This was my second try at Brian Eno, after Another Green World. Unlike that record (which I will return to), this blew me away on the first listen. Exquisitely crafted, a great fusion of pop structure with some ambient textures, and better than average songwriting. An album to get lost in.
Totally agree. Really liked this one too. I've listened to a few Eno albums now and feel he's really hit and miss. I like the warm jets album too... I mean to try out at least. I wouldn't say Eno is my favorite songwriter/artist or anything, but love his influence on U2 and Death and All His Friends by Coldplay (probably the only Coldplay I think is a great album).
Released: 2001 (material originally released across many years ranging from 1979 to 2001)
RYM Primary Genres: Soca
BEA Rank: N/A; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen April 16, 2016
Soca is a very overlooked genre in the United States. A fusion of dancehall riddims and calypso, it's infectious dance music that would be great for a party soundtrack. This compilation album presents some of the genre's all-time classics. Clocking in at 74 minutes, it becomes a bit repetitive toward the end, although there's no dearth of quality material. However, it has just one rating on RYM. Follow this link for a more knowledgeable review from AllMusic.
Released: 1973
RYM Primary Genres: Southern Soul, Soul, Pop Soul
BEA Rank: #40096 overall & #450 in 1974 (wrong year, submitted edit); RYM Rank: #520 in 1973
First Listen April 16, 2016
The lead-off title track might just be the best track Womack ever recorded, and while the rest of the album doesn't reach those heights, it's a very solid listen. It follows a common trend in all the Bobby Womack albums I've heard from his creative peak. Each album is very good and worth a listen, but none quite rises to the level of a masterpiece. I must confess I wasn't paying as close attention to this as I should have, but that's kind of the point.
Released: 2001 (re-released in 2002 with two additional tracks, which is the version I listened to)
RYM Primary Genres: Twee Pop, Indie Pop
BEA Rank: #9109 overall & #223 in 2001; RYM Rank: #479 in 2001
Re-Listen April 16, 2016
I first heard this a couple months ago, was blown away, and decided to revisit it. For some reason I didn't quite enjoy it as much the second time around. It's consistently pleasant, but it doesn't have the standout pop hooks that are present on Let's Get Out Of This Country and My Maudlin Career. The mellow strings slightly overstay their welcome in some songs. Unlike their later work, this blends both female and male vocals, which provides a nice interplay and change of pace. It's twee af and you should definitely listen to it, although I wouldn't suggest it as an entry point for the group. I don't feel ready to assign a rating just yet.
Released: 1984 (although many tracks were first released in 1983)
RYM Primary Genres: Jangle Pop, Indie Pop
BEA Rank: #298 overall & #7 in 1984; RYM Rank: #91 overall & #2 in 1984
First Listen April 16, 2016
The Smiths have become one of my favorite groups, and this was the only major release of theirs that I hadn't heard. I did hear several of these tracks on Louder Than Bombs, and many of the Peel sessions appear in regular studio versions on The Smiths. I must say that I did not think these renditions on Hatful Of Hollow were clearly better like many have claimed. It's an excellent album that you should listen to if you like jangle pop and lyrical pathos, but my expectations were too high going in. I'll definitely listen to this again later, and maybe it will click more.
Released: 1983
RYM Primary Genres: Dance-Pop, Pop Rock
BEA Rank: #942 overall & #12 in 1983; RYM Rank: #304 in 1983
First Listen April 16, 2016
I pretty much fall in with the consensus on this album. The first three tracks are pure gold, and the rest of the record, while generally pleasant, does not reach the same heights. It's upbeat and (surprise!) danceable, which is a nice side of Bowie to hear. I would choose Modern Love as the best song and Ricochet as the worst, most grating song on this effort. _________________ Add me on RYM
Last edited by baystateoftheart on 05/02/2016 20:21; edited 1 time in total
Released: 2013
RYM Primary Genres: Future Garage
BEA Rank: #3402 overall & #59 in 2013; RYM Rank: #190 overall & #1 in 2013 (among EPs)
First Listen April 18, 2016
This EP was my first time ever listening to anything by Burial, and I connected with it immediately. The nuances of the sound design are phenomenal, and the atmosphere it generates is immersive and calming, yet riveting at the same time. This is my first foray into future garage in general, so I don't have anything insightful to say about this in relation to other works. I would recommend this to almost anyone, though! _________________ Add me on RYM
I've just unlocked the ability to create decade charts, and I have three up so far! I'm not going to have a chance to add detail to them until finals are over, but they're ready for viewing. Interested to hear any and all thoughts!
