- Feb 3, 2009
- 18,695
- 5,058
Jealous, must have been awesome ... Todd Rundgren had a real streak of genius for many years.
Music: Last Album You Listened to and Rate It II
- Thread starter Bee Sheriff
- Start date
- Status
Jealous, must have been awesome ... Todd Rundgren had a real streak of genius for many years.
hototogisu
Poked the bear!!!!!
Skullflower - The Black Iron That Has Fell From the Stars, To Dwell Within (Bear It or Be It) (2017)
Skullflower - The Spirals of Great Harm (2017)
Skullflower - Dragons Lair Abyss (2017)
It's getting exhausting keeping up with Matthew Bower's extremely rejuvenated Skullflower project. His near weekly Bandcamp releases are one thing but two of these are physical releases, and one a double CD on top of that. Dragons Lair Abyss is my favorite, the nonphysical one, it features Philip Bower's return to the lineup after some 20 years and Samantha Davies on violin too, it's especially...muggy. The Black Iron... features a bunch of mostly short cuts in the typical Skullflower style - blasts of white hot noise and scrambly electric guitar with pedals pushed well into the red.
Oren Ambarchi – Hubris (2016)
I backtracked to this after listening to Ricardo Villalobos' Hubris Remixes, and he does feature on this original album. There's two long tracks here sandwiching a shorter one, and all feature an all-star cast of collaborators: Arto Lindsay, Jim O'Rourke, Mark Fell, Keith Fullerton Whitman and Villalobos among others. The album as a whole explores "driving, relentless rhythms" and the last track is an absolute monster, not at all what I'd expect from Ambarchi but a banger in every sense, with Ambarchi and Lindsay's guitars, Villalobos' electronics, Whitmans synthesizer and a fierce twin drumming attack from Joe Talia and Will Guthrie, it's an exhilarating ride and worth the price of admission alone.
Wolf Eyes - Undertow (2017)
I'm always excited for a new "major" Wolf Eyes release, and this one is billed as such but doesn't really cut the mustard. Just 28 minutes long and with only 2 of the 5 tracks really worth your time ("Undertow" and "Thirteen") it's a bit of a disappointment. The band signaled some really exciting style changes and steps forward with "No Answer - Lower Floors" and "I Am A Problem - Mind in Pieces" but this one feels more like a sidestep or a continuation of a previously established style as opposed to something new and interesting. It's not bad, just not unmissable.
The Bug vs. Earth - Concrete Desert (2017)
I missed The Bug's previous collab with Earth, I think it was a 7" or something. I've been a huge Earth fan for a while but was relatively nonplussed by their most recent albums (the "Angels of Light..." diptych and "Primitive and Deadly"). That was a while ago and they're back with this outing and I'm happy to report it's inspired, exciting, and all around excellent. Earth's bass-heavy, snakey grooves are great foil for The Bug's electronic manipulations. There are times when things threaten to get a bit too techno-cheese for my tastes but it thankfully never gets that far, the restraint is tasteful and the album better for it. Very highly recommended.
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy (2017)
You can't do a goddamn thing on this planet without hearing about Father John Misty, so after avoiding him for long enough I finally decided to listen to his new record, not really sure if I was wanting to hate it because he's so obnoxious (see: Morrissey) or like it because he's so obnoxious (see: Kanye). Well, neither really, but after hearing it I can at least go back to ignoring him knowing I tried. I mean the album is OK enough, it's not really the sort of music I would ever care for. He's a good lyricist, has a really good voice, and I could see this being background music for housecleaning one day maybe, but that's about it. I hoped the album's centerpiece "Leaving L.A." would suck me in like a classic Neil Young epic that never was, but it was just kind of simple repetition and no evolution. Oh well.
Conrad Schnitzler - Container T1 - T12 (1971-1983) (1983 r. 2012)
Conrad Schnitzler has a massive, massive discography, more than enough music for many lifetimes. It isn't all gold, to be sure, and this box set is hit or miss. It's actually a 8xLP reissue of a 6xCS release from 1983, and features mostly shortform Schnitzler works, 1 to 5 minute cuts of all manner of electronic and synthesizer experiments, from ambient tracks to pop tracks to industrial tracks and anything else the man may have cranked out off in the timeframe. Schnitzler got better as he aged and some of this stuff sounds like the slapdash experimenting it probably is, so maybe for completionists only.
Skullflower - The Spirals of Great Harm (2017)
Skullflower - Dragons Lair Abyss (2017)
It's getting exhausting keeping up with Matthew Bower's extremely rejuvenated Skullflower project. His near weekly Bandcamp releases are one thing but two of these are physical releases, and one a double CD on top of that. Dragons Lair Abyss is my favorite, the nonphysical one, it features Philip Bower's return to the lineup after some 20 years and Samantha Davies on violin too, it's especially...muggy. The Black Iron... features a bunch of mostly short cuts in the typical Skullflower style - blasts of white hot noise and scrambly electric guitar with pedals pushed well into the red.
