A young'uns guide to purusing extensive artist discographies

[SoulDischarge]

The Uffie thread is in better condition than this (actually useful and entertaining) one.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I updated Death Cab. Page 23.

[PassiveTheory]

I saw, man you slammed that disc.

I'll admit, "Talking Bird" has no right being a Death Cab song... Ben sounds so WEIRD on that track. "Your New Twin Size Bed" would've been appropriate a few years ago, but it's a weird fit. I actually like "You Can Do Better Than Me" but that seems to be a flashpoint for a lot of people.

Still, the good points: "Cath..." is pretty brilliant, definitely the best track on the record. "Bixby Canyon Bridge" still needs to grow on me, but I think it can contend with "The New Year" as being the best DCfC CD opener yet. "Long Division" is a fun track, nothing awful. "Grapevine Fires" may become my favorite track on the record, because it's one of Ben's best storyteller songs. Oh yeah, that 8 minute single isn't bad either. ;)

Now the bad. "Pity and Fear" is quite possibly the worst Death Cab song ever... Ever.

But um... I think the record deserves a 5 or 5.5, Brandon.

[hawkingvsreeve]

"Bixby Canyon Bridge" still needs to grow on me, but I think it can contend with "The New Year" as being the best DCfC CD opener yet.

Ha. Haha. Hahahahaha. HA. HA! You're joking. You so funny, Lee.

No seriously. Wrong. Title Track DESTROYS all of these songs as an album opener. Destroys. No contest at all.

Talking Bird is shit. No Sunlight is their second to worst song ever (Sound of Settling being the worst), and the end to Pity and Fear is an abortion of sound. Grapevine Fires is my favorite on the album, followed closely by Long Division and Cath.

Overall it's just very disappointing. They are capable of far far greater.

[amyzzz]

I haven't gotten it yet, but I'm just going to assume I have an opposite opinion because we disagree on most things deathcab. So yay!

[PassiveTheory]

Dude the end to Pity and Fear is probably the best part of that song... Granted that's saying nothing really.

I mean, I don't think I've ever listened to a Death Cab album and get tired of a song 1-2 listens in, but Pity and Fear did it for me... God that song is bad.

But you're right, they are capable of doing better. Hopefully the next record will be an improvement.

Brandon, in your head, what band could Death Cab be compared to? Like, in terms of a "theyre the ________ of today" sort of comparison.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I can't really think of a band that they sound like that has been around for a while or played many years ago. The only group that comes to mind as far as similar sounds go would be Built To Spill.

[PassiveTheory]

Okay, I was just asking because I was discussing with my friend who's a big Death Cab fan and she was like "Death Cab are the REM of our generation" and I uh... kinda laughed at that comparison.

But yeah, Built to Spill seems fair.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Yeah, not the R.E.M. of this generation. I can't really say that about a lot of bands and feel confident about it.

I do feel Radiohead is our Beatles, Justin Timberlake is our Michael Jackson and Timbaland is our Quincy Jones. Those are the only ones that come to mind though.

[PassiveTheory]

There's the Rilo Kiley is our Fleetwood Mac and I kinda chuckle at that.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I haven't heard that. Maybe I have actually. Wasn't something like that mentioned in their article in Spin? Whatever. It's not accurate either way.

[PassiveTheory]

Yeah, I think Spin said that.

[PassiveTheory]

I'm requesting that someone do the Propellerheads.

Also... I know he looks like a douche, but a general overview of Paul Oakenfold would be nice so I can cement whether or not to become a fan of his music... or just think he's another douche DJ.

[Sushov23]

are you serious thirdman?.

[bmack86]

Bob Dylan is too much to approach

[Sushov23]

over 40 albums right. I love Bob Dylan, and have been listening to him for a long time, but I'm sure I haven't heard it all yet.

[NicoDread]

I want to contribute, but I think that the only bands I would be capable of doing (Air, Pixies, Outkast, Velvet Underground) were already taken. If they haven't been done though I would love to do one.

[Pixiessp]

do the Pixies Nico then I will see if i concur.

[Hawkings]

I'm not going to get into an argument about whether Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie is better, but I still don't see how you can deny Siamese Dream a 10.

i shouldn't dig up old posts on this great thread but...

I never could get into any thing past Siamese Dream. I loved and played Gish and Siamese Dream along with the singles and B-sides to death, and saw em in concert but then when Mellon Collie came out we all fell off the bandwagon. Maybe it was when a band gets popular it's harder to like. Maybe the 'despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage', dabbling with emo Billy just didn't do it. I'd definately give 9+'s to the first two albums thou. Definately gets me nostalgic for that time and place.

Siamese Dream is defiantely a great place to start like ya'll said. If you like Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie, definately check out their 1st 2 albums and singles/b-side material.

[NicoDread]

Alright I don't feel like doing a full review right now, but:

Come On Pilgrim EP - Not as "full" as their full length albums but this is still great. I prefer the version of "Vamos" on here to the Surfer Rosa Version. Grade: A-

Surfer Rosa - Raw and abrasive. Grade: A+

Doolittle - Anybody just getting into the Pixies needs to start with this album. Not as abrasive as Surfer Rosa but still great. Grade: A+

Bossanova - Much less abrasive than either of the previous albums. Definitely see the surf rock influence. Grade: A

Trompe le Monde - Could never really get into this album. Some great songs, but this is almost a Black Francis solo album. Grade: B+

Bottom Line: Get Doolittle and Surfer Rosa first. If you prefer the raw sounds of Surfer Rosa, go back and listen to the Come On Pilgrim EP. If you like the more subdued sounds on Doolittle, get Bossanova.

[Pixiessp]

Alright I don't feel like doing a full review right now, but:

Come On Pilgrim EP - Not as "full" as their full length albums but this is still great. I prefer the version of "Vamos" on here to the Surfer Rosa Version. Grade: A-

Surfer Rosa - Raw and abrasive. Grade: A+

Doolittle - Anybody just getting into the Pixies needs to start with this album. Not as abrasive as Surfer Rosa but still great. Grade: A+

Bossanova - Much less abrasive than either of the previous albums. Definitely see the surf rock influence. Grade: A

Trompe le Monde - Could never really get into this album. Some great songs, but this is almost a Black Francis solo album. Grade: B+

Bottom Line: Get Doolittle and Surfer Rosa first. If you prefer the raw sounds of Surfer Rosa, go back and listen to the Come On Pilgrim EP. If you like the more subdued sounds on Doolittle, get Bossanova.



really good review Nico. I agree with giving Surfer Rosa and Doolittle A+.
I had a hard time with Trompe Le Monde when it came out but after the breakup and hearing Black Francis(Frank Black) solo stuff I gave it another listen and still didn't like it. ha ha. Actually it took me a while to warm up to it but i did.

[bmack86]

Come on Pilgrim EP-the 8 tracks that introduced Pixies to the world. It's not quite them at their most abrasive, but these songs certainly aren't as pop-inflected as the later stuff would be. They rip, snarl and snort. The original version of Vamos on here is amazing, and definitely outdoes the Surfer Rosa version. Ed is Dead is a great pissed off punk song with a country bite. Caribou starts things off right. At this early point, they had their songwriting down pat, and each of these songs hits the bullseye. Damn near perfect first release. Grade:A

Surfer Rosa-Steve Albini behind the boards, a full length, and the musical world was never the same. They rip out their quiet/loud/quiet method and throw care to the wind. These songs are abrasive, strange, strangely catchy, and utterly fantastic. Bone Machine is one of those openers that you stay awake at night dreaming about: everything is perfect on it. Peachy Peach, Kissy Kiss, Sodas, surf guitar, howling vocals, a killer bass line. Thing is, they keep it up. From Bone Machine to Cactus, there is nothing but perfection. Broken Face, Gigantic and Cactus in particular sound like a revolution coming out of your speaker. Tony's Theme and I'm Amazed are both throwaways, but fun throwaways. They were never this intense or focused again. Grade:A+

Doolittle-So they may not have been as intense or focused, but they more than make up for that with superior songwriting. Opening with Debaser would be unfair for most bands; it seems untoppable. For them, it's a warm up jog around the track. Over the next 14 songs, they make the case for why they were the best band playing at the time. Damaged pop song after damaged pop song, they write the rules for alternative rock. Number 13 Baby is an amazing slab of rock, Hey is creepy and eerie, Monkey Gone to Heaven is a classic. Buy this first, fall in love, never look back. Grade:A+

Bossanova-At first it sounded like a disappointment to me. They scale back the madness for a more subdued set, and at first that seems like it was underwritten. Nope. This is almost, if not quite, as consistent as the past two. Velouria and Alison are both classics, and Rock Music is so much fun. The only noticable lack is Kim Deal; Black Francis was taking over, and she had much less of a role on this one. Still, pure gold. Grade:A

Trompe Le Monde-Traditional knowledge states that this was essentially Frank Black solo. Sure, Kim Deal barely shows up, but if this was a Frank Black solo, why did he never sound this good on his own? The answer: these are still Pixies songs, and, as such, they still rule. Joey Santiago is still playing, and these are more essential tracks. SubbaCultcha, UMass, Alec Eiffel and others are a great continuation of that fractured pop sound. Sure, it's not as perfect as the last 4, but I'd like to see you bat 5 for 5. Grade:A-

That's my pixies review from Page 14 of this thread.

[NicoDread]

Wow really good review. I agree with you on pretty much all of that.

[bmack86]

Page 1
#1 - Radiohead - swdshfsk - intro
#3 - David Bowie - Courtney - intro
#4 - Boredoms - bmack86 - full
#5 - Can - bmack86 - intro
#6 - Spiritualized - bmack86 - intro
#9 - Elvis Costello - TomAz - intro
#10 - the Wedding Present - roberto73 - intro
#12 - Tom waits - Slushmier - extended intro
#13 - Mogwai - swdshfsk - extended intro
#14 - Hanson - tessa|asset - extended intro
#15 - Guided by Voices - mountmccabe - intro
#23 - the Velvet Underground - PsyGuyRy - extended intro
#24 - Luna - york707 - intro with discog listed
#25 - Jonathan Richman - breakjaw - full

Page 2
#32 - The Dismemberment Plan - Tylerdurden31 - full
#33 - Bob Dylan - TomAz - extended intro
#36 - Talking Heads - bballarl - full
#37 - Pink Floyd - PsyGuyRy - very extended intro
#45 - Pearl Jam - Slushmier - full
#51, 53 & 56 - Fugazi - PotVsKtI - ranked list of albums

Page 3
#65 - the Beatles - TomAZ - full

Page 4
#101 - the Kinks (early period) - bmack86 - extended intro
#109 - Beethoven's 7th Symphony - mountmccabe - full (selected, incomplete)
#117 - the Cure - bmack86 - full
#118 - the Dandy Warhols - Hannahrain - full

Page 5
#124 - the Jesus and Mary Chain - mountmccabe - full
#131 - Yo La Tengo - Courtney - full
#132 - the Roots - Slushmier - full
#138 - Sonic Youth - bmack86 - full
#141 - the Rolling Stones (US albums) - sydaud - full
#146 - the White Stripes - bballarl - full

Page 6
#173 - Faith No More - thinnerair - full
#175 - Failure - thinnerair - full
#176 - Magazine - breakjaw - full

Page 7
#196 - Creed - bmack86 - full
#200 - Metallica - bmack86 - full
#202 - the Who - sydaud - full
#217 - Massive Attack - Thinnerair - Full
#219 - Elf Power - Bmack86 - Full
#225 - Genesis - Thinnerair - Intro
#232 - Bikini Kill - Mountmccabe - Full
#238 - Muse - Thinnerair -

Page 9
#241 - Big Black - Bmack86 - Full
#249 - The Arab Strap - Hannahrain - Intro
#253 - The Clash - TomAz - Full
#267 - Nick Cave - roberto73 - Full

Page 10
#299 - Jeff Buckley - PassiveTheory - Full

Page 12
#334 - Jawbox - Tylerdurden31 - Full
#338 - Hum - thinnerair - Full
#344 - REM - sydaud - Full

Page 13
#375 - Depeche Mode - Amyzzz - Extended Intro

Page 14
#395 - The Replacements - TomAz - Full
#402 - Spinal Tap - Breakjaw - Full
#405 - Cheech and Chong - Anita Bonghit - Discography
#416 - Pixies - Bmack86 - Full
#419 - Spiritualized - Bmack86 - Full

Page 15
#425 - Rush - MonsoonSeason - intro
#427 - The Orb - Desphrs - full
#446 - Miles Davis - sydaud - full

Page 16
#455 - Boards of Canada - desphrs - full
#463 - Blur - Slushmier - full
#474 - Serge Gainsbourg - bmack86 - intro
#477 - Beat Happening - bmack86 - full
#479 - Circle Jerks - york707 - full

Page 17
#504 - Joe Jackson - MsTekno - extended intro
#505 - Oasis - Stefinitely Maybe - full

Page 18
#518 - The Magnetic Fields - mountmccabe - full

Page 19
#562 - Wilco - mountmccabe, york707, and TomAz (compiled by Hannahrain) - full

Page 20
#573 - Spoon - sydaud - full
#580 - Decemberists - Hannahrain - full
#600 - Led Zeppelin - sydaud - full

Page 21
#616 - Minutemen - sydaud - full
#619 - Can - bmack86 - full (selected, incomplete)
#625 - PJ Harvey - bballarl - full

Page 22
#635 - Bjork - bmack86 - full
#649 - Cake - PassiveTheory - full
#650 - The Faint - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 23
#672 - Death Cab For Cutie - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 24
#720 - Leonard Cohen - mountmccabe - incomplete

Page 25
#735 - Bruce Springsteen - Yablonowitz - first installment
#738 - Arto Lindsay - ragingdave - Solo work only

Page 26
#757-755 TomAz vs Yablonowitz RE: Springsteen review.
#769 - XTC - Roberto73 - partial (to be continued)

Page 27
#798 - Cursive - Hawkingvsreeve - full
#800 - XTC (II) - Roberto73 - Continuation
#801 - Joy Division/New Order - sydaud - full
#806 - Springsteen - Yablonowitz - quick overview

Page 28
#812 - Springsteen (different) - TomAz - full
#820 - Elliott Smith - mountmccabe - full
#837 - Ben Folds - Jenniehoo - full (with mix!)

Page 29
#842/847 XTC - roberto73 (w/mixes!)
#865 Replacements mix - TomAz
#868 Elvis Costello mix -TomAz

Page 30
#871 Bob Dylan mixes - TomAz
#881 Animal Collective - BMack86 - complete
#884 The Go-Betweens - Roberto73 - complete (w/mix!)
#887 Tool - Passive Theory - complete

Page 31
#909 Johnny Cash - Sydaud - incomplete (1957-59)

Page 32
#945 John Lennon - breakjaw - full (w/mix)
#959 Lucinda Williams - TomAz - full (w/mix)

Page 33
#976 Pavement - bmack - full
#984 Pavement mix - breakjaw
#988 Underworld - bballarl - intro

Page 34
#995 The Appleseed Cast - comiddle - full
#996 (summary of rock canon) - C DUB YA

Page 35
#1024 The Smiths (w/mix here) - Passive Theory
#1029 The Black Keys (w/mix) - Hannahrain
#1041 Radiohead (redux) - Radiohead727
#1043 Midnight Oil (w/2mixes!) - Roberto73
#1049 Eels (w/mix) - Roberto73

Page 36
#1054 Eels (w/mix) -Roberto73
#1060 Brian Eno -Breakjaw - Mix/w Descriptions
#1061 Roxy Music -Breakjaw - Album Art
#1073 Prodigy - Betao - Complete

Page 37
#1082 Modest Mouse - Mountmccabe - Complete
#1107 Stephen Malkmus/Jicks - Bmack86 - Complete

Page 38
#1122 The Chemical Brothers - Betao - Complete
#1135 Elbow -Stefinitely Maybe - Complete

Page 39
#1146 Love and Rockets - Roberto73 - Complete
#1158 Megadeth - Cheddar's Cousin - (Almost) Complete

Page 40
#1179 Super Furry Animals - Clecirclecir@Juno.com - Ranked List
#1184 311 - Apachedine - Ranked List

Page 41
#1220 Smashing Pumpkins - Hawkingvsreeves - Complete

Page 42
#1242 Amon Tobin - Denies the Day - Overview
#1248 Butthole Surfers - SoulDischarge - Complete

Anyone who did one a while back, before an artist released their new album/albums, wanna update? I'll be going back to Boredoms, Spiritualized and Animal Collective.

[bballarl]

Bryan and I were just discussing how Alice In Chains are amazing/underrated. Someone should do their discography.

[bballarl]

Also, I will do My Morning Jacket at some point.

[orbit]

Nice recap, bmack. I didn't know someone did BOC.





Trans Canada Highway (2006, EP): The first outright mistake in the BoC catalog, this six-song EP focuses on "Dayvan Cowboy" from The Campfire Headphase and includes the album version and a remix by Anticon's Odd Nosdam. Right away, it feels like any other post-LP single or remix EP by any number of lesser artists. The new full-length songs, especially "Skyliner," win it back some points, but the short tracks and Nosdam's mostly featureless remix don't. For completists only. [Grade: C+]



the remix is pretty awesome, even better than the original. it has a psychedelic/ambient effect on it. i agree on the full songs, the beat in skyliner is perfect and left side drive is probably the highlight of the ep. the short tracks are not that bad. under a coke sign is great and has a pretty nice feeling, but too short. i was expecting them to work this in a darker direction though.

I'd give it A-, or perhaps B+.

[bmack86]

I just updated Breakjaw's list, but it's very useful.

Boris will be done in an hour. I have one album left to listen to. I've been promising it for nearly a year.

[bmack86]

Boris Reviews. It's mostly complete, but I'm missing a few splits they've done throughout the years. Still, this should be enough for most people.

1.Absolutego (1997)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Absolutego.jpg
Boris didn't start as the band you'd probably recognize from their more popular offerings, namely Pink. This album originally consisted of one track, labelled Absolutego. It's over an hour in length, and is essentially a drone piece, showing their obvious debt to Sunn O))) and Earth. There's tons of low end on it (get the Low Frequency release to really feel the kick) and it's slow and sludgy as hell. If you like drone pieces (they most certainly aren't for everyone) then you'll enjoy this. It's not their best drone work, but it's certainly interesting, and, for what it's worth, a damn good listen. Grade: B

2.Amplifier Worship (1998)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a1/Amplifier_Worship.jpg/200px-Amplifier_Worship.jpg
At first you might be able to confuse this with absolutego, but, about 3 minutes in, a metal scream tears through the drone. From here, the album goes on a steady trajectory, building from slow drones to a crazy metal peak at the start of Guruimizu (a track that almost sounds like prime era Soundgarden) and then receding back into the dronescapes. There are some amazing riffs on here, and the vocals, which alternate between metal screams and garagey vocal style, are more pronounced. There are stretches where the drones get old, but this one is, beat for beat, a killer step towards accessibility. Grade- B+

3.Black: Implication Flooding (1998)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/Boris_black.jpg/200px-Boris_black.jpg
Definitely falling hard onto the noise side of the platform. There is quite a bit of feedback throughout this album, and when they rock out, you can mostly tell by the drumming. The vocals are screamed, the noise is constant, and its altogether very “loud.” This piece was made in conjunction with Keiji Haino, so the noise and feedback makes sense. It’s not the best work I’ve heard by either of them, and it gets fairly repetitive. It’s one to track down only if you’re a completist. Still, some cool moments come thru. Grade: C

4.Flood (2000)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/af/Boris_flood.jpg/200px-Boris_flood.jpg
Very ethereal and quiet for the entirety of the first two tracks, Flood starts off as an ambient version of Boris, like what they might sounds like if they made drones with clean guitar tones and hushed sounds. 1/3 of the way into part three, the flood gates open, and they start blasting out majestic, ecstatic rock chords. This isn’t the doom sound of past releases; it’s positive, ecstatic and awesome. The track reminds me of Jesu in the epic grandeur of the sound. It continues with this fantastic barrage of noise into Part 4, which is the comedown. They return to the clean sounds and then the final part is an ebbing electronic tone. One of the most listenable Boris pieces, it’s not a place to start, but definitely a great work. Grade: A-

5. Megatone (2002)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/Boris_megatone.jpg/200px-Boris_megatone.jpg
Headronefish, the first track, is a minimal drone. There’s one tone that flows throughout the whole thing, and it fills the lower frequencies. It doesn’t really go anywhere, and the crackling over it doesn’t add a whole lot to the proceedings. It’s also almost completely a Merzbow piece, with minimal additions from Boris. Waterfuzz again has a Merzbow drone, but Wata plays a guitar figure over it. The drone is more Merzbow-style noisy than the previous one, so the guitar plays an interesting contrast. This sort of drone work continues in the third, with more feedback from the guitar adding to the noisiness. Overall, this is most definitely not an essential piece from them. The drones can be interesting, but don’t really develop enough to be considered essential. Nice background stuff, but not really a must-have. Grade: C-

6. Heavy Rocks (2002)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Heavyrocks.gif
The feedback line that starts this album could indicate another drone, but by the 10 second mark, you get the understanding that this is a very different Boris. There’s a bluesy guitar riff, and it sounds very, very metal. The scream just over a minute into the first song announces the birth of Balls-Out, song oriented Boris. These are garage-y, heavy and unrelenting, but also catchy and undeniably driving songs, and easily some of Boris’ best. Sabbath like in their feel, they sound unlike the drones, but retain the heaviness. Dyna Soar kicks the face off most “rock” bands, and Korosu sounds like the best hardcore punk/metal act you’ve never heard. This template would be perfected on Pink, but they hardly had to change a thing from this one. Trashy Rock Bliss. Grade: A

7.Akuma No Uta (2003)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/10893424_155_155.jpeg
Starts out with a feedback piece, and then moves straight into balls-out rock, similar to Heavy Rocks. These guys do hard rock better than almost any band out right now, and this album is perfect evidence of that. Also, the album art here is a great reference to Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter. In my opinion, this may be their most consistently solid album, as it doesn’t really let go once it’s started. I love every track on here, and it sounds absolutely fantastic. They claim to have recorded everything in one take on analog tape, which makes it even cooler. More garage-y hard rock with even more guitar solos. What is there to not love? Grade: A

8.Feedbacker (2003)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/Boris_feedbacker.jpg/200px-Boris_feedbacker.jpg
A more relaxed form of the long, extended drone, this one has a precedent in Flood. It starts out calm, with long tones, and the guitar line isn’t distorted to all hell. In fact, the start of the album doesn’t live up to the title at all, instead sounding like some 70s drug lounge music, very dark, slow and flowing. It’s eerie music. They build up the intensity over the second act, finally letting out some calm vocals towards the end. By Part 3, they start to really let loose, with some more feedback and intensity. The build leads to a large section of feedback, which closes out Part 4 and bleeds into Part 5. This one is meant to be heard as a piece, and is something of a time consumer. It’s fun, and not a normal drone like some of their other work. Worth checking out after you’ve digested the more song oriented material. Grade: B+

9.The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked (2004)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5a/Boris_solomon.jpg/200px-Boris_solomon.jpg
The first of the Solomon series, an experimental series of LPs that focuses mostly on drone work. Scene 2 starts this one off with low frequencies and elongated guitar tones over the top. It’s not bad, but nothing amazing. A Bao A Qu follows. This one’s frequently found its way into their experimental sets, and it is most definitely experimental. One guitar slowly cranks up feedback, while an acoustic guitar occasionally strums chords behind it. That’s it for nearly 8 minutes. The Dead Angle, the final track, is quite possibly their least varied drone yet. It sticks with one sound for the entire 20 minutes with little variation in frequency, tone or rhythm. It’s ambient, but not very good. This series went uphill from here. Don’t seek this out unless you want everything. Grade: D

10.04092001 (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fb/Boris_04092001.jpg/200px-Boris_04092001.jpg
Live collaboration between Boris and Merzbow. This was roundabouts the Heavy Rocks tour, and it is a ripper. There are two tracks on here, but they basically burn through 5 songs from the aforementioned album over the course of a half hour, with Merzbow interjecting live noise over the band. It’s loud, dirty, fuzzy and awesome. Merzbow’s noise provides a great counter to the grungy sounding rock, and it turns into a really fantastic 30 minute piece. Not a place to start, but it is a damn entertaining work. Grade: A-

11.Sun Baked Snow Cave (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/BorisMerz.jpg
Another Merzbow collaboration, another day. This one is dominated by Merzbow’s noisy trickery. There are blasts, screeches, yelps and other electric disturbances. It’s an intense record, but it never really develops, and Boris’s contributions seem to be wall hangings rather than essential parts of the work. They seem to work best together on the live albums. Grade: C-

12.Dronevil (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e1/Dronevil.jpg/200px-Dronevil.jpg
The first half is similar to listening to Metal Machine Music. It’s feedback, it’s constant, it drones, and it’s not for the faint of heart. I can see listening to it while in a certain mindset, but it’s not for everyday consumption. Grade: C

13.Soundtrack from "Mabuta No Ura" (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Boris_mabuta.jpg
It’s a soundtrack, not a normal album. Boris obviously wrote this music for the film, so listening to it without the images is definitely lacking. I’ve never seen the movie, so the soundtrack sounds to me more like sketches for ideas that Boris perfected in other places. It’ll be hard to seek out anyway, so don’t really make the effort unless you want to hear almost everything. Grade: C-

14.Live Archive (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/66/Boris_archive_1.jpg/200px-Boris_archive_1.jpg
A three disc archival release, this one’s interesting. Disc 1 is a compilation of live tracks from 1996-1998, and it features their sludgy, Melvins influenced style in a very heavy and pummeling setting. They sound like great live performers on this one, and if you can find this disc, I’d highly recommend it. Disc 2 is the drumless show, and it consists of three long drones. I’m guessing the drummer was needed to really fill in the lower frequencies here, thus keeping him from playing drums. The drones are cool, and very very low frequency, but there’s not much to distinguish them from other middle of the road Boris drones. They’ve done this style better. Disc 3 is an example of them doing that style to perfection. It’s called 2 Long Songs, and it has them performing Absolutego and Flood as one seamless 33 Minute piece. This is the real winner of the archival set, although all three have their merit. Grade: B

15.Pink (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/BorisPink.jpg/200px-BorisPink.jpg
The first Boris album I, and I’m sure most people, heard, this one is balls out, four to the floor rock. Don’t let Farewell trick you, because that’s by far the slowest song on the album. From there on out, the metal just takes precedent, in a most rocking way. They are very psychedelic, but not in a guitar-solos-and-extended-freakout sort of way. Instead, they use really heavy songs with shredding guitars and hammering bass tracks to melt you into submission, like Sabbath or Blue Cheer. The final song is a kickass extended version of the whole album, in that it carries the relentless beats and rhythms to overdrive, before dropping into a great, slightly slower riff and drum mid section that leads the song out. It’s a kickass album, and you should have it, G. Grade: A+

16.The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 2
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3d/Boris_solomon2.jpg/200px-Boris_solomon2.jpg
Unlike the last one in this series, this is an interesting and enjoyable disc. It starts in a very similar way, with a feedback drone, but the guitars quickly kick into some kickass soloing in the first track, and the drummer actually plays. The song, No One Grieves, Pt. 2, is awesome, and definitely needs to be heard by any Boris fans. Duel Effusion, the second track, is a long feedback drone, with more personality than anything from the first Solomon disc. Merciless is exactly what the title makes it out to be: merciless noise. It’s reminiscent of Merzbow, albeit with more standard instrumentation. It can be very grating over the course of its 15 minute length, but they offer some tonal variation that makes it interesting at very least. The final track is a quiet, barely existent fade out. Grade: B-