This one's the most advanced in its development and the most ready for feedback and recs. There are dozens of albums that I like that did not make the cut here.
This one is a very basic rough draft, not ready for feedback. Similarly, it's every album from the decade that I've heard and liked. _________________ Add me on RYM
(Disc One)
Released: 1997 (material originally released 1976 through 1978)
RYM Primary Genres: Dub, Roots Reggae
BEA Rank: #3562 overall & #76 in 1997; RYM Rank: #150 overall & #9 in 1997 (among compilations)
Re-Listen April 19, 2016
This is just a brilliant compilation that is rewarding with every return. It might end up on my next iteration of my overall chart. Arguably the most essential recordings of dub, all collected in one place, plus some rare and unreleased material. Diary note: I'm probably going to take a long break from rating re-listens; a number doesn't really capture my feelings in the best way, and I think ranking albums via charts is much more satisfying.
I listened to this yesterday because I'll be presenting about it as part of a final group project in my Portuguese class. Tropicália is the blend of MPB (English: Brazilian pop) with some psychedelic, avant garde, and poetic sensibilities. This collection was intended as a cultural and artistic (and rather political) statement of purpose. There's no direct analogy in American music history, but some have suggested the Factory's artistic collaborations between Andy Warhol, the Velvet Underground, and others. The music itself is beautiful, an ideal synthesis of different genres that was proudly and intentionally called "cultural cannibalism." It features the biggest stars of the movement: Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, and Gal Costa. The standout tracks for me were "Panis Et Circencis" (part of the album's title and Latin for "bread and circuses") and "Baby." This is definitely joining my 60s chart, and I look forward to exploring the solo discographies of these fascinating artists. _________________ Add me on RYM
Released: 2016
RYM Primary Genres: Hip House, Pop Rap
BEA Rank: #53852 overall & #299 in 2016; RYM Rank: #779 in 2016
First Listen April 22, 2016
I'm a big fan of Azealia Banks' music (but not her persona), and I really enjoyed 1991 and Broke With Expensive Taste. It might be rightly expected that this would represent a step down in quality, because it is a mixtape instead of an official release. However, I liked the lead single "The Big Big Beat", and given her artistic history (not to mention the ostentatious title / artwork) I was anticipating good things. Instead, this mixtape was a bit of a letdown. Her lyrics and flow come close to gelling at several points throughout, but sadly there are not a lot of 'wow' moments. The tracks aren't particularly memorable, there's a bunch of filler, and even the standouts are barely as good as the worst tracks on Broke With Expensive Taste. The production has some good moments, but it's often generic and occasionally god-awful. "Queen Of Clubs" is an absolute travesty of a song that never should have been let on any project with minimal self-awareness or quality control. And as for "Skylar Diggins", it is so close to being a great song, so close. Question for Azealia, and really for all rappers: when was the last time that using a punchline with "toilet" in the lyrics (let alone on a hook) improved the quality of a track? Answer: never. It's always corny af
Released: 2016
RYM Primary Genres: Psychedelic Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
BEA Rank: #15542 overall & #8 in 2016; RYM Rank: #297 in 2016
First Listen April 22, 2016
Confession: this was my first time listening to an album credited to Animal Collective. They've been on my to-do list for a long time, but my to-do list is a mile long and lately I almost always prioritize new releases. Thus, I did listen to last year's Panda Bear record, and I liked it quite a lot. This album did not captivate me as much, but it certainly has a lot of interesting things going on and a lot to unpack in re-listens. I definitely see why it's Tap's most-listened album of the year, and that's partly what inspired me to check it out. The immediate standouts are "FloriDada" and "Golden Gal", as they have the catchiest and most memorable hooks. There are some good soundscapes going on on other parts of the record as well. But it definitely fell flat for me at at times, and occasionally reminded me of the lower points in Yeasayer's discography. All in all a good album, and one I'll revisit. _________________ Add me on RYM
