Loving the look of the new list Chez, these are ones that I own:

 

Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis

Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster

Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Van Morrison – Astral Weeks

Bjork – Homogenic

Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Burial – Untrue

Madonna – Ray of Light

Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express

The Beatles – Revolver

Patti Smith – Horses

Depeche Mode – Violator

Joni Mitchell – Blue

Frank Ocean – Blonde

Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Carole King – Tapestry

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

De La Soul – Three Feet High and Rising

Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club

Sufjan Stevens – Illinois

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless

Massive Attack – Mezzanine

 

So I'll know more and more as you make your way through it - I'm not going to give away which ones but there are some absolute 10/10 albums in this list for me.

Thanks for the comments, I may not be able to respond to them all going forward, but appreciate every one x

 

My mum’s a big Cohen fan so I’ve heard quite a lot of his stuff without actively choosing to do so. I do think it’s some of the best poetry I’ve ever heard in pop music, but yes the singing leaves quite a bit to be desired. I don’t know if you’ve heard any of the stuff from close to his death but he pretty much stopped trying to sing and just growled along. And from the dark lyrics in his last album you could tell he knew the end was near.

 

I do really like So Long, Marianne - it has such a joyous warmth with the backing vocals.

 

I've heard You Want It Darker and that was really haunting and fit his low tones really well, much like Bowie's final album <3

 

 

Ooh a decent amount of these albums are in my record collection so will be interested to hear your thoughts ^_^

 

You do start with an album that I'm unfamiliar with though! I remember 'Suzanne' being a wonderful discovery not too long ago via the Sunday SyncTube sessions (I guess that's where you'll definitely know it from) when we had free rein to pick whatever during a final session. 'Sisters of Mercy' is also in my shuffle playlist!

 

Ohh I have very short memory from the SyncTube sessions, that's the one :lol:

 

 

Loving the look of the new list Chez, these are ones that I own:

-snip-

So I'll know more and more as you make your way through it - I'm not going to give away which ones but there are some absolute 10/10 albums in this list for me.

 

I can also finally get round to Mezzanine as you recommended three years ago :lol: (at some point x)

 

 

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush

 

The Young from folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had already released two albums before After the Gold Rush, but this was a high profile release and is often seen as one of his best despite contemporary reviews not being as kind and it not spawning a lot of big hits. It was originally inspired by a screenplay for an end of the world style film with the same title, though the script is lost and only two songs really reflected this in the end.

 

I was initially terrified because I mistook this for Neil Diamond and was not ready for Sweet Caroline, but no, I clearly get the two big Neils confused x From reading the context, this album definitely reflected the general paranoid, apocalyptic mood of the early 70s possibly influenced by the Vietnam War and artists beginning to weave social commentary into their music when previously this was quite rare with even the Beatles trying to avoid it, it predated What's Going On (possibly the most prevalent example of this) by a year but a lot of the same themes are there. The title track is particularly standout with it's three different verses reflecting three different time periods, one medieval, the present in a burned out basement in the aftermath of a deadly flood in California and the future at the end of Humanity's time on Earth that speak damningly of the dangers of climate change before it was really in the public consciousness. The social commentary continues with Southern Man, a clear callout of the racism at the time addressing slavery and segregation. These must've been so ahead of the time especially coming from American traditional music who still refuse to address these issues even now, the stripped back piano and string composition as well as sad, vulnerable vocals in the former add a lot, as do the angry and forthright production and strong guitar solo present on the latter.

 

The album doesn't quite keep that innovation up throughout, most of these are a bit more conventional of the folk sound, but it all still sounds very nice. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (written for his bandmate, Graham Nash after his break up from Joni Mitchell, fun fact) I only know through the Saint Etienne version and while that does jazz it up a lot and is better, the original is a pleasant sound. There is a real sense of melancholy throughout, Oh Lonesome Me, Don't Let It Bring You Down & Birds (the former being a cover) deal with loneliness and depression and while they're not overly standout, I think the soft, sad vocals along with the sad piano and strings really add a lot and gives them a timeless feel. Tell Me Why additionally has the famous lyric: Tell me why/ Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself/ When you're old enough to repay/ But young enough to sell?, which is certainly a profound lyric for the ages.

 

I can't say this was a massive favourite and it did lose me a little bit towards the end, but the real adventurous moments coupled with a really emotional and poetic pull throughout made it a lot better than I thought from an artist I still know very little from despite their status. A rather timeless folk album that was even somewhat ahead of it's time.

 

7.5

My parents liked Neil Young but I’ve never really found myself compelled to investigate. I associate Harvest as being his ‘classic’ although it was probably just my parents’ fave.

