Music: Last Album You Listened to and Rate It II

[Spring in Fialta]

Been trying/re-trying some things from the greatest 70s albums thread that I'm either unfamiliar with, skeptical of (but not totally dismissive of), or forgot about.

Conquering Lion by Yabby You - 2.5 (Good)
Blow by Blow by Jeff Beck - 2.5 (Good)
Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome by Parliament - 2.0 (Positive)
Wired by Jeff Beck - 2.0 (Positive)
--
Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh by Magma - 1.5 (Neutral)
Stretchin Out by Bootsy's Rubber Band - 1.5 (Neutral)
Phases and Stages by Willie Nelson - 1.5 (Neutral)
--
Pieces of a Man by Gil Scott Heron - 1.0 (Negative)
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - 1.0 (Negative)
Imagine by John Lennon - 1.0 (Negative)

Notes:
* King Tubby is awesome and Conquering Lion intrigues me a lot. Going to keep listening to that one and hopefully it rises.
* Jeff Beck is really talented and his albums are solid/impressive, not that the creativity involved blows my mind or anything.
* Funk is enjoyable and often impressive but tends to all blend together a bit for me.
* Fleetwood Mac (and that type of appeal in general) doesn't really do anything for me.
* The Revolution Will Not be Televised is such a cool thing, but I tend to immediately dislike anything R&B, so that was a bummer.
* I love John Lennon to death, but Imagine has always felt like a really overrated album to me. Only about half the tracks avoid feeling like throwaways, and even the memorable tracks sound pretty cheesy, obnoxious, and overbearing to me. I also despise Phil Spector's production in most of what he has direct influence on, and this is no exception.

That's too bad about Rumours. I don't think it's transcendent or has the highest of peaks but I think it's a good example of a well-produced, slick commercial record. I think that if commercial music had more albums of the sort mainstream music culture would be in a far better health.

Also Imagine - along with Psycho Killer by Talking Heads - are my two most intensely hated songs of all-time in contrast to their popular and critical acclaim. I could stab someone in the eye with an ice pick when I hear them.

 

[Shareefruck]

That's too bad about Rumours. I don't think it's transcendent or has the highest of peaks but I think it's a good example of a well-produced, slick commercial record. I think that if commercial music had more albums of the sort mainstream music culture would be in a far better health.

Also Imagine - along with Psycho Killer by Talking Heads - are my two most intensely hated songs of all-time in contrast to their popular and critical acclaim. I could stab someone in the eye with an ice pick when I hear them.

Agreed on Rumors, but even a slick commercial pop album that's way more admirable than the usual thing isn't something that appeals to me. I'd encourage people to listen to it instead of the typical radio-play crap, but I'd never have any desire to listen to it myself.

Agreed on the song, Imagine-- it stinks, and it's unfortunate that that period is what John Lennon tends to be most remembered for.

I've never analyzed it beyond the way it sounds, but what's wrong with Psycho Killer?

 

[Nalens Oga]

Anna Calvi - Hunter (2018) - 1.5/5
Took her 5 years to release her new album and it's a bad PJ Harvey mid-90s impersonation with no good singles on it and a bunch of songs that her vocals are wasted on. Boring shit.

Juanita Stein (Howling Bells singer) - Until The Lights Fade (2018) - 3/5

Sexy Aussie vocals, not much that stands out but a nice easy listen. Has one of the best songs/choruses of the year on it (shitty music video aside):



The Kooks - Let's Go Sunshine (2018) - 2/5

Great first two albums and they've been downhill since. Too many songs on this that sound like they're produced by a generic pop artist that plays on Virgin Radio. I wanted to listen to an indie pop band not a bunch of top 40 wannabee hits.

City Calm Down - In A Restless House (2015) - 3.5/5

Not as good as their 2nd album released this year but still very solid. Vocals sound closer to Matt Berninger of The National rather than the deeper 80s post-punk vocals on their 2nd album and it isn't as polished in sound but probably one of the better 2015 albums I've heard, these guys are legit.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Agreed on Rumors, but even a slick commercial pop album that's way more admirable than the usual thing isn't something that appeals to me. I'd encourage people to listen to it instead of the typical radio-play crap, but I'd never have any desire to listen to it myself.

