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| Chez's 100 Albums Bucket List reviews, Done! Ranked list p11 |
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 19th June 2020, 05:17 AM
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#41
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 I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,420 User: 12,929                 |
Very good run of albums since I last posted, I loved the Massive Attack one, they had been a bit of a blind spot for me and it all sounds pretty wonderful, particularly Unfinished Sympathy of course.
Funeral is one of my favourites too, barely a track I don't love and a very cohesive statement plus a number of timeless anthems from Power Out to Wake Up, I really do love all of their albums but Funeral the most. Also big fan of the White Stripes' sound, so I really enjoy pretty much all of Elephant, even that weird ending track, I love their harder moments more often though. Screamadelica had been this album I'd built up an image of in my mind that was quite different to the reality, ended up enjoying what it was doing but will need to go back to it a bit more to solidify that. Sex Pistols is a one and done though, I like the sound but there's such a thing as too much punk and it does get a little samey throughout this one. Good lyrics for the most part though as you say, maybe at times a little too much on the offensiveness meter. |
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20th June 2020, 05:04 PM
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#42
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 The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232 
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Thanks guys <3 we are indeed in a very good section right now!
 The Cure - Disintegration Disintegration was the eighth album by The Cure, released at the tail end of the 1980s, it marked a departure from the more pop sounds that they had come to be known for, and the style was much more introspective and gothic, much of it was influenced by the fear and uncertainty vocalist Robert Smith was feeling at the time, as he was nearing 30 and had a general distaste for the group's newfound popularity, which caused him to lapse back into hallucinogenic drugs, which explains the psychedelic and melancholy feel of the album. Despite this, the album did very well commercially, but also critically and assured their commercial success would continue into subsequent decades. I didn't think we'd get another beautifully melancholy indie album so soon after Funeral, but this is almost as good as that. I confess I've never known much about The Cure even if they should be a group I'm into, and based on what I had heard, I certainly didn't expect this type of sound. This album certainly earns the 'goth'/'emo' title as the guitars combined with synths and melodic strings are front and centre, the songs all very long with extended instrumental intros that make a blissful wall of sound that captures you right from the start. Just listen to the opening song, Plainsong, to get an idea of what I was talking about. The guitars and melodies are relentless throughout the album, sounding almost tormented and never-ending, knowing the context behind this, makes you really truly understand how Smith incorporated all his emotional and painful feelings into these walls of sound, and the vocals when they do show up, feel timid yet powerful which further adds to the meanings. Highlights include the eventual hit, Pictures of You and Closedown which is accompanied by a beautiful synth refrain, and pretty much the entire second half of the album really lets loose with the epics with songs going up to nine minutes, it feels so much more unfiltered than the first half. But really, there wasn't any songs I didn't like at least a little bit and I'd recommend the album as a whole experience as while there isn't a whole lot of variation, it doesn't need it as every track has a brilliant soundscape and atmosphere and gripping vocals that will really captivate you for all of that 72 minutes. Well almost all, Lovesong feels the most tailored to be a hit even if that wasn't the intention, and it doesn't have anywhere near as much power as the rest of these tracks. The other hits though - Lullaby and Pictures of You - still don't sound like obvious hits now and it's great that they were. I always knew The Cure were a band I should really be checking out a bit more than I had been, but this really solidified that as this is (still as I'm now 40% through the list) one of my favourite discoveries. It's a really beautiful and powerfully sombre album that I'd recommend to all fans of gothic/emo rock music as it really does give you a clear and beautiful picture of how music can be used to its full effect to paint a mood. 9.5 |
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20th June 2020, 06:27 PM
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#43
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Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,304 User: 54
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Disintegration is absolutely fantastic, one of my favourite albums ever! Although I'll not be standing for any criticism of Lovesong Mr Wombat, it's one of their best!!! Especially in its extended version which featured on their remix album that followed this, 'Mixed Up' - it's definitely more pop than most of their other songs but it's lyric is just so simple and heartfelt.
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21st June 2020, 04:51 PM
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#44
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 22,001 User: 53
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I don't own anything by The Cure and have never heard that album but do like some of their singles. Love Cats etc. I know Lovesong was done by Adele.
