Music: Last Album You Listened to and Rate It II

[Mikeaveli]

9/10:
Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory (fav. track - "Blasphemy")

8/10:
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (fav. track - "The Champ")

7/10:
Busdriver - Perfect Hair (fav. track - "Ego Death")

6/10:
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo (fav. track - "Famous")

4/10:
Future - EVOL (fav. track - "Xanny Family")

2/10:
Snoop Dogg & Daz Dillinger - Cuzznz (fav. track - "Have U Eva")

 

[ZenRegalia]

Strength in Numbers: The Telluride Sessions 9/10 deducting a point because it clocks in at less than 40 minutes... if you think you know bluegrass... or if you think you don't like bluegrass, this is a must!

The Meters live on the Queen Mary When this seminal funk band reunited after a decade or so back in the late 90's, they counted over 60 instances of having hip hop or other artists sampling their music (w/o any compensation)

The Best of the Talking Heads


Brazil Classics Vol. 1 Beliza Tropical 10/10 simply awe-inspiring


The Best of Taj Mahal 8.5/10 music that comes from the heart, abdomen and the root chakra

Curtis Mayfield Live from The Bitter End A master at the top of his game

 

[kihei]

All Night Wrong/Allan Holdsworth 8/10

Rock-based fusion trio led by a master guitarist (Soft Machine; UK; Tony Williams) who doesn't put out many albums. Technically amazing but very listenable, too. Interesting sidemen: Jimmy Johnson has a diverse track record, including playing with Stan Getz, Sergio Mendez, Roger Waters, and James Taylor; drummer Chad Wackerman had a seven year gig in the '80s with Frank Zappa's band.

 

[Shareefruck]

Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux - 4.0 (Perfect)
Fire of Love by The Gun Club - 3.5 (Great)
Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis - 3.0 (Very Good)
Uncle Meat by Frank Zappa - 3.0 (Very Good)
Color of Spring by Talk Talk - 2.0 (Positive)
Life of Pablo by Kanye West - 0.5 (Bad)

* Love the track, King Kong, by Zappa
* Twin Infinitives was another one of those bizarre alienating albums that eventually clicked for me. Alot of people think that Scaruffi is some easily dismissable pretentious ***-hole, and maybe he is, but damn, his top list is having a really high success rate of exactly the kind of music I'm most impressed/satisfied by.
* Still baffled by the Kanye West "he may be an ***-hole, but his music is undeniably good!" thing.

 

[kihei]

Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux - 4.0 (Perfect)
Fire of Love by Gun Club - 3.0 (Very Good)
Mark Hollis by Mark Hollis - 2.5 (Good)
Color of Spring by Talk Talk - 2.0 (Positive)
Life of Pablo by Kanye West - 0.5 (Bad)

Twin Infinitives was another one of those bizarre alienating albums that eventually clicked for me.
Still baffled by the Kanye West "he may be an ***-hole, but his music is undeniably good!" thing.

Care to go into your plus/minuses on Mark Hollis' solo album? Just curious.

 

[Shareefruck]

Care to go into your plus/minuses on Mark Hollis' solo album? Just curious.

I like it, and I think it's a grower. Could easily be a 3.0. Not a case where I had any specific problems with it, it's still new and just hasn't grown on me yet and I haven't been completely consumed by it yet. I like the sparseness of it in comparison to other Talk Talk albums (in particular, Color of Spring felt more full/busy in an unappealing way to me), and the voice/throngs of music coming from silence occasionally gave me chills. To be honest, I couldn't tell that it was a solo album from the music alone. It just sounded like other Talk Talk albums, but with more restraint.

I had bigger issues with Color of Spring, which felt a little too 80s corny/vanilla/busy for my liking.

Laughing Stock blew me away recently after initial hesitation, so I thought I'd give these another shot.

 

[hototogisu]

Yeah. And I would kind of put Metal in the same category, personally. They both tend to feel bloated and melodramatic/overly pleased itself while lacking substance/tastefulness that warrants it, IMO.

OT, but what's always been a pet peeve for me is that everyone who likes metal tends to jump to the conclusion that people don't like it because it's loud, noisy, and barbarically aggressive, but I've always felt like.... "No, it has nothing to do with that-- I love those attributes-- It's the corniness, garishness, and melodrama that puts me off about it."