Oren Ambarchi – Hubris (2016)
I backtracked to this after listening to Ricardo Villalobos' Hubris Remixes, and he does feature on this original album. There's two long tracks here sandwiching a shorter one, and all feature an all-star cast of collaborators: Arto Lindsay, Jim O'Rourke, Mark Fell, Keith Fullerton Whitman and Villalobos among others. The album as a whole explores "driving, relentless rhythms" and the last track is an absolute monster, not at all what I'd expect from Ambarchi but a banger in every sense, with Ambarchi and Lindsay's guitars, Villalobos' electronics, Whitmans synthesizer and a fierce twin drumming attack from Joe Talia and Will Guthrie, it's an exhilarating ride and worth the price of admission alone.
Wolf Eyes - Undertow (2017)
I'm always excited for a new "major" Wolf Eyes release, and this one is billed as such but doesn't really cut the mustard. Just 28 minutes long and with only 2 of the 5 tracks really worth your time ("Undertow" and "Thirteen") it's a bit of a disappointment. The band signaled some really exciting style changes and steps forward with "No Answer - Lower Floors" and "I Am A Problem - Mind in Pieces" but this one feels more like a sidestep or a continuation of a previously established style as opposed to something new and interesting. It's not bad, just not unmissable.
The Bug vs. Earth - Concrete Desert (2017)
I missed The Bug's previous collab with Earth, I think it was a 7" or something. I've been a huge Earth fan for a while but was relatively nonplussed by their most recent albums (the "Angels of Light..." diptych and "Primitive and Deadly"). That was a while ago and they're back with this outing and I'm happy to report it's inspired, exciting, and all around excellent. Earth's bass-heavy, snakey grooves are great foil for The Bug's electronic manipulations. There are times when things threaten to get a bit too techno-cheese for my tastes but it thankfully never gets that far, the restraint is tasteful and the album better for it. Very highly recommended.
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy (2017)
You can't do a goddamn thing on this planet without hearing about Father John Misty, so after avoiding him for long enough I finally decided to listen to his new record, not really sure if I was wanting to hate it because he's so obnoxious (see: Morrissey) or like it because he's so obnoxious (see: Kanye). Well, neither really, but after hearing it I can at least go back to ignoring him knowing I tried. I mean the album is OK enough, it's not really the sort of music I would ever care for. He's a good lyricist, has a really good voice, and I could see this being background music for housecleaning one day maybe, but that's about it. I hoped the album's centerpiece "Leaving L.A." would suck me in like a classic Neil Young epic that never was, but it was just kind of simple repetition and no evolution. Oh well.
Conrad Schnitzler - Container T1 - T12 (1971-1983) (1983 r. 2012)
Conrad Schnitzler has a massive, massive discography, more than enough music for many lifetimes. It isn't all gold, to be sure, and this box set is hit or miss. It's actually a 8xLP reissue of a 6xCS release from 1983, and features mostly shortform Schnitzler works, 1 to 5 minute cuts of all manner of electronic and synthesizer experiments, from ambient tracks to pop tracks to industrial tracks and anything else the man may have cranked out off in the timeframe. Schnitzler got better as he aged and some of this stuff sounds like the slapdash experimenting it probably is, so maybe for completionists only.
Chandrashekhar Limit
From the runaway slave to a modern day king.
Another masterpiece (IMO) by King Kendrick. The lyrics in this album seem simpler to understand and more personal then TPAB, but understanding the overall concept/story is more tricky I find. The beats in this are insane, and some of the hardest beats I've ever heard.
DNA is just filthy.
9.5/10 -> Real hard to always put a number I find without defining a criteria. So I'll put a ranking vs other Kendrick albums:
1) TPAB
2) GKMC
3) DAMN
4) Section.80
I think GKMC, DAMN are pretty close tbh. Gets better the more you listen to it.
