Music: Last Album You Listened To And Rate It III

[hangman005]

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[peate]

Alanis Morissette - Such Pretty Forks in The Road (2020)

You can tell she's not a kid anymore from the first cuts. Very mature and finely crafted songs.
Grammy winner possible. 8.5

 

[Shareefruck]

Fela Kuti binge. Admittedly only skimmed some of them (especially the ones I wasn't into) rather than give them thorough listens (I've heard all of these before).

Alagbon Close was the biggest revelation from this. More understated and maybe less eye-catching than a lot of the others, but silky smooth, cohesive, and solid as an album in a way that I can't help but feel that a lot of Fela Kuti albums aren't.

1. Opposite People - 4.5 (Brilliant)
2. Afrodisiac - 3.5 (Great)
3. Alagbon Close - 2.5 (Good)

2.0 (Positive)
4. Live w/ Ginger Baker
5. Expensive Sh*t (I don't usually make this complaint, but the title track is probably too repetitive)
6. Confusion (used to be a favorite, but the fact that it's just one very very repetitive track dropped it for me)
7. Roforofo Fight
8. No Agreement
9. Gentlemen (used to be a favorite, but the fact that the latter two tracks aren't anything close to as good as the title track dropped it for me-- had a tendency to give passes like that)
10. Unnecessary Begging
11. Shakara
12. He Miss Road
13. Yellow Fever

1.5 (Neutral)
Original Sufferhead
Na Poi
Open & Close
Shuffering & Shmiling
Noise For Vendor Mouth
Question Jam Answer
Fear Not For Man
Zombie

0.0 to 1.0 (Didn't Care)
Everything Scatter
Kalakuta Show
Excuse O
Ikoyi Blindness
J.D.D.
I.T.T.
Underground System
Stalemate
Up Side Down
Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense
Monkey Banana
Why Black Man Dey Suffer
Music of Many Colors

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Paid in Full by Erik B. and Rakim (1987) - Re-listen. Solid stuff, although certain tracks sound labored and the production doesn't always match the rapping, making the latter underwhelming at times. Some great grooves, though. Certain tracks sound dated without the charm, such as Chinese Arithmetic.

Favorite tracks: I Ain't No Joke, Paid in Full, Extended Beat

Long Season by Fishmans (1996) - Excellent. Likely not something that can be listened to regularly as you need to dedicate the entire runtime for maximum effect (I paused and started from the beginning once or twice) but gorgeously threaded, looping with effectiveness. Highly melodic and carrying, with pleasing sound effects that add a lot of welcomed quirk to the entire process without it ever feeling out of place or forced. Gorgeous, almost schizophrenic quality to the vocals, as well as the background noise...

 

[Shareefruck]

Paid in Full by Erik B. and Rakim (1987) - Re-listen. Solid stuff, although certain tracks sound labored and the production doesn't always match the rapping, making the latter underwhelming at times. Some great grooves, though. Certain tracks sound dated without the charm, such as Chinese Arithmetic.

Favorite tracks: I Ain't No Joke, Paid in Full, Extended Beat

Long Season by Fishmans (1996) - Excellent. Likely not something that can be listened to regularly as you need to dedicate the entire runtime for maximum effect (I paused and started from the beginning once or twice) but gorgeously threaded, looping with effectiveness. Highly melodic and carrying, with pleasing sound effects that add a lot of welcomed quirk to the entire process without it ever feeling out of place or forced. Gorgeous, almost schizophrenic quality to the vocals, as well as the background noise...

Nice! Considering the live one next?

I've always felt that the Rakim rapping side of that group holds up a lot better than the Eric B. production side of it. Especially on the tracks without vocals, which can sound a little cheesy to my ears.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Nice! Considering the live one next?

I've always felt that the Rakim rapping side of that group holds up a lot better than the Eric B. production side of it. Especially on the tracks without vocals, which can sound a little cheesy to my ears.

I'll get around to it eventually, for sure. I explored a few songs outside of Long Season. Cute stuff, but I don't know what the titles are.





Eh, sometimes I just find Rakim's rapping a bit bland at times. It's not a consistent flaw.

 

[Saturated Fats]

Albums I listened to recently that are 4.0+

Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing and Other Stories
Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today
Haley Heynderickx - I Need to Start a Garden
Kishi Bashi - Lighght
New Model Army - Ghost of Cain
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Neurosis - Souls at Zero
Backxwash - God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It
Lianne La Havas - Blood
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

A few of these were first-time listens to 2010-era albums that came heavily recommended. Others are older classics that I needed to give more time to. Of them, Flying Lotus and New Model Army are 4.5-star.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson (1969) - I really like a lot of what its doing but I can't help but think that I want to like it more than I actually do due to its approach and ambition. But there's only five tracks...two of which I didn't care too much for on a first listen (I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph) and only one that I genuinely loved (Moonchild). Sometimes it felt a bit too grandiose in an distasteful way but then some of it is incredibly imaginative, well-executed and then other sound rather cheesy to the point where it seems completely contradictory with the album's flow and presence.