I think if you like the music, you can get past everything else. At least, I've never been one to let aesthetics or lyrics or costumes or politics get in the way of me enjoying some music, personally.

Sun City Girls - Torch of the Mystics (1990/USA/???)

First of all this band has an absurdly large and intimidating discography so I'm wading through some of it with the help of a friend who raves about the group.

It's bizarre music that's for sure, I guess you'd call it experimental rock with elements of arabic folk music, psychedelia and free improvisation. Album doesn't seem terribly cohesive, and some individual tracks seem but maybe that's the point? I'm pretty much a philistine when it comes to this sort of music. The strong tracks (Esoterica of Abyssinia, Space Prophet Dogon, etc.) are interesting enough that I'll revisit this to try to get my head around it.

4.5/10 with the caveat that this could change substantially on future listens.

Torch of the Mystics is one of the most accessible SCG albums (and one of their best) so it's a good place to start. I had that one and it didn't move me tremendously at first but "Horse **** Phepner" is the one that did it for me and then I got into a bunch of their stuff. I'd also recommend "Bright Surroundings, Dark Beginnings". The Carnival Folklore Resurrection series is cool too for something different to listen to.

 

[Shareefruck]

I think if you like the music, you can get past everything else. At least, I've never been one to let aesthetics or lyrics or costumes or politics get in the way of me enjoying some music, personally.

Huh? I was only talking about the music, specifically, not the baggage that comes with it. I think the sound/content/musical sensibilities themselves often sound garish/corny/melodramatic/bloated/overly self serious/pleased with itself, similar to the feeling I get from listening to some prog rock, but a little worse (at least the metal I've come across so far). I think aesthetics and lyrics are part of what makes music good or bad, as well. If something sounds really corny or tasteless to me, I'm unlikely to give it the time of day, regardless of the technique/talent that went into it.

The costumes are completely irrelevant. I'm usually entirely unaware of what these bands look like. It's not like I google pictures of them before giving them a shot anyways. But the feeling/impression I get from a band when I listen to their music..... I think that matters, and it's all part of the experience.

 

[Ouroboros]

Torch of the Mystics is one of the most accessible SCG albums (and one of their best) so it's a good place to start. I had that one and it didn't move me tremendously at first but "Horse **** Phepner" is the one that did it for me and then I got into a bunch of their stuff. I'd also recommend "Bright Surroundings, Dark Beginnings". The Carnival Folklore Resurrection series is cool too for something different to listen to.

I've done some more exploring through their discography since my post and it all sort of leaves me sort of bewildered. I'd probably lower my ranking of Torch of the Mystics now.

I'm generally nonplussed by music that could generally be lumped together as "avantgarde". Maybe I'm not wired to like it? It all feels so aimless to me - seems to lacks coherence and a constancy of theme and mood. It's inherently frustrating music in a way.

 

[hototogisu]

Huh? I was only talking about the music, specifically, not the baggage that comes with it. I think the sound/content/musical sensibilities themselves often sound garish/corny/melodramatic/bloated/overly self serious/pleased with itself, similar to the feeling I get from listening to some prog rock, but a little worse (at least the metal I've come across so far). I think aesthetics and lyrics are part of what makes music good or bad, as well. If something sounds really corny or tasteless to me, I'm unlikely to give it the time of day, regardless of the technique/talent that went into it.

The costumes are completely irrelevant. I'm usually entirely unaware of what these bands look like. It's not like I google pictures of them before giving them a shot anyways. But the feeling/impression I get from a band when I listen to their music..... I think that matters, and it's all part of the experience.

Then I feel like there's a contradiction from your previous post - "I like the loud, noisy, and barbarically aggressive attributes of metal music" and this post, which is basically saying "I just don't like anything about the way metal music sounds". Or maybe I just misread. Seems to me like you just don't like metal music. That's cool.

I've done some more exploring through their discography since my post and it all sort of leaves me sort of bewildered. I'd probably lower my ranking of Torch of the Mystics now.

I'm generally nonplussed by music that could generally be lumped together as "avantgarde". Maybe I'm not wired to like it? It all feels so aimless to me - seems to lacks coherence and a constancy of theme and mood. It's inherently frustrating music in a way.

