True Music Notes

Notes on music that's good for your ears

[truemusicnotes]

448 :: Police 'Synchronicity'

According to Rolling Stone: "I do my best work when I'm in pain and turmoil," Sting told Rolling Stone. And indeed, the dissolution of his first marriage produced some of his best work yet, including "King of Pain" and the stalker's anthem "Every Breath You Take." There was pain and turmoil in the band, too – it would be the Police's last album.

Tim: I'm going to need some time devoted to a proper writeup but letting you know I'm on the second listen already. Suffice it to say the Police are a desert island band for me. Even with all the Sting wankery in later years of their existence and successive solo career, I cannot deny the brilliance of these three guys making music. OK. Gotta get back to work but had to begin a thread. Talk about a palate cleanse from the Big Star train wreck…

Paul: Yeah - that is something I was going to point out...kudos for giving multiple listens...I am not doing that, though...I think that giving an album only one listen is tough on the album...lots of times, it takes multiple listens to "get it"...for they are works of art and, just as a glance does not do a photograph or a painting justice, a once-through also, perhaps, cheats the artist...but I have decided I am just doing once-throughs...except for the occasional song here and there...

Now, Synchronicity came out when I was 15...I was lifeguarding at a hotel pool near the beach and, for the most part, the pool was deserted...which gave me an opportunity to read...and I read Dune by Herbert Frank. This was the summer of 1983, the year that this album came out...and not too long after the popularity of the WalkMan and I put the three together. Thus, this album became the soundtrack for the book Dune. Oddly, a year or so later, Sting became a minor player in a very bad movie-adaptation of the book, but that did not really solidify the connection...rather it made me feel bad for Herbert Frank...

...BUT, there is so much in the album that brings forth images from the book...not Hollywood-induced images, but the ones I was developing in my fragile egg-shell mind...Tea in the Sahara...sand...Dune...Walking in Your Footsteps...footprints in sand...Dune...Mother...the Atredes Dynasty...Dune...Murder...Dune...the book just fit perfectly with the music...

A connecting principle Linked to the invisible Almost imperceptible Something inexpressible Science insusceptible Logic so inflexible Causally connectible Yet nothing is invincible

And I haven't even gotten into the music...Copeland's drums are phenomenal...never a huge fan of Andy Summer's guitar...not that I do not like it, but I never really thought of him as a "top" guitarist...but he is at his best on this album. As far as the popularity, one of the most popular albums ever and rightfully so...in my opinion, this album solidified "alternative" music into the mainstream...as moody as Sting and just as talented...

As far as the Police albums go, I am not sure which order RS put them, but Zenyatta Mondatta gets boxed out...I think it is (in reverse order) this, Outlandos d'Amour, Regatta de Blanc, and Ghost in the Machine...so that would make this the second "worse" Police album with only Zenyatta Mondatta behind it.

I got into the Police, like "really heavy", in 9th grade after Ghost in the Machine and went out and bought the first three. I think at that time, Outlandos d'Amour would have ranked as my favorite but as I got older, I think I would have put Zenyatta Mondatta at the top, followed by Regatta de Blanc, Outlandos, and then Ghost in the Machine. As I got even older, I saw the true brilliance of Ghost in the Machine and the "avante-garde"-ness of Outlandos...and still really liked Regatta de Blanc...

Each release is distinctly "The Police" and each distinct from one another. I am not sure, with the exception of the Beatles, has another band "progressed" so significantly each time they released an album over such a short period of time...yet, unlike the Beatles, who were pretty much indistinguishable from their incarnation, the Police were still the Police. I think I kind of resented the fact that they were considered "mainstream" by 1983...even my mother had a copy of Synchonicity...never listened to anything but "Every Breath You Take", but still it was multi-generational and I was smack dab in the middle of my teenage years, so I resented everything... 

Tim: I hold Zenyatta Mondatta in very high regard so I'll start there. ZM was my first exposure to the Police and since my bubble's burst with its exclusion from the list I'll say that it opened my ears up to the brilliance of music. Before this, my music was pretty straightfoward classic rock and hard rock and rock and roll. The Clash were a blip so far on my radar. I loved Zeppelin, Beatles, Who, Kinks, Foreigner, Kiss, Seger, Floyd and the Rolling Stones. The Police were punk and so friggin' literate and amazingly talented as musicians. They couldn't help but leave punk behind. All three totally owned their instruments and the music they produced is really without peers. Experimental, punk, ethereal; hard to pin down. 

Following "Ghost" up was a tall order. That album took longer for me to really love beyond the poppier tunes that got radio play. I was singing in a band at the time and we were prone to do Police covers since my voice hadn't really changed yet. I could do Sting with little effort! First time I heard this album in its entirety was in Dave Layton's bedroom. He was the bass player and the drummer, Shawn O'Brien (we called him Curly) was there too. It was almost ceremony the way we unwrapped the vinyl and dropped the needle. I think my first listen was disappointment. The album didn't groove as hard, even the ones meant to play loud. Essentially, I think I was too young and wanted harder rocking sounds. Listening to it again (not like I haven't listened to it hundreds of times) brings out the brilliance. I loved your Dune story by the way. Title track is my favorite after all this time, maybe because Sting riffed on timeless concepts from Jung. Synchronicity II has always felt like a 'miss' to me. The lyrics are bleak and would work better in a working-man's-punk band instead of the polished production given here. Copeland's drumming is second to none. Still my favorite drummer of all time. If you ever can, track down "The Rhythmatist" solo effort. I have it on vinyl; might have to pull it out in the near future. 

Damn, how do I go about rating this? I could write for hours on the Police. It's love/hate too. Like solo Sting albums, the songs really are that good but many times I can't stand the adult rock production. Too precise. Too spit and polish for how punk these gents started out. And now as I write this, I'm revisiting "O My God" and saying to myself, "Self, this does indeed rock and it's not adult rock." It's just so unique to the Police. They're one of the few bands where I have trouble saying "this sounds like so and so" or "these guys obviously influenced so and so." One of a kind.

Oh, and "Every Breath You Take" is such a scathing song I chuckle when I hear it played at weddings, especially as a first dance! Did the bride and groom think to listen to the lyrics or are they planning on marital demise? :)

Ratings:

PAI: 8

Let5ch: 8.5

[truemusicnotes]

449 :: Big Star 'Third/Sister Lovers'

According to Rolling Stone: Big Star recorded their third and final album in 1974, but it didn't get released until 1978, in part because singer Alex Chilton sounds like he's having a nervous breakdown. It's a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads.

Tim: Brilliant, tormented songwriter. Tough to track this one down even piecemeal on Youtube. I went the route of using MOG radio (album link: https://mog.com/m#album/3598235). MOG is pretty sweet, another take on Spotify or Rdio. When you sign up you get a block of free music so figured I'd use this opportunity to sign up under a second email address since I'd already expired an earlier personal email address. That's how I roll. Not sure if you're very familiar with Big Star. In the same vein as VU, a band with massive influence unmatched by commercial success. My first exposure was thanks to the Replacements singing a tribute to Big Star frontman, Alex Chilton. I went on to learn Chilton was a big influence on Paul Westerberg and that led me to investigate deeper. Big Star writes deceptively simple tunes, very much bubble gum pop but with really dark undertones. Reading this writeup definitely cements Chilton's status as troubled soul. http://www.allmusic.com/album/third-sister-lovers-mw0000273581

On the third track as I write this and the atmospherics put a filmy haze over everything and it's making me sleeeepy. I like it so far though.

Tim: This is shit.

I have #1 Record/Radio City and it's loads more consistent than this. "O, Dana," "Holocaust" and now "Kangaroo" have me soooo close to clicking the skip button. Might not help that it's mid afternoon and I'm badly in need of an espresso or three.