This post has been edited by Crazy Chris: 21st June 2020, 06:52 PM |
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21st June 2020, 04:53 PM
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#45
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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I didn't dislike Lovesong by any means, it's good, I just found it didn't really stand up to the rest of the album, I feel like I may enjoy the remixed version though!
 The Streets - Original Pirate Material Original Pirate Material was the debut album for producer and rapper, Mike Skinner AKA The Streets. Most of it was recorded in a South London house that he was renting at the time and was one of the early key records in UK garage with hip hop influences. It was a sleeper hit, only peaking at 12 in the UK, but was highly critically acclaimed and helped the pave the way for a greater commercial success for the him in the mid-2000s. It was praised for it's clever lyricism and focused primarily on British working class life. I thought I would know a few songs on this album as I had heard of a handful of The Streets songs, Dry Your Eyes, Fit But You Know It etc. but actually no, it appears I'm a little uneducated on his earlier sounds as I knew nothing here. I liked what I knew of The Streets, but I didn't expect anything groundbreaking, but I was pleasantly surprised here. This sound is an interesting one, coming in between grime and garage, yet from his intentions, he didn't really intend to do either. This sound is very unique and honestly, I'm pretty sure I've heard similar things from current UK rappers so you can see the sound still persists. It's hard to argue that the lyrics relating to going out to the club, eating chips and going to shitty kebab shops were not widely covered at the time, so must have been unique and still feel particularly resonant, and switch wildly between the laddish humour of Don't Mug Yourself & Too Much Brandy and the more serious vibes of Geezers Need Excitement to make some pretty perfect social commentary, however, what really enhances the album is the excellent production and instrumentals. It's hard to believe this was recorded on such a low budget as it still sounds really good. The strings in particular add an excellent cinematic feel to opener, Turn the Page & Let's Push Things Forward, as well as a great use of samples present in Has It Come To This? But when it really hits the spot is the piano led epic of Stay Positive, it's the longer tracks on here and really paint a darker picture of suburban life and show the true poetic social commentary that the album is capable of. One last song worth mentioning is The Irony Of It All, which is like a dramatic play with verses between a supposed high achieving stoner and a drunk thuggish yob before coming to a head, it's a really powerful commentary on both different aspects of masculinity and the hypocrisy of certain stereotypes set to a great beat. It's got all the best features of the album together. This is all quite different from what I already knew from The Streets, but I was really pleasantly surprised and think this is probably one of the best Garage/Hip hop albums I'd heard (especially when I find the genre a little difficult to get into). The lyrics, production, social commentary and dramatic tension built makes this a constantly engaging listen, many of the themes are still prevalent in British working class life today, which speaks of the timelessness of the album and how important it was. 9.0 |
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23rd June 2020, 05:33 PM
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#46
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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 Marvin Gaye - What's Going On What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by Marvin Gaye, and was definitely a watershed moment in his career and the moment he took real control of his career independently of Motown records, despite a lot of uncertainties from his own boss, it was a huge critical and commercial success. It was a concept album in which many songs segue into the next, based on the experiences of a Vietnam veteran witnessing hatred, suffering and injustice. It addresses issues with drug abuse, poverty and most notably, ecological issues before it became a key talking point (which really seems utterly bizarre looking back). This album is certainly timeless in themes, so many of the concerns can very easily still be encountered today, particularly that of environmental issues which somewhat hammers home how little has changed in almost fifty years, but What's Going On also manages to be engaging musically and lyrically alongside the messages. I confess with Marvin Gaye I knew very little of his material, asides his love songs from Heart FM, but the majority of this is really powerful and I can easily see why its such a classic. His tone and delivery is so understated and introspective when accompanied by a variety of soaring instrumentals creating a really effective contrast, and at other times, matching the bleak, desolate atmosphere of the lyrics. The heightening strings of Flyin' High... and Save the Children and Wholy Holy highlights this the best, yet there is still a definitive soul groove and deceptively uplifting rhythms present throughout, it's that rare example of music you can bop along to but forces you to pay attention to the lyrics. The title track is a great example of that with it's doo-wop scat incorporated into the introductory songs to the themes, Mercy Mercy Me (where the concerns turn to the environment) with it's calm demeanour and funky guitar line and Right On the closer Inner City Blues both let the atmosphere do the talking and create a uniquely bleak desolate soundscape that matches the lyrics' tone. It's generally lost none of it's thought provoking qualities over almost fifty years and it's a really nicely put together album that has great flow throughout and the variety of instruments and sounds never lose your interest and ensure the key focus point of the album is never lost. I'm not the biggest fan of soul as a genre, but I can really appreciate the artistry that went into this and really shows the best of Marvin Gaye's talent, what a shame we lost him so young. 8.5 |
