[Luigii]

(1)

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Now last time I talked about Bowie's Low, I mentioned where hopefully I have a lot more to talk about with Heroes. And lets see how I could start up with this write up. While I still have a while to go with the 70's output, this might be my favorite thing he ever did during this decade. Now I can't say ever since I want to give the 90's the few 2000's albums and the 2013 album a listen. But I have this feeling Heroes would be a possible top 5 for me. Because, Heroes not only takes the ambitions of Low but expands on them. The album feels like a melting pot of the theatric rock/art rock in the early 70's, the funk and soul of the mid 70's and the appreciation of electronics of the late 70's. There is a sense of confidence compare the calm of Low where Bowie was getting out of his bad habits in the mid 70's. Especially when you look at the opener Beauty And The Beast with it's atonal squaking synths, the build up and musical change ups, and Bowies delivery made this one of those albums that got me excited. And through out the album I can't really think of a low moment for the album. Maybe I might have some minor nitpicks like wishing the outro was a bit longer. God I need to know if Secret Life Of Arabia has an extended cut. Could see Dj's mixing that groove with the killer funk and disco of the decade. Or maybe Sense Of Doubt in a not listening to the album a bit and thinking it ain't it, but then being proven wrong when giving the album a repeat listen.

And there are so many moment of this album I could gush about. Songs like Sons of the Silent Age, V-2 Schnider, Moss Garden having that welcoming dreamy synth sound that I really like, that mini arc that Sense Of Doubt-Neukoln has. Neukoln probably still giving me chills where the exotic horn line was a guitar line at first and then being blind sighted by the guitar line and the organ. Or Moss Garden having this idyllic viewpoint that we as a society finally reached world peace and can finally star travelling through space. I could totally see Bjork being inspired by that track since not only do I get the same feeling on the outro on Homogenic, but the vibe reminds about those few tracks on Utopia. Also this doesn't bring up the title track with its droney rock backdrop and the bitter sweet story. As well as getting those cold war references in a lyrical and sound stand point.

There is more I could talk about Heroes. It is an album where I feel like I could go into a master thesis mode and explain why this is stellar. Like that horn section in V-2 Schnider. But I will say that if god forbid Bowie passed away earlier on and this was his last album, I would have been fucking livid about the news. As well as for people that don't get the higher than life quality that Bowie tends to get, I would say listen to this. Grade:100 and possibly going to be at the top. Though Bridges and New Age Of Earth is in the top 100 list. As well as the digging process. Also for that special Luigii hot take I usually do, Black Tie White Noise from 1993 is one of my absolute favorites from him and could see it still staying in the top 10 of his career.

(2)
Pash listen to Yo La Tengo.

(3)BEA's Top 110 of 1993
(95) Elements Of Crime-Weibes Papier
Last one for 1993.

BEA's Top 100 of 1977
(3) Television-Marquee Moon
(5) Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks
(6) Steely Dan-Aja (R)
(7) The Clash-Self Titled
(9) Billy Joel-The Stranger (R)
(10) Kraftwerk-Trans-Europa Express
(11) Bob Marley and The Wailers-Exodus
(12) Wire-Pink Flag
(13) Elvis Costello-My Aim Is True

Also I don't know if Elements Of Crime is available for listen. Didn't see it on Youtube nor on Apple Music. I could see myself doing a few things to have a complete list but that is probably it for 1993 for the time being.

[LedZep]

(1)

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The Coasters by The Coasters
Well this is the first doo wop album I've heard. I do know some singles though, and my opinion on them is applicable to The Coasters full length too: it's charming if a bit derivative and simplistic. I did have fun with this, but it's more of a mindless and cheerful listen than a really enjoyable one. Maybe I just need to adjust more to the 50s pop and easy listening. Highlights were Lola, Riot in Cell Block Number Nine and Turtle Dovin' 6.5/10

(2)
Luigii I kinda agree, it's definitely darker and colder than Low but also more experimental. At times I think Heroes is better, at times I find Low's atmosphere unbeatable. Go with Elements of Crime next, if you can't find that one anywhere try Marquee Moon.

