A young'uns guide to purusing extensive artist discographies

[TallGuyCM]

I would love someone to do The Fall. I've never heard their stuff, but have seen especially Soul express his undying love for them and would like to get a feel for where to start with their material.

[wmgaretjax]

i'd be willing to help with the fall.

[SoulDischarge]

I could do everything up to like The Frenz Experiment, but I'm pretty sure most everyone else would overlap with that period as well. The challenge is getting through all their 90s material. So me, Bryan, and Jared. Anyone else? How do you want to divide it? Should we do multiple takes on certain key albums, maybe with some people who aren't familiar with the band already?

[roberto73]

I've got all their stuff, even the later material, so if you need a fourth, I could probably help.

EDIT: Although it's doubtful I'll have much of a chance to write anything for the next couple weeks, if that matters.

[TomAz]

Okay. I have some other things to do today, but I'll at least get started on it tonight. If anyone has anything they want to change about entries they've submitted (changing opinions over time, adding newer albums, et cetera) go back and edit the entry or, if you don't want to go back and do that, send them to me and I'll ghost edit said entry when I copy it to the blog.


Also, if anybody wants credit for their entries under their real name instead of a username, let me know.

did this every actually happen?

[bmack86]

I think it every did.

I'm re-gathering all of my Fall stuff. I know, like everyone else, I could do through the Frenz Experiment. I could also do everything from The Real New Fall LP onward. I like the idea of multiple sources for certain albums (Nation's Saving Grace, Hex Induction, Wonderful and Frightening, etc) and I definitely want to listen to some of the 90s stuff.

[wmgaretjax]

since it sounds like the least in demand. I could take on the 00s material.

[amyzzz]

I know I'm not into describing, exploring, and discussing lots of bands here, but...does anyone want me to try Catherine Wheel?

(assuming I didn't already do them, I may have forgotten)

[Hannahrain]

did this every actually happen?

Slowly but surely. There are a few entries up. I have a little more time to work on it this weekend.

[TomAz]

so the URL must be a secret.

[Hannahrain]

Well I wanted to make sure the formatting was good, so I published a bunch of placeholder entries full of my most private and embarrassing thoughts, biggest fears, and banking information.

[TomAz]

you secretly gave the URL to everyone but me. I see.

[Hannahrain]

All my most private and embarrassing thoughts are about you, Tom. And a good portion of my biggest fears.

[TomAz]

As is your bank account, apparently.

[TallGuyCM]

Didn't know exactly where to post this, but I got my first taste of the Mae Shi the other day and absolutely loved it. Somehow Terrorbird ended up on my iPod, not sure how, but I imagine it had something to do with bmack expressing his love for the band on here that piqued my curiosity.

But yeah, the album just hit me right in every way. A lot of albums that have lots of different sporatic styles tend to lose me (*gasp*, even Tago Mago at certain points), but I really dug Terrorbird on first listen.

Can't wait to check out the rest of their catalog.

[fatbastard]

I was listening to Tago Mago last week.

[pancakespancakes]

I actually listened to Tago Mago all the way through in the car on a drive today. I will never ever forget how much joy that album brings me.

[SoulDischarge]

It's such a rewarding full album listen. The way the calm of "Give Me Coffee Or Tea" brings you down gently after the nearly 30 minutes of madness that immediately precedes it. Simply perfect.

[bmack86]

Didn't know exactly where to post this, but I got my first taste of the Mae Shi the other day and absolutely loved it. Somehow Terrorbird ended up on my iPod, not sure how, but I imagine it had something to do with bmack expressing his love for the band on here that piqued my curiosity.

But yeah, the album just hit me right in every way. A lot of albums that have lots of different sporatic styles tend to lose me (*gasp*, even Tago Mago at certain points), but I really dug Terrorbird on first listen.

Can't wait to check out the rest of their catalog.

Just know that if you really like Terrorbird, there's no guarantee that you'll like Hlllyh at all: it's much more poppy, the singer is different, and the songs are longer. The sound is also more uniform. I've grown to pretty much love all of their records, but, yeah, Terrorbird is amazing. I adore Hair 1 and 2 back to back.

[Still-ill]

For a long time now (too long) I've only had Modern Dance and Dub Housing. So today I respectively bought and downloaded New Picnic Time and The Art of Walking. We'll see how that goes, but I'm planning on powering through Pere Ubu's entire discog over the next month or two and then doing a write-up about it.

[TallGuyCM]

Good to know. So what's their current status? Still together, but if they do tour again it won't be with the original lineup. Or something like that, yeah?

[TallGuyCM]

For a long time now (too long) I've only had Modern Dance and Dub Housing. So today I respectively bought and downloaded New Picnic Time and The Art of Walking. We'll see how that goes, but I'm planning on powering through Pere Ubu's entire discog over the next month or two and then doing a write-up about it.

Ooooh yeah. Someone please do Pere Ubu. I've never even heard one song of theirs. They're one of those bands I've been meaning to get around to listening to for awhile now but for some reason haven't.

[bmack86]

Well, the original lineup had already died and gone by the time of Hlllyh. This second band is now gone as well: the Bass player, singer and drummer all had come in to form the 2nd iteration. They are now Signals, and they still put on a great show. Jeff, the guitar player, is still doing The Mae Shi, but I'm not sure what the status is. Last I heard, He and his brother Tim (the original bass player) were still part of the band, Brad, the original drummer, had left, and they were looking for new members. I heard that about 4 months ago, and they've done one remix since. I dunno.

[cansei de ser sexme]

I would like to encourage those who want to take on the Fall, Suicide, and Pere Ubu. I have one album of each and want to know where to go from there.

[TallGuyCM]

I would like to encourage those who want to take on the Fall, Suicide, and Pere Ubu. I have one album of each and want to know where to go from there.

Seconded.

[SoulDischarge]

I need to stop being so lazy and do some of these. And Pere Ubu's full discography is a bit more daunting than it might appear. Even more so if you were to include David Thomas' various solo and side projects, which wouldn't be a stretch since he pretty much IS Pere Ubu in the same sense that Mark E. Smith IS The Fall (although they're also only as good as the people they're playing with at any given time).

[Still-ill]

Yeah 14 studio albums is a lot of music to listen to. The Fall is even more... The Fall is no task for one man.

[bmack86]

I now have all the fall albums. I'm slowly working my way thru them.

[bmack86]

Good to know. So what's their current status? Still together, but if they do tour again it won't be with the original lineup. Or something like that, yeah?

Also, on the same subject, if you're interested in Signals, they're playing for free tomorrow at the Troubadour. They go on at 8.

[TallGuyCM]

Also, on the same subject, if you're interested in Signals, they're playing for free tomorrow at the Troubadour. They go on at 8.

Oh shit. I'm in AZ right now, don't know what time I'll be back today, that'd be fun though.

[michaelmontanez]

Well, the original lineup had already died and gone by the time of Hlllyh. This second band is now gone as well: the Bass player, singer and drummer all had come in to form the 2nd iteration. They are now Signals, and they still put on a great show. Jeff, the guitar player, is still doing The Mae Shi, but I'm not sure what the status is. Last I heard, He and his brother Tim (the original bass player) were still part of the band, Brad, the original drummer, had left, and they were looking for new members. I heard that about 4 months ago, and they've done one remix since. I dunno.
this mae shi business makes me sad... even though it is interesting that Jacob Cooper became the drummer. I saw him once with his old band- Bark Bark Bark (which at that time was an 8 piece synth orgy) at the local gameworks.

[bmack86]

He actually became the drummer because Bark Bark Bark toured with the Mae Shi and they got on well. That and Brad didn't want to tour anymore, just to record.

[SoulDischarge]

I added two albums to Swans (Love Of Life and The Great Annihilator) and did a bunch of housekeeping to my older reviews, adding album covers and release years where there weren't any. I'm going to try to work on finishing up stuff I've started before starting anything new, mainly Coil and Cabaret Voltaire.

[michaelmontanez]

He actually became the drummer because Bark Bark Bark toured with the Mae Shi and they got on well. That and Brad didn't want to tour anymore, just to record.
Yeah, I remember hearing something like that. I wanna see this Signals business though, they're coming to Tucson Mar. 3rd.

[Alchemy]

I really wish there was an index or table of contents of some sort for this thread. Has anybody done AIR or blur? I would like to take the torch, if nobody else has.

Also, I would like to do Dave Matthews Band...

[michaelmontanez]

Yeah, I was wondering that as well... I'm curious to see a Captain Beefheart one. I might need to make one after a week long Beefy analysis.

[Cheddar's Cousin]

There is an index on page 54 including everything up to that point.

[Alchemy]

Ah, here is an index (http://coachella.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1200933&postcount=1601).

I see that blur has already been done in full. So, unless anyone objects, I will work on a full AIR report and a full Dave Matthews Band report. I'm doing DMB regardless of all of your objections, by the way.

[TomAz]

Plus Hannah has moved it all to a top secret website, indexed and crossreferenced, where you can go and read if you know the top secret location.

[Alchemy]

Dave Matthews Band
Because many of the anti-DMB Coachellians would give all DMB albums a failing grade, and because grading music is such a difficult process in general, I have graded these DMB albums in relation to their greatest work, Under the Table and Dreaming, as if we’re all existing in a sort of nightmarish vacuum where the only music is that of DMB.

Under the Table and Dreaming (1994) - This first studio album begins with “The Best of What’s Around,” and this song is probably a great test for newcomers to DMB, because if one doesn’t like this song, then they’ll probably dislike every DMB song they hear. Afterwards, the album jumps right into a number of iconic DMB songs that a DMB fan would wish for at a concert (and many times, they are not disappointed); such as “What Would You Say” and “Satellite.” One of my most favorite songs from DMB, “Typical Situation,” comes out on this album, and there are many other hits: “Ants Marching,” “Jimi Thing,” “Warehouse,” and then after many silent tracks, the song, “#34,” among other great songs. To a DMB fan, the first studio album could also have been called The Best of Dave Matthews Band: 2004-2004. A+.