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25th June 2020, 05:31 PM
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#47
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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 Nirvana - Nevermind A BIG one now, and one I'm sure almost everyone knows even if you may not have listened. Nevermind was the second studio album released by Nirvana just three years before the death of Kurt Cobain, the first member of the tragic 27 club to appear here. It was inspired by various harder rock bands like Pixies, The Melvins, Smithereens and R.E.M, yet had a distinctly unique sound of pop hooks combined with powerful guitar hooks which brought them both high mainstream and critical attention. It is now frequently listed as one of the best albums of all time and it's cover art remains instantly recognisable. It was seen as one of the ultimate defining albums in grunge and alternative rock and a change from the dominant commercialised metal that was popular throughout the 80s. This is fairly similar to the Sex Pistols' album in that it's one of the few that really originated the sound of grunge and started a new, very short lived movement, that would quickly dissipate even though the influences can still be felt in many acts, so it does feel very unique, indeed Nirvana as a band, don't really attract that many comparisons which I suppose speaks for their greatness. A bit like the Sex Pistols, the album is intensive, loud and provocative throughout, but I liked this one a lot more as it did have a lot more depth and layers to the sound. The guitars and soundscape created here is truly immense and often builds in power to leave you truly shaken by the end of it. The two most well known singles - Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are - have incredible riffs that are probably amongst the most recognisable in popular music, they are big highlights and the power and intensity of the guitars persists throughout. The intense guitars are matched by Cobain's growling, dark and sometimes incomprehensibly wild vocals, it's pretty inimitable and the energy, disdain and true, ahem, spirit really lifts the songs from the occasional sameness that occurs. The similar sound throughout does make it difficult to see true standout tracks, but a few memorable ones are Lithium, which the ecstasy-riden feeling of happiness is matched in the anthemic chorus yet it deceives what is clearly quite a dangerous high. Even though the guitars are fantastic, it is the stripped down moments that stand out the most - Something in the Way has the guitars stripped to a minimum and strings taking over and a foreboding and bleak tone throughout. Polly is a more restrained acoustic moment which brutally depicts sexual abuse and is a pretty dark if still engaging listen. Territorial Pissings is the album's energetic high point, and the hidden track Endless, Nameless is an intriguing six minute guitar-lead angry freak-out which occurred when Cobain was apparently in a really bad mood after a recording session and just crashed about in the studio. It's not perfect throughout, the songs you doubtless already know from the album give you exactly what you expect and if you don't like that sound, you'd tire of it pretty quickly. But it is ultimately a unique and standard-setting album because of both what it inspired and it's unashamed anarchic and heavy grunge sound that re-invented the sound of a teen rebellion to this day, the genre was very short lived and was acquired by the mainstream almost as quickly as punk was after Nirvana dissolved so this album does stand at a unique moment in music history, and it honestly hasn't lost any of it's power and distinctive sound to this day which you can't say for most bands. I'm not sure I found as many songs I loved outside of what I didn't already know, but I'm glad I listened, you just don't get things are daring and instrumental to the development of music as this these days. 8.0 (if you're tiring of me being too generous, wait for what's coming next xx) |
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26th June 2020, 03:06 PM
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#48
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IncredibleSquirrel
Joined: 8 March 2006
Posts: 25,840 User: 118
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Glad you enjoyed Original Pirate Material so much. Picking a single favourite album is always a hard thing as will depend on mood, what you've been enjoying at the time etc. but that's always one that's up there, there's only three or four others that I'd ever consider ranking above it and I'd certainly be able to count the amount of albums I've listened to more on one hand.