(3)
Leftovers list

Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza
Still Corners - The Last Exit
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everloving / Celestial Power
Wanderwelle - A State of Decrepitude
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef
The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
Ruth White - Flowers Of Evil
Faceless Burial - Speciation
_________________
Overall chart
Fake overall chart

2020s

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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Short Sharp Shocked by Michelle Shocked

Arkansas Traveler, Shocked's last major label album, was a musical staple of my childhood. It's a really good album with all-star guests and a couple phenomenal songs, most notably Come A Long Way. Without internet, my parents didn't know about the controversy that enveloped its release as Shocked insisted (thankfully fruitlessly) on appearing on the cover of the (apparently minstrel-inspired) album in blackface. They just knew she was in that folk/country/college rock sweet spot that made up much of their musical taste and that of their friends. And yet they both still claim to dislike country...

After Arkansas Traveler fizzled and Shocked was dropped from Mercury, her career entered a self-release wilderness that continues today. She last made headlines for ranting against gay rights at a concert, despite identifying as bisexual and beginning her career as a lesbian icon. She's also called herself "the world's greatest homophobe." If you go to her website, she has a screed explaining her music's total absence from the internet, which apparently originated from her frustration at not being able to control what's on her Wikipedia page...

Anyway, Short Sharp Shocked is her most acclaimed album, has been on my to-do list for a while, and somehow I was able to track it down. The cover depicts Shocked getting arrested at the DNC, but only a couple songs go into sociopolitical themes. Overall, it's quite nice and lives up to what I expected. There are four great songs here, the crown jewel being Anchorage. It's her only charting song and a contender for her best. Most of the lyrics were apparently copied verbatim from the letter, so it seems like her friend unfairly missed out on a songwriting credit. The remaining songs are solid, but nothing to write home about. Check this out if that late 80s/early 90s folk/country/college rock aesthetic is your thing, but I don't know how common that is for anyone under a certain age. 3.5/5.

~~~~~

2. I'm not sure if this is the best album that I've heard on your list, but it's definitely the coolest:

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Flowers Of Evil by Ruth White

~~~~~

3. Turning The Tables: The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women [NPR]

14. Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
17. Control - Janet Jackson
24. Coal Miner’s Daughter - Loretta Lynn
38. It’s A Mighty World - Odetta
42. Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Johnny Mercer Song Book - Ella Fitzgerald
47. Son Con Guaguanco - Celia Cruz
49. Pirates - Rickie Lee Jones
51. Sassy Swings Again - Sarah Vaughan
52. Nick Of Time - Bonnie Raitt
53. Heart Like A Wheel - Linda Ronstadt
_________________
Join us in the canon game / Add me on RYM

[LedZep]

(1)

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Flowers Of Evil by Ruth White
Thank you Bay, very cool. And spooky and occassionally beautiful. 8/10

(2)
Janet Jackson next

(3)
Leftovers list + some 2021

Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza
Still Corners - The Last Exit
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everloving / Celestial Power
Wanderwelle - A State of Decrepitude
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef
The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
Faceless Burial - Speciation
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
_________________
Overall chart
Fake overall chart

2020s

[Mercury]

1.

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Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker &am...agaku Moyo

Edit: I also just discovered this was recorded live. Kinda makes all the music and jamming more impressive.

(Cool blend of psych rock, psych folk, Raga Rock, and even some more soaring and heavy rock and krautrock at the end. It is cool. Recommended if you like Psychedelic Rock/Folk. Makes me all the more excited for the upcoming Ryley Walker album - although i'm sure it will be completely different in almost every way.)

This surprised me. It surprised me in its restraint and the commitment to slowly and methodically build its songs. Both of the 17-18 minute instrumental psychedelic folk/rock songs here have destinations and have pay offs, even if you may not hear all the ways they make their way to their destinations on first listen. Along the way the songs artfully move between heavy, groovy slabs of krautrock coolness, spiritual and airy raga sounding jams, slow ruminative jams, and finally at the end of track 2 "Shrinks the Day" they morph into their final form of mind-bending psychedelic rock monster.

