.
"Baudelaire" is a groove heavy track and possibly the "happiest" sounding song on the album. Not because it really is a happy track but more a "rocking" song.
The bassist does have a great voice and a strong personality but again, does not fit the album that well. The song does also drag a little too much
as it just rides the same groove throughout almost the whole thing. However there is a great brass solo at the end that makes me not click the skip button.
"Homage" is the grimmest and most aggressive song on the album.
Drastically changing in mood and quality comes "How Near, How Far". The song title gives you the perfect impression of what this song is about, it is a question
without the questionmark. Not wanting the answer, but knowing it deep down. Its not far away, its not near, its gone, its lost. And the defining moment of the song,
the "how near, how far, how lost they are." part is just so perfect and here is why. It builds and builds but never reaching a climax, a conclusion, it just leaves you
hanging so by the time of the next words come in you are just left in space, you are one step away from the truth you know at the bottom of your heart, but your heart
wont let you reach it. Its just such a defining moment in the album and requires the listeners full undivided attention.
"Life is elsewhere", one of three interludes, not really much here, it just sounds like a scene from a classic Chambara movie.
The defing lyrics of next track "Heart in the hand of the matter" are "ride the apocalypse" and it literally feels like you are riding the apocalypse.
The song is very, well, apocalyptic and the groove is so "ridy" if that makes sense.
"Monsoon" is an even more apocalyptic track. Groove heavy too. It builds and builds and builds tension throughout leaving with a breathtaking climax of
chaos and noise before breaking into a new, more melancholic finish. Easily my favorite among the more out of place tracks.
"Days of Being Wild" is a good song. Hard hitting and explosive, but for some reason is it probably the least memorable song on
the album for me. Also the "middle finger to the instutution" part is sooo cringy.
And so as the album begins in a perfect manner, the album closes aswell. A three track combo, adding upp to 11 and a half minutes, finishes off this
album perfectly.
"Relative Ways" is part 1 of the finale and a damn great start. A passionate and hard hitting song with a very strong melody.
"After the Laughter" are one of the most genius segway/interlude/skit tracks I've ever heard and here's why: It ties the preceding and next track
together so perfectly as it begins with the previous song "Relative Ways" main melody then in the very same song foreshadowing one of the key
moments of the next song "Source Tags & Codes". Its just so tactfully done and subtle details like these blow me away. Also that sample of the
woman singing is just perfect.
And so the finale, one of the most sad and melancholic ballads ever written. Sums up the whole theme of longing in such a beautiful way. Its about
a boy leaving his home on a farm to go on a quest for answers. This song is progressive and textured and very moving. And leaves you hanging on
such a sad note. However, after a few seconds of silence, this uplifting string section comes and closes this album gracefully.
Thankfully these final 11 minutes carry the main theme of the album that captivates me the most and does not reach a weak moment at all.
Even though the first 10 minutes and the final 11 minutes are in my opinion perfection, is this album as a whole not, because its so inconsistant in
between. With the mood, themes and the quality of the music.
Score: 4.5/5
*Side notes.
Since this album often gets critized for being unoriginal lets talk influences for a second. Here are some connections I made to other bands when
listening to this album.
- Invocation & After the Laughter sounds like "Fitter Happier" and "Providence" respectevely were written in major.
- Baudelaire sounds like Josh Homme joined Drive Like Jehu.
- Homage sounds like Unwound was more "Post-Hardcore" than "Indie Rock"
- Relative Ways reminds me of Sonic Youth and Nirvana.
- Source Tags & Codes remind me of Oasis and Coldplay.
Fun facts:
- The string part at the end of the title track is actually a reprise of "How Near, How Far".
