I'm going back to the start

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kokkinos





  • #501
  • Posted: 11/05/2022 23:39
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The Byrds - Fifth Dimension
So, no Dylan covers this time and the Dylan influence doesn’t come across as loud and clear this time – which is a good thing of course, this change of direction was necessary in order for them to stand out - though there are still more than a few glimpses of their folk roots. That being said, it’s easy to tell they have made progress and added new elements to their sound. Their vocals remain gorgeous – while The Mamas And The Papas had graduated from The Beach Boys school of vocal harmonies, The Byrds drew inspiration mostly from the Beatles. However, the most striking aspect of this record is the guitar work. An important moment in modern music history, as the idyllic folk landscapes give way to the darker, disordered world of psychedelia, a new genre that wouldn’t stop making the headlines for the rest of the ‘60s. The album loses steam towards the end, the first half is significantly stronger than the second, but the point remains, its impact is not to be underestimated, many legendary artists were taking notes, apart from the obvious examples of fellow Californians such as Jefferson Airplane or Love, one could link them to the acid rock of Jimi Hendrix, the space rock of Pink Floyd, whatever Frank Zappa was doing and all the way to krautrock – and that’s only their psychedelic era, their contribution to other fields such as country or indie is equally impressive.
6.5/10.
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  • #502
  • Posted: 11/06/2022 23:26
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Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone is probably the best when it comes to keeping you company throughout the night. To be honest, though, the opening track, I Love Your Lovin' Ways, had me worried for a moment, it is a run-of-the-mill, rather forgettable song that is totally uncharacteristic of her. Also, it’s worth pointing out that this album contains leftovers from various 1964 and 1965 sessions, which provided me with another reason to approach it with caution and keep my expectations relatively low. Thankfully, thinks get back on track right after this first misstep. Her trademark style is present here, she manages to effortlessly grab your attention without forcing matters or asking for it, she is painfully sensitive without becoming dramatic, she gets rid of anything unnecessarily flashy and keeps only what is absolutely essential to make her point. Even though she is a phenomenal singer, her performances remain subtle and elegant for the most part and that’s why the explosive parts feel so rewarding. And the most impressive aspect of it is that all of that comes naturally to her, there’s nothing polished or refined here, it’s pure, raw emotion, a direct and honest confession of what she’s keeping in her heart of hearts. And despite the personal tone, its entertainment value holds up as well. There are a couple of tracks that I would consider below par and they do have a negative effect on the overall atmosphere, but there are many gems here that more than make up for it. I'm not sure where it'd rank compared to the rest of her discography, most of her releases (I think this is the seventh or eighth record of hers that I've listened) have been on a similar level.
6.5/10.
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  • #503
  • Posted: 11/08/2022 22:26
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Monks - Black Monk Time
Man, these guys are fanatics, they did punk before punk was a thing. To be fair, they are punk in attitude, it’s clear Sex Pistols followed their nihilistic, arrogant and sarcastic footsteps but that’s where similarities end, Monks are incomparably more interesting sound-wise. If the line goes Link Wray, The Kinks, The Sonics, then Monks are a giant leap forward, as they expand in various directions. They use a groovy organ before The Doors, the trademark krautrock hypnotic drumming before Can, the unconventional - and gritty - songwriting before The Velvet Underground, they bring jazzy elements to rock music - while never taking themselves too seriously - before Frank Zappa, they dive into the surreal and bizarre world of psychedelic rock before Pink Floyd. All in all, they are one of the most innovative bands of the ‘60s, which is a huge achievement if you take into account the competition. And the most impressive is they did it despite not caring in the slightest – the first commandment in punk’s holy book. Monks hold the key to being both “straight rock and roll” and “avant-garde” at the same time, a seemingly impossible task. Now, I’m giving it a relatively low score because this type of music doesn’t appeal to me that much, but please don’t be discouraged or thrown off by it, I can’t stress enough how great and influential this album is. And I think the average BEA member is into heavy and loud stuff way more than me, so if you’ve somehow missed it up to now, give it a try as soon as possible. Oh, and the band has a cool story as well, they were formed by American soldiers in West Germany, a fact that could have had a significant impact on their approach to music, who knows what would have happened under different circumstances.
6/10.
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  • #504
  • Posted: 11/09/2022 23:21
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Ennio Morricone - Il Buono, Il Brutto, ... The Ugly]
One of the most iconic movies of all time has to be accompanied by one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time. It’s rather tricky rating soundtracks as a standalone piece of art, they are eternally linked with the movie they were used in and as a result how you are feeling about the movie ends up affecting your opinion on its soundtrack. This was one of my main concerns when I decided to listen to this album. I watched Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo for the first time as a kid and I remember I didn’t particularly like it. I revisited it a few years later as a grown-up and sadly not much had changed, Clint Eastwood remains too badass for me. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a classic western, though it has to be said I tried to keep my exposure to this genre to a minimum, so my experience is rather limited, take this comment with a grain of salt. Anyway, all of that is probably irrelevant, as this is a soundtrack that anyone should be able to like no matter what. It is colourful and fits the needs of the film like a glove, it can be epic (for real, it inspires you to leave everything behind and go on to become a bounty hunter), light-hearted, sentimental, even pious at times. Cool stuff all round.
7/10.
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  • #505
  • Posted: 11/10/2022 22:50
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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Indestructible
Trends in jazz may come and go, but if there was one thing you could count on for most of the ‘50s and ‘60s that was give or take one seminal - and of course highly entertaining - hard bop album per year by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. And make no mistake, this is no small feat, especially if you take into account the “confused” musical landscape of the mid to late ‘60s, where countless new genres and styles were popping up left and right and jazz was losing the popularity battle, it’s great having the chance to listen to a “back to basics” record. Every member of the band delivers what is expected from them and then some more, the three horns are on fire – though my favourite is the one track that lies on the other end of the spectrum, namely the ballad When Love Is New, where their trademark high-octane performance that runs through the entire album gives way to sheer, cinematic romanticism. The aforementioned track was written by pianist Cedar Walton, who has been a solid member of The Jazz Messengers and has appeared in many of their albums, but here he is at his most delightful. Overall, you can tell the band ages like fine wine, as it benefits from experience without losing its excitement.
7/10.
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  • #506
  • Posted: 01/08/2023 21:59
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So, in case anyone is wondering, I haven't abandoned the ship, I intend to bring it back sooner or later - hopefully sooner. I haven't made up my mind yet, but I think it's time for something different. The '60s project was fun and stuff, but I think at this point it has run its course - on the other hand, this shouldn't rule out the possibility of returning to it further down the line, who knows. Some ideas would be a) time travelling back to a different period and exploring the various musical trends of that era or b) paying tribute to an artist by visiting his entire discography or c) focusing on a particular genre by tracing its roots and following its development over the years or d)tracking down new releases, we've somehow made it to 2023 after all. Many possibilities, I'll report as soon as I figure it out.
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