Agreed on the song, Imagine-- it stinks, and it's unfortunate that that period is what John Lennon tends to be most remembered for.

I've never analyzed it beyond the way it sounds, but what's wrong with Psycho Killer?

I tend to dislike David Byrne's vocals and that song is the best worst example (it has that snobby intonation that is not amusing like Eno's). That + the chorus' ridiculously tacky guitar riff is like a bad rash in the way it can get stuck in your head.

 

[Shareefruck]

I tend to dislike David Byrne's vocals and that song is the best worst example (it has that snobby intonation that is not amusing like Eno's). That + the chorus' ridiculously tacky guitar riff is like a bad rash in the way it can get stuck in your head.

That's too bad. I like David Byrne and Talking Heads in general quite a bit. Such unbridled, irreverent, and dorky infectiousness. One of my favorite bands from the 80s.

Have you heard the album, "The Name of this Band is Talking Heads"? It's not different from what you're complaining about (arguably even doubles down on it), but the first stretch of that album (live performances from the early part of their career) really communicates that uninhibited joy well, and the weird intonation he has only adds to that release for me.

 

[Ceremony]

I hope I don't derail this thread, but surely you can see how nostalgia is a treacherous way to evaluate art, no? Would you like this record as much if it came out today?

Of course I wouldn't. While I'm here, Hot Fuss is top notch as well, even if Everything Will Be Alright is the worst album closer I've ever heard (it might be, nothing else comes to mind immediately)

Now, I wouldn't in part because the follow-up to American Idiot was another attempt at a concept album centred around some poor boy (and girl too now) attempting to find his place in a world that didn't have one for him. Sadly the music wasn't nearly comparable, and outside of hearing Know Your Enemy periodically at NHL arenas or 21 Guns played about four different times in the one Transformers movie (which I've seen once and can't remember anything about) there's no lasting impact. Then after that Green Day put out an untold power of shite that nobody in their right mind should have paid attention to, so it becomes irrelevant.

Anyway, I've recently had reason to go through all of the CDs I've ever bought (since mid-2004). I don't currently have enough room on the shelf for all of them but in spite of myself I haven't got rid of any. I feel as if there's enough horror in there that shows development, or reminds me of my shame, or something. For around the first 3/4/5 years of that I felt obligated to have everything that every band I liked ever produced. As a result there's a lot of things I can compare American Idiot to in terms of thinking it was good or worthwhile once.

It was my first real 'rock' album and the Bullet in a Bible concert album the following year was my first real experience of seeing what live music looked like. I think that album and most of their 90s hits hold up quite well and I definitely don't buy into the "because you liked it when you were young you're supposed to grow out of it" thing. I have things to compare it to and I can tell what was popular because it was a thing at a time and what was actually good, and American Idiot is firmly in the first category.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Shoot out the Lights by the Thompsons 10/10

 

[Nalens Oga]

Wolf Alice just became the first band to win the Mercury Prize for best UK album in 6 years. Visions of A Life from last year, really good mix of an album, nothing too strong top-end but it was good and their first album was solid as well so good hopes for them from the future. The lead singer was too flabbergasted to talk:

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin (1970) I found it pretty good. I always find Robert Plant's voice to be a bit much but the guitar work was enjoyable. I find them a bit too theatrical and dramatic, though.

Favorite tracks: Immigrant Song, Since I've Been Loving You, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

Jukebox by Cat Power (2008) Stylish, great voice and the modern spin on some oldies tends to pay off. Loses steam by the end. Much stronger first half.

Liquid Swords by GZA (1995) - Very solid, albeit unspectacular outside of Cold World. I find RZA's production to stand out far more than GZA's rapping, which I find a bit too overtly New York-y for my taste. Some great lines, though. And the songs flow well from one to the next.

 

[Peter Zezel]

Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin (1970) I found it pretty good. I always find Robert Plant's voice to be a bit much but the guitar work was enjoyable. I find them a bit too theatrical and dramatic, though.