Crash (1996) - The band’s sophomore album not only avoided the dreaded “sophomore slump” of artistic endeavors, but it also made the band an inescapable force with their massive hit, “Crash into Me.” In my opinion, that song is not the greatest song on this superb album. “So Much to Say” kicks off the album with all that’s right about DMB, and then we move onto the epic song, “Two Step,” which epitomizes DMB’s “jam bandness” when played at their live shows. After their giant hit, the live favorite, “Too Much,” does its funky thing before taking us into the beautiful “#41,” which, I think, could be considered one of the band’s masterpieces and is the best track on the album by far. Up to “Tripping Billies,” everything after “#41” is a solid DMB song. In some ways, I think “Cry Freedom” gives a hint as to what the band would end up sounding like in the next decade. “Proudest Monkey” is not such a great song, but it isn’t a bad song either. A.

Before These Crowded Streets (1998) - The “Pantala Naga Pampa” into “Rapunzel” beginning of this album continues everything about DMB that’s great. Although they aren’t exactly branching out into anything new with this album, there is a slightly darker sound to this album (that will continue in other albums). The Eastern-themed “The Last Stop” touches on this in an interesting way, and “Don’t Drink the Water,” which includes the vocal talents of Alanis Morissette, does a darker job than anything before as well. “Stay (Wasting Time)” is a hit on the album that sort of reminds me of a church song, not in the way that Spiritualized sometimes does, but in the way that church sometimes does… It’s a good song though. The Kronos Quartet join the band for “Halloween,” another darker song that really takes a strain on Dave’s voice, and also for “The Stone,” which is a brilliant song, no doubt about it. “Crush” sounds like it could belong on the next album, and has a very recognizable bass-line in the DMB lore. “Pig” has also been one of my favorites from the band, though others might not agree with me. And finally, “Spoon”: a pretty song where Alanis Morissette gets to come to the front with her vocals. A-.

Everyday (2001) - Although the previous album really started a slight shift in DMB’s music, this album brought much more of a change in their work: a pop-spin on the darker themes of the previous album than the feel-good songs from earlier DMB. This may have to do with the bands departure from Steve Lillywhite to the producer Glen Ballard. I think some DMB fans were not too much impressed with this album, but although I place Under the Table and Dreaming as the best, I think this album is also the best in its own way (at least, in league with the new DMB that deals with pop songs). There aren’t long songs with little jams in this, and really, that’s a big difference. Perhaps, a change as to how Kid-A and Amnesiac were for Radiohead, but nobody is holding this album on such a pedestal (except for myself, of course). So, I think this album is a straight run of A+ hits that ends with “Everyday,” a song that’s almost like a hint of their earlier work. Certain tracks that I really enjoy are “Dreams of Our Fathers,” “So Right,” “Fool to Think,” and “Sleep to Dream Her.” The grade I give this might controversial to DMB fans, but this is what I think about this album: A+.

Busted Stuff (2002) - Although this album continues the pop music from the previous album, there is a difference in this one too. These songs are reworked versions of the leaked The Lillywhite Sessions, although this time, produced by Stephen Harris. The album comes to a underwhelming start with the titular track. “Grey Street” is a really nice song, on the other hand, which could have been on the previous album. The popular song, “Where Are You Going,” comes out on this album, but that’s not a very impressive song. Truth be told, the album is pretty good, but it really sounds like a Dave Matthews solo album than a DMB album. All the songs are good, but none of them hold the greatness of anything that came before them. B.

Some Devil (2003) - Speaking of Dave Matthews solo albums, here is one that I like to think of as Busted Stuff, Continued. The single off this album was “Gravedigger,” which is a decent song, but again, like most of Busted Stuff, does not really live up to his past work. The same could be said about everything on this album, and the only reason I even bring up this album at all is because of the song, “Stay or Leave.” That song is really great. I also bring it up, because it marks a big decline in his music, even for DMB fans, which will show again in the next album… C-.

Stand Up (2005) - The opening track of the album is, quite frankly, boring. Once again, it sounds more like some of Dave Matthew’s solo efforts. It’s also worth mentioning that his voice sounds a little bit hoarser in this album. Up to “American Baby,” there is a lot of unimpressive music that sounds really repressed in regards to earlier DMB. Even “American Baby” isn’t that great of a song. It’s just a little better than the tracks before it. “Out of My Hands” is pretty good, but it isn’t the kind of thing that a fan wants to hear from the band. “Louisiana Bayou” and “You Might Die Trying” could pass for okay songs. “Hunger for the Great Light” is good, I think... Maybe not... Anyways, yes, this is what it gets: F+!

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009) - As if the band could use any more damage, they lost their saxophone player, LeRoi Moore, to an ATV accident. So in hopes of a great new album, in comes producer, Rob Cavallo, who has done such works like Green Day’s American Idiot, Paris Hilton’s Paris, and My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. Well, not a lot to work with… “Funny the Way It Is,” however, comes out of this album. It’s all right. Strange though, when “Lying in the Hands of God” comes around, you almost think that DMB has returned in their decent Busted Stuff form. “Spaceman” also brings out a nice, upbeat glimpse of earlier DMB, and it almost makes up for all the recent nonsense. Although this album has a very produced sound (more than before, at least), it does seem to make an effort to return to what DMB used to do correctly. Unfortunately, they seem unable to be able to write something that is hit after hit after hit like their first few albums. But then again, this album is at least listenable, unlike the previous one. C.

[wmgaretjax]

Funny shit.

[bmack86]

What about that one that they recorded and didn't put out and that has the better version of Grey Street? What about that one?

[Alchemy]

What about that one that they recorded and didn't put out and that has the better version of Grey Street? What about that one?

Yeah, that's The Lillywhite Sessions. It was basically the first version of Busted Stuff. To be honest, I only listened to a couple of those versions. I don't have the actual leak.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I disagree with your Dave rankings. Some just a little, some quite a bit. To each their own I suppose.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Also the Lillywhite Sessions far surpassed Busted Stuff in terms of songs and song quality, with the exception of Raven which sucked shit on Lillywhite and was far better on Busted Stuff.

[Alchemy]

I really should get the Lillywhite Sessions. A little bit of sentimentality may have had an effect on my gradings. Especially for Everyday. Sentimentality is why I listen to the band at all, for the most part.

[pancakespancakes]

I enjoyed that Alchemy. Read the whole thing. Surprised to see BTCS with a lower grade than the albums around it, though.

[rskapcat]

I love DMB. I feel like that belongs in the confessions thread.

[pancakespancakes]

My enjoyment of DMB is justified. My enjoyment of Ben Harper is an outright guilty pleasure.

[bmack86]

Yeah, Lillywhite Sessions was the last thing I enjoyed from Dave Matthews

[LooseAtTheZoo]

I wholeheartedly enjoy Squirm off of the new album. However, I remember trying to go through the album a third time last year, and after the first half it was torture.

Live, they still bring the thunder. Typical Situation sounds great. Also, they do some cool covers as well. I've heard Time of The Season, Burning Down The House, Cortez The Killer, All Along The Watchtower, Black Water, etc...

[boxofbox]

Dave Matthews Band
Because many of the anti-DMB Coachellians would give all DMB albums a failing grade, and because grading music is such a difficult process in general, I have graded these DMB albums in relation to their greatest work, Under the Table and Dreaming, as if we’re all existing in a sort of nightmarish vacuum where the only music is that of DMB.

Under the Table and Dreaming (1994) - This first studio album begins with “The Best of What’s Around,” and this ...

I always consider Dave & Tim - Live at Luther College as one of my favorites, and a great introduction to a wide range of tunes, however if you start including one live album, down the rabbit hole we go...

I can't be really objective here (too much nostalgia factor and I am a waaaay different person now than I was in my DMB years), but I must say that you've rated the older albums far too high for the non-fan. These albums can't hold up to higher than B-/C+ ratings unless you pop your collar. That said I still know all the lyrics to the first 4 albums and anytime it comes on the jukebox I find myself secretly wanting to get high and take off my shoes.

[Alchemy]

I always consider Dave & Tim - Live at Luther College as one of my favorites, and a great introduction to a wide range of tunes, however if you start including one live album, down the rabbit hole we go...

I can't be really objective here (too much nostalgia factor and I am a waaaay different person now than I was in my DMB years), but I must say that you've rated the older albums far too high for the non-fan. These albums can't hold up to higher than B-/C+ ratings unless you pop your collar. That said I still know all the lyrics to the first 4 albums and anytime it comes on the jukebox I find myself secretly wanting to get high and take off my shoes.

I graded them on a curve that gave the first album, arguably the best album, a perfect score. That's why the grades are high. I stated this in the opening. They are only graded relative as to how they stand, in my opinion, to the first album.

[Alchemy]

Air

Moon Safari (1998) - Our beloved French band’s first complete studio album is definitely one of the greatest albums ever written and is an excellent way for somebody to jump right into Air for the first time. After the amazing groove of “La Femme d’Argent,” the album releases its greatest weapon with the song, “Sexy Boy.” The Beth Hirsch songs on this album, “All I Need” and “You Make it Easy,” are pretty top-notch songs, although they may be a little too easy-going for some people’s tastes (not mine). “Kelly Watch the Stars!” provides a little more upbeat motion for a mostly laid-back experience. (The laid-back songs on this album are not negative things at all.) “Talisman” and “Ce Matin La” bring some beautiful strings and horns over the old synthesizer sounds that Air creates. I heart Moon. A.