Released: 2015
RYM Primary Genres: Memphis Rap, Southern Hip Hop
BEA Rank: N/A; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen April 22, 2016
This is a hugely overlooked mixtape - just 14 ratings on RYM! I enjoyed several parts of 2014's Underground Cassette Tape Music, but this is truly a step forward for the self-styled Queen of Memphis, a solid project front to back. I also prefer Gangsta Boo's persona to BeatKing's, which may play a role in my greater esteem for this. True, she doth protest too much about her status as a Three 6 founding member on the Intro, Outro, and a verse or two, but that aside most of this is str8 fire. It would be nice if the mixing were better, but it doesn't detract too much from the experience. Would be interested to hear reactions to this tape from anyone who likes the Memphis sound (Skinny et al.).
Released: 1992
RYM Primary Genres: East Coast Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Boom Bap
BEA Rank: #7346 overall & #150 in 1992; RYM Rank: #1405 overall & #28 in 1992
First Listen April 23, 2016
Guru and DJ Premier are really growing on me as I listen to them more. Yes, the lyrics cover mostly standard fare like being the best and keeping hip-hop real, with some socially conscious material as well such as "Conspiracy". And somehow, despite the 18 tracks and the similar content, the album doesn't really drag. The beats are the standout part of this album as expected, but Guru deserves a lot of credit as well.
See post above for more album info. Gave it another go and it's just as good the second time around! Been listening to the individual tracks a bunch as well.
Released: 2006
RYM Primary Genres: Singer/Songwriter
BEA Rank: #1972 overall & #43 in 2006; RYM Rank: #275 in 2006
First Listen April 23, 2016
It's a pleasant, mellow album with good songwriting and vocals. Cat Power albums need time to grow, and it's no exception. This first try mostly washed over me without much sticking. Probably not up there with her best, but very good nonetheless.
Released: 2015
RYM Primary Genres: Psychedelic Pop
BEA Rank: #4828 overall & #38 in 2015; RYM Rank: #341 in 2015
Re-Listen April 23, 2016
As I've listened to this more, I've really connected with it. Mostly inspired instrumentation, good hooks, interesting lyrics, and lots of fun! On the downside, it occasionally strays into noodling and there are too many pointless vocal interjections ("oh oh oh" etc.) My favorite tracks are probably "Multi-Love" and "Necessary Evil". In any case, I'll be moving it up my yearly list with the next update. _________________ Add me on RYM
Ah man that whole Tropicalia stuff is a lot of fun. There was some other comp that was reissued in the early 2000's that got me into it, there's a song in particular on there and not on the one you listed that I would strongly recommend checking if you haven't.
Ah man that whole Tropicalia stuff is a lot of fun. There was some other comp that was reissued in the early 2000's that got me into it, there's a song in particular on there and not on the one you listed that I would strongly recommend checking if you haven't.
Enjoyin the write-ups, nice to see I helped inspire the checking out of Painting With.
Really good song - thanks!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I've taken the 1950s chart down until it's developed enough. But now I've unlocked year charts, and my 2015 chart can be found here, featuring the first appearances on any chart for seven albums:
Diary Note: Now that I have the ability to create year charts, I will no longer maintain the lists in the first page of this diary. _________________ Add me on RYM
I haven't updated this diary in a while because I've been very busy with finals week. But as of now, I have just one exam left, and it's open notes. So now I can start listening to lots of music again!