Favorite tracks: Immigrant Song, Since I've Been Loving You, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

Jukebox by Cat Power (2008) Stylish, great voice and the modern spin on some oldies tends to pay off. Loses steam by the end. Much stronger first half.

Liquid Swords by GZA (1995) - Very solid, albeit unspectacular outside of Cold World. I find RZA's production to stand out far more than GZA's rapping, which I find a bit too overtly New York-y for my taste. Some great lines, though. And the songs flow well from one to the next.

The first line on Duel of The Iron Mic might be my favourite for a song ever.

“Yo, picture bloodbaths and elevator shafts
Like these murderous rhymes tight from genuine craft”

So silky smooth yet gritty.

 

[Shareefruck]

Neu! by Neu! - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
I seem to keep going around in circles regarding whether or not this album has major glaring and detracting flaws or not. At the moment, after revisiting it, Sonderangebot and Lieber Honig all of a sudden feel like they fit on the album perfectly and have their own worthwhile charms rather than being poor tracks that hold back the rest of the album. Or maybe I'm just deluding myself because I'm so blindly in love with Hallogallo and Negativland (which are both in contention for my #1 favorite song) and the concept of Neu! in general. Either way, this album's an inspiring trip, and it's cracking my top 10, dammit!

Faust IV by Faust - 4.5 or 5.0 (Brilliant/Masterpiece)
Revisited because I had a hunch that maybe I was being needlessly hard on it and it could actually be a favorite, but I kind of feel the same way. The first six tracks are absolutely spectacular and deserving of being one of the greatest albums of all time. The final two tracks, however, sour the experience a bit for me. If only they just stopped on "Lauft" and chopped off the final six minutes. I actually liked the ambient track less than I used to this time around.

I do also somewhat agree with a sentiment I read that Faust IV is to Faust what Hot Rats is to Frank Zappa. Gorgeously produced, tighter, more polished, more accessible albums that retain a lot of the same eccentricities and had superior, stand-out magnum opus' on them, but in the process, seem to lose something that the more rough and wild earlier works (Faust I & Freak Out!) had that I can't quite put my finger on.

The Faust Tapes by Faust - 2.0 (Positive)
71 Minutes of... by Faust - 1.5 (Neutral)
They're alright, I guess.

Updated Favorite Albums:
1. Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
2. White Light White Heat (Mono) by The Velvet Underground
3. Lick My Decals Off, Baby by Captain Beefheart
4. Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
5. Tago Mago by Can
6. The Velvet Underground & Nico (Mono) by The Velvet Underground
7. Bootleg 4: Live 1966 by Bob Dylan
8. Closer by Joy Division
9. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
10. Neu! by Neu!

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Neu! by Neu! - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
I seem to keep going around in circles regarding whether or not this album has major glaring and detracting flaws or not. At the moment, after revisiting it, Sonderangebot and Lieber Honig all of a sudden feel like they fit on the album perfectly and have their own worthwhile charms rather than being poor tracks that hold back the rest of the album. Or maybe I'm just deluding myself because I'm so blindly in love with Hallogallo and Negativland (which are both in contention for my #1 favorite song) and the concept of Neu! in general. Either way, this album's an inspiring trip, and it's cracking my top 10, dammit!

Faust IV by Faust - 4.5 or 5.0 (Brilliant/Masterpiece)
Revisited because I had a hunch that maybe I was being needlessly hard on it and it could actually be a favorite, but I kind of feel the same way. The first six tracks are absolutely spectacular and deserving of being one of the greatest albums of all time. The final two tracks, however, sour the experience a bit for me. If only they just stopped on "Lauft" and chopped off the final six minutes. I actually liked the ambient track less than I used to this time around.

I do also somewhat agree with a sentiment I read that Faust IV is to Faust what Hot Rats is to Frank Zappa. Gorgeously produced, tighter, more polished, more accessible albums that retain a lot of the same eccentricities and had superior, stand-out magnum opus' on them, but in the process, seem to lose something that the more rough and wild earlier works (Faust I & Freak Out!) had that I can't quite put my finger on.

The Faust Tapes by Faust - 2.0 (Positive)
71 Minutes of... by Faust - 1.5 (Neutral)
They're alright, I guess.