Premiers Symptômes (1997/1999) - The first five tracks on this album were actually released in 1997, but a 1999 reissue was done that contained a couple bonus tracks which are worth mentioning. This little collection, more than the other albums, is extremely laid-back, complete with some excellent downtempo tracks. “Casanova 70,” for example, rolls out like a smoke, and then ends with a pretty awesome organ. “Le soleil est près de moi” is a beautiful work that stands out really well on this collection as well. “Californie,” a track added in 1999, sort of abruptly happens with some funky madness and kind of takes me out of where I was, but then the song changes into a perfect thing that fits right in. “Brakes On” is another new one that has a different feeling to the earlier recordings. It’s a lot more active and exciting than everything else. To be honest, I think the two newer songs could probably have been on their own disc, and not added to Premiers Symptômes, even though they are good songs. A.

The Virgin Suicides (2000) - Here’s an interesting one that should be approached in a different manner, because it’s not really an all-out Air album, but a score that they wrote for the movie, The Virgin Suicides. None-the-less, it has one of every Air fan’s favorite songs of all time, “Playground Love.” As for the rest of the album, there are songs that use the same sorts of synths and strings and elements of the earlier Air songs, but this time, for the benefit of the score, coming across much more for a landscape. A dark landscape. As a stand-alone score, the album is almost ambient at times, and I think it’s probably best placed as background music. B-.

10,000 Hz Legend (2001) - For this album, Air really started using more electronic excitement than its downbeat groovy songs from before. “Electronic Performers” introduces this quite well. “How Does It Make You Feel?” is sort of like Air’s response to Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier,” and aside from a nice chorus, the little voice thing doesn’t really do anything for the album. “The Vagabond,” which features Beck on vocals, is a pretty cool song. I think “Radian” is a cool song that brings back that old, groove sound with flutes and everything. “Lucky and Unhappy,” “Sex Born Poison,” and “Caramel Prisoner” are all really great, too. Above all, however, “People in the City” and “Don’t Be Light,” lead the entire pack and are instant hits. There are really only a few moments that bring the album down a bit, but for the most part, the album should not be overlooked by anyone, because it's mostly brilliant. A-.

Talkie Walkie (2004) - It’s going to be hard to not let sentimentality effect my thoughts on this album. My first instinct is to give this one an A+, but in complete honesty, “Venus” is not the most impressive beginning for this album. I wouldn’t call it a bad song at all, but it does not stand out very much in terms of Air songs. Songs like “Run,” “Universal Traveler,” “Another Day,” and “Biological” have a great thing going with Air that reminds me of “Lucky and Unhappy” and “Sex Born Poison” from 10,000 Hz Legend. They are all a bit strange, but also, I think, very appealing and new. “Cherry Blossom Girl” and “Surfing on a Rocket” are brilliant singles off this album, and “Alpha Beta Gaga” is just plain fun. “Mike Mills” kind of brings that laid-back beauty from their earlier work, and “Alone in Kyoto” is just pure magic. Screw it: A+. I'll go as low as an A, without the +, for this one.

Pocket Symphony (2007) - After Talkie Walkie, it seems to me that Air is beginning a return to something more instrumental and laid-back, less electronic and upbeat. Then again, you have a track like “Once Upon a Time,” that could have been on Talkie Walkie. It’s a great song, by the way. Pulp front man, Jarvis Cocker, comes out on “One Hell of a Party,” which is a pretty good song, but isn’t really doing the better things that Air or Jarvis Cocker do. (I should also mention that Air experiment with Japanese instruments on this album.) Through my first listens, I have to admit that this album did not make as big an impact on me as the other albums did. A number of songs felt a bit quiet and just all right compared to the multiple greatness of the other albums. “Mer du Japon” comes like a breath of fresh air after a number of decent tracks, none of the songs being bad, but nothing that must be on an Air compilation either. The album sort of ends on an ambient note, kind of: C.

Love 2 (2009) - The latest release from Air starts with “Do the Joy,” a damn awesome song. Again, in this album, I feel that Air are moving back to that laid-back sound from before, but this time, not with sparse Japanese songs, but with things that almost remind me of Moon Safari at times. “Love,” for example, has the little wooden-block drums, flutes, and groovy bass going on in it, and I think it’s wonderful, especially when the explosion of bird sounds happens. Although a number of the songs do not rise as strongly as the earlier stuff, I think they do a little more work than some of the filler songs of Pocket Symphony. And although Pitchfork seemed to hate “Tropical Disease,” they can go to Hell with their 4.0, because that song is amazing. “Sing Sang Sung” sounds like it could be a single on Talkie Walkie, like a cross between “Universal Traveler” and “Cherry Blossom Girl.” Is this album up with Moon Safari? No, there are some songs on this album that are just kind of there. But not just kind of there in the way that the previous album was: B.

[TallGuyCM]

Listened to Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space for the first time the other day driving across the Arizona desert. I can only imagine how that must have been with a live orchestra, lucky bastards in the UK.

[miscorrections]

How did you make it that far in life without ever hearing LAGWAFIS?

[Alchemy]

I don't think I'd be alive to day if it weren't for LAGWAFIS.

[TallGuyCM]

How did you make it that far in life without ever hearing LAGWAFIS?

That's a good question.

[pancakespancakes]

Weren't you the one that caught them at the Echo? I can't imagine listening to any other Spiritualized before that one.

[TallGuyCM]

Weren't you the one that caught them at the Echo? I can't imagine listening to any other Spiritualized before that one.

Yeah, but I wasn't familiar with them at the time. It was a free myspace secret show, and I had just seen them play "You Lie You Cheat" on Letterman a few days ahead of time so that's why I went.

[TallGuyCM]

I know it'd be a daunting task to do the whole thing, but if someone could at least give some general advice as far as Brian Eno goes, that would be great.

The one album of his that I've been recommended is My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and even that I haven't gotten around to listening to yet.

[SoulDischarge]

It's pretty hard to go wrong with Eno. Most everything he released in the 70s is a masterpiece. Here Come The Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) are great avant-pop albums. Another Green World, Discreet Music, Music For Films, Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, and Ambient 1-4 are all great ambient, textural works. Before & After Science is somewhere between his pop stuff and his ambient stuff. He's also had some great collaborations: with Robert Fripp on No Pussyfooting and Evening Star, with Jah Wobble on Spinner, and with David Byrne on My Life With The Bush Of Ghosts.

I forgot to mention his three collaborations with Cluster as well, Cluster & Eno, After The Heat, and Begegnungen.

Also, if I didn't typically cite Daydream Nation as my all time favorite album, I'd cite Here Come The Warm Jets. That thing is perfect in every way that any album can be perfect.

[LooseAtTheZoo]

So I'm incredibly busy in these next two weeks, but I figured I'd post here to remind myself that when the crazy season is over, I will be doing full discogs for these artists:

1. David Bowie
2. Moby
3. Prince
4. Outkast

If any of these have already been done in full, let me know.

[TallGuyCM]

I forgot to mention his three collaborations with Cluster as well, Cluster & Eno, After The Heat, and Begegnungen.

Also, if I didn't typically cite Daydream Nation as my all time favorite album, I'd cite Here Come The Warm Jets. That thing is perfect in every way that any album can be perfect.

OK, yeah sorry I haven't ever gone through and read this entire thread so my apologies if I bring up someone who was covered pages back.

[SoulDischarge]

That was from a different thread, the CD/LP purchases one I believe, so I'm not surprised you missed it. I was just quoting it for convenience's sake. Maybe some day I'll get the rest of the Brian Eno stuff and do a young'uns guide. Lord knows he deserves one. But that's going to be a substantial undertaking that I'm not committing to at this point in time.

By the way, the first two Roxy Music albums featuring Eno are incredible as well.

[TallGuyCM]

Ok cool. And Daydream Nation's your favorite album of all-time? That's surprising, you were much more on the Pixies side of the fence months ago when there was that Pixies/SY debate in Marco's best of thread.

[SoulDischarge]

I don't think so. Sonic Youth is usually my default favorite band when pressed and I'm pretty sure they made #1 on my list in that thread. I just got assigned by Marco to do the Pixies essay. I might have compared the two bands briefly in the essay, but not to make the point that the Pixies were better, just contrasting their approaches to applying a little bit of noise to pop structures.

[dorkfish]

By the way, the first two Roxy Music albums featuring Eno are incredible as well.
OEalg62F8Zg

[SoulDischarge]

I'll see your "Virginia Plain" and raise you one "Ladytron."
zVeEBMJt8vs

For Your Pleasure has the best inner sleeve photos

http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/roxy_band0.jpg

And here's another good Eno album:
http://steelberryclones.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/david-bowie_low.jpeg

[TallGuyCM]

Oh, I've heard Low several times. Didn't know Eno had anything to do with it though, interesting.

[SoulDischarge]

Updated list of what's been done, what's been requested recently, and what's been offered either seriously or casually.

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

Page 48
#1419 The Birthday Party (Nick Cave supplement) - Souldischarge (complete)
#1420 Stone Temple Pilots - Backwater (complete)

Page 49
#1446 Belle and Sebastian - Bmack86 (Complete)
#1456 Jay-Z - Sushov (overview)

Page 50
#1472 The Mae Shi - Bmack86 (complete)
#1489 Nightmares on Wax - Passivetheory (work in progress)

Page 51
#1515 Madonna - Hawkingvsreeve (complete)

Page 52
#1543 Bright Eyes - TheStripe (complete)
#1551 Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi/The Evens) - Bmack86 (complete)
#1560 Merzbow 1979-1983 - wmgaretjax (complete)

Page 53
#1566 Merzbow 1983-1990 - wmgaretjax (complete)
#1589 Propellorheads - vicviper (complete, even though there's only one album)

Page 54
#1595 Husker Du - bmack86 (complete)
#1611 Monkees - stuporfly (selected, incomplete)
#1612 Fucked Up - bmack86 (complete)

Page 56
#1652 Swans - souldischarge (incomplete, in progress)

Page 58
#1729 Xiu Xiu - involvelemons (complete)

Page 60
#1790 Dave Matthews Band - alchemy (complete)

Page 61
#1804 Air - alchemy (complete)


Requests
Oneida
Sleater Kinney
Will Oldham
Bassnectar
Jim O'Rourke
Spoon
Wire
The Fall
Pere Ubu
Suicide
Guided By Voices


Unfulfilled promises
Unwound (bmack)
Yes (pancakes)
Genesis (pancakes)
Flaming Lips (souldischarge)
Nurse With Wound (souldischarge & wmgaretjax)
Negativland (weatherman)
Catherine Wheel (amyzzz)

[TallGuyCM]

goddamm, nice job Soul.

