You must listen to the album below you: canon edition

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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1990 by Daniel Johnston

As the cover with a sprout miraculously rising out of a barren landscape alludes to, 1990 is a deeply religious album. Most of the runtime is dedicated to songs about God and Satan, with the closer being a lo-fi recording of a church singing a hymn together. The Christian songs on 1990 are quite good, but not outstanding in my opinion. The best song here is the secular, brief True Love Will Find You In The End, which is a sublime tune that's rightly hailed as a classic. The other song that really stands out for me is Funeral Home, which becomes a Johnston-led singalong about mortality that is both simple and powerful. This record doesn't have any duds, but it's not consistently great either. Songs Of Pain is still firmly my favorite of the four albums I've now heard from Daniel Johnston's discography. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and will be returning to it. 3.5/5.

~~~~~

2. I love this album:

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New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) by Erykah Badu

~~~~~

3. Alphabet Game, Cohort 17 (2 picks left)

A2: The Shadow Of Your Smile - Astrud Gilberto
B: Wish You Were Here - Badfinger*
B2: You In Reverse - Built To Spill
B3: The Last Waltz - The Band
B4: It’s My Way! - Buffy Sainte-Marie
C: You Should Be At Home Here - Carissa’s Wierd
C2: Twelve Deadly Cyns… And Then Some - Cyndi Lauper*
C3: Brahms: Symphonie No. 4 - Carlos Kleiber & Wiener Philharmoniker
D: Spiral - Darkside
D2: Masterpieces By Ellington - Duke Ellington And His Orchestra

*Last chance!
_________________
Add me on RYM

[EyeKanFly]

1)

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Seasons In The Abyss by Slayer
Yeah this was great, it surprised me in being just as good as Reign in Blood, maybe even better. Big difference is that they're almost opposites in that Reign in Blood is bookended by 2 absolutely killer tracks in "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood", whereas Seasons in the Abyss has 2 much weaker songs to open and close the album, and it's the middle of the album that's all killer.

The string of songs from "Spirit in Black" through "Hallowed Point" are all phenomenal tracks. Slayer eases off the gas for a bit with "Skeletons of Society" but then "Temptation" and "Born of Fire" hit again. "Expendable Youth" is my favorite track, Slayer absolutely shreds at their best here. But for some reason the opening and closing songs just don't do it for me. I'm not sure why, since they're not all that thematically different (lyrics or music style) compared to the rest of the album, but when I started the album I just didn't dig it at first until that 3rd track comes on, and same thing on a re-listen. And the title track/closing song is fine I guess but probably 2 minutes too long, and so it starts to drag on.

I find myself surprised that I like Slayer. I think based on the metal genres I've listened to, I tend to prefer British and Scandinavian bands compared to US bands, but Slayer are an exception. 4/5 for this album, which looks like the same I gave to Reign in Blood.

2)
baystate, I'm really tempted to throw Ellington on, since that's a great album of his, but that classical album is too tempting. And last time I did say I'd pick it for you, so here goes:

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Brahms: Symphonie No. 4 by Carlos Kleib...harmoniker
This is one of my favorite classical pieces. Brahms knew how to write good cello music, and I think the cello really shines on the first and fourth movements. Personally, I prefer a 1964 recording by Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, but this one is also about as good as you can get (and also fits with "C" for your alphabet game, while obviously Herbert Von Karajan does not).

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!
31. Souls at Zero by Neurosis
45. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
48. And She Closed Her Eyes by Stina Nordenstam
56. March 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo
57. His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) by Little Walter
58. Ocean Machine: Biomech by Devin Townsend
61. Heartwork by Carcass
71. Most Things Haven't Worked Out by Junior Kimbrough
72. Obscura by Gorguts
74. Collection II by Misfits
(feel free to pick anything, not just the bold ones. I've decided I'm going to see this list through the end)
_________________
51 Washington, D.C. albums!

[Purplepash]

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Kazemachi Roman by はっぴいえんど [Happy End]

Well I don't know about the best Japanese rock album ever, and I have no idea about it's cultural impact or influence on future Japanese artist, but there has been some kick-ass Japanese rock albums in the last 20 years. This album had some good variety throughout as it went through, influenced by a variety of rock styles of the time from folk rock to country rock to soft rock to pop rock. Most of the songs were decent but it was only a couple of songs - the opening track with it's unusual psych rock production, and the highlight of the album, the psychedelic blues rock stomper with punkish vocals, that really took my fancy. A solid 7/10, and 44/54. for the year.




Sorry it's been a while. January is always a busy month for me with a daily best songs of the year project I do with mates every year, and preparing for hosting the biggest day of the year in my world, the triple J hottest 100. Anyway, lets have a listen The Misfits Collection II.