17.The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 3
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/44/Boris_solomon2%3D3.jpg/200px-Boris_solomon2%3D3.jpg
The third in this series of releases starts with a whimper rather than a bang. They kick off the album with a 17 minute ambient piece called Leviathan. It’s very pretty, and the slow guitar and bass tones are relaxing. Very different from most of the work they’ve done, it’s a breath of fresh air from their normal drone work. When the feedback comes in halfway thru, it seems as if it could derail the piece, but instead they stretch it out to an awesome climax. Dimly Tale is just a low frequency for 3 minutes with little variation, which leads into No One Grieves Part 1, another drone track. This one is very Sunn O))) esque, in that it has long, stretched tones and deep bass. Sola Stone, the final track, continues with the drone, but adds some drum and guitar work to create a bit of variation. It’s not the best of the three, but this is an interesting addition to the Solomon series. Grade: C+

18.Vein (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bd/Vein_Boris.jpg/200px-Vein_Boris.jpg
Also known as the two confusing releases. They put out two albums, at the same time, with the same name, same album art and same vinyl color. They didn’t say that they were going to put out two albums, and people were very confused, as the two are obviously quite different. This, the US version of Vein, contains 13 tracks that are mostly under 2 minutes in length. After a feedback intro that plays thru the first song and half of the second, the riffs start. They’re heavy and slow, and there are drums, unlike many of the experimental releases that they had done around this time. And then, woah, the third song starts. All of a sudden Boris have become a thrash punk band. They sound like something from the 80s hardcore scene. It’s cool, and they’re good at it. The production is fuzzy and gritty, the vocals are blood curdling and the guitars are crushing. Apparently this release was a place for them to air some of their early, pre-drone songs for the first time. The drummer, Atsuo takes vocals, and you’ve never heard Boris like this. Track 7 has more varied guitar work, and mixes this style with their drones, but, at 2 minutes, it’s a quick blast, and the best song on the album. The final song is a 10 minute drone that acts as a goodbye to this primal Boris, and seems like a suggestion of where they went right after the thrashy crust punk of their early days. A helluva release. Grade: A-

19.Vein (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bd/Vein_Boris.jpg/200px-Vein_Boris.jpgThe European Version seems like the expression of what they did right after their early punk. It continues with the drone that ends the US version of Vein. The sound quality is still shitty, but that doesn’t work as well on this release as it did on the punk of the US version. The drones sound like they were the forebears to Absolutego, as if Boris hadn’t fully developed their signature drone style by this point. There are just two tracks on this one, and neither are overly impressive, even if they have some impressive moments. The layers of fuzz on these tracks are hard to fight thru. Grade: C-

20.Altar (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/SunnBoris-2006-Altar.jpg/200px-SunnBoris-2006-Altar.jpg
Boris and Sunn O))), together at last. The opening of this album sounds like the ideal meeting between these two giants of drone metal. Long, slow tones that meet between Boris’ slowly changing, nearly psychedelic heavy drone work and Sunn O)))’s pitch black oil flows. The first two tracks are the perfect encapsulation of that sound. How shocking is it, then when the third song starts with a clean guitar tone and then piano? Both shocking and beautiful, the track is a monster, the best thing on the album, slow, graceful and haunting, and Jesse Sykes vocals are excellent. Akuma No Kuma is Robot Rock as done by these guys. It sounds like they had been absorbing Kraftwerk and decided to put a synth and robot vocals over some of Atsuo’s most awesome drum running. It’s cool and very enjoyable. The last two songs don’t quite capture the same genius. Fried Eagle Mind is ethereal, but it’s not something I’d want to listen to over and over, and the final 14 minute drone can’t match the opener. Overall, it’s still a cool collaboration and makes for a mostly good album. Grade: B

21.Rainbow (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/66/Boris_rainbow_us.jpg/200px-Boris_rainbow_us.jpg
A collaboration with Michio Kurihara, guitar player and leader of Japanese Psychedelic noisemakers Ghost. Michio calms down Boris, leading them through a set of subdued, fuzzy and relaxing guitar excursions. Starship Narrator is my favorite off this one, a hot, high flying psychedelic rock umber with a crazy guitar solo. Most of the album is laid back, and fantastic. A good summer album. Grade: A-

22.Walrus/Groon single (2007)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Borismerzbowwalrus.jpg/200px-Borismerzbowwalrus.jpg
Another collab with Merzbow. This single is interesting because the A-Side is their cover of I Am the Walrus. I’m not sure if some of the lyrics are in Japanese or if they’re singing nonsense at points, but they play it fairly close to the original vocally. Merzbow has tons of electronic fuzz flowing through the song, and it works as a good complement. The riff that comes in around 2:30 is pretty awesome, and Boris toys around with riffs as Merzbow releases static from his equipment. The end is some dense noise reminiscent of early 90s Merzbow stuff. Groon is heavier, harder and louder on all fronts. It sounds more like Merzbow and Boris in the ways you’d expect. It’s good, but not as interesting as Walrus. Grade: B

23.Rock Dream (2007)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/Boris_merzbow_rock_dream.jpg
Far and away the best extension of the Boris/Merzbow collaborations. This is a live show from 2007, and it is dynamic, heavy, loud, intense and everything else you could hope for from these two artists collaborating. The first disc is a few drone pieces, which are made louder, more intense and just plain better by Merzbow’s analog noise additions. They breathe and stretch over the long running time, and Feedbacker in particular is a wonder. The second disc is more rock oriented, and it makes me lament missing Boris repeatedly. They sound like a well oiled machine, really at the top of their game. The songs from Pink get some extra flourishes from Merzbow, and everything comes together really well. It’s odd to recommend a live album as a starting place for a band, but this is a great overview of their work til this point, and without a doubt one of their best releases. Grade: A

24.Smile (Japanese version) (2008)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1f/Borissmile.jpg/200px-Borissmile.jpg
The copy I have only has one title in English, so I can’t reference names, but, damn, this is not where I expected Boris to go. The first song is a Glam/disco/feedback blast that is nowhere near nothing they’ve done before. It’s fun, and insane. They go thru the metal/punk leanings of Pink, but add more nuance and intricacy, as well as a mélange of different styles. It’s the most diverse Boris album, the strangest, and quite possibly the most fun. When the 20 minute bonus track isn’t a drone piece, but an extended psychedelic slow jam, you know they mean business. Grade: A

25.Smile (US Version) (2008)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/Boris-smileus.jpg/200px-Boris-smileus.jpg
I heard the Japanese version first, and this just doesn’t hit as well. It sounds more produced, the track order is different and the final song loses lots of its fire. The songs are the same, and they’re still good, but it loses quite a bit of the power when stripped of the vicious, violent production of the Japanese version. Also, the packaging in Japan is far superior. Grade: B-

[roberto73]

Nicely done, Bryan. This gives me an excuse to finally start exploring Boris' discography.

Every time this thread gets resurrected I'm reminded of all the artists I keep meaning to write about, and immediately felt guilty. I'm not even Catholic.

[miscorrections]

Are you Irish or Italian, by any chance? I think the guilt might be hereditary because I'm plagued too.

[roberto73]

Irish, actually. Maybe that's it. That would also explain my love of Guinness, potatoes, and shillelaghs.

[miscorrections]

Holler.

[bmack86]

Yeah, I still need to do Kraftwerk, and, if I can find my copy of the Embrace CD, I want to do a complete Ian MacKaye/Guy Picciotta one

[Sushov23]

someone needs to do Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang, and ATCQ.

[bmack86]

Snoop Dogg

Get Doggystyle and The Chronic. Download selected singles from the rest, but ignore most of them like the plague, as he got lazy real quick like.

[bmack86]

But I would agree with Wu Tang and Tribe, as well as De La Soul, Jay Z and Nas. Maybe Tupac

[Backwater]

Bryan and I were just discussing how Alice In Chains are amazing/underrated. Someone should do their discography.

They are underrated on these boards but I remember them being extremely popular but then again I'm from the Midwest.

[Sushov23]

But I would agree with Wu Tang and Tribe, as well as De La Soul, Jay Z and Nas. Maybe Tupac

I think with 2pac all you gotta cover is all eyez on me, and me against the world, the rest is mostly garbage.
BTW, Ice Cube needs one also.

[wmgaretjax]

"Sun Baked Snow Cave" rated so low???!? Bah!!! My favorite thing they've been a part of.

[bmack86]

I could not get into it at all. Course, I started these reviews quite some time ago, and that was one of the old ones. I relistened to the first Solomon disc today, and it sits much better with me now. Maybe Snow Cave will as well.

[bmack86]

When my Emusic account reloads, I'll download the last few projects from Ian Mackaye and Guy Picciotto that I'm missing, and I'll do a comprehensive review of their works.

[PassiveTheory]

Since they're now at 4 LPs I think I'll do Coldplay.

Also, someone mind doing DJ Shadow's complete discog'? His stuff with UNKLE ought to count as well.

[bmack86]

Kraftwerk

Tone Float (1970)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e4/Tone_Float_RCA-SF8111.jpg/200px-Tone_Float_RCA-SF8111.jpg
Technically, this is a band called Organisation, but both Ralf and Florian are leading members, so it can be seen as the first Kraftwerk album. Unlike the Kraftwerk that most people know, this features no synthesizers. Instead, organ and pitch shifted instruments compete with Krautrock drumming for the center stage. It definitely sounds formative, but Tone Float, the 20 minute title track, is a fantastic early krautrock song, and, if you enjoy avant garde psychedelic music from Germany, you'll most likely enjoy this. Also, the early seeds of Kraftwerk's signature sound are obvious in the drums and sonic manipulations. Grade: B-

Kraftwerk 1 (1970)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e5/K1-D-front.jpg/200px-K1-D-front.jpg
I remembered this album not overly fondly, but, upon relistening, it's a fantastic document of the German Krautrock scene. Most definitely not the Kraftwerk people remember (part of the reason why it is still out of print is that Ralf and Florian don't associate with this old incarnation anymore) but it nevertheless is full of impressive recordings. Ruckzuck should, by all rights, be a classic in their catalog, full of double tracked flutes and a monstrous Motorik beat. They go off into some experimental tape looping and distortion halfway thru, but they return to the beat by the end. Stratovarius starts as an experimental piece, but the rhythm kicks in and it sounds like an obvious precursor to NEU!, whose Klaus Dinger drums on half this album. The track is fantastic, a real winner for fans of rhythmic instrumental music. Megahertz is a slow burning ambient piece that features some long flute lines and waves of cymbals and bass, without ever getting boring. Von Himmel Hoch, the final track, takes a long time to get going, but once the drums kick in, it's another motorik masterpiece of rhythm. If you like NEU!, you'll find lots to love here.
Grade:A-

Kraftwerk 2 (1972)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/K2-D-front.jpg/200px-K2-D-front.jpg
Kling Klang, the 17 Minute opening track on the second Kraftwerk album, plays much like the motorik work of the first album, except for one key difference: the drums are all electric, based off a preset organ time signature. A step towards the all-electronic sound that made them famous, but this is still organic Kraftwerk, and they're developing. The first track has tape manipulations to slow down and speed up the recording, but other than that it could be another fantastic NEU! track. There are some cool guitar lines at the end that in particular seem like a nod to former member Michael Rother. Atem is a lead in track, just a short recording of what seems like breathing. Strom starts with a distorted guitar, and works into a slow flute and guitar psychedelic workout that is very enthralling. Spule 4 continues this track, with some phase work added. Wellenlange sounds like a Tortoise song, in all the right ways, with the dubby bass, chiming guitar lines and languid pacing. Harmonika, the final track, sounds like a mutated organ trying to be the titular instrument. It also sounds like a setting sun. Like the previous album, this isn't one that will be immediate for Kraftwerk fans, but if you like NEU! and psych music, you'll definitely like this.
Grade: A-

Ralf Und Florian (1973)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/de/RF-D-front.jpg/200px-RF-D-front.jpg
As soon as this one starts, you can tell that you're dealing with a different beast. This album is still out of print, but it doesn't make as much sense as the first two, as this is the birth of modern Kraftwerk. The album opens with an ascending Moog line that is soon augmented by keys and a more complex electronic drum track. Welcome to the future. They still maintain the guitar and flute workouts, such as Tongebirge, but Kristallo is a perfect example of formative Kraftwerk; cold synth lines, haunting melody and a dramatic pulse. Unlike the past two, this album does have a feel of Kraftwerk working to adapt to a new style, and, as a result, comes out as a cross between their more well known robot rock and the krautrock of their earlier work. It doesn't always work, but it's almost always interesting.
Grade: B

Autobahn (1974)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bb/A85-E-front.jpg/200px-A85-E-front.jpg
You have to know the title track. It was, in a heavily edited form, a hit in the united states. It was the first song to introduce the robot voice that became so integral to their sound. It's 20 minutes of sheer brilliance. However, this isn't, as many people say, the birth of modern Kraftwerk. They're much more melodic than in the past, they use more developed keyboards, and use them in more specific ways, but they still use the flutes and guitars, and they still retain the meandering psychedelic jamminess of the older style. This is the final bridge between the two styles, and it's a great album. Autobahn is the obvious standout, and it's the only vocal song, but the other four are uniformly brilliant recordings that point towards where they're going. Still, everything is secondary to the sheer monolith that is the first track.
Grade: A-

Radio-Activity (1975)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/15/Kraftwerk_Radio_Activity_album_cover.jpg/200px-Kraftwerk_Radio_Activity_album_cover.jpg
For my money, the birth of Modern Kraftwerk. Gone are the organic, acoustic instruments, replaced by an arsenal of synthesized noise makers. Radioactivity is one of their alltime great songs, and the template for their later pop songs. It has a catchy, audible melody, lyrics in english and some awesome synth sounds. The rest of the album is as dark as that song, and creates a fantastic futuristic vibe. They use the robot voice on a few more tracks here. Some of the songs on here aren't fully formed, and work more as incidental material, but this was the start of their unmitigated reign as the best robots in the business. From here on out, the human Kraftwerk is gone, never to return, and the sound is better for it.
Grade: A

Trans-Europe Express (1977)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/TEE-E-front.jpg/200px-TEE-E-front.jpg
This is the one that always winds up on Critics best-of lists, and with good reason. Trans-Europe Express is not only a groundbreaking album for its use of technology, it's also an amazing artistic statement. The band has uniformly strong songwriting on this, and the extended second half, which is split into tracks even though it is one continuous jam, is as perfect as possible. Europe Endless is a great pop song to kick off the proceedings. It always reminds me of the Disney Parade of lights, in a good way. After that, things get much darker with Hall of Mirrors and Show Room Dummies, two haunting songs about losing oneself and artifice. They're excellent. The second half is one continuous meditation on the Trans Europe Express. The song replicates the sounds of trains passing, uses a rhythm track that is like the clatter of train wheels, and layers some amazing synth programming over the top. It continues with minimal interruption for nearly 20 minutes. Genius. (As a side note, from this album onward, they released an English version as well as a German version with lyrics corresponding in each language. I have the English versions of all of them, but I've heard that there are subtle mix differences between the releases as well)
Grade: A+

The Man Machine (1978)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/Kraftwerk_The_Man_Machine_album_cover.jpg/200px-Kraftwerk_The_Man_Machine_album_cover.jpg
My personal favorite of the Kraftwerk albums. The Robots, the opening track, is the one that they perform live with robotic dummies. It's an amazing rock song, except performed solely on electronics. From there, track after track builds great melodic lines, fantastic rhythms and lyrics about the similarity between men and machines. It's a mechanical album, but it's most definitely not cold. Neon Lights has a warm pop song in its core, and The Man Machine is a track that most bands would die to write. The Model may be the highlight of the whole album, a cynical look at fame and artifice, with some fantastic pop melodies. With their technology more mastered, they really focus on songcraft rather than mood, and, as a result, turn out a monster of an album.
Grade: A+

Computer World (1981)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/CW-E-front.jpg/200px-CW-E-front.jpg
Despite my personal preference for The Man-Machine's slightly darker tones, this is quite possibly the best Kraftwerk album. It starts out with the pristine title track, which showcases just how far the technology had come in a short time. The sound on this is MUCH more fluid and malleable than on Man Machine. It's like comparing an Apple 2 to an IMac at times. Pocket Calculator is, in my opinion, their most infectious and flat out great pop song. It's so catchy that you don't even realize the odd avant garde break in the middle of the song. Numbers is a blast, a fantastic synth pop workout that eclipses almost everything else in the synth genre. Computer World 2 is exactly what its name implies. Computer Love is well known as the song Coldplay sampled. Guess what; its miles ahead of the Coldplay track (didn't see that coming, didja?). It references the colder tones of the Man Machine, and is beautiful. Home Computer's melody line is pure gold, and it's to the credit of this album that it's one of the lesser songs on here. It's More Fun to Compute closes it out, and at times sounds like a forebear to industrial music that would come later in the decade. Not a bad track, not even a merely good track. This one is full of stone cold stunners.
Grade: A+

Electric Cafe (1986)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/15/EC-E-front.jpg/200px-EC-E-front.jpg
Five years between the releases, and technology had caught up to Kraftwerk. They use samplers on here, and the sounds from this album aren't as bizarre to the average listener as albums past had been. Oddly enough, when everyone else had caught up finally, it sounds suddenly as if Kraftwerk is struggling with the styles they were so integral in founding. The album flows like a DJ mix, and there are nods to Detroit Techno and Chicago House, but the tracks aren't as memorable or as strong as the albums from the past 12 years. Boing Boom Tschak is fun, but doesn't go too far. Techno Pop doesn't develop enough of a melodic line, and these issues plague most of the album. Somehow, Kraftwerk's pop took back seat to their technology on this one, and, as a result, it sounds like a dated techno record from the mid 80s rather than a timeless pop record, like their previous ones. And, Sex Object is just plain not good. Like bad Duran Duran.
Grade: C

The Mix (1991)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/The_Mix.jpg/200px-The_Mix.jpg
It is what the title claims, basically a remix album containing some of their most well known works. The remix work is fine, and it leaves the core of the melodic pop work that they developed. It's an interesting recording, but I'd be hard pressed to recommend this one to anybody new to Kraftwerk as one of the first releases they should get. It's a fun listen, but far from essential.
Grade: B

Tour De France Soundtracks (2003)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Kraftwerk_Tour_De_France_Soundtracks_album_cover.j pg/200px-Kraftwerk_Tour_De_France_Soundtracks_album_cover.j pg
The title track came out originally in 1983. This reworking leaves almost nothing from that original recording. Let's just get that out there. If you loved Kraftwerk for their future robot pop sound, you will most likely not be too fond of Tour De France parts 1-3. Instead of cold, alien keyboard lines, you get vaguely trancey keys and a steady pulse, all of which would fit right in at Ibiza. It's not bad, but it's also barely Kraftwerk, in that it forgoes almost all the things that made the band great in the first place. The third section has a nifty key line, but there's nary a melody to be found, which is saddening. Chrono continues that, and it's equally confounding. Vitamin is great. It takes these newer technological innovations and meshes them with an undeniable pop sense. This is what they could have done with the whole album, and they could have made something very good. Aero Dynamik is a hard pulsing techno track that is decent, but not great, and it bleeds into Titanium, which sounds just like the preceding track.
Elektrokardiogramm is the same way; decent, not great, and fairly faceless 80s sounding EDM. The final two tracks on the regular album don't fare much better. The version I have does something twisted at the end, in that it includes the original version of Tour De France. It isn't quite as good as the best of their early work, but it holds up with many of those tracks, and it sits in stark contrast to the faceless recordings on the album proper. If I were given this album without any info, I would have no clue that it was made by Kraftwerk, which is sad considering how idiosyncratic they once were.
Grade: D

Minimum-Maximum (2005)
http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog%5CK%5CKraftwerk%20-%20Minimum-Maximum%20(Live)%5CKraftwerk%20-%20Minimum-Maximum%20(Live).jpg
If one good thing came out of the Tour de France album, it was the following tour. Kraftwerk sounded mighty and impressive live, remixing and tweaking tracks without overpowering them like they did on the Mix, they instead created a great set that spanned from Autobahn to their latest release and showed people why they are such an important band. This is a sublime sounding recording from that tour, and it's a great document of this band as they currently exist. Hopefully they can take a cue from the response to these shows and regain some of their footing, because this document sounds like the band is still full of creativity.
Grade: A

[PassiveTheory]

I can't wait to hear what you make of the Tour De France soundtracks; that's the record that got me into Kraftwerk and usually just about everybody fucking hates everything on it but the title track.

But this definitely makes me want to go back and complete my Kraftwerk discography which is severely lacking.

[bmack86]

Kraftwerk reviews are all up. Argue with me, commend me, or ignore it.

[bballarl]

I don't mind Tour De France at all. It isn't classic, but it is solid IMHO. Although I think I look at it more fondly because it was my first Kraftwerk album and I love those songs live. In fact, I bought that album after Coachella 04, and I bought it because I remembered most of the songs from the bootleg.

[bmack86]

I was talking to Passive and he said the same thing. I dunno. I got that one very last, and I'm much more connected/indebted to the 70s/80s stuff.

[PassiveTheory]

Aieee... a D!?... x.x Christ, Bryan.

EDIT: Starting on the Coldplay discography run-through.

[PassiveTheory]

COLDPLAY:

http://thereviewsroom.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/coldplayparachutes.jpg
Parachutes (2000)

We begin with Coldplay's debut record which begins with a song I first heard as part of the Garden State soundtrack, "Don't Panic", whose syncopated low guitar riff underscores a song that's pretty much sums up something Chris Martin focuses on constantly; his absolute bewilderment of the world around him. "Shiver" is a good song on the first couple of listens but the riff gets pretty annoying after a while. "Spies" is probably one of the best songs on the record (especially for how one guitar riff just seamlessly weaves in and out of the verses), and is followed by Coldplay's most popular song in "Yellow" (don't need to add much here; at this point you either like this song or absolutely hate it). "Trouble" is probably my favorite song on the record because I feel like it's Chris' best vocal delivery on the album and is followed by the most OK Computer-borrowing song on the record in "High Speed" (which, of course, makes it one of the album's standouts). "We Never Change" is probably the most obvious candidate for throwaway song on the album, but it's alright to listen to if you want to sleep (the little James Iha-esque touches on guitar give it enough squeal to soundly shut your eyes). The album closer, "Everything's Not Lost" sounds from the start as though it'll break away from the intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula most of the record encapsulates, but instead falls into the same trap. Never the less, it's the most soulful song on the record, and despite Chris' overtly campy lyrics on this song (this one more so than any other on the record), it's worth a listen or two.

Parachutes was the last Coldplay album I picked up (at the time I started backwards from X&Y on back) and I guess I already had the idea of Chris Martin & co. as sounding more U2 than Radiohead. I will say that this was a better debut record than Pablo Honey (yes, suck on that, Coldplay haters), but much like a lot of 90s Britpop records, too many of the songs fall into a sense of poor meandering rubbish. The saving graces on the record are: "Trouble", "Don't Panic", "High Speed", "Spies" and "Sparks".

Grade: C+

http://www.genesisdiscos.com.ar/images/Coldplay-A_Rush_Of_Blood_To_The_Head.jpg
A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

Ah... the first Coldplay record whose songs I actually heard before buying the record (meaning I heard the singles for this years before I bought it). Actually, for some reason, I remember hating Clocks more than The Scientist and put off buying this record for the absolute LONGEST time. Hence why I pirated it...

ANYWAY, you can tell that the huge leap in popularity of the band and subsequent pressures of superstardom made their way into Coldplay's song structures. The album opens up with the blazing (as much as a Coldplay song can be considered "blazing") with the pulsating, pounding, echoing clatter of the appropriately named "Politik"; the piano part of the song, at times, takes on the characteristic of strings and helps to evoke the sense of grandeur that's become one of the band's trademarks. "In My Place" is quite possibly the second song after "Yellow" wrtting by Coldplay that's essentially defined by the twinkly, star-like guitar riff by John Buckland. Granted, "Yellow" and "In My Place" would probably sound identical if the acoustic riff on "Yellow" has been played on electric guitar. "God Put A Smile..." is another tinge of Radiohead sneaking into the band's song writing style, as Chris Martin tries his best to put a mask of hopelessness through the lyrics. The drum beat helps keep the song moving, but the uplifting chorus part of the song either does one of two things for you, the listener; totally obliterates any sense of melancholy the song had, or, gives it another angle. Either way, the song starts out really good, but for me, ends on a "meh" level on the hypothetical scale I'm using. "The Scientist" is a good single and I really like the piano part, and as I said before, this was the song that really got me into Coldplay, so there's that. Now "Clocks"... Well... I think I hate the song less than I used to, but I can't ever put the song on repeat. I will say that no matter the infernal guitar part, Chris' lyrics in this song have an undeniable catchyness. "Daylight" build up and peak is pretty standard, but the way it slips into the chorus is almost unexpected on the first few listens. Also, if you hate Chris Martin's voice but like the backing band, "Daylight" is a prime example of Chris' voice disappearing into the background. "Green Eyes" is nothing special, but, "Warning Sign" is probably one of the best songs Coldplay's written. The lazy-like circular guitar riff on this song is a standout, and Martin's lyrics on loving and longing are both sincere and heartfelt. Also it does something many Coldplay songs have a tendency to NOT do; properly peak into a chorus after an emotional build up. "Whisper" is so random on this disc, it really doesn't fit here. It has a tinge of George Harrison and something else I can't put my finger on. Definitely the song for those of you think Coldplay makes only boring piano music. The title track takes a few concentrated listen-throughs but it's definitely an underrated song on the album, and the record finishes with "Amsterdam" which, to me, almost seems like a sister to "Strawberry Swing" off of Viva La Vida and is a decent album closer.

I feel like, as a whole, Clocks is a better album than Parachutes. It starts off really well and ends moderately well. It also helped bring the piano back into prominence within mainstream rock music. Chris Martin and company began show that with a little experience under their belt, they can produce a sound that's more than just 90s Britpop with Travis-like sensibilities, and this becomes the centerpiece of X&Y.

Grade: B+

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X & Y (2005)

X & Y, the first Coldplay record I ever bought, the first I heard in full (thanks to my local radio station playing it in full as a special for the release date), and one of the records that helped me through an especially tumultuous time in my young life... Here we go!