Mikeaveli
Registered User
I've had a really productive past couple weeks music-wise. Found lots of stuff I like and not much I don't
9/10:
Techno Animal - The Brotherhood of the Bomb [Industrial hip-hop, lofi]
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me [Indie folk]
Dirty Projectors - The Glad Fact [Indie rock]
8/10:
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cryptomnesia [Progressive rock]
Feist - The Reminder [Indie folk, pop]
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. [Hip-hop]
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ [Hip-hop]
7/10:
Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice [Hip-hop, trap]
Sound Directions - The Funky Side of Life [Jazz, funk, instrumental hip-hop]
Homeboy Sandman - Veins [Hip-hop]
Quelle Chris - Lullabies for the Broken Brain [Instrumental hip-hop]
Yesterday's New Quintet - Angles Without Edges [Jazz, instrumental hip-hop]
6/10:
Jay Reatard - Blood Visions [Punk]
clipping. - midcity [Industrial hip-hop, noise]
Feist - Metals [Indie folk, pop]
Raekwon - The Wild [Hip-hop]
5/10:
Hiatus Kaiyote - Tawk Tomahawk [Neo-soul]
G Herbo - Welcome to Fazoland 1.5 [Trap, drill]
Cohen Beats - Daily Affirmations [Instrumental hip-hop]
4/10:
Hail Mary Mallon - Are You Gonna Eat That? [Hip-hop]
Drake - More Life [Hip-hop, dancehall]
9/10:
Techno Animal - The Brotherhood of the Bomb [Industrial hip-hop, lofi]
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me [Indie folk]
Dirty Projectors - The Glad Fact [Indie rock]
8/10:
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cryptomnesia [Progressive rock]
Feist - The Reminder [Indie folk, pop]
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. [Hip-hop]
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ [Hip-hop]
7/10:
Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice [Hip-hop, trap]
Sound Directions - The Funky Side of Life [Jazz, funk, instrumental hip-hop]
Homeboy Sandman - Veins [Hip-hop]
Quelle Chris - Lullabies for the Broken Brain [Instrumental hip-hop]
Yesterday's New Quintet - Angles Without Edges [Jazz, instrumental hip-hop]
6/10:
Jay Reatard - Blood Visions [Punk]
clipping. - midcity [Industrial hip-hop, noise]
Feist - Metals [Indie folk, pop]
Raekwon - The Wild [Hip-hop]
5/10:
Hiatus Kaiyote - Tawk Tomahawk [Neo-soul]
G Herbo - Welcome to Fazoland 1.5 [Trap, drill]
Cohen Beats - Daily Affirmations [Instrumental hip-hop]
4/10:
Hail Mary Mallon - Are You Gonna Eat That? [Hip-hop]
Drake - More Life [Hip-hop, dancehall]
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
hototogisu
Poked the bear!!!!!
Controlled Bleeding – Songs from a Sewer of Dreams (2007)
I've always liked what I've heard from Controlled Bleeding but I also know they've been all over the map sonically in their 30-odd year career. This is a box set from Vinyl-on-Demand features unreleased tracks from throughout their existence so you get a taste of everything. The stuff that sounds like Ruins/Henry Cow/This Heat style avant-rock noodling entertains me the least, although there's some cool King Crimson & Doors covers from this era that sound OK to me. Some of the other stuff sounds like harsh, proggy, video game music that I really dug, but I liked the harsh noise stuff the best, especially the live set with Borbetomagus (!!!). Really cool comp, and a real cool band.
Current 93 - Unreleased Rarities, Out-Takes, Rehearsals and Live 82-95 (2010)
Also from Vinyl-on-Demand. I've never really been a huge Current 93 fan but decided to check this out to see if there was anything cool on it and it's OK, but maybe for diehards only. It didn't do much to convert me, if you've heard some C93 before then you know what you're getting into, more of the same.
Kluster – Klusterstrasse 69-72 (2012)
Yes! The Conrad Schnitzler box I reviewed a few posts ago is hit or miss. This gigantic 8xLP box is the best, and Kluster is one of the best bands ever. There's a lot of really spacey droney stuff but also a lot of cool group improvisation/experimentations that don't sound at all like Kluster but are rad all the same. Magnificent! Highly recommended.
The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time - Stage 2 (2017)
I've been following The Caretaker pretty closely since 2005's Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia and enjoyed a bunch of his stuff but this is he first one to bore me. It's the same shtick - old 78 RPM classical recordings cut and pasted into something new yet vaguely familiar, but I just found something was missing. Or maybe the magic is gone? Doesn’t bode well since there’s a bunch of these in the pipeline (six to be exact, "cataloguing the stages of early onset dementia") but we'll see.
Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (2017)
Very cool and very diverse, if you can stomach a bit of new agey-ness. Ecstatic jazz, ritual chants, beautiful singing, psychedelic stomps, it’s all here and a lot of sides of Alice Coltrance that I had never heard before. Recommended.
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
Very good, but not up to the heights of his last 3. Just a solid album, no masterpiece and one I'll have to listen to a few more times before it clicks I think.
Joey Bada$$ - B4.Da.$$ (2015)
Joey Bada$$ - All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ (2017)
The new one certainly sounds poppier, but that’s cool, I liked it better.
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Async (2017)
Phenomenal. Sakamoto did the score to The Revenant and this is his first solo album since his cancer diagnosis and recovery. Apparently influenced greatly by Andrei Tarkovsky, it features a very poetic blend of electronics, synthesizer, acoustic instruments, field recordings and voice (usually poetry readings in various languages). It's hard to describe but it all works together perfectly. Lovely.
Hermann Nitsch – Sinfonie fur Mexico City (2015)
Not terribly interesting. Couple of dips into Nitsch's Harmoniumwerk territory and kind of all over the place in that regard. It didn't grip me.