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Collection II by Misfits




Top 38 Music Albums of 1971 by Repo (last pick)

3. In Search Of Space by Hawkwind
6. Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) by Grateful Dead
7. Anne Briggs by Anne Briggs
10. Yesterday's Wine by Willie Nelson
11. Teenage Head by The Flamin' Groovies
12. Ash Ra Tempel by Ash Ra Tempel
13. Fireball by Deep Purple
14. Bonnie Raitt by Bonnie Raitt
15. Budgie by Budgie
16. Moving Waves by Focus

[Repo]

[LedZep]

(1)

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Liminal Space by Ill Considered
A fun avant-garde jazz fusion album, very modern sounding. Not as good as RYM's been telling me, but I did enjoy it enough to recommend it. A lot of abrasive, in your face sax tones. The cover is rad too, really love it. Not much to say otherwise, it's dense, not 100% my style when it comes to jazz and didn't really grow on me with repeated listens. Though there is a lot to unpack, I'll admit that. Low 7.5/10

(2)
Ash Ra Tempel. Not sure if I've heard their s/t, but Manuel Göttsching's always cool.

(3)
2021 and 2022

Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit
Aesop Rock & Blockhead - Garbology
Sadness - _____
Kaatayra - Inpariquipê
Springtime - Springtime
Mortiferum - Preserved in Torment
Nas - King's Disease II / Magic
The Black Keys - Delta Kream
--
Bonobo - Fragments
Cat Powers - Covers
_________________
Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

[baystateoftheart]

1.

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Brahms: Symphonie No. 4 by Carlos Kleib...harmoniker

Classical music from any culture is very much not my forte, so I don't have a lot to say. An excellent performance of a beautiful and expressive symphony, this works well for background music or more careful listening. Hearing it has reminded me of how great romanticism is. 4/5.

~~~~~

2. Nas time. Magic is great and I'm about to listen to King's Disease II.

~~~~~

3. Alphabet Game, Cohort 17 (last pick)

A2: The Shadow Of Your Smile - Astrud Gilberto
B: The Last Waltz - The Band
B2: You In Reverse - Built To Spill
B3: ///Codename: Dustsucker - Bark Psychosis
B4: It’s My Way! - Buffy Sainte-Marie
C: You Should Be At Home Here - Carissa’s Wierd*
C2: The Ugly Organ - Cursive
C3: Music - Carole King
D: Spiral - Darkside
D2: Masterpieces By Ellington - Duke Ellington And His Orchestra

*Last chance!
_________________
Add me on RYM

[EyeKanFly]

1)

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Collection II by Misfits
Oof, I'm just really not into Misfits. The other compilation is solid, but this one really drops off in quality. I think Static Age is really the only thing by Misfits that I sort of like, the rest of it seems like knock-off Slayer or Iron Maiden or Meat Puppets (despite much of Misfits being recorded before much of these bands' work). I understand that they basically invented their subgenre of horror punk, but... it's just... sort of a silly genre to me. And I recognize that some of the acts that followed Misfits can be truly humorous or at least tongue-in-cheek (that's my impression of Meat Puppets for instance), but Misfits seem to take themselves too seriously. Maybe my impressions are misplaced, but that's just how I feel about Misfits and the genre.

That said, there's a few songs like Halloween which are fun, and Glenn Danzing (for all his faults) has a great voice for punk. It's an interesting blend of raspy harshness typical to hardcore punk with melodic smoothness with sharp vibrato that's fairly atypical for punk. I think I prefer the latter style, and you don't see that as much on Collection II. This is probably my least favorite album from Merc's chart (so far). 2/5 and that's... generous.

For what it's worth, I listened to the full Misfits box set from 1996 and I find there's significant disparity in quality. Static Age and Collection I seem well-produced and well thought out/well-written (3/5 each), but Collection II and Legacy of Brutality not so much (2/5 each), and oof the live album that's part of the set? Godawful, if Evilive was any more than 24 minutes, I think I would've quit listening to the box set (1/5). Earth A.D./Wolfsblood and the singles, etc. that make up the 3rd disc of the box set are a really mixed bag. There's some great stuff in there and there's also some crap (although I guess that's to be expected on any deluxe release/box set). Overall I think the box set gets a ~2.5/5. It's a box set, so it is what it is with lots of filler and half-baked formerly unreleased tracks, but there's also some good stuff in there.

2)

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Masterpieces By Ellington by Duke Ellington
Ok now it's time for Ellington! The title's a bit boisterous but the album is full of good stuff.

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!
31. Souls at Zero by Neurosis
45. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
56. March 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo
57. His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) by Little Walter
58. Ocean Machine: Biomech by Devin Townsend
61. Heartwork by Carcass
71. Most Things Haven't Worked Out by Junior Kimbrough
72. Obscura by Gorguts
75. Broken by Nine Inch Nails
76. Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order (1928-1932) by Tommy Johnson
(feel free to pick anything, not just the bold ones. I've decided I'm going to see this list through the end)
_________________
51 Washington, D.C. albums!