Tim: I'm on the final track, a shaky version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and I think I'll pass. Just confirming that this is shit. I can see the inspiration to future greatness of the Replacements and somehow their sloppiness works where Big Star seems like they just wasted an opportunity in the studio. When I think of some bands that won't make this 500 either due to lack of commercial success in the US or that they are too "new," I get a little frustrated that this half-ass album made it.

Paul: Quite unfamiliar with Big Star...my only knowledge of Alex Chilton was his involvement with the Box Tops and, much later, with the Replacements. I actually listened to this after your comments...

I will say I agree with some of your comments, including the fact that Chilton sounds like he is dying...actually the whole thing sounds like someone was dying, but in a way, I kind of liked it. It certainly sounds unfinished in many regards and his voice does not carry itself, often, but when it does, it is certainly pleasant. I hear a bit of Talking Heads in a couple songs and certainly understand, now, why his legacy has survived long beyond "The Letter". The comparison to VU is warranted but it almost seems deliberate...and perhaps forced, but again, I was surprised at the fact that I was eager to hear how each song progressed...even the ones that seem to stop right in the middle. 

I saw that the original 1974 product was updated for 1978...I listened to the songs in the 1974 order and then added the other two substitute songs. I can see what the final production team was thinking, but my favorite song of the whole bunch was "Downs"...listened to it a couple times. Actually going to go back and listen to it again. In a lot of ways, this is way ahead of its time and the "sitting in the basement on a heroine binge playing guitar to a single light bulb while the sink drips" feel to it makes it more special. While certainly no finished product, this "work in progress" actually won me over.

Ratings:

PAI: 5.5

Let5ch: 2 (at least it was better than Hole)

[truemusicnotes]

450 ::  Jackson Browne, 'For Everyman'

According to Rolling Stone: On his second album, Browne emerged as the J.D. Salinger of the L.A. singer-songwriters; songs like "These Days" (first recorded by Velvet Underground singer Nico) capture the shift from the idealistic Sixties to the disillusioned Seventies.

Paul: Let me just start off by saying I absolutely love Jackson Browne. He has three albums in the top 500...none of them would I have selected...of his first six albums, the three selected are the bottom half. So why do I get Jackson Browne so wrong? For me it is Saturate Before Using, Running on Empty, and Hold Out...then Late for the Sky, The Pretender, and For Everyman...so I guess as far as the three that made it to the list, I got those in the right order...I think. 

First, I know you wrote it, but there are other people's versions of Take It Easy and These Days that I liked better...perhaps that is because I am more familiar with them, but I heard JB's Take It Easy first...but certainly the Eagle's more often. Not that I do not like these versions, but just not that into hearing JB singing them. 

I have heard this album very often and while there are some albums that I like more over time - in fact, most albums I like more over time - this one goes the opposite way with me. Through the middle, I found myself impatient for the end, which, of course, goes against the whole tone of JB's music, so I readjusted my mind to enjoy the music rather than looking at listening as a task. Funny, though, as often as I listen to JB, I seldom pick out For Everyman. I read a couple of reviews of this while listening to it, trying to figure out why others see this as better than any of the three I would have put up for nomination first...and I really do not get there. Generally, when an artist puts forth a new sound, which I believe Saturate Before Using does, it is the debut album that gets the acclaim...unless that effort is not quite there yet. However, I think that the superior, and in fact, the signature album of JB's body of work is his first album. Since we will not get them reviewed in the future on this list Running on Empty is almost like a late night of partying followed by a morning hangover, all felt so intimately through the lens of the road...the partying is the decade that precedes and then there is a realization...Hold Out seems to me to be the retrospective...at the end of the road, which, in a lot of ways, it was for JB. 

Of course, I am not dissing this album at all and it is unfortunate that I spend most of my energy comparing this to his other works, for it really is a very good album...great voice and fantastic sound, and a whole slew of contemporaries which makes you realize just how well connected JB was with the whole music scene...and how influential he was on others...but I do not find the emotion or the insightful-ness I see in other works of his. 

Tim: I'm listening to track 7 right now, "The Times You've Come" and absolutely loving this whole listen. I've always respected Jackson Browne but have always been curious that he seems so damn melancholy in any live concert footage I've watched. Maybe cuz his voice is kind of pure and cuts to the heart I thought he'd be more playful. That has nothing to do with anything, just thought I'd ramble. 

My only exposure to Jackson Browne has been limited to the radio hits but I've always loved the southern Cali vibe. I remember the first time I heard him "cover" "Take It Easy" and thinking it paled in comparison to the Eagles. But knowing he wrote it bumps it up a notch or three. I still prefer the Eagles take on the song but JB's version is great too. As for "These Days," I'll take this cut over any challengers. 

I don't have the history you do with him so can't get into which albums deserve to make it and which don't, but I do love this listen so far and have the advantage of comparing it to the listens so far and not how it holds up to his other works. Because of that I'll probably give it a higher rating than yours. "Ready or Not" sounds so bouncy for being about an unexpected pregnancy! Listening to "Sing My Songs To Me" and I could listen to this vibe all day. Great album - it's representative of the reason I'm on this journey with you. Discovery! Onward ho!

Paul: I am glad you liked For Everyman. It really is a good album. And Jackson Browne is pretty awesome...might make my top 5 artists...certainly in my top 10...great at tugging on the heart-strings!

Tim: Listening to it again. This is actually the third consecutive album doing this. Loved the Prine. Loved the Winehouse. Loving the Browne. 

Ratings: 

PAI: 6.5

Let5ch: 7.5

[truemusicnotes]

451 :: Amy Winehouse, 'Back to Black'

According to Rolling Stone: It's sad to think back on how fresh this record sounded at the time – funny and hip, revivalist but forward-looking. Winehouse, a tatted 23-year-old with a beehive crown, matched the spirit of her R&B heroes, cussing, cracking wise and casually breaking your heart. She triggered a new era for brilliantly weird women in pop. 

Paul: Never heard an Amy Winehouse song until she died...I guess I only glossed over the stories about her and never paid much attention to her from a "musical" standpoint. I was quite impressed after listening to "Back to Black" the first time, probably due to the familiar sound of the music and her soulful style...very reminiscent of those she sings about (Hathaway, et al.). Have listened to this album several times in the past year and like it more and more each time I do. Very dark-humor music...almost like she has undertaken this effort to "not die" of substance abuse with a tremendous amount of sarcasm and childishness...and we all know how that ended for her. In fact, it was quite a loss for music that she was only around for two album. While each song takes you further down into the abyss, it is obvious she is cry out for help but unwilling to accept it, with the pain of her voice and the very appropriate music lathering us - almost coating us in her siren-like allure. OK - trying to hard to sound like a critic now...now that I know these comments re going to be post, I am "editiing" my thoughts and that is apparent in the email... Liked the music, liked the voice, liked the subject matter. 'nuff sed.

Tim: Just keep writing what you want; nobody but Uncle Dave, Matt Brehm and John Lamson have even read these ;)

I remember being pretty blown away the first time I heard "Rehab" and quickly searched out this album. Such a rich, soulful set of pipes and I love the throwback sound of Motown, Memphis and Philly R&B that Mark Ronson was producing at the time. I'm not sure if Ronson discovered her but he definitely put her on the map. And yeah, if these songs are a cry for help, they have a wink to them and a thumbing of the nose to any serious effort to clean up. Didn't help that her boyfriend was just as bad off if not worse. In the world of coinky-dinks, I listened to this last Friday, the very same day Jennifer was at home listening to Pandora radio when lo and behold, Amy Winehouse came up in her playlist. Jen only knew of Winehouse from the news angle and had never actually heard her sing. Her voice was amazing enough to prompt a text and a phone call asking if I could burn her a CD. It was practically the same for me the first time I heard her voice. I was working in NorCal when this album hit and some of my work friends and I searched out some video evidence of Winehouse in the hopes that she was as hot as she sounded. First video we found was in concert, filmed from a safe distance. Big dark Buffon hairdo, long legs; so far so good. Found another video, this one an actual music video; train wreck. Regardless, this album is great stuff and has an originality to it despite all of its nods to past sounds.