Well, I wouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater. "Avantgarde" as a genre is huge and encompasses a massive variety of sounds. Maybe you'll find something in there you like, maybe not

 

[Shareefruck]

Then I feel like there's a contradiction from your previous post - "I like the loud, noisy, and barbarically aggressive attributes of metal music" and this post, which is basically saying "I just don't like anything about the way metal music sounds". Or maybe I just misread. Seems to me like you just don't like metal music. That's cool.

Huh? How? I'm saying that I don't mind/am open to one aspect of the music (the aspect that everyone assumes is why people don't like it-- I like unhinged noisy abrasiveness), but another aspect of the music completely ruins it for me (the melodrama/corniness/garishness). To my ears, based on the stuff I've heard, the genre seems to be a combination of each of these things. To me, the mix doesn't go very well together, and seems a little counter-intuitive.

Both aspects are based on the music and have nothing to do with image or external context.

 

[Thucydides]

I've been back at the gym for the last five weeks, and I've been listening to entire albums during my workouts. Here's a few I've listened to over the last couple of weeks that are worth mentioning.

Just got around to really soaking this in today. Great album. I "almost" like it more than Sunbather. I'm not a huge metal fan, but Deafheaven is I think the best of the genre at the moment. The breakdowns, the screaming, guitar solos, this album has it all.

8.6/10

New Kanye album. The big moments are really big, but there's some low moments on the album for me that leave this album kind of scattered. Still worth a listen for the standout tracks.

6.8/10

One of my favorite records from last year.

8.7/10

The album where The war on drugs started gaining some traction in critics circles. Not as good as their next album, Lost in The Dream, but there's lots to like here.

8.4/10

So catchy.

8.9/10

 

[Know Your Enemy]

Either/Or by Elliott Smith 4.5/5

 

[Shareefruck]

Binged through Scaruffi list again-- Some things clicked more. Great batting average.

Scaruffi's Best Rock Albums of All Time
1. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
2. Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt - 4.5 (Brilliant)
3. Faust by Faust - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
4. The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
5. The Doors by The Doors - 2.5 (Good)
6. Hosianna Mantra by Popol Vuh - 4.5 (Brilliant)
7. Modern Dance by Pere Ubu - 4.5 (Brilliant)
8. Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux - 4.0 (Perfect)
9. Fare Forward Voyagers by John Fahey - 2.0 (Positive)
10. Desert Shore by Nico - 3.0 (Very Good)
11. Lorca by Tim Buckley - 3.0 (Very Good)
12. Parable of Arable Land by Red Crayola - 4.0 (Perfect)
13. Irrlicht by Klaus Schulze - 3.5 (Great)
14. The Good Son by Nick Cave - 1.5 (Neutral)
15. Geek the Girl by Lisa Germano - N/A
16. Good by Morphin - 1.0 (Negative)
17. Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
18. Neu! by Neu! - 4.5 (Brilliant)
19. Nail by Foetus - 2.5 (Good)
20. Suicide by Suicide - 4.5 (Brilliant)
21. Astral Weeks by Van Morrison - 3.5 (Great)
22. Not Available by Residents - 2.5 (Good)
23. Y by Pop Group - 4.5 (Brilliant)
24. Lullaby Land by Vampire Rodents - 2.5 (Good)
25. Zen Arcade by Husker Du - 4.0 (Perfect)
26. Elements by Third Ear Band - 2.5 (Good)
27. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
28. Psychic Powerless by Butthole Surfers - 1.5 (Neutral)
29. Third by Soft Machine - 4.5 (Brilliant)
30. Slow Deep and Hard by Type O Negative - 1.0 (Negative)
31. Uncle Meat by Frank Zappa - 3.0 (Very Good)
32. Double Nickel on the Dime by Minutemen - 3.0 (Very Good)
33. Repeater by Fugazi - 2.0 (Positive)
34. Yerself is Steam by Mercury Rev - 2.0 (Positive)
35. Fire of Love by Gun Club - 3.5 (Great)
36. Down Colorful Hill by Red House Painters - 2.0 (Positive)
37. Spiderland by Slint - 3.0 (Very Good)
38. White Light White Heat by The Velvet Underground - 5.0 (Masterpiece)
39. Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart - 4.5 (Brilliant)
40. Well Oiled by Hash Jar Tempo - N/A
41. Dream Theory in Malaya by Jon Hassel - 2.0 (Positive)
42. Diamanda Galas by Diamanda Galas - 0.5 (Bad)
43. Flying Teapot by Gong - 2.5 (Good)
44. The River by Bruce Springsteen - N/A