Favorite tracks: Moonchild, 21st Century Schizoid Man.

 

[Shareefruck]

Some upward movement:

Victorialand by Cocteau Twins - 3.0 (Very Good) [like this more than Heaven or Las Vegas now]
Love's Easy Tears [EP] by Cocteau Twins - 3.0 (Very Good) [this one's tentative because I don't know how to rate EPs, but it's great from front to back, cohesive, and immediately satisfying]
Velocity Design Comfort by Sweet Trip - 3.0 (Very Good) [I like everything besides maybe Dsco now-- the saccharine shoegaze voice still just kind of annoys me, but the album itself is great]
Tomorrow's Harvest by Boards of Canada - 3.0 (Very Good) [never imagined this would ever happen, but I'm actually starting to like this more than the other Boards of Canada albums-- more than MHTRTC anyways]
Confield by Autechre - 2.0 (Positive)
Orbital 1 (Yellow) by Orbital - 2.0 (Positive)
Fuzao by Faye Wong - 2.0 (Positive)

Some lukewarm misses:

Crumbling by Mid Air Thief - 1.5 (Neutral) [neat approach/sound, but it didn't really do it for me]
Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt by John Frusciante - 1.0 (Negative) [just didn't grab me]
Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time by Candy Claws - 1.0 (Negative)

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt by John Frusciante - 1.0 (Negative) [just didn't grab me]

That's the moment when you lost me forever. ;-)

 

[Spring in Fialta]

That's the moment when you lost me forever. ;-)

I love that album too.

 

[Shareefruck]

Deceit by This Heat - 3.5 (Great)
Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis - 3.0 or 3.5 (Very Good/Great) [like it as much if not more than Laughing Stock-- love how flawlessly bare and minimal it sounds]
Portishead by Portishead - 3.0 (Very Good) [dismissed this before for some reason, but I might like it about as much as Dummy]
Scenery by Ryo Fukui - 2.5 (Good) [consistently pleasant, maybe a little inconsequential and dismissable as poor-man's Bill Evans, except for Early Summer, which is really cool and a ton of fun]
---
Comicopera by Robert Wyatt - 2.0 (Positive)
Soon over Babaluma by Can - 2.0 (Positive)
F#A#Infinity (Vinyl Version) by Godspeed You Black Emperor - 2.0 (Positive) [never realized this was different from the CD version-- definitely prefer this one]
---
Second Coming by The Stone Roses - 1.5 (Neutral) [a handful of strong tracks and a lot of generally okay ones]
Souvlaki by Slowdive - 1.5 (Neutral) [pleasant but also a tiny bit annoying in its saccharine-ness, which is an issue I have with most dream pop/shoegaze]
Fantasies by Metric - 1.0 (Negative) [impressive how many catchy radio-friendly tracks that don't suck there are, but I can't say I get too much genuine reward out of it either]
Dead Cities by Future Sound of London - 1.0 (Negative)

Highlights

The Color of Spring by Mark Hollis


Early Summer by Ryo Fukui


Cenotaph by This Heat (love when the melodic bass/guitar kicks in half what through-- reminds me of when the contrasting bass swoops in on Japan in a Dishpan)

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Debut by Bjork (1993) - It's got interesting orchestration but I'm not particularly fond of Bjork's voice and I finished the album without much interest. Front and backloaded with the middle being fairly banal, I thought. I respect that she has a distinct style, just one that often didn't work for me.

Favorite tracks: Venus as a Boy, Crying, Aeroplane.

Homogenic by Bjork (1997) - Similar feelings to the first album. Some songs felt like the lyrics were forced into an orchestration that didn't fit it. Got bored again. Can't remember much of it and I listened to it yesterday. I think the good songs are a little more memorable here, though.

Favorite tracks: Unravel, All Neon Like, 5 Years.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

James - Millionaires (1999) - 3/5

DIIV - Deceiver (2019) - 3/5

The Beths - Future Me Hates Me (2018) - 3.5/5

Rolling Blackouts C.F. - Sideways To Italy (2020) - 3/5

DMA'S - The Glow (2020) - 4/5

Waiting for the new Doves comeback album next week.