Ratings:

PAI: 6.5

Let5ch: 7.5

[truemusicnotes]

452 John Prine, 'John Prine'

According to Rolling Stone: Prine was a mailman-turned-folk-singer, and his debut is unique in how it views American life with generosity, tolerance and wit. Prine sang about smoking dope ("Illegal Smile"), but his empathy for the old folks with "Hello in There" made most hippie songwriters sound smug.

Tim: John Prine John Prine. Did I stutter? Nope, just titled an album after himself. Folk boasting. I'm very familiar with this spin. Paul Hart, Immo and I used to listen to this quite a bit when we lived on Lincoln ave, early 90's. Prine amazes me with his storytelling and elegant turn of a phrase. There is some absolute gold on this album and I suspect you've already heard it before.

Just checked the release date. 1971? Holy shit, I had a feeling Prine was old but didn't think it went back to early 70's. I always thought this was a early to mid-80's release. I guess this falls into the 70's country-rock thing right comfortably then.

Your sister's a nun.

Paul: Hot dog bun

Paul: I want a peach

Tim: Just completed final track and then your hot dog bun arrived.

that sounded funny

Great album and I'm glad to revisit it. It's been a few years and I either forgot or I didn't realize how much of a quiet war protest album this is. So many tracks humanize the ordeal of coming back from the war, dealing with all the shit. What a great storyteller. Anyway, "Angel From Montgomery" might be one of the greatest American songs of that decade. Yep. Said it.

Paul: Angel from Montgomery and Paradise were staples when we were in Peace Corps...have a couple more of his that I have played over the years...always been a favorite since about, oh, 1991 (when I got to Kenya). Tap, who you met at my wedding, was a big fan and introduced me. Many memories. That is the personal summary. Musically, his voice just matches the sound so well...folk music embodied...simple guitar...often three-chords and nothing else is needed...sometimes a little bass or drum...maybe a fiddle here or there...just enough to carry the song. Very painful to "live" his stories...thank goodness I only sang them...okay - I lived a bit of "Illegal Smile"..but you can't prove that! "Pretty Good" is very Dylanesque...structure, voice, subject-matter...early electric Dylan, that is...perhaps better Dylan than Dylan hisself. "How the hell can person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening, and have nothing to say?" One of the greatest lines...never gets old hearing it sung - by Prine or by Raitt. Hear some influences from Hot Tuna as well on "Flashback Blues"...but a lot funnier...and hear the roots of a lot of Jimmy Buffet...gets a bit more country toward the end...thus the Buffet comment. A very diverse - much more than I remember from the last time I heard this...probably about 15 years ago - collection of songs and, inasmuch as "Flashback Blues" is intended to be a "goodbye" to the listener, this album is a goodbye to the 60s...good, bad, and ugly. A lovely listen it is, though, despite the emotional ride it take you on...and Angel from Montgomery is one of my very favorite song...ever.

Ratings:

PAI: 8

Let5ch: 8

[truemusicnotes]

453 :: EPMD, 'Strictly Business'

According to Rolling Stone: In the summer of '88, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, a.k.a. EPMD (Erick and Parrish Making Dollars), rolled out of Long Island with a new style of slow-grooving hip-hop funk. Cut in the era before artists cleared their samples, the title jam even pilfers "I Shot the Sheriff."

Paul: Finally, a hip-hop album that I liked...nice sampling, great bass lines...yes, self-promoting (although they claim not to be) but it is hip-hop, it is the culture of it, not unnecessarily graphic. Numerous humorous lines and easy to listen to. Still the early years of hip-hop with a great sound. And any group that can name a dance after my favorite comedian is all right with me. 

Tim: Haven't embarked on this yet. Did you use the re-issued 2010 Snoop Dog Approved version of this? Only option on Spotify. 

Paul: Indeed...if it don't stand up to the dog, it smells like a pussy.

that made no sense...

Tim: Having never heard of EPMD before this list, its inclusion was a welcome surprise. I really like this era of hip hop and consider much more listenable and playful than gangsta rap. And like you said, any musical duo that pays tribute to Steve Martin (AND mentions Pee Wee Herman) gets points in the win column. A lot of the cadence reminded me of Gangstarr, another hip hop act we can expect to see on this list. I have one album from them and two from their MC, GURU (r.i.p.) which he released under the Jazzmatazz moniker. With those, he really explored the roots of hip hop and traced them back to jazz greats, inviting many to collaborate on a variety of new music. Good stuff. Xavier Wynn was really into a Tribe Called Quest and while I'm not familiar enough with them, I think EPMD can be grouped in with that sound as well. Yes, there were a few too many mentions of EPMD, but boasting is part of that thang. Loved the James Brown samples. 

Ratings:

PAI: 6

Let5ch: 7 

[truemusicnotes]

454 :: Alice Cooper "Love It To Death"

According to Rolling Stone: Onstage, Cooper was the shock-rock king who decapitated baby dolls, but his early studio albums are smart, razor-sharp attacks of Detroit rock. On Love It to Death, producer Bob Ezrin joins him for the twisted kicks of "Hallowed Be My Name" and the teen-spirit anthem "I'm Eighteen."

Paul: [This is piece-mealed through youtube.] 

When I was just about 4 or 5, I used to visit my Uncle Willis' on holidays and was fascinated by the Alice Cooper posters on the walls of my cousin's room. Knew nothing about the music, only knew that this guy looked like a bad-ass and my mom hated it - she actually told me I wasn't allowed in his room...and, yes, I envied my cousin, Chris. 

As I got a little older, I became familiar with some of the more popular songs - No More Mr. Nice Guy, School's Out, and, if course, I'm Eighteen. In my 30s, I met a woman from Detroit who actually was pretty good friends with Alice and she told me that he never really took the music too seriously and really just wanted to be a performer...not necessarily a musician. 

Listening to this album makes this perspective seem very realistic. This is their third album and I do not know that I will ever listen to the first two because in a couple years of producing "music", they have not gotten too far. 

Moderately tolerable drums. Pre-teen lyrics and that "screaming" that my Uncle Willis would complain about. Even when he "sings", it is not a particularly palatable sound. A mish-mashed collection of guitar notes and two-chord songs. I could see this being a "pre-cursor" to music like Kiss or other "show" bands, but Kiss blows these guys out of the water musically. 

Perhaps, in the shadow of the Stooges, I could see this as a stepping-stone album from them to the more melodic heavy metal of the 70s, but the "growth phase" of many creatures is "ugly". I have not heard a lot of Black Sabbath lately, although I did listen to them quite a bit when I was in Jr. High School - yes, this genre of rock is "adolescent music" in my view - but I can see this is a poor-man's Sabbath...maybe the American response to Ozzy...much like the Monkees were to the Beatles...and, like Alice Cooper, the Monkees were set up to make money, not music. 

Wait - did I actually here a keyboard on "We Still Got a Long Way to Go"? And I think there might have been a third chord in there... 

Alice Cooper was a stage-performance with music as the background and certainly transformed the music industry, but as far as putting them on the list of 500 greatest anything other than "entertainment acts" is a stretch. 