- Look closely at the album art, you can see for yourself... (damn does that album art sum up this album well)
Track rankings:
1. Another Morning Stoner 5/5
2. Invocation/It Was There That I Saw You 5/5
3. How Near, How Far 5/5
4. After the Laughter/Source Tags & Codes 5/5
5. Relative Ways 5/5
6. Monsoon 4.5/5
7. Heart In The Hand of the Matter 4/5
8. Baudelaire 3.5/5
9. Homage 3/5
10. Days of Being Wild 3/5
11. Life is Elsewhere 2.5/5
"[+]Reply
"This is really a surprisingly solid album. On first listen, I was a bit turned off by how heavyhanded the references were in the album to older Pink Floyd songs, and I also wasn't in the mood for Roger's politics. My opinion started to change when I saw Roger's Us + Them show in Houston this past...""This is really a surprisingly solid album. On first listen, I was a bit turned off by how heavyhanded the references were in the album to older Pink Floyd songs, and I also wasn't in the mood for Roger's politics. My opinion started to change when I saw Roger's Us + Them show in Houston this past week. About five or six songs into his set, he launched into a small block of songs from this new album. Instantly, a solid quarter of the audience got up to get drinks and use the restroom. I was absolutely appalled by this. Yeah, I get that people are here to hear the classics and that these songs are inevitably not going to be up to par to those old albums, but this was obviously a work that Mr. Waters put a lot of heart and soul into, and I found the audience's behavior to be grossly disrespectful of a brilliant artist. This made me listen to the songs more intently, and to my pleasant surprise, I dug them quite a bit. Yes, Deja Vu sounds like Wish You Were Here, and the whole album starts with the same kind of heartbeat sound collage as Dark Side, but it's important to note that Mr. Waters is simply looking back at his youth and playing to his strengths. This album isn't supposed to supersede his previous works. No, it's more of an epic epiloque, a summary of everything that came before as he molds his old sounds to today's world. I thought that the Division Bell was a good way to cap Pink Floyd's catalog, with the Endless River just acting as an unnecessarily long and boring coda to the band's career. That's why, in a way, I hope this is Mr. Waters' last record. If it is, he sure will have gone out in style. "[+]Reply
"If your pseudo-music expert friends keep throwing around the term "Paisley Underground" and do not cite this album in their analysis, then it's time to call your pseudo-music expert friends on their BS!!! 1982's "The Days of Wine & Roses" would be situated at the top of my Paisley Underground lis...""If your pseudo-music expert friends keep throwing around the term "Paisley Underground" and do not cite this album in their analysis, then it's time to call your pseudo-music expert friends on their BS!!! 1982's "The Days of Wine & Roses" would be situated at the top of my Paisley Underground list of all-time greats! Each of the nine songs featured on the album amble along in a seeming Heroin haze fresh off repeated trips with The Velvet Underground & Nico. Steve Wynn does a remarkably accurate impression of Lou Reed's long lost little brother, and his bandmates seem to be VU re-incarnated. An all-time favorite!!!"[+]Reply
"It's taken about a half-dozen listens (of the offline version), but it finally clicked. There really just isn't anything quite like this. It's a dark, hard-hitting, no-holds-barred gauntlet of killer bars and mind-bending beats. Yeah, maybe you could trim this down, but why would you want to when...""It's taken about a half-dozen listens (of the offline version), but it finally clicked. There really just isn't anything quite like this. It's a dark, hard-hitting, no-holds-barred gauntlet of killer bars and mind-bending beats. Yeah, maybe you could trim this down, but why would you want to when you've got an album this impeccable."[+]Reply
""Over, Under, Sideways, Down" or "The Yardbirds" or "Roger the Engineer" was the Yardbirds' first real album released in 1966. They had released two albums in America in 1965 "For Your Love" and "Having a Rave Up", but they were merely compilations of singles, EP's , live-recordings or obscure re..."""Over, Under, Sideways, Down" or "The Yardbirds" or "Roger the Engineer" was the Yardbirds' first real album released in 1966. They had released two albums in America in 1965 "For Your Love" and "Having a Rave Up", but they were merely compilations of singles, EP's , live-recordings or obscure recording which were included to fill up the albums to reach an acceptable playing-time.
For the first time they were given the opportunity to record a real album. The were not given unlimited studio-time; on the contrary; the album was recorded during a very short time-period; I believe it was about 2 weeks. This makes the result even more impressive. It's no exaggeration to call this album one a the greatest of the mid-sixties. Very tight playing by everyone, impressive and innovative guitar-work from Jeff Beck, solid vocals and great songs.
In my opinion there is no doubt that it's Jeff Beck who makes the difference. I love the sounds he can get out of his guitar. It's not difficult to imagine who stunned people would we when listening to his guitar back in 66. The great mixture of traditional blues and the new psychedelic sounds has never been surpassed.
Even classic 12 bar blues tracks like "Lost Woman","Over, Under, Sideways, Down", "The Nazz Are Blue", "Rack My Mind", "Jeff's Boogie" and "What Do You Want" sounded (sounds) new; and these recordings still sound uplifting and full of energy today.
On songs like "Ever Since The World Began", "Turn Into Earth", "Hot House" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" showed a purer progressive side of the band. In fact "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was not originally included on the album, as it was recorded shortly after, at a time when Jimmy Page had also joined the group. "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was released as a single with "Psycho Daisies" as the b-side. These two songs have been featured on most re-releases of the album, and can almost be considered as originals. The moving "Farewell" is a another favourite; makes you think of the sad destiny of Keith Relf who died electrocuted in 1976 by his own guitar while practising at his home. Unfortunately this 2 lead-guitarist period would last very short, as Jeff Beck soon left. As far as I know, they only recorded 3 songs; with "Stroll On" from the movie "Blow Up" as the third.