Other Scaruffi-related albums:
Roxy Music by Roxy Music - 3.0 (Very Good)
Absolutely Free by Frank Zappa - 3.0 (Very Good)
Aqualung by Jethro Tull - 3.0 (Very Good)
Phallus Dei by Amon Duul II - 2.5 (Good)
Atem by Tangerine Dream - 2.0 (Positive)
Machine Head by Deep Purple - 1.5 (Neutral)
Mr. Fantasy by Traffic - 1.5 (Neutral)
Saucerful of Secrets by Pink Floyd - 1.5 (Neutral)

 

[Hippasus]

Binged through Scaruffi list again-- Some things clicked more. Great batting average.

That guys always seemed to have quirky taste. He would have some of the most bizarre stuff as complete classics. Just looking at some of these albums, some of them are just off in left field. He certainly has covered a lot of ground though. Things like the exclusion of Can on this list just seems off. I don't mean one has to like Can, and I know the list linked below is only a top 25, but to include Faust and Neu! so high and leave off Can makes me scratch my head. Morphine's Good as number 16 rock album and Type O Negative's NSFW album title as a metal classic are also weird in a bad way IMO. There are some gems on his many lists though.

http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

 

[Shareefruck]

That guys always seemed to have quirky taste. He would have some of the most bizarre stuff as complete classics. Just looking at some of these albums, some of them are just off in left field. He certainly has covered a lot of ground though. Things like the exclusion of Can on this list just seems off. I don't mean one has to like Can, and I know the list linked below is only a top 25, but to include Faust and Neu! so high and leave off Can makes me scratch my head. Morphine's Good as number 16 rock album and Type O Negative's NSFW album title as a metal classic are also weird in a bad way IMO. There are some gems on his many lists though.

http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

That's the exact list I rated above, btw.

I find his bent really appealing because I simply haven't seen many other lists that have the stuff that I have at the top higher than the usual suspects (I mean, Faust, Beefheart, Velvet Underground right at the very top... awesome. Zeppelin/Stones/The Who completely excluded.... I totally get that inclination). I can see a ton of flaws/unreasonable biases in Scaruffi's attitude as well, though (especially if you read his actual thoughts on them), so if you're familiar with more critics/music people with similar preferences but more consistent/logical, I'd be very interested.

He seems to be alot more anti-accessibility than I am.... I think that explains his Can exclusion and it somewhat makes sense to me. There's certainly a part of me that feels that Neu! and Faust are way more authentic, appealingly primitive, and uncompromising than Can as well, although Can is more consistently great/polished and I love them as well. It's strange to call Can catchy and accessible, but relative to the guys we're talking about, I see that argument. It seems to be a variation on his distaste for Beatles/Bowie..... but granularly applied even to the more eccentric bands (which is kind of ridiculous). I think I probably do respect Neu!/Faust more than Can overall, but there's a brain vs. gut conflict going on with that one for me (kind of like the latter has the better stats, but the former just FEELS right in a way that the latter doesn't quite match).

It's taken to an extreme that I don't totally agree with, but it doesn't seem unfathomable to me. You can tell that if a great band takes existing eccentric/experimental influences and makes it more accessible/puts a more commercially aware spin on it, he absolutely detests that (Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead all fall under this).

I can forgive the occasional mediocre album being shoehorned in there if the gems come regularly and are actually interesting to my ears, and the guys that I love most are elevated to the top while the guys I find overrated are nowhere to be found.

He also seems to have a similar gravitation/OCD-ish obsession with hypnotically repetitive pounding drums that I do. Just something about this guy's schtick... I'd like to see more like it.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Autopsy - Severed Survival

4.5/5

 

[The Gongshow]

The 1975 : I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
8/10

 

[Hippasus]

That's the exact list I rated above, btw.

I find his bent really appealing because I simply haven't seen many other lists that have the stuff that I have at the top higher than the usual suspects (I mean, Faust, Beefheart, Velvet Underground right at the very top... awesome. Zeppelin/Stones/The Who completely excluded.... I totally get that inclination). I can see a ton of flaws/unreasonable biases in Scaruffi's attitude as well, though (especially if you read his actual thoughts on them), so if you're familiar with more critics/music people with similar preferences but more consistent/logical, I'd be very interested.