Trying to be "creative" on "Black Juju"...I'm not sure being stoned would make this any better...maybe if I took two qualudes and passed out I could find a positive in this...Hole might be up for some competition, here. "Black Juju". 

I give them credit, though...their marketing team is a bunch of geniuses...to be able to sell over a million of these..."Step right up and buy some crap!" Interesting...it was first released on Frank Zappa's label...give the kids something their parents will hate and it will sell! 

"Is It My Body?" If this is not the penultimate - "parents just don't understand" song, I am not sure. I think it might be even more than "Parent's Just Don't Understand" from the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" = "okay...make me go to church and this is my response, mom...you just don't know what it's like to be a teenager...I'm thirteen - I'm almost a man!" Yes - I am enjoying myself...but find myself being quite redundant...what do the professionals say? 

From Wikipedia: "Rolling Stone's John Mendelsohn found it favorable. He explained that it "represents at least a modest oasis in the desert of dreary blue-jeaned aloofness served up in concert by most American rock-and-rollers." However, referring to "Black Juju" he also stated that "the one bummer on this album is so loud a bummer that it may threaten to neutralize the ingratiating effect of the aforementioned nifties." Robert Christgau rated it a B-, stating that he "never would have figured this theatre type to come up with it" and calling "I'm Eighteen" "as archetypal a hard rock single as you're liable to hear in this flaccid year, or maybe ever." Allmusic's Greg Prato rated Love It to Death four-and-a-half out of five stars. He explained that it "can be pinpointed as the release when everything began to come together for the band." He also stated that "it was an incredibly consistent listen from beginning to end." 

"Mommy...where's daddy? He's been gone so long. Will he ever come home?" Really? Thought it was going to get "pretty" for a moment...like when Guns'N'Roses did "Patience"...I guess I will probably get to mock them in a bit, but back to Alice...horrible piano playing...the drumming is getting worse...this is just horrible. OK - we just transcended from horrible to ridiculous...actually laughing now. Good to know he does not take himself seriously either. Rich mo'fo tho! And just as I am about to completely write it off..."Sun Arise" surprises me...sounds like a completely different band...reminds me of the British band Sweet...melodic, creative, actually some nice progressions...saved it from being with Hole...just above though... 

Tim: Not being able to find this whole album in one sitting is going to stall me for today. Too much to do this afternoon. Spotify seems to have every other Alice Cooper release that followed this 1971 recording! Without having listened yet, I approach Alice Cooper already tilted in favor of the listen. It's definitely theater rock and has a foot in both hard rock/heavy metal and the glam rock that was happening at the time from Bowie, T Rex and Mott the Hoople. Sharing a Detroit heritage doesn't hurt either. You're correct about Iggy comparisons and don't forget about the MC-5. Musically simplistic but emotionally charged. I'll have to dig up some sources so I can give it a listen.

Holy shit, is "Black Juju" really 9 minutes long?

So far, pretty mundane and yeah, crappy. "I'm Eighteen" is still a song that strikes a nostalgia nerve when I was still listening to WRIF or WLLZ on my clock radio next to my bed before I was old enough to drive. It got regular airplay in Detroit. "Caught In A Dream" had a nice strut to it but nothing great.

"Black Juju" is not too far removed from the forgotten hippie trance bullshit that has disappeared from most collections. Go back and listen to it but imagine Grace Slick singing it, cavorting around onstage. No wait. Don't.

Terrible drummer. Terrible. 

Ratings:

PAI: 3

Let5ch: 3.5 

[truemusicnotes]

455 :: Los Lobos "How Will The Wolf Survive?"

According to Rolling Stone: "We were kids with long hair and plaid shirts playing Mexican folk instruments," said Los Lobos' Louie Perez. But the band from East L.A. was a surprise success, mixing traditional Mexican sounds with blues and rockabilly for rough roots rock.

Paul: Had to piece-meal this one on youtube...

First two cuts are pretty rockin!  Great voice for great music…nice guitar work - they have always had nice guitars...actually rather fantastic.  Apparently, T-Bone Burnett was highly influential to these guys at this time...produced this album.  Then a very Latino tune...again great guitar work, but not really worthy of the sound of the preceding songs.  But, they are a Tejano band and as the next song begins (Our Last Night), the fusion between the Tejano and rock'n'rock become apparent...the question of how to fuse two different sounds together...and I am starting to see why the contemplation of this album on the list is there...not there yet, but I saw these guys in LA in 1986 and they put on a hell of a show...with the Del Fuegos, in fact...fun, fun, fun and daddy took no T-bird away...swinging…nice chord progressions… and a bustin' accordion!  Very reminiscent of some late 50s, early 60s dance hall music/frat rock...maybe even out of some movie like Animal House.  Starting to really dig it.

Serenata Nortena makes me want Mexican food.  This is actually quite good for my upcoming trip to Ecuador! Evangeline is pretty good fusion...don't know if this is a remake or an original...has that "sound"...this really seems to be a "kick-back" album...timeless, in a way, but definitely different from other mid-80s artists. Finally at the final track...Will the Wolf Survive?  I think you might recognize this song...I do...it has a very "mainstream" sound…his voice is reminiscent of Stevie Winwood.  All in all, a good album…a bit unsure what it wants to be, but I enjoyed it.

Tim: I found one youtuber who broke out each song into a separate video but was kind enough to title each with the track number first. Definitely dig this album though at the time I ignored it as adult rock. It was 1984, I was into heavier classic rock and just getting into the Replacements and the Clash. Great musicians with a strong grasp of roots rock. I listened to this as I was putting up blog posts for past albums, 485 - 479 in fact. Had to listen to "I Got Loaded" 3 times before moving on. Great vocals and horns and overall song construction. The title track hints at a more socially conscious side to Los Lobos and I remember this and "Don't Worry Baby" getting the most radio play at the time. 

I have a lot more respect for this after so many years of not hearing it. At the time I didn't give Los Lobos much consideration. I considered them contemporaries of Bruce Hornsby or watered down mid 80's Genesis. Like I said, adult rock for guys who still wanted to groove but could only comfortably fit in Lee Jeans or Wranglers. Not fair but that's what I thought at the time. Years later, I fell in love with their Colossal Head release which gets way more inventive while staying true to their Latin and Rockabilly roots. I'm hoping that album appears later in this journey.

Ratings:

PAI: 6.5

Let5ch: 7

[truemusicnotes]

456 :: Marvin Gaye "Here My Dear"

According to Rolling Stone: It's one of the weirdest Motown records ever. Gaye's divorce settlement required him to make a new album and pay the royalties to his ex-wife – the sister of Motown boss Berry Gordy. So Gaye made this bitterly funny double LP of breakup songs, including "You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You."

Paul: There is a deluxe edition on spotify...I am going un-deluxe

Tim: Same here. After reading the RS writeup and checking out the album art, the bitterness is palpable. There's an obscure Van Morrison recording that he did under contractual obligation to Bang Records. Total throwaway songs that still sound good just because it's Van tossing them out. Songs like "Twist and Shake," "Shake and Roll," "Stomp and Scream," "Scream and Holler." I kid you not. Each song is pretty identical to the previous with maybe minor key changes. It's funny for about 42 seconds. This Marvin Gaye is almost that. Man, he is PISSED.

OK, I'm shifting my position. "Is That Enough" (track 5) has some chill beats going on and great horns. Some of the first tracks are too obvious.

Paul: Have you been "Pluto-cized" yet?