Alright, so X & Y, which, from my experience, has drawn the most ire of all of Coldplay's records thus far, starts with the guitar-driven "Square One", and establishes the concept of X&Y as a tale of two sides (optimism and pessimism) as starting from square one no matter the kind of person you are. The song lyrics itself are sort of vapid, but it's one of the tunes that just gets you singing along because of the melody. The next song, "What If" takes a page from Joan Osbourne's "One of Us", and asks blanket questions that start out big, but instead takes it inwardly and directs towards a personal relationship Chris is having. The best part of this song is the circular guitar riff when the drums come in, but for the most part it's pretty standard for a Coldplay song (and one I personally like). "White Shadows" is one of my favorite songs on the record. It starts off with an almost Interpol-like riff that repeats throughout the song, and it's one of Coldplay's most groove-oriented tunes (especially the bass). Then come the singles... "Fix You", admittedly, is sappy. But, hell, I'm a goofy romantic guy, so I like it. The end chanting-sort of part sort of precursors some stuff that appears on Viva La Vida. "Talk" is one of the best songs on the record, despite the presumption that they destroyed a Kraftwerk song through it. The theme of understanding, love, and figuring shit out is prevalent thus far in the album. There's no real balance of songs that exhibit strict optimism or strict pessimism, you just have to read between the lines. The title track is a personal favorite, I love how it starts with the string section, and how the guitar glides along, rising the tension up and up until it just dives down into a sea of emotion, evoking maritime imagery as well as the stars and space itself. It's a brilliant song. "Speed Of Sound" is a fucking dud, next. "A Message" is a return to the acoustic-guitar-oriented tracks on the first two releases, and is pretty good in of itself. "Low" is like a sister to "White Shadows" (in fact, it has pretty much the same pulsing beat), but is trumped by "The Hardest Part" which is an amazing, piano-driven tune on the record about a school-time break-up. "Twisted Logic", which was the original album closer, is a stellar track that brings back the motif of circular motion, of life essentially acting in circles, pushing and pulling you back into an optimistic or pessimistic light. "Kingdom Come", written for Johnny Cash before he passed away, is a decent closer and a nice acoustic tune.

Seriously, for me, this record has one absolute dud (the first single) and two songs that, pretty much, are virtually the same. I have no real problems with this record, and I adore it. I'd give someone who wanted to get into Coldplay this record first.

Grade: A-

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Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

So... the new record. A lot of people were expecting this to be a change in style for Coldplay, and what with all the allusions to the Arcade Fire, the use of pretty fucking random instrumentation, and Brian Eno on board, it did the job for many Coldplay fans as well as many Coldplay haters.

What do I think of the album? Well, with X & Y, there's a couple of tracks I LOVE and I generally like the album, but with X&Y, I feel that Chris and co. have written their best songs... But have also written some that I feel could be improved upon. "Life in Technicolor" is a nice opening track, especially with the drums sounding free and vibrant, as though glad to be released from the shackles of the other albums. "Cemeteries of London", as the official, opener is a nice change of pace from X&Y. Instead of Chris' opening vocal line being delivered with a high falsetto voice, it's a deeper, richer delivery, something that repeats itself throughout the rest of the album. "Cemeteries" also has this nice galloping rhythm and the imagery that Chris evokes through his lyrics suits the twangy guitar riff perfectly well. "Lost!" is fucking great. I think the biggest problem people have with this song is it's vocals ("Your a big fish... in a small pond!"), but whatever. I like it, it sounds frustrated, defiant, and, most importantly, loud. The weird gallop behind the drums is interesting too, but I really like this song (especially the organs). "42" is the first of the many two-part songs on the record (although it's the only one where the 2nd part isn't given it's own name) as well as the one song on the record that sounds the most like a Radiohead song. And a good one at that. The guitar riffage that opens up the 2nd half of the songs is compelling, to say the least. "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" is probably one of my least liked songs on the record, but that's not to say it's a bad song. I just don't feel like it's saying anything to me, and the psychedelic, bouncy, Stone Roses-like vibe is better expressed on "Strawberry Swing". "Yes" is nothing like any other Coldplay song before it: moody, dark, low-voiced vocal line by Chris Martin, random arab violin parts, lusting, sexy, and did I mention that it ends with a 3 minute air-y riffage piece that draws comparisons to My Bloody Valentine? It's easily the best song on the record. Seven minutes of Coldplay glory. Then come the singles: "Viva La Vida" is pretty standard Coldplay stuff, except that the backing instrumentation asserts itself center-stage and renders the guitars, drums and bass absolutely useless. Cheesy, somewhat, but it's no "Fix You". "Violet Hill" is the bluesy-est song on the album, as well as one of the most rocking (Chris Martin was probably listening to some White Stripes while writing it), and furthers the political commentary on "Viva La Vida" pretty well. Sure some of the leftist imagery can get muddied and confusing, but I think that coincides pretty well with the current state of affairs in the world. "Strawberry Swing" has a guitar loop that's pretty envious as well as confounding (you can't really tell where it starts or where it ends), and Chris' soft vocal delivery is choice for the song. The ending is very apropos. Then comes the very cute and engaging closing track, "Death and All His Friends" with "The Escapist" at the end (as with "Yes"'s "Japanese Sleep Chant" at the 3 minute mark). Honestly? I feel like this song could have been the album opener, especially when the guitars and drums come in before the 2 minute mark. It's truly caps what's a turn around, critically, for the group in terms of what they can accomplish sonically. "I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge, I don't want to follow death and all of his friends". It really echoes what's prevalent throughout the record: a lot of peaceful riffs with small explosions of emotion and heartfelt feeling.

There is very little wrong with the album, quality wise, just a few things that I personally didn't like. Granted, if this was any other reviewer, they probably would have trashed the singles and "Lost!" harder than my feelings towards "Reign of Love/Lovers in Japan". It also shows that Coldplay has the potential to become an even BETTER band.

Grade: A

[anti-square]

What's with all the comparisons to Radiohead?

[PassiveTheory]

Cause they sound like Radiohead. And a bunch of other bands. But, especially with the first album (and 1 song on the 2nd) which sounds a lot like Radiohead.

There's more U2 and Arcade Fire on the last 2 releases.

[amyzzz]

Uh WTF, Passive! "We Never Change" is the BEST track on Parachutes, and "Spies" is the WORST. Funny how people have such different opinions. I remember when I first picked up that CD. I listened to the full album 2 times in a row, and I was blubbering the whole time.

[bmack86]

Someone post a new one in here. Alternately, give some requests and someone will do them. I need something to do with all my free time.

[sbessiso]

so no one's done Beck yet, huh?

[SoulDischarge]

Alright. So I did Cabaret Voltaire, but I never really heard any of their late 80s and on stuff due to lack of interest, but I figured not enough people have heard the early material so it was worth doing. If anyone has any insights into the later era, feel free to add on to mine. Also, I'm putting in a request for Parliament/Funkadelic. I could probably do Beck, since I have damned near every song he's ever released, but my summary would end at Midnite Vultures. Maybe Salah should hit it and if you need any buffering on things like 'Golden Leftovers,' let me know.

Cabaret Voltaire: The Early Years

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Mix-Up (1979)
This was the first full length Cabaret Voltaire album, and it's as alien sounding as anything in their catalog. While a lot of their early records were admittedly uneven, the otherworldy atmosphere is unmatched anywhere else in recorded music, including the Cab's later releases. This probably isn't the best starting place for the uninitiated, but it shouldn't go ignored. Opening with a piece of nightmare dub called 'Kirlian Photography,' the band proceeds to slither through eight more tracks of subterranean death grooves, including a truly possessed cover of the Seeds' 'No Escape.' The rest of the tracks deal in tape manipulation, primitive electronic beats, spaced out distorted guitar drones, and growled vocals to varying degrees of success. The album drags in the middle with two go-nowhere experiments, 'Eyeless Sight' and 'Photophobia,' but picks up again on one of the band's best 3 a.m. paranoia jams, 'On Every Other Street.'

B

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The Voice Of America (1980)
Although retaining some of the unevenness that afflicted the first album, the songs that do work on the Cab's second release are stronger, creepier, and even kind of funky, in a mutant sort of way. Even the meandering rhythm&noise experiments are more distinctive on this release. A lot of the tracks use a combination of simplistic, tacky drum machines, spare bass notes, squelching electronics, a variety of strange noises and samples fading in and out a la Lee Perry dub, and cold, harsh vocal proclamations to create surprisingly catchy grooves, albeit ones from some deep dark underworld. Highlights include 'Kneel To The Boss,' 'This Is Entertainment,' (where Stephen Mallinder dares you to disagree that 'this is entertainment, this is fun'), 'Obsession,' and 'Messages Received.' From here, the band would ditch some of it's primitiveness and start coalescing its experiments into some of the best death disco of the era.

B+

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Red Mecca (1981)
'Red Mecca' is somewhat of a transitional record between Cabaret Voltaire's earlier, noisier, dub-inspired work and their later dance-orientated releases, and is considered their peak by many. After opening with their take on the 'Touch Of Evil' theme, they tear through seven tracks of disturbingly hypnotic grooves before ending with a reprise of the first track. Besides the 'Touch Of Evil' themes, there isn't a single throwaway track here. Each song pounds, drones, and screeches with forward momentum, wrapping the atmospherics of dread with killer rhythm tracks, keeping the songs consistently engaging rather than directionless. As good a starting place for Cabaret Voltaire as any.

A+

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2X45 (1982)
Here's where the Cabs truly become a dance band, and it shows from the very opening notes of 'Breathe Deep.' Polyrhythmic drumming, deep bass, and even blaring horns make this, by a long shot, the liveliest track the band had recorded yet. The distorted, growling guitar, electronics, and vocals are still there though, making it still distinctly their own. Another sign of change for the band is the departure of their main tape manipulator, Chris Watson; half of the six tracks were recorded with him and half without. This album also contains one of my all time personal favorite songs, 'Yashar,' mixing what could be the soundtrack to a Middle Eastern horror film with polyrhythmic drumming and strange samples regarding the location of the 70 billion people of Earth. This is one of the darkest dance albums ever released, and one of the best. Essential.

A+

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The Crackdown (1983)
'The Crackdown' takes the dance inspired beats of '2X45' even further and cuts down on some of the Cab's distinctive atmosphere. Still, there's no mistaking this for any other band with catchy mutant disco jams like 'Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself).' Some of the band's catchiest tracks are on here, and it still manages to maintain that balance between menace and fun they perfected on their previous album. Strangely, it also has one of their most haunting atmosphere tracks, 'Double Vision,' randomly thrown in towards the end. Anyone who's into industrial dance music should pick this up, as it's one of the most influential predecessors to bands like Front 242.

B

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Micro-Phonies (1984)
This album is considered the end of Cabaret Voltaire's classic period, and it's obvious why. I haven't really heard much of anything after this, but it seems pretty clear where the band was heading. There's still a few stand out classic tracks, including probably their absolute best dance single, 'Sensoria,' and that alone makes this worth owning. Still, by and large, this albums lacks much of the innovation found in abundance on previous albums. It's an enjoyable enough listen in a few spots, but definitely the least essential album recorded thusfar.
C

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8 Crepuscule Tracks EP (1988)
An expansion of an earlier EP, these eight songs are mostly middle of the road rhythm experiments. It includes the three parts of 'Sluggin' For Jesus,' which throws some typical Cab sound effects over samples of preachers. Also contained is an inferior remix of 'Yashar,' and a cover of the 'Shaft' theme. None of this stuff is required listening, but it makes for an interesting enough curiosity.
C

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Living Legends (1990)
A compilation of early singles and EPs, this collection contains some of Cabaret Voltaire's definitive tracks. 'Do The Mussolini (Headkick)' and 'Nag Nag Nag' are all time classics, and the cover of the Velvet Underground's 'Here She Comes Now' improves upon the original, adding all kinds of bad vibes. Half the album plays out like a greatest hits package for a best selling pop group in the sixth dimension. The other half is full of instrumental grooves and experiments in ambience. The end is heavily loaded with the weakest examples of the latter and make it kind of a drag to listen to all the way through, but there's enough high quality material on here to make this a really good starting point.

B+

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1974-1976 (1980)
Yet another compilation of early material, this focuses on early unreleased experiments. There are only vague seeds of what the band would become only a couple of years later, but it doesn't quite sound like Cabaret Voltaire or anyone else much either. The closest point of comparison would be something like Black Dice for the mid-70s. Forward thinking, original material for sure, but it doesn't really hold up to repeat listenings. Similar to this (which I'm not covering since I haven't heard it for a couple of years) is the 3-disc 'Methodology' compilation of early sound snippets and experiments. These releases are really only for the dedicated fan who want to trace this unique band's evolution.

D+

[bmack86]

I'll take a little gander at my P-Funk collection to see what I have. I should be able to do that, but the essentials (Consider this the trailer with all the best parts but no info as to how we got there):
Parliament
Chocolate City
Mothership Connection
Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome

Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Maggot Brain
One Nation Under A Groove
PFunk Live Earth Tour

If you only got one thing from the PFunk Collective, the Earth Tour recording should be it. It's a great document of a great live act.

[sbessiso]

Patrick, you could do the stuff before mellow gold. stereopathetic soulmanure, one foot in the grave and golden leftovers. I'm in no position to critique those.

[bmack86]

What about Stray Blues, A Western Field By Moonlight and some of the other tapes? Gotta cover the early tapes. They're so wild

[sbessiso]

Trust me, nothing would make me happier than to get my hands on all the early-Beck, I just don't know where to get it. I suck at life!

[SoulDischarge]

Actually, I should do Beck up to Odelay, since you consider it yr least favorite, and I see it for the masterstroke it really is. You can get Mutations on. We'll tag-team Beck.

As for the P-Funk stuff, I have most of the albums on my hard drive and listen to 2 Parliament and 2 Funkadelic records semi-regularly, but their discography is so deep I'm just not sure where to go from here and want to know which are the overlooked classics I might otherwise overlook.

[SoulDischarge]

Trust me, nothing would make me happier than to get my hands on all the early-Beck, I just don't know where to get it. I suck at life!

I've got it all on mp3 if you need the hook up.

[sbessiso]

:pulse.....I will hit you up on that soon enough (i need to stop posting though, I HAVE to get my numbers down)

and just because Odelay! is my least favorite doesn't mean I hate it. Some of my favorite Beck songs are on that album. But ONE of them has gotta be a least-favorite, right?

[bmack86]

You like Stereopathic Soul manure better? Satan Gave Me A Taco is a winner, but it's not a very good album. Pink Noise is fun once.

[sbessiso]

I don't count stereopathetic soulmanure, and I'm not super familiar with his other stuff except for random songs here and there. I told you, I suck at life!

which is why souldischarge will do all that Beck, and I'll take over at some point

[bmack86]

Does Guerolito count into that? It's only decent.

[jigsaw]

Sonic Youth

Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star-Mediocre. After one of the best streaks of albums in recorded history, they sound like they're out of ideas. The songs mostly fall flat, and none of them reach the brilliance of the past albums. Grade: D


This is one of my favorite Sonic Youth albums of all time. I agree for the most part on your reviews of the other albums but I would argue that Jet Set is the album to start with if you are unfamiliar with Sonic Youth. I would say that if you cannot get into this album there is no need to explore further into their discography. This album was life changing, for me. Maybe it was the time period (I was 15 when this album came out and Sonic Youth was the first band that I really claimed as mine). But I would like to think it is because the album is just so great. I know this album doesn’t really let the jams run free but it fuckin' rips. There is not one song I'd skip.


and it's not what you thought it was about...
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i can do the violent femmes, sublime and slightly stoopid (i should have peeked in this thread befor this years Coachella).

[bmack86]

Violent femmes would be appreciated.

[jigsaw]

The Violent Femmes

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Self-titled – Never before has a band burst upon the scene with such an explosive album. This is the best debut album, by any band, in the history of music…Listen up kids! I am sure you have heard the more popular tracks off the album like “Blister In the Sun”, “Kiss Off”, “Add It Up”, and the more recently popularized “Gone Daddy Gone” by none other than Gnarls Barkley. But this album has a lot more to offer than just the “hits”. From the dark and mysterious track entitled “Confessions” to the hard-hitting song “Promise” The Violent Femmes proved that you couldn’t fuck with them. This is an album that you can listen to straight through, over and over, and it belongs in any true music lovers’ collection. Grade: A+ (Yes, we give pluses on A’s in my motherfuckin school).

Hallow Ground -

This has to be one of my favorite VF songs. But there really are so many good songs to chose from.
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>>>> I'll review the other albums too but, it's gonna take some time. Writing is my weakness.



***I don’t write or read reviews; this is my first so please have mercy. : )

[bballarl]

I will do Oasis sometime.

[bmack86]

Jigsaw, we appreciate the effort, but at least five album reviews for the band. I wanna know in depth about the Femmes. Take time, but I'd like to see what you really have to say about their albums.

[SoulDischarge]

I retract my P-Funk request and instead offer a John Zorn request. I've always been curious, but his whole catalog has seemed utterly impenetrable.

I may or may not get around to Beck over the next few days. If Salah just wants to post whatever he feels like doing and I'll just do my own, overlap be damned, that'll work.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Parachutes gets a C+? Come on man, that's their best record, although Viva La Vida is pretty excellent as well.

[TomAz]

Violent femmes would be appreciated.

the first and third albums are good.

[TomAz]

also I may do Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros even though they only had 3 albums.

[bmack86]

I agree with that. Those are the two I kept when I gave away the CDs I didn't like in High School.

[TomAz]

I agree with that. Those are the two I kept when I gave away the CDs I didn't like in High School.

I actually like The Blind Leading the Naked better than the first album. I may be the only person like that. but "Special" and "I Held Her In My Arms" and the "Children of the Revolution" cover are so damned good.

[roberto73]

"I Held Her in My Arms" is probably my favorite Femmes song.

I may get around to doing Echo & The Bunnymen on here. And I promised John I'd do Marillion months ago.

[rage patton]

also I may do Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros even though they only had 3 albums.

Streetcore is the only album of theirs I have heard, and everytime I listen to it, it blows me away. I would love to hear how the other two are.

By the way, I plan on getting to Madness one day. It just may take a while.

[TomAz]

Streetcore is the only album of theirs I have heard, and everytime I listen to it, it blows me away. I would love to hear how the other two are.


I think the other two are better. go pirate "Yalla Yalla" from somewhere, off Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. And "Bhindi Bhagee" off Global a Go-Go.






edit: I have a Mescaleros mix I'll try to remember to post sometime.

[Down Rodeo]

Someone should do Frank Zappa.

[bmack86]

That one would be damn near impossible.

[Down Rodeo]

I know, but I at least want to know which Zappa albums are worth getting.

[SoulDischarge]

I know, but I at least want to know which Zappa albums are worth getting.

Start with 'Freak Out' and work yr way up chronologically until you stop caring.

[jigsaw]

Rage Against The Machines debut album is pretty untouchable.

[hawkingvsreeve]

CALEXICO



Albums:


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Spoke

Released: 1997

While Spoke evokes that sort of Americana sound that Calexico is known for, the album as a whole is just a bit slow and doesn't have any of the horns or strings that make the later releases stand out from other acts in this genre, of which there aren't many. Spoke does have a couple of cool tracks and provides a nice framework for the band that Calexico will eventually become, but sort of feels like a glorified demo, so it isn't highly recommended as a starting place.

6/10



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The Black Light

Released: 1998

From the moment this album starts you can tell that Calexico has grown significantly in terms of sound and scope over the course of a couple years. Even though this release is fairly early in the catalogue, it remains one of my favorites. The songs are great, and really nail that sort of ghost town Americana / Mariachi feel that is prevalent on most of Calexico's releases. Because of that, I think it's a good place to start if you aren't familiar with the band or their work outside of the split EP with Iron and Wine or 2006's Garden Ruin, which was sort of a departure from their older work. Highlights on this album include Stray, Gypsy's Curse and Frontera. One complaint I do have with this record is that there are a lot of instrumentals, and while most are cool, that might deter some who want more lyric based content. If you are a music person, start with this one. If you are a lyrics person, start with Feast Of Wire.

7/10



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Hot Rail:

Released: 2000

Hot Rail is a good starting place too actually, and is a nice bridge between The Black Light and Feast of Wire. Actually as I look at the track list, I might like this one better than The Black Light, but really, all of the releases are excellent unless stated otherwise. Specific track recommendations here are Crystal Frontier, which remains one of their best songs, The Battle Of Cable Hogue, Sonic Wind and Tres Avisos. Like The Black Light, this album has more instrumental songs than lyric based songs, so if that is your thing move ahead to the next album.

7/10



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Feast Of Wire

Released: 2003

While not as dark as the earlier releases musically, Feast Of Wire probably best represents Calexico's sound, even though some of the tracks on here are straight up Mariachi music and heavily Latin influenced, which I think is cool, but others might find it off putting if they aren't into that kind of music or don't hear it often. Living in southern California affords me the privilege of hearing it a lot of places so I think I might be more receptive to it. Whatever the case may be, you can't go wrong with starting with this album, or at least checking out songs like Quattro (World Drifts In), Across The Wire and Black Heart. While there are still a good number of instrumentals like with previous releases, this album feels a lot more focused and is more concise, and even though it still spans 16 tracks, it feels a lot more tightened up than the earlier records.

9/10



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Garden Ruin

Released: 2006

A bit different. Not in a bad way, although a lot of long time fans felt that way, Garden Ruin strays a bit from the Calexico paradigm, forgoing any instrumental tracks and putting forth a record that feels more like an alt-country-indie venture rather than their usual spooky desert soundscape. The songs are kept tight and structured, and the Mariachi sound isn't featured as heavily as on other releases, if at all. When I first listened, that was what I noticed first. I really missed the trumpets, strings and classical guitar stylings, but grew to really enjoy the album with repeated listens. The closest they get to their old sound is on Roka (Danza de la Muerte), which is my favorite track on the record, surprise surprise. There are other great songs here as well though. Album opener Cruel is a crisp mid tempo alt-rocker, and when the trumpets kick in you stop wondering what happened to the old Calexico sound, as the new one is just as satisfying. Equally as good, if not better is the album's closing track, All Systems Red; a slow builder that spans 6 minutes and explodes in a wall of sound that I didn't know Calexico was capable of. Even though this album sort of came out of left field, I'd say it's on par with their best work.

8/10



http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/images/4845.jpg
Carried To Dust

Released: 2008

This is the marriage of the old and new Calexico, and it works very well. Instrumental tracks are back and serve as nice interludes, even if there are only two of them. The rest of the record moves along nicely, retaining the focus and immediacy of Garden Ruin but with the expanded track listings of older albums. Carried To Dust also features a number of guest vocalists (Sam Beam from Iron and Wine being one of them) which offers a nice change of sonic scenery and keeps the record fresh. Highlights on this album include the opening track Victor Jara's Hands, Fractured Air (Tornado Watch) and House Of Valparaiso. While this isn't a complete return to form, it feels more familiar than Garden Ruin and should please long time fans of the band.

8.5/10




EPs:


http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/descamino.jpg
Descamino

Released: 2000

Haven't heard it or seen it. May be out of print.

N/A



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/emstft1.jpg
Even My Sure Things Fall Through

Released: 2001

An excellent addition to your Calexico collection, in addition to a few unmentioned tracks, this EP features a really good instrumental version of Sonic Wind, a couple different versions of Crystal Frontier and one of my favorite songs from the group, Crooked Road and The Briar.

8/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/convictpool.jpg
Convict Pool

Released: 2004

This is worth owning just for the cover of Alone Again Or, but the rest of the EP is very solid. Si Tu Disais, Corona and Sirena are other highlights here. A must have if you are a fan.

9/10



http://www.casadecalexico.com/calexico-bh-f.jpg
Black Heart

Released: 2004

This is a collection of remixes of songs from Feast Of Wire. Let's just say that the songs are best left to Calexico to hash out. The remix of Pepita is kind of cool though.

3/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/reins.jpg
In The Reins (Featuring Iron and Wine)

Released: 2005

Holy crap. Excellent. Sam Beam's voice matches this music beautifully. If you are an alt-country fan you should own this, and if you don't you have some 'splainin to do.

9/10




Tour Albums:


http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/roadmap.gif
Road Map

Released: 1999

A couple of cool tracks, all instrumental. Nothing really engaging though.

6/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/travelall.jpg
Travelall

Released: 2000

This one is kind of all over the place. All instrumental, and just sort of weird. Not for me.

4/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/aero.jpg
Aerocalexico

Released: 2001

Mostly instrumental, with a lot of tracks being less than a minute. It's more of a CD of ideas that never became songs. Passable.

5/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/scraping.jpg
Scraping

Released: 2002

This is a tour album of live recordings and while recording fidelity is slightly sub par at times, it's cool to hear the songs in a live setting. The list of songs is great though, so this one is worth checking out. Especially the version of Stray.

8/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/canalcover_sm.jpg
The Book And The Canal

Released: 2005

I had this one on my old computer and remember liking it more than Aerocalexico and the others, but I can't give it a true or fair rating because I don't remember exactly and haven't heard it in a while. If I had to guess it would probably be somewhere around 6 or 7.

6.5?/10



http://casadecalexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/toolbox.jpg
Tool Box

Released: 2007

This one is all instrumental, but the songs are pretty cool and are a bit more focused and restrained compared to other tour albums. I would say this one is worth having if you like the more mellow music aspect of Calexico.

7/10




Whew.

[Courtney]

Page 1
#1 - Radiohead - swdshfsk - intro (also see Page 35, Post #1041)
#3 - David Bowie - Courtney - intro
#4 - Boredoms - bmack86 - full
#5 - Can - bmack86 - intro (also see Page 21, Post #619)
#6 - Spiritualized - bmack86 - intro (also see Page 14, Post #419)
#9 - Elvis Costello - TomAz - intro (also see Page 29, Post #868)
#10 - the Wedding Present - roberto73 - intro
#12 - Tom waits - Slushmier - extended intro
#13 - Mogwai - swdshfsk - extended intro
#14 - Hanson - tessa|asset - extended intro
#15 - Guided by Voices - mountmccabe - intro
#23 - the Velvet Underground - PsyGuyRy - extended intro
#24 - Luna - york707 - intro with discog listed
#25 - Jonathan Richman - breakjaw - full

Page 2
#32 - The Dismemberment Plan - Tylerdurden31 - full
#33 - Bob Dylan - TomAz - extended intro (also see Page 30, Post #871)
#36 - Talking Heads - bballarl - full
#37 - Pink Floyd - PsyGuyRy - very extended intro
#45 - Pearl Jam - Slushmier - full
#51, 53 & 56 - Fugazi - PotVsKtI - ranked list of albums

Page 3
#65 - the Beatles - TomAZ - full

Page 4
#101 - the Kinks (early period) - bmack86 - extended intro
#109 - Beethoven's 7th Symphony - mountmccabe - full (selected, incomplete)
#117 - the Cure - bmack86 - full
#118 - the Dandy Warhols - Hannahrain - full

Page 5
#124 - the Jesus and Mary Chain - mountmccabe - full
#131 - Yo La Tengo - Courtney - full
#132 - the Roots - Slushmier - full
#138 - Sonic Youth - bmack86 - full
#141 - the Rolling Stones (US albums) - sydaud - full
#146 - the White Stripes - bballarl - full

Page 6
#173 - Faith No More - thinnerair - full
#175 - Failure - thinnerair - full
#176 - Magazine - breakjaw - full

Page 7
#196 - Creed - bmack86 - full
#200 - Metallica - bmack86 - full
#202 - the Who - sydaud - full
#217 - Massive Attack - Thinnerair - Full
#219 - Elf Power - Bmack86 - Full
#225 - Genesis - Thinnerair - Intro
#232 - Bikini Kill - Mountmccabe - Full
#238 - Muse - Thinnerair -

Page 9
#241 - Big Black - Bmack86 - Full
#249 - The Arab Strap - Hannahrain - Intro
#253 - The Clash - TomAz - Full
#267 - Nick Cave - roberto73 - Full

Page 10
#299 - Jeff Buckley - PassiveTheory - Full

Page 12
#334 - Jawbox - Tylerdurden31 - Full
#338 - Hum - thinnerair - Full
#344 - REM - sydaud - Full

Page 13
#375 - Depeche Mode - Amyzzz - Extended Intro

Page 14
#395 - The Replacements - TomAz - Full
#402 - Spinal Tap - Breakjaw - Full
#405 - Cheech and Chong - Anita Bonghit - Discography
#416 - Pixies - Bmack86 - Full
#419 - Spiritualized - Bmack86 - Full

Page 15
#425 - Rush - MonsoonSeason - intro
#427 - The Orb - Desphrs - full
#446 - Miles Davis - sydaud - full

Page 16
#455 - Boards of Canada - desphrs - full
#463 - Blur - Slushmier - full
#474 - Serge Gainsbourg - bmack86 - intro
#477 - Beat Happening - bmack86 - full
#479 - Circle Jerks - york707 - full

Page 17
#504 - Joe Jackson - MsTekno - extended intro
#505 - Oasis - Stefinitely Maybe - full

Page 18
#518 - The Magnetic Fields - mountmccabe - full

Page 19
#562 - Wilco - mountmccabe, york707, and TomAz (compiled by Hannahrain) - full

Page 20
#573 - Spoon - sydaud - full
#580 - Decemberists - Hannahrain - full
#600 - Led Zeppelin - sydaud - full

Page 21
#616 - Minutemen - sydaud - full
#619 - Can - bmack86 - full (selected, incomplete)
#625 - PJ Harvey - bballarl - full

Page 22
#635 - Bjork - bmack86 - full
#649 - Cake - PassiveTheory - full
#650 - The Faint - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 23
#672 - Death Cab For Cutie - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 24
#720 - Leonard Cohen - mountmccabe - incomplete

Page 25
#735 - Bruce Springsteen - Yablonowitz - first installment
#738 - Arto Lindsay - ragingdave - Solo work only

Page 26
#757-755 TomAz vs Yablonowitz RE: Springsteen review.
#769 - XTC - Roberto73 - partial (to be continued)

Page 27
#798 - Cursive - Hawkingvsreeve - full
#800 - XTC (II) - Roberto73 - Continuation
#801 - Joy Division/New Order - sydaud - full
#806 - Springsteen - Yablonowitz - quick overview

Page 28
#812 - Springsteen (different) - TomAz - full
#820 - Elliott Smith - mountmccabe - full
#837 - Ben Folds - Jenniehoo - full (with mix!)