He seems to be alot more anti-accessibility than I am.... I think that explains his Can exclusion and it somewhat makes sense to me. There's certainly a part of me that feels that Neu! and Faust are way more authentic, appealingly primitive, and uncompromising than Can as well, although Can is more consistently great/polished and I love them as well. It's strange to call Can catchy and accessible, but relative to the guys we're talking about, I see that argument. It seems to be a variation on his distaste for Beatles/Bowie..... but granularly applied even to the more eccentric bands (which is kind of ridiculous). I think I probably do respect Neu!/Faust more than Can overall, but there's a brain vs. gut conflict going on with that one for me (kind of like the latter has the better stats, but the former just FEELS right in a way that the latter doesn't quite match).

It's taken to an extreme that I don't totally agree with, but it doesn't seem unfathomable to me. You can tell that if a great band takes existing eccentric/experimental influences and makes it more accessible/puts a more commercially aware spin on it, he absolutely detests that (Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead all fall under this).

I can forgive the occasional mediocre album being shoehorned in there if the gems come regularly and are actually interesting to my ears, and the guys that I love most are elevated to the top while the guys I find overrated are nowhere to be found.

He also seems to have a similar gravitation/OCD-ish obsession with hypnotically repetitive pounding drums that I do. Just something about this guy's schtick... I'd like to see more like it.

I don't know of other critics off the top of my head, at least non-metal ones, but I can post it in here if I find a good one.

Yeah, Can seems close to Neu! and Faust in the experimentation and ambient quality. But Can may have more of a jazz fusion thing going on that makes them seem closer to those British classic rock artists you mentioned.

Autopsy - Severed Survival

This album keeps growing on me. I listen to it more than Mental Funeral these days. Not saying I think Severed Survival is better, they're just kind of close to each other.

 

[Ouroboros]

That guys always seemed to have quirky taste. He would have some of the most bizarre stuff as complete classics. Just looking at some of these albums, some of them are just off in left field. He certainly has covered a lot of ground though. Things like the exclusion of Can on this list just seems off. I don't mean one has to like Can, and I know the list linked below is only a top 25, but to include Faust and Neu! so high and leave off Can makes me scratch my head. Morphine's Good as number 16 rock album and Type O Negative's NSFW album title as a metal classic are also weird in a bad way IMO. There are some gems on his many lists though.

http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

We probably had similar reactions to his metal list.



I'll say this though - quirky taste is often a sign of authenticity to me regardless of my opinions on the particular bands. I'm skeptical when I see somebody post their favourite albums and it's just parrotting the accepted canon of a genre. Maybe that's just me.

I've got some issues with this Scaruffi fellow, particularly with the genres I'm rather familiar with, but it seems like a legit resource for anybody looking to hear more music.

 

[Shareefruck]

^ To be honest, I'm a little guilty of that as well-- I've never actually found an album that was truly obscure or maligned or wasn't already widely acknowledged that really clicked with me to the same degree as the classics that do. To some degree, it makes sense to me to be impressionable, although the extreme case (where everyone's top ten is a variation of the same thing-- Say.... OK Computer, In The Aeroplane, Funeral, Loveless for example) definitely leaves a raised eyebrow.

Yeah, Can seems close to Neu! and Faust in the experimentation and ambient quality. But Can may have more of a jazz fusion thing going on that makes them seem closer to those British classic rock artists you mentioned.

The difference is hard to put into words, but I definitely feel it. Can is alot more showy and flamboyant than the other two (although still not very much overall), and I can see that as a mild put-off to someone like that.

 

[OilerPensfan97]

One Day Remains-Alter Bridge

9.3/10

 

[Shareefruck]

Surprisingly managed to click with a handful of 2000s+ albums (and one blew me away). Still hoping to find more from this era, as a lot of the critically acclaimed stuff are varying degrees of misses for me.