[Mercury]

1.

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New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) by Erykah Badu

I have not been in the mood for funky or soulful music recently, so getting into this and chiseling out a time to just vibe with this great artist and this album has been a long time coming. Well, I am feeling the inclination now and I am listening a couple times and my basic as basic gets thoughts can now flow forth.

This is a work of profound genius. My mind has only processed probably 10% of its details and brilliance, but I feel like I'm listening to something completely new and artistically free, utterly uninterested in compromising anything for popularity or for a hit or for slightly easier digestion. The music is Neo-Soul, sure, but it feels like this record goes to places that few others within Neo-Soul ever went. I was expecting something brilliant because it is Badu we are speaking of, but I wasn't expecting this. This album is completely unpredictable and yet it flows from one fascinating message and point and sound and style to the next with nimbleness. Politically unflinching, these songs are deeply affecting and in your face and they tackle shit that most artists wouldn't and if they did, they'd do it in a more palatable way. Badu and Co. instead just dive in bravely and brazenly.

Musically this is, again, so detailed and nearly all-encompassing it is hard to express. The usual soul and hip hop elements are here as can be expected from a Neo-Soul album. But that doesn't fully express it. There are tracks here that seem to be growing out of other songs and pulling in elements that, at first, seem too different and alien to work. But without fail those sounds grow and by the time you are in this new sound, it feels right and natural and purposeful.

All in all, the vocals and lyrics here are fabulous and inspiring. The music is equally fabulous and mindboggling. The flow is excellent. This album can be listened to as a vibe, while you write or clean or whatever, but it can also be poured over and dissected and listened to with eyes closed as you try to listen closely to every sound possible. Its an artistic achievement.

It feels like by this point in her career Badu was not interested in gaining platinum recognition, she was there at the forefront of the Neo-Soul explosion a decade or more earlier, and that was nice but she seems utterly rebellious, completely committed to the integrity of her vision and her messages and her sound. Its an amazing thing. Her other albums I've heard are also great to masterpiece level as well, and perhaps as of now I still prefer Mama's Gun, but this sounds like an extension or next stage in her music. More complex and even less interested in easy listening or I suppose more accurately, easy classification than even Mama's Gun. The albums or records I can most easily compare this to (although still very different, similar only in their unflinching sound and the tendency to float from sound to sound with no clear hook or easy description) would be D'Angelo's 2014 album Black Messiah, or perhaps J Dilla's music.

Anyway, I am underqualified after 2 listens to describe much more about what I loved or thought about this album. I think its fantastic and damn near a transcendent experience. I also am just not a good enough writer or smart enough musical mind to dissect this album even with 20 listens. It should just be experienced.

Later added thought: I just looked and she apparently hasn't released an LP since 2010. With an artist as brilliant as her I can only respect this, but man, this is a bummer. Is she just kind of done with the whole music making nonsense at this point in her life? D'Angelo similarly has a tendency to release no albums for years and years and it is amazing that these 2 artists are so connected in my mind, like the twin towers of Neo-Soul genius. I have no data on either's lives or their relationship or whether they are friends, but man can you imagine if they collaborated on an album? that would be badass. And what if they also contacted Lauryn Hill and got her out of retirement and they came together to make a double album of brilliance. Silly thought, but that is where my mind goes when I see these things. That would be the most anticipated album ever fucking made.

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@EyeKanFly, Let's go with one of the least accessible metal classics ever, and one that is absurdly forward-thinking and wild and... quite an experience.

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Obscura by Gorguts

SUPER influential album as well.

edit: side note that is silly: for the longest time I thought that album cover face was the weirdest thing. I still think its kind of ugly, but I thought it was a weird pig faced man image and those were arms crossed beneath its pig face... but then only recently saw after looking closely that is a man with a big beard and eyes closed, meditating. And those are his legs. Anyway, this is something that blew my mind and made me like the cover slightly more. you are welcome lol

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3.

CHANGE! I am going to move away from the rocking BEA list for awhile.


Looking at my Overall, these following albums are ones that I somehow and against all odds, have NEVER listened to or gotten into or given a real chance to despite another album in these discogs being all time faves of mine:


1. Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis/1998 (I have never given this nearly enough time and love and attention. Considering I love Talk Talk, this needs to be rectified)

2. Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg by Gillian Welch/2016 and 1996 (her debut is great, Gillian is a gem and an all time great. These are recordings from that original recording session or sessions for her debut.)

3. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo/2000 (This band is a great example of a trap I sometimes fall into, where I love and adore 1 album and yet I get so focused on that one album I find it hard to extract from that one and explore the whole massive discog surrounding it. I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is brilliant, now I need to explore their other great records.)