Here's a recap of what I've listened to in the meantime:
Released: 1991 (material originally released between 1963 and 1969)
RYM Primary Genres: Pop Rock, British Rhythm & Blues
BEA Rank: N/A; RYM Rank: #844 in 1991 (among compilations)
First Listen April 25, 2016
This is a really good compilation from Rhino. The song selection is top-notch, and it covers a lot of groups that I would never desire to have more than one or two songs from anyway. I would even say it's one of the best records to hear to get a sense of what the "British Invasion" has to offer (after essential albums such as Odessey And Oracle and those by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks). The main flaw is that the sound quality feels rather tinny, but I think that is partly from a decision to remain faithful to the original single mixes.
Released: 2012
RYM Primary Genres: Hip House
BEA Rank: #17074 overall & #477 in 2012; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen April 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this mixtape! Except for "Luxury", I had never listened to it before. Very fun and bursting with ideas, and for the most part Banks shows charisma on the mic and good beat selection. One of the important documents of the hip house genre, and lightyears better than her 2016 mixtape (see writeup above).
Released: 2008
RYM Primary Genres: Dream Pop, Indie Pop
BEA Rank: #1763 overall & #29 in 2008; RYM Rank: #230 in 2008
Re-Listen April 28, 2016
An amazing and sublime album, currently at #80 on my overall and my favorite by them. This represents the moment when Beach House was growing into their dream pop sound. A bit of the magic has worn off with regular listening, but it still charms me every time.
Released: 1995
RYM Primary Genres: Indie Pop, Twee Pop
BEA Rank: #3756 overall & #90 in 1995; RYM Rank: #253 in 1995
Re-Listen / First Listen April 29, 2016
I've listened to this album before, but only in its more readily available US and international versions, which include a lot of tracks from Emmerdale. This time I listened to the original Swedish version, with no duplicates from Emmerdale and several songs not available on US or UK albums. This is the original and best track listing, courtesy of Discogs:
1. Carnival
2. Gordon's Gardenparty
3. Daddy's Car
4. Pikebubbles
5. Tomorrow
6. Beautiful One
7. Travelling With Charley
8. Fine
9. Sunday Circus Song
10. Hey! Get Out Of My Way
11. Closing Time
To conclude, this Swedish version is more twee goodness from The Cardigans, although it drags slightly by the end, where I might have noticed some recycled melodies. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
Released: 1968
RYM Primary Genres: Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop
BEA Rank: #4305 overall & #58 in 1968; RYM Rank: #5767 overall & #124 in 1968
First Listen May 2, 2016
Just phenomenal - this confection is definitely going on my 60s chart next update! Every song on the album has gorgeous arrangements courtesy of Gary Usher (Beach Boys associate, co-wrote "In My Room") and company. At just 28 minutes, it never overstays its welcome and leaves the listener wanting more. Interestingly, Sagittarius were one of the few bands to release longer, more elaborate versions of their songs as singles and shorter, simpler versions on albums. So I listened to the mono single mixes as well, which layer effects and background dialogue. "My World Fell Down" is excellent and reached #70 on Billboard. In contrast, the single edit of "Hotel Indiscreet" inexplicably includes an interlude in which the phrase "Sieg Heil!" is shouted. So yeah, that makes it total crap.
Released: 2002
Primary Genres: Soca [Not yet on RYM]
BEA Rank: N/A; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen May 2, 2016
Similar to the offerings on volume one, this has plenty of infectious and danceable island pop, great for a party or summer listening. On the downside, the lyrics can be almost embarrassingly on the nose on some tracks. I don't have a lot to say about this overlooked compilation, so here's AllMusic's writeup. _________________ Add me on RYM
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So yeah, that makes it total crap.