Page 29
#842/847 XTC - roberto73 (w/mixes!)
#865 Replacements mix - TomAz
#868 Elvis Costello mix -TomAz

Page 30
#871 Bob Dylan mixes - TomAz
#881 Animal Collective - BMack86 - complete
#884 The Go-Betweens - Roberto73 - complete (w/mix!)
#887 Tool - Passive Theory - complete

Page 31
#909 Johnny Cash - Sydaud - incomplete (1957-59)

Page 32
#945 John Lennon - breakjaw - full (w/mix)
#959 Lucinda Williams - TomAz - full (w/mix)

Page 33
#976 Pavement - bmack - full
#984 Pavement mix - breakjaw
#988 Underworld - bballarl - intro

Page 34
#995 The Appleseed Cast - comiddle - full
#996 (summary of rock canon) - C DUB YA

Page 35
#1024 The Smiths (w/mix here) - Passive Theory
#1029 The Black Keys (w/mix) - Hannahrain
#1041 Radiohead (redux) - Radiohead727
#1043 Midnight Oil (w/2mixes!) - Roberto73
#1049 Eels (w/mix) - Roberto73

Page 36
#1054 Eels (w/mix) -Roberto73
#1060 Brian Eno -Breakjaw - Mix/w Descriptions
#1061 Roxy Music -Breakjaw - Album Art
#1073 Prodigy - Betao - Complete

Page 37
#1082 Modest Mouse - Mountmccabe - Complete
#1107 Stephen Malkmus/Jicks - Bmack86 - Complete

Page 38
#1122 The Chemical Brothers - Betao - Complete
#1135 Elbow -Stefinitely Maybe - Complete

Page 39
#1146 Love and Rockets - Roberto73 - Complete
#1158 Megadeth - Cheddar's Cousin - (Almost) Complete

Page 40
#1179 Super Furry Animals - Clecirclecir@Juno.com - Ranked List
#1184 311 - Apachedine - Ranked List

Page 41
#1220 Smashing Pumpkins - Hawkingvsreeve - Complete

Page 42
#1242 Amon Tobin - Denies the Day - Overview
#1248 Butthole Surfers - SoulDischarge - Complete

Page 43
#1271 Pixies - NicoDread - extended intro (also see Page 14, post #416)
#1281 Boris - bmack86 - complete

Page 44
#1296 Kraftwerk - bmack86 - complete
#1302 Coldplay - PassiveTheory - incomplete
#1308 Cabaret Voltaire - SoulDischarge - selected, incomplete

Page 45
#1321 Violent Femmes - jigsaw - intro
#1338 Calexico - hawkingvsreeve - complete

[hawkingvsreeve]

The Cardigans



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/CardigansEmmerdale.jpg
Emmerdale

Released: 1994

The first few releases from the Cardigans are pretty sonically consistent, and I liken it to lemonade for your ears. It's light and refreshing, non threatening, and generally fairly accessible. Keeping that in mind, the music remains fairly smart, which is something that really draws me to the band, although more so with their later releases. I really only enjoy the early stuff in smaller doses. Emmerdale has a sparkly 60s female fronted pop sensibility to it which is fun and nice, but the album does have some misses here and there, and is coming from a band who is still developing their sound, although it changes radically a few albums later. I would say to pick it up if you are a big fan or a completist.

5.5/10



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/The_Cardigans-_Life.jpg
Life

Released: 1995

Taking the best songs from Emmerdale and re-releasing them on their second full length, Life continues and expands on the the clean retro pop sound of the first record. It does suffer from some weak tracks like the first release, and I feel this is due to having too many tracks on the record. I think more subjective self-editing would have helped them a great deal with this release. Highlights here are Carnival (which you may know, it was a single), Rise and Shine, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Our Space, which were all on Emmerdale with the exception of Carnival.

6/10



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/FirstBandOnTheMoon.jpg
First Band On The Moon

Released: 1996

Love me, love me, say that you love me. First Band On The Moon sort of completes the trilogy that is the airy pop sound that The Cardigans hammered out, and sort of steers them towards more of a rock (still polished though) sound. Lyrical content is a bit darker here, however. Lovefool was a huge hit for the band, and anyone listening to top 40 radio at the time can recall how saturated the airwaves became with the song. Sadly it's the only thing that most people remember about The Cardigans, as they haven't enjoyed the same amount of commercial success as during this time period. Production is better than the earlier releases, and only slightly helps bridge the gap to the second half of the discography.

7.5/10



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/CardigansGranTurismo.jpg
Gran Turismo

Released: 1998

To put it simply, this sounds like a completely different band. Turning the Lovefool sound completely upside down, Gran Turismo is a much darker album sonically and lyrically when compared to the first three releases, which fans didn't seem to welcome, but as I said, I much prefer this disc and the ones after. Erase / Rewind is pretty much a perfect pop song, My Favorite Game was a big single from this record, and other tracks like Starter and Hanging Around really cement the musical growth of the band. Gran Turismo is sort of in a world of it's own when compared to the rest of the albums though, musically. The first three are similar, as are the last two (to each other that is) while Gran Turismo sounds like they are figuring things out while transitioning. While it isn't my favorite album from them, I'd love to hear them make another one that sounds like it now that things feel more grounded.

8/10



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/CardigansLongGoneBeforeDaylight.jpg
Long Gone Before Daylight

Released: 2004

Sort of going the way of a more alt kind of sound, LGBD is a bit more mellow and incredibly more mature. The album has a good number of slower songs, but I really enjoy the whole thing save for one track. Ok, maybe one and a half, but still. This is just really really solid pop rock that is accessible while remaining interesting and incredibly smart. I really feel that this band is extremely underrated and don't get as much attention as they deserve. It might just be me, I don't know. Maybe everyone else thinks it's shit, but when I find other fans we tend to nerd out over how good they are and how nobody seems to notice or care. Whatever, I blame Lovefool. Anyway. Give this album a spin, and specifically keep an ear out for A Good Horse (my favorite track by the band), For What It's Worth and For The Boys. Again, this one is sort of a slow burner so it requires a little patience, but like I said, I enjoy this thing cover to cover so I recommend the whole thing.

9/10



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/The_Cardigans_Super_Extra_Gravity.jpg
Super Extra Gravity

Released: 2005

Again, great solid pop rock that didn't chart here at all in the states, their most recent release sort of builds on the LGBD sound with more uptempo songs. The production is pretty cool as well, and gives the album a more rock feel to it rather than the more somber sounds of the previous release. I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer was the single from the album, and other good tracks include Godspell, Drip Drop Teardrop and Good Morning Joan. The Cardigans had a best of album come out earlier this year and it does a good job of highlighting some of their best work, but I think it's missing a few key tracks, so I would stick with the albums if you are at all interested in listening to them.

8.5/10

[roberto73]

Nice work on both counts, Brandon. I'm in pretty much total agreement with you, especially the brilliance of Long Gone Before Daylight.

This inspires me to get off my arse and start putting together the ones I keep meaning to do.

[miscorrections]

Thanks Brandon! I appreciate the Calexico one, even if I personally hate Garden Ruin.

[bmack86]

Brandon, you kick ass.

[wmgaretjax]

I'm working on Autechre and Merzbow.

[PassiveTheory]

Parachutes gets a C+? Come on man, that's their best record, although Viva La Vida is pretty excellent as well.

Fuck, I still have to finish this...

[ivankay]

Good Cardigans Brandon, but i would give "Life" a couple of more points.

[bmack86]

I'm working on Autechre and Merzbow.

Merzbox!

[SoulDischarge]

I'm working on Autechre and Merzbow.

LOL?

Actually, I'd be interested in seeing both covered.

[TomAz]

Brandon -- that Calexico list is very well done and very welcome. I have a few of their albums and love them live but still have significant gaps. I love the "Convict Pool" EP though.. I think it's fucking brilliant. "The Black Light", not so much. I'm gonna have to get "Feast of Wire" I think.

[TomAz]

As promised somewhere up there

http://www.moonstruckrecords.com/img/artist/joe_strummer_full.jpg (http://www.bigupload.com/files/72ALJWFUQO/Mescalero_Mix.zip.html)

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

1. Coma Girl
2. Johnny Appleseed
3. Tony Adams
4. Cool n Out
5. Techno D-Day
6. Global a Go-Go
7. Yalla Yalla
8. All in a Day
9. Bhindee Bhagee
10. Redemption Song

[Sushov23]

I'm going to do Jay-Z's if everyone is ok with this.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I updated The Faint. (http://coachella.com/forum/showpost.php?p=193247&postcount=650)

[fatbastard]

Page 1
#1 - Radiohead - swdshfsk - intro (also see Page 35, Post #1041)
#3 - David Bowie - Courtney - intro
#4 - Boredoms - bmack86 - full...


I never realized this thread has so much information.

[TomAz]

As promised somewhere up there

http://www.moonstruckrecords.com/img/artist/joe_strummer_full.jpg (http://www.bigupload.com/files/72ALJWFUQO/Mescalero_Mix.zip.html)

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

1. Coma Girl
2. Johnny Appleseed
3. Tony Adams
4. Cool n Out
5. Techno D-Day
6. Global a Go-Go
7. Yalla Yalla
8. All in a Day
9. Bhindee Bhagee
10. Redemption Song

now no one's gonna see this

[wmgaretjax]

Merzbox!

I will include everything in Merzbox.... I have 60 entries done so far. I'm not fucking around with this. It's going to be concise, but complete.

[bmack86]

I got Merzbox when What.CD had a freeleech, but I still don't know where to start with it.

[PassiveTheory]

I just finished Coldplay.

[Stefinitely Maybe]

I will do Oasis sometime.

I already did them, on page 17 of this thread. But feel free to add your two cents.

[indietron]

I just finished Coldplay.

To be honest i did not like the reiview at all. You and i have completely opposite opinions as to their work. IMO Parachutes is their best, and they have slowly degressed as they have continued.
And you definitely compared them to radiohead wayyy to much. They can maybe be compared to Pablo Honey. I understand the U2 comparison though.
However this is all just opinion, so thats that.

[PassiveTheory]

GET OUT OF MAH HOUSE THEN.

Just kidding, it's nice to get feedback, whether positive or negative. Plus, I like to argue. =D

[SoulDischarge]

Fad Gadget
Another great post-punk era electronic act no one cares about, Frank Tovey made some damned respectable synth pop that still holds up today (better than Duran Duran or post-Martyn Ware/Ian Marsh Human League for sure).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uB-0D-gV8mY/Ry0lp8NJuMI/AAAAAAAAFGs/hB7fKtDnU_w/s400/fad+gadget
Fireside Favorites (1980)
The first and best full length Fad Gadget album, 'Fireside Favorites' is full of great raw, sinister synth-pop songs. There's not a weak track on here and it works well as a whole, flowing piece. Early Fad Gadget was a lot more hard edged and socially conscious than most of the New Romantic type synth-pop of the time, which is probably why he didn't top the charts and why it still sounds relevant today. The album is full of dread and paranoia; it's brightest piece is the title track, an ironic take on big band with lyrics about being roasted alive in a nuclear fallout. 'Newreel' chugs along like a Kraftwerk outtake discarded for being too inhuman. 'Insecticide' wins out for creepiest track, with Frank Tovey's distorted vocals screams about smashing his face on the windowpane over an insistent industrial beat. It all ends relatively pleasantly with 'Arch Of The Aorta,' an instrumental work out with some samples thrown on top. Essential.

A+

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uB-0D-gV8mY/RzUyv28BQiI/AAAAAAAAFO8/CAP1NRFzhdE/s400/fad+gadget
Incontinent (1981)
Tovey took a less abrasive approach for his second album, and while it doesn't hit as hard, it's a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The first thing that stands out is an increase in instrumental tracks (three out of the nine). Luckily, these make for the some of the more interesting tracks on the album. There a couple of great slightly off-center pop songs and one or two enjoyable enough throwaways. 'Saturday Night Special' is the obvious highlight, a biting commentary on macho family politics that sounds simultaneously refined and unsettling. Recommended.

B+

http://blog.funkygog.de/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/fad-gadget-under-the-flag-cover-front.jpg
Under The Flag (1982)
It's here where Tovey starts to integrate the sound of the mainstream and loses some of his freshness and songwriting prowess. There's a couple of great songs, but there's just as many half hearted ones. Most of the best songs can be found on the 'Best Of,' making this album kind of irrelevant. The one essential track that isn't featured on the compilation is 'Scapegoat,' one of the catchiest songs in his catalog. 'Plainsong' is also kind of interesting.

C

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/000/282/0000028287_350.jpg
Gag (1984)
There's very little to recommend this album. It's over produced and under written, and like 'Under The Flag,' the important songs are on the 'Best Of.' Besides the those two tracks, the great 'Collapsing New People' and the fairly fun 'One Man's Meat,' it all pretty much sounds like generic mainstream New Wave imitations. 'Gag' is better off forgotten.

D

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Uwq2Mgsfu4s/RkTzrpX9JcI/AAAAAAAAAjI/zvMZifX6nJk/s400/best%2Bof%2Bfad%2Bgadget.jpg
Best Of (2001)
A best of that's not just good, but essential. The first disc is singles and hand-picked album tracks, including pretty much all of his signature tracks, while the second disc is comprised of remixes, which I never really listen to. It's easy to track Tovey's progression here while not wallowing in weak material in the second half, although the best tracks are definitely front loaded. 'Back To Nature,' 'Ricky's Hand,' 'Lady Shave,' and 'Collapsing New People,' are all great, unnerving electronic pop songs and are required listening for anyone interested in following the history of electronic music being integrated into the pop landscape. This compilation really makes the case for Fad Gadget being an over looked innovator. It's probably the only disc that's widely available too, so start here and if you like what you hear, get ahold of the first two albums too.

A+


Also, I may or may not make an attempt at Coil at some point.

[indietron]

GET OUT OF MAH HOUSE THEN.

Just kidding, it's nice to get feedback, whether positive or negative. Plus, I like to argue. =D

hahaha i dont wanna argue im just giving my two cents... and by the way everythings not lost has got to be their best song. I dont understand how you like DAAHF but not ENL... they seem so similar to me. Maybe because they are both excelent ways to end an album...

[Stefinitely Maybe]

IMO Parachutes is their best, and they have slowly degressed as they have continued.
And you definitely compared them to radiohead wayyy to much. They can maybe be compared to Pablo Honey. I understand the U2 comparison though.

I agree.

[TomAz]

Take a blank CD and a Sharpie.

With the Sharpie, write on the label part of the blank CD, "Best Of Coldplay"

you have just completed your collection.

[roberto73]

Tom, what do you think about Joe Strummer's Earthquake Weather? I listened to it this morning for the first time a while and, while I don't like it as much as his stuff with The Mescaleros, it's better than I remember.

[TomAz]

I haven't listened to it at all in a long long time. I have it around somewhere though. My recollection is it's not very good.


though if there was an award for "Best Album Cover For A Bad Record", it might win.

[SoulDischarge]

This is incomplete but I'm downloading what I don't have and will eventually getting around to filling any gaps. But for now I'm exhausted.

Coil
Coil is a band most members of the board probably don't know much about and really should. Although they're usually classified as 'industrial,' that label doesn't really do them justice as they were far more wide reaching than that. Only their earliest works really contain references to the industrial music of the times, but they quickly moved forward, adapting to new advances in music while always retaining a unique sense of self. Fitting for a band who often dwelt on the necessity of death, change, and rebirth, when an old style was dropped, there was hardly time to miss it because the one that replaced it was so enthralling. Coil has influenced modern industrial to IDM to psychedelic to ambient music to apocalyptic folk to glitch, often offering a classic in each genre. While writing this, I realized how unfamiliar I was with a lot of their discography. They were deceptively prolific up until the time of leader John Balance's accidental death in 2004. While only releasing a handful of proper full length albums, their discography is littered with stray singles, compilations, side projects, EPs, soundtrack work, outtakes, demos, and various other miscellanea as substantial as their album work in both quantity and quality. There are four albums that I think are indispensable classics that anyone interested in dark ambient, electronic, or psychedelic music should own: 'Scatology,' 'Horse Rotorvator,' 'Love's Secret Domain,' and 'Musick To Play In The Dark, Vol. 1.' Coil made a lot of experimental, abrasive, and esoteric music that was relatively accessible and listenable, even to people who aren't primarily interested in that kind of thing. They've always had a fascination with the mystical and otherworldly that was crucial to their sound, yet wasn't overly intrusive. You could choose find extra meaning in their work or ignore their more obscure obsessions depending on your disposition. One last note: a lot of this material is hopelessly out of print in the US. Purchasing imports of just what's covered here through Amazon could conceivably cost somewhere close to a grand, so you might be better off checking out digital copies of these albums if you have any interest. The band has an official store online at http://thresholdhouse.greedbag.com/ with all their albums on cd, mp3, and aac formats.

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Scatology (1984)
And thus, Coil were officially born out a collaboration between John Balance and Peter Christopherson (previously of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV). The band's debut album is fully formed and self assured, a mix of industrial noise, apocalyptic folk, and dark synth pop. It's all pretty abrasive, doom-laden stuff, but it's actually fairly accessible in comparison to more outright noise assaults like Throbbing Gristle and Einsturzende Neubauten. Ancient themes coalesce with then modern techniques, making it sound a bit like psychedelic techno pop for medieval torture aficionados. Still, there's enough pounding and atonality to place this firmly in the realm of industrial music. The tracks are varied and compelling, swinging from clanging instrumentals to hypnotic pop influenced songs. A slowed down, haunting version of 'Tainted Love' built up from bell chimes caps the album off nicely.

A+

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Transparent (1984)
The first of many, many compilations, this is a collection of early live and studio pieces. Naturally, it's a bit more primitive and noise based than their later albums proper. A lot sounds similar to what Peter Christopherson's earlier band, Throbbing Gristle, was doing. There's not much to say about this. It's harsh, raw, undeveloped industrial that really only hints at what the band would become, and it's pretty decent for that. It just doesn't really stay in the memory after it's done playing. Definitely one for the hardcore fan or noise fanatics.

C

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Horse Rotorvator (1986)
Coil's second full length is a meditation on death supposedly inspired by the AIDS related deaths of several of their friends. The title is an allusion to a device made out of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse that could raze the earth culled from a dream by Coil main man John Balance, so you pretty much know what you're getting yourself into when you throw this on. Despite that, the album doesn't wallow in angsty nihilism for its own sake that so much industrial music suffers from (I'm looking at you, Trent Reznor). Instead it comes at death from a variety of different angles in an effort to cope with the inevitability of our own fate. There's also a fair amount of allusions to graphic gay sex for good measure. 'Horse Rotorvator' features probably the highest number of great songs-in-the-traditional-sense songs of any Coil album, so it would probably be a good starting point for the uninitiated. One of songs is a fantastic cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Who By Fire' with back up vocals by Soft Cell's Marc Almond, a frequent collaborator. Like most Coil albums, there's a lot of guest appearances from members of the experimental industrial community, such as Foetus' J.G. Thirwell. The album holds together really well as a concept piece in addition to a collection of strong songs. After being established on the strengths of 'Scatology,' this album solidified the band as a force to be reckoned with. Their next proper album wouldn't come for another five years, and of course it constituted a huge leap forward from their 80's sound which found perfection here.

A+

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Gold Is The Metal (1987)
A collection of outtakes, this is a surprisingly solid set that you wouldn't necessarily know were discards if you didn't otherwise find out. The majority of it is instrumental mood pieces. Most of them are fully fleshed out without too many incomplete sketches. Over eighteen tracks you get a pretty good summation of the basics of Coil's 80's sound and methods. Bits and pieces from other Coil songs are integrated into different tracks occasionally; 'Red Slur' is almost a dub version of 'Slur' from 'Horse Rotorvator.' Since it is an outtakes, demos, etc type album, it loses a bit of priority over the more official albums, but it's a nice place to end up once you've digested the rest of their 80s output to get a fuller understanding of the band.

B-

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Unreleased Themes From Hellraiser (1987)
Story has it that Clive Barker commissioned Coil to score 'Hellraiser,' but it was rejected on the grounds that it was too scary. Or something like that. Anyway, it eventually got released as this, and it's a shame they didn't use the score, because it really is pretty creepy. Since half of Coil's releases sound like soundtracks to horror movies that don't exist anyway, it's pretty easy to appreciate this as a stand alone piece. It's all instrumental tracks heavy on atmosphere, and only adds up to about 17 minutes total, so it probably will only appeal to the devoted and curious, but it's still a good find.

C+

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Unnatural History (1990)
The first volume in Coil's odds and ends series, this is one of the more important compilations in the band's history. It showcases their experimental instrumental side, lending itself to an air of mysteriousness and mysticism. Their debut song, the nearly 17 minute ambient piece 'How To Destroy Angels' is included, sounding an awful lot like Nurse With Wound, so that alone makes this a necessary album for devoted fans. A lot of Coil's creepier horror soundtrack type material is here, making it a good overview of what they were about in the later part of the 80's. Not all of the tracks are strong, of course, but there's enough variety and memorable moods to make this the third best place to go for early Coil after the two proper albums.

B

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Love's Secret Domain (1991)
Coil's house album! Sort of. After spending the 80s wallowing in dark, foreboding industrial textures, Coil found acid house and incorporated it into their sound. The title can even be abbreviated as LSD! Of course, they weren't content to just copy the trend of the day, so they used house as a starting point to reach their own ends. This means retaining the dark tone of their previous work, only this time constructing it mostly out of electronic sources. In fact, this can be seen as one of the earliest IDM albums. It doesn't take much of a stretch to imagine 'The Snow' as the one of the best tracks on any number of the seemingly endless amount classic IDM albums released half a decade proceeding this. There's also traces of what would eventually become glitch, especially in opener 'Disco Hospital' and the two parts of 'Teenage Lightning.' Even though this is still a downbeat album, the beats lighten the mood considerably from previous releases. It's wall to wall greatness here. Every track pulses with inspiration, creating it's own distinctive, intriguing mood and still being really fun to listen to, eventually adding up to a cohesive whole that carries common threads throughout. No further proof of Coil's importance or innovation is needed. Everyone interested in psychedelic, cerebral dance music needs this album.

A+

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Stolen & Contaminated Songs (1992)
Finally, what everyone was hoping for: more outtakes and demos! Lucky for us, they're from the 'Love's Secret Domain' era, which constitutes their biggest step forward, so there's all kinds of demented psychedelic treasures to be had. It makes sense for these songs to be rejected from making an appearance on 'LSD.' While they are in the same vein, they don't entirely fit the mood of that album. The prevalent tone across these tracks is lighter and more upbeat than what made it on the album, by far the most uplifting Coil has ever sounded. It's all still very strange and fucked up and undercut with a thread of darkness; one of the most beautiful tracks on the album has a sample of an answering machine message left by a man describing his feelings after a friend's suicide. Paradoxically more experimental and more accessible than 'Love's Secret Domain,' this is an indispensable companion piece for a truly groundbreaking record. Get the damned thing already.

A

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The Angelic Conversation (1994)
What we have here is yet another score Coil was commissioned to write. The major differences this time is that the score was actually used, and instead of a horror movie, it's for a Derek Jarman film. Another unfortunate difference is that this one doesn't stand up very well on its own merits. I can't at all judge its merits as a soundtrack, not having seen the film, but as album to listen to, there's not much to it. Most of the tracks are anonymous, meandering, vaguely pleasant ambient instrumental pieces that sound like they would be at home in . . . . well, the background of a low-key art film. This isn't what Coil was made for. To make matters worse, narration by some anonymous, vaguely pleasant female voice pops up frequently (after reading up on the album, I found out it's Judi Dench reading Shakespeare sonnets supposedly written for his homosexual lover). It all sounds dull and unnecessarily esoteric, and not in the usual intriguing way the band usually pulls off. The only real change is the music is the introduction of field recordings of waves and birds. It's not in the least bit offensive or annoying (save the sonnets; normal speaking voices are always irritating mixed in with ambient music), but it's not at all involving either. Skip it.

D-

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Unnatural History II (1995)
Hey, look at that. Another compilation of random singles and rarities, this time from the first half of the 90s. It's shit like this that makes me glad I started appreciating music in the age of downloading. You know how much this shit is on Amazon? $28.45 at the cheapest. And that's a deal considering that this collects a lot of impossibly hard to find songs that are probably racking up hundreds a piece on eBay. And this is only one out of three volumes of a series of rare tracks of one band who has a whole fuck load of these types of compilations. And with Coil, you know it's going to be worthwhile listening too. So you can go fuck yourself and charge $28.45 a hit while doing it if you think you're going to make me feel guilty about downloading music, you miserable capitalist cocksucker. Anyway, if you like Coil, if you like random tracks, if you like the first Unnatural History disc, or if you just like good experimental/industrial/electronic/psychedelic music, you could do worse than illegally download this somewhere. It's worthwhile to note that there's a couple of 'Hellraiser' tracks on here.

B+

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Worship The Glitch (1995)
Yet another era in Coil's sound is ushered in with the release of 'Worship The Glitch.' Continuing the electronic pioneering that fully surfaced during 'Love's Secret Domain,' Coil starts pursuing subtler ambient textures here. Definitely containing elements of glitch music as the title implies, the album still sounds vastly different from what is widely considered glitch these days. Pan sonic would be a closer point of reference than Kid 606. Intriguing and forward looking in its own right, a lot of the album nevertheless drags a bit under the weight of incomplete sketches that would have been more interesting had they been more fully fleshed out. Regardless, it's always good to hear Coil strike out new ground, and while some of their experiments might not be complete successes, they're usually more interesting than the best work from the majority of their contemporaries. All that being said, this is one of the Coil albums I'm least familiar with, and seeing how this type of thing usually takes a great deal of time to reveal itself, I don't stand 100% behind my assessment. But for now, I'll give it a C+ and a recommendation to the more ambient leaning listeners. Also, this was released under the pseudonym ELpH which the band gave to projects that relied as much on chance elements in the technology creating the music as the people guiding its creation.

