You must listen to the album below you: canon edition

[Purplepash]

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Maggot Brain by Funkadelic

Hell yeah! Now this is more my cup of funky tea. Good timing coming off Sly & The Family Stone. Strangely this is the first Funkadelic album I've heard (not by any design - it's just worked out that way). I don't even think I've heard the title track before...and what a courageous way to open the album. To me this says right from the start if you listen to this you are going to listen to the whole album. The guitar sound and solos had me hooked throughout the whole thing. This was music I was just feeling in my bones and in my mind. Great pacing throughout the album, with all the tracks 2 1/2 to 4 minutes long bookended by two epic long tracks. A couple of party funk songs after the opener was just right, then You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks which just had me locked in it's groove. I loved the slightly chilled (in comparison) Back In Our Minds coming straight after the funk rock extravaganza with guitar solos that was Super Stupid, and just before the strangeness of the closing track, with all its bells and whistles (or sirens and cat screeches), and fascinating percussion. Add the filter of psychedelia to everything and this is a great album that ticks so many boxes for me. 8.5/10, 6/26 for 1971, and enters my decade chart at #35.




Some ummmm...interesting choices here...Pastor John Rydgren- Silhouette Segments seems intriguing. (by the way - the links don't work for me but I found the lists)

Silhouette Segments by Pastor John Rydgren




BEA Best Albums of 1971 (3 picks left)

14. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
15. Electric Warrior by T. Rex
18. At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band
21. Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
22. The Yes Album by Yes
23. Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg
24. Pearl by Janis Joplin
25. Nursery Cryme by Genesis
26. Surf's Up by The Beach Boys
28. Madman Across The Water by Elton John

[EyeKanFly]

1)

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Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk by Emperor
I enjoyed this much more than In the Nightside Eclipse, and so also enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. In the Nightside Eclipse seemed a little too raw and guttural for me, which I suppose is the charm for some people but the vocals and instrumentals seemed a little mis-matched. Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk kept some of that rawness, but also refined it with some melodic singing, and the best part to me: some symphonic bits and other elements that bordered on martial industrial.

While this predates Rammstein, that's what this album reminds me of, a slightly heavier Rammstein. Also similar to Laibach at moments, this album has a distinctly central European feel, whereas Nightside Eclipse seemed more rooted in Scandinavian metal.

I'm still getting the hang of different genre descriptors in metal music and nuances between different bands, eras, and regions, so it's entirely possible that my amateurish comparisons are full of shit lol. But that's just what I picked up on my listen. I'd definitely be curious to check out more Emperor. 3.5/5

2)
I'm glad you liked Maggot Brain Purplepash. When I first listened to it, I didn't dig it much (I think I even gave it a 1/5!), but on every subsequent listen I've come to enjoy it more and more. At one point I found the title track brilliant and the rest of the album lackluster, but now I think I really appreciate the whole thing. Solid album.

Next up, Serge Gainsbourg's masterpiece:

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Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg
(tempted to pick the underappreciated Beach Boys album, but let's stick with funk for now. Maybe someone will choose that later)

3)
Mercury's Top Albums of the 1990s
The albums I'm most looking forward to are in bold, but I'm open to all of them!
15. Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses by Brutal Truth
20. The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
31. Souls at Zero by Neurosis
40. Long Hair in Three Stages by U.S. Maple
45. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
47. Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah by James Booker
48. And She Closed Her Eyes by Stina Nordenstam
49. Love Deluxe by Sade
50. City by Strapping Young Lad
54. Goat by The Jesus Lizard (I'll probably listen to both this and Liar, #55 and another Jesus Lizard album, at the same time)
_________________
51 Washington, D.C. albums!

[Mercury]

1.

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The Alan Lomax Recordings, 1959 by The ...Convention

Okay, so I also kind of adore Alan Lomax and everything he did to preserve traditions in music and folk. Many of the artistrs I revere were introduced to me by his roving work and recordings and were preserved by him. What a legend. When I think of what person or job I would like to hand out with and do - like if I had a time machine and I could just go do it, I think being the right hand man of Alan Lomax throughout the 40s and 50s would be right up there. Or maybe, similar, I could be a Folkways talant searcher. Idk. The point is, this is some cool stuff. When I read up on it before pushing play I was fascinated.