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer (2017)
Not my thing. Never was big on grime. This doesn’t sound different from grime 10 years ago and didn’t do anything a all for me.
Skullflower – The Paris Working (2009)
Enjoyed the percussion. Live set. Poor production. Not really into it.
Skullflower – ****ed on a Pile of Corpses (2011)
A bunch of somewhat shorter pieces, all featuring the usual blats of guitar lightning and feedback that is the Skullflower trademark these days. Fine, nothing exceptional.
Slowdive – Slowdive (2017)
Just a great collection of songs, masters at work slipping right back into their sound like 22 years haven't even gone by. Like the MBV and Aphex Twin “comeback†albums, strikes a nostalgic chord without feeling dated. Fantastic.
I've always liked what I've heard from Controlled Bleeding but I also know they've been all over the map sonically in their 30-odd year career. This is a box set from Vinyl-on-Demand features unreleased tracks from throughout their existence so you get a taste of everything. The stuff that sounds like Ruins/Henry Cow/This Heat style avant-rock noodling entertains me the least, although there's some cool King Crimson & Doors covers from this era that sound OK to me. Some of the other stuff sounds like harsh, proggy, video game music that I really dug, but I liked the harsh noise stuff the best, especially the live set with Borbetomagus (!!!). Really cool comp, and a real cool band.
Current 93 - Unreleased Rarities, Out-Takes, Rehearsals and Live 82-95 (2010)
Also from Vinyl-on-Demand. I've never really been a huge Current 93 fan but decided to check this out to see if there was anything cool on it and it's OK, but maybe for diehards only. It didn't do much to convert me, if you've heard some C93 before then you know what you're getting into, more of the same.
Kluster – Klusterstrasse 69-72 (2012)
Yes! The Conrad Schnitzler box I reviewed a few posts ago is hit or miss. This gigantic 8xLP box is the best, and Kluster is one of the best bands ever. There's a lot of really spacey droney stuff but also a lot of cool group improvisation/experimentations that don't sound at all like Kluster but are rad all the same. Magnificent! Highly recommended.
The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time - Stage 2 (2017)
I've been following The Caretaker pretty closely since 2005's Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia and enjoyed a bunch of his stuff but this is he first one to bore me. It's the same shtick - old 78 RPM classical recordings cut and pasted into something new yet vaguely familiar, but I just found something was missing. Or maybe the magic is gone? Doesn’t bode well since there’s a bunch of these in the pipeline (six to be exact, "cataloguing the stages of early onset dementia") but we'll see.
Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (2017)
Very cool and very diverse, if you can stomach a bit of new agey-ness. Ecstatic jazz, ritual chants, beautiful singing, psychedelic stomps, it’s all here and a lot of sides of Alice Coltrance that I had never heard before. Recommended.
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
Very good, but not up to the heights of his last 3. Just a solid album, no masterpiece and one I'll have to listen to a few more times before it clicks I think.
Joey Bada$$ - B4.Da.$$ (2015)
Joey Bada$$ - All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ (2017)
The new one certainly sounds poppier, but that’s cool, I liked it better.
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Async (2017)
Phenomenal. Sakamoto did the score to The Revenant and this is his first solo album since his cancer diagnosis and recovery. Apparently influenced greatly by Andrei Tarkovsky, it features a very poetic blend of electronics, synthesizer, acoustic instruments, field recordings and voice (usually poetry readings in various languages). It's hard to describe but it all works together perfectly. Lovely.
Hermann Nitsch – Sinfonie fur Mexico City (2015)
Not terribly interesting. Couple of dips into Nitsch's Harmoniumwerk territory and kind of all over the place in that regard. It didn't grip me.
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer (2017)
Not my thing. Never was big on grime. This doesn’t sound different from grime 10 years ago and didn’t do anything a all for me.
Skullflower – The Paris Working (2009)
Enjoyed the percussion. Live set. Poor production. Not really into it.
Skullflower – ****ed on a Pile of Corpses (2011)
A bunch of somewhat shorter pieces, all featuring the usual blats of guitar lightning and feedback that is the Skullflower trademark these days. Fine, nothing exceptional.
Slowdive – Slowdive (2017)
Just a great collection of songs, masters at work slipping right back into their sound like 22 years haven't even gone by. Like the MBV and Aphex Twin “comeback†albums, strikes a nostalgic chord without feeling dated. Fantastic.
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
New Found Glory - Makes Me Sick : 6.5/10
Some really fun and solid tunes on this one, but I don't find myself listening to the whole thing front to back.
Recommend: Your Jokes Aren't Funny, Party On Apocalypse, Call Me Anti-Social, Barbed Wire.
Incubus - 8 : 8/10
Some really awesome tunes that come out of nowhere. A solid mix of radio friendly pop rock and their classic hard rock sound. Recommend: Familiar Faces, Love In A Time Of Surveillance, No Fun, Throw Out The Map
Paramore - After Laughter : 7/10
New sound, doesn't sound anything like old Paramore but still not bad. Couple of jams. Hayley vocals are nothing special tho. Fun/happy sounding instrumentals with depressing and angry vocals.