 

[Shareefruck]

Confield by Autechre - 4.5 or 5.0 (Brilliant/Masterpiece) [finally clicked with me after struggling with it for a while-- kind of obsessed now-- tight from front to back with high peaks (Parhelic Triangle and Bine are relatively weaker tracks to me, but still good), really tastefully crafted/understated, and unlike anything I've ever heard before. Easily the best IDM I've heard so far]

Aladdin Sane by David Bowie - 1.5 (Neutral) [liked it more than before and it seems like it's structured and full, but it feels older, more dated, and cheesier than something like Hunky Dory-- The Ziggy period does not hold up at all, in my opinion]

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Confield by Autechre - 4.5 (Brilliant) [finally clicked with me after struggling with it for a while-- kind of obsessed now-- tight from front to back with high peaks (Parhelic Triangle and Bine are relatively weaker tracks to me, but still good), really tastefully crafted/understated, and unlike anything I've ever heard before. Easily the best IDM I've heard so far]
Aladdin Sane by David Bowie - 1.5 (Neutral) [liked it more than before and it seems like it's structured and full, but it feels older, more dated, and cheesier than something like Hunky Dory-- The Ziggy period does not hold up at all, in my opinion]

Updated Favorite Albums:

5.0 (Masterpiece)
1. Lick My Decals Off Baby by Captain Beefheart
2. White Light White Heat by The Velvet Underground
3. Tago Mago by Can
4. Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
5. Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt
6. Possible Music by Jon Hassell
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
8. The Ascension by Glenn Branca
9. Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
10. B*tches Brew by Miles Davis
11. Closer by Joy Division
12. Bootleg 4: Live 1966 by Bob Dylan
13. Future Days by Can

4.5 (Brilliant)
14. Revolver (Mono) by The Beatles
15. The Velvet Underground (Closet Mix) by The Velvet Underground
16. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine
17. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
18. Confield by Autechre
19. Rockers Meets King Tubby in a Firehouse by Augustus Pablo
20. Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk
21. Faust IV by Faust
22. Mm.. Food by MF Doom
23. In Rainbows by Radiohead
24. Opposite People by Fela Kuti
25. Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno
26. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings by Bill Evans Trio
27. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

4.0 (Flawless)
28. Neu! by Neu!
29. Drukqs by Aphex Twin
30. Selected Ambient Works Vol. II by Aphex Twin
31. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
32. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown by King Tubby
33. Ege Bamyasi by Can
34. Tri Repetae by Autechre
35. The Return of the Durutti Column by Durutti Column
36. The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel by Miles Davis
37. The Real McCoy by McCoy Tyner
38. Marquee Moon by Television
39. Another Green World by Brian Eno
40. Animals by Pink Floyd
41. Faust by Faust

3.5 (Great)
42. Deceit by This Heat
43. The Moon and the Melodies by Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd
44. Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) by Captain Beefheart
45. Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis
46. 98.12.28 Live by Fishmans
47. Point of Departure by Andrew Hill
48. Dots and Loops by Stereolab
49. Ki Oku by DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo
50. Live at the It Club by Thelonious Monk
51. Disintegration Loops by William Basinski
52. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy by Brian Eno
53. Shleep by Robert Wyatt
54. The Unseen by Quasimoto
55. Scientist Meets the Space Invaders by Scientist
56. Madvillainy by Madvillainy
57. Rubber Soul (Mono) by The Beatles
58. The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus
59. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings by John Coltrane
60. In a Silent Way by Miles Davis
61. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
62. Debussy: Preludes Book 1 by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
63. Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
64. Chopin: Nocturnes by Ivan Morovec
65. Rushup Edge by The Tuss
66. Surfing on Sine Waves by Polygon Window
67. Roseland NYC by Portishead
68. Low by David Bowie

3.0 (Very Good)
69. After Bathing at Baxter's by Jefferson Airplane
70. Pop by Gas
71. The Complete Matrix Tapes by The Velvet Underground
72. Long Season by Fishmans
73. Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon
74. The Modern Dance by Pere Ubu
75. Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassell
76. Outside the Dream Syndicate by Tony Conrad & Faust
77. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
78. The Beatles (2018 Mix) by The Beatles
79. Victorialand by Cocteau Twins
80. Velocity Comfort Design by Sweet Trip
81. Kid A by Radiohead
82. Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler
83. Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
84. Syro by Aphex Twin
85. Talking Timbuktu by Ali Farka Toure
86. Another Side of Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
87. Wonderwall Music by George Harrison
88. Tomorrow's Harvest by Boards of Canada
89. Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Edition by Earth
90. Geogaddi by Boards of Canada
91. Love's Easy Tears by Cocteau Twins
92. Afrodisiac by Fela Kuti
93. Alagbon Close by Fela Kuti
94. Neu!75 by Neu!
95. Third by Soft Machine
96. Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
97. Amnesiac by Radiohead
98. Entertainment! by Gang of Four
99. Cobra & Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night by Stereolab
100. The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox

Do you have lists for albums that you are either neutral, lukewarm or find terrible? If so, could you post it? I'd be curious to see what's on it.

 

[Saturated Fats]

I'm gonna make it a personal task to listen to all of @Shareefruck 's 5-starred albums, and then rate/rank them myself. I'm already familiar with most, but need to dive way deeper on 'em.