 

I probably would recognise the tracks on this if I listened as I’m sure I’ll have heard it whilst growing up at home.

So many classics! Leonard Cohen I have his Collection/Best Of but it's a struggle to get through in one sitting. His voice is too relentless, though his songs are top notch - I also rate Suzanne, You Want It Darker (dance mix) and First We Take Manhattan, apart from Hallelujah as the most-famous one.

Gave this a spin and also really enjoyed the first few tracks and then it all became a bit samey, though it was nice to get some tracks with guitar solos and horns and a choir to break it up a bit. I didn’t know Saint Etienne’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” was a cover! That version is miles better oops.

An interesting listen anyway.

Your thoughts mainly mirrored my own then! Indeed, Only Love Can Break Your Heart was the only one I recognised and I was trying to remember where I knew it from

 

-x-

 

 

Rihanna - Anti

 

A bit more modern now and to this date, the most recent album by former pop superstar Rihanna. A long drawn out release strategy (in the end, only featuring one of the pre-album single releases) marred by creative difficulties and emotional turmoil, Anti was aptly named as it was in stark contrast to to the commercial radio-friendly pop known from Rihanna at the time, taking a more experimental approach with atmospheric production and dabs in different genres such as dancehall, industrial and trap. Upon release, it was so musically free and unconventional that it initially received fairly mixed reviews though was commercially successful, reaching number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 (though only reached number 7 in the UK), it has over time gained a following as a modern classic and Rihanna's most daring album and one of the many radical pop albums that helped to bring black music stars into the limelight in the mid-2010s. A follow-up is still yet to be released.

 

I've never heard a Rihanna album, I grew up with her at her commercial peak and while she can certainly make a great hit, it doesn't interest me enough for an album so I was interested to see a more personal and less radio-friendly side to her. Of the singles I already knew, I've never been a fan of Work, just always found it annoying although I do admire its revisiting of her Caribbean dancehall roots. Kiss It Better was much better and sounds great on here as a Prince-esque throwback to 80s power pop and sits nicely alongisde Woo on the album with some great guitar work. I knew Anti would be different, but some of these style changes are nonetheless striking to hear from Rihanna and she mainly pulls them off really well. Consideration is a much better presentation of the dancehall/reggae sound that was flirted with in Work, but there's also forays into trap and industrial on the likes of Desperado. Her cover of Tame Impala's New Person, Same Old Mistakes (titled with just the latter clause) was a real surprise, but is a highlight. Keeping the psychedelic synthpop and most of the previous sounds of the original, yet it still feels fresh by coming from a female perspective and it really fits with the immersive soundscape and self-evaluative themes of the album. Though the most wild change of style has to be Love on the Brain, a 50s doo wop inspired song with strings, organ and arpeggio, Etta James and Amy Winehouse are touted as influences and I see why, it seems unthinkable coming from Rihanna, but really works.

 

If there's nitpicks, I've always thought Rihanna's vocals aren't particularly suited to some songs and while that doesn't detract from a lot here, it does make songs relying on heavy vocals like Higher a bit strained, though this is saved by the strong production. This is clearly quite an emotionally conflicted album with some real vulnerabilities showcased in terms of relationships, though in many songs (like LITB above) the arrangements do sometimes hide the darker themes. It's laid bare on the closer Close to You, which works well as a painful love letter to an old flame, yet with an acknowledgement that it had to end, and is stripped down to a piano. The deluxe tracks aren't as interesting, but work OK as club interludes, specifically, Good Night Gotham.

 

I do understand people finding this 'messy' but it does really work overall for me as a deeply personal and creatively free piece of work. It does feel like an album difficult to follow up and a result of being confined to radio friendly dance-pop for too long, so in that sense, I do see how she hasn't yet. Whether it does turn out to be her last album or not, it's worth a listen for a glimpse of a darker side of a pop superstar.

 

8.5

I also don’t like “Work” but think “Kiss It Better” is a really strong single.

 

I do appreciate her being daring, going back to her routes more and experimenting more, but overall I’m not entirely convinced this hangs together as a cohesive body of work.

I think the lack of cohesion in a way works in its favour - you get the sense that she was finally allowed to be free, there's clearly been challenges, but it does add to it being an honest piece of work, rather than calculated.

 

-x-

 

 

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella & Louis

 

Kinda does what it says on the tin here - two of the biggest names in jazz music combined in what would've been an internet-breaking collaboration in the 1950s covering classic standards. They were aided by the Oscar Peterson Quartet and they clearly hit it off as this was the first of three duet albums they'd record together.