These are vocal/singing/choral works. Very Communal and rich and soaring and religious. This is about as DIY and uncommercial as it gets. Just a group of singers with different voices coming together and presenting these religious and traditional tunes and songs as a community, laying it all out on the line, expresses themselves and expressing themselves within this community context and it all comes together beautifully. The organic organization and chemistry these singers have and I assume developed over years of working together and getting to know each other as well as due to a shared vision of what their works mean and what they are for, all makes for some truly warm, welcoming, transcendent moments here.

At first I was listening as I would any Lomax or Folkways compilation - a bit detached and pseudo-academic - less feeling the music and more interested in pockets of folk music and tradition. As the recordings went along and I got more familiar with the stripped down to Vocals only approach and reading a little about the fundamentals of how they organize all these disparate singers, and as I just warmed to what I was hearing the academic side of the experience went away and I just started viobing with it. There are no "Solos" here, where one super talented and showy singer seems to come out and steal the show, instead there is a persistent PULSE to these compositions where the voices come forth in bursts and waves and there is a cool rhythmic aspect to this, very alive and very, again as there is no better word in my little vocabulary to describe it, COMMUNAL. It's gorgeous and inspiring. This is kind of like the perfect folk music/traditional music example of a group of people caringly and lovingly having a go atr living as a whole community and as a team. The music reflects or reminds me of like an isometric view of a old frontier town at dawn as each person and erach profession gets up and gets to work for the day. Idk. Its quite pretty.

Is this one of my favorite compilations or albums ever? Not yet and maybe never. But I'm on a second listen and I am just happy that I lknow what the fuck this is. Its quite inspiring.

(Edit: oh and I found this exact album on Apple Music. Maybe not on spotify, not sure. But I was worried I'd have to listenb to some broken up youtube playlist of something. Happy to find it so fast).

-------------------------
@EyeKanFly, because 1. you have bolded it, 2. that is goes along with the traditional Christian music I just heard to some slight degree and 3. because this is some of the best blues and gospel/blues I've ever heard and should be heard by more.... I choose the following despite loving so much of the other stuff there (of course I do, that chart aligns with my taste a lot for some reason haha):

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The Complete Blind Willie Johnson by Bl...ie Johnson


------------------------

3.

CHANGE!

Half Grab bag of albums of interest within Death Metal, Grindcore, Powerviolence, Hardcore Punk, Crust Punk, D-Beat, Screamo, Sludge Metal, and other genres that are part of the punk/hardcore punk tradition in one way or another. And Half the highest ranked album's from The1ChiefRocka's Overall all time chart. I picked his because its a unique one and somehow only 12 votes! Everyone, go feast your eyes on that chart.


5 from my grab bag:

1. Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form by Crowbar/2001 (Been meaning to listen to this closely for, LITERALLY, 18 years! I remember the first time hearing NOLA by Down and seeing that 1 or 2 of the members of that supergroup were members of Crowbar and I thought "I should check that out"... never did. Its really thick, heavy, nasty SLUDGE as far as I understand. Looking forward to this one.)

2. Sadness Will Prevail by Today is the Day/2002 (Up there with any swans album in terms of darkness and oppressive hopeless atmosphere. This is a massive 2 hour and 15 minute mix of sludge/noise rock/avant garde metal and found sounds and like all kinds of stuff stuffed together into a daunting listen. I started this a bit back and tbh it kind of unsettled me despite checking a ridiculous amount of boxes in what I am into musically lately. Before picking this, Pray for me.)

3. Dopesick by Eyehategod (One of the more acclaimed pure, disgusting sludge albums that I have never heard. )

4. Monuments to Thieves by His Hero Is Gone/1996 (crust punk from a memphis band that lasted 4 years and was gone. Super alluring stuff.)

5. 01010101 by Portraits of Past/1996 (90s screamo. interesting.)

Now 5 from Tha1ChiefRocka's overall chart:

#5. The Power and the Glory by Gentle Giant/1974 (Familiar I am with Gentle Giant but not this album.)

#6. Temple IV by Roy Montgomery/1996 (I am either blanking on who R. Montgomery is or I really have no clue. Interested to see what this be.)

#7. Quebec by Ween/2003 (This and The Mollusk have always managed to stay riiiight outside of reach for these games. Somehow I never heard either and only heard Chocolate and Cheese and liked it... probably the album art lets face it. Well I am ready to finally listened to this and THESE acclaimed albums by these weirdos.)