Recommend: Hard Times, Rose-Colored Boy, Forgiveness, Fake Happy
Some really fun and solid tunes on this one, but I don't find myself listening to the whole thing front to back.
Recommend: Your Jokes Aren't Funny, Party On Apocalypse, Call Me Anti-Social, Barbed Wire.
Incubus - 8 : 8/10
Some really awesome tunes that come out of nowhere. A solid mix of radio friendly pop rock and their classic hard rock sound. Recommend: Familiar Faces, Love In A Time Of Surveillance, No Fun, Throw Out The Map
Paramore - After Laughter : 7/10
New sound, doesn't sound anything like old Paramore but still not bad. Couple of jams. Hayley vocals are nothing special tho. Fun/happy sounding instrumentals with depressing and angry vocals.
Recommend: Hard Times, Rose-Colored Boy, Forgiveness, Fake Happy
Mikeaveli
Registered User
10/10:
Sweet Trip - velocity:design:comfort. (fav. track - "Pro: Lov: Ad") [Shoegaze, electronic, glitch, dream pop]
8/10:
Daedelus - Invention (fav. track - "Astroboy") [Instrumental hip-hop, electronic, plunderphonics]
If anybody has heard "velocity:design:comfort." and knows any other bands that have this sound, please let me know. It's a bit long but one of the coolest and most unique albums I've ever heard.
Sweet Trip - velocity:design:comfort. (fav. track - "Pro: Lov: Ad") [Shoegaze, electronic, glitch, dream pop]
8/10:
Daedelus - Invention (fav. track - "Astroboy") [Instrumental hip-hop, electronic, plunderphonics]
If anybody has heard "velocity:design:comfort." and knows any other bands that have this sound, please let me know. It's a bit long but one of the coolest and most unique albums I've ever heard.
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Shareefruck
Registered User
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (2017 50th Anniversary Remix by Giles Martin) - 4.5 (Brilliant)
To my ears, it's far superior in every way to the original Stereo Mix. This one sounds crisper, more detailed, more balanced, and it fixes that stupid panning issue that in my opinion feels like a massive flaw in the originals.
I'm hoping that they go on to give this treatment to every Beatles album, personally. I probably won't ever play the 2009 Stereo Mix again, after hearing this one.
I think I still prefer the Mono mix, however-- it's hard to say... it's a bit of a tug-of-war between sound quality (which this one wins easily) and everything simply sounding right (which the Mono one still wins, for me)-- and even with the massive jump up in sound quality, my feeling that "When I'm 64" and to a lesser degree "Fixing a Hole" holds back the album from legitimately being a note-perfect masterpiece is still true of this version.
I urge everyone who likes the original Pepper to give this a shot.
To my ears, it's far superior in every way to the original Stereo Mix. This one sounds crisper, more detailed, more balanced, and it fixes that stupid panning issue that in my opinion feels like a massive flaw in the originals.
I'm hoping that they go on to give this treatment to every Beatles album, personally. I probably won't ever play the 2009 Stereo Mix again, after hearing this one.
I think I still prefer the Mono mix, however-- it's hard to say... it's a bit of a tug-of-war between sound quality (which this one wins easily) and everything simply sounding right (which the Mono one still wins, for me)-- and even with the massive jump up in sound quality, my feeling that "When I'm 64" and to a lesser degree "Fixing a Hole" holds back the album from legitimately being a note-perfect masterpiece is still true of this version.
I urge everyone who likes the original Pepper to give this a shot.
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Nalens Oga
Registered User
The Clientele - Strange Geometry (2007) - 8/10
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1992) - 6/10
Cast - Kicking Up The Dust (2017) - 7/10
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1992) - 6/10
Cast - Kicking Up The Dust (2017) - 7/10
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Shareefruck
Registered User
Things that I warmed up to a bit more..
Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Portrait in Jazz by Bill Evans Trio - 4.5 (Brilliant)
John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Not Available by The Residents - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Edition by Earth - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Sax Pax For a Sax by Moon Dog - 3.5 (Great)
Dust Bowl Ballads by Woody Guthrie - 3.5 (Great)
Irrlicht by Klaus Schultz - 3.5 (Great)
Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Portrait in Jazz by Bill Evans Trio - 4.5 (Brilliant)
John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Not Available by The Residents - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Edition by Earth - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Sax Pax For a Sax by Moon Dog - 3.5 (Great)
Dust Bowl Ballads by Woody Guthrie - 3.5 (Great)
Irrlicht by Klaus Schultz - 3.5 (Great)
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Shareefruck
Registered User
Third by Soft Machine - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
Grew on me massively. Four simple, perfect tracks (from three different sources) that each have their own unique timeless feel and are fully fleshed out/given room to stretch and breath. Among the greatest albums I've heard-- In terms of consistently hitting that peak level and having no relative dips, it might be at the very top for me. Any one of the four tracks could be my favorite at any given time.