C+

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Black Light District - A Thousands Light In A Darkened Room (1996)
Coil further explore the dark ambience of 'Worship The Glitch' on this album with slightly more substantial songs. In some parts it's more effective than its predecessor and in others less so. The pieces that didn't work on 'Worship The Glitch' at least had brevity on their side. The songs here are generally longer, which gives the better songs time to develop, but it also makes for some dry spots. A lot of this works really well as background ambience and points the way to the full on explicit drones of Time Machines. 'Blue Rats' is the one immediate stand out track here, full of bleeping paranoid analogue goodness. All the other songs take awhile to warm up to. An interesting step in the band's development and good mood music, but definitely not the place to start for this era.

B-

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Unnatural History III (1997)
That's right, more of the same. This has the least number of tracks and the longest running time of the trio, so that means longer songs; the first two are 10+ minutes and several others hover around eight minutes. As usual, Coil's official releases don't hint at their prolificacy, but they kept plenty busy throughout the 90's, this being released a mere two years after the previous entry in the series. Another trend this volume continues is that of Coil throwaways that are anything but (although much of 'Music for Commercials' is disposable, but that's implied in the title). That being said, this is one of the more uneven compilations in the band's catalog. 'Baby Food' is another track of off kilter trance-like electronic genius stretched over 12 minutes and its inclusion alone makes this necessary. A lot of the other songs veer more towards fun and interesting experiments over the absolute essential side of things. There's some remixes/reworkings/extensions of older tracks of the take it or leave it variety, although it's nice to have the extended intro to 'LSD's' 'Things Happen' (titled 'Meaning What Exactly?). Despite a few tracks that make this really worth owning, it's the kind of thing that can wait until after the more substantial albums have been absorbed.

B-

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Time Machines (1998)
There was a time where I listened to this every single night to fall asleep. It's my ideal of a drone album should be. There's only four tracks, two of which exceeding 10 minutes, the other half over 20 minutes, but it's so hypnotic, but they never seem to last long enough, so I guess the title is accurate in its advertising. Supposedly the goal of the album was to create music that, combined with certain psychedelic drugs (the chemicals of the songs' titles), facilitates time travel and "dissolves time." With music is this mesmerizing and enveloping, I'm willing to give John Balance the benefit of the doubt on that one. Of course, if you don't like long electronic drone pieces, this isn't probably isn't going to convert you, but fans of drone should not hesitate in tracking this down in some format. Make sure to listen through headphones.

A+

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Musick To Play In The Dark (1999)
This is a whole different beast. Unlike anything else, even in Coil's back catalog, but still bearing all their trademarks, this is a truly unique masterpiece. It's almost unfair that something this good and original should be recorded fifteen years into a band's career. Over the course of six long tracks (the shortest is seven and a half minutes), Coil synthesize all the strengths they had cultivated since the release of 'Love's Secret Domain' into an inventive and accessible piece of work. 'Musick' is equal parts atmosphere and structure. The song lengths allow the pieces to develop slowly without ever feeling aimless and dull. By turns disquieting, mystic, elegant, and darkly humorous, the album leaves a distinct impression that sticks in the mind long after its done playing. 'Are You Shivering?' starts the album out with a burst of menace before settling into disjointed minimalist groove using stuttering samples, gradually bringing in both sinister and ethereal effects to back up some appropriately poetic lines. Next is the shimmering analogue synth epic 'Red Birds Will Fly Out Of The East And Destroy Paris In A Night,' deeply rooted in primitive trance classics like Manuel Gottsching's 'E2-E4' and the work of Klaus Schulze, but still retaining a flavor entirely its own. The core of the album consists of two of the most haunting and compelling tracks in the Coil discography, 'Red Queen' and 'Broccoli.' The former combines jazzy late night piano parts with ambient electronic rattling, echoing upright bass lines, and John Balance's unsettlingly disaffected ruminations on the media's affect on personality. Even stranger is 'Broccoli,' built on low end bass rumbles, faint electronic static, and mournful cooing. The dual hushed/recited lyrics deal with ancestors, manners, eating your greens, the death of parents, and other domestic issues in a vague, slightly ominous, slightly humorous manner. 'Strange Birds' shares a lot of similarities with early Monolake, pairing nature sounds with the most minimal of techno and strange sound effects. Finally, 'The Dreamer Is Still Asleep' closes the album on a suitably mystical note. Don't even think about passing this one by.

A+

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Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil (2000)
'Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil' almost stands as a counterpoint to 'Time Machines.' Where that album achieved aural hypnosis through minimalist drones, this strives for a similar effect through high pitched noise. It's far more difficult to endure than 'Time Machines' because of its abrasive nature, but once you break past the point of annoyance, you start to appreciate a similar type of hypnosis, albeit one that's at war with itself. The album is divided into two sections, and it's the latter, a series of tracks serving as one whole piece called 'Tunnel Of Goats' (I-XVIII), that really splits the difference between harsh noise and soothing drone. The first half is just slightly calmer and also works as connected pieces of a whole. It also includes one of my favorite Coil tracks, 'I Am The Green Child,' the only track with vocals on the album. It's a 13 minute track that clinks and clanks its way through spurts of oscillating electronic squeals and barely intelligible distorted vocals (the title phrase are the only clear words) that becomes strangely engrossing, disturbing, and hilarious. It's hard to recommend this to anyone except noise connoisseurs, though. There is close to zero variety here. Instead, you're just assaulted into a trance, and you can either take it or turn it off. It doesn't really matter too much which way you go.

C+

To be continued . . .

[sbessiso]

Do beck you asshole! I'm too shy to do it.

[bmack86]

The Ape of Naples is my second favorite Coil album, behind Horse Rotorvator

[SoulDischarge]

I'm not really in the mood to do Beck just now, so you might as well get to work. And don't even front about being shy. Besides, I still have a lot more Coil to do.

I'll make sure to give Ape Of Naples special attention as per yr recommendation.

[bmack86]

I think it was the last thing Jhonn Balance recorded, and it wasn't completely done when he died

[bballarl]

I'll do The Verve when the new album comes out officially.

[miscorrections]

Urban Hymns A+.

[bballarl]

It isn't that perfect. But close.

[miscorrections]

A+-.

[bmack86]

I'll do my version of Beck. Feel free to complement, anybody, with other opinions or additional, early recordings, as I'm going to do just the albums proper (No stray blues, no Western Field at Moonlight, no Guerolito)

Mellow Gold (1994)
Beck's major label debut came out at the perfect time, and introduced the world to an impressive artist when he was probably most welcome. Loser, the anthem that blew up from this album, was a huge hit, and it's easy to hear why; it appealed to the Generation X that had just lost it's King of Pain in Cobain and was lolling around aimlessly. Beck didn't offer any grand statements; he sung like a talented guy you could hang out with. Also, it sounded like country hip hop rock, and it was fun. The rest of the album doesn't have that concentrated genius, but there are plenty of fantastic songs. Pay No Mind, Beercan, Fuckin With My Head and Mutherfucker are favorites of mine. They aren't the Sampledelica that Beck became famous for; instead, these songs mine some of the trashy good times terrain that Calvin Johnson went for with Dub Narcotic, but mixed with Beck's constant genre-hopping. It's classic, but you'll only recognize Loser from the radio, and he's passed up this album many times, which is a testament to how great of an artist he is.
Grade: A

Stereopathic Soul Manure (1994)
One of Beck's most interesting clauses in his contract was that he was allowed to release albums on smaller labels in addition to his Geffen releases, and he took advantage of that right away, putting out this compilation of early recordings. It's rough, it's raw, and most of the songs don't have the folk, hip hop, electronic, rock feel of his better known (and better) material. Instead, they're grimy abrasive lo fi tracks, sometimes reminiscent of very early Pavement with less talent. If this was the first Beck release you'd heard, you'd be confused as to why this guy had a following whatsoever.
Grade: C-

One Foot in the Grave (1994)
Beck also put this out in 94 on K records. Where Mellow Gold was a genre-hopping exercise that would pave the way for one mode of his career, One Foot is a genre exercise, focusing on acoustic country-folk. I can't quite say that any tracks in particular stand out to me, but it's a very good indie folk album, drawing from singer-songwriters as well as twee rockers (and featuring Calvin Johnson on some tracks). An impressive album, this one is almost always overlooked in his catalog, and without good reason. Pick it up.
Grade: A-

Odelay (1996)
I'm inclined to just say that you know about this. However, talking about this album is such a joy. Beck hooked up with the Dust Brothers, and they took their sample happy production style and merged it with Beck's signature songwriting that he had developed on Mellow Gold. The result is one of Rock's all time masterpieces, from beginning to end. Each song is a little microcosm of greatness, and each song has more detail to it than most bands have in their albums. New Pollution, Where Its At, Devil's Haircut and Jackass were all big on the radio. The other songs are all perfect. The best term for this would be psychedelic, as it's a constant swirl of music that pulses and digs its way into your skull. It's hard to describe but extremely easy to love.
Grade: A+

Mutations (1998)
You want to be faced with the prospect of following up one of the most successful albums of all time? Apparently Beck's reaction was to start recording one album, then throw off another over the course of a weekend and release the thrown off album first. Mutations is less groundbreaking than Odelay, but it's every bit as good. It's steeped in the sound of Tropicalia, and there's even a song named after that 60s Brazilian psychedelic pop movement. The songs are more uniformly calm, and at first listen that can give the feeling of sameness. Give this one some time, and you'll fall in love. Cold Brains is a perfect opening song, and Nobody's Fault is a perfect song, period. For my money, he's never written a better song, and very few other people have, either. As a side note, one of the coolest concert experiences I've ever had was seeing Beck play bass with the White Stripes and hearing them cover Cold Brains. This album is a subtle dream.
Grade: A

Midnight Vultures (1999)
Sexxx Laws was the first single, and it might have initially seemed like a return to wacky Beck from Odelay. However, this one's another genre turn, like One Foot and Mutations, as Beck takes on Soul and Funk, and attempts to become Prince, except Beck is much more laid back than Prince could ever be. This one's a divisive beast. Some people absolutely love every note on it, and some people detest it. I used to be squarely in the latter camp, but have found some great gems within it. Debra is a doozy, Sexx Laws is a really fun single, and Nicotine and Gravy is a blast. Plus, eYe from Boredoms designed the album art. It's not his best work, but it's not as bad as I initially remembered. Also, the music video for Sexx Laws featured a younger Jack Black.
Grade: B

Sea Change (2002)
When this came out, Rolling Stone gave it 5 stars, and people were raving about it. With good reason. Beck had always kept himself at a distance from his songs, which usually was his charm, as he seemed like he was having fun without caring too much and just casually recording genius tracks. This one, on the other hand, is Beck with his soul bared, sad, hurt and alone. It's mostly acoustic, with string tracks backing Mr. Hansen and his guitar. Paper Tigers has one of the most amazing buildups I've ever heard. Lonesome Tears, Golden Age and Lost Cause are fantastic. There's not a bum note on here. After this album, Beck seemed to shut off again, and it didn't seem like we'd see him do anything this personal again, but to even get one album this great is worth it.

Grade: A+

Guero (2003)
So then he took a big ole break and came back with what was touted as the followup to Odelay. He worked with the Dust Brothers again, and was writing in the genre hopping style again. However, this retains some of the darker themes from Sea Change, so it winds up not being as big of a party. Hell Yes has never sat right with me, and the initial leak had a different track labelled as Earthquake Weather that I still contend was a great addition to the album. However, E Pro is his best single since Where It's At, Black Tambourine Rocks, and most of the songs have that casual brilliance. It's not Odelay, but it's a good album nonetheless.
Grade: B+

The Information (2006)
I've never been able to hear The Information as anything other than Guero part 2. The songs were never quite as good to me, the form was similar, and some of the genre hopping, for the first time in his career, seemed a bit forced to me. I've rarely had the urge to put this one on, and I don't really remember most of the songs. In my mind, this is his weakest proper album (discounting Stereopathic Soul Manure, which was a compilation).
Grade: C+

Modern Times (2008)
I'll admit to being skeptical when I heard that Beck was working with Dangermouse. It seemed initially like an attempt to regain the genius of working with the Dust Brothers. Instead, he went and did something great: recorded another bleak, emotionally invested album like Paper Tigers. Only, this time, instead of doing it acoustic and string oriented, he did it on a rock backing, and turned it into one of his better releases. I've not had enough time without listening to it to adequately judge how I think it should sit in his catalog, but it's no doubt a powerful release that I think we'll be listening to for years to come, and proof that Beck is as great as ever.
Grade: A

[sbessiso]

I gotta say Bmack, our opinions on the albums are pretty similar. with the exception of giving Odelay an A+, I say you nailed it on the head. I would like to give in my two cents, but eh, it's not worth it. (Guero is an A, maybe even A+ in my book, and "the information" is weak but it really picks up at the end again, it's the middle part that has me reaching to change the songs)

[bmack86]

I gotta ask, when did you start listening to Beck? I think the Guero opinions change depending on when you got into him.

[sbessiso]

Beck changed my life in tenth or 11th grade. I downloaded maybe the first 4 or 5 songs off of "Guero" and really liked it. (E-pro is such a strong single, you said it). But I don't know what compelled me to get "sea change", that was the first album I bought, then my friend gave me copies of odelay and mellow gold, and mellow gold really stuck with me while I always changed odelay after a few songs.

but Guero didn't really strike me as the piece of genius that it is until some time after that. It's a concept album man, he's tryign to tell us a story and I've been trying to figure it out. All his albums from Sea Change on have been concepts, which is why The Information has grown on me, and i'm working on theories for modern guilt at the moment.

[bmack86]

My dad bought Odelay in '96, and I stole it from him pretty quickly, so Guero didn't do as much for me because Odelay is such a part of my musical vocabulary.

[LooseAtTheZoo]

I would love to do Aretha Franklin and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Hopefully I'll have them up by the end of the week

[sbessiso]

My dad bought Odelay in '96, and I stole it from him pretty quickly, so Guero didn't do as much for me because Odelay is such a part of my musical vocabulary.

But you have to stop comparing the two. but I understand where you're coming from. I just love Guero so much though, I can't believe you don't like Hell Yes, I can't wait to rap along with him when I see it live. (while doing the robot of course) the last songs on that album are oddly similiar, at least in title, go it alone=>farewell ride=>rental car=>emergency exit (where he mentions the "scarecrow" again!)

but I love what you said about modern guilt, lyrically I feel it's some of his strongest work. I just love "youthless"

[bmack86]

Well, even Beck compared it to Guero, and the production sense is similar, as well as the fact that it was his first album to take the same sort of songwriting approach since Odelay. In my mind, it's odelay about 7 years later, which is no problem, and it's great that it's influenced by all his work to that point, but it doesn't hold together quite so perfectly.

And, for the record, my dad prefers Guero. He's likewise a huge Beck fan and is going to see him at the Hollywood Bowl.

[PassiveTheory]

Think anybody would want to do DJ Shadow?

[hawkingvsreeve]

That one is easy.

Entroducing - Good
Preemptive Strike - Meh
Private Press - Good
The Outsider - Bad
In Tune and On Time (Live) - Good
Psyence Fiction (Unkle) - Good

Don't add this to the guide, as it's not a formal review, but his stuff tends to be on, or not at all, so it's easy to pick out what to listen to. Private Press is my fav.

[Mr. Dylanja]

I could do Biggie or Jay Z if anyone hasn't yet? Not tonight, but yaknow work on it...

[bmack86]

Sushov called Jay-Z, but Biggie would be a prospect. and, Id say, if, in a week's time, we have no Jay Z report, knock us out.

[SoulDischarge]

That Beck one is pretty good and close to my thoughts. I think now that I've heard it so much, I like a lot of other songs on 'Mellow Gold' better than 'Loser.' 'Stereopathetic Soulmanure' is EXTREMELY uneven, but I really loved it as a kid so it has a special place in my heart even though it's not a great record, and there's a few stray songs that I think are really fucking fun (especially 'Taser Gun' and the 12 minute noise freak out secret track at the end which almost sounds like Faust for the 90s). 'One Foot In The Grave' is definitely overlooked as it has one of his strongest set of songs. I came to 'Midnite Vultures' completely from the complete opposite direction. I loved it all right away, but now there's a few songs I can't help but skip half way through and I appreciate 'Debra' way more these days than I used to. Everything after that I'm still getting acquainted with. Anyywwwayyyyzzzzz. I'll fill up the gaps (Western Harvest Field, b-sides, etc) when I get around to it. And since I can't find a job, I've got a feeling that'll be sooner than later.

[TomAz]

Bryan your take on Beck is great. You've reminded me I need to listen to Modern Times more.

edit: also regarding Odelay vs Guero: Guero is a good album. Odelay is one of the best albums of the 90s.

[bmack86]

Hey Tom, did Big Audio Dynamite have enough records for you to do them?
Or, do you know all the X records?

[roberto73]

I've updated my Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds entry to include his latest album, Dig!! Lazarus, Dig!! I've also added artwork, some additional recommendations, and three mixes spanning his career with The Bad Seeds. The new version follows, although the original can still be found earlier in this thread.

From Her to Eternity (1984)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcavehertoeternity.jpg
As statements of purpose go, it's hard to find a debut more emphatic than this one. With The Bad Seeds, Cave reins in the chaos of his previous band, The Birthday Party, but loses none of their intensity. Starting with a cavernous, echoing version of Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche," Cave and his new band hit the ground running and never look back. As accomplished as The Seeds are in pounding out their claustrophobic dirges, the focus is Cave himself, who sings like a man possessed. As is typical of much of their later work, the album is a balancing act, stretching out the tension between noise-flecked rants (the title track, "Cabin Fever") and songs of true beauty ("In the Ghetto," "A Box for Black Paul"). Not an album for the faint of heart, but one of the strongest debuts ever. Grade: A

The Firstborn Is Dead (1985)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCavefirstbornisdead.jpg
Not a tremendous departure from the debut, this album nonetheless saw Cave and his band more fully embracing the blues influences that he had only previously dabbled in. This is also the first album where some of Cave's long-standing lyrical preoccupations (Biblical imagery; literal and figurative imprisonment; the struggle with sin) came to the fore. Never a traditional backing band, The Bad Seeds sound even more vital here than on the debut, giving Cave's tirades a bluesy (and at times almost "gospelly") bed of guitar, bass, drums, piano, and backing vocals. Also, The Pixies often get the credit for using the loud-soft-loud dynamic the best, but nobody does a crescendo like Nick Cave and his band: "Wanted Man" starts as a whisper and gradually pounds its way to a tortured scream. Firstborn isn't quite as good as the debut, but "Tupelo" stands among their best work, and is genuinely chilling. Grade: A-

Kicking Against the Pricks (1986)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCavekicking.jpg
I've never been a fan of covers albums, so this album suffers a bit because of that. Pricks is notable mainly because it gives the band a chance to more fully explore their country and blues influences, with entertaining covers by Roy Orbison, Leadbelly, and Johnny Cash. Not a bad album; just a covers album. Also has a pretty good version of The Velvet Underground's All Tomorrow's Parties. Grade: B-

Your Funeral, My Trial (1986)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCaveyourfuneral.jpg
With their style firmly established on Firstborn, the band continues to refine their vision on their third album. Cave is more restrained on this album (he's less given to sounding like a deranged shaman who just wandered out of the Australian outback), and The Bad Seeds' playing mirrors this increase in melancholia. This isn't to say, though, that there's been a decrease in the band's typical intensity. "The Carny" is positively demonic (the twisted carnival music is the perfect backing for Cave's story of a psychotic circus), and "Hard on for Love" is a gospel freakout, with Cave coming off like a possessed evangelist. Grade: B+

Tender Prey (1988)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcavetenderprey.jpg
If there's an album that ushers in the Nick Cave people now know, it's this one. The chaos has largely disappeared, and the songs alternate between story-songs backed by Satan's own band, and gentle, piano-led ballads. This isn't a criticism. Some claim Tender Prey is Cave's best album, and there's definitely a case to be made. "The Mercy Seat" builds inexorably to a climax; "Up Jumped the Devil" comes direct from the scariest biker bar in Australia; "Mercy" is six and a half minutes of beauty. It's a strong collection of songs that firmly establishes Cave and his band as the natural descendants of the blues artists they love so much. Grade: A-

The Good Son (1990)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCaveGoodson.jpg
The softer side of Nick Cave, and as such, not the best place to start. The songs here are almost exclusively middle-of-the-road ballads – albeit unremittingly dark middle-of-the-road ballads about doomed love and murderers. Even more gospel-influenced than previous albums, this is good late-night listening, but not representative of what Cave does well. If nothing else, check out "The Ship Song," which is one of my all-time favorite songs. Grade: B

Henry's Dream (1992)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCave-HenrysDream.jpg
The album on which Cave assumes the mantle of William Faulkner's natural heir. "Papa, Won't Leave You Henry," "I Had a Dream, Joe," "When I First Came to Town," "John Finn's Wife" – Cave spins these yarns of rural misfits and outcasts with authority, and The Bad Seeds accompany him with some of their most inspired playing. It's rare that such complex music can sound so "live" and immediate, but The Seeds match Cave's mood with absolutely ferocious playing. Not to be ignored, though, is "Straight to You," a love song of skyscraping heights. This is my favorite Nick Cave album – the nine songs here distill everything that's great about him – and this is where I'd direct newcomers to start. Grade: A+

Let Love In (1994)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcaveletlovein.jpg
Another stunner, but even more musically complex than previous albums. It's bookended by two versions of "Do You Love Me?" – one uptempo, one funereal, both mesmerizing. "Nobody's Baby Now" and "Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore" are standard Cave ballads, but "Jangling Jack" is an absolutely brutal garage-rock barn-burner. The centerpiece of the album is "Red Right Hand" a story about a stranger "in a dusty black coat" who arrives in town with nefarious purposes. Just another one of the songs that establishes Cave as a master lyricist and natural poet. Grade: A

Murder Ballads (1996)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcavemurderballads.jpg
The album Cave was born to make. Musically, it's no different from his previous albums: claustrophobic blues and gospel, interspersed with the occasional gentle ballad. Lyrically, though, these are brutal and violent songs, not shying away from blood and gore. The album is also notable for Cave's duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue. Cave's Murder Ballads, incidentally, are also very very funny. A must-listen: the 15-minute long "O'Malley's Bar," wherein Cave lovingly details a pub massacre down to the last spray of blood and brains on the wall. Grade: B+

The Boatman's Call (1997)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcaveboatmanscall.jpg
This album is Cave's quietest, and it also comes across as his most personal. It's also his most lovely. The Bad Seeds' playing is much more simple and the intensity is dialed down far past its usual level. This might be in reaction to the extremity of Murder Ballads, or it might have to do with troubles in Cave's personal life. Whatever the case, it's a gentle album dealing with the failings of love and religious doubt. This album is unlike anything else Cave has ever done, but is still undeniably Nick Cave. "Into My Arms" will melt even a heart of stone. Grade: A+

No More Shall We Part (2001)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCavenomoreshall.jpg
Despite the four-year gap between albums, No More Shall We Part seems like a natural next step following The Boatman's Call. With the exception of the rip-roaring "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow," the songs here are once again quiet and introspective, with The Bad Seeds offering a sympathetic backing to Cave's tales of love and temptation. "Love Letter" is one of the most beautiful songs in their impressive career, and several of the songs sport arrangements more texturally sophisticated than anything they've ever attempted. Lyrically, the argument could be made that no one in modern music can currently touch Cave. "As I Sat Sadly by Her Side" is especially impressive. Yet another high-water mark. Grade: A-

Nocturama (2003)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/NickCavenocturama.jpg
Nick Cave by the numbers, and the one weak album in his otherwise incredible career. The songs here approach self-parody, as if the band set out solely to make a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds™ album. Closer "Babe, I'm on Fire" attempts to repeat the fire and intensity of their early albums and "Rock of Gibraltar" is a stirring ballad, but the rest of the album is sounds like a man bereft of inspiration. Grade: C

Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Nickcaveabattoir.jpg
A stunning, double-album return to form. Abattoir Blues is the Nick Cave of old – searing and angry. The songs are rough, marked with distortion and static, and The Bad Seeds arguably play with more rock and roll vitality than ever before. "Get Ready for Love" opens the album with a bang, and the intensity never lets up through the next eight numbers, including my favorite of all Cave's songs: "There She Goes, My Beautiful World." The Lyre of Orpheus is Abattoir Blues' temperamental flipside: quieter, and a natural successor to No More Shall We Part. That said, in many ways this collection of songs is looser and more experimental than anything else Cave has done, making a foray into country ("Babe You Turn Me On"), and finding room for a little flute accompaniment ("Breathless"). In any event, these two albums demonstrate that Nocturama was a rare misstep, and that Cave and his band are still capable of making vital music. Grade: Abattoir Blues: A, The Lyre of Orpheus: B+

Dig!! Lazarus, Dig!! (2008)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/nickcavediglazarus.jpg
Even though Cave had nothing to prove after his 2004 resurgence, he still comes out swinging on this album. It's the sound of the 50-year-old Cave letting his hair down and having some fun. While his songs have always been full of mordant humor, the title track is unlike anything he's done before: a swaggering romp through New York's underbelly, with the resurrected "Larry" wandering the urban night. Other songs are equally driving and punchy ("Today's Lesson"; "Albert Goes West"), but Cave also graces us with "Jesus of the Moon," which contains one of his most beautiful melodies. The standout, though, is the slow-burning closer, "More News from Nowhere," which wraps up the album in solemn, meditative fashion. The older Cave gets, the more triumphant he becomes. Grade: A-

Also of interest is Grinderman (2007), Cave's scuzzy, down 'n' dirty garage rock side project. He has also composed two movie soundtracks with Dirty Three member Warren Ellis: The Proposition (2005) (for which he also wrote the screenplay) and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). I don't play either very often, but they're both good mood music for a rainy day.

Finally, as much as I hated to break it up this way, I've included three mixes. Trying to pick a "Best Of" selection for Nick Cave is like trying to pick one for Elvis Costello or The Cure. His discography is so expansive that, even across three volumes, I still feel like I'm missing a dozen songs. Be that as it may, the first mix is early Cave, taking in his first few albums and ending with what is arguably his turning point, Tender Prey. The second mix is 1990's Nick Cave, covering The Good Son through The Boatman's Call. The final mix is present-day Cave, spanning No More Shall We Part through this year's Dig!! Lazarus, Dig!! Click each title to download, and enjoy.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Vol. 1 (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?twx7rccoee5)
1. Avalanche
2. From Her to Eternity
3. In the Ghetto
4. Tupelo
5. Train Long-Suffering
6. Stranger Than Kindness
7. She Fell Away
8. Hard on for Love
9. The Mercy Seat
10. Up Jumped the Devil
11. Mercy

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Vol. 2 (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?2ymyv8qnjpt)
1. The Good Son
2. The Ship Song
3. The Witness Song
4. Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
5. Straight to You
6. John Finn's Wife
7. Nobody's Baby Now
8. Loverman
9. Red Right Hand
10. Henry Lee
11. Where the Wild Roses Grow
12. Into My Arms
13. Lime-Tree Arbour
14. (Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Vol. 3 (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?yuyxhmjnkgd)
1. As I Sat Sadly by Her Side
2. Love Letter
3. Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow
4. Bring it On
5. Rock of Gibraltar
6. There She Goes, My Beautiful World
7. Nature Boy
8. Let the Bells Ring
9. Breathless
10. Babe, You Turn Me On
11. Supernaturally
12. Dig!! Lazarus, Dig!!
13. Today's Lesson
14. More News from Nowhere

[PassiveTheory]

Rob, have I mentioned that you rock? Because you rock.

