OT: Watcha Listening To? - Part II

[Ghost of jas]

I never really gave them a good listen.

I’m a sucker for intelligent power pop. They start out in showgaze territory on the first album, but their Beatle influences eventually come to the fore. They also throw in some 70’s-style hard rock in the mix. By the time you get to this decade, they’ve become skilled craftsmen.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

The words ‘power pop’ reminded me of this gem (can’t find the full album on YouTube, so here’s 2 songs from it)

 

[Ghost of jas]

The words ‘power pop’ reminded me of this gem (can’t find the full album on YouTube, so here’s 2 songs from it)

I have that CD

 

[aufheben]

I’m a sucker for intelligent power pop. They start out in showgaze territory on the first album, but their Beatle influences eventually come to the fore. They also throw in some 70’s-style hard rock in the mix. By the time you get to this decade, they’ve become skilled craftsmen.

I just threw on Twice Removed, definitely some good songs.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I just threw on Twice Removed, definitely some good songs.

I recommend all of Twice Removed, One Chord to Another, Navy Blues and Between the Bridges to get familiarized with them. ll four members are strong yet unique songwriters, which gives them a very varied dynamics. Plus, they have great harmony vocals, which I' a sucker for.

 

[Ghost of jas]

The words ‘power pop’ reminded me of this gem (can’t find the full album on YouTube, so here’s 2 songs from it)

Are you a aficianado of this type of music?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Are you a aficianado of this type of music?

I wouldn’t say aficionado, I went through a period a few years ago where I was super into power pop and the better albums/songs from what I was listening still kick around in my head/playlists but the rest has pretty much faded away

 

[Desdichado93]

Beauty and the beast?

 

[egelband]

Holy **** the Kinks just released a massive box set for the 50th anniversary of Arthur. Stereo, mono, alternate mixes, demos, rehearsals, 2019 remixes, theatrical. My gawd.

Love me some Kinks. I lived near Muswell Hill for a “tick”. How amazing would it have been to live there in the 60s though.

 

[egelband]

 

[egelband]

I appreciate how we have everything on demand now. It’s great. But years ago, organically falling into a ‘scene’ or a ‘cause’ would have been pretty exciting.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

It’s a Stone Roses mood these past few days

Their b sides are a hidden treasure. Going Down and the Hardest Thing In the World are amazing.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

London Calling just gets better every time I listen to it.

Every song is like 9/10 or better. It’s a double album.

 

[EdJovanovski]

What’s your favorite Christmas carols?

 

[eco's bones]

London Calling just gets better every time I listen to it.

Every song is like 9/10 or better. It’s a double album.

I really like the Clash's first album the best. My very favorite Clash songs are right there---Janie Jones, White Man in Hammersmith Palais, London's burning, What's my name and Police and Thieves. As an LP London Calling diversified their music in a lot of different directions but the second LP IMO is not nearly as good as the first one there. It's a big improvement over their second LP Give 'em enough rope which was marred by too much production but also apart from Stay Free doesn't have any outstanding songs IMO which brings me back to the first album again in that to me there is a vibrancy, vitality and edge that comes out of it's rawness.

By the way some of the founding members of Stone Roses when they were teenagers use to follow the Clash all over England from gig to gig and were well known by the band and sometimes hung out with them.

 

[eco's bones]

What’s your favorite Christmas carols?

Not really crazy about any christmas music. My wife on the other spends every x-mas it seems glued to the Hallmark channel binging on all their x-mas flicks. I'm not a big movie buff but those f***ing things are awful.

 

[NCRanger]

Not really crazy about any christmas music. My wife on the other spends every x-mas it seems glued to the Hallmark channel binging on all their x-mas flicks. I'm not a big movie buff but those ****ing things are awful.

36 movies all with one plot.

 

[eco's bones]

36 movies all with one plot.

Exactly. If it makes you happy I guess---I just leave the room when they're on. Maybe she's just trying to get rid of me.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

I really like the Clash's first album the best. My very favorite Clash songs are right there---Janie Jones, White Man in Hammersmith Palais, London's burning, What's my name and Police and Thieves. As an LP London Calling diversified their music in a lot of different directions but the second LP IMO is not nearly as good as the first one there. It's a big improvement over their second LP Give 'em enough rope which was marred by too much production but also apart from Stay Free doesn't have any outstanding songs IMO which brings me back to the first album again in that to me there is a vibrancy, vitality and edge that comes out of it's rawness.