The biggest change from the last time I heard it is how much I loved the Terry-Riley-esque intros and outros on the track, "Out-Bloody-Rageous."
Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
Still a bit hesitant about this rating, but it just keeps growing on me.
Albums w/ Perfect Scores
1. Lick My Decals Off by Captain Beefheart
2. Tago Mago by Can
3. Possible Musics by Jon Hassell & Brian Eno
4. White Light White Heat (Mono Mix) by The Velvet Underground
5. Third by Soft Machine
6. Selected Ambient Works II by Aphex Twin
7. Bootleg 4: Live 1966 by Bob Dylan
8. Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
9. Neu!2 (Side A Only) by Neu!
10. The Ascension by Glenn Branca
11. Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler
12. Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel by Miles Davis Quintet
13. The Velvet Underground and Nico (Mono Mix) by Velvet Underground
14. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
15. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy by Brian Eno
16. Animals by Pink Floyd
17. Point of Departure by Andrew Hill
18. In a Silent Way by Miles Davis
19. Live at the It Club by Thelonious Monk
20. Atlantis by Sun Ra
21. Three Ragas by Ravi Shankar
22. Future Days by Can
23. Outside the Dream Syndicate by Tony Conrad & Faust
24. Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
25. Faust by Faust
26. After Bathing at Baxter's by Jefferson Airplane
27. Closer by Joy Division
28. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
29. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
30. Revolver (Mono Mix) by The Beatles
31. Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno
32. ******es Brew by Miles Davis
33. Bringing it All Back Home (Mono Mix) by Bob Dylan
34. The Velvet Underground (Closet Mix) by The Velvet Underground
35. Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell
36. Highway 61 Revisited (Mono Mix) by Bob Dylan
Grew on me massively. Four simple, perfect tracks (from three different sources) that each have their own unique timeless feel and are fully fleshed out/given room to stretch and breath. Among the greatest albums I've heard-- In terms of consistently hitting that peak level and having no relative dips, it might be at the very top for me. Any one of the four tracks could be my favorite at any given time.
The biggest change from the last time I heard it is how much I loved the Terry-Riley-esque intros and outros on the track, "Out-Bloody-Rageous."
Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
Still a bit hesitant about this rating, but it just keeps growing on me.
Albums w/ Perfect Scores
1. Lick My Decals Off by Captain Beefheart
2. Tago Mago by Can
3. Possible Musics by Jon Hassell & Brian Eno
4. White Light White Heat (Mono Mix) by The Velvet Underground
5. Third by Soft Machine
6. Selected Ambient Works II by Aphex Twin
7. Bootleg 4: Live 1966 by Bob Dylan
8. Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
9. Neu!2 (Side A Only) by Neu!
10. The Ascension by Glenn Branca
11. Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler
12. Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel by Miles Davis Quintet
13. The Velvet Underground and Nico (Mono Mix) by Velvet Underground
14. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
15. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy by Brian Eno
16. Animals by Pink Floyd
17. Point of Departure by Andrew Hill
18. In a Silent Way by Miles Davis
19. Live at the It Club by Thelonious Monk
20. Atlantis by Sun Ra
21. Three Ragas by Ravi Shankar
22. Future Days by Can
23. Outside the Dream Syndicate by Tony Conrad & Faust
24. Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
25. Faust by Faust
26. After Bathing at Baxter's by Jefferson Airplane
27. Closer by Joy Division
28. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
29. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
30. Revolver (Mono Mix) by The Beatles
31. Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno
32. ******es Brew by Miles Davis
33. Bringing it All Back Home (Mono Mix) by Bob Dylan
34. The Velvet Underground (Closet Mix) by The Velvet Underground
35. Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell
36. Highway 61 Revisited (Mono Mix) by Bob Dylan
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Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Shareefruck
Registered User
It's right on the cusp and I'm mulling it over. I tried to be as uncompromising and picky as possible w/ the first tier, only putting things in there that feel 100% right to me. I definitely feel that Closer holds together tighter as an album, although I instinctively gravitate to the sound and individual standout tracks of Unknown Pleasures more. The first three tracks are great, but I would still say it doesn't start feeling masterpiece-y for me until the track "Insight" kicks in, and that's already track 4 out of 10, so the overall experience and how I feel about it afterwards doesn't hit me quite as hard as other albums do.
Edit: The other one that I'm having trouble deciding on is Bringing it All Back Home. In many ways, I massively prefer the feel of it over Highway 61, but Outlaw Blues and Gates of Eden are holding it back for me a bit.
