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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: HOF on February 11, 2023, 10:25:15 AM
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A thread that might go over like a lead balloon, but I know there are a few people here who appreciate this sort of music. I went back and forth on what descriptor to use for the thread, but ultimately settled on just "pop." The impetus though was more to talk about a body of music that I enjoy that is not particularly rocky, maybe not rock at all in some cases, but is somewhat more ambitious than just straight ahead pop music. It's not quite prog either, but it scratches a similar itch for me musically. The albums on this list will hit on a number of pop sub-genres, and some of them have been described as art pop, chamber pop, baroque pop, power pop, sophisti-pop, indie pop, alternative, or the most vague of them all, contemporary pop. Some of it would have been called adult contemporary when I was a kid, but I don't know if that term applies anymore.
I tried to draw some lines to focus on the more pop side of some of these artists who at time veer off more into prog territory or into more avant garde styles that start to lose the more accessible aspects of what I think of as pop music (I may break that rule a time or two on the list though). I'm also leaning away from stuff that might fit into more of a guitar rock bucket. I'm leaving some music that I love by some of these artists off this list, but only because it didn't quite fit the parameters I'm setting out. I'm also not totally ranking these based on personal preference (nor do I really have a hard and fast ranking of all of these albums outside of the top 10-15 or so). Some of them I've bumped up or down to get a little more variety as I unveil these. I thought about limiting it to one album per artist, but that would have required tougher choices and leaving off some absolute favorites. Still, I tried to get as much variety on the list as I could, and I ultimately did bump some albums from a couple artists just to keep from repeating similar albums.
This is my first time committing to something kind of longer form on here, so bear with me. I'll try to get to one or two albums a week just to keep it moving. Alright, let's begin shall we?
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Rather than doing an honorable mention list, I'm going to just highlight two albums at the start that I'm leaving off the top 50 list only because 1) they are classic artists that most people know or have already heard of, and 2) they serve as a nice introduction for the type of music I'm looking at here, and many of the albums on the list draw from each of these artists.
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/PetSoundsCover.jpg)
Who doesn't love the Beach Boys? I'm sure a lot of people don't, but they were a favorite of my dad's so I grew up hearing them a bunch. I don't know that I thought that much of them until I saw a documentary as a teen where Billy Corgan was interviewed and made a statement along the lines of God Only Knows being the greatest song ever written. At that age, Corgan's music was more up my alley, so I took notice. We all know the story of how The Beatles inspired Brian Wilson to step up his game for this record and create "the greatest rock album ever made." I suppose those sorts of statements created a bit of a legend around this album for me, but it's hard to deny the genius behind it. Just incredible production for its time, and a richness to the songwriting and arrangements that is timeless. You'll definitely hear other bands in this countdown reaching for similar vocal harmonies and instrumentation. It's absolutely the template for much of the music on this list. Maybe it should have been number 1 on the list (though we're talking my personal favorites here), but kicking things off instead just made sense.
Favorite tracks: God Only Knows, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), I Just Wasn't made For These Times
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Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/Simon_and_Garfunkel%2C_Bookends_%281968%29.png?20220220172631)
Another foundational act who I didn't really appreciate until the last 6 or 7 years really. This is my favorite of their albums that I own. It's a beautiful recording, with a delicacy that you just don't hear on modern recordings. Side 1 in particular is what makes this album special as it's essentially a concept piece "that explores a life journey from childhood to old age" according to Wikipedia. It's notable particularly in the interplay between the acoustic guitars and strings, which is going to be a trademark of several albums on the list. America and especially Old Friends are the highlights here, but I'm also quite fond of the Bookends Theme tracks. But I'd also like to point out how bonkers Save The Life Of My Child is, with the gospel choir breaking into the track at seemingly random times and what sounds like Taurus bass pedals but I'm sure must have been something else back then. Side 2 features more of the known tracks like Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter. For whatever reason, I've always found the later to be very grating, no matter who performs it. But that's a small misstep.
Favorite tracks: America, Old Friends, Mrs. Robinson, Bookends Theme (I and II)
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Honorable Mention/Transcends The Ranking:
- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
- Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
Top 50:
50. Adrian Belew - Inner Revolution
49. Duncan Sheik - Duncan Sheik
48. The Sundays - Static & Silence
47. Tim Finn - Tim Finn
46. Beck - Sea Change
45. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
44. Field Music - Open Here
43. Kevin Gilbert - Thud
42. Luis Philippe - Azure
41. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
40. Sting - Mercury Falling
39. Fernando Perdomo - Zebra Crossing
38. Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily
37. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
36. Prefab Sprout - The Gunman And Other Stories
35. Gotye - Making Mirrors
34. Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life
33. Phil Collins - ...But Seriously
32. Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee
31. Talk Talk - It's My Life
30.
29.
28.
27.
26.
25.
24.
23.
22.
21.
20.
19.
18.
17.
16.
15.
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13.
12.
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09.
08.
07.
06.
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01.
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Will follow. :tup :tup
I didn't hear Pet Sounds in full until I was like 30 or so, but it is a great record, definitely worthy of its classic status. I tend to revisit songs from it more than the whole album itself, but it's still really good from start to finish.
I tend to be into songs more than album when it comes to Simon and Garfunkel, but Bookends definitely has some of those songs I reach for.
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I can't get in to Pet Sounds very much, but their Sloop John B has been a Top 5 song of mine for decades.
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yeah, Sloop John B has always been my go-to #1 track off Pet Sounds.
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I'll definitely keep an eye on this.
The Beach Boys were one of my first favorite bands. I used to say that I liked the Beach Boys better in their pop era, and the Beatles better in their more experimental era, but I'm less sure of that now, I think I may have been undervaluing some of the Beach Boys' later material. Probably worth a revisit at some point.
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Cool thread, for sure. I'll try and follow as much as I can :)
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I'll definitely keep an eye on this.
The Beach Boys were one of my first favorite bands. I used to say that I liked the Beach Boys better in their pop era, and the Beatles better in their more experimental era, but I'll less sure of that now, I think I may have been undervaluing some of the Beach Boys' later material. Probably worth a revisit at some point.
I'll confess to never going beyond Pet Sounds with The Beach Boys (though I know lots of their other songs of course). I do have Brian Wilson's Smile, which is interesting but a little bit hard to get into.
I can't get in to Pet Sounds very much, but their Sloop John B has been a Top 5 song of mine for decades.
yeah, Sloop John B has always been my go-to #1 track off Pet Sounds.
I like it better now, though I always sort of empathized with the character in the song so it kind of made me sad as a kid, LOL.
Will follow. :tup :tup
I didn't hear Pet Sounds in full until I was like 30 or so, but it is a great record, definitely worthy of its classic status. I tend to revisit songs from it more than the whole album itself, but it's still really good from start to finish.
I tend to be into songs more than album when it comes to Simon and Garfunkel, but Bookends definitely has some of those songs I reach for.
I do think Pet Sounds can seem a bit disjointed just because it has so many tracks. Bookends is such an easy, short listen that it works really well as a whole album listen for me.
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Those are fantastic. Looking forward to this.
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Following!
Pet Sounds - I haven't heard this album in at least 10 years so I have to give it another spin. My initial impression of it was that it didn't click with me and I didn't really understand the greatness behind it.
Bookends - The first time I gave S&G a shot I didn't like them. Within the past few years I became a really big fan of Kings Of Convenience which has some S&G elements in their music. I then went back and listened to the Simon & Garfunkel records again and gained some new appreciation for them.
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Awesome idea for a list, definitely following and checking out some of the stuff you'll post :tup
Pet Sounds is a nice album, definitely a very 60s record, but very well-written and produced. I've tried some of their other albums, but they haven't really been my thing.
I've never listened to a S&G song outside of The Sound of Silence, I think this might be a good album to start with them?
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Awesome idea for a list, definitely following and checking out some of the stuff you'll post :tup
Pet Sounds is a nice album, definitely a very 60s record, but very well-written and produced. I've tried some of their other albums, but they haven't really been my thing.
I've never listened to a S&G song outside of The Sound of Silence, I think this might be a good album to start with them?
have you listened to either:
1) Brian Wilson's "Smile" from 2004
2) The Smile Sessions
I personally got most into S&G's classic Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's interesting those 2 bands were listed here 1st, a local Minnesota band named Collective Unconscious performed the complete Abbey Road a few times with vintage Instruments back in the 2000's, and I saw it twice. They then did the same with Pet Sounds with an Orchestra, which I unfortunately did not get to see, but I did get to see them perform Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water which was almost equally as great. I remember specifically checking out Bookends and Sounds of Silence as well right befoe that show and while I enjoyed all 3, Bridge was the one I liked most. I suppose part of it was the fact I was seeing it live, etc. But it still remains my favorite of theirs.
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Bridge Over Troubled Water is also excellent. The title track, The Boxer, and The Only Living Boy In New York are wonderful songs.
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Awesome idea for a list, definitely following and checking out some of the stuff you'll post :tup
Pet Sounds is a nice album, definitely a very 60s record, but very well-written and produced. I've tried some of their other albums, but they haven't really been my thing.
I've never listened to a S&G song outside of The Sound of Silence, I think this might be a good album to start with them?
have you listened to either:
1) Brian Wilson's "Smile" from 2004
2) The Smile Sessions
I think I have given the former a listen, but I don't remember much from it.
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Following. I am not familiar with Simon & Garfunkel, but Pet Sounds is one of my favorite albums of all time.
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I only know S&G's hits. Looking at Bookends, Only Hazy Shade of Winter if familiar, but I much prefer The angles' version. Maybe I heard it first, cannot remember. Also Susanna Hoffs.
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I only know S&G's hits. Looking at Bookends, Only Hazy Shade of Winter if familiar, but I much prefer The angles' version. Maybe I heard it first, cannot remember. Also Susanna Hoffs.
S&G are one of my favourite artists. Amazed you haven't heard Mrs Robinson or America!
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I'm a sucker for pop music. I'm in.
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I'm a sucker
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I only know S&G's hits. Looking at Bookends, Only Hazy Shade of Winter if familiar, but I much prefer The angles' version. Maybe I heard it first, cannot remember. Also Susanna Hoffs.
S&G are one of my favourite artists. Amazed you haven't heard Mrs Robinson or America!
Yes I did overlook Mrs. Robinson in my post, never cared for that song.
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I'm all OVER this thread. I'm a HUGE Beach Boys fan (I don't have guilty pleasures, but I'm a deep cut BB fan, not just the hits. I think Brian Wilson is a genius) and so this thread is off to a bang-up start!
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50. Adrian Belew - Inner Revolution (1992)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/Innerrev.jpg)
Kicking things off with one of the more energetic albums on the list. It was also the first album on my computer when I sorted by artist for the longest time, so it seemed appropriate to start with it.
I went through a Belew era King Crimson kick back in the 00s, and my favorite songs were often the poppier Belew driven ones. This one is Belew at his poppiest. A lot of his solo stuff that I've come across is pretty out there, but he really tones down the weird here while still being distinctly Belew.
Big choruses, vocal harmonies, and Belew’s trademark guitar playing are all over this album. It’s those unusual lead guitar tones that make it unique. There's definitely a Beatles influence here as well.
This was apparently a breakup album following his divorce from his first wife, The War In The Gulf Between Us being the obvious song dealing with that subject. But it's on the whole more of a positive, , exuberant album (even that song comes across as quite happy). There's plenty of introspection on tracks like Inner Revolution, This Is What I Believe In, and Only A Dream, but then songs like Big Blue Sun, Birds, and Everything are just pure fun.
Favorite Tracks: Big Blue Sun, Birds, Everything, The War In The Gulf Between Us.
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I'm a sucker thinking Tim is sane.
FTFY
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HOF, I've never checked this Belew solo album. Thank you.
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Bumping in case there is anyone else who wants to check out the Belew album before I move on.
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I will at some point; quick Belew story before we move on (relevant, too). I saw him a couple times with Crimson, including in '95 at the Palace Theater in New Haven, CT (November 18th, to be exact). At the time, the big buzz was, "new Beatles material!" because the Anthology release was coming and word was the remaining Beatles took a John Lennon demo and fleshed it out. No one had heard a note of it, it was still just... not rumor but speculation. Belew is known for his sense of humor and during his solo spot he goes "I'm going to ruin the surprise and play you the new Beatles song". So he did a solo version of "Free, free as a bird!" and we all thought "wow, good tune but Belew is hilarious, there's no fucking way this is the new Beatles tune!". Two days later, November 20th, the first Anthology is released and son of a bitch if that isn't the exact song Belew played us two nights before. :)
(Side bar, I got to meet Sean Lennon at his show with Les Claypool at the same theater, the Palace in New Haven a couple years ago, and they were playing a Crimson song in their set - In The Court Of The Crimson King. I wanted to ask him/mention that to him - sort of the circle of life, and I even brought the bootleg tape I have of the Crimson show - and I chickened out, because I didn't know how to phrase it.)
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I will at some point; quick Belew story before we move on (relevant, too). I saw him a couple times with Crimson, including in '95 at the Palace Theater in New Haven, CT (November 18th, to be exact). At the time, the big buzz was, "new Beatles material!" because the Anthology release was coming and word was the remaining Beatles took a John Lennon demo and fleshed it out. No one had heard a note of it, it was still just... not rumor but speculation. Belew is known for his sense of humor and during his solo spot he goes "I'm going to ruin the surprise and play you the new Beatles song". So he did a solo version of "Free, free as a bird!" and we all thought "wow, good tune but Belew is hilarious, there's no fucking way this is the new Beatles tune!". Two days later, November 20th, the first Anthology is released and son of a bitch if that isn't the exact song Belew played us two nights before. :)
(Side bar, I got to meet Sean Lennon at his show with Les Claypool at the same theater, the Palace in New Haven a couple years ago, and they were playing a Crimson song in their set - In The Court Of The Crimson King. I wanted to ask him/mention that to him - sort of the circle of life, and I even brought the bootleg tape I have of the Crimson show - and I chickened out, because I didn't know how to phrase it.)