Updated Favorite Albums:
1. Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
2. White Light White Heat (Mono) by The Velvet Underground
3. Lick My Decals Off, Baby by Captain Beefheart
4. Interstellar Space by John Coltrane
5. Tago Mago by Can
6. The Velvet Underground & Nico (Mono) by The Velvet Underground
7. Bootleg 4: Live 1966 by Bob Dylan
8. Closer by Joy Division
9. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
10. Neu! by Neu!

Faust IV keeps going up in my esteem. I find it breathtakingly perfect. The third (I think?) sequence of Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau gives me goosebumps. Love the mixture of experimental rock and the consistent oriental-y sound present throughout the last third of the piece.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The Ecstatic by Mos Def (2009) - Fantastic. I love when hip-hop albums take risks and step outside their comfort zones, which The Ecstatic does with consistent success. His best work by far. Love his singular voice and flow, which contrasts perfectly with the often jarring (in a good way) production. The expose of a particularly imaginative mind and one of rap's first-rate albums. Love re-discovering albums. A beautiful album cover to boot. Would recommend it to anyone - there's genuiely something there for everyone. Experimental yet still accessible. Only problem is - and that's a problem with hip-hop in general - albums tend to have too many tracks. This works okay here because they flow well - in a Madvillainy kind of way - but as a general rule, there's no need for 16 songs on an album. You're likely diluting the work at that point.

Favorite tracks: No Hay Nada Mas, Twilite Speedball, History, Pretty Dancer

 

[Shareefruck]

Faust IV keeps going up in my esteem. I find it breathtakingly perfect. The third (I think?) sequence of Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau gives me goosebumps. Love the mixture of experimental rock and the consistent oriental-y sound present throughout the last third of the piece.

Totally. I love when the guitar goes nuts in "Picnic on a Frozen River". I also love "Just a Second (Starts like that)".

How do you feel about "Run" and "It's a Bit of a Pain"? That's all that's keeping it out of the top 10 for me. They're not terrible, but I'm pretty lukewarm about them.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Totally. I love when the guitar goes nuts in "Picnic on a Frozen River". I also love "Just a Second (Starts like that)".

How do you feel about "Run" and "It's a Bit of a Pain"? That's all that's keeping it out of the top 10 for me. They're not terrible, but I'm pretty lukewarm about them.

Run doesn't seem to be on the spotify version of the album so I don't think I've ever heard it. Do you own a physical copy of the album? I think It's a bit of a pain is great. I could have done without without the garrish sound that pops up at the beginning of the sound and reoccurs I think once more later but outside of that I love it. The weird electronic solo is fantastic especially with the child-like melodies underneath it. I found it a great touch.

 

[Shareefruck]

Run doesn't seem to be on the spotify version of the album so I don't think I've ever heard it. Do you own a physical copy of the album? I think It's a bit of a pain is great. I could have done without without the garrish sound that pops up at the beginning of the sound and reoccurs I think once more later but outside of that I love it. The weird electronic solo is fantastic especially with the child-like melodies underneath it. I found it a great touch.

Oh, I didn't realize there was a version w/o Run. That actually improves things for me.

I always go with the track listing of the original vinyl (this one had 8 tracks instead of 7), mainly because it's usually the case where the album was perfect to begin with but greater capacity CDs usually give them the excuse to add tracks that aren't as good to it (huge pet peeve of mine, as it always misleads me and causes me to unfairly rate it for years and years, not realizing it's tighter than I think it is). Rarely do I see it go in the opposite direction like it seems to here.

 

[Shareefruck]

Heads up for anyone who cares.

Last year, Giles Martin tastefully remixed The Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's, from scratch (partly to fix stereo panning issues which I've always hated about them), and for my money, it's pretty handily the best sounding version of the album to date.

He's doing it again this year with The White Album, along with what I presume to be a cleaner, remastered set of tracks from the Esher Demos (which is kind of like The Beatles: Unplugged).

Release in November.
The Beatles Announce ‘White Album’ Deluxe 50th Anniversary Edition

Pretty much going to be my go-to Christmas gift this year.