That was awesome...on two levels...first, the scathing lyrics are fantastic...talk about the big "fuck you"! It started off a little "preachy", but figuring his religious background, I gave it a bit of leeway...and those first few songs dragged a bit...nice soulful, but nothing very inspired...then he hit a groove...when I can across "Anna's Song", I thought I was going to laugh out loud...and the music seemed to match the stride he hit. Second, and I touched on it, the music really moves...I liken it to a train...takes a while to get going, but when it did, it was moving! Certainly not his best album, but quite nice. I especially like all the lyrics in the "instrumental" version of "When did you stop loving me...". And the album title made no sense at first, but after I got the point that this was a journey through a failed marriage (and the subsequent "settlement"), all the more beautiful.

Tim: I got pulled into some meetings right before "Anna's Song" – time to resume. Agree that the album improves in the middle. The beginning was a mess. I'm trying to imagine some of these songs without the strength of Marvine Gaye's voice and it's reduced to easy listening jazz. Kinda sucky and mailed in. Waiting to get Pluto-cized unless I already did get Pluto-cized and just missed the feeling.

Paul: I think you'll know...I think "a mess" is accurate...perhaps bitter was right...I think at some point, he began to feel comfortable with it and then actually enjoyed the project..."easy listening jazz" about sums up the first handful of songs...

Tim: I just got Pluto-cized. I feel dirty.

Musically, only a couple standouts and knowing the contractual obligation factors into the rating. Can't wait for "What's Going On."

Ratings:

PAI: 7

Let5ch: 6

[truemusicnotes]

457 :: My Morning Jacket, 'Z'

According to Rolling Stone: These Kentucky boys took a giant leap forward on their fourth album – giant enough to take them from a jammy Americana band to awe-inspiring purveyors of interstellar art rock. My Morning Jacket infused Z with both Eno-esque keyboards and sculpted guitars, but also Skynyrd-style riffs and bar-band grooves. 

Tim: Looking forward to this listen. I'm three tracks in and digging the groove. I've never listened to a full album from these gents but have liked the singles I've heard. I think you'll like it if you've never been exposed to MMJ. There's a micro genre of electrified country rock. Kinda folky, kinda hippie, very sonic, very bearded. Groups like Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes come to mind. I'd say this set of bands were pre-cursors to the sounds coming from Mumford and Sons and the Avett Bros. 

Even the deep cuts on this are pretty outstanding. I'm a fan. "Anytime" is a screamer and "Lay Low" has an awesome percussive groove going on. This is getting high marks. I can't believe a solid effort like this shares a list with Hole or RaeKwon but that's the beauty of music and opinions and variety. 

Paul: Still listening...got involved in some heavy political discourse this morning so the day has been a bust so far.

Catchy tunes and quite a bit of diversity.  I guess this is their fourth album...I have never really given them much of a listen before either. A bit "trippy" in places...nice tempo shifts - I am listening to "Off the Record"...nice bass and "stereophonic" play...could easily see me listening to a lot of this when I was into more "recreational" activities...I am hearing voices...and not sure they are in English...starting to feel a bit "recreational"..."trippy" and "grooving"...nice...

"a baby in a blender"...kind of dark, no?  Thought it was going to be a joke...I was wrong.

Off the Record has a bit of a "Carousel" sound to it...a bit too much of the "echo"...ah - this is stoner music.

Got to confess that this is getting better by the song...Lay Low is sweet...love the piano!  Great energy!

Tim: Isn't it? I love the energy in that cut and can imagine it being in a better position, opening this album instead.

Rating:

Let5ch:  8.5

[truemusicnotes]

458 :: Elton John “Tumbleweed Connection”

According to Rolling Stone: John has always had a jones for the myth of the American West. Along with lyricist Bernie Taupin, he fully indulges those cowboy fantasies here. "Amoreena" plays unforgettably in the opening scene of the Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon.

Tim: I love this. The layers of production are so good and the genre blurring works seamlessly. Very country but has gospel backing and some screaming guitars and blaring brass. Just did a quick scan of his beginnings and I'm astounded that he could bang out songs in an hour, matched by his lyricist, Bernie Taupin. Very impressive. I'm through 4 tracks so far and loving it. If this is the "countrified" period of Elton John, I'll take it.

Paul: OK - I like Elton John, especially his earliest stuff...I can honestly say I have never heard this beginning to end and I am not sure I know anything before the last three cuts, but looking forward to it. I have heard County Comfort before...this has a nice sound to it...very fresh Elton (Reg) voice...the drums are great...must be in a "drums" mood today...you can hear the tension of the "soulful" 60s and the "Pop Rock" 70s...I would be interested to hear his first two albums and watch the development...of course, this track #4 (Son of Your Father), you can hear a lot of the later music "evolving" within this song...even a little harp, too!  Love the backing vocals! And I know "Where to Now St. Peter?"

Back to "My Father's Gun":  As a Yankee, I find it hard to listen to the lamentations of Rebels...never was that way, but having lived in the South for almost 15 years and listening to the whining about the "War of Northern Aggression" and truly fearing that the Bush administration mobilized the more fringe elements of southern culture to the point of a high potential for some groups to "finish what they started", I am perhaps a bit oversensitive to it...which I guess made me not like that song as much as the others...

I do, however, love "Where to Now St. Peter?"  Being a pianist (although I should be careful to call myself that anymore...I cannot recall the last time I played...I did, however, find a stand-up for free on craigslist yesterday and actually spoke to Megan last night about getting it...to which she replied: "Didn't we agree that we are not going to accumulate a bunch of shit until we bought a house?"  And that ended that conversation.  And that reminds me I need to find an exterior door online so we can put in a doggie-dog...do not want to cut up the landlords...although, remembering the rest of that conversation I think we decided cut the door and leave the doggie-door and we only have a $300 deposit anyway and since the house wasn't cleaned when we moved in we have no real intention of cleaning it before we leave so we are going to walk away from the deposit anyway so let's go ahead and cut the door...that was ore a reminder to myself, but I thought I would share!

On to the beach sounds on "Love Song"...this reminds me of someone...not sure who...not a big fan of it...a bit on the boring side...which is not typical of Reg... Amoreena is known as well...solid.  Great voice...and now I am on Talking Old Soldiers...speaking volumes...

Burn Down The Mission...always loved this one...but I think this is not the one played on the radio, though...and at 6 minutes, I think that is right...the last minute of this is a pure jam...great bass and drums!

Not sure I would attach "country" to any of this...solid early 70s rock...this is completely Elton John...and it is understandable why he was so popular...I had Capt. Fantastic, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and two Greatest Hits (a blue one and a red one...very much like the Beatles, although these both had the same picture of Elton on the cover - as opposed to the Beatles, who were very clever with their Red and Blue greatest hits covers)...so my exposure to his (their) music was limited to those two studio albums and that which made it to the radio (which, of course, was a lot), but this is a hugely deep album! There is stuff on here that I will definitely listen to again...and there has not been a lot of new stuff that we have encountered, that I will say that about so far...I think we should go back and actually "rate" the albums...just starting the original madmen...the emotion in his voice is something that a lot of new music (and a lot of the music we have encountered so far) lacks...which is, I guess why he has been so highly regarded...this is an awesome version of madmen...

Tim: Rating is such a tough ask and a tough task but I like the notion of laying it on the table and committing to a number. The RS ratings are complete shit to me since it always seemed to me that they either only reviewed albums they already loved or they just gave pretty much everything 4 or 5 stars. I say "seemed" because I haven't read a RS review in years. 

Before moving on, I'm revisiting "Madman Across the Water" this morning since I couldn't fully take it in yesterday afternoon. I'm a fan of the 2:30 song but an epic like this deserves the full 8:53 it claims. Great drums; more cowbell.

Paul: ...more cowbell... 

Ratings:

PAI: 9

Let5ch: 8.5

[truemusicnotes]

459 :: The Drifters, 'Golden Hits'

According to Rolling Stone: By the early 1960s, the Drifters had evolved into the most suave soul group on the block. Even after Ben E. King went solo (scoring with "Stand By Me"), producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and the Drifters kept coming up with timeless odes to urban romance such as "Up on the Roof" and "Under the Boardwalk."