 

[Shareefruck]

I'm gonna make it a personal task to listen to all of @Shareefruck 's 5-starred albums, and then rate/rank them myself. I'm already familiar with most, but need to dive way deeper on 'em.

Cool (You're that Bogart guy, right?), just don't blame me if you don't like them

Do you have lists for albums that you are either neutral, lukewarm or find terrible? If so, could you post it? I'd be curious to see what's on it.

Not really, and that would be a massive list anyways. The way I generally approach this stuff is that everything I'm curious about starts off as a 1.5 (neutral), everything that becomes 2.0+ or that I haven't made up my mind on yet, I'll hang on to, and I'll get rid of and forget about everything else.

Here are all the albums on BestEverAlbums.com's top 200 that would be neutral or lower.

Neutral/Don't Care:
Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Nevermind
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Doolittle
Is This It
Rumours
Who's Next
Disintegration
Pink Moon
Siamese Dream
In Utero
Lonerism
Agaetis Byrjun
Paranoid
Blue Album
What's Going On
After the Gold Rush
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Blue
Purple Rain
Spiderland
Sound of Silver
Surfer Rosa
Pinkerton
Rain Dogs
The Bends
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Soft Bulletin
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Enter the Wutang
Innervisions
High Violet
The Moon and Antarctica
Blackstar
Boxer
Teen Dream
The Downward Spiral
Mezzanine
Quadrophenia
Red
Moondance
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Lonesome Crowded West
This is Happening
Violent Femmes
Slanted and Enchanted

Negative:
Laterlus
Different Class
The Doors
LA Woman
Turn on the Bright Lights
For Emma, Forever Ago
Close to the Edge
Ten
Thriller
Illinois
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Suburbs
To Pimp a Butterfly
Good Kid MAAD City
Hounds of Love
If You're Feeling Sinister
Fleet Foxes
Neon Bible
Either Or
Discovery
Bon Iver
Songs for the Deaf
Absolution
Origin of Symmetry
College Dropout
Reflektor
The Glow Pt. 2

Outright dislike:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Dookie
American Idiot
A Night at the Opera
Ride the Lightning
Hot Fuss
Master of Puppets
Appetite for Destruction
Demon Days
Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not
Superunknown
A Rush of Blood to the Head
What's the Story Morning Glory
Elephant
Definitely Maybe
Rage Against the Machine
Californication
Blood Sugar Sex Magic
Joshua Tree
Achtung Baby
Born to Run
Back in Black

Overall Chart

 

[Saturated Fats]

Cool (You're that Bogart guy, right?), just don't blame me if you don't like them

... No. Lol. My old username was 'SonicY'

 

[Shareefruck]

... No. Lol. My old username was 'SonicY'

Oh, my bad. It's the poll threads.

 

[Saturated Fats]

Oh, my bad. It's the poll threads.

I know, I know. They're fantastic and you love them.

You should try 'em out! Would love to get your input.

 

[Shareefruck]

I know, I know. They're fantastic and you love them.

You should try 'em out! Would love to get your input.

I think I did for the first few, but I kind of lost interest after a while. The majority wins poll format (as opposed to just letting opinions and arguments stand for themselves) makes it feel less fun to me.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986) - 2.5/5

I think I prefer the stuff Depeche Mode has released since the 90s because their 80s stuff sounds quite dated mainly because of the synths. The 80s synths and little samples don't hold up well at all even though the vocals are fine. Stripped however is still a great song, glad to finally hear the proper full version, I only knew a kent cover of it from the 90s and I hold kent in higher regard than Depeche Mode but that was an awful cover. Question of Trust is the other song which holds up well because it's again focused more on vocals and is slower paced than the rest.

Doves - The Universal Want (2020) - 3.5/5

I don't appreciate the layering of Doves' music as much as others but it's still a consistent album. It's just that the opener Carousels is the only real standout track, but it is one of the best songs I've heard in 2020. Also one of the better comeback albums I've heard after a long hiatus which was 11 years in this case.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Hi, How Are You by Daniel Johnston (1983) - It's pretty good with a couple of great songs. Obviously unpolished and lo-fi as they're unfinished home recordings. I think they often shows the genesis of a great sensibility than an outright great record, although I still think it's a worthy listen and found myself going back to it a couple of times in a sort of hypnotic way. Great voice but the pieces who are little more than spoken word are close to worthless and jumble the record. I don't see it as 'childlike' and 'pure' which tends to be a lazy description of the record (probably an unconscious way to romanticize Johnston's mental illness and his story). One of those things where the imperfections certainly add some charm, but I think something more tight would have made it better. Money, essentially.

Favorite tracks: Big Business Monkey, Walking The Cow, I Picture Myself With A Guitar, Desperate Man Blues

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Slayer: South of Heaven.

f***ing awesome.