Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2019) - Music Diaries

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Don't know how exactly I got sucked into giving any real attention and evaluation to Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION of all things (for more than a passing glance), but I am actually doing that right now (hard to imagine?) Laughing

I caught wind of it by all the people on RYM that seem to have "re-evaluated it as a masterpiece of Modern Pop", so I decided "what the hell...why not...I'll check it out...no biases right?"

Just wanted to say that, as an amusing aside ... on one hand I am thinking to myself: "Why the hell am I spending my time with this when I have so many vastly superior albums/music works to re-evaluate/listen to?" and on the other hand I'm thinking: "this is my 3rd listen over the last couple days and this might be a rare case of Mainstream-Media-Hype-Modern-Dance-Pop maybe actually being decent -- maybe even above average." (no promises though ... in the end, depth always wins -- so it may or may not hold up much longer/over increased scrutiny)
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Okay, for anyone that might have feared Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION would be garnering the first ever 10/10 from me after my comment above...

Update after today's listen is that I am leaning towards giving it a 4/10. I'll probably give it one more shot, but right now I think the first 4 tracks are pretty good (on pace for 5.5 or 6/10 if the rest of the album followed suit ... title track is as infectious as early-Michael Jackson's best, the 80s bluesy vibe/nostalgia-driven dance of Run Away With Me is pretty good too). After that, the album doesn't seem like it holds up too well except for some solid moments here and there (the mildly creative change of pace of Warm Blood and the lively I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance)...
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Last edited by AfterHours on 04/25/2018 01:40; edited 1 time in total

baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

AfterHours wrote:

Okay, for anyone that might have feared Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION would be garnering the first ever 10/10 from me after my comment above...

Update after today's listen is that I am leaning towards giving it a 4/10. I'll probably give it one more shot, but current eval is that the first 4 tracks are pretty good (on pace for 5.5 or 6/10 if the rest of the album followed suit ... title track is as infectious as early-Michael Jackson's best, the nostalgic and even slightly emotional Run Away With Me is pretty good too). After that, the album doesn't seem like it holds up too well except for some solid moments here and there (the mildly creative change of pace of Warm Blood and I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance)...

This is one of my favorite albums ever and currently in my top ten. I'm glad you've given it a shot. A couple things:

First of all, the proper album is twelve tracks and ends with "When I Needed You". Based on the last track you mentioned, you've been listening to the bonus track version, and should disregard those extra songs. The regular version is indeed significantly stronger as an album than the bonus track version.

Second, I can understand how this album might not pass your test for conceptual strength. But how does it not score highly for emotional strength? You said "Run Away With Me" was "even slightly emotional." This baffles me. I would argue it is highly emotional. In fact, almost every song of the twelve on this record reflects a high intensity of emotion, in addition to being an immaculately-crafted pop song.

Finally, given what you've rated other albums with similar qualities in similar genres, a 6/10 would make a lot more sense than a 4/10.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Hi Baystate, looks like you caught me right before I posted a semi revised version of my comment (may not change your reply much though). In any case, Im going to be pretty swamped over the next 4-5 hrs but will see if I can say more after that, or by tomorrow.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

baystateoftheart wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

Okay, for anyone that might have feared Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION would be garnering the first ever 10/10 from me after my comment above...

Update after today's listen is that I am leaning towards giving it a 4/10. I'll probably give it one more shot, but current eval is that the first 4 tracks are pretty good (on pace for 5.5 or 6/10 if the rest of the album followed suit ... title track is as infectious as early-Michael Jackson's best, the nostalgic and even slightly emotional Run Away With Me is pretty good too). After that, the album doesn't seem like it holds up too well except for some solid moments here and there (the mildly creative change of pace of Warm Blood and I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance)...

This is one of my favorite albums ever and currently in my top ten. I'm glad you've given it a shot. A couple things:

First of all, the proper album is twelve tracks and ends with "When I Needed You". Based on the last track you mentioned, you've been listening to the bonus track version, and should disregard those extra songs. The regular version is indeed significantly stronger as an album than the bonus track version.

Second, I can understand how this album might not pass your test for conceptual strength. But how does it not score highly for emotional strength? You said "Run Away With Me" was "even slightly emotional." This baffles me. I would argue it is highly emotional. In fact, almost every song of the twelve on this record reflects a high intensity of emotion, in addition to being an immaculately-crafted pop song.

Finally, given what you've rated other albums with similar qualities in similar genres, a 6/10 would make a lot more sense than a 4/10.

Re: proper album ... Thank you, I am going to give it at least one more shot, and in doing so will ensure I listen to the proper track listing.