Not going to lie, on first listen I thought track 1 was a bit...uneventful and cool but not particularly something I thought I'd want to return to. I didn't foresee how the album would unfold and ratchet up the intensity so much on track 2. Taken as a whole this a really cool little music adventure. Quite refreshing.

I thought this would have more structure going in, I expected some psych folk songs with y'know vocals and stuff. This album managed to completely avoid essentially every single thing I kind of expected to hear. Badass.

2.

@LedZep, have only heard that arab strap album and still corners album, but i wanna go into something else that looks interesting, so...

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Ask The Ages by Sonny Sharrock


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3.


top 10 2021 albums that I want to hear. They are the top albums on my self-made list of albums I’ve been circling.

1. The Art of Losing by The Anchoress (art pop I think, cool cover)
2. The Cyclic Reckoning by Suffering Hour (Death/Black Metal)
3. El madrileño by C. Tangana (alt R&B)
4. I Became Birds by Home is Where (Post Hardcore, Midwest Emo)
5. Etemen Ænka by Dvne (Sludge/Progressive Metal per RYM)
6. WE ARE by Jon Batiste (apparently R&B/Soul/other cool stuff. also dope album cover.)
7. Songs for the Enamel Queen by Black Sheep Wall (Atmospheric Sludge/Doom metal)
8. Youth Novel by Youth Novel (Emoviolence...lol that genre name cracks me up)
9. Flock by Jane Weaver (Psych Pop, Art Pop)
10. No Fun by Jexno (Noise Pop, Singer/songwriter)
_________________
-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

[Luigii]

(1)


So I found it. Had a different name on I Tunes. And this was quite great. I think what prevents me from giving this a higher grade is how compared to Donald Fagen's 1993 album, this doesn't feel like it's using all its space as well as it could. Like I really enjoyed the jazzy approach to this album but don't feel like it hooked me in completely. Also while I think the vocalist is really good, I wouldn't say he stops me in my tracks. So an enjoyable album but not a mind blowing one or an album that hits me in my usual music habits. Grade:85

(2)
Mercury listen to C. Tangana

(3)
BEA's Top 100 of 1977
(3) Television-Marquee Moon
(5) Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks
(6) Steely Dan-Aja (R)
(7) The Clash-Self Titled
(9) Billy Joel-The Stranger (R)
(10) Kraftwerk-Trans-Europa Express
(11) Bob Marley and The Wailers-Exodus
(12) Wire-Pink Flag
(13) Elvis Costello-My Aim Is True
(14) Talking Heads-77

BEA's Top 100 of 1993 Ranked
And that is it for 1993. Took a little longer to finish up. Thought it would get done earlier in March. Not like near the beginning of April. But it is what it is. Still might venture through some more of 1993 with some users year end lists, or go through some artists that had an album that year.

[Purplepash]

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And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-O...o La Tengo

For some reason Yo La Tengo totally passed me by until I joined BEA. Not because they didn't interest me, but it was as if I had never even heard of them. Obviously I must have at some stage, but the name, or anything about them, mustn't have stuck. That's a shame because since then I have really liked what I have heard. Which is admittedly only one album, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, and some songs here and there. This was really good. Some subtle indie droning as the background in a lot of the first half of the album, with some low key, almost hushed at times, vocals worked for me. Putting in me a relaxed, tranquil mood...almost into a pleasing slumber...probably not a good thing as I was driving at the time...luckily the jarring shock of Cherry Chapstick fixed that. Now that was an interesting choice for the album. A MBV/Sonic youth influenced song that may be my favourite from the album as an individual song, but it felt out of context with the rest of the album. And that was one of the things I liked about the album - the consistent tone, feeling, and quality so there were no ebbs and flows really (apart from Cherry Chapstick) giving the album a cohesiveness from beginning to end. And what an end. The 17min closer just felt like such a fitting way to delay the end of an album I didn't really want to end. 8/10, 12/48 for 2000, and it's good enough to enter my decade chart after one listen at #96.




Luigii whether someone likes it or not is sort of irrelevant, Never Mind The Bollocks is a must listen in a musically historic context.