Hearing Has It Come To This? on Radio 1 I was mesmerised by it, was like nothing I'd ever heard and didn't sound like something I'd enjoy but I absolutely loved it, and the other singles the same. But I do think the highlights live away from those, which are generally the ones you've picked out, and as I've got older I've been able to appreciate some of the lyrics more as they make far more sense than when I was 13. I love Turn The Page, Stay Positive is utterly incredible as you've pointed out, and my favourite is The Irony of It All, it's such a clever way of structuring a song that's providing a great and thought provoking commentary over a banging instrumental. |
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26th June 2020, 05:40 PM
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#49
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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I quite agree, I can't imagine how it would've sounded on the radio at that time!
-x-  Ed Sheeran - + In a list that generally has some of the best and most influential, genre-defining albums of all time, THIS really does stand out like a sore thumb, nothing wrong with some modern representation, there are many great ones on here from turn of the century, and I mainly understand them. Ed Sheeran's popular, I get it, but he is a poster boy for dull, uninteresting, radio friendly music and he has no place on a list of genuinely innovative and more impactful albums (this wasn't even his best selling?). I was willing to give this a chance anyway but...well we'll get to that, first, context. This is at least the first album that I was fully following music for and so the rise and constant rise of Ed Sheeran is a story we all know, initially starting up with a low key acoustic guitar playing lad with some underground and hip hop connections, he was picked up by a major label, had some chart success with the first two singles and it debuted to massive success, selling over 4 million copies worldwide and being breaking the US as well as here, the only way was up from here as we have all seen~ I don't hate Ed Sheeran as much as it may seem so from that, it's inoffensive and I give him credit for clearly coming from nothing and learning to navigate the industry very well, but I've always had a problem with him that this album confirmed - he's just too darn SAFE. He's doubtless a competent, quite diverse and authentic musician judging from his back story, yet the output he almost exclusively sticks to is bland, unadventurous, insipid radio fodder, and it's not like he's some puppet doing what his label tells him to, he KNOWS it and has built a career on this samey, hit chasing stuff over what he clearly has talent to achieve. There's nothing wrong with getting a formula to be successful, The Beatles did it with their earlier Bubblegum pop work, but they used their standing to experiment and innovate, because if anyone could afford to push the envelope while still making profits, it was them. Sheeran is up to his ears in cash, if anyone can afford to experiment and explore different sounds, it's him and yet he continues to stick to the same, tired sound. Mushy ballads that all radios will lap up and appeal to the adult contemporary audience, and more upbeat pop-rap crossovers using modern producers/collaborators with a bit of street cred to make him cool with the teenage audience. They may be personal, but they are so obvious and transparent that it takes any authenticity out of his work as it just sounds more and more calculated with each passing album, especially his last album where he collaborated with just about every chart star going. I am aware this could be premature and he still has time to mature as an artist and I certainly hope he does, but it's why he just remains such a big YAWN when it comes to music. And I went off on that tangent because it's the exact problem this album has - + was self-produced, written and composed and judging by his roots it could be an interesting indie/rap combo with some good sounds, but while it's not without it's good moments, far too much of it is wasted with pandering, sickly radio fodder that he has become so accustomed to. Now I'm pleasantly surprised there WAS actually some decent songs on here - You Need Me, I Don't Need You was a single so I obvs already knew at the time, and while I haven't heard it in a while, it is very refreshing seeing something more hip hop and anguished than his usual sound and stands out here. The City might just be my favourite ever song by him (not that it had a lot of competition), it's a really catchy little number with a variety of instruments and I can't think why he didn't release this as it could've been a big hit, and Grade 8 has some good acoustic R'n'B vibes. The rest...ehhhhh, it's honestly pretty much just acoustic ballads from that point onwards. The A Team I did like a lot at the time, but I've gone off it a bit over the years and while it has a dark subject matter, it's again delivered in such a dull and radio-friendly way, anything potentially interesting is squandered. Lego House is exactly the sort of boring shit which made me start to go off him a bit, but there's many just like it here. Wake Me Up has some of the most sickening lyrics I've ever seen ('Cause maybe you're lovable / And maybe you're my snowflake; And I know you love Shrek / 'Cause we've watched it twelve times / But maybe you're hoping for a fairy tale too, top notch millennial pandering), the rest aren't especially bad, they're just dull and blend into each other so not worth mentioning. I'll give credit to Give Me Love for it's more dramatic and intense 80s-rock climax complete with a choir, if you're gonna be cheesy, then you may as well go all out like that. Maybe this did sound a bit more authentic at the time, because it was only his debut and there was (and still is) scope for growth at the time, but almost ten years later, this is just the kind of pandering and accessible content he would go on to keep up and become eventually stratospheric with various retreads. I get his appeal totally, but it depresses me that the biggest artist in the world is one that uses the platform to make what he knows people want to hear and will make him profits, capitalism at its finest. We can but hope he can develop more as an artist as his career goes on, but as it stands, this album only confirms my issues with him and I have no desire to listen to it or any of his material again. I've already spent far too long talking about him. 3.5 (for the three decent songs and the latter half of Give Me Love) |
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26th June 2020, 06:02 PM
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#50
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 Baby Reindeer
Joined: 9 March 2008
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Now that is a scathing review.