[Mr. Dylanja]

I could do Biggie or Jay Z if anyone hasn't yet? Not tonight, but yaknow work on it...


WOW, totally forgot typing this and probably will again, but it's fresh now so I'll put a lil something together, or at least try.

[Backwater]

It's pretty simple really, especially with Biggie.

Ready to Die - masterpiece
Life After Death - masterpiece
Born Again (and everything after) - good but who cares, he's dead RIP

Jay-Z

Reasonable Doubt - stunning masterpiece, easily one of the best hip-hop albums of all time

many good albums followed

Blueprint - another masterpiece, proved he still has it

some other good stuff

Black Album and American Gangster proved he still, after all these years, has it and is a legend without question, one of the best rappers ever, along with Biggie.

[wmgaretjax]

Scott Walker is tough for some people to swallow. His crooning style is a little off-putting, especially when accompanied with the experimental bent of his later albums. If you aren't familiar with him. I recommend checking out his first 4 albums to get familiar with his style and overall trajectory, and then skipping ahead to the "Climate of the Hunter" before divining into his two most recent (and best) albums.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6f/Scott_-_Scott_Walker.jpg/200px-Scott_-_Scott_Walker.jpg
Scott 1 (1967)
Comprised of several Jacques Brel songs and a few original songs, his first album post-Walker Brothers is a natural step for him. The arrangements are fairly typical for the time period, but Walker's iconic delivery is compelling even if some of the source material is lacking. As far as the covers go, "Mathilde" is a dramatic standout. What is clear with this album is that the songs penned for him and other miscellaneous covers (about half of the material) are far inferior to his Jacques Brel interpretations and his own songs. "Always Coming Back to You" is a great foreshadowing of some of his later work, with a sparse and almost foreboding quality. The great songs on this album are overwhelmingly fantastic, while the worse ones are simply enjoyable.
B

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/58/Scott_2_-_Scott_Walker.jpg/200px-Scott_2_-_Scott_Walker.jpg
Scott 2 (1968)
This album follows the trend of his first, with a bit more weight placed on his own material. There are three more Brel covers on this album, and they are all fantastic. His rendition of Tim Hardin's "Black Sheep Boy" is pretty typical for the tune, and it seems almost unnecessary. His own material plays with simple orchestrations that carry an almost cinematic quality. As a result of this, they end up retaining an overly sentimental quality. Ultimately this album is interesting within the context of his career, and there are few take aways ("Jackie," "Next," "The Girls and the Dogs," and "The Bridge"), the rest of the album feels a little frustrated.
C

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/73/Scott_3_-_Scott_Walker.jpg/200px-Scott_3_-_Scott_Walker.jpg
Scott 3 (1969)
After "Scott 2" was released, Walker declared that he was finished being lazy and that it was "time to get serious." From the opening track, "It's Raining Today," this is incredibly clear. The song begins with an atonal set of strings that eventually become punctuated by simple accompaniment from a guitar and drums. This breaks away into territory that feels fairly familiar, the cinematic edge has been retained, but stripped away in a manner that allows the material to breathe a little. The first ten songs were all written by Walker, and while the first track is clearly the most forward thinking and adventurous, the rest of the album is clearly more assured and confident than his last couple albums. The album breaks kind of suddenly with "30 Century Man" an anthem backed by an acoustic guitar. It's a perfect transition into material that feels slightly more rooted in his previous material (the stand out is undoubtedly "Two Weeks Since You've Gone") and ultimately transitions into three Jacques Brel covers, which continue to be fantastic.
A

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/Scott_4_-_Scott_Walker.jpg/200px-Scott_4_-_Scott_Walker.jpg
Scott 4 (1969)
The atonal and surreal material that worked so well with Walker's croon in "Scott 3" is mastered in this album. Beyond that, his writing style developed a brilliant literary edge. He draws from clear references throughout the album, whether they be rooted in film, literature, or simple history. The instrumentation is flawless throughout and consistently surprises from track to track. "On Your Own Again" is easily one of the greatest ballads ever written and is brief enough to leave you wanting just a little bit more. Luckily, Walker maintains control over that anticipation throughout the rest of the album. The climax of the album occurs about three quarters of the way through with "The Old Man's Back Again," a piece which takes the precarious balance that Walker toyed with in previous tracks to a new level. The album winds down and wraps up with "Rhymes of Goodbye," perhaps the best example of what his voice is capable of. The album was a financial failure compared by the runaway successes of Scott 1-3.
A+

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Til_the_band_comes_in.jpg
'Til the Band Comes In (1970)
Arranged and composed by Walker and Ady Semel, this album steps back into Scott 1 territory (less in terms of style, and more in terms of it's place in the time period). Most of the tracks are covers or new takes on old classics, and few are terribly interesting. The album is incredibly well orchestrated, but after two masterpieces, it's hard to swallow. It's fairly clear that Walker was fulfilling contractual obligations, and while his heart isn't completely in it, there are still some successes. Most notably "Cowbells Shakin," "Til the Band Comes In," and the Legrand cover "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"
C+

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/Scott_Walker_Stretch_LP.jpg/200px-Scott_Walker_Stretch_LP.jpg
The Moviegoer (1972), Any Day Now (1973), Stretch (1973), We Had It All (1974)
There is no original material on these albums. Scott Walker accurately describes these albums as a "dark time" in his life. They are fairly horrible albums with little interesting to note. They are, once again, clear contractual obligations. It is understandable that after this Walker did not make an album for another 10 years.
D-

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/da/Scott_Walker_-_Climate_of_Hunter.jpg/200px-Scott_Walker_-_Climate_of_Hunter.jpg
Climate of the Hunter (1984)
This album is a huge departure from his last released solo material. It definitely feels rooted in the sounds of the 80s, but there is an avante-pop edge of the album that makes sense once he moves forward towards his next album. Every track on the album is interesting, although few move beyond that. It feels reminiscent of some of the transitional tracks on Scott 2, where Walker was clearly toying with new ways of writing songs, and new ways to involve his arrangements with his singing. While this is not my favorite album to listen to regularly, I am always impressed by the dramatic shift in tone and quality from the work he did a decade prior.
B

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/Tilt_-_Scott_Walker.jpg
Tilt (1995)
Not only does Walker wait another 11 years to release another album, he unleashes an absolute monster. The darker, experimental tone that sat underneath the surface of Climate of the Hunter consumes this album. Accompanied with this are fantastic lyrics that reach back towards the literary bent in Scott 4. This album was easily the best produced album of it's time. While much of the album is minimalist, the individual components are flawlessly constructed and change in a nuanced manner that reveals new qualities with each listen. There is clearly an industrial influence, but it is supplemented with an attention to vocal quality that must come out of listening to some of the European avante garde (Stockhausen comes to mind). From the opening track to the end, the album is absolutely devastating. It's impossible to pick stand out tracks, because there is not a weak moment in the album. I cannot recommend headphones and a dark room enough, this album deserves full attention.
A+

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/44/Scott_Walker_-_The_Drift.jpg/200px-Scott_Walker_-_The_Drift.jpg
The Drift (2006)
Another 11 years, another masterpiece. This one clocks in at 70 minutes and is like a vice. It clearly follows the direction of Tilt, but has a better sense of dynamics. There are sparser moments, and there are busier moments, but the album feels masterfully composed. There was more experimentation with instrumentation in the album, but the guitar sits at the surface of many of the sounds. Walker's lyrics also evolved, relying less on other source material to create his poetic structures. "Jesse" is the best example of this. Probably the best post-9/11 eulogy, the song uses Elvis crying out for his stillborn brother in the middle of a desolate prairie as a metaphor for the American public's response to 9/11. It's a devastating song, and is almost frightening at points. LIke with "Tilt" I could ramble on about this album forever, but I wouldn't do any of it justice. Needless to say I believe this is easily one of the best albums of all-time.
A+

[Backwater]

Would you guys prefer I do Stone Temple Pilots, My Morning Jacket, or Ween?

[sbessiso]

I would love to read about MMJ! Doesnt ween have like 20 albums out? if you're up to it, I'm super interested as well. no STP for me, but thats just me

[bmack86]

Do Ween.

[sbessiso]

bmack hath spoketh

[wmgaretjax]

My vote would be Ween as well. MMJ is pretty cut and dry, but Ween's discog is all over the place.

[SoulDischarge]

This is the best thread on the board. Put another vote in for Ween.

[Backwater]

Damn, now I'm intimidated. Honestly, I'm sure some of you guys could do a much Ween one than I could. STP is the one I could do best but it doesn't seem like anyone would really want to read it. I'm not preventing anyone from doing Ween, have at it.

[Backwater]

Did anyone do Placebo yet?

[bballarl]

Do Ween and STP.

[zenidogx]

Damn, now I'm intimidated. Honestly, I'm sure some of you guys could do a much Ween one than I could. STP is the one I could do best but it doesn't seem like anyone would really want to read it. I'm not preventing anyone from doing Ween, have at it.

do STP.
i'm not really a fan. convince me. convince others. or at least guide us to something we may be overlooking.

[Backwater]

Do Ween and STP.

Why the hell not? I'm going to do STP first.

[roberto73]

Nice work on Scott Walker, Jared. Somehow I missed the update.

[bballarl]

If no one has done The Cure, I'll do them. At some point. I have to relisten to 90s-00s Cure though.

[zenidogx]

If no one has done The Cure, I'll do them. At some point. I have to relisten to 90s-00s Cure though.

been done.
see post #117 on page 4

[zenidogx]

i kinda want to do Belle & Sebastian, but it'll take time.

[PassiveTheory]

Ever since I finished Coldplay, I've been itching to do another band.

What bands/artists do people want done?

[bballarl]

been done.
see post #117 on page 4

Thank you for saving me the trouble of finding that handy post with all the locations.

I guess I could do Echo & the Bunnymen, but that would require brushing up on my 90s-00s period Echo.

[wmgaretjax]

i kinda want to do Belle & Sebastian, but it'll take time.

I would appreciate that. I have a few albums that are hit and miss. They have so much stuff it's overwhelming though.

[bmack86]

Belle is one I could do as well, if need be.

[zenidogx]

Page 1
#1 - Radiohead - swdshfsk - intro (also see Page 35, Post #1041)
#3 - David Bowie - Courtney - intro
#4 - Boredoms - bmack86 - full
#5 - Can - bmack86 - intro (also see Page 21, Post #619)
#6 - Spiritualized - bmack86 - intro (also see Page 14, Post #419)
#9 - Elvis Costello - TomAz - intro (also see Page 29, Post #868)
#10 - the Wedding Present - roberto73 - intro
#12 - Tom waits - Slushmier - extended intro
#13 - Mogwai - swdshfsk - extended intro
#14 - Hanson - tessa|asset - extended intro
#15 - Guided by Voices - mountmccabe - intro
#23 - the Velvet Underground - PsyGuyRy - extended intro
#24 - Luna - york707 - intro with discog listed
#25 - Jonathan Richman - breakjaw - full

Page 2
#32 - The Dismemberment Plan - Tylerdurden31 - full
#33 - Bob Dylan - TomAz - extended intro (also see Page 30, Post #871)
#36 - Talking Heads - bballarl - full
#37 - Pink Floyd - PsyGuyRy - very extended intro
#45 - Pearl Jam - Slushmier - full
#51, 53 & 56 - Fugazi - PotVsKtI - ranked list of albums

Page 3
#65 - the Beatles - TomAZ - full

Page 4
#101 - the Kinks (early period) - bmack86 - extended intro
#109 - Beethoven's 7th Symphony - mountmccabe - full (selected, incomplete)
#117 - the Cure - bmack86 - full
#118 - the Dandy Warhols - Hannahrain - full

Page 5
#124 - the Jesus and Mary Chain - mountmccabe - full
#131 - Yo La Tengo - Courtney - full
#132 - the Roots - Slushmier - full
#138 - Sonic Youth - bmack86 - full
#141 - the Rolling Stones (US albums) - sydaud - full
#146 - the White Stripes - bballarl - full

Page 6
#173 - Faith No More - thinnerair - full
#175 - Failure - thinnerair - full
#176 - Magazine - breakjaw - full

Page 7
#196 - Creed - bmack86 - full
#200 - Metallica - bmack86 - full
#202 - the Who - sydaud - full
#217 - Massive Attack - Thinnerair - Full
#219 - Elf Power - Bmack86 - Full
#225 - Genesis - Thinnerair - Intro
#232 - Bikini Kill - Mountmccabe - Full
#238 - Muse - Thinnerair -

Page 9
#241 - Big Black - Bmack86 - Full
#249 - The Arab Strap - Hannahrain - Intro
#253 - The Clash - TomAz - Full
#267 - Nick Cave - roberto73 - Full

Page 10
#299 - Jeff Buckley - PassiveTheory - Full

Page 12
#334 - Jawbox - Tylerdurden31 - Full
#338 - Hum - thinnerair - Full
#344 - REM - sydaud - Full

Page 13
#375 - Depeche Mode - Amyzzz - Extended Intro

Page 14
#395 - The Replacements - TomAz - Full
#402 - Spinal Tap - Breakjaw - Full
#405 - Cheech and Chong - Anita Bonghit - Discography
#416 - Pixies - Bmack86 - Full
#419 - Spiritualized - Bmack86 - Full

Page 15
#425 - Rush - MonsoonSeason - intro
#427 - The Orb - Desphrs - full
#446 - Miles Davis - sydaud - full

Page 16
#455 - Boards of Canada - desphrs - full
#463 - Blur - Slushmier - full
#474 - Serge Gainsbourg - bmack86 - intro
#477 - Beat Happening - bmack86 - full
#479 - Circle Jerks - york707 - full

Page 17
#504 - Joe Jackson - MsTekno - extended intro
#505 - Oasis - Stefinitely Maybe - full

Page 18
#518 - The Magnetic Fields - mountmccabe - full

Page 19
#562 - Wilco - mountmccabe, york707, and TomAz (compiled by Hannahrain) - full

Page 20
#573 - Spoon - sydaud - full
#580 - Decemberists - Hannahrain - full
#600 - Led Zeppelin - sydaud - full

Page 21
#616 - Minutemen - sydaud - full
#619 - Can - bmack86 - full (selected, incomplete)
#625 - PJ Harvey - bballarl - full

Page 22
#635 - Bjork - bmack86 - full
#649 - Cake - PassiveTheory - full
#650 - The Faint - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 23
#672 - Death Cab For Cutie - hawkingvsreeve - full

Page 24
#720 - Leonard Cohen - mountmccabe - incomplete

Page 25
#735 - Bruce Springsteen - Yablonowitz - first installment
#738 - Arto Lindsay - ragingdave - Solo work only

Page 26
#757-755 TomAz vs Yablonowitz RE: Springsteen review.
#769 - XTC - Roberto73 - partial (to be continued)

Page 27
#798 - Cursive - Hawkingvsreeve - full
#800 - XTC (II) - Roberto73 - Continuation
#801 - Joy Division/New Order - sydaud - full
#806 - Springsteen - Yablonowitz - quick overview

Page 28
#812 - Springsteen (different) - TomAz - full
#820 - Elliott Smith - mountmccabe - full
#837 - Ben Folds - Jenniehoo - full (with mix!)

Page 29
#842/847 XTC - roberto73 (w/mixes!)
#865 Replacements mix - TomAz
#868 Elvis Costello mix -TomAz

Page 30
#871 Bob Dylan mixes - TomAz
#881 Animal Collective - BMack86 - complete
#884 The Go-Betweens - Roberto73 - complete (w/mix!)
#887 Tool - Passive Theory - complete

Page 31
#909 Johnny Cash - Sydaud - incomplete (1957-59)

Page 32
#945 John Lennon - breakjaw - full (w/mix)
#959 Lucinda Williams - TomAz - full (w/mix)

Page 33
#976 Pavement - bmack - full
#984 Pavement mix - breakjaw
#988 Underworld - bballarl - intro

Page 34
#995 The Appleseed Cast - comiddle - full
#996 (summary of rock canon) - C DUB YA

Page 35
#1024 The Smiths (w/mix here) - Passive Theory
#1029 The Black Keys (w/mix) - Hannahrain
#1041 Radiohead (redux) - Radiohead727
#1043 Midnight Oil (w/2mixes!) - Roberto73
#1049 Eels (w/mix) - Roberto73

Page 36
#1054 Eels (w/mix) -Roberto73
#1060 Brian Eno -Breakjaw - Mix/w Descriptions
#1061 Roxy Music -Breakjaw - Album Art
#1073 Prodigy - Betao - Complete

Page 37
#1082 Modest Mouse - Mountmccabe - Complete
#1107 Stephen Malkmus/Jicks - Bmack86 - Complete

Page 38
#1122 The Chemical Brothers - Betao - Complete
#1135 Elbow -Stefinitely Maybe - Complete

Page 39
#1146 Love and Rockets - Roberto73 - Complete
#1158 Megadeth - Cheddar's Cousin - (Almost) Complete

Page 40
#1179 Super Furry Animals - Clecirclecir@Juno.com - Ranked List
#1184 311 - Apachedine - Ranked List

Page 41
#1220 Smashing Pumpkins - Hawkingvsreeve - Complete

Page 42
#1242 Amon Tobin - Denies the Day - Overview
#1248 Butthole Surfers - SoulDischarge - Complete

Page 43
#1271 Pixies - NicoDread - extended intro (also see Page 14, post #416)
#1281 Boris - bmack86 - complete

Page 44
#1296 Kraftwerk - bmack86 - complete
#1302 Coldplay - PassiveTheory - incomplete
#1308 Cabaret Voltaire - SoulDischarge - selected, incomplete

Page 45
#1321 Violent Femmes - jigsaw - intro
#1338 Calexico - hawkingvsreeve - complete
#1340 The Cardigans -hawkingvsreeve

Page 46
#1361 Fadgadget - SoulDischarge
#1367 Coil - SoulDischarge (incomplete?)
#1376 Beck - Bmack86

Page 47
#1391 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - roberto73
#1395 Scott Walker - wmgaretjax

[zenidogx]

Belle is one I could do as well, if need be.

please. i do enjoy your previous reviews.

[Mr. Dylanja]

It's pretty simple really, especially with Biggie.

Ready to Die - masterpiece
Life After Death - masterpiece
Born Again (and everything after) - good but who cares, he's dead RIP

Jay-Z

Reasonable Doubt - stunning masterpiece, easily one of the best hip-hop albums of all time

many good albums followed

Blueprint - another masterpiece, proved he still has it

some other good stuff

Black Album and American Gangster proved he still, after all these years, has it and is a legend without question, one of the best rappers ever, along with Biggie.


Bravo!!

[bballarl]

Echo & the Bunnymen it is!

[SoulDischarge]

This is only supplemental to the fantastic Nick Cave one, but here's the Birthday Party.

http://991.com/newgallery/Birthday-Party-Hee-Haw-412396.jpg
Hee Haw (1992)
This is a compilation of early Birthday Party recordings dating from around 1980, including the first album they recorded in their original incarnation as The Boys Next Door. There's a negligible earlier EP of Boys Next Door material called "Door, Door," but this is really where the Birthday Party begin. While it definitely shares similarities with other post punk releases of the time, the overall sound is not quite like anything else out there. Part of this is due to Nick Cave, who screams, howls, barks, moans, croons, and whines through a series of absurd vocal gymnastics that perfectly complements the noisy avant-punk of the rest of the players. "Mr. Clarinet" bangs around with a minimum of competency, employing a cheap organ to great use. "The Friend Catcher" is already a career peak, built around an infamous wall of guitar feedback sounding like a derailed train. The rest of the tracks share a sense of primitive, barely controlled chaos filled out with screeching guitar, atonal brass instruments, and a plodding, murky rhythm section. This is the sound of the house band at some long forgotten swampland whore house that Nick Cave surely visits in his nightmares every night.

A-


http://filmandmusicfashion.com/_wizardimages/TheBirthdayPartyPrayersOnFire.jpg
Prayers On Fire (1981)
The Birthday Party's undeniable masterpiece. While maintaining their unique sound and primal avant-blues-jazz-punk stomp, they added more variety to their songs and tightened their playing to a very precise attack. Cave chases his favorite obsessions (sex, religion, self-loathing) with manic fervor, sound even more unhinged than he did before (or since for that matter). It all sounds like some grand, demented, abrasive cabaret. Every song's a classic, distinct from one another but loosely related to the whole. If you're going to own only one Birthday Party album, make it this one.

A+

http://www.thewaxfactor.com/images/Birthday-Party-Junk-Yard-369373.jpg
Junkyard (1982)
'We're done fucking around' the band seemed to say with "Junkyard." A full throttle attack to the jugular, this one is unmatched in intensity by any other Birthday Party (or Bad Seeds) album. The individuality of the songs suffer a little bit due to the noise assault, but seen as one whole magnificent, bloody, ugly car crash of an album, it's pretty impressive if you're willing to take it. Even the lyrics are more gruesome this time around, covering car crashes, Shakespearean homicidal maniacs, and all manner of references to dead girls and trash. On the title track, Cave proclaims that he is the 'junkyard king,' and there's no doubting it after listening to this album.

A-

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xd-upEKZYuI/Sc_8EyQ_jtI/AAAAAAAAANo/hX4fUc9Z0cU/s320/img057.jpg
Mutiny + The Bad Seed (1983)
Impossible not to see as a transitional album between the Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds, this collection of the band's final two EPs trades in some of "Junkyard's" outright sonic terrorism for a (slightly) more restrained blues death grind. It's a pretty solid set of songs, although some times it feels like maybe there's a little bit of excess bloat, probably due to the nature of the compilation. It ends with perhaps the Birthday's Party best song, "Mutiny In Heaven," a vulgar outburst against heroin addiction. While not the purest representation of the Birthday Party, it might be a good point of entry for the uninitiated, especially Bad Seeds fans.

B+

There's also some live albums ("Drunk On The Pope's Blood" and "Live '81-82") and some Peel Sessions. There's very little new material to be found on either, although there are some Stooges covers and one of their signature songs, "Pleasure Heads Must Burn," which don't show up on any of their albums. For the fanatics only. Also of interest is a live DVD with a few studio music videos thrown in, which is a great find.

[Backwater]

Stone Temple Pilots


Core – 1992 – I don’t need to say much about this album because I’m sure all of you have heard at least half of this album unintentionally. Just like Nevermind, Ten, Superunknown and even Dirt to a lesser extent, several songs from this album were hard to get away from hearing in the early 90’s. Plush, Sex Type Thing, Creep, and Wicked Garden were all big singles. Even though it’s their most popular album (8 times platinum) it’s actually my least favorite of the five. It’s just too simple for me. Its straight forward grunge rock that’s very formulaic and safe, the standard radio grunge rock of the time. Still has lots of catchy and rocking songs on it though.
Grade: B

Purple – 1994 – I constantly go back and forth on what I think the best STP album is. It’s always changing between Purple and Shangri-La. This album is quite the opposite of a sophomore slump; it’s in fact much, much better than Core. It often gets overlooked because it didn’t sell as many copies. They took some chances with this one, it was a little more experimental but from an artistic standpoint it really paid off, just not from a business standpoint. This trend would continue throughout their careers as they never really achieved the mainstream success and popularity of Core again, unfortunately. However, their music would only get better. The variety on this album is balanced perfectly; it’s so much deeper than Core. The the opening riff of Meatplow is harder than anything on Core, yet songs like Pretty Penny and Still Remains are very mellow and subtle. The big hits that everyone’s already heard on this album are Vasoline, Interstate Love Song, and Big Empty. Unglued was a smaller hit, a nice, short punk style song. The best songs on this albums weren’t the hits by any means. My favorite song on it is Silvergun Superman with Lounge Fly and Army Ants in second and third. Fantastic album, I consider it a masterpiece, listen to it from start to finish (there’s a funny secret song at the end.)
Grade: A

Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop – 1996 – I know many people who consider this to be their best album. I don’t argue harshly against that but I just personally like Purple and Shangri-La better. This album is also fucking awesome. After SL, it’s probably their second most experimental record. From the opening song Press Play with the groovy, jazz vibe, you know things are going to be different. It’s their most mellow album overall. The hits on this were Pop’s Love Suicide, Big Bang Baby, Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart, Lady Picture Show, and Tumble in the Rough. They weren’t as inescapable as the songs on Purple and Core but you’ve still probably heard all of them. And So I Know, and Adhesive are laid back, love songs, quite the departure for Scott and co. Art School Girl is a weird little song, but it’s really cool. My favorite song on it is the last one, Seven Caged Tigers. Lots of great songs here, just not my personal favorite.
Grade: A-

No. 4 - 1999
Commonly referred to as “the one with the star on it” this album has a simple title, and it’s essentially a compilation of their different styles. The stranger, mellower stuff on Tiny Music is here along with the heavy grunge of Core. Even though they’re all new, original songs, it sort of feels like an STP’s Greatest Hits album. I know some people that think this is their best album and I’m a little harsher on them since I think its STP’s second worst album. It opens with one of their heaviest songs, Down, which was also a single. Then Heaven and Hotrods sounds very similar to Sex Type Thing, so does No Way Out, and Sex and Violence, those are clearly filler tracks. Sour Girl was the last big hit single that the band had. MC5 is a song that is a tribute to the awesome Wayne Kramer band with the same name. The lyrics have nothing to do with MC5 but it sounds like an MC5 song so they titled it that. I Got You is my favorite song here, Pruno, Glide, and Atlanta are great too, again not the hits. Overall, a pretty decent album.
Grade: B+

Shangri-La Dee Da - 2001
Despite the stupid title (I just call it Shangri-La) this is my personal favorite STP album. It’s their other masterpiece besides Purple. It’s their only album to never go Platinum and I know of many casual STP fans who have never even heard it. Most people just assumed that the songs they played off of this at the Hollywood Bowl were new songs on a possible upcoming album. It’s a real shame too, because this is such an amazing album. Everyone I know that has given this a serious listen considers it their best as well. It’s also the band’s personal favorite. There are only two songs on this album that aren’t incredible. Those are Song for Sleeping, and Days of the Week, the failed single, what do you know? Continuing the tradition that was only broken on Tiny Music, they start with a heavy song, Dumb Love. Coma is such a cool song but it’s hard to describe, just listen to it. Hollywood Bitch is catchy and fun. Wonderful is a song I didn’t really like at first but it really grew on me in a subtle way. Hello It’s Late is the only STP song that has ever made me cry. I should also mention that this is the first STP album that has slight electronic influences in it. Regeneration, Transmissions from a Lonely Room, Coma, and Bi-Polar Bear are all great songs to dance to it. Too Cool Queenie is my favorite STP song out of all five albums. It has a somewhat odd structure yet it's still somehow really catchy, and not in an annoying way like you can't get it out of your head. Long Way Home is the last track and it shows their even more increased willingness to experiment, and it has Dean’s second best solo next to Trippin on a Hole. It leaves you really excited for the next album that may, unfortunately, never come out. This is overall my favorite of theirs. I strongly recommend giving it a listen, even if you didn’t like Core; fuck that especially if you didn’t like Core. This one is different and it's great. The most underrated STP album by far. Check it out.
Grade: A+

[SoulDischarge]

Ever since I finished Coldplay, I've been itching to do another band.