[SoulDischarge]

Looks like Breakjaw/Abe covered Brian Eno to some degree, but it's more of a mix describing individual songs off important albums than a full discography.

[betao]

Patrick, just a small error: The history post claims that I did The Chems on page 38. However, that was Bosco, not me.

Proper credit where it's due.

[bmack86]

So, I was thinking about doing Joanna Newsom. Would that be worthwhile for anyone? I can't even begin to suggest I'll be subjective whatsoever, but I'll definitely write about them with passion.

(And, sure she only has 4 official releases. Still, I'd write about Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue. And I could also do Nervous Cop and The Pleased, as she's a member of both.)

[mountmccabe]

It is always fun reading you write about Joanna Newsom.

Also I should be on there under unfulfilled promises re: Sleater-Kinney. I saw that update and decided, hey, I'll do that now when I got distracted seeing my also unfinished one on the Delgados and did that one instead.

It shall follow in a few minutes.

[mountmccabe]

The Delgados

First: The Delgados formed in Glasgow in 1994 when most of them got kicked out of a band I had never heard of. They started recording and decided to form a record label to release their singles. Chemikal Underground Records really got going when they released a single for Bis that hit the top 40. They didn't release anything else for Bis but they did release debut albums (and more) by other local artists such as Mogwai and Arab Strap. Chemikal Underground also released all five studio albums by the Delgados.

Domestiques came out in 1995. It is somewhat shambolic C-86 style/inspired indie rock (also see Pixies and Pavement.) Both Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward do lead vocals; sometimes in harmony, sometimes alternating verses, sometimes they get songs (mostly) to themselves. Emma’s “Sucrose” alternates between driving 80s Wedding Present-esque rock and almost gentle, clean power pop passages… until about 2/3rds of the way through when, just as it seems the song will fade away… the two sections are melded, showcasing the best of both worlds. “Strathcona Slung” is an Emma-sung fuzzy rock piece with swirling guitars that gets new life when Alun comes in abruptly changing up the tone for the final minute. “Akumulator,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFw6VyOJzLs) (promo video on YouTube) while treading ground Pavement had already reached, is nevertheless another highlight. Grade: B+

Peloton is the start of the transition towards a focus on more sophisticated arrangements. As with many bands, one can only take so many cues from Pixies before ya have to move on. This is the album I know the least, partially because we’re mostly past the cheery fuzzy pop of the early material and not yet fully realized the lush orchestral idiom of the next period… so we’re left with an undue focus on Emma and Alun’s voices. And, well, they’re not all that as singers. “The Arcane Model” has a nice bouncy melody for Alun to sing above and around and has a great backing vocal from Emma and runs through a variety of backing music, with flute flourishes that feel too limited and strings that, at this point, seem a little programmed. Better are the bizarre “Blackpool” and “The Weaker Argument Defeats the Stronger,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npo2T9f7fo8) (promo video on YouTube) which makes full use of Alun’s languid vocals to hide the building noise. Grade: C+

2000 saw The Great Eastern (one of my favorite albums of the decade) was produced by Dave Fridmann (see also the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev) and, unsurprisingly, continues the move to orchestral pop. This is as rich and emotional music as the Delgados would make. We are mostly still alternating between Alun (“American Trilogy”) and Emma (“Accused of Stealing”) songs that usually feature significant additional vocals in the chorus but then along comes “Thirteen Gliding Principles,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgFAhriVVcc) (YouTube of a John Peel live performance; the sound/mix is a bit funny, though) in my mind their career highlight. Alun sings a line, then Emma responds (not lyrically, but still) and this continues throughout until they are singing in unison for the big, orchestra backed chorus… until the second chorus is overtaken by rhythmic crashing guitars and a solo and then a flute solo and Alun and Emma once again singing in unison, fighting to wrest control back from the spiraling instruments… it is a glorious piece of work. Grade: A+

2002’s Hate saw them start to get more recognition (though, still, really, very little) but for my tastes it sounds a little too bombastic, too dense, too much melodrama. This is, in my mind, what too much Dave Fridmann gives you. That being said this is still full of gems, such as “All You Need Is Hate,” (yes, it is what you think it is,) Emma’s "Coming In From The Cold," (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip5rpaVStxs) (promo video on YouTube) and Alun’s “If This Is A Plan.” The drums often sound hollow and digital and nearly everything is seen through a veil of distant strings. The long slow build (a nearly 7 minute song) of “Child Killers” also fights through - and, arguably, gains significantly from – the overproduction. Grade: A-


2004’s Universal Audio saw a switch from Fridmann to Tony Doogan (Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, the Mountain Goats, etc) and a move away from the dense orchestral textures that seemed ready to swallow them to a relatively unadorned almost power pop sound. “I Fought the Angels” has some nice mystery and tension… which was quite a fantastic way to open a new record, getting across quite immediately the sonic shifts via the lighter resolve. “Everybody Come Down” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7oqid7CxL8) (promo video on YouTube) is a fun, catchy guitar-based pop song, “Sink or Swim” is lighter and less catchy but more pretty. The first chord of “The City Consumes Us” cries Journey to me but this does not happen; instead we get an overlong trip with Emma until a section near the end that is rather nice until we realize a fair deal of it came from “If This Is A Plan.” Alun’s songs seem to show a little more life, with a bit of a synth/funk pop to them, “Girls Of Valour” works best of this group, even with the slightly awkward multi-part harmonies sections. Grade: B-

There’s nothing wrong with making pop music this light and politely catchy but that isn’t quite what they were after so they broke up*. The record label lives on, though, and continues to release albums including Emma Pollock’s solo records (2007’s Watch The Fireworks had none, even if it was quite pretty... her second one came out today and I’ven’t heard it) and Alun Woodward’s record (Lord Cut-Glass (album name and project name, with Paul Savage, the Delgado’s drummer,) released in 2009 that I haven’t heard.

I still haven’t gotten The Complete BBC Sessions (8 sessions over 10 years) but at some point I will and I shall update this. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hear their 2002 covers session where they do “Mr Blue Sky” (ELO), “California Uber Alles” (DK) “Matthew and Son” (Cat Stevens) and “The Last Rose of Summer” (traditional) instead of songs from the well reviewed Hate released two days earlier.



* OK, fine, actually the bassist, Stewart Henderson decided to quit because the ratio of recognition to work wasn’t enough for him anymore.

[TallGuyCM]

I'd def like to hear your in-depth analyses of Joanna's work, bmack. Whenever you write about her you have such a kid on Christmas morning zeal about you, and I've never deeply studied/considered her songs or lyrics so it'd be interesting to hear what you have to say.

[roberto73]

Great work on The Delgados, John. Every time I listen to The Great Eastern I'm blown away by how terrific it is.

Also, Emma Pollock's new one is quite good (nothing to set the world on fire, but pleasant and vaguely Delgados-y), as is the Lord Cut-Glass album. The BBC Sessions comp is also definitely worth having.

[michaelmontanez]

Updated list of what's been done, what's been requested recently, and what's been offered either seriously or casually.

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

Page 48
#1419 The Birthday Party (Nick Cave supplement) - Souldischarge (complete)
#1420 Stone Temple Pilots - Backwater (complete)

Page 49
#1446 Belle and Sebastian - Bmack86 (Complete)
#1456 Jay-Z - Sushov (overview)

Page 50
#1472 The Mae Shi - Bmack86 (complete)
#1489 Nightmares on Wax - Passivetheory (work in progress)

Page 51
#1515 Madonna - Hawkingvsreeve (complete)

Page 52
#1543 Bright Eyes - TheStripe (complete)
#1551 Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi/The Evens) - Bmack86 (complete)
#1560 Merzbow 1979-1983 - wmgaretjax (complete)

Page 53
#1566 Merzbow 1983-1990 - wmgaretjax (complete)
#1589 Propellorheads - vicviper (complete, even though there's only one album)

Page 54
#1595 Husker Du - bmack86 (complete)
#1611 Monkees - stuporfly (selected, incomplete)
#1612 Fucked Up - bmack86 (complete)

Page 56
#1652 Swans - souldischarge (incomplete, in progress)

Page 58
#1729 Xiu Xiu - involvelemons (complete)

Page 60
#1790 Dave Matthews Band - alchemy (complete)

Page 61
#1804 Air - alchemy (complete)


Requests
Oneida
Sleater Kinney
Will Oldham
Bassnectar
Jim O'Rourke
Spoon
Wire
The Fall
Pere Ubu
Suicide
Guided By Voices


Unfulfilled promises
Unwound (bmack)
Yes (pancakes)
Genesis (pancakes)
Flaming Lips (souldischarge)
Nurse With Wound (souldischarge & wmgaretjax)
Negativland (weatherman)
Catherine Wheel (amyzzz)

add captain beefheart to the requests! I'm curious to see opinions of his albums, if it's not done by next week, I'm gonna do it myself.

[SoulDischarge]

Just keep adding to the list like I did every 2 pages or so. And next person to update the list make sure to fix that Chemical Brothers betao/bosco thing.

[Still-ill]

add captain beefheart to the requests! I'm curious to see opinions of his albums, if it's not done by next week, I'm gonna do it myself.

Kinda got deja vu reading this... there was a conversation on here about Beefheart before, I think. Some people were discrediting TMR, but loved SAM.