 I haven't listened to + yet and after reading that I don't think I want to. But your general comments about Ed are spot on imo. So much potential back in 2011 but he's making music for wealth now.
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27th June 2020, 01:39 AM
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#51
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is my brain across your walls?
Joined: 14 February 2009
Posts: 115,078 User: 8,300
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oof
I still maintain that '+' is actually a good album ('x' was as well, he's been much more hit or miss since then but still solid singles-wise). I'm glad you did at least like 'The City' and 'Grade 8' as they are definitely the two best album tracks ('U.N.I.' is great too imo and I am still a fan of all of the singles bar 'Drunk' which aged pretty quickly for me - yes, I even like 'Small Bump' lol - leaving only a small handful of less good / forgettable tracks). #edsheerandefenceforce ((only just discovered this thread, I'll try and dig through the previous posts at some point! though I am an uncultured swine so probably won't have heard any of the other albums xx)) |
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27th June 2020, 02:44 AM
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#52
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I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,420 User: 12,929 |
I love all of 'Nevermind' so much. I'd want to shout out 'Lounge Act' and 'Stay Away' a bit more above the standard Nirvana classics. A true classic.
As for '+', I think I have much the same list of songs that are salvageable, You Need Me, Give Me Love, Grade 8, The City, the big two ballad singles if I'm in a really forgiving mood, certainly his most interesting album even if that's not saying much and even if I don't have much of a reason to listen to it anymore, only reason I ever did was that it came at the height of my 'pop discovery' mood. |
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27th June 2020, 04:21 PM
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#53
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Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,304 User: 54
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I hated + also Chez! I did buy it at the time as I quite liked The A Team and I did like You Need Me... but the album was just such a bore! I haven't listened to it since the year it was released and I can recall that there were a couple of album tracks that were okay - I suspect they would be the ones you like too.
I've only ever listened to Nevermind once  I really don't know why I haven't bothered to investigate it properly actually, I'm going to add it to my list of albums to listen to also 
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27th June 2020, 04:28 PM
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#54
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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Hi new people *.* Glad my thoughts The City are shared by a few!