What bands/artists do people want done?

How about some lesser known trip-hop/downtempo act? So much of that shit is hit and miss outside of the top tier artists.

[wmgaretjax]

Ooooh, I could do The Fall too... That would be a fun one.

[bmack86]

The Fall would be good. I've only got about 10 albums, so I barely know them at all.

[bmack86]

And, I'll do B&S tomorrow.

[jazzz]

Fad Gadget
Another great post-punk era electronic act no one cares about, Frank Tovey made some damned respectable synth pop that still holds up today (better than Duran Duran or post-Martyn Ware/Ian Marsh Human League for sure).

Fireside Favorites [1980]
The first and best full length Fad Gadget album, 'Fireside Favorites' is full of great raw, sinister synth-pop songs. There's not a weak track on here and it works well as a whole, flowing piece. Early Fad Gadget was a lot more hard edged and socially conscious than most of the New Romantic type synth-pop of the time, which is probably why he didn't top the charts and why it still sounds relevant today. The album is full of dread and paranoia; it's brightest piece is the title track, an ironic take on big band with lyrics about being roasted alive in a nuclear fallout. 'Newreel' chugs along like a Kraftwerk outtake discarded for being too inhuman. 'Insecticide' wins out for creepiest track, with Frank Tovey's distorted vocals screams about smashing his face on the windowpane over an insistent industrial beat. It all ends relatively pleasantly with 'Arch Of The Aorta,' an instrumental work out with some samples thrown on top. Essential. A+

Incontinent [1981]
Tovey took a less abrasive approach for his second album, and while it doesn't hit as hard, it's a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The first thing that stands out is an increase in instrumental tracks (three out of the nine). Luckily, these make for the some of the more interesting tracks on the album. There a couple of great slightly off-center pop songs and one or two enjoyable enough throwaways. 'Saturday Night Special' is the obvious highlight, a biting commentary on macho family politics that sounds simultaneously refined and unsettling. Recommended. B+

Under The Flag [1982]
It's here where Tovey starts to integrate the sound of the mainstream and loses some of his freshness and songwriting prowess. There's a couple of great songs, but there's just as many half hearted ones. Most of the best songs can be found on the 'Best Of,' making this album kind of irrelevant. The one essential track that isn't featured on the compilation is 'Scapegoat,' one of the catchiest songs in his catalog. 'Plainsong' is also kind of interesting. C

Gag [1984]
There's very little to recommend this album. It's over produced and under written, and like 'Under The Flag,' the important songs are on the 'Best Of.' Besides the those two tracks, the great 'Collapsing New People' and the fairly fun 'One Man's Meat,' it all pretty much sounds like generic mainstream New Wave imitations. 'Gag' is better off forgotten. D

Best Of [2001]
A best of that's not just good, but essential. The first disc is singles and hand-picked album tracks, including pretty much all of his signature tracks, while the second disc is comprised of remixes, which I never really listen to. It's easy to track Tovey's progression here while not wallowing in weak material in the second half, although the best tracks are definitely front loaded. 'Back To Nature,' 'Ricky's Hand,' 'Lady Shave,' and 'Collapsing New People,' are all great, unnerving electronic pop songs and are required listening for anyone interested in following the history of electronic music being integrated into the pop landscape. This compilation really makes the case for Fad Gadget being an over looked innovator. It's probably the only disc that's widely available too, so start here and if you like what you hear, get ahold of the first two albums too. A+


Also, I may or may not make an attempt at Coil at some point.

Very nice someone here respects a very underrated artist like FAD GADGET aka FRANK TOVEY.. He was being very productive again right before his untimely death. RIP Fad Gadget was one of the first artist to establish the now mega MUTE Records. I was and still am' very bummed over his death (like Strummer). I recommend the new double disc+DVD "Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey"

BTW Frank Tovey put out great records under his real name.. more Nick Cave/Tindersticks great stuff

[Sushov23]

The Fall=27 albums(If I remember correctly). Good luck.

[jazzz]

The Fall=27 albums(If I remember correctly). Good luck.

and most are fuckin' great!!

[wmgaretjax]

The Fall=27 albums(If I remember correctly). Good luck.

So much better than the Merzbow I'm working on... Which is up to a 80 at this point...

[SoulDischarge]

I thought about doing The Fall but I'm only really intimately familiar with everything up to Bend Sinister. So a 90's primer would be much appreciated. (And 27 is probably just studio albums. There's at least twice as many in compilations, live albums, EPs, side projects (Marc Riley & The Creepers, anyone?), bootlegs, etc.)

[wmgaretjax]

Yeah. If I do it, I'll stick to studio albums.

Has anyone listened to Von Sudenfed much? The first track is fucking killer but the rest of the album is solid as well.

[Backwater]

What do you guys think of my assessment of STP, agree, disagree?

[PassiveTheory]

How about some lesser known trip-hop/downtempo act? So much of that shit is hit and miss outside of the top tier artists.

I would, but the only ones who have stuck around long enough have less than 4 albums.

Would it be against the rules if I did a career retrospective on Dan the Automater?

[roberto73]

Ooooh, I could do The Fall too... That would be a fun one.


The Fall would be good. I've only got about 10 albums, so I barely know them at all.

The Fall has so many albums that they might be a band worth splitting up between a few folks. I've got most of their stuff, so a collaboration might be fun.

[bballarl]

What do you guys think of my assessment of STP, agree, disagree?

I thought it was completely reasonable.

[betao]

I may do a Thievery Corporation one in a bit.

[Backwater]

Have you heard Shangri-La bballarl? Has anyone listened to that album?

[Backwater]

I just noticed that Eminem hasn't been done yet. I'll do that next. Ween is going to take me a little while.

[bmack86]

I liked it when it came out, but haven't listened to it in years.

[Backwater]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGCR5hGbd-E

[jazzz]

Alright. So I did Cabaret Voltaire, but I never really heard any of their late 80s and on stuff due to lack of interest, but I figured not enough people have heard the early material so it was worth doing. If anyone has any insights into the later era, feel free to add on to mine. Also, I'm putting in a request for Parliament/Funkadelic. I could probably do Beck, since I have damned near every song he's ever released, but my summary would end at Midnite Vultures. Maybe Salah should hit it and if you need any buffering on things like 'Golden Leftovers,' let me know.

Cabaret Voltaire: The Early Years

Mix-Up

This was the first full length Cabaret Voltaire album, and it's as alien sounding as anything in their catalog. While a lot of their early records were admittedly uneven, the otherworldy atmosphere is unmatched anywhere else in recorded music, including the Cab's later releases. This probably isn't the best starting place for the uninitiated, but it shouldn't go ignored. Opening with a piece of nightmare dub called 'Kirlian Photography,' the band proceeds to slither through eight more tracks of subterranean death grooves, including a truly possessed cover of the Seeds' 'No Escape.' The rest of the tracks deal in tape manipulation, primitive electronic beats, spaced out distorted guitar drones, and growled vocals to varying degrees of success. The album drags in the middle with two go-nowhere experiments, 'Eyeless Sight' and 'Photophobia,' but picks up again on one of the band's best 3 a.m. paranoia jams, 'On Every Other Street.'
B


The Voice Of America
Although retaining some of the unevenness that afflicted the first album, the songs that do work on the Cab's second release are stronger, creepier, and even kind of funky, in a mutant sort of way. Even the meandering rhythm&noise experiments are more distinctive on this release. A lot of the tracks use a combination of simplistic, tacky drum machines, spare bass notes, squelching electronics, a variety of strange noises and samples fading in and out a la Lee Perry dub, and cold, harsh vocal proclamations to create surprisingly catchy grooves, albeit ones from some deep dark underworld. Highlights include 'Kneel To The Boss,' 'This Is Entertainment,' (where Stephen Mallinder dares you to disagree that 'this is entertainment, this is fun'), 'Obsession,' and 'Messages Received.' From here, the band would ditch some of it's primitiveness and start coalescing its experiments into some of the best death disco of the era.
B+


Red Mecca
'Red Mecca' is somewhat of a transitional record between Cabaret Voltaire's earlier, noisier, dub-inspired work and their later dance-orientated releases, and is considered their peak by many. After opening with their take on the 'Touch Of Evil' theme, they tear through seven tracks of disturbingly hypnotic grooves before ending with a reprise of the first track. Besides the 'Touch Of Evil' themes, there isn't a single throwaway track here. Each song pounds, drones, and screeches with forward momentum, wrapping the atmospherics of dread with killer rhythm tracks, keeping the songs consistently engaging rather than directionless. As good a starting place for Cabaret Voltaire as any.
A+


2X45
Here's where the Cabs truly become a dance band, and it shows from the very opening notes of 'Breathe Deep.' Polyrhythmic drumming, deep bass, and even blaring horns make this, by a long shot, the liveliest track the band had recorded yet. The distorted, growling guitar, electronics, and vocals are still there though, making it still distinctly their own. Another sign of change for the band is the departure of their main tape manipulator, Chris Watson; half of the six tracks were recorded with him and half without. This album also contains one of my all time personal favorite songs, 'Yashar,' mixing what could be the soundtrack to a Middle Eastern horror film with polyrhythmic drumming and strange samples regarding the location of the 70 billion people of Earth. This is one of the darkest dance albums ever released, and one of the best. Essential.
A+


The Crackdown
'The Crackdown' takes the dance inspired beats of '2X45' even further and cuts down on some of the Cab's distinctive atmosphere. Still, there's no mistaking this for any other band with catchy mutant disco jams like 'Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself).' Some of the band's catchiest tracks are on here, and it still manages to maintain that balance between menace and fun they perfected on their previous album. Strangely, it also has one of their most haunting atmosphere tracks, 'Double Vision,' randomly thrown in towards the end. Anyone who's into industrial dance music should pick this up, as it's one of the most influential predecessors to bands like Front 242.
B


Micro-Phonies
This album is considered the end of Cabaret Voltaire's classic period, and it's obvious why. I haven't really heard much of anything after this, but it seems pretty clear where the band was heading. There's still a few stand out classic tracks, including probably their absolute best dance single, 'Sensoria,' and that alone makes this worth owning. Still, by and large, this albums lacks much of the innovation found in abundance on previous albums. It's an enjoyable enough listen in a few spots, but definitely the least essential album recorded thusfar.
C


8 Crepuscule Tracks
An expansion of an earlier EP, these eight songs are mostly middle of the road rhythm experiments. It includes the three parts of 'Sluggin' For Jesus,' which throws some typical Cab sound effects over samples of preachers. Also contained is an inferior remix of 'Yashar,' and a cover of the 'Shaft' theme. None of this stuff is required listening, but it makes for an interesting enough curiosity.
C


Living Legends
A compilation of early singles and EPs, this collection contains some of Cabaret Voltaire's definitive tracks. 'Do The Mussolini (Headkick)' and 'Nag Nag Nag' are all time classics, and the cover of the Velvet Underground's 'Here She Comes Now' improves upon the original, adding all kinds of bad vibes. Half the album plays out like a greatest hits package for a best selling pop group in the sixth dimension. The other half is full of instrumental grooves and experiments in ambience. The end is heavily loaded with the weakest examples of the latter and make it kind of a drag to listen to all the way through, but there's enough high quality material on here to make this a really good starting point.
B+


1974-1976
Yet another compilation of early material, this focuses on early unreleased experiments. There are only vague seeds of what the band would become only a couple of years later, but it doesn't quite sound like Cabaret Voltaire or anyone else much either. The closest point of comparison would be something like Black Dice for the mid-70s. Forward thinking, original material for sure, but it doesn't really hold up to repeat listenings. Similar to this (which I'm not covering since I haven't heard it for a couple of years) is the 3-disc 'Methodology' compilation of early sound snippets and experiments. These releases are really only for the dedicated fan who want to trace this unique band's evolution.
D+



Again nice... If I knew how to type fast I would continue... CABARET VOLTAIRE are amazing that date back to the early 70's like Kraftwerk. Late 80's they went a bit more commercial white boy funk but there are gems worth seeking...

THE CRACKDOWN
MICROPHONIES
DRINKING GASOLINE
THE COVENANT, THE SWORD AND THE ARM OF THE LORD
CODE
GROOVY LAID BACK AND NASTY

Then it was ACID HOUSE

COLOURS

PLASTICITY
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
THE CONVERSATION

And of course be sure to check out Richard H. Kirk solo and his under his Sandoz name...

All amazing

[orbit]

someone needs to do a full bowie.

[bballarl]

Funny, I was just going to ask about Bowie. I finally dl'd Ziggy Stardust tonight. And I have had Rebel Rebel stuck in my head all evening.

[Backwater]

When I worked at Blockbuster they had that song on the loop in those promontional commercial monitors. It was very annoying but I still love Bowie, I won't let that company ruin it for me.

[bmack86]

I could do Bowie with some research as well.
So, in the next few, I'll get done Belle and Sebastian, Bowie and The Mae Shi, who, to my surprise, have 5 albums.

[sbessiso]

You're doing Bowie, Bmack?? I'm excited for it

[bmack86]

So, first off

Belle and Sebastian

They are noted, perhaps even moreso than their albums, for their EP work. However, as they have a fantastic collection of their EPs, I'm going to review that as a whole rather than each individual EP release. Ho.

Tigermilk (1996)
It all began as a school project helmed by scotsman Stuart Murdoch. It was basically a bedroom recording project that he helmed with some friends from around the area. And, you know what, I hope it got an A, because it's a great, great album. Starting off with The State I'm In, one of their all time best songs, they quickly get on the plot. This is cult music. It's subtle, quiet indie pop, full of highly literate lyrics about outcasts obsessed with sex, relationships and religion. The stories are funny and moving, and the music, while simple, is perfect for these lyrics. Electronic Renaissance is a weird electronic detour, and probably the only bum track on this. It's a subdued, quiet recording, but it's the start of a beautiful career.
Grade: A

If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)
"Make a new cult every day to suit your affairs." That's the start of one of the best albums you'll ever pick up. Ten songs of perfection. The Stars of Track and Field starts off beyond quiet, just Stuart Murdoch's voice and a barely strummed guitar. Halfway thru, the makeshift orchestra kicks in. There are a few strings, some horns, and it all works out perfectly. I could describe every song in detail, but it would probably ruin the fun of listening to this. Just know, if you've ever even remotely liked this stuff that people call Indie Pop or Twee or whatever the hell you want to call it, this is the pinnacle. It doesn't sound like the kind of music that'll change your life, but, when you spin it for the 100th time in a week, you'll know. Also, at some point, every one of these ten songs has been my favorite Belle and Sebastian song. Pon Atencion.
Grade: There's not a grade for this stuff.

The Boy With The Arab Strap (1998)
This came out after the first streak of EPs, which found them branching out from Stuart's subtle indie pop songs filled with quirky characters and beautiful melodies. Isobel Campbell became more of a leading role, writing some songs, and Stevie Jackson and Stuart David both started writing. Rather than being Murdoch's band, Belle started to become a democracy. It works fleetingly on here, as Seymour Stein (Sung by Stevie) and Is It Wicked Not To Care (Sung by Isobel) are both fantastic songs, some of the heights of their catalog. Also, It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career, Sleep the Clock Around and The Boy With The Arab Strap are great continuations of the Murdoch template of quirky lyrics with great melodies and orchestration. However, there are some duds on here, most notably Stuart David's A Space Boy Dream, which is a plodding and abysmal story about a kid who goes into space. Skip. There are some classics on here, and it's well worth listening to, but it's not nearly as good as the last two albums, and showed the band struggling to maintain an identity with new people coming into focus.
Grade: B

Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (2000)
This one was much maligned when it came out, and many people still ignore it as the low point of the band. Personally, this one, despite the fact that it shows the strain of too many people trying to voice their ideas at once, is a better album than TBWTAS, even if it doesn't have as many great songs. Only I Fought In A War is up to the high quality of Stuart Murdoch's work, but Davis, Stevie, Isobel and Sarah Martin all contribute songs that work quite well. It's not a great album, by any means, and it's a bit too dark for Belle and Sebastian, as their music works best when hiding the darkness under a pop layer, but it's better than people remember, and I'd highly recommend anyone who's written it off listen again.
Grade: B

Storytelling (2002)
This one's weird. It's a score for a Solonz movie, but most of the score wasn't used. It also came during the band's undeniable low point, where they were swiftly falling apart. By the end of this year, both Stuart Davis and Isobel Campbell were out of the band, somewhat bitterly, and many critics thought that they were done for. Listening to the sketches (that's all they are) on here, you wouldn't blame anyone for thinking exactly that. The ideas are half baked, nothing stays with you, and it barely even sounds like movie music. It's not worth seeking out, unless you need everything.
Grade: D-

Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
After four years of erratic albums, tours and press, many people had written off Belle and Sebastian as done for. Remember that? Probably not, because this album came out and shut people up. Widely hailed as the best thing that they'd done since If You're Feeling Sinister, I would definitely agree. Trevor Horn of The Buggles produced, and he brings a more polished sound to the recording. It works wonders when combined with the fact that Stuart Murdoch is once again the sole writer. His vision has expanded from the early pop stories that became his trademark as well as his prison. Here, he breaks from his mold, adding touches of dance music and riff rock to the familiar Belle and Sebastian palette. I'm A Cuckoo is a great song, and it nicks the guitar line from The Boys Are Back in Town. Step Into My Office Baby continues their streak of perfect openers (Storytelling doesn't count), a great horn section and a fun lyric coming together to make for an awesome song. There's not a bad one on here, and, while this doesn't reach the heights of Tigermilk or Sinister, it's a great return to form from a band that people had written off as dead.
Grade: A-

Push Barman To Open Old WOunds (2005)
The aforementioned EP collection. This wraps up all their EP work leading up to Dear Catastrophe Waitress. The first disc contains Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane and 3...6...9 Seconds of Light. If they had released this as their third album rather than three EPs, it would have been huge. As it is, this is one of the best single discs you'll ever hear. The version of The State I'm In here is the iconic recording, more rough and open, and so much better than the Tigermilk version. Belle And Sebastian is an insanely catchy tale about a boy and a girl. Dog On Wheels cops some spanish music motifs. Lazy Line Painter Jane is a fantastic duet. Again, there's not a bum note amongst these. The second disc contains the fourth 1998 EP, This Is Just a Modern Rock Song, as well as Legal Man, Jonathan Davis and I'm Waking Up To Us. Surprise, despite the fact that this era of the band was much more spotty than the first few years, these EPs are uniformly fantastic. Jonathan David, The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner and Legal Man are fantastic. I'm Waking Up To Us, however, is better than fantastic. It belongs in any short list of their best work, and is one of the best songs of this decade. It's a great love song, and you'll love it. There is nary a bad song in this collection, and it's probably the best place to start with them, as you get to hear the evolution of the band with some of their best songs.
Grade- A+

The Life Pursuit (2006)
Between the acclaim for Dear Catastrophe Waitress, the fantastic EP compilation, and a highly regarded tour, Belle and Sebastian were riding on a high at the release of this one. Amazingly enough, they topped their last one, delivering an even more tight and developed set. It continues from the explorations on Waitress, but on even more masterful songs. This is the most mature and assured sounding Belle and Sebastian. As a result of the increased touring, the band sounds stronger than ever, working tightly and deftly on these tracks. Every song is a highlight, and this one proved that their comeback wasn't a fluke. I can't wait for the new album.

Grade: A

[zenidogx]

job well done bmack.

[miscorrections]

B&S are the ones responsible for getting me into music. I remember hearing them in high school and it was a complete revelation.

[bballarl]

One of my favorite moments in any song is when Stuart's voice kind of goes up in Stars of Track and Field..."To get arooooooooooound the traaaaaaack and now sheeeeeeeeee's on herrrrrrrrrr baaaackkkkkkk....". That part. I love that for some reason.

[wmgaretjax]

thanks Bryan. I know Tigermilk, The Life Pursuit, and Sinister... Nice to get a low down on the others.

[bmack86]

B&S are the ones responsible for getting me into music. I remember hearing them in high school and it was a complete revelation.

Same here. My best friend's older brother made me a mix that just had Belle and Sebastian and Elliott Smith. It was played to death by the time I graduated.

[miscorrections]

I really like all their output. I do disagree with you on Fold Your Hands..., I think it's better than a B. Maybe a B+; The Model and Don't Leave The Light On Baby are both fantastic highlights.

[roberto73]

I really like all their output. I do disagree with you on Fold Your Hands..., I think it's better than a B. Maybe a B+; The Model and Don't Leave The Light On Baby are both fantastic highlights.

I, on the other hand, would give it a C or C+. To me, it's always felt like an uneasy mix of songs where the band unsuccessfully tries to do something new, and songs where the band does less exciting versions of things they do well.

[miscorrections]

I'm just blinded by love.

[SoulDischarge]

'Legal Man' always makes me feel like I'm having the best day ever. And the video is a total letdown.

[Sushov23]

I wrote Salah a guide to start listening to Jay-Z, and I decided to post it for everyone. It's somewhat jumbled together, but it should make sense, let me know if you have anymore questions:
I would recommend you start with Reasonable Doubt, and after that listen to The Blueprint. Reasonable Doubt is very raw, and that is when he was rhyming, and had a fast flow. A LOT OF GREAT SONGS, Can I live?, Aint no N****, Brooklyn's Finest, The Blueprint is when Jay-Z threw many for a loop with the soulful sound, that was aided by Kanye. After that album The Black Album because that is where lyrically he is at his prime. Then if you still want more jay-Z, you can listen to Vol.1 which is sorta like part 2 of Reasonable Doubt, but not as great, or raw. Vol.2 is his weakest album, some filler. Vol.3 IS VERY UNDERRATED. Dynasty Roc The Family is another great one but one thing I will say is that it's more of a posse album. Actually it was supposed to be a ROC album, but Jay-Z added some songs, and put it out as a solo album. The Blueprint 2 is a great album once you cut out like 7-8 songs and make it one disc, but you gotta give it all a shot. Then after that get into his last two albums because they are different, and basically stand on their own two, call it a diff. era if you want. There you go that is a somewhat confusing, but accurate way of going about listening to all of Jay-Z albums. Then once you fall in love with him, get the MTV unplugged and smoke a joint, and witness the emergence of the best rapper ever.

[sbessiso]

yeah this is perfect, thanks a ton broseph!

[Sushov23]

your welcome. I wish I had the time to do a full album by album review. I just haven't had the time. I would even include the Streets is Watching Stdk. Both Best of Both Worlds albums with R.Kelly. Jay-Z ghostwriting A SHIT LOAD OF THE DRE CHRONIC 2001 album for DRE. All his other remixes, and posse cuts, and b-sides. OH Sbess, listen to Dear Summer, it's the last track on Memphis Bleek's album, also on the Puff Daddy album there is a song called young G's, Jay-z goes off on that track.

[sbessiso]

chillllll, I've got my work cut out for me already

[Sushov23]

chillllll, I've got my work cut out for me already

sorry man, just writing that paragraph got me all excited. I wish I was going to the Palladium show in LA.

[sbessiso]

I know I will see him perform in my lifetime, I can feel it. I can't wait for that day

[Sushov23]

I know I will see him perform in my lifetime, I can feel it. I can't wait for that day

it's called Coachella 2009.

[sbessiso]

there's no room for him, what with The White Stripes, Outkast and Bowie headlining

[Sushov23]

Jay-Z>>>>>outkast.

[PassiveTheory]

As someone who only has the Boy with the Arab Strap, I'm fascinated enough with Bryan's review to go out and complete the collection.

The last couple pages have had some awesome reviews, B&S and Nick Cave stand out. Keep up the awesome work.

[sbessiso]

Jay-Z>>>>>outkast.

uh-oh. we should stop

[Backwater]

I wrote Salah a guide to start listening to Jay-Z, and I decided to post it for everyone. It's somewhat jumbled together, but it should make sense, let me know if you have anymore questions:
I would recommend you start with Reasonable Doubt, and after that listen to The Blueprint. Reasonable Doubt is very raw, and that is when he was rhyming, and had a fast flow. A LOT OF GREAT SONGS, Can I live?, Aint no N****, Brooklyn's Finest, The Blueprint is when Jay-Z threw many for a loop with the soulful sound, that was aided by Kanye. After that album The Black Album because that is where lyrically he is at his prime. Then if you still want more jay-Z, you can listen to Vol.1 which is sorta like part 2 of Reasonable Doubt, but not as great, or raw. Vol.2 is his weakest album, some filler. Vol.3 IS VERY UNDERRATED. Dynasty Roc The Family is another great one but one thing I will say is that it's more of a posse album. Actually it was supposed to be a ROC album, but Jay-Z added some songs, and put it out as a solo album. The Blueprint 2 is a great album once you cut out like 7-8 songs and make it one disc, but you gotta give it all a shot. Then after that get into his last two albums because they are different, and basically stand on their own two, call it a diff. era if you want. There you go that is a somewhat confusing, but accurate way of going about listening to all of Jay-Z albums. Then once you fall in love with him, get the MTV unplugged and smoke a joint, and witness the emergence of the best rapper ever.

I agree with all of this but D'Evils, Feeling It, and Dead Presidents II. Fuck it, that whole album is so great. I think Outkast makes better albums consistently, but Jay-Z is a better lyricist than both Andre and Big Boi combined.

[Sushov23]

I agree with all of this but D'Evils, Feeling It, and Dead Presidents II. Fuck it, that whole album is so great. I think Outkast makes better albums consistently, but Jay-Z is a better lyricist than both Andre and Big Boi combined.

Yeah, I was just pointing out some of the songs. I should have just listed the whole album, Coming of Age is classic Bleek, Jay-Z 1-2, so is 22 two's. DUDE no way Jay-Z was consistent throughout, add the fact that he was dropping a new album every year, scratch that even when retired an album was coming out every year since 96. So that tops outkast, not to mention Jay-Z is the greatest ever.

[Backwater]

Have you given a real good listen to Outkast's first four albums? I'll give you Reasonable Doubt, but the trilogy doesn't even compare to early Outkast.

[Sushov23]

Yes I have listened to all the Outkast albums actually. They are all good except for Idlewild. The thing is Jay-Z catalog>Outkast Catalog.

[Backwater]

I'd say it's really close, but I personally prefer the unique Southern style.

[bmack86]

The Mae Shi

They're an LA band, and they've shifted styles fairly largely throughout their career. They have a shifting lineup, and it obviously affects the music. Regardless, they've been awesome since the beginning.

Caution: The Mae Shi aren't an album act either, when compared to their live show. They're such a fantastic live band that their albums pale in comparison. I'll be reviewing these without that input, but keep that in mind if these review intrigue you.

To Hit Armor Class Zero (2003)
They started with a 5 song, 60 minute EP. That's a great way to begin such a weird and varied career. The first four songs are indicative of their early oeuvre, a weird melange of hardcore, dance punk, post punk and noise rock. Ezra Buchla screams and wails, and the band plays at a breakneck pace, with frequent tempo changes and shifts in music. It's awesome, energetic punk, and if you like that stuff, it's well worth hearing. However, the final track is a weird doozy of a recording, and points towards Buchla's newer band Gowns. It's a 50 minute experimental piece made with a series of Buchla synthesizers. These are early analog synths made by Ezra's father, and they create some amazing sounds. This track is more akin to experimental electronic recordings from the 60s than the punk of the rest of the release, and it lets you know that these guys mean business.