Paul: Catch up as you need...I am struggling with the next entry…The Drifters Golden Hits...clearly a compilation but given that many of their releases preceded "albums" per se, and were strickly singles, there is leeway...however, I cannot find this particular release with the 12 songs listen below:

"There Goes My Baby"

"(If You Cry) True Love, True Love"

"Dance with Me"

"This Magic Moment"

"Save the Last Dance for Me"

"I Count the Tears"

"Some Kind of Wonderful"

"Up on the Roof"

"On Broadway"

"Under the Boardwalk"

"I've Got Sand in My Shoes"

"Saturday Night at the Movies"

I think I may actually have this on tape...legacy from inheriting my mom's car...but too cold to go out and dig through my cassettes...so I am going to pull on of the other greatest hits on spotify that have these 12...man there are a lot of them...and it seems many from the past couple years...let's see...hmmm....this is my digitally thinking...AM Radio Gold has all the songs except "I've Got Sand in My Shoes"...plus a few extras...might go find that one just to be complete...

Tim: I'm following your lead on this one and I'm thanking you in advance for providing the list of songs. This is like a breath mint for my ears after the atrocious Hole. Having these two selections back-to-back presents such extremes in popular music. I know music is a constant evolution in songwriting, studio techniques, popular tastes, etc but can you imagine Hole in 1968 when this Drifters collection came out?

And before I even hit "send" on this email, I'm done with the 12 tracks. Something to be said for keeping songs short and sweet. I have a an eventual compilation I want to put together that only contains songs under 2 minutes. Get to the point, move on. :)

Man, the Drifters could harmonize. I'll still take Sweet Baby James' version of "Up on the Roof" any day though. Next!

Paul Certainly a nice change of pace...Hole in the 60s is a funny thought - we talked about how the hard music of generation ago is like pop now...I guess things like Deep Purple were as hard as it got in the 60s...so, no, I could not imagine Hole doing their thing back then...the do-wops of the early sixties was even more bubble gum...and to think that Elvis (50s) and the Beatles (63) were considered uncouth for their time...Hole will always be uncouth, but the Drifters had a nice sound and many hits...there was a VH-1 special on one of the black do-wop groups...do not know if it was the Drifters or the Spinners or the Temptation, but they were all part of that gap between the rock-a-billy and the British Invasion...the boys bands of the 90s and 00s? There were, of course, the complementary she-groups...Shirelles, Sumpremes...I am sure will encounter more as we ascend. Nice sound, nothing avant-garde about any of them; someone found a formula that worked and they beat it to death for three or four years...I could see Star Search or American Idol being brought to comparison...they fit the suit, to put it in Greg Brady terms; the Drifters were better than most and certainly, even now, enjoyable to listen to;I am assuming that their hit writers were better than others, but you know a lot of the writers wrote for many groups...Goffin King wrote a couple of those songs as did Lieber and Stoller...Pomus and Shuman too...sounded like "gold" after that abortion of grunge, though! What's next?

[truemusicnotes]

460 :: Hole, 'Live Through This'

According to Rolling Stone: On Hole's breakthrough album, Courtney Love wants to be "the girl with the most cake," and she spends the whole album paying for it, in the melodic punk-rock anguish of "Miss World," "Softer, Softest" and "Doll Parts." Her husband Kurt Cobain's body was found just days before the album was released.

Paul: I am on Track 3...cannot help thinking that being the wife of Kurt Cobain is the sole reason that this release is placed on this list...it "peaked" at 52, which is not particularly high...given that we can say this list spans some 60 years of music, there should be about 8 albums from each year, on average...I would argue that this is not one of the top 50 albums of that year, let alone top 8.

Her voice is painful to listen to. Backing vocals are awful. Truly unable to harmonize...I am now on Track 4.  The lyrics are childish. Musically, this is average.  I have heard better college acts in terms of quality of playing...drummer is possibly their best musician…bass player is probably on par with a person playing for a few years, at best...Kristen Pfaff...this is where I pat myself on the back…she started playing bass in 1992 (according to wikipedia...granted she was a classically trained pianist..but then again, so was I so am I a good enough bass player to be in Hole?  Given this recording, probably)...played for Hole on this album...ODed two months after Cobain...hot chick with a bass...late 80s/early 90s was very friendly to female bass players...even the no-talent ones...like this one… I am awaiting moving deeper into this list to get past the "obligatory" and "political" appointments...like this one.

Man, I do not think my opinion of music has changed much in 20 years...thought this sucked in 1994; think it sucks now...

"Someday, you will ache like I ache" That day, Ms. Love, is today.

To their credit...I like the fact that the song is called "Doll Parts"

Tim: I put this listen on "private" on Spotify not wanting this dreck to make it to any type of social network. Trite crunchy grunge guitars from the 90's do not make a classic and agree that this shouldn't even sniff the top 500. Smell the glove. I'll have to check out the hot bass player you mention but that doesn't excuse this crap. Courtney Love will never be able to overcome the loathing I feel for her. She sucks and steals and fakes her way through this album. Did we really agree to listen to the entirety of these? All 500? Ha! I'm on track 4 right now and it's straight up ripoffs of her late husband's signature quiet-loud-howl-quiet thing which was all in tribute to the Pixies anyway. Now THAT'S a band I'm looking forward to on this list.

Paul: Dreck is a good word for it...but we lived through it...thanks for making the rest of the list seem that much better, Courtney.

Rating:

PAI: 2

Let5ch: 1 (fuck them)

[truemusicnotes]

Booking Bands: Round 3

Booking Bands is still one of my favorite campfire games so I thought I'd resurrect the dormant list that's sitting over on a dormant blog and could use some love here on TMN. 

The first time I heard of Booking Bands was from Jim Coudal at the 2008 SXSW. Audio podcast of his talk is worth your time. You can hear me asking a question on there at 37:10.

Quick rules refresh: Combine the name of a band or musician with the name of a book or vice versa. Coudal’s site bent the rules more than I’ll allow so don’t go bastardizing shite!

The List (so far)…

zero7 habits of Highly Effective People

The Old Man and the Sea & Cake

National Velvet Underground

Big Black Beauty

The Flying Burrito Brothers Karamazov

The Doobie Brothers Karamazov

The Bacon Brothers Karamazov

The Allmann Brothers Karamazov

The Chemical Brothers Karamazov

The Dust Brothers Karamazov

The Beach Boys from Brazil

The Beastie Boys from Brazil

The Petshop Boys from Brazil

The Boys from Brazilian Girls

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Theft

Al Green Eggs and Ham

The Dangerous Book for Boys to Men

KRS-1 Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Love in the Time of Choler-Abba

A New Earth Wind and Fire

Cujo Strummer and the Mescaleros

Jimmy Eat World According to Garp

Interview with a Vampire Weekend

Everclear and Present Danger

Three Cups of TRex

The Sorcerer’s Stone Temple Pilots

Cat Power of One

Cat Power of Now

Of Mice and Men at Work

Arcade Fire Starter

Slaughterhouse Five for Fighting

The Woman in White Stripes

Cinderella

Steppenwolf

A Midsommer’s Night Dream Syndicate

All Quiet on the Western Front 242

System of a Down and Out in Paris and London

Oliver Twisted Sister

Flaming Lipstick Jungle

Aimee Mann of La Mancha

Three Musketeers for Fears

Lovely Bones Thugs & Harmony

Shiny Toy Guns, Germs and Steele

Amy Winehouse of Spirits

Field of Dreams Syndicate

The Fifth Elemental Organic Chemistry (book, too?)