4. Red Roses for Me by The Pogues/1984 (I adore Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. And I really love the majority of their 1988 third album. But this, their debut, I have no thoughts because I have given it tops 2 listens and never really explored it.)

5. There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You by Palace Brothers/1993 (I love I See A Darkness. I have heard this, and I have heard other Oldham-affiliated or solo albums. But I don't think I ever really gave this attention, instead I have been laser focused on that one masterpiece.)

6. Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris/2003 (I love half a dozen Emmylou albums but outside of 1 or 2 listens years ago I have never given this album nearly enough attention. So now here it is.)

7. Floss by Injury Reserve/2016 (Their latest album is such a monumental and unique achievement that I have a tendency to think of it in isolation. But I really should have already listened to some of their back catalogue. But I never have. I want to give Floss its first listen or 2 or 3.)

8. Phantom Limb by Pig Destroyer/2007 (Same old story, I have become obsessed with 1 or 2 albums by this band and been lazer focused on them and never moved on from them even after dozens of listens. This is their follow up to the classic 1-2 punch of Prowler in the Yard and Terrifyer. So, yeah I wanna hear this.)

9. Figure 8 by Elliott Smith/2000 (Fantano recently ranked this his fave Elliott Smith album or maybe second behind self-titled. Which blew me away because as he talked about it I realized I have no ,opinion or recollection of this album - despite loving and having memorized the 3 previous albums of his. So, yeah this deserves a lot more attention from me. Thus, included here)

10. Embrace by Embrace/1987 (one of the essential early emocore albums, with one of the most personally idolized artists in my life - McKaye - and yet I have never given this nearly enough spins and attention. Considering I worship Minor Threat and respect almost all Fugazi, I need to give this the attention it deserves.)
_________________
-Ryan

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

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

[Tha1ChiefRocka]

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Volume One by Wheelz Of Steel

Utterly baffling in every way possible; thank god there's only One Volume.

Besides the complete lack of anything resembling coherent musical ideas, the first song "Lady's 18" is also super creepy. Luckily the rest is not quite as weird lyrically. Well, not really. Just weird in different ways. Wheelz of Steal's lineup consists of two guitarists and a drum machine. I now know that it's possible to have a drum machine that's out of time. I'm not even sure how that works. One of the guitarists also talks into the microphone. Each of the musicians is so completely at odds with eachother at times, it's as if two strangers got double-booked for the same studio time and they just decided to record on top of the other one.

It's kind of meaningless to go into any detail about this, because it's more a show rather than tell experience.

Incredibly chaotic. Life-changing music. I'm shook.

Youtube comment sheds some more light on this music.

"My very first gig (I was 17), we went up against these guys in a battle of the bands. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but they sounded better on this recording than they did live. It was two guys in wheelchairs and a drum machine. We brought a lot of friends and family. They brought all their tickets and stuffed the ballot box and won."

Hope these lads cherish winning that battle of the bands gig.

Mercury, some good choices there. I think I'm going to go with Figure 8, which is a masterfully written album. It's more akin to "XO" in that it's definitely more of a rock album than his intimate singer/songwriter stuff, but the highs are some of his bests work.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/IsaacOvH...all_time_/

Overdeth- King Arthur's Final Battle
Stormcry- The Dawn of the Mega-Metal
Exterminator- Total Extermination
Complete- God Awful
Devoured Decapitation- Ammunition for the Land Battle

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/ElNapalm...ic-cheese/

Andrew Wartts and The Gospel Storytellers- There Is a God Somewhere (I really want to find this one)
Carmen Electra- Carmen Electra
Charanjit Singh- Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat
Concrete Rubber Band- Risen Savior
Damian and The Criterions- Avant Garde

[Purplepash]

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Ash Ra Tempel by Ash Ra Tempel

The first piece took a bit to get going but once it did I was fascinatingly caught up in its trap. So much to listen to. I was more into the krautrock type groove sections, and the space rock sounds rather than the experimental noise sections, but the climax of the piece where they came together was incredible. The second piece was a bit too much ambient drone for too long to start off with but again once it got going it was decently good. 8/10, and 28/55 for 1971.




How about Damien and The Criterions next.




Top 67 Music Albums of 1971 by Tha1ChiefRocka (5 picks left)

13. Bedřich Smetana: Má Vlast by Rafael Kubelík / Boston Symphony Orchestra
15. Moving Waves by Focus
17. Muswell Hillbillies by The Kinks
19. Naturally by J.J. Cale
20. A Space In Time by Ten Years After
21. Demian by Demian (Psychedelic Rock)
22. Smackwater Jack by Quincy Jones
25. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
26. Camembert Electrique by Gong
27. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys by Traffic