It's energetic and has some conviction but I am not really sure what is "highly emotional" about EMOTION as it is almost entirely pretty standard fare dance-pop (with perhaps little twists here and there) and she is a mostly ordinary vocalist and composer (or whoever her arranger/composer is). She has an attribute of vulnerability that hints along in her melodies when she fluctuates in articulation, which is charismatic, but many a soul/R & B vocalists have done this better. Her vocals are at their best when she is yearning and/or phrasing an emphatic chorus, but I don't hear why one would (generally) consider her any better than bigger-voiced (and very mediocre imo) Miley Cyrus or the more soul-ful Michael Jackson (or, especially Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye, Tori Amos and the like...) or the more seductive/"aristocratic"/personality-shifting (and, in many cases, more personal) Madonna. Jepsen seems pretty average (or thereabouts) to me -- Kate Bush, Sinead O'Connor, or Pandora's Box/Jim Steinman's Original Sin feature far stronger and expressive vocal performances, not to mention their arrangements/compositional skills ... Her "girl-next-door-cuteness" (vocalizations) throughout have been done a million times (Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift...). ... I found the album to have all 4 of its better songs at the beginning and the rest of it to be pretty ho hum or uninteresting (where I was pretty much waiting for the next song or for the album to end).

For a rush of pop/dance/dance & pop-esque/melodic/ecstatic excitement, it pales in comparison to albums like Prince's Purple Rain, Dan Deacon's Bromst, Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid, St Vincent's Marry Me, Clarence Clarity's No Now (all much more creative and emotionally/conceptually impinging and resonant) ... or even lesser works than these such as Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Prince's 1999, Ray of Light/Like a Prayer/True Blue/Erotica/Like a Virgin... or compare to the dancier/poppier songs from Kate Bush albums such as Hounds of Love (Running up that Hill, Hounds of Love, Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Jig of Life...), The Dreaming (certainly more emotional & creative ... vastly superior vocalist and composer) ... Something like Pandora's Box's Original Sin completely blows it out of the water -- much more emotional and powerful in every way (though perhaps this won't be an apt comparison to you because it is pretty much 1/2 way between Pop and monolithic and thunderous Rock opera/Wagner opera)

Which emotions/emotional states do you feel Jepsen expresses so extraordinarily?
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SamTheMan

Location: nowhere

I'm going to come in like a house on fire and recommend Mike Westbrook and his album 'The Cortege'. Prog or fusion or whatever. Its great stuff.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

SamTheMan wrote:

I'm going to come in like a house on fire and recommend Mike Westbrook and his album 'The Cortege'. Prog or fusion or whatever. Its great stuff.

Thanks for the rec! Never heard it -- I sampled it and it sounds like it gives Jazz fusion the business! Ill have to get around to listening to all of it.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

AfterHours wrote:

baystateoftheart wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

Okay, for anyone that might have feared Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION would be garnering the first ever 10/10 from me after my comment above...

Update after today's listen is that I am leaning towards giving it a 4/10. I'll probably give it one more shot, but current eval is that the first 4 tracks are pretty good (on pace for 5.5 or 6/10 if the rest of the album followed suit ... title track is as infectious as early-Michael Jackson's best, the nostalgic and even slightly emotional Run Away With Me is pretty good too). After that, the album doesn't seem like it holds up too well except for some solid moments here and there (the mildly creative change of pace of Warm Blood and I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance)...

This is one of my favorite albums ever and currently in my top ten. I'm glad you've given it a shot. A couple things:

First of all, the proper album is twelve tracks and ends with "When I Needed You". Based on the last track you mentioned, you've been listening to the bonus track version, and should disregard those extra songs. The regular version is indeed significantly stronger as an album than the bonus track version.

Second, I can understand how this album might not pass your test for conceptual strength. But how does it not score highly for emotional strength? You said "Run Away With Me" was "even slightly emotional." This baffles me. I would argue it is highly emotional. In fact, almost every song of the twelve on this record reflects a high intensity of emotion, in addition to being an immaculately-crafted pop song.

Finally, given what you've rated other albums with similar qualities in similar genres, a 6/10 would make a lot more sense than a 4/10.

Re: proper album ... Thank you, I am going to give it at least one more shot, and in doing so will ensure I listen to the proper track listing.