 

I reviewed an Ella Fitzgerald album already with her Cole Porter songbook and this chronologically was her next release so I suppose there's no change in her backstory. What I said there still stands really - 'it's very easy to appreciate them as they set the paving for many genres to come over the decade, but they're just so of their time that it's difficult to get much enjoyment out of them unless you're really into that genre or were there at the time.' This one thankfully was not as long as her last one (although still the lengthiest so far at 53 minutes), yet sadly, it felt like it still dragged. Now don't get me wrong, this is a very well put together album, it's wonderfully composed, completely stripped back to allow both of their powerful vocals to soar and it's a good pairing as both have very distinctive and different vocal styles, Ella's impeccable enunciation and tone combined with Louis' smooth and eccentric raspiness yet flow together brilliantly. It's a triumph of composition, some of the highlights (all of these are 20s/30s jazz standards or old musical film themes, I only recognise one, They Can't Take That Away from Me) include Isn't it a Lovely Day and Tenderly's beautiful trumpet solos, the closest the album comes to a light bop in Cheek to Cheek and you hear Ella do an impression of Louis at the end of it which is really cute and gives a wholesome feel to these two incredible admirable figures, who would've been facing a lot of segregation at the time.

 

Yet sadly, there's just not enough variance here to keep me interested - it doesn't help that I know almost none of the songs so can't even get the satisfaction of hearing a good rendition of it or finally putting a name to the standard I sung at primary school, but there's only so long I can hear a different standard with exactly the same arrangement before I start to tire and struggle to distinguish them a bit. There's not even any quirky facts for the songs or lyrics to keep me interested, they've got a hell of a lot less personality than Cole Porter's songbook. Which all in all just makes me a bit bored, which I know isn't the experience for everyone so put this down to me being an uncultured millenial and not being what I look for in music. I will score this above average in recognition for the musical achievements, but will likely never listen again x

 

6.0

 

Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

 

From the title, I mistook this for a live album, but this is actually the fifth studio album from swinging sixties icon, Dusty Springfield. Recorded initially as the title suggests in American Sound Studio in Memphis in a bid to revitalise her career after signing with Atlantic Records. Overcome by the big American names surrounding her, the recording was a challenge for her and her insecurity and anxiety meant she couldn't perform at her best and she only approved of two picks of the songs selected for her and orchestral arrangements and overdubbing vocals were recorded in New York. Initially, the album sold poorly, stalling her career rather than revitalising it, but has since grown a reputation as a classic of pop and soul and her best work containing one of her signature songs.

 

Only really know the bigger songs by Dusty, but she had an incredible voice and was a massive talent so certainly a name I respect a lot. You can get a sense of the main themes of the album from the first few songs alone, where Dusty's strong, emotional vocals sing over soaring strings, I would usually find these songs a bit cheesy, but her performance really rinses the meaning and makes it her own. It's sad to think she was so nervous, as she really does sound stunning throughout. The most well known song here, Son of a Preacher Man, was not originally intended for her and more geared towards Aretha Franklin, however this was one of just two songs that she herself approved of and I don't think any more needs to be said, it remains an all time classic and a standout of the record, shifting the style and mood to that confident Southern soul sound. Though it may not seem it, there is actually a fair bit of diversity and mood here which she really conveys very well - Don't Want to Hear It is a sad tale of a lover that knows her love is ill-advised yet lives in denial and Breakfast in Bed sounding much more sultry (and contains a classic reply line to her other signature hit).

 

My favourite two are probably The Windmills in Your Mind - a song that only charted in the US and was a version of the Oscar-winning song from The Thomas Crown Affair, it certainly has that dramatic movie flair and it's following song, In The Land of Make Believe has a dreamy feel that is again sold really well. I don't know if there's loads on this album I'll come back to, there's not much variance to the lyrics and lacks the adventurous nature of other music from the time, yet I do admire it a lot as it's a case of letting strong vocals do the work without overdoing it and making the songs your own. These songs may not have been written by her, but you wouldn't know it.

 

7.5

The first one I've got, and it's one I haven't listened to very often if I'm honest. I love the obvious track, which was the primary reason for me getting the album, but I found myself not being wowed by the rest... it's not that it's not good, it's just not as stand out as Son of a Preacher Man. Windmills of Your Mind is indeed a lovely song though, agree with you about it being the nearest highlight.

Dusty In Memphis is her best studio album, though I'd argue her comeback album in 1990 Reputation was pretty fine but not as cohesive, Pet Shop Boys-heavy and all. Memphis might not have peak Dusty tracks on it but it's a groove and career change that miss-fired by and large, commercially. Dusty's best albums are always the various compilations though, essential 60's classics from the greatest British singer of all-time, in terms of range, emotion and the way she deconstructed songs line by line to get the greatest impact. Aretha did record Preacher Man eventually, oops! It wasn't better than Dusty's version, and we are talking Aretha Franklin here!