Now that’s a great story. You can definitely tell he’s a Beatles devotee from this record.
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I will jump on this. Pet Sounds is awesome, and Simon & Garfunkel are always good.
I love Adrian Belew wherever and whenever I hear him, but I've never listened to that album. I shall endeavor to do so with all speed.
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Let's move on.
49. Duncan Sheik - Duncan Sheik (1996)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/DuncanSheik-DuncanSheik.jpg?20081116002834)
This album is a recent discovery, though I've long thought "Barely Breathing" was a top notch pop tune. Some major nostalgia with that song as it was inescapable for a few years in the late 90s. I guess I always just assumed it was a one-hit wonder and there wouldn't be much else worthwhile on the album. I could not have been more wrong! What tipped me off that it might be worth exploring was seeing that it was produced by Rupert Hine (produced Rush's Presto and Roll the Bones, some Camel, etc.). It was also mixed by Stephen W. Taylor, who recently re-mixed Marillion's Holidays in Eden. Those are the little things that send my antenna up sometimes with albums (though of course it's nothing like any of those bands).
While "Barely Breathing" is a slickly produced 90s pop tune, the album is a much more delicate singer-songwriter affair, primarily focusing on Sheik's voice and acoustic guitar. What surprised me the most about this album though is how orchestral it is, featuring several wonderful string arrangements that really make the record. I can see why nothing else took off as a radio hit ("She Runs Away" and "Reasons for Living" were also released as singles apparently, but I don't recall hearing them before). It's a somber, introspective album that works best on a rainy day. Some might call it coffee house music. It's all very warm and cozy. Reminds me of another album that will feature here on the countdown in a little bit.
My favorite tracks tend to be the ones featuring the more intricate string arrangements. "She Runs Away" sets the stage for the album nicely, giving a taste of the orchestration to come on the second track, "In The Absence of Sun," which really blossoms into something incredible at the end. "Days Go By" somehow walks a line between despair and elation over a relationship that seems to good to be true. "November" is probably the most elaborate of the arrangements, but it is especially frail and aching vocally. A beautiful track. "Home" is similarly frail with more of an ambient arrangement. "Serena," which features some nice lead guitar work, and "Out of Order," are two more upbeat, full band tracks that help round out the album and keep it from being too sleepy. "The End Of Outside," has sort of an Indian/far eastern vibe and probably should have ended the album as the last track "Little Hands" is a bit of a downer after it.
It's kind of a shame that Sheik disappeared commercially after this, but he has continued to make music which I'm interested to check out more of now.
Favorite songs: She Runs Away, In The Absence Of Sun, November, The End of Outside, Barely Breathing
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Honestly, I never liked the hit, and he never went anywhere after this came out, so there is no way I would jump on this one.
It's pretty wild that you jumped on it this long after it came out, but since you like it, I'm glad that you did!
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Honestly, I never liked the hit, and he never went anywhere after this came out, so there is no way I would jump on this one.
It's pretty wild that you jumped on it this long after it came out, but since you like it, I'm glad that you did!
Not saying you'd for sure like it, but there is a lot more to this one than what you might expect from only hearing Barely Breathing.
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Re: Duncan Sheik. Coffee House music is a great descriptor of that song. There were a whole bunch of similar songs that I used to call "chain-core" because it sounded like it was tailor made for the muzak systems of casual dining restaurants. See also Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Gin Blossoms, Vertical Horizon, Deep Blue Something, Savage Garden, and so on. Also, my mom was a big fan of this album.
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Re: Duncan Sheik. Coffee House music is a great descriptor of that song. There were a whole bunch of similar songs that I used to call "chain-core" because it sounded like it was tailor made for the muzak systems of casual dining restaurants. See also Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Gin Blossoms, Vertical Horizon, Deep Blue Something, Savage Garden, and so on. Also, my mom was a big fan of this album.
Or music you might hear on an episode of Friends or Dawson's Creek (not that I really watched those shows). Definitely all part of my childhood. One of these artists besides Sheik makes an appearance on this list.
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Hmm, I love Vertical Horizon, some Gin Blossoms and similar music, but have never heard of this one. I'll have to check it out sometime later.
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Sneaking another one in today, because, well it’s Sunday.
48. The Sundays - Static & Silence (1997)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Sundays-staticandsilence.jpg)
Another late 90s album from a band I knew nothing about until recently other than the song "Summertime," which was a bit of a radio hit in 1997. A late night YouTube rabbit hole brought that song back to my attention, which led me to seek out the album for the first time. I was immediately hooked by the mix of songwriting, playing, and instrumentation on this album.
The group is the creation of guitarist David Gavurin and singer Harrier Wheeler. While this album is very much in that late 90s alternative/indie pop style production-wise, it has some chamber pop elements in terms of the instrumentation as well. There's lots of layered guitar work by Gavurin, with a nice blend of jangly, chiming electric guitars and articulate acoustic lines, and some great melodic bass as well. The album makes effective use of string and horn arrangements throughout with some piano and flute in places as well. Wheeler is the real star here though. She has the perfect voice to carry this music. It's all very well produced and recorded, just a great sounding album.
If you don't know "Summertime," it's just a charming song. One of those tunes that just makes you smile, like a good pop tune should. Another favorite, "Folk Song,” is a more pensive guitar, voice, and strings piece. “She" is a more upbeat track with some interesting percussive elements. “Cry” has a fantastic middle eight featuring mandolin over strings. “Leave This City” and “Monochrome” are each gentle tracks that showcase Harriet’s voice, the later apparently being inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing (and hence the moon on the cover).
This was the band’s third and final album, with Wheeler and Gavurin putting music on hold to raise their young family. Their earlier music seems to have more of a The Cure or The Smiths quality about it, but I’ll be checking those albums out as well I’m sure.
Favorite tracks: Summertime, Folk Song, She, Cry, Monochrome.
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Never heard of this. I'll definitely check it out.
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Sneaking another one in today, because, well it’s Sunday.
48. The Sundays - Static & Silence (1997)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Sundays-staticandsilence.jpg)
Another late 90s album from a band I knew nothing about until recently other than the song "Summertime," which was a bit of a radio hit in 1997. A late night YouTube rabbit hole brought that song back to my attention, which led me to seek out the album for the first time. I was immediately hooked by the mix of songwriting, playing, and instrumentation on this album.
The group is the creation of guitarist David Gavurin and singer Harrier Wheeler. While this album is very much in that late 90s alternative/indie pop style production-wise, it has some chamber pop elements in terms of the instrumentation as well. There's lots of layered guitar work by Gavurin, with a nice blend of jangly, chiming electric guitars and articulate acoustic lines, and some great melodic bass as well. The album makes effective use of string and horn arrangements throughout with some piano and flute in places as well. Wheeler is the real star here though. She has the perfect voice to carry this music. It's all very well produced and recorded, just a great sounding album.
If you don't know "Summertime," it's just a charming song. One of those tunes that just makes you smile, like a good pop tune should. Another favorite, "Folk Song,” is a more pensive guitar, voice, and strings piece. “She" is a more upbeat track with some interesting percussive elements. “Cry” has a fantastic middle eight featuring mandolin over strings. “Leave This City” and “Monochrome” are each gentle tracks that showcase Harriet’s voice, the later apparently being inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing (and hence the moon on the cover).
This was the band’s third and final album, with Wheeler and Gavurin putting music on hold to raise their young family. Their earlier music seems to have more of a The Cure or The Smiths quality about it, but I’ll be checking those albums out as well I’m sure.
Favorite tracks: Summertime, Folk Song, She, Cry, Monochrome.
Im a fan of the second album; I'm not sure I heard this one yet.
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Never heard of this. I'll definitely check it out.
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All three Sundays albums are perfection!
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I did mean to mention the other track by The Sundays that I was previously familiar with is their cover of The Rolling Stones' Wild Horses. I didn't know it was them until recently, but if you've watched all of Psyche you've heard it!
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47. Tim Finn - Tim Finn (1989)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61HwqXUqG0L._SX425_.jpg)
This won't be the last Finn-related album on the countdown, and it's actually one of several to come out of the South Pacific. Tim Finn is probably better known for Split Enz than for his solo work, or for being Neil Finn's brother and sometimes band mate in Crowded House. While I've yet to really get into Split Enz, I'm a big fan of Crowded House as well as Tim and Neil's collaboration Finn Brothers.
What makes this album interesting to me is that it features most of Peter Gabriel's backing band (Tony Levin, David Rhodes, Jerry Marotta) with production by Crowded House producer Mitchel Froom and some additional guitar and vocals from Neil Finn (and some guitar work by Tim Pierce, who also contributed to those Froom-produced Crowded House records). While it's more of a straight pop record than a Peter Gabriel type of affair, you do get a sense in places that it's Peter Gabriel meets Crowded House, which is a fun combo IMO.
"Tears Inside," "Show A Little Mercy," and "Been There Done That" are the best examples of that crossover, with Tony Levin providing his trademark bass tones as the foundation for those tracks. The general soundscape of those tracks could have been a Peter Gabriel track for sure. Other highlights include the more ballady "Not Even Close" and "How'm I Gonna Sleep," and the very Crowded House-ish "Crescendo." There's also a world music aspect here, including what I imagine to be polynesian influences on tracks like "Young Mountain" and "Parihaka." "Birds Swim Fish Fly" kind of has an Elvis in Hawaii vibe, but with a horn section too.
It's a fun album that I can't imagine many people outside of New Zealand or Australia heard. There's not a whole lot of information about it online, but it was released on the same record label as Crowded House on the heels of those the early Crowded House records, and it does have an air of trying to replicate the Crowded House formula with Tim instead of Neil (even the artwork is painted in a similar style). They are similar enough singers that you can kind of squint and pretend it's Neil at times (it got kind of confusing when Tim joined Crowded House for their next album after this). But Tim is a great songwriter in his own right, and this one is worth checking out if you like Crowded House/Peter Gabriel.
Favorite tracks: Tears Inside, Show A Little Mercy, Not Even Close, How'm I Gonna Sleep
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Not familiar with this at all.
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Let's go on with a new one for the weekend.
46. Beck - Sea Change (2002)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/35/Beckseachange.jpg/220px-Beckseachange.jpg)
Some of my friends in college really liked this one, and I remember Mike Portnoy raving about it on his forum back at the time. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have checked this album out. I’ve never been a fan of Beck's music in general, but this one is tremendous. I've had this one for a long time, but I don't revisit it often enough probably because it's just a little on the sad/gloomy side of things. I don't know if Doom Pop is a thing, but this would probably fit that description. But it's an exceptionally well recorded and produced album. Just pure warmth radiating from the speakers. It's kind of Johnny Cash meets Brian Wilson musically, and sounds like it was made in the 60s or 70s but with modern recording technology.
As is becoming a theme here, it's the orchestral tracks that really shine (similar to the Duncan Sheik album). The strings sound massive, and tracks like "Paper Tiger," "Lonesome Tears," and "Round the Bend" are sonically deep enough to swim in. But every track has layers of guitars, percussion, harmonica, piano, or electronic bits and bobs to make them interesting. It's very much an audiophile sort of album with lots of little details to pick up on each time you hear it. And while I never previously thought of Beck as a great singer, his vocal performance here is perfect for this sort of music. He's perfect for tracks like "The Golden Age" and "Guess I'm Doing Fine."
My one complaint about this album is that it should have ended on the excellent "Sunday Sun," which is a nice Beach Boys and Beatles mashup. That discordant ending would have been a great send off, and ending here cuts the album off at a perfect 45 minutes. But instead we get probably the two weakest tracks tacked on to the end of the album. Oh well, you can't get everything you want.
Favorite tracks: The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Lonesome Tears, Round the Bend, Sunday Sun
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I might check this out. I always say I don't like Beck but every once in a while I'll hear a song by him I really dig. I have this image as a sort of indie darling who's too precocious for his own good (I despise the song "Loser") but I'm not sure that's really the case (I love his quote about the success of "Loser" and the so-called Slacker Movement: ""Slacker my ass. I never had any slack.")
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A bit late, but gave a listen to Bookends and the Adrian Belew album. Cool stuff, not quite up my alley, but I'll still check out the rest of the list so far.
Sea Change I haven't listened to in years, but I still listen to Sunday Sun whenever it pops up on my favs playlist.
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I might check this out. I always say I don't like Beck but every once in a while I'll hear a song by him I really dig. I have this image as a sort of indie darling who's too precocious for his own good (I despise the song "Loser") but I'm not sure that's really the case (I love his quote about the success of "Loser" and the so-called Slacker Movement: ""Slacker my ass. I never had any slack.")
Yeah, I kind of liked Loser, but I found a lot of those 90s hits to be really grating. When this one came out, the buzz was great enough to make me reconsider. I tried one other album (Mutations) and got nothing out of it though. Not sure if there is anything else in his catalog that stands up to this or not.
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A bit late, but gave a listen to Bookends and the Adrian Belew album. Cool stuff, not quite up my alley, but I'll still check out the rest of the list so far.
Sea Change I haven't listened to in years, but I still listen to Sunday Sun whenever it pops up on my favs playlist.
:tup
Yeah, Sunday Sun is really good (and one that you don’t have to be in a down mood for!).
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I might check this out. I always say I don't like Beck but every once in a while I'll hear a song by him I really dig. I have this image as a sort of indie darling who's too precocious for his own good (I despise the song "Loser") but I'm not sure that's really the case (I love his quote about the success of "Loser" and the so-called Slacker Movement: ""Slacker my ass. I never had any slack.")