The Rolling Stones of Ibarra

The Dark Tower of Power

Children of Men Without Hats

Carrie Underwood

Eight Men Outfield

The Church of Dead Girls

The Color of Waterboys

horton hears a whootie & the blowfish

kanye west side story

billie holidays on ice

coldplay it again sam

At Play in the Fields of the Lords of Acid

The Scarlet Letters to Cleo

A Clear and Present Danger Mouse

Rabbit Run DMC

Moby Dick

Moby Dick Dale

Love and Rockets in the Time of Cholera (stretch?)

Curious George Clinton

Running with Scissors Sisters

The World is Flatt & Scruggs

The Diary of Anne Frank Black and the Catholics (I like the dual religiosity)

The Diary of Anne Frank Allison and the Odd Sox

The Diary of Anne Frank Sinatra

Beastie Boys from Brazil

Corey Heart of Darkness

Green Hills of Afrika Bambaataa

BB King Lear

Midsummer Night’s Dreamland

Romeo Void and Juliet

Lord of The Ringo Starr

Rough Stone Rolling Stones

Cat Empire of the Sun

A Face in the Crowded House

Far From the Madding Crowded House

Gang of Four Past Midnight

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Brothers

Maurice Day and the Time Traveler’s Wife

The God of Small Dirty Pretty Things

True History of the Kelly Gangajang

No Country for Old Men at Work

Such a Long Journeymen

The Boney M People

Oscar and Lucinda Williams

The Van She

The The Sound and The Fury

The The Great Gatsby… ok, that would be cheating. The The is The swiss army knife of Booking Bands

Bob Marley and Me

Long Days JOURNEY into Night

Our Townes Van Zant

The King James Brown Bible

The Korani di Franco

Horton Hears The Who

The Village People’s History of the United States

The Tipping Pointer Sisters

The Good Earth Wind and Fire

What’s the Matter with Kansas

The Spin Doctors Zhivago

The Wizard of Ozzy Osbourne

The Joy Division of Cooking

Alice in Chains, in Wonderland

Curious George Clinton and the P Funk All Stars

1 Phish, 2 Phish, Red Phish, Blue Phish

Genesis (easy)

Mercury Revelations

U2 Towers

Jonathan Richman Poor Man

Henry the Vth Dimension

welcome to the monkey house of pain

Anthropologist on Mars Volta

Wizard of Ozzy Ozbourne

Hero with a Thousand Maniacs

The Rise and Fall Out Boy of The Third Reich

Yonder Mountain String Band of Brothers

The Secret Life of Beestie Boys

Until I Find U2

Savage Sam Bush

Heidi Lite [editor note: this one gets high marks!!]

Til Tuesdays with Morrie

Railroad Earth in the Balance

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five People You Meet in Heaven

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spyro Gyra

A Raisin in the Sunny Rollins

Invisible Manfred Mann

The Great Gats-B-52′s

The Lionel Ritchie, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The 1984-Tops

How the Kanye West Was Won

Sweeney Todd Rundgren

The Sonny & Cher Also Rises

The Old Man and the Cee-Lo

Valley of the Pussycat Dolls

Fun with Dick and Jane’s Addiction

Running with Scissor Sisters

Tears for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Macbeth Orton

Prince Caspian

The Elements of Style Council

Jackson Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do you See?

Ladysmith Black MambazOthello

Pedro the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Scott Baiowolf (he made an album, I’m sure of it)

The Glass Menagerie placements

Crowded House of 7 Gables

Led Zeppelin to the Wild

Led Zeppelin Cold Blood, and so on . . .

Good Charlotte’s Web

Housekeeping vs. the Dirty Projectors

The Trumpet of the Zwan

[truemusicnotes]

461 :: Public Image Ltd., 'Metal Box'

ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE: After the Sex Pistols imploded, Johnny Rotten reclaimed his real name  – John Lydon – and started a bold new band. PiL played eerie art punk with dub bass and slashing guitar. Metal Box (retitled Second Edition in the U.S.) originally came as three vinyl discs in a metal film canister.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/public-image-ltd-metal-box-20120525#ixzz2FHXFIIKn

Paul: you are going to need this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_VsYKpOOU0 Actually never knew there was a band after the Sex Pistols...so this is new to me!  Does this qualify as "post-punk"?  Certainly starting off that way...

Tim: I only know some of PiL and felt like it was a natural progression of Mr. Rotten. Haven't gotten to it yet and probably won't be able to today :(

Paul: So, instead of doing work, I spent much of that last hour reading about punk, proto-punk, post punk...the whole kit-and-kabottle...and interesting read on wikipedia...such an influential genre...apparently being attributed to VU, which is one of my favorite bands, thanks to you and that other person who used to live at Douglas and Ivy whose name shall not be uttered...

Yes, definitely post-punk and, it seems from what I read, a seminal entry as Johnny Rotten was one of the most significant figures in the UK Punk scene turning punk into post-punk...I would have liked to heard the first PiL album and, perhaps, someday, I will...perhaps that belongs on the list of omitted albums, for it PiL was the cornerstone into post-punk, then to Alternative (Sonic Youth, Pixies), PiL certainly has a place in the annals of modern music.

Musically, I can certainly see the seeds of many of the "post-punk" bands we have covered...I used to listen to the Jam and obviously I was way into U2 as far back as Boy...lots of influences into Echo and the Bunnymen (very apparent)...vocally, I never thought he could sing and that wasn't supposed to be part of punk, but a post-punk stable has been melodic voices...and that he does not have...some of the experimental portions were enjoyable to listen to, whether or not they were successful...a lot of Space from the Dead (who I love) missed me, but, again, it is experimental and not all experiments work.

Paul: as part of the continued research, I am currently listening to "Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash", which is not on the list...a bit too "punky" for me...but the version I am listening to has some demos and the "Raised in the City" demo, I think, is nicer than the actual studio version on the original...perhaps because it more "garage" sounding...more palatable for me...anyway, thought I would see where some of your musical interests are from my more mature ears...still not a big fan, but I certainly see Immo and his music a bit differently now...certainly lots of Replacements (early stuff) in his Two-Fisted Cool stuff...

Have a good weekend!

Tim: I'm just getting into catchup mode. Not catsup. Not ketchup. Catchup. PiL is on the virtual turntable and the needle's about to drop. The sheer sloppiness, raw energy and honesty of the Replacements grabbed me by my t-shirt in high school and pretty much shaped my musical tastes. And for sure, it all goes back to VU. Those dudes were cray cray. 

Tim: Currently on track 3, "Swan Lake" which sounds like anything but a classic ballet. The basslines are way out front in the sound production and some serious jagged guitar. It's like shards of glass but I kind of like it. At least, I appreciate it more than "like" it. The sound and mood is definitely showing the darker influences of VU. I might have to listen to the remainder wearing shiny shiny, shiny boots of leather.

Paul: Not specifically remembering the tune, but there were some parts of the album that caught my ear in terms of composition and inventiveness.  The basslines were memorable and carried many of the cuts...I think there is definitely something to be said for the difference between "appreciate" and "like".  I think some of the hip-hop could be appreciated while not liked...for example on Hole, I appreciate the drumming while not liking much else...with the hip-hop, I could appreciate the lyrics but not like them.

Yes, the "darker influences of VU" are heavy within the post-punk movement, especially at its inception, as PiL certainly is/was.  I can appreciate that!