Grade: B

Terrorbird (2004)
The first full length, this one is wild. It runs shorter than the first EP, and contains 32 songs. These are short, wild bursts, reminiscent of the first Wire album in their ability to cram great ideas into short bursts rather than stretch them to points where they might grow stale. They are already branching out from the punk bursts, even if tracks like Power To The Power Bite Two and Revelation Three are awesome energy bursts. Do It is a classic, a chant filled with screams and post punk guitars. Some songs sound like they could have come from Gang of Four, some have multipart vocal explosions, and some just go wild. It's all over the place, and it might be too ADD for some, but there are tons of great little tracks on here, if you have enough time to parse them out.

Grade: A-

Heartbeeps EP (2005)
The songs get longer, ideas develop more, and the pop sensibility starts to show through. Ezra has more control of his voice, and both Jeff Byron (Guitar) and Tim Byron (Bass) become more creative. Also, Buchla's synth work moves from noise blasts to melodic additions. The first half of the EP runs quickly, with fast paced songs that nonetheless are more distinguished than the past two releases. The songs on the second half are multipart epics, despite their relative brevity. Within three minutes they cram hip hop beats, synth pop blasts, hardcore bursts and stuff that can increasingly be described only as Mae Shi music: poppy hardcore filled with ecstatic group vocals, quick turns, weird synths and apocalyptic, pseudo-religious lyrics. Like the past two, you have to listen to this as a whole, and this is even harder to pick songs off, as they take motifs from the start of the recording and slowly build them, an idea that they toyed with on Terrorbird. Another step forward.

Grade: A-

Do Not Ignore the Potential (2006)
This is a split they did with Rapider Than Horsepower, and it further captures the sound they'd been developing. This might be the first real "Mae Shi" album, in that it sticks more fully to the sound they'd been slowly developing. Ezra's vocals are in full force here, and they make knotty, multipart prog-pop-punk songs that are complex as well as catchy. They play at a breakneck speed and thrash all over the place. They lyrics aren't as great and odd here as on the other releases. This seemed like it would be the last step before the band stepped into a larger public eye (at this point they were routinely playing to less than 100 people in their hometown, and drawing even fewer people outside of LA). It's a cool recording, and in many ways the end of an era.

Grade: A-

Hlllyh (2008)
In 2006, the Mae Shi had a huge shakeup. They had frequently toyed with their lineup, but Ezra Buchla and Corey Fogel (Drummer) both left the band. In addition, Brad Breeck (Guitar, Keys and Drums) and Tim Byron (Bass) decided to quit touring, and devoted themselves only to recording and playing in LA. All this shakeup could have created a disjointed album or something lacking focus. Some Mae Shi fans feel that is the case, but, in my opinion, this is their defining statement up to this point. The keyboards are now an integral, essential part of the sound. The guitars are less jagged, the drums more insistent and the bass more pounding. The band spent more time on this recording, and the quality in both sound and songwriting is heads above prior releases. Jonathan Gray, the new singer, isn't as developed a wailer as Ezra, but he has an intimidating manic energy that lends these songs an edge despite their pop structure and incredibly catchy melodies. They go from Run To Your Grave's great band sing alongs and rocking synth pop to Party Politics' guitar rock to Kingdom Come's techno megamix to Divine Harvest's campfire ending. Lyrically, this is a concept album about the biblical apocalypse as seen from a variety of viewpoints. It's awesome in its scope, it's reach and its amazingly quick development from the spare structures of their early recordings. This is one of my favorite recordings of this year, and an amazing statement.

Grade: A+

[wmgaretjax]

I think Kingdom Come is pretty awful once the gimmick wears off... Terrorbird is by far my favorite Mae Shi album. I like the new one, just not the direction I would have preferred.

[Backwater]

I think Kingdom Come is pretty awful once the gimmick wears off...

I agree, it's much worse than anything Outkast ever did, including Idlewild.

[wmgaretjax]

I agree, it's much worse than anything Outkast ever did, including Idlewild.

hahaha. I was talking about the Mae Shi song off the latest album... But that album sucks too...

[Sushov23]

that album is good, it does not suck. The thing is it's not his best, it's better than most hip hop albums that came out in 06(while I know that isn't saying much right now), but it's a solid album. The Prelude, Oh My God, Kingdom Come, Lost one, Minority Report, 30 somethin, Show Me What You Got(those drums are killer) are all good to great songs. Now that I think about it, shit this is an underrated album. I just got done relistening to it, this record was nothing more than just celebrating life, and it succeded all while lost one, and Minority Report are on the more serious side. It was a warm up for what would eventually become the Instant Classic American Gangster. Go listen to Kingdom Come again and then report back, before you even give me shit.

[greenplastic875]

I'd like to do Talk Talk if no one has done it yet.

[Backwater]

the Instant Classic American Gangster.

That's a bit of a stretch. I think it's a great album, I would call it a classic if it wasn't based off of a movie (lame gimmick.) Don't get me wrong, I love Jay-Z, just not as much as you do. I've listened to Kingdom Come several times, not by choice, my friends need more variety in their cars. The only rappers that I think are better than Jay-Z are Biggie, Rakim, Eminem and KRS-One. Yes, I think Jay-Z is better than Tupac.

[Sushov23]

That's a bit of a stretch. I think it's a great album, I would call it a classic if it wasn't based off of a movie (lame gimmick.) Don't get me wrong, I love Jay-Z, just not as much as you do. I've listened to Kingdom Come several times, not by choice, my friends need more variety in their cars. The only rappers that I think are better than Jay-Z are Biggie, Rakim, Eminem and KRS-One. Yes, I think Jay-Z is better than Tupac.

Tupac is overrated, he always has been. He is great so don't try and twist my words people. Dude Eminem? sorry man, pick up on some more Jay-Z, and then listen to more and more hiphop. Biggie might be a better lyricist, but the issue with him is he only had 2 albums, and KRS can't touch Jay-Z. It's like comparing a 60's football team, to a team now. You can't. Now Rakim can make a case, but slightly Jay-Z>Rakim.

[Sushov23]

BTW American Gangster=INSTANT CLASSIC, CLASSIC MAN.

[Backwater]

Dude Eminem? sorry man, pick up on some more Jay-Z, and then listen to more and more hiphop.

I've listened to every Jay-Z album. Reasonable Doubt - an unreasonable amount of times, Blueprint, Black and American Gangster- at least 15 times each, and the other ones - not so much because they're really not that good.
Maybe it's because I'm white but Eminem is undeniably great. He only has four albums but everyone is fucking solid, especially Slim Shady L.P. and the Eminem Show (both A+ albums.) Quality over quantity for me. Plus, he is also good at freestyle battles. Let's see Jay-Z up against Iron Soloman, Nocando, Franco, Juice and the rest of ScribbleJam's finest, he would get crushed like a cockroach. KRS-One? Okay, maybe Jay-Z is better from an objective standpoint but I'm a sucker for KRS, I just get all caught up in his positive messages.

[Sushov23]

dude, Jay-Z in a battle would kill all the scribble jam mc's. Look for old school Jay-Z tapes they are out there, man you are missing out. I don't just say Jay-Z is the best rapper because of his albums, or popularity or whatever else. There is the streets aspect to it, back when he would get challenged, and people would try to clown him, biggie went through the same thing. Eminem is the most overrated rapper of all time. His first album sucked(infinite) then the next two are great(MMLP, and Slim shady LP, then the eminem show is good not great, Encore was just a heaping pile of fucking GARBAGE. so Eminem is 3 for 5 man.

[Backwater]

dude, Jay-Z in a battle would kill all the scribble jam mc's.

Hahahaha. Go to ScribbleJam sometime and your opinion will change.




Eminem is the most overrated rapper of all time.

Whoa! Lil' Wayne? Young Jeezey? Lil Bow Wow? Master P? Vanilla Ice?


His first album sucked(infinite)

That wasn't exactly his major label debut.


the eminem show is good not great, Encore was just a heaping pile of fucking GARBAGE.

You're completely wrong about Eminem Show not being great. Give it another listen. Encore has some really great songs on it like: Yellow Brick Road, Mockingbird, Like Toy Soldiers and Rain Man.

[wmgaretjax]

Whoa! Lil' Wayne? Young Jeezey? Lil Bow Wow? Master P? Vanilla Ice?

It takes a certain kind of person for me to defend Sushov... He'll testify to that... But Eminem is fucking trash. Then you insult Lil Wayne?

tsk...

I don't think Jay Z is the best rapper of all time or anything, but he'd lick the floor with Eminem... Eminem has just done the same song 40 times, that's all there is to it.

[Backwater]

Do you like any of Dr.Dre's stuff? I wouldn't like Eminem nearly as much as I do if it weren't for the huge assistance from Dre.

[Sushov23]

Do you like any of Dr.Dre's stuff? I wouldn't like Eminem nearly as much as I do if it weren't for the huge assistance from Dre.

Dre is so damn overrated in the 2000's. NO ALBUM(Chronic 2001 came out in 99) he has produced few hits, and a lot more beats that are subpar. He needs to get hungry again, that is why Detox hasn't come out. He just don't have the passion he once had or something.

[Mr. Dylanja]

Sushy never fails to baffle me, no perspective whatsoever...

[paulb]

dude, Jay-Z in a battle would kill all the scribble jam mc's. Look for old school Jay-Z tapes they are out there, man you are missing out. I don't just say Jay-Z is the best rapper because of his albums, or popularity or whatever else. There is the streets aspect to it, back when he would get challenged, and people would try to clown him, biggie went through the same thing. Eminem is the most overrated rapper of all time. His first album sucked(infinite) then the next two are great(MMLP, and Slim shady LP, then the eminem show is good not great, Encore was just a heaping pile of fucking GARBAGE. so Eminem is 3 for 5 man.

Marshall Mathers LP is a fuckin excellent cd.... Slim Shady LP was so great aswell... it would be nice if he could actually put a cd out that could compete with that greatness

[PassiveTheory]

So, because I can't get any goddamn sleep, I decided to do Nightmares on Wax, especially since he has a new album out:

What you have to understand about Nightmares on Wax is that George Evelyn, the man behind NOW, and his ex-partner Kevin Harper were, essentially, the second trip hop act. Chronologically speaking, they released their first album mere months after Massive Attack's Blue Lines but, despite the neo-soul, jazzy tennants of their music, Nightmares on Wax (despite being more prolific than the well known trip hop acts of our day and age) just never achieved the same level of fame or aggrandation as Tricky, Portishead or Massive Attack.

That being said, the music George makes is absolutely fantastic. Nightmares on Wax CDs ought to find their way into your collection eventually, as they are great albums to put on, sit down, smoke a bowl, and relax.

http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog%5CN%5CNightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20A%20Word%20Of%20Science%5CNightmares%20On%20Wax %20-%20A%20Word%20Of%20Science.jpg

A Word of Science - 1991

This release in 1991 saw the emergence of Nightmares of Wax, initially a two-man downtempo DJ group comprised of George Evelyn and Kevin Harper. Though their contemporaries (i.e. Portishead and Massive Attack) went on to receive universal acclaim for their work, Nightmares on Wax were relegated to the back of the proverbial downtempo spectrum, but that doesn't matter seeing as the act (now a one-man group) continues to thrive to this day.

Enough babbling, onto the review!

The album starts with what I consider status quo for Nightmares on Wax with the song "Nights Interlude", an organ driven, soft-served downtempo chill out track. It is followed by the outrageously strange, disturbingly operatic, and dance-oriented "A Cascade of Funk". That song is weird, enough said. "Coming Down" has the feel of an Underworld b-side, incredibly dark but with sparse bursts of bright Depeche Mode-like synth. Skip over to "Biofeedback" which has the odd feel of someone tinkering around with a xylophone ran through a synth, producing some interesting, nearly danceable, results. "Mega Donutz" is essentially a hip hop track with the artist Tosney rapping over a circulatory dramatic piano riff. Weird. But the sparse bursts of a faded soul track in the background when the riff breaks save the song. "Playtime" is probably the best song on the album, as it's a suggestion of what's to come for Nightmares on Wax: a chill oriented song with a constantly burgeoning keyboard riff set under the sounds of a woman moaning softly. Awesome. "Aftermath"'s beginning reminds me a lot of Groove Armada, but it ends up being yet another drum-driven dance track on the album. "Fun"'s bass, raised to an odd-mid level that sounds oddly like a wind instrument, is worth a couple of listens, but it's nothing special. "Back Into Time" is interesting as it's essentially an a capella song with a downtempo drum beat in the background. Skip over to "E.A.S.E" and it's muddy horn-driven-ness for the next good track on the album, and finish it off with the raucous shout out anthem of "How Ya Doin'".

A Word of Science definitely feels like a struggle between one artist who tends to have a really good idea of what he wants to do (the hip-hop oriented tracks represent this) and an artist striving for something more, something different, but not coming to terms with what that is (the tracks that sound more like ambient techno show this). That's probably why the two split, with Harper leaving to DJ, and Evelyn carrying on the name. That being said, it's a good start but with only a couple of standouts ("Playtime", "E.A.S.E.", "Nights Interlude", and "Fun") it's just okay.

Grade: C

http://www.trip-hop.net/images/jacquettes/big/290.jpg

Smokers Delight - 1995

In the circles I travel, this has been called George Evelyn's best work (also noteworthy is that the disc was the first one Evelyn released on his own) but let's see if those statements hold any water...

That being said, it continues the trend (and naming) of amazingly beautiful album openers with the mesmerizing "Nights Introlude", an alternate take on the opener fromthe previous album. This organ-oriented piece with a beautiful string opening, makes me feel like I'm driving around the city on a beautiful dark night. It's definitely one of Evelyn's best pieces (and slightly better than the track that birthed it). Granted, this is mainly because the song borrows from a Quincy Jones cover, but it's still a beautiful standalone track (and a great opener for a romantic mixtape). Beginning with what sounds like the ocean washing over you, "Dreaddoverboard" is definitely a different direction, NOW-wise. Very tribal in it's bass and core drum beat, with an almost flute-like keyboard piece that gives in to a very soulful outburst by the mixed-in vocals. It starts out strange and makes more and more sense the longer you listen to the song. Especially the trumpet parts. "Pipes Honour" starts off as though it were going to be a reggae track, but a mournful backing beat accentuates the guitar riff as though you were at a country funeral. More batshit crazy sounds follow, as this is definitely one of the weirdest songs on the record. After the soulful minute interlude of "Me and You", we are treated to what I consider to be the best Nightmares on Wax song in existence: "Stars". Dreamy, rhythmic, beautiful. That's the only way I can describe this song. The unfortunate thing is that it's followed by 3 pretty mediocre songs and an interlude. Skip right over to "Bless My Soul", whose distinct beat pattering sets it apart from the songs that it follows (especially when Evelyn drops in the groggy-sounding guitars about 3 minutes in). "Cruise (Don't Stop)" as a track is pretty forgettable, but it's sorta cute sounding, like it could be an instrumental on an actual cruise ship. It's got a bit of a latin tinge to it, which is interesting, but it doesn't do much else beyond that. "Mission Venice" and it's flourishing, almost shimmering, keyboard parts should have been given the 6 minute-plus sort of extension some of the mediocre songs from the middle of the album got, but it's still 2 and a half minutes of Nightmares on Wax goodness. "What I'm Feeling (Good)" is a very subtle-y good track. If you like your downtempo music glistening and forward, you might want to skip it, but if you like it saucy and deceitful, this is the song for you. The album ends on a weird note with the tribal drumming-only of "Gambia Via Vagator Beach", but it sorta works.

All in all I don't feel like this record is as good as many have said it is. The focus on Caribbean-style drumming, latin-influenced guitar parts, and the like is an artistically respectful twist, but I feel like you could cut off a good 6 songs and this album would still be a really damn good chill out album. The standout tracks of "Stars", "Nights Introlude", "Dreaddoverboard", and "Bless My Soul" make this worth having a place on a record shelf, but it's just not a fully great record, so...

Grade: B+

http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog/N/Nightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20Carboot%20Soul/Nightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20Carboot%20Soul.jpg

Carboot Soul - 1999

Released before the turn of the century, around the time where many deemed Trip-Hop to be dead (just a year after Mezzanine for fuck sake... Whatever), this record really shows off Evelyn's soulful side, even more so than the more well-liked Smokers Delight. There's far less scratching and, as a whole, I enjoy this album slightly more than Smokers Delight. The stand out tracks are the sulty lead off "Les Nuits", the trippy happy "Morse" (my favorite track on the album), the drum driven "Finer", "Ease Jimi" and it's almost swing-esque horn section (which makes it the bounciest track on this downtempo album. "Argha Noah" is very The Orb-esque in it's structure, starting off with a muddied vocal part before building up into an entrancing circular piano-driven beat. Very beautiful. "Fire In the Middle" and all of it's acoustic guitar splendor is also a sight to behold. "Survival" comes off very early-Morcheeba-esque, which is a very good thing. The vocal line in this song is very catchy, and the guitar is bouncy like nothing else (which works to great, calming, effect). Carboot Soul then ends on a positive note with the string-driven "Capumcap", a song that reminds me of the gentle atmospherics of Boards of Canada, just set to a non-BOC key. If that makes any goddamn sense. Anyway...

All in all the weak points of the album are few and far between (as is the case with most jazz/soul-influenced, mostly non-vocal downtempo records), but my grade does rely on standout tracks to an extent. While two tracks weigh the record down ("Ethnic Majority" and "Jorge"), the overall cohesion and subtle stylistic changes seem to overcome the lack of stalwart standout tracks ("Morse" is still amazing, however) and make it a better overall record than Smokers Delight. Therefore...

Grade: A

http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog/N/Nightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20Mind%20Elevation/Nightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20Mind%20Elevation.jpg

Mind Elevation - 2002

The first Nightmares on Wax record of the new millennium. There's definitely a neo-hippie, almost goa-influenced tinge to the theme of the record. A lot of that sort of "mind and spirit over body" kind of shit. I mean, Nightmares on Wax records have always been trippy, but they've never had titles like "Mind Eye", "Date with Destiny", or "Environment". Anyway, the album starts off with "Mind Eye" which is actually a pretty neat loop of a circular keyboard riff over a very middle-eastern tambourine-like drum pattern. My only problem with the song is that it's about 2 minutes too long, but it's still a great chill out song. "Say-Say", the second track, has another catchy riff, and when Evelyn layers over it, it just gets better. I just feel like he could have done more with it. "Thinking of Omara" is a great Nightmares on Wax song. It's so mute in it's roots that it draws the listener in and pleases him/her with the bouncy, happy guitar lick (a trademark of good NOW songs) and the cheerful moans of a female singer (something the following song obliterates). "Date With Destiny" has an amazing back beat, but it's turned into a really awfully cheesy, reggae-tuned adult contemporary song by the inclusion of some bland-as-fuck chanteuse. Skip it. Probably one of the worst Nightmares on Wax songs ever. Thankfully Evelyn recovers quickly with the string driven "Bleu My Mind", another brilliant track that makes acquiring the record worth it alone. "Environment", horn and female vocalist-driven, is also another forgettable track. I would have liked to see Evelyn expand on the next track, the ringing "Soul-Ho", more so than either diva-lead track. "Humble", which follows a similar structure to "Bleu My Mind" has this annoying buzzing beat that I just don't like. "70s 80s" does what the other reggae-tinged diva-driven tracks fail to do: keep things interesting. It's probably one of the best songs on the record. Very calming, happy, exactly what NOW does best. As far as the Chyna Baby guest tracks go, "Know My Name" is probably the most tolerable. Apparently Evelyn had so many guest spots on this record that he had to relegate his only bongo/afrobeat rhythmic track to the appropriately named "BBH (Bongo-Brk-Heaven)". It's another good song, but the theme of the record, of letting bombastic diva singers have too much stomping room (The Orb is guilty of this on their last record too), is very obvious. "Mirrorball" is, much like "Soul-Ho", a track that I which Evelyn had chosen to lengthen instead of one of the others. Oh well. "Thoughts" is the best album closer that NOW has ever written. It's sparse, it's engaging, and it keeps you chilling all the way through it's 7-minute length (especially how it changes up midway, that always gets me).

The major points of contention that I have with this record is that the guest spots on this album, even more so than on A Word of Science, the guest spots kinda ruin the record. I know Nightmares on Wax is known for long, looping tracks, but I felt like a couple of the songs on the album did a poor job of adding flourishes or other breaks to the beat. That being said, this album has some absolutely killer songs on it: "Thinking of Omara", "Bleu My Mind", "70s 80s", "Know My Name", and "Thoughts". But, ultimately, this cannot touch Carboot Soul.

Grade: B

http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog%5CN%5CNightmares%20On%20Wax%20-%20In%20A%20Space%20Outta%20Sound%5CNightmares%20O n%20Wax%20-%20In%20A%20Space%20Outta%20Sound.jpg

Mind Elevation - 2006

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/Nightmares_on_Wax_-_thought_so.jpg/200px-Nightmares_on_Wax_-_thought_so.jpg

...Thought So - 2008

NOTE: I'll finish the rest later. I've put images up as placeholders for the other albums.

[Jon Blazed]

Sushy never fails to baffle me, no perspective whatsoever...

Kidzzzzzzzzzzzz


This thread is somewhat disturbing because a lot of these reviews are done by “young’uns” themselves.

[coofal]

Kidzzzzzzzzzzzz


This thread is somewhat disturbing because a lot of these reviews are done by “young’uns” themselves.

LOL

[Backwater]

Marshall Mathers LP is a fuckin excellent cd.... Slim Shady LP was so great aswell... it would be nice if he could actually put a cd out that could compete with that greatness

I actually thought The Eminem Show was better than Marshall Mathers LP.

[Backwater]

Eminem is fucking trash. Then you insult Lil Wayne?

tsk...



Really? You seriously enjoy Lil Wayne? Wow. You're just like bluemamba then, preferring him over Dre/Eminem at Coachella. Paul T would laugh hard at the prospect of Lil Wayne. At least Eminem doesn't physically look like a piece of trash. He also pulls his pants up.

[wmgaretjax]

Really? You seriously enjoy Lil Wayne? Wow. You're just like bluemamba then, preferring him over Dre/Eminem at Coachella. Paul T would laugh hard at the prospect of Lil Wayne. At least Eminem doesn't physically look like a piece of trash. He also pulls his pants up.

Eminem is boring... Lil Wayne is fucking hysterical and he doesn't take shit so serious. Not to mention Lil Wayne doesn't mope and piddle between releases, constantly throwing solid stuff out on the internet. I like my hip hop fun or razor sharp, Eminem is neither of those. At least Lil Wayne is interesting to look at (down syndrome goblin), Eminem is another stupid, whiny white kid.

[Jon Blazed]

Bitch Please...

[Backwater]

I guess I prefer originality in lyrics over anything else in hip hop because 90% of the time it's the same old shit; bitches, bling, guns, drugs, cars and Lil Wayne is no different. Plus, he's always higher than a plane so his words are incoherent.

[orbit]

and what are eminem's lyrics about?

[PassiveTheory]

Wife beating.

[Backwater]

Politics, religion, society, culture, pretty much the complete opposite of typical gangsta rap lyrics. When he does talk about bitches and bling, etc. it's all tounge in cheek, he just has fun with those stupid hip-hop cliches. His whole approach is entirely different. Instead of bragging about how much of a badass he is and how he wouldn't hesitate a second to kill a muthafucka, he openly admits his fears, self-pity and thoughts of suicide. My only complaint with his lyrics is that they're too personal, he just talks about his family too much. Yet those are still usually his best songs like Cleaning out my Closet.

[Backwater]

"My Fault" for example, is much more relevant to our (the audiences) lives and experiences than 99% of mainstream hip hop songs. Going to a rave, meeting a cool chick, accidentally giving her too many mushrooms and finding yourself in a predicament is something many of us have experienced. However, Lil Wayne's tired bullshit about slanging rocks is something that we just can't relate to at all. He and all those other fucks like Young Joc, Lil Scrappy, Young Dro, etc. aren't doing anything lyrically that NWA didn't do 15-20 years ago. The best mainstream rappers today are The Game and Ludacris, Lil Wayne will be forgetten completely in a couple years.

[orbit]

Smokers Delight - 1995

That being said, it continues the trend (and naming) of amazingly beautiful album openers with the mesmerizing "Nights Introlude", an alternate take on the opener fromthe previous album. This organ-oriented piece with a beautiful string opening, makes me feel like I'm driving around the city on a beautiful dark night. It's definitely one of Evelyn's best pieces (and slightly better than the track that birthed it). Granted, this is mainly because the song borrows from a Quincy Jones cover, but it's still a beautiful standalone track (and a great opener for a romantic mixtape). Beginning with what sounds like the ocean washing over you, "Dreaddoverboard" is definitely a different direction, NOW-wise. Very tribal in it's bass and core drum beat, with an almost flute-like keyboard piece that gives in to a very soulful outburst by the mixed-in vocals. It starts out strange and makes more and more sense the longer you listen to the song. Especially the trumpet parts. "Pipes Honour" starts off as though it were going to be a reggae track, but a mournful backing beat accentuates the guitar riff as though you were at a country funeral. More batshit crazy sounds follow, as this is definitely one of the weirdest songs on the record. After the soulful minute interlude of "Me and You", we are treated to what I consider to be the best Nightmares on Wax song in existence: "Stars". Dreamy, rhythmic, beautiful. That's the only way I can describe this song. The unfortunate thing is that it's followed by 3 pretty mediocre songs and an interlude. Skip right over to "Bless My Soul", whose distinct beat pattering sets it apart from the songs that it follows (especially when Evelyn drops in the groggy-sounding guitars about 3 minutes in). "Cruise (Don't Stop)" as a track is pretty forgettable, but it's sorta cute sounding, like it could be an instrumental on an actual cruise ship. It's got a bit of a latin tinge to it, which is interesting, but it doesn't do much else beyond that. "Mission Venice" and it's flourishing, almost shimmering, keyboard parts should have been given the 6 minute-plus sort of extension some of the mediocre songs from the middle of the album got, but it's still 2 and a half minutes of Nightmares on Wax goodness. "What I'm Feeling (Good)" is a very subtle-y good track. If you like your downtempo music glistening and forward, you might want to skip it, but if you like it saucy and deceitful, this is the song for you. The album ends on a weird note with the tribal drumming-only of "Gambia Via Vagator Beach", but it sorta works.

All in all I don't feel like this record is as good as many have said it is. The focus on Caribbean-style drumming, latin-influenced guitar parts, and the like is an artistically respectful twist, but I feel like you could cut off a good 6 songs and this album would still be a really damn good chill out album. The standout tracks of "Stars", "Nights Introlude", "Dreaddoverboard", and "Bless My Soul" make this worth having a place on a record shelf, but it's just not a fully great record, so...

Grade: B+

that album deserves a higher grade. a at least. it's fantastic and has no miss at all. best album to start listening to nightmares on wax.

i would've mentioned a case of funk. it's not an album, but a ep, but it's kind of a breaking point. kevin hadn't left yet, so one can compare the sound before the split with the total different sound in smokers delight. besides, this is one of the best british house/techno records ever made.

i agree with your last comment about word of science, though. that album is nice but looks like they were trying to experiment a lot, had lots of ideas, but at the end didn't know how to work it.

[Backwater]

and what are eminem's lyrics about?

Oh and I forgot obessive fans, Stan is a very well written song.