[SoulDischarge]

That might have been me. I wasn't discrediting Trout Mask Replica, I just kind of prefer Safe As Milk. It's a lot more enjoyable of a listening experience even if it isn't as important or influential or challenging or whatever.

[TallGuyCM]

A Captain Beefheart in-depth would be welcome by me as well. I remember listening to Trout Mask Replica in high school and reaaaally not caring for it, but that was over ten years ago and I'm in a completely different place now.

[rage patton]

I agree with Patrick here. I would love to do a Captain Beefheart guide... but I am only really familiar with 3 of his albums. Safe as Milk, Trout Mask Replica, and Doc at the Radar station. All 3 are fantastic albums, but that is about as far as my Captain Beefheart knowledge goes.

[bmack86]

Yeah, Chris, Trout Mask is something you have to really live with for a bit. I don't think that listening to more difficult music will necessarily make Trout Mask any easier to take on. It's an album that really requires patience, but fuck if it doesn't pay back.

[Still-ill]

That might have been me. I wasn't discrediting Trout Mask Replica, I just kind of prefer Safe As Milk. It's a lot more enjoyable of a listening experience even if it isn't as important or influential or challenging or whatever.

Yeah I think it was you who said that. But, more importantly after you said it, it kind of turned into the popular thing. Which resulted in a bunch of people getting out of their seats to finally admit publicly they don't like Trout Mask Replica.

[Still-ill]

I might as well just put this on the record, that if it weren't for Trout Mask Replica, I may have never started challenging myself musically. It was the first album that took me more than two or maybe three listens, to actually get and enjoy.

[bmack86]

I give that title to one of three records, all of which have affected me beyond belief: It's either Can-Tago Mago, Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over the Sea or Joanna Newsom-the Milk Eyed Mender. I found these three within a month of eachother, and they all completely destroyed what I thought about music up to that point.

[michaelmontanez]

My uncle playing Pop Tatari when I came to visit him once is the reason that I branched out from only listening to the radio at a young age.

[Still-ill]

Yeah In the Aeroplane over the Sea is still pretty important to me as well. I was about 14 when I first heard it. It kind of changed my perspective on music also.

[TomAz]

that would be a good thread. talk about the album or two that changed the way you hear music, took you out of the mainstream

[bballarl]

that would be a good thread. talk about the album or two that changed the way you hear music, took you out of the mainstream

Seconded.

[TallGuyCM]

Another good thread would be to list a few albums that you've been meaning to get around to listening to for ages but for one reason or another haven't yet.

[Still-ill]

that would be a good thread. talk about the album or two that changed the way you hear music, took you out of the mainstream

That sounds like a good idea.

[Still-ill]

Ok, I made the thread. Go crazy.

[stuporfly]

Updated list of what's been done, what's been requested recently, and what's been offered either seriously or casually.

...

#1611 Monkees - stuporfly (selected, incomplete)


I just saw this and felt bad about it, so I went back and had a look and think it actually was pretty complete. I didn't go into their solo careers (Nesmith's was really the only one of any note), but I'm not sure it's incomplete, either. As it happens, I used elements of what I'd written here in a brief thing on the Monkees I did for PopMatters this week.

[SoulDischarge]

I just put that down because you said there were albums of theirs you weren't covering.

[stuporfly]

I just put that down because you said there were albums of theirs you weren't covering.

Oh, I see. Wonder what the heck I was talking about...Maybe that terrible '80s and '90s reunion shit.

[lunatic core]

Been planning to do Autechre. Thread needs a bump.

[TallGuyCM]

Been planning to do Autechre. Thread needs a bump.

That should be an interesting read.

[TallGuyCM]

:bump

[TallGuyCM]

:bump

Again. Anyone?

[bmack86]

I don't know what I'd do right now. Bowie's far too daunting a task for me to take on during Law School stuff. Again, I could write a Joanna Newsom one with all her band-related releases and the early EPs and everything, but I don't think I'd bother doing grades for her actual releases and it'd have to be read keeping in mind that pretty much everything she does is gold to me. Sufjan's a possibility too, but I need to listen to the new version of Year of the Rabbit that he did and get acquainted with Avalanche.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Avalanche is great, especially for what is basically 70 minutes of outtakes. The new Rabbit was very interesting and abrasive, but I haven't heard it since it came out. I could possibly maybe write a sufjan one if i feel up to it...i feel like really unfairly biased positively towards him for some reason though. One of those artists I have a hard time getting critical about

[TallGuyCM]

This and Gabe's movie thread are literally the best this board has to offer. Would anyone mind guiding me in the right direction as far as John Zorn goes? Dude's got 7 releases from 2010 alone on what.cd.

[LooseAtTheZoo]

I don't know what I'd do right now. Bowie's far too daunting a task for me to take on during Law School stuff. Again, I could write a Joanna Newsom one with all her band-related releases and the early EPs and everything, but I don't think I'd bother doing grades for her actual releases and it'd have to be read keeping in mind that pretty much everything she does is gold to me. Sufjan's a possibility too, but I need to listen to the new version of Year of the Rabbit that he did and get acquainted with Avalanche.

I've consistently offered to do a full Bowie but just as consistently other responsibilities have conflicted. I'd be up for splitting Bowie with you.

[wmgaretjax]

re:zorn lol. no. that would be kind of nuts. i guess just start with torture garden and if it suits you, follow the rabbit hole.

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah, I've already requested Zorn to no avail. Dude just has too much music.

I really want to do another one of these/finish the ones I've started but can't seem to focus. Maybe I can work it into my commute so all that time isn't a total fucking waste.

[bmack86]

I'm in the works on one of the ones I promised WAAAAAAAAAAAAY back.

[Still-ill]

Yeah, I still have like 2 more Pere Ubu albums to listen to. Thanks for reminding me.

[bmack86]

Jared, D'you know all the R.Kelly albums?

[wmgaretjax]

Jared, D'you know all the R.Kelly albums?

I owe you a mix don't I? maybe i'll work on that tonight.

[liquidsnake28]

Fuckin R. Kelly, how does he work?

[MarkO]

Anyone familiar with Elton John ? It's not all dreck. His career would be worth covering. I'd also like to see some discussion on Clapton.

I believe I also said I would cover U2. Need to get on that.

[SoulDischarge]

I had a greatest hits album of his (Elton John) as a kid that I loved, so I still like a lot of those songs. I'd like to see that covered.

[TallGuyCM]

In short, Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across the Water are all superb. Especially if you're mainly familiar with his cheeseball later work, these records will amaze you.

[wmgaretjax]

OK. Starting work on R Kelly today.

[TomAz]

In short, Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across the Water are all superb. Especially if you're mainly familiar with his cheeseball later work, these records will amaze you.

I think Madman Across the Water is really good.

He also had a live album 11/17/70 that was a radio station live-in-studio-with-a-small-audience deal. Just Elton on piano, with bass and drums, recorded before he got big and schmaltzy. I really loved that album. "Bad Side of the Moon", "Take Me to the Pilot", and a really long extended version of "Burn Down the Mission" were highlights. I haven't listened to that album in eons, but i remember it being pretty fun.

[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.

Two years later:

First, my discoveries from listening to every David Bowie album in order: He's fluctuated like hell throughout his career. Consistency hasn't been his game, but when he's on he's on. The Man Who Sold the World is his most underrated album but Lodger is a close second. He's got a hell of a lot of great music.

1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Bowie-davidbowie.jpg

David Bowie (1967) – In what will become a theme here, this doesn’t really sound like anything else in the Bowie catalog. This album is clearly reminiscent of the British psychedelic and folk movements. Unlike everywhere else in his career, Bowie plays it really straight here, just making psychedelic 60s British pop by the numbers. Tellingly, this album isn’t even frequently thought of as the real first David Bowie album. It went in and out of print for years and had a varying tracklist. If you want to hear Bowie’s fairly normal psychedelic beginnings, pick up the Deram Anthology, which has this album and the singles he released around the same time. The Laughing Gnome is just stupid enough to work. Grade: C-

2.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b9/DavidBowiePhilips.jpg/220px-DavidBowiePhilips.jpg

Space Oddity (1969) – The title track is, obviously, the best song here. You know it, so I’m not going to tell you how great it is, but the rest of the album is mildly interesting. It lacks a defining character, as Bowie tries out soft pyschedelia, Fairport Convention-style folk, a track that sounds like Foghat and a few acoustic-based story songs. None of the songs are bad and sometimes the melodies are pretty catchy, but overall this is one of Bowie’s lesser releases. It’s entertaining enough, but you’ll likely forget most of the songs right after you’ve heard them. Two big exceptions (besides obviously Space Oddity) are Cygnet Committee, which stretches the story song format and is one of Bowie’s most grandiose tracks, and Memory of a Free Festival, which builds to a really hippie-like and fun crescendo. If you really like Bowie it’s worth listening to, but you probably won’t find yourself running back. Grade: C+

3. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/23/TheManWhoSoldtheWorld.jpg/220px-TheManWhoSoldtheWorld.jpg

The Man Who Sold The World (1970) – The first track kicks in and something feels different. It definitely sounds like Zeppelin happened in a big way in the previous year, as the guitars have more crunch and the bass is fatter. There’s even guitar solos. Width of a Circle, that first track, introduces Bowie the hard rock star, and also introduces Mick Ronson, one of the most important people Bowie worked with in his career. Ronson and Tony Visconti arranged this album, and they did a hell of a job, giving Bowie a swinging sound and an edge that he started to hone and shape. While Space Oddity provided him with his first hit, The Man Who Sold the World is where the Bowie we know appeared. Outside of the first song, which is fantastic, there’s also the timeless title track, All the Madmen (the first clear use of the Bowie Glam sound that made Ziggy Stardust so great) and pretty much every song. The whole album is of ridiculously high quality and started a run of classic albums only arguably equaled, in my mind, by Neil Young and Sonic Youth. Grade: A

4. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/40/David_Bowie_-_Hunky_Dory.jpg/220px-David_Bowie_-_Hunky_Dory.jpg

Hunky Dory (1971) – Bowie’s first complete masterpiece. Unlike much of his later canonized classics, Hunky Dory is a pop album. He uses horns, piano, strings and bouncing melodies to house some of the best songs he’d ever write. Kicking off with Changes, one of his most recognizable and classic tunes, he blasts through 12 quirky pop songs, veering from the ebullient energy of Oh! You Pretty Things to the crescendo and magnificence of Life on Mars, quite probably the best song in his whole catalogue, to Quicksand, which sounds like Elton John before he was a household name. The whole thing is so full of life and energy. His past albums, even in their best parts, didn’t have this level of playfulness and amazement at the sound they could create. Bowie was never this loose and fun again. Grade: A+

5. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/ZiggyStardust.jpg/220px-ZiggyStardust.jpg

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972) – This is the one that put Bowie into the public consciousness in a big way. He is still working in the basic structure of Hunky Dory, but he tones down the strings, horns and pianos and cranks up the fat, distorted guitars. Glam Rock, they called it. It’s a fantastic sound, definitely the forerunner to what ultimately became punk, and he was sitting right at the top of his pop songwriting at this album. Five Years is a fantastic apocalyptic song with a spectacular vocal delivery, Starman is huge and soaring and emotional, Ziggy Stardust is just an excellent song and Suffragette City is one of the strongest singles Bowie ever released, with one of his most urgent and menacing takes. The story throughout adds to the record, and Bowie really played out the Ziggy persona, touring as him and dressing in character. People now would call it posing, lame or inauthentic, but Bowie did it with such enthusiasm and zeal that it worked. This is one of those all time classic records for a reason, and it’s aged remarkably well. Grade: A+

6. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/DavisBowieAladdinSane.jpg

Aladdin Sane (1973) – I remembered this album far less kindly than I should have. It’s a come down after three fantastic records, but it’s also a good album in its own right. Watch That Man starts it off with a theatricality that was only hinted at in Ziggy. The character is bigger here, but not necessarily better. The title track is a weird one, with echoing vocals and weird keys. The middle stretch is a bit unmemorable, but it does show him stretching out to some soul sounds which he would return to later in his career. The final stretch is very energetic, though, from a cover of Let’s Spend the Night Together that doesn’t best the original but has plenty of pep to Jean Genie, another one of his classics. It’s not a great album, but it’s also not nearly as bad as I had recalled. Grade: B

7. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/PinUps.jpg

Pin Ups (1973) – Just to get it out of the way up front, this is a covers album, so don’t expect any true Bowie classics. The line on Bowie is that he’s a musical chameleon, and that can become his downfall here, as he doesn’t really take much effort to turn these classic 60s tracks into his own; he just takes on the styles of the bands that he’s working with. It’s still cool to hear him fuck around with weird vocals on See Emily Play, and the band has tons of energy, especially on the garage rock tracks that pepper the track list. There’s two Who songs, and they do a good job on them. The most memorable song, however, is the last track, Port of Amsterdam, a spooky cover of a Jacques Brel song that Bowie really pulls off. It’s the best listen, dark and ominous, and shows an increasing paranoia that would push his next few works in interesting directions. Not a great album, but it’s definitely a fun listen. It’s worth a spin. Grade: C+

8. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1f/Diamond_dogs.jpg/220px-Diamond_dogs.jpg

Diamond Dogs (1974) – After Pin Ups, the Spiders from Mars took off, and Bowie set out in a darker, weirder direction. Diamond Dogs doesn’t have the pop sounds or energy of the previous string of albums. Instead, there are dark, mid tempo, blues-based songs that ramp up the paranoia factor to a whole new level. Sadly, most of the songs on here are either forgettable or not fully formed. Really, only Diamond Dogs, Rebel Rebel (the one undeniable classic from the album), 1984 and Dodo deserve multiple listens. 1984 has some nods to blacksploitation and soul records, and Dodo is a very passable slow burning soul song in the Sam and Dave style, which is cool and presaged the next turn he would take, but most of the other stuff is just kind of there. He’d been better before, and he’d get better again, but this is a misstep, and doesn’t really warrant more than one listen just to edify yourself. Grade: C-

9.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Young_americans.jpg/220px-Young_americans.jpg

Young Americans (1975) – So there’s that title track. It’s such a badass blue-eyed soul song, Bowie sounds so confident and assured, and the backing vocals kill. After Diamond Dogs, he pretty much had to lighten up, so he took cues from the back half of that album and made a soul-referencing album that really blew him up in the US. In addition to the title track, the album spawned the monster hit Fame, which Bowie co-wrote with some dude named John Lennon. It’s likewise an incredible track, and you know it. What’s great is the generally good quality of the rest of the songs. Most of them aren’t in the upper echelon of Bowie tracks, but there are some great minor gems here. Fascination, in particular, seems like a foreshadow of his 80s commercial peak and shows that he really had that funky dancy sound down pat for quite a while. He really kills the momentum with his cover of Across the Universe: he hams it up way too much and takes the simple perfection of the original and adds too much glitz and Vegas-style vocals. Still, that’s the only real flop, and if there are only three truly stunning tracks, that’s still worth a listen. Grade: B

10. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/06/S2s.jpg/220px-S2s.jpg

Station to Station (1976) – The infamous album that Bowie always claims that he doesn’t remember recording. This was the bottom of Bowie’s downward spiral physically, as his coke problem grew to such heights that he was out of his mind for most of the year. Musically, however, this is one of his stone cold classics. It kicks off with the title track, a 10 minute funk/soul/motorik exploration that perfectly bridged the gap between the plastic soul he had done with Young Americans and the experimentalism of Low, which was soon to come. Golden Years is one of his most well recognized and beloved songs, and for good reason. It’s a fantastic upbeat soul exploration with just the right amount of sheen to it. There are only 6 long songs here, and they’re all pretty spectacular, a mix of funky soul and the more teutonic funk that had been developing in Germany. After this, Bowie went to Berlin to clean out his system, and the legend only grew. Grade: A


11.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/Low_%28album%29.jpg/220px-Low_%28album%29.jpg

Low (1977) – There’s not a whole lot to say about this album that hasn’t already been said. Bowie goes to Berlin, kicks cocaine, hangs out with Iggy Pop, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. They listen to lots of Krautrock and decide to make some of the best music of their respective careers over the course of a few years. Low is the first of Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. It’s also the best, and is one of the few contenders for his best album. The rock songs on the first half of the album are among the best he’s ever written. There aren’t any songs that would be potential hits, just extraordinarily well written and performed experimental rock tracks. The back half dispenses with vocals and moves into instrumental, more experimental territory. These pieces are likewise stellar, and show the clear mark of Brian Eno, who clearly took his time in Berlin to heart when he later worked with the Talking Heads. Warszawa has a spectacularly captivating vocal chant, and the tracks are just really impressively great. There’s a reason this is such a beloved album now. Grade: A+

12.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/DavidBowieHeroesCover.jpg/220px-DavidBowieHeroesCover.jpg

“Heroes” (1977) – It’s incredible that this and Low came out the same year. The song quality on “Heroes” is every bit as high as on Low, and the title track is perfect; it’s very telling that it’s been covered many times, yet no one else has been able to capture the simple emotion that Bowie projects on his track. Beauty and the Beast is a great, rocking opener, and Robert Fripp’s contributions here (apparently he recorded all his tracks in one day) add a great fluid quality. The album mirrors Low in its construction, with the front half devoted to vocal tracks and the back half featuring Bowie and Co. crafting more instrumental, out there music. The only thing that makes this album slightly lesser than Low is that, except for V-2 Schneider (which is an absolutely astounding song), these tracks aren’t quite as powerful. They still craft some delicately beautiful work, but it’s just a tad less memorable in comparison. Still, a spectacular album, and one that deserves and warrants many many listens. Grade: A+


13.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/12/Bowie-lodger.jpg/220px-Bowie-lodger.jpg

Lodger (1979) – After the past two albums, it’s pretty much expected that Bowie couldn’t keep up the same level of insanely high quality. What’s even more amazing is that, of the three “Berlin” records, this is probably the most cohesive. It plays as a travelogue of the sounds Bowie was taking in at the time, absorbing Arabic chants, the Krautrock drones and melodies and the soul backing that he had been working with prior to the whole Coke ordeal. Lodger congeals much of Bowie’s past in a really fantastic way. Much like Low, there isn’t a stand out track here, but every song is of uniformly fantastic quality. This is David Bowie having a blast making an album that’s not a statement, but just a collection of songs. As such, you probably won’t find any of your favorite Bowie tracks here, but there is nevertheless lots to love, as every single song is of the uniformly high quality of the past two records. Well worth the listen, this is probably the most overlooked Bowie record and it deserves a bigger, more appreciative audience to really give it the love it deserves. Grade: A-


14.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/DavidBowieScaryMonstersCover.jpg/220px-DavidBowieScaryMonstersCover.jpg

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980) – On his first Post-Eno album, Bowie did something he hadn’t really done since Hunky Dory; release an album that was purely a collection of songs without any sort of overaching theme going on. Like Hunky Dory, it works to great effect, with the sound of the album varying somewhat and the quality of each track staying pretty uniformly high. Synths are much more obvious here, and it’s generally a good thing, such as on Ashes to Ashes where the song goes from a cool, spare intro to a fuller, more human sound in the verses, only to drop back into the sparseness. It’s No Game Pt. 1 is one of his coolest intros, with a Japanese voice over and really cool, stylish guitars. Fashion is one of his biggest hits, and it’s a really cool tune, with an assured funky strut forcing its way into your memory. His last truly killer album. Grade: A


15.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/David-bowie-lets-dance.jpg/220px-David-bowie-lets-dance.jpg