By the way some of the founding members of Stone Roses when they were teenagers use to follow the Clash all over England from gig to gig and were well known by the band and sometimes hung out with them.

I don’t understand some of the backlash against the Clash’s debut album that has started coming up recently, because I personally enjoy most of that record a lot. Even the more basic tunes, the Clash just have an it factor about them in their prime. It may not be particularly challenging or complex musically, but it doesn’t need to be. They’re just great songs played by a great band with great energy.

IMO London Calling is their masterpiece, though their debut would be my second fave of theirs. London Calling so all over the place stylistically yet it feels so cohesive.

 

[Cmox]

I see some power pop fans. I like The Powerchords. This album is a few years old.

 

[aufheben]

Favorite Clash albums:

London Calling
The Clash
Combat Rock
Sandinista!
Give ‘Em Enough Rope

 

[eco's bones]

I don’t understand some of the backlash against the Clash’s debut album that has started coming up recently, because I personally enjoy most of that record a lot. Even the more basic tunes, the Clash just have an it factor about them in their prime. It may not be particularly challenging or complex musically, but it doesn’t need to be. They’re just great songs played by a great band with great energy.

IMO London Calling is their masterpiece, though their debut would be my second fave of theirs. London Calling so all over the place stylistically yet it feels so cohesive.

On the debut album---there is the American version and the UK version---they're somewhat different. There's no I fought the law or Clash City Rockers on the British version--they were singles they put out afterwards and stuck on the American version. There's a couple others and there are a few different songs on the British version. The British version is rougher production wise than the American version pretty much because of the songs added and deleted. That was recorded quickly and that's the LP with the most energy. As the band progresses the energy slowly goes down but the production goes up. I use to have these arguments all the time. A bass player I use to jam with always would complain about all these bands and how badly produced their music was and I was always like WTF!--who cares about that? But the first album is my favorite---it's just got that raw vibe. I think after that I really liked their Black Market Clash EP with all the reggae stuff on it and for the Stone Roses fans out there there are live versions of some of them playing Bankrobber. I like the first LP on London Calling quite a lot--not the second so much. I also like some of the noodling they do on Sandinista but overall it's an uneven effort. Give 'em enough rope is not great and by Combat Rock I think they're running out of ideas and getting sick of each other. Cut the crap has the one good song---This is England. By the way that could have been a very good revival album but it was submarined by Bernard Rhodes thinking he could do the job of being a producer and while the band is out working the songs he's bringing in session musician replacements and unfortunately Mr. Strummer let him get away with all his bullshit. Looking through youtube there are demos of that to be found and some of their work is actually pretty good.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

On the debut album---there is the American version and the UK version---they're somewhat different. There's no I fought the law or Clash City Rockers on the British version--they were singles they put out afterwards and stuck on the American version. There's a couple others and there are a few different songs on the British version. The British version is rougher production wise than the American version pretty much because of the songs added and deleted. That was recorded quickly and that's the LP with the most energy. As the band progresses the energy slowly goes down but the production goes up. I use to have these arguments all the time. A bass player I use to jam with always would complain about all these bands and how badly produced their music was and I was always like WTF!--who cares about that? But the first album is my favorite---it's just got that raw vibe. I think after that I really liked their Black Market Clash EP with all the reggae stuff on it and for the Stone Roses fans out there there are live versions of some of them playing Bankrobber. I like the first LP on London Calling quite a lot--not the second so much. I also like some of the noodling they do on Sandinista but overall it's an uneven effort. Give 'em enough rope is not great and by Combat Rock I think they're running out of ideas and getting sick of each other. Cut the crap has the one good song---This is England. By the way that could have been a very good revival album but it was submarined by Bernard Rhodes thinking he could do the job of being a producer and while the band is out working the songs he's bringing in session musician replacements and unfortunately Mr. Strummer let him get away with all his bull****. Looking through youtube there are demos of that to be found and some of their work is actually pretty good.

Actually just watched a video about Cut the Crap that went into the whole Bernie Rhodes fiasco. Cut the Crap gave him the control of the band that he always wanted. And that was the album he had to put out. Awful. The production is absolutely what tanked that steaming pile of shit. It may have been salvageable with decent production.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

Anyone here play bass? Recently picked it up and looking for gear recommendations (budget price lol).

 

[Baby Duck Homme]

I am a big Josh Homme fan.

been listening to the new Desert Sessions album.

I have also been listening to an old MOR album he contributed to almost 20 years ago. Still waiting for a new TCV record.