 David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Back to the greats now as we go to the fifth studio album from the iconic David Bowie in possibly his most notable guise, Ziggy Stardust. The album (the latter 'spiders' being his backing band) was a loose concept album which showed Ziggy, an androgynous rock star, acting as a messenger for extra terrestrials, before becoming an out and out rock star and sadly passing away at the end of the album. The album was notable for being one of the early explorations of sexual exploration and was influenced by glam rock. It never actually topped the album charts here, but it was highly acclaimed and out of his vast back catalogue, this is still one of the albums he is best known for. David Bowie has always been someone I've really needed to explore more, I love a fair few of his singles (his holy trinity being Heroes, Life on Mars and Starman, I was quite surprised to see only one of those on here when I thought they were all around the same time, but apparently he was releasing a hell of a lot of albums at this time!), and was very interested in this album. I always love albums based on a story, and while it's a little loose at times, it's still played really well from the opening dramatic, ultimatum that is Five More Years giving the Earth it's ultimatum to the slower, morose but equally dramatic Rock n Roll Suicide. From then on, it's straight out flamboyant rock and it's very fun throughout. Highlights, outside of the aforementioned Starman which still sounds epic, were Moonage Daydream which directly introduces the character and has some delightfully weird and slightly kinky lyrics as well as featuring an excellent guitar solo. The best guitar work is probably the swan song for the character, Ziggy Stardust, with it's iconic riff which still feels stratospheric. This feels as much an achievement for the Spiders from Mars as it is for Bowie as the instrumentation and atmosphere created is wonderful and still sounds so timeless to this day, which is an achievement as a hell of a lot of glam rock feels very cheesy and dated these days, but these songs all sound so distinct. Suffragette City, apparently seen as one of his best songs but I'd never heard it prior to this, is also a real head banger and one that perhaps best shows lyrically the themes of sexual confusion, I can't imagine themes this progressive being in the early 70s and I can certainly see how it has such a big following with the LGBT community. One of my main complaints is I wish it were longer, feels like it's been and gone way too quickly and bar the odd song that didn't quite connect with me, it was really enjoyable, diverse and epic album that I can easily see how it's perceived as one of the best of all time. I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface with David Bowie's material given how many albums and reinventions he went through, but this feels like one of the times he was at his A-game. 8.5 |
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29th June 2020, 06:23 PM
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#55
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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 The Clash - London Calling The third studio album by The Clash saw them move away from their punk sound that by 1979, was slowly developing and becoming less prevalent than they were used to so lost the power it once had. This album saw The Clash experiment much more with a variety of different styles and yet not lose any of their astute social commentary. It was a decent success at the time and is now seen as one of the most important albums and one that established The Clash as one of the greatest and adaptable post-punk bands of the era. I know a handful of The Clash songs (basically all the well known ones lol) and I really like most of them so was interested in hearing an album by them. This was a double album, it's rather long and with that amount of tracks, not all of them are going to strike a chord, and there's a lot of filler which I'd be lying if I said didn't drag the album down a bit, but what keeps it compelling mainly is the sheer variety of styles they incorporate. You wouldn't honestly guess they came from the same cloth as the likes of Sex Pistols with how naturally they encounter genres such as reggae, rockabilly, ska and even some American soul elements in there, it sounds extremely wholesome and international throughout and you never quite know where they're going to go next when listening to the album. Not all of them are successful (hi Jimmy Jazz) but they all show a very new side to them, especially if you know them best for Should I Stay or Should I Go. The best song here though, biased as I may be, is definitely the title track, its urgent and doom-riden lyrics are combined with a marching beat and infectious chorus that inspires a sense of uprising and stands as particularly prophetic after the struggles of 1980s Britain. The lyrical meanings are another strong point here, there are a few light and more humourous takes for variety, but this still has the rebelliousness and keen satire that they were known for. Spanish Bombs is a particularly great written about the contrast of modern tourist Spain with the miserable trenches in the Civil War and works in some wonderful Spanish mixed in. Lost in the Supermarket is a great commentary on consumerism that is truly timeless in its message (its just through all these social commentary albums that really makes you depressed how little progress we've made however many years later :')). The Guns of Brixton is also an excellent reggae-punk combination that notably predated the Brixton riots, but still captured that anarchic and discontented feel of the area, which speaks for their ability to capture the feelings and be a mouthpiece of those not in the elite at the time. It unfortunately tails off a bit in the second half of the album, despite it's diversity, it does start to feel like a bit too much, but then I don't think the intention of the work was to be particularly cohesive, it was to show the vast array of sounds they were capable of and taking punk in a new direction, and it still sounds very intriguing and striking today so it's easy to see how it's held up so well. I'd recommend it to anyone who would want to know the full depth of The Clash's work, just know there's quite a bit of filler along the way~ 7.5 |
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30th June 2020, 05:20 PM
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#56