 

[Nalens Oga]

The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane (1988) - 2.5/5
One incredible pop song, one good one, then shit. Not jangle pop enough, too cheesy and sentimental.
Highlight:

The Church - Heyday (1985) - 3.5/5
Lacks strong songs outside of the first two but everything else is good to decent excluding the closer. Not as good as their album after this, guitars aren't as jangly as you want from a jangle pop band and it has a bad case of being too long with too many tracks that sound the same until far too many listens
Highlight:

The Coral - Move Through The Dawn (2018) - 2/5
Opens with three good songs and then a bunch of shit. Their new neo-pyschedelic-indie sound shouldn't have carried over after their previous album because they can't pull it off as well.
Highlight:

The Joy Formidable - AAARTH (2018) - 2.5/5
Slight recovery from a poor 3rd album but still not very good for a band that promised to be one of the best of the 2010s. This lacks the punch their earlier stuff had, the choruses aren't memorable, and the guitars are constantly loud but blend into a lot of mediocre riffs, just a mediocre album as a whole. I'd rate it higher but if it had more than two songs worth listening to down the line.
Highlight: The Joy Formidable - Dance Of The Lotus (Official Video)

 

[Shareefruck]

To anyone who's a Beatles fan, please be aware of these three releases. They should not be missed, IMO.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (2017 Giles Martin Reconstructed Mix) by The Beatles - 4.5 (Brilliant)
The Beatles (2018 Giles Martin Reconstructed Mix) by The Beatles - 4.5 (Brilliant)

These re-constructed mixes are absolutely incredible-- easily the best way to experience these albums (previously, the Mono versions were my favorites). The sound quality is a massive step up from any regular remaster, you can hear more in the mix, and one of the biggest problems I have with the original stereo mixes (vocals panning to one side and drums panning to the other) is mostly fixed, with a few exceptions.

The sound quality bump made it tempting to bump these up to a perfect rating, but the albums were still held back by tracks like "When I'm 64", "Why Don't We Do It On the Road", "Don't Pass Me By", "Birthday", and "Honey Pie" (oddly enough, other arguably questionable tracks like "Obla Di Obla Da", "Continuing Story of Bungalo Bill", "Piggies", "Rocky Raccoon", and "Wild Honey Pie" kind of fit the context/spirit of the album better for me).

I'm guessing that Abbey Road will get the same treatment next year, but man, I absolutely cannot wait to hear Revolver re-done this way. I imagine that would skyrocket up my favorites.




The Esher Demos (2018 Giles Martin Mix) by The Beatles - 3.0 (Very Good)
The previously bootlegged (w/ awful sound quality) Esher Demos have also been officially released in crystal clear sound, and it's pretty beautiful to hear. It's kind of like the MTV Unplugged version of The Beatles.



Also, this alternate version of Good Night is way better, IMO.
Good Night (Take 10 With A Guitar Part From Take 5)

Also gave another shot to the non-prime Beatles albums.... A Hard Day's Night is pretty overrated (Other than the two massive hits, it just sounds like a bunch of listenable but forgettable crooner songs to me) and Please Please Me is a little underrated (many charming and infectious covers to go with a few memorable originals), IMO.

Help! by The Beatles - 2.0 (Positive)
Please Please Me by The Beatles - 2.0 (Positive)
A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles - 1.5 (Neutral)
With the Beatles by The Beatles - 1.0 (Negative)
The Beatles For Sale by The Beatles - 0.5 (Bad)

 

[Mikeaveli]

.blacktunic - 1NE (IDM/Ambient Techno)

Roby Burgos of Sweet Trip came out with this short EP last year. It's pretty great, especially the epic closer, which combines an early 90's Aphex Twin influence with an awesome bassline and cool samples.

8/10

The United States of America - The United States of America (Experimental/Psychedelic Rock)

I had heard this album before and enjoyed a few tracks but this time it clicked with me into all-time great status. The noisy electronics, pseudo-guitar synthesizers and electric violin combine perfectly with the 60's psych rock sound. The songwriting is also great and Dorothy's vocals are a highlight.