Yeah, I kind of liked Loser, but I found a lot of those 90s hits to be really grating. When this one came out, the buzz was great enough to make me reconsider. I tried one other album (Mutations) and got nothing out of it though. Not sure if there is anything else in his catalog that stands up to this or not.
Check out Morning Phase. It gets lumped with Sea Change as they are in the same territory. I like Sea Change, but Morning Phase is the better record for me.
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behind the times here
Briefly, as to 'Bookends'
A favorite of the wife's is 'A Hazy Shade of Winter', which they used to start off their '03 tour, which we saw in Baltimore. There's also 'Bookends', 'Mrs. Robinson', the very quirky 'Fakin' It', and 'America' that are worth hearing.
Sidenote as to 'America': I left Michigan for Baltimore in 2001. At the concert in '03, when the verse 'Michigan seems like a dream to me now' is sung, followed by 'it took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw.....'
frick.....I damn near started crying. I still get semi teary eyed thinking of that moment.....
Pet Sounds and Smile:
ahead of the times, but there's something somewhat lacking and mellow. I still remember my HS girlfriend offered up 'Sloop John B' during a rock and modern poetry class to discuss and review after a listen. My offerings: Alice Cooper's ' You Drive Me Nervous' and 'Halo of Flies'. :D
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Sea Change is such a great record. The atmosphere and vibe brings me back to high school which is when I first heard the record.
This might not make a lot of sense but Sea Change and Morning View by Incubus occupy this weird spot in my mind. I distinctly remember when those albums came out and I thought back then (even wrote about it in my journals) that there was this strange sadness and melancholy to those albums, Sea Change more than Morning View. As time goes on and I revisit those albums I feel that melancholy again but it's more intense because now I'm revisiting memories that more and more distant.
/end rambling
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Sea Change is such a great record. The atmosphere and vibe brings me back to high school which is when I first heard the record.
This might not make a lot of sense but Sea Change and Morning View by Incubus occupy this weird spot in my mind. I distinctly remember when those albums came out and I thought back then (even wrote about it in my journals) that there was this strange sadness and melancholy to those albums, Sea Change more than Morning View. As time goes on and I revisit those albums I feel that melancholy again but it's more intense because now I'm revisiting memories that more and more distant.
/end rambling
I never really got in to Incubus, but I did like their sound and thought what I heard of Morning View was pretty good. Definitely knew people who were big into both albums around that time. I should give it a full listen some time.
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I might check this out. I always say I don't like Beck but every once in a while I'll hear a song by him I really dig. I have this image as a sort of indie darling who's too precocious for his own good (I despise the song "Loser") but I'm not sure that's really the case (I love his quote about the success of "Loser" and the so-called Slacker Movement: ""Slacker my ass. I never had any slack.")
Yeah, I kind of liked Loser, but I found a lot of those 90s hits to be really grating. When this one came out, the buzz was great enough to make me reconsider. I tried one other album (Mutations) and got nothing out of it though. Not sure if there is anything else in his catalog that stands up to this or not.
Check out Morning Phase. It gets lumped with Sea Change as they are in the same territory. I like Sea Change, but Morning Phase is the better record for me.
Colors is the only Beck album I've really liked. It has several catchy, upbeat tracks.
Beck is 1 of those artists who influenced some artists I love, but I have never been blown away by.
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behind the times here
Briefly, as to 'Bookends'
A favorite of the wife's is 'A Hazy Shade of Winter', which they used to start off their '03 tour, which we saw in Baltimore. There's also 'Bookends', 'Mrs. Robinson', the very quirky 'Fakin' It', and 'America' that are worth hearing.
Sidenote as to 'America': I left Michigan for Baltimore in 2001. At the concert in '03, when the verse 'Michigan seems like a dream to me now' is sung, followed by 'it took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw.....'
frick.....I damn near started crying. I still get semi teary eyed thinking of that moment.....
America is a really great song and it evokes certain emotions in me even though I don’t have that same exact life experience. The sound of that song and the album just feels nostalgic for that time period.
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45. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b2/Coldplay_-_Viva_la_Vida_or_Death_and_All_His_Friends.png/220px-Coldplay_-_Viva_la_Vida_or_Death_and_All_His_Friends.png)
Say what you will about Coldplay (and I'm not a fan of all of their music), but this was a great album. Kind of like Sea Change, it has fallen out of my regular rotation over the years, but listening to it again I’m reminded how strong it is.
Credit it to Brian Eno maybe, but it all just came together here. Chris Martin changed his vocal style a bit, the band explored lots of different styles and textures, and they created an album that flows together naturally from start to finish. It's a quintessential art pop type of album, and I wouldn't argue too hard if you wanted to call it progressive.
The album opens with an ambient instrumental track, "Life in Technicolor," which flows straight into "Cemeteries of London” Several tracks ("42," "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love," and "Yes") take a complete turn mid-track, almost like separate songs stuck together. Then the album closes with "Death and All His Friends" reprising "Life in Technicolor." That's all pretty proggy, right? Almost a concept album type of move. The flow is also helped by the album being a snappy 45 minutes, something I appreciate.
You’d be forgiven if you got sick of the title track. It was everywhere, and it seemed like everyone loved it. But what a perfectly executed pop tune. Those strings are so vibrant, and the build up at the end is glorious. I love the tragedy of the lyrics. Definitely not the type of subject that you ordinarily put into a cheery pop tune. Great use of irony there. Another big favorite is "Lost!." which is just a great driving or running song. I will admit that I’m not too fond of “Violet Hill,” maybe the lone weak spot on the album.
Don’t let the Coldplay label scare you off. They have had their moments throughout their career, and this one is a significant work that holds up well 15 years later.
Favorite Tracks: "Lost!," "Lovers in Japan/Reign," "Yes," "Viva La Vida," "Death and All His Friends."
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This is a great album; I might put "A Rush Of Blood..." higher, but still. Coldplay is very polarizing to me (I either love them or hate them and I'm not really a fan of Chris Martin) but this is still a very good record.
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I really like "Lost" but didn't really connect with anything else. Peak Coldplay was Parachutes for me.
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That's the last album of theirs I really liked. I don't think their newer sound suits them as well. "42" and "Death and All His Friends" are killer tracks, and "Viva La Vida" and "Violet Hill" were probably a bit overplayed, but still quite good.
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I'm not really a Coldplay fan, but Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends is fantastic from start to finish. It's too bad they don't get that arty more often, because you can hear the talent is there.
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It's OK. Not bad.
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It's the last album I really liked by them.
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Happy Friday! Something a little different today.
44. Field Music - Open Here (2018)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/FieldMusicOpenHere.jpg)
This album was my introduction to Field Music, which is essentially a duo of brothers David and Peter Brewis who released their first album in 2005 and have remained very active since with lots of spin-off projects as well. They are one of the harder to categorize groups on this countdown, and I would probably put them closer to the progressive than pop category in general.
At different points in their catalog you'll come across similarities to Yes, Gentle Giant, and King Crimson, and more broadly a mix of rock, jazz, funk, R&B, soul, and electronic elements. It's all a bit of a mashup usually contained in shorter 3-5 minute tracks. I don't want to overemphasize the influences though, because nobody really sounds like them or does what they do.
Open Here has lots of art pop and chamber pop trademarks, and you'd be forgiven for thinking they were largely influenced by XTC, though they claim it's more due to a common influence in The Beatles. You’ll also hear a lot of Talking Heads in this one. Lyrically, it spans from socio-political commentary to songs about being kicked out of your own bed by young kids.
The album starts out with two total ear worms, “Time in Joy” and “Count It Up.” The former burst out of a slow build up with an infectious rhythm track and groove that lives up to the name. “Count It Up” heavily channels David Byrne over a bed of synths and drums. The title track evokes The Beatles heavily, with a string quartet, harpsichord, and multi-part vocal harmonies. “Goodbye To The Country” follows with a funk groove and some really cool, angular guitar work. "Cameraman" is a more psychedelic track with some hypnotic percussion and various instruments weaving in and out. The album closes on the slow-building but beautifully orchestrated "Find A Way To Keep Me."
While this is probably the most accessible album from Field Music, it can still be a bit dense. But it's worth a careful listen because there is lots of ear candy to discover in the melodies, harmonies, and the various sonic elements that appear throughout. It's a rich album with lots to unpack for sure, and if you like this there is lots more to explore from this group.
Favorite tracks: Time In Joy, Count It Up, Open Here, Cameraman Find A Way To Keep Me
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I do hope some people give that Field Music album a shot at some point, but moving on for Monday…
43. Kevin Gilbert - Thud (1994)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/Kevin_Gilbert_Thud.jpg/220px-Kevin_Gilbert_Thud.jpg)
A confession: sometimes I think this album is a little bit overrated because of the Kevin’s passing soon after and the bitterness towards Sheryl Crow having more success with her solo career around this time. But that doesn't mean it's not a great album, and as I kept coming back to it for this exercise I felt like I really did need to include it.
To really buy into Kevin's music you maybe have to get his personality. He was a cynical bugger, with a dark sense of humor that bleeds through in his lyrics. That sense of humor does rub me wrong at times, and I kind of have to take him in small doses. But other times he does really make me smile. There was an intriguing personality that comes through in his music.
Consider some of these lines:
"I'm sick of hearing about sadness/I'm sick of violent crime/I'm sick of angry militant lesbians feminists/I'm sick of imperfect rhyme" ("When You Give Your Love To Me")
"Goodness gracious, of apathy I sing/The baby boomers had it all and wasted everything/now recess is almost over and they won't get off the swing" ("Goodness Gracious")
"I'm waiting for the man-made gods to do the will of man/I'm waiting for the CIA to cover up again/I'm waiting for the militants to lighten up a bit/I'm waiting for the mafia to make this song a hit" ("Waiting")
"We were always friends/we were Captain Jim and Billy the superhuman, crime avenging twins/oh, I'm gonna miss you and I truly am alone now/'cause there's no one to congratulate my sins" ("Song for a Dead Friend")
He walks a line between overdoing it and being clever maybe, but he isn't boring, and sometimes he strikes gold. He also had the voice to sell it. You feel like you get to know the guy through his lyrics and how he sings them.
Gilbert’s talent for engineering/production is also on display here. While the final product is maybe a bit sterile in places ("Tea for One" and "Tears of Audrey" to an extent), the overall sound is very good. Things like the bass on "Goodness Gracious," the percussion on "Waiting," and the way he captured the piano on "Song for a Dead Friend" are magnificent. Then you have the 7:00 minute mini-opus, "Shadow Self" with its frequent tempo shifts and operatic chorus that reveal Kevin's prog side peeking through on an otherwise straight ahead pop/rock album.
My favorite tracks close the album. The whole album has an air of melancholy, but "All Fall Down" ratchets things up as a cynical ode to nuclear apocalypse. The mood only darkens with "Song for a Dead Friend," an aching but heartfelt goodbye to a friend lost to suicide. If you listen to only one song on the album (or one song by Kevin Gilbert), I'd probably recommend that one. Just maybe go for something happier afterwards.
Favorite tracks: Song for a Dead Friend, All Fall Down, Goodness Gracious, Shadow Self
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Great writeup! :tup.
I've seen Kevin Gilbert brought on this forum for ages now and I've never checked him out. I'll give this album a spin tomorrow and report back.
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I like Field Music, although I find their albums to be a tad long and in some ways, a little homogenous.
AlsoI find they have yet to write any song that totally stood out to me as being addictive, or having a huge ear worm.
That being said, I don't remember all that much about Open Here, so I may have to revisit it again per your review.
As far as Thud, well it's a masterpiece to me. I'm not sure if Song for a Dead Friend would be my 1st suggestion to anyone whose never heard any of Kevin Gilbert's music before. It is highly *deep* and 1 of those hugely depressing ballads to many. Very much less is more in a lot of ways. But given the lyrics, subject matter and tone, it's not something many fans find they will listen to regularly. But it does fit the ending to Thud well.
"All Fall Down" was originally a song that was on Giraffe's album "The View From Here." But Kevin rearranged it for Thud and it ended up a little better. Although the Giraffe version is still quite good with its Sax-driven arrangement. But with the Thud version, he just made it bigger and more orchestral in some ways. It's like a March to the end of the world. I've always heard it as, well the world's ending, so we may as well have a party before we go up in flames.
Kind of like that Steve Carrell movie "Seeking a friend for the end of the World," lol.
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I like Field Music, although I find their albums to be a tad long and in some ways, a little homogenous.
AlsoI find they have yet to write any song that totally stood out to me as being addictive, or having a huge ear worm.
That being said, I don't remember all that much about Open Here, so I may have to revisit it again per your review.
Their music is dense for lack of a better term, and that can make it hard to take for a full album. But there are really cool musical ideas in all of their songs and I find that they reward multiple close listens. Commontime is the other album I considered for this list, as it has some of their catchier stuff. But it is a bit on the long side and isn’t quite as easy of a listen as Open Here for me. I do find them to be fascinating in general though, and very unique despite referencing lots of familiar things as well.
As far as Thud, well it's a masterpiece to me. I'm not sure if Song for a Dead Friend would be my 1st suggestion to anyone whose never heard any of Kevin Gilbert's music before. It is highly *deep* and 1 of those hugely depressing ballads to many. Very much less is more in a lot of ways. But given the lyrics, subject matter and tone, it's not something many fans find they will listen to regularly. But it does fit the ending to Thud well.
"All Fall Down" was originally a song that was on Giraffe's album "The View From Here." But Kevin rearranged it for Thud and it ended up a little better. Although the Giraffe version is still quite good with its Sax-driven arrangement. But with the Thud version, he just made it bigger and more orchestral in some ways. It's like a March to the end of the world. I've always heard it as, well the world's ending, so we may as well have a party before we go up in flames.
Kind of like that Steve Carrell movie "Seeking a friend for the end of the World," lol.
I knew All Fall Down was originally done by Giraffe, but I still haven’t heard that album. Will have to check it out. Another similar song is Tears for Fears’ Famous Last Words (spoiler: likely to make an appearance on this list as well).
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Never heard of Field Music, but I am well aware of the talents of Kevin Gilbert. :tup
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I gave Thud a shot and didn't really connect with it. It wasn't awful but it felt a bit disjointed to me. There were some good moments but not enough to bring me back to the album.
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#42. Luis Philippe - Azure (1998)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3fL5-mCYHZhfg09_zEXMvrRyCLNdAt_pAAA&usqp=CAU)
Luis Philippe is somewhat of a cult figure/legendary singer, composer, and arranger who was signed to and involved in many of the albums released on the short-lived él Records label in the 1980s. In addition to his own music, he has contributed arrangements for a number of other artists, including one yet to be revealed on this list. He's also a noted football journalist and biographer in England and France.
He became known to me as the strings arranger for Big Big Train's "A Boy in Darkness" and "Leopards." His band in this period featured all of Danny Manners (piano and bass), David Longdon (electric guitars and backing vocals), and Dave Gregory (lead and 12-string guitars), with Manners being one of his closest and longtime collaborators. The two composed the orchestration for this album together.
Azure is probably the least rock album on this countdown. It's pure orchestral chamber pop brought to life by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Lush and extravagant are good descriptors. You'd be hard pressed to find a better sounding orchestral recording, I imagine. Philippe's voice has a bit of Andy Partridge or Roland Orzabal to it, but he has more of a classical style and technique. It’s all a bit artsy, but in a good way.
"Your Life" opens the album with horns and strings before revealing a jazzy lounge type number with some big theatrical crescendos. In contrast, "You'll Never Catch The Sun" is a more pastoral piece that sounds like the cover art looks to me. "Peace At Last" borrows heavily from Pet Sounds ere Beach Boys, and you hear a little Brian Wilson in “Down By The Riverbank” as well. "When Georgie Dies" is more of a folk type acoustic guitar number. There is some French involved on "Joli Avions" and "Partir," the latter of which closes the album in epic and rather magical fashion.
Philippe also somehow managed to cover XTC's "I Can't Own Her" here, a year before that tune was released by XTC (I knew the story at one time, but I can't seem to find it anymore). While there are some interesting harmonic elements and a more intricate arrangement on Philippe’s version, I think I prefer the "original."
Azure is pretty far outside the normal bounds of this forum, but if you feel like going on an adventure I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Favorite songs: Your Life, You'll Never Catch The Sun, When Georgie Died, Partir
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Never heard of him, and I generally frown upon the French lol
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Never heard of him, and I generally frown upon the French lol
I get the sense they frown upon the rest of us as well!
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Never heard of him, and I generally frown upon the French lol
I get the sense they frown upon the rest of us as well!
THEY STARTED IT
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#41. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/R.E.M._-_Automatic_for_the_People.jpg)
Monster may still be my favorite R.E.M. album (mostly for sentimental reasons), but Automatic for the People fit better into this category, and really may be their most mature record. This is one that sometimes gets described as baroque pop or chamber pop, though it is still pretty firmly in the alternative rock sphere, with a dose of country and folk rock added to the mix.
The more overtly commercial tracks here are "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon," which are each tremendous in their own right (I know Stadler dislikes the latter for some reason). "Nightswimming" adds a third pure earworm type of tune that never gets old.
Beyond those tracks, I’ve always liked the ominous "Drive," (which I'm surprised to learn was the albums highest charting single in the U.S.). Love how it opens with acoustic guitars and accordion and builds with strings and electric guitar before quieting back down again in the second half. The quirky and delightful "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" and the dissonant stew of instruments that make up "Sweetness Follows" close out the first half of the album. Then you have the Beach Boys-ish "Star Me Kitten," with lyrics so unintelligible I just found out this weekend while reading them why it's called "Star Me Kitten."
Other standout tracks for me are the dusty "Monty Got a Raw Deal," the angsty "Ignoreland," and possibly my favorite R.E.M. song, "Find the River," which opens with possibly my favorite single guitar chord of all time. The arrangement and instrumentation are gorgeous, but I also want to highlight the wonderful vocal melody here. I'm not really plugged in with the broader R.E.M. fan community at all, so I don't know if this one is loved by many, but it should be IMO.
Should give a nod to John Paul Jones for the excellent string arrangements on several tracks. I also like some of the homages sprinkled throughout the album, including Drive’s nod to David Essex’s “Rock On” and the bits of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” on “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight.”
Favorite Tracks: Find the River, Drive, Monty Got a Raw Deal, Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming
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I am still kicking myself for not getting into R.E.M. in a big way until late 2019, but I finally got there, and Automatic for the People is top notch from start to finish. I go back and forth between that and Murmur as far as what their best is, but you cannot wrong with either. Drive, Find the River, Nightswimming and Sweetness Follows would all rank very high for me on my list of favorite songs by the band.
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I am still kicking myself for not getting into R.E.M. in a big way until late 2019, but I finally got there, and Automatic for the People is top notch from start to finish. I go back and forth between that and Murmur as far as what their best is, but you cannot wrong with either. Drive, Find the River, Nightswimming and Sweetness Follows would all rank very high for me on my list of favorite songs by the band.
I wish we talked about REM more here. I have certain problems with them (not politics) but the debut is always on my list of outstanding "first" albums, and might be the one I go back to the most. My entry here would be Lifes Rich Pageant, but the run with Bill Berry is about as good as a catalogue gets for a band.
I've always said that REM records come in pairs, and of the pair, I like Out of Time slightly better, but that's not to say I don't love AFTP, though. It's become a cliché of sorts, but "Everybody Hurts" is a world class vocal by any standard. Goddammit can that man sing. HOF got it right; the only song I don't like is "Man On The Moon".
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I wish we talked about REM more here. I have certain problems with them (not politics) but the debut is always on my list of outstanding "first" albums, and might be the one I go back to the most. My entry here would be Lifes Rich Pageant, but the run with Bill Berry is about as good as a catalogue gets for a band.
I've always said that REM records come in pairs, and of the pair, I like Out of Time slightly better, but that's not to say I don't love AFTP, though. It's become a cliché of sorts, but "Everybody Hurts" is a world class vocal by any standard. Goddammit can that man sing. HOF got it right; the only song I don't like is "Man On The Moon".
Because I am curious, what are those?
My one beef seems to be their attitude that they are above songs that helped make them big. They love to thumb their noses at songs like Stand and Shiny Happy People, as if they are above those kinds of songs, but it's biting the hands that fed them. Those songs helped make them rich rock stars, so you'd think they'd be a little more grateful about them, but they certainly weren't the first band, and won't be the last, to try and have it both ways.
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I wish we talked about REM more here. I have certain problems with them (not politics) but the debut is always on my list of outstanding "first" albums, and might be the one I go back to the most. My entry here would be Lifes Rich Pageant, but the run with Bill Berry is about as good as a catalogue gets for a band.
I've always said that REM records come in pairs, and of the pair, I like Out of Time slightly better, but that's not to say I don't love AFTP, though. It's become a cliché of sorts, but "Everybody Hurts" is a world class vocal by any standard. Goddammit can that man sing. HOF got it right; the only song I don't like is "Man On The Moon".
Because I am curious, what are those?
My one beef seems to be their attitude that they are above songs that helped make them big. They love to thumb their noses at songs like Stand and Shiny Happy People, as if they are above those kinds of songs, but it's biting the hands that fed them. Those songs helped make them rich rock stars, so you'd think they'd be a little more grateful about them, but they certainly weren't the first band, and won't be the last, to try and have it both ways.
You're pointed in the right direction; at the start, by all accounts, Mike Mills was the "musician", Michael was the "artist" and Peter was just the guy that was going to cover the guitar to help them get there. And somewhere along the way, he sort of turned into a douche. He also bagged on "Sidewinder..." as well.
I also think they were like that with their influences too. I don't hear almost any Patty Smith, but to hear Michael tell it, she's a goddess who walks on water (I think she sucks and is MASSIVELY, COLOSSALLY overrated; I hate having to say this, because it sounds like I don't respect women, but if there was ever someone who fucked their way to fame it was her). I do get a fair amount of Velvet Underground, who they covered numerous times, but I think they played hipster too often for their own good, and traded on that in a way that maybe the bands they supposedly idolized didn't. In contrast, despite having covered "Toys In The Attic", there was a LOT of "Aerosmith" in their mid-period music and that was unhip to point out, so they didn't.
Though on one of their early tours (still playing clubs) Buck wore an Iron Maiden shirt during the show, and one of my friends (the guitar player in my band and a teammate on my hockey team) came to me and asked for a mix tape of Maiden as a result, so there's that. But I really feel it was more ironic detachment than any real "like" and I hate that shit.
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I slightly prefer Out of Time, but Automatic For The People is a fantastic album, for sure.
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I wish we talked about REM more here. I have certain problems with them (not politics) but the debut is always on my list of outstanding "first" albums, and might be the one I go back to the most. My entry here would be Lifes Rich Pageant, but the run with Bill Berry is about as good as a catalogue gets for a band.
I've always said that REM records come in pairs, and of the pair, I like Out of Time slightly better, but that's not to say I don't love AFTP, though. It's become a cliché of sorts, but "Everybody Hurts" is a world class vocal by any standard. Goddammit can that man sing. HOF got it right; the only song I don't like is "Man On The Moon".
Because I am curious, what are those?
My one beef seems to be their attitude that they are above songs that helped make them big. They love to thumb their noses at songs like Stand and Shiny Happy People, as if they are above those kinds of songs, but it's biting the hands that fed them. Those songs helped make them rich rock stars, so you'd think they'd be a little more grateful about them, but they certainly weren't the first band, and won't be the last, to try and have it both ways.
You're pointed in the right direction; at the start, by all accounts, Mike Mills was the "musician", Michael was the "artist" and Peter was just the guy that was going to cover the guitar to help them get there. And somewhere along the way, he sort of turned into a douche. He also bagged on "Sidewinder..." as well.
I also think they were like that with their influences too. I don't hear almost any Patty Smith, but to hear Michael tell it, she's a goddess who walks on water (I think she sucks and is MASSIVELY, COLOSSALLY overrated; I hate having to say this, because it sounds like I don't respect women, but if there was ever someone who fucked their way to fame it was her). I do get a fair amount of Velvet Underground, who they covered numerous times, but I think they played hipster too often for their own good, and traded on that in a way that maybe the bands they supposedly idolized didn't. In contrast, despite having covered "Toys In The Attic", there was a LOT of "Aerosmith" in their mid-period music and that was unhip to point out, so they didn't.
Though on one of their early tours (still playing clubs) Buck wore an Iron Maiden shirt during the show, and one of my friends (the guitar player in my band and a teammate on my hockey team) came to me and asked for a mix tape of Maiden as a result, so there's that. But I really feel it was more ironic detachment than any real "like" and I hate that shit.
I get all that.
I think we can all remember how segregated music fans were in the 80s (not that it is significantly better now, but it just feels like it was so much worse then). New wave fans liked new wave and nothing else. Metal fans liked new wave and nothing else. etc. And I could see a band like R.E.M. trying to appeal to their indie/college rock fans by not mentioning some 70s "dirty" rock band like Aerosmith as an influence.
I don't know much about Patti Smith outside of her appearances on the R.E.M. song and one Blue Oyster Cult song (big fan of both songs).
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I am still kicking myself for not getting into R.E.M. in a big way until late 2019, but I finally got there, and Automatic for the People is top notch from start to finish. I go back and forth between that and Murmur as far as what their best is, but you cannot wrong with either. Drive, Find the River, Nightswimming and Sweetness Follows would all rank very high for me on my list of favorite songs by the band.
It’s funny because Monster was one of the first albums I ever owned (on cassette) back around 1995 I believe, but then it was several years before I ever explored their other albums, and I still haven’t owned anything going forward past Monster or backwards before Document, though I have heard stuff from before and after. I’m mostly just partial to that late 80s/early 90s run, but I do intend to eventually get around to the earlier stuff at least.
I slightly prefer Out of Time, but Automatic For The People is a fantastic album, for sure.
I considered Out of Time mostly because Shiny Happy People is such a tremendous, hooky pop song. But there are a few points on that album where I get lost a bit, and Automatic just seems to have a bit more gravitas to me.
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It’s funny because Monster was one of the first albums I ever owned (on cassette) back around 1995 I believe, but then it was several years before I ever explored their other albums, and I still haven’t owned anything going forward past Monster or backwards before Document, though I have heard stuff from before and after. I’m mostly just partial to that late 80s/early 90s run, but I do intend to eventually get around to the earlier stuff at least.
I highly recommend New Adventures in Hi-Fi. That might be my 3rd favorite by the band after Automatic and Murmur.
Monster is more miss than hit for me, but it has a few songs I really like.
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It’s funny because Monster was one of the first albums I ever owned (on cassette) back around 1995 I believe, but then it was several years before I ever explored their other albums, and I still haven’t owned anything going forward past Monster or backwards before Document, though I have heard stuff from before and after. I’m mostly just partial to that late 80s/early 90s run, but I do intend to eventually get around to the earlier stuff at least.
I highly recommend New Adventures in Hi-Fi. That might be my 3rd favorite by the band after Automatic and Murmur.
Monster is more miss than hit for me, but it has a few songs I really like.
I’ll try to get Hi-Fi into one of my next Discogs splurges where I’ll buy like 5 CDs at once to save on shipping. That one is pretty freely available for a low price.
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I'm with you HOF, Monster is my favorite REM, but a lot of it is likely due to sentimental reasons. Still, I really do love that record.
Automatic is also a great record.
I would also recommend New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Probably my 2nd favorite behind Monster...
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I am still kicking myself for not getting into R.E.M. in a big way until late 2019, but I finally got there, and Automatic for the People is top notch from start to finish. I go back and forth between that and Murmur as far as what their best is, but you cannot wrong with either. Drive, Find the River, Nightswimming and Sweetness Follows would all rank very high for me on my list of favorite songs by the band.
It’s funny because Monster was one of the first albums I ever owned (on cassette) back around 1995 I believe, but then it was several years before I ever explored their other albums, and I still haven’t owned anything going forward past Monster or backwards before Document, though I have heard stuff from before and after. I’m mostly just partial to that late 80s/early 90s run, but I do intend to eventually get around to the earlier stuff at least.
Oh, bro, you're RIGHT THERE. You're SO CLOSE! Lifes Rich Pageant - the album directly before Document - is every bit as good (and maybe a little more consistent) than Document, so that's worth it, and "New Adventures..." - the next album after Monster - is like the logical, grown up extension - older brother, if you will - of Monster. It's got the same sound and ethos, but it's got a little more cohesiveness in terms of the songs (even if it does have "E-Bow The Letter" with Patty Smith's obnoxious warbling on it). Mike Mills says that "New Adventures" is number three on his list behind Murmur and Automatic in his book.
I slightly prefer Out of Time, but Automatic For The People is a fantastic album, for sure.
I considered Out of Time mostly because Shiny Happy People is such a tremendous, hooky pop song. But there are a few points on that album where I get lost a bit, and Automatic just seems to have a bit more gravitas to me.
[/quote]
You're not at all wrong on the gravitas, but OoT has "Country Feedback" (just a brutal stream of consciousness from Michael) and "Me And Honey", some of REMs finest hour(s). That doesn't make sense, but you know what I mean. :) :)
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It’s funny because Monster was one of the first albums I ever owned (on cassette) back around 1995 I believe, but then it was several years before I ever explored their other albums, and I still haven’t owned anything going forward past Monster or backwards before Document, though I have heard stuff from before and after. I’m mostly just partial to that late 80s/early 90s run, but I do intend to eventually get around to the earlier stuff at least.
I highly recommend New Adventures in Hi-Fi. That might be my 3rd favorite by the band after Automatic and Murmur.
Monster is more miss than hit for me, but it has a few songs I really like.
Who are you, Mike Mills?!?! (See my post; Mills has ranked the REM albums the same as you).
I think Monster is good, but it's a bit too... not forced, but it adheres to the sort of specific sound and approach a little too literally. (For one thing, Stipe wrote all the lyrics from the point of view of various characters).
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Been a bit hard to find time to write the last week or so. Getting this one out while I can tonight.
40. Sting - Mercury Falling (1996)
(https://cdn.ontourmedia.io/sting/non_secure/images/20110419/discography/mercury_falling/400.jpg)
I have historically been more of an admirer than an ardent fan of Sting (and The Police). I've always liked the hits more than the albums, and some of his stuff can get a bit fruity at times. But when he's on he's really good.
I first picked this one up on cassette tape at a thrift store many years ago, and for a long time it was the only studio album I owned by Sting (I've only recently started digging into more of his stuff). It's an almost flawless album, and a good example of the type of hard to classify album that inspired this list.
Sting weaves a rich tapestry of styles and sounds here, venturing through various genres but somehow fitting it all together seamlessly. I really enjoy Vinnie Colaiuta's drumming, which propels several tracks here. I feel like he's a big part of the successful transition through different styles on the album.
"The Hounds of Winter" is probably my favorite track, evoking a gray winter day perfectly. I knew Johnny Cash's cover before I ever heard Sting's "I Hung My Head," but I think Sting does it better. That country western vibe pops up again on "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" and "Lithium Sunset," while "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot," "You Still Touch Me," and "All Four Seasons" have more of a soul/Motown flavor. "I Was Brought to My Senses" is another favorite, part folk tune and part Latin, while "La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" brings some more French into this countdown. "Valparaiso" is another high point, kind of a Celtic-ish sailor ballad with some gorgeous instrumentation.
I don't believe this was one of Sting's bigger commercial successes, and I'm not sure how it is viewed by his fans. But it's a mature mid-career effort that feels like it might be overshadowed by some of his more popular albums.
Favorite songs: The Hounds of Winter, I Was Brought to My Senses, You Still Touch Me, I'm So Happy I Cant Stop Crying, Valparaiso
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Not surprised to see Sting; rather surprised to see this is the album. Good call on "I Hung My Head"; just a great, great tune all around, both versions.
I'm more partial to the one that came before this, "Ten Summoner's Tales". That for me is the Sting high-water mark
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Mercury Falling might be my favorite Sting solo album, it's got a great collection of tunes.
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Great album. Sting is always welcome, but this one is definitely more unsung than some others.
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I do really like Ten Summoner's Tales, but I have never listened to Mercury Falling. Vinny is killer on Ten Summoner..., so I will check out Mercury Falling, since you mentioned Vinny in your writeup.
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Ten Summoner’s Tales has two of my favorite Sting songs (If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Fields of Gold), and Vinnie is really great on that one as well. It just has a few more songs that I don’t really care for whereas Mercury Falling is really strong all the way through.
I would note that if you pull up Mercury Falling up on Amazon Music (and I imagine on Spotify as well) it included an extra track “Twenty Five to Midnight” that was not on the original US release (and not on my copy of the CD). I only just heard it last night for the first time. It’s a decent tune, but I think the album is a little more consistent without it.
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Ten Summoner’s Tales has two of my favorite Sting songs (If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Fields of Gold), and Vinnie is really great on that one as well. It just has a few more songs that I don’t really care for whereas Mercury Falling is really strong all the way through.
I would note that if you pull up Mercury Falling up on Amazon Music (and I imagine on Spotify as well) it included an extra track “Twenty Five to Midnight” that was not on the original US release (and not on my copy of the CD). I only just heard it last night for the first time. It’s a decent tune, but I think the album is a little more consistent without it.
I have that on a b-side; one of my best friends is a massive Sting fan and I went on an eBay binge at his suggestion where I got all the Soul Cages/10ST/Mercury Falling b-sides. Really worth it; especially the live stuff. He was absolutely on FIRE live during this period.
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Sting is great but I think his best work was with The Police.
Mercury Falling is a good record but I like all the ones that came before better. But all the ones that came after aren't as good, so there is that.
Back then, when it was released it was a bit of a letdown, because after Ten Summoner's Tales I had high expectations and Mercury Falling didn't quite live up to them. But over time I've come to appreciate it more.
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Sting is great but I think his best work was with The Police.
Mercury Falling is a good record but I like all the ones that came before better. But all the ones that came after aren't as good, so there is that.
Back then, when it was released it was a bit of a letdown, because after Ten Summoner's Tales I had high expectations and Mercury Falling didn't quite live up to them. But over time I've come to appreciate it more.
It really can make a big difference when you first hear an album in relation to other albums from an artist. Whether it’s because of anticipation/expectations for a new release or just having some affinity for a certain period of an artists work, it can be hard to take something in for what it is without regard for what came before/after it. This happened to be my first Sting album, so other than the hits I knew I didn’t have much context from his other albums.
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Yeah, I see that. I have some records from artists that are my favorites, because that was the first I of them or I heard that record in special times/circumstances. There's more than just the music, that makes certain records special.
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I've barely heard any Sting aside from some of the big hits (Fields Of Gold, Englishman In NY, and If I Ever Lose My Faith In You). Is Ten Summoner's Tales a good place to start?
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I would say start at the beginning with Dream Of The Blue Turtles and then go forward.
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This is a really interesting thread I discovered only now. I will be definitely following. REM, Simon and Garfunkel or Sting were all rather important musical influences in my formative years. And Automatic For The People would still be in my overall Top 10. Even though I haven't heard the whole album in years..I must give it a spin...
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I've barely heard any Sting aside from some of the big hits (Fields Of Gold, Englishman In NY, and If I Ever Lose My Faith In You). Is Ten Summoner's Tales a good place to start?
Well obviously I’d recommend you check out Mercury Falling, but I’d also highly recommend The Soul Cages. It’s too new to me to have made the countdown, but it might be Sting at his proggiest, with some really powerful stuff revolving around the death of his father and his childhood in a shipbuilding community.
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This is a really interesting thread I discovered only now. I will be definitely following. REM, Simon and Garfunkel or Sting were all rather important musical influences in my formative years. And Automatic For The People would still be in my overall Top 10. Even though I haven't heard the whole album in years..I must give it a spin...
Awesome! Glad you found it.
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This is a really interesting thread I discovered only now. I will be definitely following. REM, Simon and Garfunkel or Sting were all rather important musical influences in my formative years. And Automatic For The People would still be in my overall Top 10. Even though I haven't heard the whole album in years..I must give it a spin...
LOVE all 15 REM albums, but Automatic is, far and away, my favorite of the bunch. You should definitely spin it NOW!
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39. Fernando Perdomo - Zebra Crossing (2018)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615kN4yNegL._SX425_.jpg)
Fernando Perdomo is one of the hardest working musicians in the business. He runs his own studio, produces other artists, plays on other people's albums, does music for tv and commercials, and writes, records, and releases copious amounts of his own music. In 2018 he played one of his highest profile gigs on the Echo In the Canyon soundtrack (with Jakob Dylan, Beck, Fiona Apple, many others) and released two of his own landmark albums: the prog instrumental Out to Sea and Zebra Crossing, an ambitiously arranged and produced pop opus recorded at Abbey Road Studios (hence the name).
When I send Perdomo's songs in roulettes I often get negative feedback on the vocals. But what he lacks as a vocalist he makes up for as a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and producer. Zebra Crossing has an exquisite sound. Warm bass tones, lush strings, and melodic guitars cover up any deficiencies in Perdomo's vocal abilities. He's also a clever songwriter. The voice is kind of secondary to all of that. This album has that same 70's-like warmth of Beck's Sea Change, and both of those guys' vocal ranges sit well in that environment.
Here the more upbeat bits of power pop on "I'm Here," "Find Love (Hold On)," and "Smile," are contrasted with the moodier and more dramatic arrangements of "Sometimes I Feel Like Nothing At All," "Somehow" and "Crown of Stars," and "Home." "We Were Raised With Headphones On," and "Sundays" are more delicate and intimate reflections on Fernando's childhood. But the two showpieces are the instrumental tracks, "Not Meant to Be" and "Zebra Crossing." The former features some of Perdomo's most soulful guitar work, and the later pulls out all the Beatles-esque stops for the occasion of recording at Abbey Road. The album closes with a fine cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that features several guest vocalists.
I love how Perdomo really went for it production-wise on this album. The recording was crowdfunded, and when your fans are paying for you to record at a major studio like Abbey Road, you pull out all the stops. I'm really glad he got a chance to do it, because Zebra Crossing is a definite career highlight.
Favorite tracks: I'm Here, Find Love (Hold On), Not Meant To Be, Smile, Crown of Stars, Zebra Crossing
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Never heard of him.
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Never heard of him.
You has now!
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Can has cheeseburger!!!
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38. Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily (1995)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Natalie_Merchant_-_Tigerlily.png)
I'm not totally sure but this might have been the first album I ever owned by a female artist. I love Merchant's voice, and the combination of her singing and songwriting on this record really captivates me. Whenever I revisit this one I'll get caught up in it for a week at a time. All of the playing here is top notch, but one of the standout features of the album is the wonderful and unique electric guitar work of Jennifer Turner, who is completely unknown to me outside of this album.
Most people probably know "Wonder," which is a fantastic pop song. But pay special attention to the amazing lead guitar line running through it, essentially soloing over the entire track. Beautiful! "Carnival" is also a very cool track with a lot going on in the percussion, bass, and guitar. "Jealousy" might have been my favorite of these tunes growing up, and it still holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
Beyond the radio hits, there are some excellent deep cuts on this one. The high point of the album for me is "River," a gut punch type of song about River Phoenix that hits on a similar level as Kevin Gilbert's "Song for a Dead Friend." This line is amazing, and delivered perfectly:
Why don’t you let him be?
He’s gone, we know
Give his mother and his father peace
Your vulture’s candor, your casual slander
You murder his memory
He’s gone, we know
It’s nothing but a tragedy.
Similarly, "Beloved Wife" is a tender piano ballad about the loss of a spouse (though a bit somber back to back with "River"). The two big surprises here are "I May Know The Word," an 8:00 minute, smoky jazz/blues thing with an amazing guitar solo, and album closer "Seven Years," which features an outstanding vocal performance and another nice, fuzzy guitar solo. "San Andreas Fault" and "Where I Go" are two more breezy folk rock type songs that help lighten the mood.
As with most of the albums on this list, I just love the sound of this recording. The early to mid 90s were a great time for album production, and this is up there with the best of them. The performances are wonderful and the sound is so genuine. Guessing I'm going to get caught up in this one for the next little bit.
Favorite tracks: Wonder, Carnival, River, I May Know The Word, Seven Years, Jealousy
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Oooh, generally been with you the entire ride. Have to bail on this one. For whatever reason I just don't like Natalie Merchant.
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My wife likes 10,000 Maniacs and also has her first few solo records. I am not really into the 10,000 Maniacs stuff, but Tigerlily is a really awesome record. Natalie Merchant has a really nice voice, and there are a lot of great songs on this album. I agree that Wonder is one of the best 90's pop songs, with some great guitar work. Check out the live performance of Wonder from Letterman (1996) on Youtube. Jennifer nails it on guitar with some great tone.
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Oooh, generally been with you the entire ride. Have to bail on this one. For whatever reason I just don't like Natalie Merchant.
For some reason I sort of expected she wasn’t your type. Is it that fashionable NY art scene/played at the Clinton inauguration type of thing?
My wife likes 10,000 Maniacs and also has her first few solo records. I am not really into the 10,000 Maniacs stuff, but Tigerlily is a really awesome record. Natalie Merchant has a really nice voice, and there are a lot of great songs on this album. I agree that Wonder is one of the best 90's pop songs, with some great guitar work. Check out the live performance of Wonder from Letterman (1996) on Youtube. Jennifer nails it on guitar with some great tone.
Yep, love that Letterman performance!
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Oooh, generally been with you the entire ride. Have to bail on this one. For whatever reason I just don't like Natalie Merchant.
For some reason I sort of expected she wasn’t your type. Is it that fashionable NY art scene/played at the Clinton inauguration type of thing?
I mean, it's not that exactly, but it is that "type thing" if that makes sense. I don't let politics bug me in music - hell, I love REM to a fault, and I imagine Michael, Mike and I don't see eye-to-eye on a fair number of things - but I sniff an air of elitism and preciousness to her art that I don't necessarily appreciate. Not saying she's wrong, saying it's a "Me" thing and I don't appreciate it. That's actually the one sliver of REM I don't like; generally, when they're all four driving, I love the ethos of REM. Once in a blue moon, Michael will get a little precious or pretentious and it'll likely not be my favorite stuff.
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A band I was in at one point covered a 10,000 Maniacs' tune, and I saw that album cheap at a store and purchased it, but I never got around to listening to it. I should do that some time.
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Oooh, generally been with you the entire ride. Have to bail on this one. For whatever reason I just don't like Natalie Merchant.
For some reason I sort of expected she wasn’t your type. Is it that fashionable NY art scene/played at the Clinton inauguration type of thing?
I mean, it's not that exactly, but it is that "type thing" if that makes sense. I don't let politics bug me in music - hell, I love REM to a fault, and I imagine Michael, Mike and I don't see eye-to-eye on a fair number of things - but I sniff an air of elitism and preciousness to her art that I don't necessarily appreciate. Not saying she's wrong, saying it's a "Me" thing and I don't appreciate it. That's actually the one sliver of REM I don't like; generally, when they're all four driving, I love the ethos of REM. Once in a blue moon, Michael will get a little precious or pretentious and it'll likely not be my favorite stuff.
I always got the sense that she was pretty politically active, but I wouldn’t say anything on this album is particularly political or elitist. Maybe the whole River Phoenix thing, but it’s a really great song regardless.
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She's not my cup of tea, but she's fine.
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Natalie Merchant's included in the Documentary Series "Women Who Rock" which my wife and I are watching right now. Although I know her and 10,000 Maniacs a bit, I wouldn't typically think of her as "Pop" but I guess it depends on what you think of with Pop music.
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Natalie Merchant's included in the Documentary Series "Women Who Rock" which my wife and I are watching right now. Although I know her and 10,000 Maniacs a bit, I wouldn't typically think of her as "Pop" but I guess it depends on what you think of with Pop music.
Yeah, I’m using a pretty expansive definition. You could be more specific and call it alternative or singer-songwriter or whatever, but it’s accessible and I imagine gets played on hits radio stations still. I’m more using pop as a catch all term for stuff that isn’t very heavy, isn’t prog, but for purposes of this list has a little something to it musically still.
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It seems that it's one of those "it doesn't fit anywhere else, so it goes here" genre bins. If it has a focus on catchiness and accessibility, but isn't more clearly and primarily some other genre, we stick it there.
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It seems that it's one of those "it doesn't fit anywhere else, so it goes here" genre bins. If it has a focus on catchiness and accessibility, but isn't more clearly and primarily some other genre, we stick it there.
Yep, pretty much. A lot of these albums could be broken down into more specific genres, but I wanted to talk about something more broad with this list than any one of those genres.
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I've heard Natalie Merchants but I couldn't pin a voice to a name until I put Wonder and wow, this song brought back some core childhood memories :lol.
I'm going to give the album a spin but I can tell right now that I'm going to love the sound of this album. The 90's had some really great sounding records.
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Been struggling to get this one into words (and finding time to write in general). Let's see if I can spit this out since I don't have to work tomorrow.
37. The Clientele - Strange Geometry (2005)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Strangegeometry.jpg)
Characterized by wobbly guitars, echoey vocals, and a dose of baroque/chamber pop, Strange Geometry finds The Clientele's sound evolving from their more lo-fi, psychedelic beginnings into more polished and sophisticated indie pop. A big part of that is the introduction of string arrangements from Louis Philippe (who we met a few albums back on this list). We also get a somewhat more upbeat and rhythmically driven album than the band had been known for until now. As such, this album is a bit rockier in places than some of the albums on this list. But on the whole, Strange Geometry is steeped in the 1960s pop tradition. A bit like Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys collided with Oasis.
Some tracks really swing, like the the snappy opener, "When K Got Over Me," "My Own Face Inside The Trees," "When I Came Home From The Party," and the triumphant "Impossible." Other tracks like the title track and "K," have a jazzier edge. But the real highlight of the album are the two ballads, "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine," and "Step Into The Light," which are chamber pop at it's finest. A real tenderness and vulnerability to the words and accompaniment. The similarly low-key "Spirit" is another favorite.
A major feature of this album is the unique guitar work. The lead sound employs some sort of reverb or delay that is just really unusual. The album itself is a bit hard to describe, and I know this isn't a band many here will be familiar with. But they are worth checking out for their unique sound and for just making beautiful, adventurous, pop music.
Favorite tracks: (I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine, Step Into The Light, When K Got Over Me, Impossible, Spirit
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Not positive, but I don't think I've ever heard of this band.
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they were kind of popular among the College Rock crowd like 15 years ago. A friend of mine used to play them on her radio show I recall.
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they were kind of popular among the College Rock crowd like 15 years ago. A friend of mine used to play them on her radio show I recall.
Yeah, their earlier stuff was a bit closer to Radiohead/Britpop/indie rock. They’re from the UK but I believe they’ve had more success here in the states.
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It's been a long, busy week, but I'm up late again so here is the next entry.
36. Prefab Sprout - The Gunman And Other Stories (2001)
(https://e.snmc.io/i/600/w/e3394b80b8a6838ebdfe9fda2ec8e408/1814663/prefab-sprout-the-gunman-and-other-stories-Cover-Art.jpg)
Sophisti-pop meets country western, this album was departure on a number of levels from prior Prefab Sprout material, who are better known for their 1980s new wave/pop stylings which influenced artists like Steve Hogarth and Tim Bowness. I don't think this album was well received by anyone, fans or critics alike. But it's one of my favorite things they've done. It's quirky and hokey and wonderfully anachronistic. It might have fit better in the 1970s or 1980s, and you could envision it working on an adult contemporary format in the 1990s, but it definitely was out of place in 2001. This is also the first (and only I think) album on the countdown to feature a member of Dream Theater.
So what do we have here? A collection of songs that were originally written by Paddy McAloon for use by other artists that he decided to revisit and release at a transitional point in the band. By this time Prefab Sprout was more of a solo outlet for McAloon, and several session musicians were brought in to round out the recordings. Enter Jordan Rudess, who was credited as Jordan "Rudes" in the liner notes. If you ever wanted to know what a restrained Jordan sounds like, this is the album for you! Though there are a few places where you can catch his trademark style.
McAloon is one of those songwriters who manages to write cheesy things in a witty way that somehow makes them seem both earnest and ironic at the same time. He's a brilliant songwriter, though you might not really get it on first listen. Take "Cowboy Dreams." Is this parody, comedy, or just a string of bad clichés? Does it matter?
Love's a silver bullet
That blows your world apart
I wanna be remembered as an outlaw
The boy who stole your heart.
I wanna be the guy who wears the white hat
Then rides across the plain
I'm gonna be your enigmatic stranger
Honey you are lookin' at your Shane
Complete with yippe ay yayes, a "yeehaw!", and a fierce banjo solo. I love this tune so much. I don't think anything here is meant to be taken seriously, yet there's still an intense beauty to the whole thing.
"Cornfield Ablaze" is similarly a master class in word play, imagery, and humor. A lonely farm boy sees a beautiful woman, falls in love, neglects his duties on the farm, and, well, sets the cornfield ablaze (literally and figuratively). "The Gunman" (which was written for and originally recorded by Cher) is a really cool epic type of piece with a cinematic feel, some twinkly piano by our man Jordan, and a fantastic guitar solo. There are a few syrupy ballads that are less memorable, and the abundantly silly Aaron Copeland pastiche, "Farmyard Cat" has to be taken in the right spirit. But it all works on one level or another.
This is one isn't available to stream, but you can find it on YouTube. I'm sure this all just sound bizarre, and it kind of is. But it's worth a listen.
Favorite tracks: Cowboy Dreams, Cornfield Ablaze, The Gunman, Wild Card in The Pack, The Streets of Laredo/Not Long For This World
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Oops, I got quite behind, but I'll try to catch up on all of these these days. I think you've sent me this band but not from this particular album, which sounds pretty interesting, so I'll give it a go soon :tup
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I have heard of this band, but can't recall anything specific that I have heard from them.
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I have heard of this band, but can't recall anything specific that I have heard from them.
They kind of fit into those Tears for Fears, Crowded House, or XTC type of bands, but a bit more singer/songwriter-ish maybe. The only hit song of theirs that I’m aware of is The King of Rock and Roll (featuring the immortal chorus of “hot dog, jumping frog, Albuquerque” - if you’ve heard it you’ll remember it), though I think they had more success in the UK than in the states. Paddy McAloon is a well thought of songwriter though, and you’ll hear his praises from people like Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness. They’ve mentioned their albums on their podcast if you ever listen to it (I think they even discussed this one).
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As I got into writing this album up, I felt like it really should have finished a good bit higher on my list. But again, don't read too much into the order.
35. Gotye - Making Mirrors (2011)
(https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5929b0965e6ef95969321fc1/1:1/w_320,c_limit/5dc54307.jpg)
My wife deserves the credit for introducing me to Gotye. I remember her showing me "Somebody That I Used To Know," and she even bought me this album. She gets me!
The first thing that jumped out to me about Gotye (aka Wally De Backer) was his voice, a breath of fresh air in a sea of autotuned soundalikes. He has elements of several classic pop and rock singers: Freddy Mercury, Phil Collins, Sting, George Michael, even a little Michael Jackson I think. He has a range, power, and charisma that can't be created with autotune (though there ae some fun computerized vocals on this album on one particular song as an intentional effect).
Gotye is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing most of the instruments himself (he's a drummer by trade, sort of like a modern day Phil Collins), in addition to employing an array of samples and electronic elements in a self-produced and self-recorded effort. As a result Making Mirrors is a rich, varied, and sophisticated art-pop album. The combination of acoustic and electronic elements is perfectly executed, propelling each song into its own unique sonic territory. I highly recommend the "making of" documentary that you can find on YouTube.
The gentle sounds of the opening title track, more intro than song, set the mood right away as a segue to "Easy Way Out," which has kind of a later day U2 vibe. "Somebody That I Used To Know," is well known but a really memorable pop tune with it's own unique, quirky instrumentation and some really great vocal harmonies. "Eyes Wide Open" is an up-tempo but somber reflection on climate change. "I Feel Better" channels Motown, while "In Your Light" is an effervescent blend of synth pop and soul. "State of the Art" is an homage to a vintage organ called a Lowrey Cotillion. "Giving Me A Chance" has a chill, electronic vibe, that sets the stage for "Save Me," which is really probably the high point of the album for me. I love how this song was constructed both rhythmically and harmonically, and it features some really cool sampled autoharp played on a keyboard. "Bronte," an ode to the departed family dog, closes the album on a similar gentle note as the album opened on.
I had hoped Gotye would take off as a torch bearer of this sort of music in the mainstream, but it wasn't meant to be, as De Backer has since focused more on his band The Basics and a variety of other musical outlets outside of the public eye, putting Gotye on hiatus as far as I can tell. But Making Mirrors stands as a testament to his talent and creativity. He may go down as somewhat of a one-hit wonder, but that would be an inadequate description of his talent for sure.
Favorite tracks: "Save Me," "Eyes Wide Open," "Somebody That I Used To Know," "State Of The Art," "In Your Light."
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I absolutely love this album. So many great tracks, this album is filled with goosebump inducing moments esp in Giving Me a Chance. I think he regularly performs with his other band and some of the live performances are relaxing to watch.
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Funny enough I was driving to Florida for vacation this past week and I heard "somebody that I used to know" on xm. I always liked the track but never thought to listen further. Well now I have a reason too :lol. I'll give this record a spin in the next few days.
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I like the song "Somebody That I Used To Know" but don't know anything else about Gotye.
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I just checked this record out and I really enjoyed it. I don't know why it took me so long to check it out but it was a great pop record. The only misses for me was "State Of The Art" and "Don't Worry Well Be Watching You"
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I just checked this record out and I really enjoyed it. I don't know why it took me so long to check it out but it was a great pop record. The only misses for me was "State Of The Art" and "Don't Worry Well Be Watching You"
Nice! “Don’t Worry We’ll Be Watching You” is a bit of a throwaway track, but “Stare of the Art” I find highly entertaining. The music video might help.
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State of the Art is one of those songs that is obscenely loaded with Easter eggs if you actually had one of those things in your home as a kid.
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Sorry I’m late to this thread, but I have to say regarding Gotye that this was my introduction to him, but now I have all three albums (Boardface was really hard to find, but a copy had just been purchased by the local CD shop and they were playing it on the overhead. I snatched it up so fast that it never made it to to rack).
Personally, I think his second album Like Drawing Blood is even better, but YMMV.
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I don’t like it quite as much as Making Mirrors, but there are some great songs on Like Drawing Blood. Really like “Hearts a Mess,” “The Only Thing I Know,” and “Night Drive.” Also “Thanks For Your Time” is kind of that album’s “State of the Art.”
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I apologize for not following this thread from the beginning. I’m gonna start looking at it more closely now.
My recent re-listen to a certain pop rock album mentioned in another thread (and a personal favorite of MP himself) has got my pop rock juices flowing. And I swear to you that if the album I’m hinting at doesn’t make the list I will be extremely cross. :loser: ;D
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I apologize for not following this thread from the beginning. I’m gonna start looking at it more closely now.
My recent re-listen to a certain pop rock album mentioned in another thread (and a personal favorite of MP himself) has got my pop rock juices flowing. And I swear to you that if the album I’m hinting at doesn’t make the list I will be extremely cross. :loser: ;D
Heh, I saw that, and not to spoil it for anyone, but I only own Belly Button and that one didn’t rock my world as much as I hoped it would based on its reputation. Not sure why as it seems like it’s right up my alley. Some good stuff for sure, but didn’t quite connect on a deeper level (“I Wanna Stay Home” is fantastic though). That said, I will have to give Spilt Milk a try.
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I apologize for not following this thread from the beginning. I’m gonna start looking at it more closely now.
My recent re-listen to a certain pop rock album mentioned in another thread (and a personal favorite of MP himself) has got my pop rock juices flowing. And I swear to you that if the album I’m hinting at doesn’t make the list I will be extremely cross. :loser: ;D
Heh, I saw that, and not to spoil it for anyone, but I only own Belly Button and that one didn’t rock my world as much as I hoped it would based on its reputation. Not sure why as it seems like it’s right up my alley. Some good stuff for sure, but didn’t quite connect on a deeper level (“I Wanna Stay Home” is fantastic though). That said, I will have to give Spilt Milk a try.
curious though at 1 point I preferred Belly Button and still consider it a favorite. But Spilt Milk eventually won me over.
Also wonder if Toy Matinee or even say stuff like XTC or Tears for Fears may find their way on your list.
Also given you have Making Mirrors, could perhaps a Kimbra album could also be included (Vows or The Golden Echo?)
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I apologize for not following this thread from the beginning. I’m gonna start looking at it more closely now.
My recent re-listen to a certain pop rock album mentioned in another thread (and a personal favorite of MP himself) has got my pop rock juices flowing. And I swear to you that if the album I’m hinting at doesn’t make the list I will be extremely cross. :loser: ;D
Heh, I saw that, and not to spoil it for anyone, but I only own Belly Button and that one didn’t rock my world as much as I hoped it would based on its reputation. Not sure why as it seems like it’s right up my alley. Some good stuff for sure, but didn’t quite connect on a deeper level (“I Wanna Stay Home” is fantastic though). That said, I will have to give Spilt Milk a try.
curious though at 1 point I preferred Belly Button and still consider it a favorite. But Spilt Milk eventually won me over.
Also wonder if Toy Matinee or even say stuff like XTC or Tears for Fears may find their way on your list.
Also given you have Making Mirrors, could perhaps a Kimbra album could also be included (Vows or The Golden Echo?)
Kimbra is one I still need to check out. I do like her voice. The others, well, we shall see!
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Gotta get one in this week amid all the top guitarist chatter.
34. Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life (1986)
(https://static.wonderfulunion.net/groundctrl/clients/groundctrl/media/14/13/large.43v8qxg063qy.jpg)
I have always enjoyed Winwood’s radio hits, having early memories of listening to them as a young kid. For some reason it didn’t occur to me until the last 5 years or so to check out his albums. This was the first one I grabbed, and I think it’s up there with some of the other big pop albums of the mid-80s.
Winwood is one of those elder-statesmen of rock who I think is viewed as a legend but maybe not talked about as much as others from his era. He has a really unique and enduring voice though, and a trademark keyboard/Hammond style all his own. I did used to confuse him vocally with Peter Gabriel a bit growing up I think, and also Eric Clapton. More recently I can see a lot of similarities between him and one of my favorite singers, the late great David Longdon. Winwood still sounds really good too, as evidenced by the performances he shares on his YouTube channel.
People surely know the hits here. “Higher Love” is a classic and probably my favorite song of his (think about it, there must be higher love!). The title track is up there too though. Love the instrumentation on that one (also the only appearance by James Taylor on this list I believe). “The Finer Things” is really great too. People may be less familiar with the more soulful “Take It As It Comes” and “Split Decision,” or the rockier “Freedom Overspill,” which allows Winwood to stretch out a bit on the Hammond. The other big highlight for me is “Wake Me Up On Judgement Day,” with a big, oriental sounding main theme and an almost funky groove. “My Love’s Leaving” is a soft closer that nicely showcases Winwood’s voice.
Winwood’s blend of pop and soul is somewhat similar to what Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins were doing in this era, but with a bit more of a rock edge. He's a really talented musician, and one I've come to really appreciate more in recent years.
Favorite tracks: Higher Love, Back In The High Life, The Finer Things, Wake Me Up On Judgement Day, Freedom Overspill.
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I started grabbing Traffic and Steve Winwood vinyl from used bins a few years back, and this is one of the first albums I grabbed. This is a really great album, and Higher Love is definitely one of the great pop tunes of the 80's.
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I haven't heard much from Steve Winwood but I did see him open for Tom Petty years ago and he put on a fantastic show. Other than "Higher Love" I don't recognize much but I'll spin this album in the next day or so and report back.
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I'm not too familiar with Traffic, but I came across this performance by Winwood of "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" a little while back and it had me captivated. Like I said, he's still got it at age 74.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXDcPoeIx-E
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Steve Winwood is a legend, he was there in the mid 60s when rock music emerged and he was part of it. That said, I know a lot of his songs, but own only two of his solo records and Blind Faith, the group with Clapton and Baker.
Back In The Highlife is a really strong record, great 80s pop tunes through and through. But for me, I like the follow up Roll With It even better.
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Steve Winwood is a legend, he was there in the mid 60s when rock music emerged and he was part of it. That said, I know a lot of his songs, but own only two of his solo records and Blind Faith, the group with Clapton and Baker.
Back In The Highlife is a really strong record, great 80s pop tunes through and through. But for me, I like the follow up Roll With It even better.
I think the hits on High Life put it over the top for me, but Roll With It is really good too.
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for those who enjoy Blind Faith, the 2nd/bonus disc on the Deluxe Edition is fantastic.
Those jams are awesome. There's 1 section that almost sounds like the bass riff in Heart of the Sunrise.
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MTV played the daylights out of the hits from both Back in the High Life and Roll with It, and I have to admit that none of them were ever favorites of mine. I have never heard any of his studio albums in full. I definitely dig Traffic's The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.
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I apologize for not following this thread from the beginning. I’m gonna start looking at it more closely now.
My recent re-listen to a certain pop rock album mentioned in another thread (and a personal favorite of MP himself) has got my pop rock juices flowing. And I swear to you that if the album I’m hinting at doesn’t make the list I will be extremely cross. :loser: ;D
Heh, I saw that, and not to spoil it for anyone, but I only own Belly Button and that one didn’t rock my world as much as I hoped it would based on its reputation. Not sure why as it seems like it’s right up my alley. Some good stuff for sure, but didn’t quite connect on a deeper level (“I Wanna Stay Home” is fantastic though). That said, I will have to give Spilt Milk a try.
curious though at 1 point I preferred Belly Button and still consider it a favorite. But Spilt Milk eventually won me over.
Also wonder if Toy Matinee or even say stuff like XTC or Tears for Fears may find their way on your list.
Also given you have Making Mirrors, could perhaps a Kimbra album could also be included (Vows or The Golden Echo?)
Honestly, I still prefer Belly Button. It's a little more direct, and a little more... immediate. Not that Spilt Milk isn't good, it is, but there's something visceral about "The King Is Half Undressed" that is missing - or at least harder to come by - in most of the songs on Spilt Milk.
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Good album. I haven't listened to it in a long time.
I've always had a lot of respect for Winwood.
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I gave the Winwood album a listen and it was pretty good but nothing really stood out to me personally. I love the vocals and the song of the album but the songs came off samey and hard to distinguish.
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I gave the Winwood album a listen and it was pretty good but nothing really stood out to me personally. I love the vocals and the song of the album but the songs came off samey and hard to distinguish.
I was into this record for a while, but it didn't sustain. I would listen to it now and I'm sure I would admire it, but I'm not sure I'd invest in it, if that makes sense. I like Steve's voice - especially in Traffic - but I'm not the hugest "blue-eyed soul" guy, so that part is largely lost on me.
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Yea, his voice is fantastic but there wasn't much to bite into if that makes any sense.
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Sticking in the same general area code as Winwood this week.
33. Phil Collins - ...But Seriously (1989)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Phil_Collins-But_Seriously.jpg)
For a long time this was my favorite Phil Collins solo album, though it has in more recent years been surpassed by [redacted]. I still feel like it might be his most mature all around effort, with a more natural drum sound (very little of the gated snare here) and dryer overall production than the immediate predecessor. Which leaves a lot of room for the horns to really shine, especially in the recent remixes. There's something about well-recorded brass that can just hit you right in the gut, and the brass on this album is fantastic.
Much like with Back in the High Life, I have a lot of early childhood memories of this album. I can still recall a family trip to Florida when "Another Day In Paradise" was all over the radio. "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down" were also favorite songs from the radio, and the former may still by my favorite Collins song. "Do You Remember" is a bit schmaltzy, but I've always liked it as well. Phil Collins was definitely one of the only common musical appreciations between my mom and I growing up, so there's a strong sentimental aspect to his music for me.
I remember picking up the album for the first time when I was in college, which was about the least cool thing to be listening to in college. But I really dug the album at a time when I was also starting to explore Genesis' catalog. For me, there's never been any clash or rivalry between the proggy Genesis and the poppier Genesis or Phil Collins' solo stuff. They've always been a band who scratches multiple itches for me, and Phil's solo work hits a certain spot too.
Among the lesser known tunes, "Colours" is probably the proggiest thing on the album and a definite favorite (Leland Sklar says hello). "All of My Life" is a bit of a tear jerker about failures as a father (and includes an appearance by Steve Winwood). "Father to Son" hits on similar themes. "Heat On The Street" is one of Phil's Motown moments, and I really like the bridge on this one. "Find A Way To My Heart" is the other kind of proggy moment on the album. Really like the percussion/drum work on this. Really nice bass work from Sklar here as well.
I wanted to shout out to Daryl Stuermer for the guitar work all over this album, but looking at the liner notes again Dominic Miller is also credited with guitar on several of the same tracks as Daryl, so I'm not totally sure who plays what. I always assumed the solos were Stuermer's (aside from Clapton on "I Wish It Would Rain Down"). I was especially thinking of the solo at the end of "Hang In Long Enough," which really shreds, even if it's a bit low in the mix. Guess I should also note the late David Crosby's contributions on several tracks.
Favorite songs: "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven," "Colours," "I Wish It Would Rain Down," "Find A Way To My Heart," "All of My Life."
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I haven't listened to this album but looking at the track list I'm familiar with at least half of it, I'm sure it was in parents collection somewhere. I'll have to give it a proper listen over the next few days.
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Wait, what? Why redacted??? :) :) :)
So, HUGE Phil Collins fan; I have every solo record, every B-Side, etc. From Face Value through No Jacket I liked each record that much more...this was the first one I liked, but not MORE THAN the one before. And each subsequent one I sort of liked a little less.
And the reason is all in the title.
I like this Phil:
(https://i.imgur.com/utPbAyB.jpg)
Not the serious Phil. That album was where I think he MIGHT have taken himself a but too... seriously.
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Wait, what? Why redacted??? :) :) :)
So, HUGE Phil Collins fan; I have every solo record, every B-Side, etc. From Face Value through No Jacket I liked each record that much more...this was the first one I liked, but not MORE THAN the one before. And each subsequent one I sort of liked a little less.
And the reason is all in the title.
I like this Phil:
(https://i.imgur.com/utPbAyB.jpg)
Not the serious Phil. That album was where I think he MIGHT have taken himself a but too... seriously.
Yeah, it's definitely more adult oriented Phil here, and it only got more adult oriented on Both Sides. I would agree there was a general decline from here on out, though there are things I like on each of his last three solo albums (not counting the Going Back one which I've not listened to much). There is only a razor thin margin between But Seriously and No Jacket Required for me.
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The one thing ...But Seriously is missing that was a high point of the prior albums was a piano ballad like "You Know What I Mean," "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning," or "We Said Hello Goodbye" (or "Against All Odds").
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Great, great memories from the ...But Seriously album...
I wasn't quite in full-blown music listening mode at the time, but I can vividly remember how you couldn't escape the "Another Day in Paradise" video on the "Italian MTV" (it wasn't the actual MTV, but same concept). And I loved that song. "I Wish It Would Rain Down" too.
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Good album. Been a while since I've listened.
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Really good record but I'm with Stadler that this was the first that I didn't like more than its predecessors. But still much better than what was to come. Although I recently listened to his whole discography again and Testify was surprisingly good.
Another Day In Paradise was played to death back then and I don't need to hear it again but I like almost all of the other songs. Highlights for me are I Wish It Would Rain Down, Colours, Something Happened ... and Hang In Long Enough.
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...But Seriously and Face Value are pretty much neck and neck for my favorite Phil solo record. Lots of great stuff on ...But Seriously. Hang in Long Enough is a great opener. Something Happened is so catchy. I love Colours, and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a great little instrumental. Clapton does some tasteful stuff on Rain Down, and yes Paradise was played to death, but it is a really great song. Find a Way is a great closer to this album. The horns sound great, and Phil has a great drum sound on this record too.
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Just checked out ...But Seriously and I liked it, the horns and mix of the album is really well done. It did feel a bit lengthy but I thought it was good listen.
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Note: I've always kind of hated this album cover, LOL.
32. Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a5/Toy_Matinee.jpg/220px-Toy_Matinee.jpg)
The second album on this list to feature Kevin Gilbert, though it's just as much of a Patrick Leonard feature I think. Leonard wrote and produced several hit songs/albums with Madonna, and he tells a story of being approached by a Warner Brothers exec after Like a Prayer who told him "you made Warner Brothers about a half-billion dollars this year," and asked him "what would you like?" His answer: "I just wanna make a record."
The result was Toy Matinee, which in addition to Leonard on keyboards included Gilbert on vocals, Guy Pratt on bass, Brian MacLeod on drums, legendary session guitarist-turned-YouTuber Tim Pierce on guitar, and production by Bill Botrell (all of whom had previously worked with Madonna in one capacity or another). Pierce claims the album was mostly recorded live as a band in the studio, which is believable considering this group was made up of seasoned session pros. This is a wonderful sounding pop rock album, with a few flashes of Floydian prog here and there. The instrumental performances are really tight, but it's all very accessible. Check out "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and you'll see what I'm talking about.
I can hear a bit of inspiration for Neal Morse/Spock's Beard in the intro to "Last Plane Out," and obviously there was a close connection between Gilbert and Spock's Beard. In retrospect it might not have been the best idea for the words "Greetings from Sodom..." to be the introduction to the band (this was also the lead single), but it's a clever song about escaping a war zone/judgement on, well, the last plane out. "Turn it On Salvador" is a quirky tribute to Salvador Dali. "Things She Said" has some really nice lyrics and really captured the feeling of some things I was going through when I first heard this album.
The album really hits its stride with "Remember My Name," which would have fit nicely on an album like Tears for Fears' Songs From The Big Chair.. Really great vocal performance by Gilbert there. The titular "The Toy Matinee" is exceedingly Pink Floyd-ish but lovely, with Pierce doing his best Gilmour impression. "Queen of Misery" has a go at Madonna and sort of sounds like a Madonna tune in the process. Really infectious groove. The aforementioned "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" is probably my favorite song here, with some great word play and interplay between the bass and guitar. "There Was A Little Boy" is a gut-punch ballad about a kid growing up in a bad domestic situation, which again includes a great Gilbert performance. In contrast, the album closes with the more acoustic "We Always Come Home," which was written about Leonard's family and hometown.
It's easy to see how this one became sort of a cult classic but maybe was a bit too muso for the masses. It holds up really well 30+ years later even if the production is a bit of that time. There was a ton of musical talent going into this project, and it's a shame it was essentially a one-off, but it's a really cool footnote in pop music history all the same.
Favorite tracks: The Ballad of Jenny Ledge, Remember My Name, There Was A Little Boy, Queen of Misery, We Always Come Home.
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I've never heard of Toy Matinee but after reading your write-up I'm really intrigued. I'm aware of Tim Pierce from Rick Beato's channel and I'm familiar with Guy Pratt but only in the Pink Floyd setting. I'll give this a spin today or tomorrow and report back!
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Toy Matinee is one of the greatest progressive pop albums of all time.
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I meant to mention the Sheryl Crow connection here as well, as several of these guys went on to form the Tuesday Night Music Club that crafted her first album. Gilbert also took Crow out on the promotional tour for this album as the keyboardist (the rest of the band had other commitments, so he had to put another band together to tour it).
Also, this Tim Pierce video features interviews with the band and play throughs of most of the songs. It’s a great watch (and where I pulled a lot of the info for my write up from):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=muP89_B3q9E&pp=ygULdG95IG1hdGluZWU%3D
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This is a good album, but when I finally listened to it, I didn't feel that it had lived up to the hype it gets in the community.
Definitely good, don't get me wrong. But its reputation that preceded it, when I listened to it for the first time, was bigger than the album I listened to.
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This is a good album, but when I finally listened to it, I didn't feel that it had lived up to the hype it gets in the community.
Definitely good, don't get me wrong. But its reputation that preceded it, when I listened to it for the first time, was bigger than the album I listened to.
Think I felt that way initially too. But it’s held up well for me, and I really enjoyed re-visiting it for this exercise. The story behind the band is a big part of what makes it interesting as well.
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This is a good album, but when I finally listened to it, I didn't feel that it had lived up to the hype it gets in the community.
Definitely good, don't get me wrong. But its reputation that preceded it, when I listened to it for the first time, was bigger than the album I listened to.
I had the exact same reaction the first time I spun this back in the day. To that point, I've probably returned to this (and THUD) a dozen or so times over the years, and it never really sticks. Like, on paper, this should be a lost gem for me, but there's something that doesn't really grab me.
That all said, phenomenal production and playing across the board...like I said, on paper...
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This is a good album, but when I finally listened to it, I didn't feel that it had lived up to the hype it gets in the community.
Definitely good, don't get me wrong. But its reputation that preceded it, when I listened to it for the first time, was bigger than the album I listened to.
AND
I had the exact same reaction the first time I spun this back in the day. To that point, I've probably returned to this (and THUD) a dozen or so times over the years, and it never really sticks. Like, on paper, this should be a lost gem for me, but there's something that doesn't really grab me.
That all said, phenomenal production and playing across the board...like I said, on paper...
This. This is a good, sometimes very good, album, but that's about it.
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For me, there is great production, and lots of great playing, but not a lot of great songs. And without those, nothing else really matters.
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Nice writeup HOF.
Sheryl is also on the Toy Matinee Live/Live at the Roxy.
I actually have seen people who prefer that to the studio recording. I can follow that, and also they do a fantastic cover of Funeral For a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding.
I have my bias of course, but I initially was floored by it. I'd heard much of Thud and some of Shaming, but Toy Matinee, with its production and the songwriting, grabbed me from my 1st listen.
I guess I'm not sure what the songwriting lacks, unless it's extensive musicianship or over the top hooks or something. I always found it to be very clever pop/rock. Basically pop/rock music with little twists. Much like Jellyfish, Tears for Fears, XTC, or even Steely Dan.
And Kevin Gilbert's voice is perfectly suited for these songs.
But like I said, some people prefer the live album or some of his other work (Giraffe, Shaming, Thud, or even Kaviar).
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Nice writeup HOF.
Sheryl is also on the Toy Matinee Live/Live at the Roxy.
I actually have seen people who prefer that to the studio recording. I can follow that, and also they do a fantastic cover of Funeral For a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding.
I have my bias of course, but I initially was floored by it. I'd heard much of Thud and some of Shaming, but Toy Matinee, with its production and the songwriting, grabbed me from my 1st listen.
I guess I'm not sure what the songwriting lacks, unless it's extensive musicianship or over the top hooks or something. I always found it to be very clever pop/rock. Basically pop/rock music with little twists. Much like Jellyfish, Tears for Fears, XTC, or even Steely Dan.
And Kevin Gilbert's voice is perfectly suited for these songs.
But like I said, some people prefer the live album or some of his other work (Giraffe, Shaming, Thud, or even Kaviar).
That's all fair, and I LOVE the bands you mentioned above (especially Tears), so I suppose I'm gonna need to revisit this again and try to figure out what it is that I'm missing (or it's missing) ;D
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Gave Toy Matinee a spin and I didn't really connect with it. The song writing just isn't for me and it's a little too "sweet" if that makes any sense. It's a killer sounding album though, the mix is impeccable and I did really dig "Things She Said" & "Remember My Name".
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Sorry to be late to this thread! I think we may have some similar (impeccable ;)) tastes in music so I will definitely be following.
Bookends is my favorite S&G album by far. It is a very nostalgic album for me.
Something you may not know about Duncan Sheik is that he went on to be a Tony award winning (2006 Spring Awakening) writer for numerous musicals/plays since that debut record. I think this wound up being more of his niche. Very talented guy.
All three Sundays albums are perfection!
THIS ^^^^^ I had the pleasure of going to a Sundays gig once and it was PHENOMENAL. This is one of the groups that I always wished would get back into the game again but never did, sadly. Harriet's voice just slays me. And their records always make me think of my dear sister. :heart
Steve Winwood is also phenomenal live. I will never forget the concert I saw in 1986 - Level 42 opening for Steve Winwood. It was a fucking blast and I don't think I've ever danced that much at a concert in my life (we were right up in front). Good times. Back in the High Life is a good album but I gotta give the nod to Arc of a Diver so if you aren't familiar, you should check that one out.
I'm excited to see what is yet to come. Great thread.
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Sorry to be late to this thread! I think we may have some similar (impeccable ;)) tastes in music so I will definitely be following.
Bookends is my favorite S&G album by far. It is a very nostalgic album for me.
Something you may not know about Duncan Sheik is that he went on to be a Tony award winning (2006 Spring Awakening) writer for numerous musicals/plays since that debut record. I think this wound up being more of his niche. Very talented guy.
All three Sundays albums are perfection!
THIS ^^^^^ I had the pleasure of going to a Sundays gig once and it was PHENOMENAL. This is one of the groups that I always wished would get back into the game again but never did, sadly. Harriet's voice just slays me. And their records always make me think of my dear sister. :heart
Steve Winwood is also phenomenal live. I will never forget the concert I saw in 1986 - Level 42 opening for Steve Winwood. It was a fucking blast and I don't think I've ever danced that much at a concert in my life (we were right up in front). Good times. Back in the High Life is a good album but I gotta give the nod to Arc of a Diver so if you aren't familiar, you should check that one out.
I'm excited to see what is yet to come. Great thread.
:tup Glad you found it!
Arc of a Diver is good too, and could have easily been on the list as well. It's a little less slick of an album, but has some great songs for sure.
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I'm a big fan of Guy Pratt, and have tried and tried to get in to that Toy Matinee album, but just can't.
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Being slammed at work the week before a family vacation put this on hold, but here's a Memorial Day update!
31. Talk Talk - It's My Life (1984)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/It%27s_My_Life_%28Talk_Talk_album%29_coverart.jpg)
Most people seem to view Talk Talk's late period avant-garde/post-rock/prog albums as being their masterpieces, while the early ones get lumped in with Duran Duran and other new wave/synth pop acts of the early 80s. The Colour of Spring is usually seen as the transitional link between the two eras. That may be selling the early works short though. While some songs on the debut do lack sophistication, you can still get a sense of where the band would ultimately end up with Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. It's My Life sees even more of the types of elements that would come to define the later periods of the band. This is a layered and sophisticated pop album, with a colorful blend of electronic elements and more organic sounds, notably, the introduction of trumpet which would become a huge part of The Colour of Spring and beyond. Essentially every album was a transition to the next phase of the band.
Mark Hollis' evocative vocals tend to take center stage for me when it comes to Talk Talk. But listening to this one again now, the amazing fretless bass playing of Paul Webb needs to be emphasized. He's a major anchor to the band's sound, and has such a great melodic sense. It's warm and sinewy, and contrasts nicely with the more electronic drum sound throughout. There is still a good bit of mystery surrounding this band for me, as there is little readily available online information about the band or their recordings, but it also appears that producer Tim Freese-Greene played a large role in crafting the overall sound of the album, including contributing keyboards and drum programming. Mark Hollis was not a trained musician, but as the band went on he surrounded it with more accomplished musicians who could execute his ambitious visions.
It's My Life features a mix of more upbeat, electronic songs and slower, more ambient tracks. The title track is one of the more upbeat synth pop tunes (though far from simplistic musically), while the other singles, "Dum Dum Girl" and "Such a Shame," are a bit more introspective. "Dum Dum Girl" has more of a sing-along chorus, but the versus are quite atmospheric with the aforementioned bass work of Paul Webb taking center stage. "Such a Shame" features a lengthy drum machine and sound effect intro with acoustic guitars on the verses which open to a bigger, more electronic chorus. "Renee" is a slow building, almost tortuous song that starts from a subtle drum loop, keyboards, and fretless bass and builds up to the full band on the chorus. "Tomorrow Started" is similarly slow paced, with layers of synths, guitars, and electronic drum patterns that open into a beautiful instrumental section with piano and trumpet. This song probably hints the most strongly at what the band would eventually become on Spirit of Eden. The back half of the record is more upbeat in general. "The Last Time," and "Does Caroline Know?," have a more quirky, almost light hearted quality about them, the later of which features another really killer bass line and lots of interesting electronic noises and percussion. "Call In The Night Boy" is maybe the most unusual track on the album, with a staccato drum beat and a really cool piano solo that really comes out of nowhere. "It's You" closes the album with one of my favorite Hollis vocal performances. The pre-chorus on this song is just fantastic.
Talk Talk were not a band who repeated themselves, and the releases that followed this one were really extraordinary, but part of me wishes they had hung out in this musical space for another album. It's an interesting blend of sounds and styles, and certainly more accessible than some of what was to come. But part of the beauty of Talk Talk is in how they said what they said in the space of a few albums and then called it a day, with each album being a snapshot of their artistic progression along the way.
Favorite songs: Dum Dum Girl, It's a Shame, Tomorrow Started, Does Caroline Know?, It's You.
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Haven't heard this in a long time but it's a very good pop record nonetheless.
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Excellent record. I know online music fans gush over the next couple Talk Talk records for their apparent influence on later post rock, but It's My Life is most excellent and hard to top.
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Excellent record. I know online music fans gush over the next couple Talk Talk records for their apparent influence on later post rock, but It's My Life is most excellent and hard to top.
It’s just a really good album. Been stuck in my car all week even after I finished writing it up.
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Great album, I should revisit it soon. All of their records are really nice, no matter which you pick.