Let’s Dance (1983) – The first three songs on this album were so damn huge. I don’t remember not knowing Modern Love or China Girl. The album takes the swagger of Scary Monsters and adds 80s productions sheen and a level of professionalism to the sound. It’s Bowie cleaned up for a mainstream sound, and on the first three songs it works to great effect. The rest of the album is much more hit-or-miss, but there are still a few winners. Cat People, which was used to controversial effect in Inglorious Basterds, is a home run of electro plastic funk, with a great vocal turn by Bowie. Unfortunately, the songs before it are less than memorable. Shake it is a decent electrofunk work out. The rest of the stuff is pretty much unmemorable, not bad but not really worth repeated listens. The reissue versions come with Under Pressure, the Queen collaboration, at the end. That track should have been on the album. Grade: B-

16. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d7/Tonight_%28album%29.jpg/220px-Tonight_%28album%29.jpg

Tonight (1984) – If the line about being a musical chameleon holds, then Loving the Alien is a pretty adept illustration of that: it’s Bowie full-on aping Duran Duran. He does it well because he’s a talented musician, but it sounds like Bowie’s singing for Duran Duran rather than putting his own mark on their sound. Don’t Look Down is a reggae song, and it’s not bad, but it doesn’t have any personality to it. That’s pretty much the definition of the whole album. There are some nice enough sounds but there’s no personality, an odd thing considering prior Bowie albums were overbounding with it. Also, the production is very tied to the 80s in an occasionally overbearing way. There are still a few bright lights: Neighborhood Threat recalls Cat People in a good way, and Blue Jean sounds like classic Bowie. It’s not great, but it sounds pretty spectacular in the context of the album, which really highlights the bland nature of the album. Grade: D+

17. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/12/Never-Let-Me-Down.jpg/220px-Never-Let-Me-Down.jpg

Never Let Me Down (1987) – I’ll admit: from Let’s Dance onward I expected uniformly spotty quality and a lack of the fun and imagination that made the first two decades of Bowie’s career so thrilling. Never Let Me Down is a surprise. It’s not a great album, but there’s a good amount of strong material on it. There aren’t hits, but it also an album that sounds like an album, which he hadn’t really done since Lodger. Glass Spider is pretty terrible, and I don’t understand why he’d title the ensuing tour after that track, but for the most part these songs are interesting, if not as memorable as his 70s work. At least he ended the 80s with an album that improved upon the two before it. Grade: B

18. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/Blacktiewhitenoise.jpg/220px-Blacktiewhitenoise.jpg

Black Tie White Noise (1993) – There’s more conscious art to this release. The synths still dominate much of the sound, and Bowie was obviously into dance club music when he recorded this, but there are some interesting slow songs and developments. This album is probably most representative of Scary Monsters, in that it’s got a number of styles and no theme, but it’s coherent. It’s not as good as Scary Monsters, but the title track, the cover of I Feel Free and Nite Flights are all cool, interesting, Bowie-sounding songs. There’s nothing terribly exciting here, but there aren’t any bad songs, and it’s a decent listen. Grade: C+

19.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/David_bowie-the_buddha_of_suburbia-uk.jpg

Buddha of Suburbia (1994) – Actually a soundtrack for a miniseries, this album had problems getting released in the US initially. It’s not coherent, but it would have been a better release than Black Tie White Noise. The dance music that Bowie uses here is more gritty, less glossy, and more interesting. The Bowie songs are more Bowie, and there are some points throughout that really had me looking to make sure I wasn’t listening to 70s Bowie again. There are some ambient tracks akin to the Bowie/Eno recordings during the “Berlin” period, and Mystery stands out as a particularly nice and slow moving soundscape. Strangers When We Meet is a really fantastic song, with a build and feel similar to “Heroes” but without the epic feeling of that track. I’m surprised it’s not a more beloved song, because it’s really fantastic and so classically Bowie. Oh, and Untitled #1 is a Chillwave song. I’m hearing so much of what Toro y Moi and Washed Out do on the song it’s creepy. Grade: B

20. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/44/Outsidebowie.jpg/220px-Outsidebowie.jpg

Outside (1995) – Before I get into it, know that when this album is on, the songs are fantastic. Bowie is interested in rock and weird noises and darkness here. When it comes through, that is great. However, it’s a 74 minute album with a loose theme about computers taking over or something and lots of really middling tracks. Eno’s on here somewhere apparently, and some of the songs are pretty cool and surprising for Bowie (Hallo Spaceboy starts out pretty fantastic, with a huge drumbeat and some really weird guitars and it only builds from there, The Heart’s Filthy Lesson is a decent rocker, and there’s another version of Strangers When We Meet; also Wishful Beginnings bears a passing resemblance to some of Scott Walker’s Tilt, which was released the same year) but there’s too much stuff that’s just dark and dour for the sake of it. An album tailor made for digital consumption: delete filler at will (including all the godawful segues). Grade: B

21.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bf/Earthling_%28album%29.jpg/220px-Earthling_%28album%29.jpg

Earthling (1997) – The shift from Outside to Earthling is startling. Little Wonder, the first track, sounds like a mix of Prodigy and Ozzy Osbourne: it’s loud, it’s kinda dumb, it’s vaguely evil in a middle school sort of way. I don’t believe it’s Bowie. Battle for Britain has no idea what it wants to be: there’s a jungle beat going on, the verses are almost Hunky Dory-style psych, and then the thick metal guitars show up for chorus and it turns vaguely nu-metal. The songs are almost all cookie cutter 90s electro-rock, with the exception of Seven Years of Tibet, which benefits from its restraint. This is not a good sound for Bowie at all, and the album is almost uncomfortably grating. (I’ll give him this; the last song’s White Zombie rip is fairly convincing). Grade: D-

22. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/64/Bowie_Hours.jpg/220px-Bowie_Hours.jpg

Hours (1999) – Bland dad rock. Grade : D-

23. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b6/Heathen.jpg/220px-Heathen.jpg

Heathen (2002) – Because cliches abound when you talk about Bowie, the cliché is this album is where he became comfortable with his past. What’s interesting is it sounds so right. This album shows him finally being comfortable writing in his older style of music. The tracks remind me of an older man writing the early 70s era stuff: the stuff that was fun, adventurous and not afraid of being goofy. Only now it’s more refined, more solemn and more sober. That’s not a bad thing, and the album sounds great. The cover of Cactus is really cool, Slip Away is a dead ringer for a Hunky Dory outtake. Hilariously, my copy had a Seether song mislabeled as I Took A Trip on A Gemini Spaceship, but I assure that cover is much better than Seether. Listening to this, it sounds like Bowie might have had a decent late-career run in him. Grade: B


24. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7b/David_Bowie_-_Reality.jpg/220px-David_Bowie_-_Reality.jpg

Reality (2003) – The last Bowie album thus far, Reality was a really decent follow up to Heathen. Like that album, there’s no pretense here and it just sounds like Bowie relaxing and writing the music he used to write in a really good way. The cover of Pablo Picasso doesn’t surpass the original, but it’s still good and catchy and a good reminder of how fantastic that original was. Never Get Old kinda makes you believe he might not. Generally the tempo is a bit up from Heathen, the songs are shorter and less “classically” Bowie. It’s not quite as impressive, but only by a hare, and it was another step in what was seeming like a late career resurgence before he just kinda stopped. Grade: B

[wmgaretjax]

Lodger definitely deserves more attention. It's probably my favorite Bowie record.

[SoulDischarge]

"Heart's Filthy Lesson" might be my favorite post-classic-Bowie track of his. It might just be because of Se7en though. Anyway, thanks for finally conquering that Herculean task of amateur music journalism. I have a few things I should work on finishing while I'm sick and have a few days off work.

[TallGuyCM]

This thread getting bumped with quality submissions gets a big fuck yeah.

[knytt]

Fucking brilliant bmack, thanks a ton.

[Still-ill]

'member when this thread almost became a website?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

"Heart's Filthy Lesson" might be my favorite post-classic-Bowie track of his. It might just be because of Se7en though.

I love this track, and "Hallo Spaceboy" almost as much.

Thanks for the write up Bryan. I never realize how stretched my knowledge of Bowie is, in that i know tracks from almost every album but am not as familiar with the albums themselves as whole, distinctive works so much.

[bmack86]

This was my first time listening to the albums from Tonight onward, so that was fun. I've been intimately familiar with the classics, but there were quite a few songs I'd completely forgotten.

[TomAz]

Jesus Bryan. very well done. Gold star.

and yes "Fascination" on YA is really good.

[rage patton]

Decided I really want to get into Boredoms. I read Bryan's guide and it was really helpfull as to telling me what to grab. I couldn't find Super Roots 7 though... so if anyone could PM me that, that would be awesome.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I very much need to start Boredoms. I have a feeling I'm going to fall in love.

[Gribbz]

I'm sick, so I think I'm going to read this entire thread today. Has anyone been keeping a list of all the bands that have been covered?

[bmack86]

[QUOTE=SoulDischarge;1590169]Updated list of what's been done, what's been requested recently, and what's been offered either seriously or casually.

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

Page 48
#1419 The Birthday Party (Nick Cave supplement) - Souldischarge (complete)
#1420 Stone Temple Pilots - Backwater (complete)

Page 49
#1446 Belle and Sebastian - Bmack86 (Complete)
#1456 Jay-Z - Sushov (overview)

Page 50
#1472 The Mae Shi - Bmack86 (complete)
#1489 Nightmares on Wax - Passivetheory (work in progress)

Page 51
#1515 Madonna - Hawkingvsreeve (complete)

Page 52
#1543 Bright Eyes - TheStripe (complete)
#1551 Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi/The Evens) - Bmack86 (complete)
#1560 Merzbow 1979-1983 - wmgaretjax (complete)

Page 53
#1566 Merzbow 1983-1990 - wmgaretjax (complete)
#1589 Propellorheads - vicviper (complete, even though there's only one album)

Page 54
#1595 Husker Du - bmack86 (complete)
#1611 Monkees - stuporfly (selected, incomplete)
#1612 Fucked Up - bmack86 (complete)

Page 56
#1652 Swans - souldischarge (incomplete, in progress)

Page 58
#1729 Xiu Xiu - involvelemons (complete)

Page 60
#1790 Dave Matthews Band - alchemy (complete)

Page 61
#1804 Air - alchemy (complete)
#1827 Delgados - Mountmccabe (Complete)

Page 63
#1870 David Bowie - Bmack86 (Complete)

[Pixiessp]

I just watched Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars concert DVD and just came back into this thread for the first time in quite a while.
Great timing! After my dental appt. today I will be diving in to your review, Bryan. I can't wait.