It's energetic and has some conviction but I am not really sure what is "highly emotional" about EMOTION as it is almost entirely pretty standard fare dance-pop (with perhaps little twists here and there) and she is a mostly ordinary vocalist and composer (or whoever her arranger/composer is). She has an attribute of vulnerability that hints along in her melodies when she fluctuates in articulation, which is charismatic, but many a soul/R & B vocalists have done this better. Her vocals are at their best when she is yearning and/or phrasing an emphatic chorus, but I don't hear why one would (generally) consider her any better than bigger-voiced (and very mediocre imo) Miley Cyrus or the more soul-ful Michael Jackson (or, especially Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye, Tori Amos and the like...) or the more seductive/"aristocratic"/personality-shifting (and, in many cases, more personal) Madonna. Jepsen seems pretty average (or thereabouts) to me -- Kate Bush, Sinead O'Connor, or Pandora's Box/Jim Steinman's Original Sin feature far stronger and expressive vocal performances, not to mention their arrangements/compositional skills ... Her "girl-next-door-cuteness" (vocalizations) throughout have been done a million times (Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift...). ... I found the album to have all 4 of its better songs at the beginning and the rest of it to be pretty ho hum or uninteresting (where I was pretty much waiting for the next song or for the album to end).

For a rush of pop/dance/dance & pop-esque/melodic/ecstatic excitement, it pales in comparison to albums like Prince's Purple Rain, Dan Deacon's Bromst, Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid, St Vincent's Marry Me, Clarence Clarity's No Now (all much more creative and emotionally/conceptually impinging and resonant) ... or even lesser works than these such as Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Prince's 1999, Ray of Light/Like a Prayer/True Blue/Erotica/Like a Virgin... or compare to the dancier/poppier songs from Kate Bush albums such as Hounds of Love (Running up that Hill, Hounds of Love, Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Jig of Life...), The Dreaming (certainly more emotional & creative ... vastly superior vocalist and composer) ... Something like Pandora's Box's Original Sin completely blows it out of the water -- much more emotional and powerful in every way (though perhaps this won't be an apt comparison to you because it is pretty much 1/2 way between Pop and monolithic and thunderous Rock opera/Wagner opera)

Which emotions/emotional states do you feel Jepsen expresses so extraordinarily?

Well for some context, my criteria do not directly include emotional depth, so I rate this album so highly based primarily on its pop songcraft, or in other words simply how good it sounds to my ears. The songwriting, production, and hooks are all close to a perfect execution of pop in my estimation. The album is incredibly catchy, has infectious energy, is at turns danceable and romantic, and has great replay value.

There are some tracks that emotionally are lightweight ("Boy Problems", "LA Hallucinations"), but I would say most of the rest is very emotional. These emotional themes that are well-developed include:

utter ecstasy/exhiliration
deep love/romance
yearning/fantasy
unrequited love
beginnings of love
betrayal
intimacy/sexuality
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

baystateoftheart wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

baystateoftheart wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

Okay, for anyone that might have feared Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION would be garnering the first ever 10/10 from me after my comment above...

Update after today's listen is that I am leaning towards giving it a 4/10. I'll probably give it one more shot, but current eval is that the first 4 tracks are pretty good (on pace for 5.5 or 6/10 if the rest of the album followed suit ... title track is as infectious as early-Michael Jackson's best, the nostalgic and even slightly emotional Run Away With Me is pretty good too). After that, the album doesn't seem like it holds up too well except for some solid moments here and there (the mildly creative change of pace of Warm Blood and I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance)...

This is one of my favorite albums ever and currently in my top ten. I'm glad you've given it a shot. A couple things:

First of all, the proper album is twelve tracks and ends with "When I Needed You". Based on the last track you mentioned, you've been listening to the bonus track version, and should disregard those extra songs. The regular version is indeed significantly stronger as an album than the bonus track version.

Second, I can understand how this album might not pass your test for conceptual strength. But how does it not score highly for emotional strength? You said "Run Away With Me" was "even slightly emotional." This baffles me. I would argue it is highly emotional. In fact, almost every song of the twelve on this record reflects a high intensity of emotion, in addition to being an immaculately-crafted pop song.

Finally, given what you've rated other albums with similar qualities in similar genres, a 6/10 would make a lot more sense than a 4/10.

Re: proper album ... Thank you, I am going to give it at least one more shot, and in doing so will ensure I listen to the proper track listing.

It's energetic and has some conviction but I am not really sure what is "highly emotional" about EMOTION as it is almost entirely pretty standard fare dance-pop (with perhaps little twists here and there) and she is a mostly ordinary vocalist and composer (or whoever her arranger/composer is). She has an attribute of vulnerability that hints along in her melodies when she fluctuates in articulation, which is charismatic, but many a soul/R & B vocalists have done this better. Her vocals are at their best when she is yearning and/or phrasing an emphatic chorus, but I don't hear why one would (generally) consider her any better than bigger-voiced (and very mediocre imo) Miley Cyrus or the more soul-ful Michael Jackson (or, especially Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye, Tori Amos and the like...) or the more seductive/"aristocratic"/personality-shifting (and, in many cases, more personal) Madonna. Jepsen seems pretty average (or thereabouts) to me -- Kate Bush, Sinead O'Connor, or Pandora's Box/Jim Steinman's Original Sin feature far stronger and expressive vocal performances, not to mention their arrangements/compositional skills ... Her "girl-next-door-cuteness" (vocalizations) throughout have been done a million times (Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift...). ... I found the album to have all 4 of its better songs at the beginning and the rest of it to be pretty ho hum or uninteresting (where I was pretty much waiting for the next song or for the album to end).