Standout tracks: The stretch from "Hard Coming Love" to "Coming Down"

10/10

The Beatles - The Beatles (50th Anniversary Remix)

This was never my favourite Beatles album and this is still the case. Most tracks are greatly improved, but the tracklist is still enough of a mixed bag to justify putting it above many other Beatles albums imo (I prefer Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, and Abbey Road).

Standout tracks: "Back in the U.S.S.R.", "Dear Prudence", "Glass Onion", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Yer Blues", "Revolution 1", "Revolution 9"

9/10

 

[peate]

Mark Knopfler - Down the road wherever (2018)

I wasn't thrilled with post Dire Straits Knopfler but this album is great.
16 tracks in a myriad of styles ranging from country to jazz with plenty of nice Knopfler licks. Easy listening 7.5/10

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips (2002)

Rather uneven with more good things to say about it than bad. First time I gave a genuine shot to The Flaming Lips, mostly because I loved the cover art and the album title. There's some great atmospheric moments with single-note melodies or single-string sounds that I found immensely appealing. The lyrics were fairly off and the vocals sometimes felt rather tacky (particularly with the echo) and too croony/emotional for the intricate and delicate compositions. There's a couple of very bad songs on there (Fight Test, Do You Realize??) that are kind of baffling and simple-minded in contrast to the standout tracks. Very cute, sometimes soothing, at its peak.

Favorite Tracks: One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots part 1, part 2, In The Morning Of Magicians, Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon

Hollow Me/Beautiful by Yura Yura Teikoku (2009) - Listened to this a while back so it isn't as fresh on my mind but I found it absurdely fantastic and listened to it for a while. First discovered this band through Love Exposure, as the song Hollow Me is consistently present throughout the movie and its one of the great tracks. The vocals are gorgeous, enthralling and along with the delicate composition, almost give one the feeling of being in love with an abstract idea and feeling that can't quite be grasped but is wholly felt and deeply satisfying and that one will one day find and recognize it for what it is the moment it appears in a tangible form. Shintaro Sakamoto is one of my new favorite vocalists.

Favorite Tracks: Hollow Me, Lonely Satellite (Among my all-time favorites)

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

^^^Early 90's Flaming Lips is where it's at for me. But they sound quite different starting with The Soft Bulletin. Before that, on In A Priest Driven Ambulance and Clouds Taste Metallic they were quite noisy. Lots of feedback but still great melodies. I agree with on Yoshimi. It's fine but far from great.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Shleep by Robert Wyatt (1997) - A great album. The only flaw is the vocals sometimes feel as if they're clashing with the sublime and intricate orchestration. I love the moody experimental poppy tunes mixed in with free jazz spirit of many pieces. The album is a fairly smooth ride, and the songs tend to linger with you as they come to an end, even as a new one starts. It's a very comforting record. This may sound strange, but the record gives a feeling of smiling sounds throughout the entire experience, even if the lyrics may not imply it. I have not read them, but at the first listen, it seemed like some solid work was done in that area as well. I think you may like this @Shareefruck

Favorite tracks: Heaps of Sheeps, The Duchess, Free Will and Testament, A Sunday in Madrid, Blues in Bob Minor

 

[Shareefruck]

Shleep by Robert Wyatt (1997) - A great album. The only flaw is the vocals sometimes feel as if they're clashing with the sublime and intricate orchestration. I love the moody experimental poppy tunes mixed in with free jazz spirit of many pieces. The album is a fairly smooth ride, and the songs tend to linger with you as they come to an end, even as a new one starts. It's a very comforting record. This may sound strange, but the record gives a feeling of smiling sounds throughout the entire experience, even if the lyrics may not imply it. I have not read them, but at the first listen, it seemed like some solid work was done in that area as well. I think you may like this @Shareefruck

Favorite tracks: Heaps of Sheeps, The Duchess, Free Will and Testament, A Sunday in Madrid, Blues in Bob Minor

Good instincts-- I'm trying it now and I'm liking it more the more I listen, thanks.

I must have missed it because the one I tried after Rock Bottom was End of an Ear, which didn't leave much of an impression, and I just assumed the rest were weaker.

Want to give Ruth is Stranger than Richard a shot after this.