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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex...ex Pistols




BEA Best Albums of 2000 (last pick left)

11. Rated R by Queens Of The Stone Age
13. Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park
14. Figure 8 by Elliott Smith
15. All That You Can't Leave Behind by U2
16. De Stijl by The White Stripes
17. The Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy
18. Dopethrone by Electric Wizard
21. Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished by Avey Tare & Panda Bear
25. Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp
28. Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu

[LedZep]

(1)

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Ask The Ages by Sonny Sharrock
This is some crazy avant garde jazz, mostly rooted in bop but sometimes also bordering on free jazz. Released in 1991, 3 years before Sonny Sharrock passed away and it's his last album, but he went out with a bang. The interplay between Pharoah Sanders' sax and Sonny's guitar on the opener is nuts, there's numerous Elvin Jones highlights and the much younger bassist Charnett Moffett doesn't feel out of place at all. Every instrumentalist here blows me away at some point. Very good listen, I'd love to get into 90s and 00s jazz more and Ask the Ages was a great start. 8.5/10

(2)
DOPETHRONE

(3)
Leftovers list + some 2021

Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza
Still Corners - The Last Exit
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everloving / Celestial Power
Wanderwelle - A State of Decrepitude
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef
The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
Faceless Burial - Speciation
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
John Talabot - Fin
_________________
Overall chart
Fake overall chart

2020s

[Luigii]

(1)

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If I understand the music context of the time, when prog was the biggest thing in a rock sense, punk was looked as an alternative. Cuts through the bloat and gets to the point. And with this I would say this was excellent. Like I could get a bit of understanding that the riffing could be a bit stale. As well as say compared to Heroes or Joe the Lion, the album isn't as theatric or sucks me in like Heroes. But there is a lot to love about it. I think my favorite thing in a lyrical sense is there is live for today because tomorrow may not come. Especially how a few years later from 1977 Sid Vicious passed away from an overdose. As well as the rebellious nature from the sound. It is way rougher compared to some of the heavy hitters of the decade. As well as some of the tracks end with Johnny Rotten would act like a brat while sticking out his tongue. But even with that, this was really playful and just fun. Grade:90.

(2)
Led listen to Wanderwelle

(3)
BEA's Top 100 of 1977
(3) Television-Marquee Moon
(6) Steely Dan-Aja (R)
(7) The Clash-Self Titled
(9) Billy Joel-The Stranger (R)
(10) Kraftwerk-Trans-Europa Express
(11) Bob Marley and The Wailers-Exodus
(12) Wire-Pink Flag
(13) Elvis Costello-My Aim Is True
(14) Talking Heads-77
(15) Electric Light Orchestra-Out Of The Blue

BEA's Top 100 of 1977 Ranked
Back to update the list for this new yesteryear. Don't know when this will be done. Maybe late July? But I wouldn't be shocked if this gets postponed till October.

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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Control by Janet Jackson

This doesn't quite meet my high hopes after loving Rhythm Nation 1814 and The Velvet Rope, but Janet Jackson's breakout album is quite a good pop record regardless. For significant positives, the catchiness and Jackson's vocals are both on point. For significant negatives, the songwriting can get thin and cliché, the slower songs don't fit smoothly alongside the bangers, and some of the production feels half-baked, either because it lacks a satisfying payoff or because it's overly invested in the lesser tropes of the era. There are some genuinely great moments, but plenty of room for improvement as well. Fortunately, Jackson and her team would make the improvements. 3.5/5.

~~~~~

2. This excellent album is my favorite of the nine there I've heard:

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My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello

~~~~~

3. Turning The Tables: The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women [NPR]

14. Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
24. Coal Miner’s Daughter - Loretta Lynn
38. It’s A Mighty World - Odetta
42. Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Johnny Mercer Song Book - Ella Fitzgerald
47. Son Con Guaguanco - Celia Cruz
49. Pirates - Rickie Lee Jones
51. Sassy Swings Again - Sarah Vaughan
52. Nick Of Time - Bonnie Raitt
53. Heart Like A Wheel - Linda Ronstadt
57. What’s The 411? - Mary J. Blige
_________________
Join us in the canon game / Add me on RYM