#8. Silver Apples by Silver Apples/1968 (this is one I have been interested in for awhile.)

#9. Romanworld by Romanthony/1997 (Had never even heard of this album or artist as far as I know before seeing Rocka's chart. I think its electronic music, maybe dance music? Idk))
_________________
-Ryan

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

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

[EyeKanFly]

1)

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The Complete Blind Willie Johnson by Bl...ie Johnson
This is a fantastic compilation. First off, I just want to talk about how good the mastering is. It's possible that the version of this 1993 comp that I listened to (Spotify) was RE-remastered more recently, and if so, it's very well done. If not, then this is some serious top-tier mastering work from the 90s. This set consists of the absolute clearest 1920s recordings I have ever listened to. And while it is a compilation, it seems clear to me that much of the work involved in putting together this album was done in the 90s, so it makes perfect sense to me to include this on a 90s chart. I wasn't expecting a clear sound, so I began listening to this on my crappy headphones while out for a jog, and it became clear to me instantly that the sound was crisper than I had imagined, so when I got back to my good speakers I started playing there, and wow. Major props to Lawrencce Cohn, David Mitson, and others involving in this masterful restoration.

Now on to the actual music: I was expecting something along the vein of Robert Johnson or Charlie Patton or Mississippi John Hurt, but Willie Johnson is much more gospel oriented. The voice and the guitar playing style are very much in the delta blues genre, but the subject matter and melodies are much more spiritual and would be straight-up gospel if performed by an alto singer and an organ. I suppose I haven't heard much "holy blues" before, but I've heard a bit and I know that spirituality was important for many blues musicians (and musicians in general), but I don't think I've seen the gospel-blues blend quite to the extent that Willie Johnson was able to.

As always with this style of music though, there's limits of a guitar and a voice (or 2) and 1920s-era recording technology. Great compilation, and great musicianship, but if I'm listening to 20s music, I probably prefer swing or big band, that's just more my style. 3.5/5

2)

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Dopesick by Eyehategod
Mainly just picking this because the band name reminds me of my username

3)
Mercury's Top Albums of the 1990s
The albums I'm most looking forward to are in bold, but I'm open to all of them!
15. Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses by Brutal Truth
31. Souls at Zero by Neurosis
40. Long Hair in Three Stages by U.S. Maple
45. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
47. Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah by James Booker
48. And She Closed Her Eyes by Stina Nordenstam
49. Love Deluxe by Sade
50. City by Strapping Young Lad
54. Goat by The Jesus Lizard / 55. Liar by The Jesus Lizard
56. March 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo
_________________
51 Washington, D.C. albums!

[LedZep]

(1)

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Half God by Wiki
I had quite high expectations, which was ultimately not a good thing. Have a feeling I'd enjoy it more if it was just another 2021 rap album, but Navy Blue producing caught my attention. Navy's Reprise is one of the very best rap albums I've heard this decade (full 2 years, yeah), and this occasionally reaches the same highs production-wise, but never in the rapping department. Wiki is not a much worse rapper than Navy Blue, nor are the themes boring, it's his nasal voice and weird flow which bother me a lot. And I can't even explain why, I love much odder rappers than Wiki. Plus his style of rapping doesn't fit well with Navy's beats and instrumentals imo, they deserve a much more caring, low-key rapper. Someone like Ka would sound delightfully psychedelic over this set of beats. Nothing much to say except that it's entirely possible this is just me disliking a particular aspect of this record, and not a record being bad. In fact, a lot of people on RYM seem to like this. 7/10

(2)
Jesus Lizard next

(3)
2021

Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit
Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time
Blanck Mass - In Ferneaux
Portico Quartet - Monument
Adele - 30
Trhä - Endlhëtonëg
Richard Dawson & Circle - Henki
R.A.P. Ferreira - The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures
Sunn O))) - Metta, Benevolence BBC 6Live: On the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbs
Tirzah - Colourgrade
_________________
Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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London 0 Hull 4 by The Housemartins