This would be what the second tier would look like, so lots of incredible company:
4.5 (Brilliant)
37. Another Green World by Brian Eno (changed my mind about this one-- Swapped with Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell)
38. Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart
39. The Beatles (Mono Mix) by The Beatles
40. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
41. Neu! by Neu!
42. Tribute to Jack Johnson by Miles Davis
43. Complete Village Vanguard Recordings by Bill Evans Trio
44. In C by Terry Riley
45. Station to Station by David Bowie
46. E2-E4 by Manuel Gottsching
47. Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon
48. John Wesley Harding (Mono Mix) by Bob Dylan
49. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo & King Tubby
50. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
51. Out to Lunch by Eric Dolphy
52. Rubber Soul (Mono Mix) by The Beatles
53. Portrait in Jazz by Bill Evans Trio
54. Marquee Moon by Television
55. Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen
56. Complete Village Vanguard Recordings by John Coltrane
57. The Clash (UK) by The Clash
58. Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
59. Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman
60. We're Only in it For the Money by Frank Zappa
61. The Black Saint and Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus
62. Sgt. Pepper's (2017 Anniversary Mix) by The Beatles
63. Are You Experienced (UK Mono Mix) by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
64. Loveless (2012 Mix) by My Bloody Valentine
65. Not Available by The Residents
66. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Down by Public Enemy
67. Entertainment! by Gang of Four
68. The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
69. The Modern Dance by Pere Ubu
70. Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
71. Ege Bamyasi by Can
72. Black Monk Time by The Monks
73. Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Edition by Earth
74. Remain in Light by Talking Heads
75. Moanin' by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
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- Feb 3, 2009
- 18,695
- 5,058
Bandwagonesque gets better the more I listen. It's one of my favorites ever and is still probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite Tennage Fanclub album. /TFC fanboy
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Stand Atlantic - Sidewinder EP : 7.7/10
7 Minutes in Heaven - Symmetry EP : 7/10
Seaway - Vacation : 8.8/10
7 Minutes in Heaven - Symmetry EP : 7/10
Seaway - Vacation : 8.8/10
Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
A couple of classic I've gotten around to recently:
Tormentor - Anno Domini (Thrash/First Wave Black, 1988)
The rare case of an album that is very much ahead of its time yet disappoints you by playing it too safe. If Attila and co. could leave the screeching thrash riffs and solos behind, this might be considered THE defining black metal album. Alas, we only get glimpses into the future (now the past). Csihar is often criticized for his vocals in Mayhem but here he puts on a stunning performance. One of the few extreme metal albums I've heard where I can say that the vocals are one of the best aspects.
7.5/10
Highlight track: Elizabeth Bathory
Sodom - In the Sign of Evil (Thrash, 1984)
The first studio release by the kings of Teutonic Thrash is basically early (aka good) Venom turned up to 11. No worries about genre boundaries, just relentless, unhinged thrash that's dirtier than Lister's laundry. The band's sound matured pretty quickly in the 2nd half of the 80s but In the Sign of Evil is pure, naive, explosive bundle of straight FUN.
8/10
Highlight track: Blasphemer
Hellhammer - Death Fiend (a mess, 1983)
The "production" of this demo is really something to behold. Ranging from horrendous to almost unlistenable, vocals buried so deep you need a shovel, and straight up killer riffs. There's a very clear punk influence, yet most of the song really don't feel thrashy. It somewhat resembles Venom yet it's so different. I can't really grasp the fact that something like this was made in 1983
. So many flashes of brilliance hidden under the burden of not having the means to record an album.
6/10
Highlight track: Bloody P*****s
Tormentor - Anno Domini (Thrash/First Wave Black, 1988)
The rare case of an album that is very much ahead of its time yet disappoints you by playing it too safe. If Attila and co. could leave the screeching thrash riffs and solos behind, this might be considered THE defining black metal album. Alas, we only get glimpses into the future (now the past). Csihar is often criticized for his vocals in Mayhem but here he puts on a stunning performance. One of the few extreme metal albums I've heard where I can say that the vocals are one of the best aspects.
7.5/10
Highlight track: Elizabeth Bathory
Sodom - In the Sign of Evil (Thrash, 1984)
The first studio release by the kings of Teutonic Thrash is basically early (aka good) Venom turned up to 11. No worries about genre boundaries, just relentless, unhinged thrash that's dirtier than Lister's laundry. The band's sound matured pretty quickly in the 2nd half of the 80s but In the Sign of Evil is pure, naive, explosive bundle of straight FUN.
8/10
Highlight track: Blasphemer
Hellhammer - Death Fiend (a mess, 1983)
The "production" of this demo is really something to behold. Ranging from horrendous to almost unlistenable, vocals buried so deep you need a shovel, and straight up killer riffs. There's a very clear punk influence, yet most of the song really don't feel thrashy. It somewhat resembles Venom yet it's so different. I can't really grasp the fact that something like this was made in 1983
. So many flashes of brilliance hidden under the burden of not having the means to record an album.6/10
Highlight track: Bloody P*****s
Shareefruck
Registered User
Retreads again...