I did listen to both those last two. In both cases I like the performers more than the material overall. I love the combination of Ella’s clear voice and Louis’s gravelly tones and I knew a fair few of those songs, but it was more an album to have on in the background for a party than for active listening. Dusty I could listen to all day but the songs didn’t all manage to hold my attention.

Well hello x So this kind of abruptly came to a halt for many reasons, but I think I'm in a good place to continue this now as I hate to leave a project unfinished and there are still a lot of names I really want to hear on this list, so while I can't confirm if there won't be long pauses again, I have a few of these saved now so let us continue!

-x-

Selena - Amor Prohibido

The fourth album from the Hispanic American superstar of the 80s and 90s, Selena. It was hoped broaden her appeal outside of her core fan base and with the help of her brother's new band, became much more experimental and mature than her previous music, which combined her Tejano style with other genres such as ranchera, synthpop and hip hop and featured more complex lyrical themes with few love songs and most focusing on a woman's struggles and triumphs with unsuccessful relationships. It was a huge commercial success on first listen and is one of the highest grossing Latin American albums of all time and was credited with embedding Tejano and Cumba music in the mainstream. Tragically, a year after the album's release, Selena was murdered by her former friend and manager aged just 23, making this the last album she saw in her lifetime and cementing her as an icon of Latin America.

This was quite an educational listen and Wikipedia readthrough as I confess if you'd mentioned Selena to me before, I'd have assumed you'd meant Gomez. Probably an album whosise influence is best felt culturally in America, I'd never heard of Tejano either but I was really struck by how modern and contemporary the album sounded. There's a lot of fresh 80s and 90s synths here as well as some pretty innovative takes. Techno Cumbia is particularly quite banging with it's club music and hip hop sounds, you also have some songs that have more recognisable Mexican elements like No Me Queda Mas with its ranchera and mariachi sounds, but none of it sounds dated or of a type, and there's a hell of a multicultural influences here with Jamaican steel drums showing up at one point and closer Ya No honestly sounding quite Avril Lavigne in places. The lyrics of the album, though I had to use Google Translate for them, are very mature given her age at the time, the wonderfully synth laden title track, translating to 'Forbidden Love' being one example of a poverty-stricken woman and a more wealthy man who can't be together due to societal divide, though the lyrics are ambiguous and you can see why it's become an iconic track in the LGBT community and there are some particularly brutal takedowns of failed relationships at the end of the album, it's all doom and gloom, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom as you may expect is a bit more of a lighthearted heartbeat-themed track, though these moments admittedly skirt the line of annoyance x

Overall, this was a really pleasant surprise and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in some more innovative takes of Latin pop, even if it will make you sad wondering how much more she could've achieved </3

8.5

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.

Second appearance of the Stones in this project, this time one that's arguable their best known work. The album was recorded and named when the band became tax exiles in a rented villa in the South of France, they were loose and unorganised which went some way into shaping the album's varied and chaotic sound, and continued their back to basics, raw sound influenced by Delta Blues, gospel music and country rock. Though critical responses were initially muted, it was soon reassessed and is seen as a pivotal album in their career and the rock genre, and has managed the rare feat of getting to number 1 in the UK twice with a re-release in 2010.

I actually listened to this one a little bit early to help me with that Rolling Stones rate in the retro forum as I thought it coincided nicely with this list, Looking back on what I wrote for Let It Bleed, it seems I enjoyed some tracks yet it wasn't typically a sound or album I would usually go out of my way to listen to, and actually I think fits this one quite well too. You can definitely tell this album was recorded in a basement as it has a very back-to-basics feel, the songs feel raw and there are many extended instrumental breaks which I'm sure were the band just letting loose. There weren't as many singles I was familiar with on this album, Tumbling Dice and Shine a Light are two very good gospel-influened tracks and the likes of Sweet Virginia and Sweet Black Angel show them with their heartlands Blues influences in full swing, as well as some chaotic and bizarre numbers with Happy and Turd on the Run. This was all perfectly fine, but a double album of it was a bit too much, so I was pleased to see the end of the album got a lot more experimental, especially I Just Want to See His Face which strips back the guitars and has a slowly building choir and Let It Loose with it's organ and pianos taking the lead stage. It was a side to the Stones I hadn't seen much and made the album stand out a lot more.

I think if you want a definitive Stones album that documents their unfiltered sound the best, this is a good place to start. It's a little overlong and as for the band themselves, I wouldn't call them consistent favourites despite several great singles, but through two albums I've learned that they certainly are capable of just letting loose and actually have a fair few good ideas of their own.

7.5