The bonus tracks make the CD an even better buy. The Keith Relf solo tracks a all solid; in fact they are really the Yardbirds backing singer Relf. "Mr Zero" is not far from later Yardbirds recordings like "Little Soldier Boy".
If you're even the least interested in the music that came out of the 1960's this milestone is a must hear! "[+]Reply
"Wonderful performances, but somehow it was a fleeting thing and I didn't feel it had staying power with me, probably didn't connect as well because I don't speak French... then again, I connect just fine with Sigor Ros."Reply
"Okay, so.. Paramore... I never payed too much attention to this band, I knew that song with the Twilight vid + I guess I heard a couple of their most famous songs at one point or another, without really caring about them. Didn't seem like my thing at all. Still, after seeing that this album was h...""Okay, so.. Paramore... I never payed too much attention to this band, I knew that song with the Twilight vid + I guess I heard a couple of their most famous songs at one point or another, without really caring about them. Didn't seem like my thing at all. Still, after seeing that this album was highly regarded by a couple of users, I felt like I should give them a proper chance. And so I did. At first I just watched some of their vids on youtube (not just from this album), which gave me an idea of what the band was actually like and gave me some expectations of what I'll get from the album. A lot of them did turn out to be justified, but unexpectedly the album managed to positively surprise me throughout its length and ended up being something I never thought a Paramore album could be.
I expected that the album would be filled with those poppy overly-anthemic choruses - see songs like Still Into You, Proof, Last Hope or Now for biggest offenders. But I did not expect that even these songs would manage to have enough going for them for me to still like them.
I expected that the album, being more than an hour and 17 tracks long, would have its share of stinkers, but I did not expect that the number would be so low - I mean I could easily do without Daydreaming or Be Alone, but they hardly put a damper on the overall experience of the album.
What I most certainly didn't expect is that even at this length the album doesn't drag at any point. Even more so - the album manages to be a varied but cohesive effort, more than justifying its length.
Did I say varied? Well here's another thing I certainly didn't expect. I expected a more or less fun, but often generic and uninteresting pop punk album - having heard Riot! and Brand New Eyes afterwards, I'll say that those two albums were a lot more like that (I still liked BNE though). But this album takes their sound while drawing influences from all over the place. It's not just about slowing it down at some points and going more "aggressive" at others, there are songs here with influences from country (Hate to See You Break Your Heart), some gospel (Ain't it Fun) and even post-rock (Future). What's more - they do it really well!
In general the production and the quality of instrumentation was another thing I didn't expect at all. Future in particular excells here, that transition after the third minute is just fantastic simultaneously going louder and more muffled before evolving into something any acclaimed post-rock band would be proud to have done. But there's little gems all the way through - from the fantastic drumming on Part II to the synth pop influenced ending to Grow Up, to that little guitar riff towards the end of Ain't It Fun, some Yeah Yeah Yeahs inspired guitar on a few tracks. There's a lot of that even on those tracks that I mentioned earlier which I think get a bit ruined by their choruses.. Fuck me, but those songs seem like such a wasted opportunity to me. Now features some of Hayley's best vocals on the album, from doing her best Karen O impression at one point, before showing off her big voice later on, not to mention the great guitar work throughout. Great guitar on Proof as well..
Lyrically I guess the album is what you'd expect, but even here the album manages to be cohesive and with a clear overall message - even after two core members left, Paramore is still here, moving on, leaving them behind, looking towards the future etc. In case you don't get it there's three interludes reiterating the point. Strangely enough I even loved them (or the idea of them). Certainly fit on the album.
Oh well.. I guess another thing that I most certainly didn't expect is that I would still be regularly listening to this album over a week later. I think it's already easily in my top 5 of most listened to albums of 2013. But you know what, I have hopes for more. If those positives on the album are the result of the former rhythm guitarist Taylor York stepping up to songwriting duties, then I'll certainly keep an eye on what they do from now on.
Track picks: Future, Grow Up, Anklebiters, Ain't it Fun, Fast in My Car."[+]Reply
"Can't Feel My Face is one of the catchiest tunes of the year. The rest of the album is decent but the subject matter of the songs gets repetitive real quick"Reply
"An impressive collection of beats. I confess that I don't understand dance music or club culture whatsoever, but as Leftism managed to make it accessible and enjoyable to even a simpleton such as myself, that's got to be worth something!"Reply
TheDude85 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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HoldenM | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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RoundTheBend | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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spigelwii | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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