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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 Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain The sixth studio album from the iconic and ever-eclectic Prince. This was the soundtrack to the film of the same name which starred Prince and marked a noted style change from him to a more grandiose, synth-pop sound with multiple layers of various instruments. Many of its videos and lyrical content were controversial for how explicit they were, and it was one of the first albums which had to be classified as 'Parental Advisory', which is a good thing knowing that US Gangsta rap also started blowing up this decade. It was a huge success commercially, selling over 25 million copies worldwide and was praised for his innovative fusions of Rock and R'n'B and grandiose band performance as well as being a precursor for his more experimental work later in the decade. I haven't seen the film this is based on, but while the context does help, I really don't think you need to enjoy the album. I had heard some Prince songs before and they ranged from decent to REALLY great and thankfully it's the latter that are present on here with the excellent classic singles When Doves Cry and Purple Rain the title track, but there are so many more shimmering beautiful moments. I really have a liking for out and out grandiose, boombastic 80s pop ballads, it's so overblown, emotional and powerful and really feels so epic to listen to and that is present throughout this album. There is such a huge and vast soundscape created through synthesisers and dramatic guitars, but it's all underpinned by Prince's amazingly soulful vocals and relentless energy, often shrieking with passion so you can really feel the high emotions constantly flowing through the album. It's a little hard to categorise Prince as an artist and this album proves why, jumping between soul, synthpop and rock so effortlessly. The two singles still sound wonderful, the title track especially at its full eight minute glory with it's wonderful guitar solo and falsetto is a perfect ending, Let's Go Crazy, the intro track with it's iconic 'Dearly Beloved' soft opening is a great introduction to the energy of the album. There are also some interesting lyrical themes and unconventional structure explored to give a sense of the man behind the curtain. Computer Blue, a prog-rock esque ode to man and machine and right after, Darling Nikki, with it's varying tempos, famously sexual lyrics and somewhat unfinished sound which makes it seem raw and personal. It's psychedelic and eclectic qualities ensure that you just don't know what's coming next. The album's a really excellent experience and at just 45 minutes, it feels the perfect length and the perfect insight into a real musical genius' mind. I'm sure a lot of these songs make more sense if you've seen the film, but I can't say it impacted my enjoyment of it at all and it can easily stand on it's own as a great piece of music. It's the very best of the 80s in a neat package. Prince, similar to David Bowie, is an artist I feel like I've barely scratched the surface with with the amount of material he has released over the years, but with this, I know I'm listening to an artist at the top of his game. 9.0 |
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3rd July 2020, 05:23 PM
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#57
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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 The Doors - The Doors This was the self-titled debut from The Doors, released in 1967, it was seen as one of the key records in the then blossoming movement of psychedelic rock and many of its singles have now become staples on classic rock radio. The Doors would release a few more albums after this, but they were famously short lived due to the very early death of front-man Jim Morrison, another member of the 27 Club, thus this album is often seen as their most important and representative work. Who knew that random band that featured on Breakin' a Sweat by Skrillex were so big? I'm kidding, I'm not that uneducated, I obviously knew of The Doors and listening to this album, I do recognise a few of the songs but just couldn't put a name to it. Before I did my research, I had always assumed they were just that kind of 'dad rock' sort of group, but actually, there was a lot that surprised me on this album. Mainly for the diversity and mysterious mood that persisted throughout the album, Break On Through (To The Other Side) is a wonderful opener with some pretty iconic guitar lines and energetic vocal, and Whisky Bar has an ominous undertone to it's lyrics helped by the prominent organ line (the organs are generally fantastic throughout this album). I never knew Light My Fire had such an extended instrumental section and took it as face value as I only knew the lyrics, but that is such a wonderful soundscape created. There is certainly no shortage of slower and atmospheric moments too, The Crystal Ship is a downbeat and beautifully composed ballad and End of the Night with it's literary William Blake influence and repeated lines and light guitar licking creating something truly haunting. This album really did open my mind to Jim Morrison, beneath the massive stage persona, he was clearly a poetic and very complex individual and it really does shine through on the album. No better is this shown than The End, the iconic, slowly building closing track which is almost twelve minutes long and is stripped back to a single guitar, contains a spoken word section referencing the Oedipus complex and possibly the most enigmatic lyrics ever written which throws in biblical, epic and afterlife allusions alongside what apparently started out as a simple breakup song. It's doom-laden imagery and fear of the end makes it quite difficult to listen knowing what came shortly for Morrison, but it is undeniably a truly captivating listen.There's a few tracks that feel a bit more basic and break the great flow of the album sometimes - like Twentieth Century Fox and Take it as it Comes coming between End of the Night and The End feels particularly jarring. But asides from that, it's a really interesting and eclectic listen which you can both think about and get down to as well. It certainly feels like the best representation of the Doors and an insight into what the greatness they were capable of in such a short career. 8.5 |
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3rd July 2020, 05:55 PM
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#58
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Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,304 User: 54
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Nice reviews of the past few... Bowie is a fave, although his albums are not all great. From a similar era I'd recommend both Hunky Dory and Aladdin Sane though as both are up there with Ziggy. I wonder if you would like his Berlin era though (Low, Heroes and Lodger) as they are more experimental.
Purple Rain is definitely a classic, it's my favourite of his I think although Diamonds and Pearls and Sign o the Times are also worth a listen when you've done this I have that Doors album somewhere, I remember thinking it was okay but I also definitely remember thinking it was badly sequenced in places so I suspect I agree with your review! |
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3rd July 2020, 06:33 PM
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#59
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Buy yourself a car, and a house in Devon
Joined: 6 May 2016
Posts: 23,892 User: 23,247
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Ed Sheeran is probably the only one I've heard in full so far oops. Grade 8 is probably my favourite on the album but yeah it does look odd around all these classic albums. Same story for the rest, I know and love songs from all of them but haven't heard the albums in full!
(there are a few further down the list I've listened to back in the depths of time and I think I've done the same for Nevermind as well but unfortunately what I thought of it at the time has escaped me) |
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4th July 2020, 06:14 PM
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#60
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The owls are not what they seem
Pronouns: He/him
Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,128 User: 9,232
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Don't worry, there are some much more deserving 2010s entries to come very soon which I hope you'll at least be partly familiar with.
Will take those recommendations down dandy, Hunky Dory in particular as many say that's on par with his best. -x-  Pixies - Doolittle Not to be confused with the doctor that spoke to animals, Doolittle was Pixies' second studio album. It was their first with new producer Gil Norton, and had a much cleaner sound than their debut and some surreal and unique imagery throughout the album, mainly centring around surrealism, Biblical torture and environmentalism. It has a very distinctive quiet-to-load sound that persists and they are listed as some of the main influences for Nirvana and the style of alternative rock that followed in the 1990s and is often regarded as their best work, even managing their first hit singles, though it did mark the start of increasingly poor relationships within the band that lead to their first break up just a few years after this album. This was a pretty eclectic and odd collection of music, but fortunately I like that kind of thing so I did mainly enjoy this. I had very little knowledge of the Pixies outside of their song in Fight Club so didn't really have an idea of their kind of sound, but it's pretty great. Like I mentioned above, a lot of the songs are very brief and scattershot and dynamic, starting with quiet and hushed vocals before going all out screamo. Tame is particularly notable for being one of the heavier ones, if you're really not into that, you may not be into this. But the album is far from stagnant, there's a lot of different ideas and structures going on. The instrumentation and structure of is extremely chaotic throughout to ensure you never quite know what's coming next, but the choruses often rely on repetition which lodge them in your head. Opening track, Debaser is a great example of an energetic and rabble-rousing anthem that will definitely get you in the mood for what's coming. Monkey Gone to Heaven, with it's environmentalist and biblical numerology references in the lyrics serves as probably one of the most abstract lyrical top 40 hits ever. Honestly, the lyrics of this album interest me more than the music sometimes, they are so wide-ranging and have deeper, artistic meanings. The environmental message is accompanied by linking the oceans and biblical imagery throughout. Dead and Gouge Away both focus on the David and Bathsheba and Samson and Delilah stories in the Bible and don't hide away from violent imagery to match the intensity of the music, and Wave of Mutilation despite it's power pop chorus has a theme that relates to (in the singer's own words) Japanese businessmen doing murder-suicides with their families because they'd failed in business, and they're driving off a pier into the ocean. Wow. On an album full of such unconventional sounds, it is surprising that it also houses Here Comes Your Man, which could come out of the early 60s and which even the band themselves felt was too much of a sellout. It's got a great, timeless guitar line but it's not a huge highlight. This album moves so quickly it's more of an experience as a whole than one made up on individual highlights, but the unique songwriting and structure make it always seem very interesting. Probably an acquired taste, but if you're into a more eclectic sound, I'd recommend it. 8.5 |
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