This is my first taste of The Housemartins, and I listened to the CD version with extra tracks. A very interesting and unexpected combo, London 0 Hull 4 is primarily jangle pop and secondarily soul. There are a handful of great songs, and the rest of the album is quite a nice listen. Their bassist would go on to make music as Fatboy Slim (which I'd like to check out at some point). And apparently their follow-up album mostly dropped the soul influence, making it less of an outlier. This is not one of my favorites of the jangle pop genre, but a worthwhile listen for sure. 3.5/5.

~~~~~

2. This looks interesting:

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Henki by Richard Dawson & Circle

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3. Pop Genre Grab Bag: Nashville Sound

4. Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) - Elvis Presley
6. Shadowland - k.d. lang
8. Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn
9. The Grand Tour - George Jones
10. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
12. I Am What I Am - George Jones
13. Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich
14. ...And Then I Wrote - Willie Nelson
15. Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
16. Patsy Cline - Patsy Cline
_________________
Add me on RYM

[Purplepash]

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Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg

Wow! This was great. It's my introduction to Serge Gainsbourg and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I can see why this may have influenced future artists in many different genres. There is a lot to enjoy musically here. The opener is excellent with it's musical teasing and surprises, and Cargo Culte as a closer just blew me away with it's power and impact, even though this is all without understanding any of the lyrics but getting the basic concept of a romance ending in tragedy. The rest of the album is entertaining and interesting while being both varied and thematically consistent. 8.5/10, 11/38 for 1971, and #53 in my decade chart.




I'm going with Willie Nelson here.

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...And Then I Wrote by Willie Nelson




BEA Best Albums of 1971 (2 picks left)

14. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
15. Electric Warrior by T. Rex
18. At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band
21. Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
22. The Yes Album by Yes
24. Pearl by Janis Joplin
25. Nursery Cryme by Genesis
26. Surf's Up by The Beach Boys
28. Madman Across The Water by Elton John
29. Construção by Chico Buarque

[baystateoftheart]

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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...And Then I Wrote by Willie Nelson

It's fitting that my first Willie Nelson album is his 1962 debut. As the title suggests, this showcases his songwriting, which is how he got his start in Nashville. The subject matter is entirely loneliness and lost love, and Nelson does a great job at turning it into poignant songs. There are some bona fide classics here like Funny How Time Slips Away. The arrangements and vocals mostly neither enhance nor detract from the writing, but I do love the backing vocals in Hello Walls. Things trail off a bit on the b-side, as the subject matter is repetitive, but with diminishing returns. However, this is quite a fine record overall, and I'll start it at a high 3.5/5.

~~~~~

2. This album is excellent:

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Construção by Chico Buarque

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3. Pop Genre Grab Bag: Pop Soul

7. Prince - Prince
12. Diamonds And Pearls - Prince & The New Power Generation
16. Hotter Than July - Stevie Wonder
17. Ƭ̵̬̊ (Love Symbol) - Prince & The New Power Generation
21. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass
26. Back To Basics - Christina Aguilera
28. Punch The Clock - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
30. Midnight Love - Marvin Gaye
32. Originals - Prince
34. Older - George Michael
_________________
Add me on RYM

[kokkinos]

1.

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Ghlow - Slash And Burn
At first, Slash And Burn - it's not that something different was to be expected from an album with such a title - made me really uncomfortable, something was off. The album goes at full throttle right off the bat and doesn’t let go. It keeps attacking you from all angles in an overwhelming manner. After a while, I got accustomed to it and it did get better, it didn’t feel as aggressive or noisy, the rhythms were more down to earth and it was much easier to get a grasp on what was happening. By no means a favourite of mine, yet this combination of dark and forceful makes for an unforgettable listening experience, that’s for sure.

2.
Nothing I find particularly interesting, so I'll go with the complete outsider.

Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics

3.
So, new concept, I picked 10 random genres, all of them way outside my comfort zone, 1 album per genre.

1. (Tribal Ambient) Steve Roach - Dreamtime Return
2. (Piedmont Blues) Blind Willie McTell - Last Session
3. (Dance Punk) Tus Amigos Nuevos - Triunfo Moral
4. (Trip Hop) Joe Henry - Tiny Voices
5. (Neurohop) KOAN Sound - Polychrome
6. (Neue Deutsche Härte) ASP - Weltunter
7. (Philly Soul) The Stylistics - The Stylistics
8. (UK Street Soul) Innocence - Belief
9. (Glam Rock) Cockney Rebel - The Human Menagerie
10. (Zeuhl) Eskaton - 4 Visions
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus