Ok here they are. This round ended up growing on me quite a bit, and while it doesn't reach the highs of the previous one, it doesn't have nearly as many lows. Looking forward to (hopefully) getting something more contemporary now though
Elite
Pat Metheny Unquity Road
First impression:
MmmmnnnnnnI'm still unsure of this one a bit
. I kinda had more hopes about it tbh, but to me it feels like some pretty meandering improvisation, and not a particularly interesting one. And although it's pretty short, it feels quite long for what it is. I know it has a motif over which they're jamming over and there's some structure to the song, but it doesn't feel like that at all, and not in a good way.
2.5 + 1 =
3.5kingshmegland
GTR When the Heart Rules the Mind
First impression:
A little cheesyYeah I'm not a big fan of cheese in general, I just can't stand much of it. And while this track has a bit of it, it's the rest that doesn't convince me much. It feels like quite generic AOR to me, which baffles me a bit considering the musicians involved. I guess it was their dream project or something. But I'm afraid it's not quite my thing. It's not bad or anything, just not quite what I'm looking for in older music at all.
3 + 1 =
4Stadler
Red Rider Lunatic Fringe
First impression:
Definitely dad musicYeah I'm starting to think that AOR and similar music is not my thing
. I mean this is a fine track, but it feels like pretty much any other song from 1981 I can remember. And even then, it's not that interesting. The guitars started promising something epic, and I guess it kind of delivers, but it's just not connecting with me. And just when things were getting quite interesting, it ends. Quite abruptly. Oh well.
3 + 1 =
4Evermind
Scorpions Yellow Raven
First impression:
Expected something wilder but this is coolFor some reason I had asociated Scorpions to some banging rock, but this is a lot mellower than that. Which is fine, I love me some chill music, and sometimes rock bands deliver surprinsingly good ones. Which is kind of not the case here, sadly. It's not boring, but not terribly exciting imo - the main melody is fine but man those electric guitars sound pretty sad
. I was expecting it to pick up at some point, but it never did, and then it just ended on a fade almost out of nowhere. I really wanted to like this more, but I couldn't bring myself to. It kind of got a little worse with every listen, sorry.
3 + 1 =
4Vmadera00
Toto Georgy Porgy
First impression:
Pretty chillI'm not familiar with Toto outside of Africa of course, so this was interesting. A chill track about kissing girls and making them cry - RYM gives it a subgenre of "yacht rock" and it feels fitting
. It's a cool song, has some pretty catchy melodies, and the insturmentation is varied. Kinda wished the composition was more dynamic, as it feels a bit monotonous.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5Buddyhunter1, Tomislav95
Frank Zappa Peaches En Regalia
First impression:
Quite less chaotic than expectedI'm taking a class on composition and we were studying sample-based music, so I was shown a bit of Zappa's Jazz from Hell. It was quite an intense experience to say the least
. So listening to this it was quite different. I like how he uses so many different sounds with the same motif throughout the song, there's definitely a sense of humour and playfulness here that I like. It's a fun little track, but I feel it's a bit too short despite being packed with lots of ideas. Maybe I'll check out the album anyway since it's so iconic, and I'm just curious since I've never delved into Zappa.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5HOF
The Blue Nile Over the Hillside
First impression:
Pretty chill atmosphereThis the track I really wanted to like more than I ended up doing, particularly after that very promising beginning. I love the atmosphere it creates here, and the sound they've got going on. I thought it'd end up building to a pretty cool climax, but it just kind of stays on the same vibe throughout the whole song. Which is fine, reminds me of David Sylvian's Secrets of the Beehive, but I feel it kind of lacks the dynamics that album has throughout. I just find the vocals to be quite monotonous tbh, maybe some variety there would have elevated the whole thing a bit.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5TheSoylentMan
This Mortal Coil Song to the Siren
First impression:
Pretty atmosphericI've been quite eager to listen to this album and Cocteau Twins for a while, as they seem up my alley. Well this track was a little disappointing tbh. The singing is great, the atmosphere lovely, but man it's very repetitive and almost monotonous in a way. Which kind of drags the whole thing a bit, despite being a pretty short track.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5TAC
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Long Haired Music
First impression:
A bit different from what the title suggestedFrom the song name I figured this would be something a little more like uuhhh freaking Winger
. But in all seriousness, this was quite pleasant. I like the varied instrumentation, from the brass section to the keys. Lyrics are pretty silly but quite catchy I've gotta admit. It's a fun little song all in all.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5ReaperKK
Dire Straits Wild West End
First impression:
Dunno what the fuzz is about, this is fineYeah dunno what Tomi said about someone sending this track, it's alright. It's definitely USA dad music. A pretty relaxed and chill track overall. I like the balance between the vocals and the guitars, and the countryside vibes. There's not much more to it, but it's enjoyable enough for me.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5wolfking
Daryl Hall & John Oates I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
First impression:
Didn't know what to expect but this is niceQuite a chill track, I like the drum machine here and the ocassional sax. It's got quite a nice but calm groove. Kinda makes me wish the bass was mixed higher, I can barely notice it. The vocals are pretty catchy and ocassional harmonies are well done. I like it for what it is, although I wished the song had a bit more dynamics to it but that's just me.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5Cyril
Stevie Wonder Living for the City
First impression:
Better written than expectedFor some reason I had thought of Stevie Wonder as a more pop-oriented writer, since I'm not familiar with his work at all. Well this is quite pleasing! Kind of a constantly flowing song instead of following a super rigid structure for the most part, I like it. It's also got a very interesting use of sampling featuring a black man getting arrested for seemingly nothing, so it's definitely a very political piece. And the contrast of the bleak lyrics with the groovy and fun music works quite well.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5lonestar
The Who I've Had Enough
First impression:
Cool but I feel it'd work better in contextI've liked some The Who tracks here and there but never gave this album a chance. Gotta say, this track is pretty cool. In particular I love the breakdowns (or is it the chorus?) with the pianos and the synths, singing "Love rain on me". The rest of the song is has pretty cool riffs and switched between the acoustic and electric guitars often, sometimes with both at the same time. I like the narrative nature of this song and I'm curious to see how it fits on the album as a whole.
4 + 1 =
5Puppies_On_Acid
The Alan Parsons Project Silence And I
First impression:
Epic in sound, but maybe a bit too longI like how symphonic and grandiose this song is. It kind of reminds me of some epic movie soundtrack. At first I'll admit I wasn't quite keen on this track, mostly since my previous experiences with Alan Parsons' music had been underwhelming. But this is a little different, it's quite a journey and a pretty enjoyable one. Maybe it's a bit too long? Or maybe I just get tired easily these days. Anyway, now I'm curious about this album, maybe this one will work for me.
4 + 1 =
5Scores
lonestar 9.5
Vmadera00 8.5
Buddyhunter1 8
HOF 8
Tomislav95 8
TheSoylentMan 8
Puppies_On_Acid 8
kingshmegland 7.5
Stadler 7.5
TAC 7.5
ReaperKK 7.5
wolfking 7.5
Elite 7
Evermind 7
Cyril 6.5