For a rush of pop/dance/dance & pop-esque/melodic/ecstatic excitement, it pales in comparison to albums like Prince's Purple Rain, Dan Deacon's Bromst, Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid, St Vincent's Marry Me, Clarence Clarity's No Now (all much more creative and emotionally/conceptually impinging and resonant) ... or even lesser works than these such as Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Prince's 1999, Ray of Light/Like a Prayer/True Blue/Erotica/Like a Virgin... or compare to the dancier/poppier songs from Kate Bush albums such as Hounds of Love (Running up that Hill, Hounds of Love, Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Jig of Life...), The Dreaming (certainly more emotional & creative ... vastly superior vocalist and composer) ... Something like Pandora's Box's Original Sin completely blows it out of the water -- much more emotional and powerful in every way (though perhaps this won't be an apt comparison to you because it is pretty much 1/2 way between Pop and monolithic and thunderous Rock opera/Wagner opera)

Which emotions/emotional states do you feel Jepsen expresses so extraordinarily?

Well for some context, my criteria do not directly include emotional depth, so I rate this album so highly based primarily on its pop songcraft, or in other words simply how good it sounds to my ears. The songwriting, production, and hooks are all close to a perfect execution of pop in my estimation. The album is incredibly catchy, has infectious energy, is at turns danceable and romantic, and has great replay value.

There are some tracks that emotionally are lightweight ("Boy Problems", "LA Hallucinations"), but I would say most of the rest is very emotional. These emotional themes that are well-developed include:

utter ecstasy/exhiliration
deep love/romance
yearning/fantasy
unrequited love
beginnings of love
betrayal
intimacy/sexuality

I agree that Jepsen expresses these things, but it seems like we pretty widely disagree about the strength of her expressions. It is very easy for me to find superior examples in all respects and within the pop spectrum... Such as those I mentioned above ... Any of the best Madonna albums are clearly superior works: for instance, Like A Prayer/True Blue -- those are 6, maybe 6.5/10 imo (and Ray of Light, 6.5 or 7) ... Jepsen doesn't hold a candle to songs such as Like A Prayer (Madonna's peak), Papa Don't Preach, Express Yourself, Vogue, La Isla Bonita (difficult to find a more emotionally evocative, mainstream pop song from that period that is also so simple) and several others (and Madonna, while a pretty darn good artist, is still only a poor man/woman's "Original Sin") ... Pandora's Box's Original Sin blows EMOTION away in every emotion/concept above, with vastly superior vocals, instrumentation, compositions, etc. Moving outside of the pop spectrum makes the work look even less considerable but as that is not how you're comparing it I won't go further into that (but just as an example, Van Morrison's or Tim Buckley's best works are much more powerful & profound and feature all those emotions/concepts in much more significant and expressively extraordinary ways...)

So I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. EMOTION has its moments (particularly tracks 1-4, Run Away With Me, the title track, Gimme Love -- are probably the songs of her career so far ... and I Really Like You is pretty good for what it is). It's hard to get more excited than that when she has been so thoroughly out-done by much more significant artists (going back decades) in the same/similar expressions/concepts/genres (as mentioned, both pop and otherwise). So I stand by my 4/10, perhaps 4.5/10 and, at this point, it's hard for me to imagine rating it much higher than that. I don't mean any of this as a personal insult or as a point of personal disrespect, but from my perspective I've heard thousands of better albums/music works and feel that one can get at least the same (or much more) emotional impact/significance in a majority of works/albums, any given year, as can be found in EMOTION -- given the same effort and attention paid to it/them.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

AfterHours wrote:

New week (first post first page) ... Still in progress and getting closer to decisiveness on all of the above from last week ^^^

Probably will update my criteria page ("ratings by halves") + reach a conclusion on Beethoven's and Mahler's 9th being upgraded -- or not -- (to 9.8+ or staying at 9.7) this week + whatever else

New week (first post, first page) ... Pretty much a repeat of the above. Last week I got pretty swamped by too many obligations, life and relationship stuff, and umm, Carly Rae Jepsen (who I swear I am not in a relationship with!) ... Should be back on track now Laughing

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