Favorite 2000s+ Albums (Bold = New)

4.5 Brilliant
1. Kid A by Radiohead
2. Disintegration Loops by William Basinski
3. Go Plastic by Squarepusher (will probably drop as my excitement dies down, but this and Feed Me Weird Things are both excellent-- love this artist)

4.0 Perfect
4. Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do it a Again by Tim Hecker
5. Amnesiac by Radiohead

3.5 Great
6. Untrue by Burial
7. Madvillainy by Madvillain
8. Radio Amour by Tim Hecker
9. In Rainbows by Radiohead
10. Pop By Gas
11. Geogaddi by Boards of Canada
12. Disintegration Loops II by William Basinski
13. Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus
14. 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem (their style was always right up my alley, but the studio albums always felt like well-intentioned/charming but amateurish not-as-good versions of their influences to me. But this stripped down approach really worked for me.)

3.0 Very Good
15. A Crimson Grail by Rhys Chatham
16. Aman Iman by Tinariwen
17. Boy in Da Corner by Dizzie Rascal (I don't know what the logistics of hip-hop are, but this feels more authentic and avoids alot of the put-offs that other hip-hop albums of this era have, for me)
18. Drukqs by Aphex Twin
19. Hail to the Thief by Radiohead
20. Disintegration Loops III by William Basinski
21. Harmony in Ultraviolet by Tim Hecker
22. Funeral by Arcade Fire
23. Syro by Aphex Twin
24. Burial by Burial

2.5 Good
25. Ys by Joanna Newsom
26. Smile by Brian Wilson
27. The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
28. Since I Left You by The Avalanches
29. Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective
30. Original Pirate Material by The Streets
31. Lift Your Skinny Fists by Godspeed You Black Emperor

I'm really starting to realize that I don't give a rats ass about how "well made", intricately polished, or conceptually ambitious an album is. It either feels right or it doesn't, and bands that put alot of effort/ambition into their albums and technically do everything admirably well (like the 2.5s) can still feel like misses to me. To me, an album is only "well made" based entirely on how on point an artist is, how fresh it feels, how effectively an attitude/mood is conveyed, and whether they have their finger on the pulse of that sweet-spot, not anything to do with what technical things are pulled off/how much detail is put into it/how much ground it breaks. These things often go hand in hand, but it really doesn't matter if it does or it doesn't, IMO. I'm far more impressed with the instinctive/taste side of music than I am by the technical side.

 

[Philly85*]

that Velvet Underground and Nico album was the ****

Doors one of the most overrated bands of all time, although I don't think they were ever really held in such a high esteem, so maybe they're right where they're supposed to Be.

Captain Beefheart never enjoyed, though don't claim to have listened to their entire catalogue, or even all of there songs. Tried to work through some of it back in the day, didn't work for me.

 

[Shareefruck]

that Velvet Underground and Nico album was the ****

Doors one of the most overrated bands of all time, although I don't think they were ever really held in such a high esteem, so maybe they're right where they're supposed to Be.

Captain Beefheart never enjoyed, though don't claim to have listened to their entire catalogue, or even all of there songs. Tried to work through some of it back in the day, didn't work for me.

I feel the same way about the Doors. That self-titled album warmed up for me a little bit (mostly just based on the hits), but not to any spectacular degree. Feels more like a band with some charm that capitalized on a cultural mood rather than anything lastingly brilliant.

Captain Beefheart is one of those guys that everyone is expected to hate and find completely unlistenable the first half a dozen times or more, but it's a good thing to keep permanently in the backburner to revisit once in a while. I'd recommend repeatedly digging away at the tracks "Moonlight in Vermont", "Pachuco Cadaver", and "Steal Softly Through Snow" in particular (don't even bother with the other ones until those are listenable/infectious to you), and then once/if they ever click, let that unquenchable thirst for more like it (which doesn't exist anywhere else) slowly guide you towards opening up to the other tracks/albums. I basically clicked with it one track at a time, until eventually the whole album felt brilliant (then did the same with Lick My Decals which is at the same level). Might decide it's not worth the effort, but I do think they're one of those things (like The Beatles or Bob Dylan) that come along once in a lifetime.

Tried White Light White Heat yet? That's my favorite Velvet Underground album, and is close to my favorite album of all time. Again, more alienating, harsh, and out there and will require more re-listens than "And Nico" to get into, but absolutely worth it. Sister Ray is the greatest thing to ever come out of music, IMO, and the way everything on the album builds to that climax is pure genius.