Tim: I'm midway through track 10: "No Birds" - turning into a fan of the vibe. I have no idea what they're singing or singing about since I'm also in the throes of doing some user flows for a project but I'm definitely jamming along. And I'll second the thought on inventiveness. I'd peg this as seminal to a lot of the goth that was to come from the early 80's. As we move through this list, I'm sure we'll come across some Bauhaus (who later splintered, parts of whom formed Love and Rockets) which goes even deeper into goth/gloom. Combat boots. Check. Long black trenchcoat. Check. :)

Ratings:

PAI: 7 Let5ch: 7

[truemusicnotes]

462 :: R.E.M., 'Document'

ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE: R.E.M. were trying something new with each album in the Eighties, but this straight-ahead rock move was the one that made them mainstream stars. "The One I Love" was a hit, but the fan favorite is the manic "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/r-e-m-document-20120525#ixzz2FHS7hp5V Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Paul: Now here's something you'll really enjoy...

Tim: Can't wait to start in on this. Document deserves a higher standing but I know (and fear) some crappier REM will rank higher. 

Paul: crazy crazy world...shit, now it is over

Paul: spending so much time bitching that I have missed most of this album...good thing I know it well...not my favorite REM album but certainly not my least favorite...Finest Work Song is a fantastic song...End of the World is too but way overplayed...The One I Love is a beautifully dark song...Peter Buck really came into his own during this album, although I really think he started breaking out on Life Rich Pageant, which is my favorite REM album.  I think I need to do a REM album ranking

Life Rich Pageant

Murmur

Green

Reckoning

Out of Time

Document

Fables

Monster

Automatic 

I stopped listening after Automatic for the People...not sure why, but I do not think I would recognize a song of theirs after 1995...

Tim: I thought I owned this album and am now streaming Spotify on my phone taking the bus home. This is a really solid album for sure. This, murmur and life's all blur together for me, maybe due to that Detroit/ND road trip I took with Des. It was non stop REM and my first bonafied (sp) exposure. Yeah, End of the World is a victim of overplay, but remember the first times you heard it? Trying to catch all the lyrics from a Michael Stipe that was finally annunciating his cryptic verses? Great album; thoroughly enjoying this on my commute. 

Paul: Due to state of mind yesterday afternoon, I am going to give it another listen this morning...and I will hold on to move ahead until the site is set up, that way, we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves...and if you need me to populate some of the pages, I can do that too

Tim: Yes, I want to begin at the beginning of Document, too. Finest Work Song is one of REM's finest and on my commute last night I only made it about halfway through. This drop deserves a straight through listen. Didn't get to SquareSpace last night, instead opting to read too many articles on the election aftermath. Best storyline in the world of punditry backpedaling is the Revenge of the Nerds coronation of Nate Silver. Bring it, Nate.

Paul: I have always thought that Finest Work Song was a powerful transitional piece from "young" REM to a more "mature" REM...they were always socially-minded, I find that document turned a corner...perhaps, as you point out, the vocals are much more audible...but the power of the song seems somewhat different than "before".  Welcome to the Occupation is a pretty dark song.  Never was a fan of Exhuming McCarthy, but Disturbance at Heron House foreshadows the guitar work of Peter Buck for albums to come.  Strange is one of my favorite REM songs of all time...we have already talked about End of the World and The One I Love in previous posts...Fireplace is a crazy, crazy song...this energy within the final cuts on this album is fantastic...Bruford is at his best...must be the growing tumor in his head causing his hands to go wild!  Stipes voice is a peak on King of Birds and the studio weaving of the tracks is pretty cool, without being "too much"...always wondered about the inspiration for Oddfellows...was there a child-abuse case involving them that spurred the song?

In a way, the emergence of REM onto the "worldwide stage", as I think this album was for them, brought a certain level of political/social activism back to music that died after the hippie movement...we were dominated by a pop/dance beat (or hair bands) for much of the early 80s and the elevation of college rock to the forefront brought with it a sense of responsibility of the artist...perhaps that is because I was in college at that time and really developed my own sense of social responsibility...but isn't any art form created as much by the viewer/listener as by the artist?

Tim: Musically, "Exhuming McCarthy" is stellar. Back when R.E.M. was supporting Green, Jen surprised me for my birthday by getting tickets to their show in Detroit and we roadtripped that afternoon. Just looked it up on this amazing thing called the Internet. 5 April 1989 - Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI (http://members.iinet.net.au/~darryl74/1989.html). As an aside, we stopped in Ann Arbor where the Dead were playing and walked around the parking lot. I might have grabbed a grilled cheese. Anyway, "Finest Work Song" blew me away then but so did "Exhuming…" It was so good live that it's cemented as a favorite. Shame on me for not digging deeper into the lyrics since if there's a band that demands lyric examination, it's these guys.

I agree with the sentiment that R.E.M. took the responsibilities of a bigger audience to heart. At this point in their trajectory, their music wasn't so nakedly about the message. It still rocked. It still made you want to forget shit and just dance. By the mid 90's they became completely humorless and almost mawkish in their earnestness. I blame Stipe but that's just because he was the vocal component and probably the most outspoken. "Out of Time" and "Automatic for the People" will inevitably appear later in this list (I think) but neither of these albums are as complete or consistent as their earlier efforts. More popular, yes. Better? That's debatable.

…Just listening to "Fireplace" now as I type this reply. Crazy, crazy indeed. Pretty timeless sentiment that easily applies to today! 

This is still so much fun.

Ratings:

PAI: 6.5 Let5ch: 7.5

[truemusicnotes]

463 :: Echo and the Bunnymen, 'Heaven Up Here'

ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE: The Bunnymen refresh psychedelia for the New Wave era with an arena of foggy guitars and doomy drums, while Ian McCulloch updates the aura of Jim Morrison. Melody meets melodrama on the title track and on "A Promise," where McCulloch sing-sobs a story of love gone wrong.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/echo-and-the-bunnymen-heaven-up-here-20120525#ixzz2FHOtnR57 Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Paul: OK - this one is right up your alley...never really got into them much, as the 80s were as much about the 60s for me as anything else, but I know you were into them...I look forward to trying, once again, to get into your music...will I be getting it?

Tim: I peeked ahead and knew this was my palate cleanser. I've actually never heard this particular album though know "A Promise" from their Songs to Learn and Sing compilation. Ian McCulloch has an amazing wail. I forgot just how goth and gloomy this band could be and it's not jibing with the bright sunny day that's currently outside my office window. I dig these guys but of the original albums I own, I can't say any of them are solid, front to back. I really still love the aforementioned compilation. It gathers their best stuff for sure.

Paul: Through the first two songs...second reminded me a lot of U2, although I am not a fan of the voice, which is probably why I resisted back in school...just something about bunnymen weirds me out...yeah - goth and gloomy, which mirrors the day...as the sun erodes leaving that winter ugly in the air...from now until...actually, this is not South Bend, so we do see the sun during the winter.

Speaking of SB, I will be hanging with Cos on Saturday...and Sully, too...at the BC game...it is supposed to be upwards of 60 on Saturday, although it is a night game...looking forward to it!

Tim: Kurt Wilburding and I made a road trip to Kalamazoo to see Echo and the Bunnymen play somewhere near the Western Michigan campus. Watching these guys in person blew me away and at the time it was one of the more powerful shows I'd seen. McCulloch was mesmerizing and lived up to the often stated similarity to Jim Morrison. I don't hear it in the voice but the stage presence was there. The man was downright sexy and slinky and could have bedded any girl in the audience and probably a guy or two. This album is art school fare, but I come by it honestly, eh? Will Sargeant is an animal on the guitar and for that alone even the lesser songs have me jamming along with a dark tension. ooooooo, deep.

Paul: perhaps it was that fucking depressing music... ...and I am going to have to go to therapy now that you called Ian McCulluch sexy...

Ratings:

PAI: 5.5 Let5ch: 5 (Agreed, beyond "Promise" this was pretty mundane.)