Live at Leeds (Original Track List) by The Who - 4.5 (Brilliant)
This whole time, I assumed that the CD version with the full concert was the definitive version, and I found it a bit underwhelming compared to its reputation, but it turns out the original Vinyl with only six selected tracks is the real deal. Incredible.
Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin - 3.5 (Great)
Always found Zeppelin overrated, but this clicked-- In terms of how tight the aesthetic is, it's perfect. By far their best album, IMO.
Murmur by R.E.M. - 3.5 (Great)
The individual tracks don't jump out at me, and it's not an album that blows me away with its ambition, but the sound that they get in this one just feels right.
94 Diskont by Oval - 3.5 (Great)
Don't know how I never heard this one.
Automatic For the People by R.E.M. - 3.0 (Very Good)
Moondog by Moondog - 2.5 (Good)
A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead - 2.5 (Good)
Didn't expect this to grow on me, but it did. Its appeal is very understated, but I actually think it feels like their tightest album (and the one I have least reservations about) besides Kid A and In Rainbows.
Torch of the Mystics by Sun City Girls - 2.0 (Positive)
Substrata by Biosphere - 2.0 (Positive)
Minimum Maximum by Kraftwerk - 2.0 (Positive)
Live at Leeds (Original Track List) by The Who - 4.5 (Brilliant)
This whole time, I assumed that the CD version with the full concert was the definitive version, and I found it a bit underwhelming compared to its reputation, but it turns out the original Vinyl with only six selected tracks is the real deal. Incredible.
Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin - 3.5 (Great)
Always found Zeppelin overrated, but this clicked-- In terms of how tight the aesthetic is, it's perfect. By far their best album, IMO.
Murmur by R.E.M. - 3.5 (Great)
The individual tracks don't jump out at me, and it's not an album that blows me away with its ambition, but the sound that they get in this one just feels right.
94 Diskont by Oval - 3.5 (Great)
Don't know how I never heard this one.
Automatic For the People by R.E.M. - 3.0 (Very Good)
Moondog by Moondog - 2.5 (Good)
A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead - 2.5 (Good)
Didn't expect this to grow on me, but it did. Its appeal is very understated, but I actually think it feels like their tightest album (and the one I have least reservations about) besides Kid A and In Rainbows.
Torch of the Mystics by Sun City Girls - 2.0 (Positive)
Substrata by Biosphere - 2.0 (Positive)
Minimum Maximum by Kraftwerk - 2.0 (Positive)
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Shareefruck
Registered User
Unit Structures (Original Track List) by Cecil Taylor - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Another stupid case where I didn't realize the CD version made the album worse by adding alternative bonus tracks to the middle of the track list. Much better without it.
The Real McCoy by McCoy Tyner - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Ditto.
Music From Big Pink by The Band - 4.5 (Brilliant)
I keep bouncing back and forth on this one because it's not really my style and has a very old-timey feel to it, but it's one helluva tight, tasteful, and perfectly executed album. I don't really understand why everyone seems to prefer their self-titled album, though.
Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux - 4.0 (Flawless)
Music From Big Pink by The Band - 4.0 (Flawless)
Another stupid case where I didn't realize the CD version made the album worse by adding alternative bonus tracks to the middle of the track list. Much better without it.
The Real McCoy by McCoy Tyner - 4.5 (Brilliant)
Ditto.
Music From Big Pink by The Band - 4.5 (Brilliant)
I keep bouncing back and forth on this one because it's not really my style and has a very old-timey feel to it, but it's one helluva tight, tasteful, and perfectly executed album. I don't really understand why everyone seems to prefer their self-titled album, though.
Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux - 4.0 (Flawless)
Music From Big Pink by The Band - 4.0 (Flawless)
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Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Listened to Wrong Way Up by Brian Eno & John Cale. What a beautiful pop album. John Cale's violin is always on point. Spinning Away might already be one of my favorite Brian Eno tracks, perhaps second or third after Burning Airlines Give You So Much More and Mother Whale Eyeless.
Alice in Chains - Dirt, 9/10
The Beaches - Late Show, 8/10
Death From Above 1979 - Outrage! Is Now, 7/10
The Beaches - Late Show, 8/10
Death From Above 1979 - Outrage! Is Now, 7/10
- Feb 3, 2009
- 18,695
- 5,058
I really don’t get the love for the two Band albums, especially Music from Big Pink. I think it’s largely a self-involved mess. It’s not bad but my guess is that if there were no Dylan connection it wouldn’t have remained in the public consciousness (of “classic rock” fans anyway) ever since its release.
plank
Registered User
The two Band albums? You're missing a few, one engineered by Todd Rundgren(wasn't that your old name?) anyway, if you're not a fan that's one thing but they were well respected by their fellow musicians(see the Last Waltz) and I think they stand on their own in the history of rock and roll.
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