[Gribbz]

Damn. Thanks Bmack.

[Still-ill]

Oh yeah I need to finish Pere Ubu... forgot about that. I got kind of get burnt out right around Story of My Life. Batteries recharged.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

oh fuck, thanks for that list! There's so much i need to tackle. I've never listened to Pere Ubu, that's another one.

[roberto73]

Every time I look at that list I wonder how I found so much free time. One of these days I'll get motivated to write up some of the other bands I know I said I'd do.

[bmack86]

I look back and marvel that I didn't do more with my free time.

[TomAz]

I wish I hadn't been so deferential to yablo on those springsteen reviews. Oh well.

[Still-ill]

Pere Ubu

The Modern Dance
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Cdm537VENhE/SW_JmLN5KTI/AAAAAAAAATU/JT8tOVHcHTE/s400/o792.jpg

[9.5/10]

Well, this is probably the entry point for those who haven't yet delved into Pere Ubu. It's a garage-punk/post-punk masterpiece, and a bit more accessible then the next one (if ever so slightly). ... IT WAS JUST A JOKE MAN.
Best track:
Non-Alignment Pact

Dub Housing
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ngksaKth6LQ/S5AfgiYql4I/AAAAAAAAAuY/SgYcAiVFvQQ/s400/0399.jpg

[10/10]

It may have been a photo finish, but this one is superior to the debut by slimmest of margins. It's a bit cleaner, a bit more evolved, a bit more innovative, a bit more signature. For me, this one has a stronger mezzo and in the end that was the determining factor for the Bernard.
Best Track:
Oh dear, uh- Drink Wine Spodyody? Navvy? Caligari's Mirror?

New Picnic Time
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uB-0D-gV8mY/SNRoebOzbTI/AAAAAAAALxo/Qf6Ae7mcYkg/s400/pere+ubu

[7/10]

A formula is a formula, no matter how unique. This sentiment shines down most harshly upon New Picnic Time unfortunately. Heard on it's own, this is a good album, but it in context it's Dub Housing-lite, The Modern Dance-lite, and to a lesser extent The Art of Walking-lite. Rockin' opener, Rockin' second song, Slow burning and sparse avant-garde piece, then sprinkle in some oddities to end it out. Don't let my seemingly negative outlook on this album stop you from listening to it though, it certainly has it's moments.
Best Track:
Hand a Face a Feeling

The Art of Walking
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uB-0D-gV8mY/SK4Wxf654_I/AAAAAAAALEU/Ul_zXS87cfA/s400/pere

[8.5/10]

The rock songs hit a little harder, aurally fresher, and on the whole less contrived. Not to mention "Birdies" is one of the best Pere Ubu songs, "Go" is a tremendous opener, and "Rounder" is Pere Ubu at their funkiest. The dark horse Ubu.
Best Track:
Birdies

Song of the Bailing Man
http://i47.tinypic.com/2v1l06w.jpg

[8/10]

Dave Thomas was/is one of the more fun vocalists in the game. Probably because he used to stick a handful of vapor rub into his mouth and smear it into throat before each gig. I'm not saying that this created some sort of chemical reaction that added an air of playfulness to his vocal, I'm saying that the ritual is more of an indication of what type of person he is. A fun dood. Also, this is in the top tier of Pere Ubu albums, nothing that will drop your jaw, but there's some really keen album craft going on here. The guitar work reminds me of Naked City.
Best Track:
hmmm... there isn't really a standout track, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Terminal Tower
http://www.connollyco.com/discography/pere_ubu/terminal_hi.jpg

[9.5/10]

Early singles and b-sides. The expectations were low for this one, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar "Heart of Darkness" (not realizing the Mission of Burma version was a cover), it's such a killer song it kind of inflicts a bit of pain on me listening to it, and the lyrics... wow. Lyrically, the whole goddam album is Thomas sounding his most inspired and least whimsical. The same can be said about the instrumentation, because it's definitely their darkest work. "Untitled" is a weirder more disturbed version of the song "Modern Dance", and "Final Solution" sounds like a band that would never sound sprightly. Going forward, I don't see myself listening to anything other than this. Pere Ubu for the more cynical and jagged man.
Best Track:
Heart of Darkness

The Tenement Year
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a38/Bnoon/e750091c.jpg

[8.5/10]

Upon reforming, after a short hiatus, Pere Ubu came back with a very strong effort in The Tenement Year. They sounded like a band reinvigorated after a much needed break. This is all solid stuff here, and probably the last of the Pere Ubu we know and love. They would re-invent themselves from here on out.
Best Track:
Somethings Gotta Give

Cloudland
http://madshoes.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/pere-ubu.jpg

[7.5/10]

Is the production a bit cheesy? Surely, but that doesn't mean the tunes aren't good. At times the guitar chugging sounds like a bit like Springsteen (seriously, check out "Waiting for Mary"), and the drums have that ultra-compressed, reverby 80's sound, but it's all in good fun. There are still shades of the past, a little noisiness here and there.
Best Track:


Worlds In Collision
http://i48.tinypic.com/2n8a0e0.jpg

[7/10]

Sounds to me like an 80's Dylan album, the production is pastiche but the songs are written in such a way that you can overlook it. This was a very well-reviewed album in it's day, which makes me think it has aged a bit poorly, but not to the point where I can pan it to the Steve Winwood pile. The Oranges & Lemons of Pere Ubu.
Best Track:
Oh Catherine!

Story of my Life
http://i47.tinypic.com/2rdi5vl.jpg

[2/10]

Well... this is it, the shit Pere Ubu album. This is the only album by them that is filled with enough dreck for me to relegate to a failure. A lot of the production decisions here were good ones, back the guitar down and let Mr. Thomas' vocals breathe a little more, and give the other band members a bit more space to fill. It's a shame that the material here is really weak, it's not offensively bad, but paired with that awful cover I had a tough time not FF'ing any of the tracks. Kind of like how Songs of the Free was hinting at the indigestible Hard, the previous two Pere Ubu albums kind of hearkened this one in.

Ray Gun Suitcase
http://i46.tinypic.com/2prdx76.jpg

[7/10]

Ah, to sound paranoid again! Pere Ubu's return to indie labeldom led to a complete reinvention, back again to the sonic experimentation of the days of old. Although the Pop flirtation of the last three albums had it's moments, well on the first two go arounds at least, it had me yearning for the old Ubu again. A change was necessary, their sound had become stagnant and spent... so a return to the old really helped out on the discography as a whole. This album is kind of a rocky-working-out-chopping-wood-in-the-siberian-tundra album, whipping back into shape takes time.
Best Track:
Turquoise Fins or the spastic Surfer Girl rendition


Pennsylvania
http://i45.tinypic.com/2ywd4z6.jpg

[9.5/10]

I don't think anyone expected an opaque, obtuse, masterpiece like this album, not to mention a record as good as anything they've ever done. 1998 was a strong year in independent music, which probably explains why this album was so criminally overlooked. It was hardly even reviewed, and was/is the poorest selling Pere Ubu album ever. I think this album is a concept album of some sort, it seems to have some sort of rural american/car culture themes? There are strong elements of folk music shooting sidelong with the Post-Punk elements and spoken word creepiness more akin to Gira or Waits than Thomas. This is best illustrated on "Perfume", where an answering machine begins to relay a fuzzy transmission about a sleepy desert town that reeks of David Lynch and the frozen quality of the hours we spent there, and remember the waitress, and the faces of the other customers like they were my own family, and that out in the desert something is waiting for us. Fucking hell, this is a killer record.
Best Track:
The last dying moments of the sweeping 23-minute kraut-rock closer "Wheelhouse" (My name is Ellipsis)

St. Arkansas
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-aW5X6pXR6Q/Sz_Vk2zw2PI/AAAAAAAABmc/Pv0-mO09XhQ/s400/st+arkansas+cover.jpg

[8.5/10]

After releasing the ignored, sweeping epic Pennsylvania, Pere Ubu turned in another great latter day album in St. Arkansas. A percussive groove record, this one doesn't seem to carry on the folkiness but keeps with the almost improve feel of the end of Pennsylvania. All these years, I think I ignored Pere Ubu's later work, because there really is no buzz about these albums. Which is a damned shame...
Best Track:
Slow Walking Daddy

Why I Hate Women
http://i45.tinypic.com/11qit88.jpg

[7.5/10]

The most classic sounding of the newer Ubu releases, and some like this one more than St. Arkansas.

I don't.

[Still-ill]

Nearly 8 months after the deadline I made, oh well. At least it's done.

Edit: oops... my Pere Ubu Young'uns is on the last page.

[Still-ill]

So I was thinking about doing Eyeless in Gaza for my next one... but, I don't know how much interest there would be in that. So I think I'll do a hip-hop artist. I was thinking some sort of Wu-tang clan thing, but that would be way too lofty, I'll have to do something else then.

[Gribbz]

Anyone interested in doing a Neil Young write-up?

[Still-ill]

Tallguy Chris?

[bmack86]

Wow, I thought someone had done Neil Young already. I don't think I'd like to take on one like that so soon after Bowie, but I really do want to listen through his discography. He has so many incredible albums.

[wmgaretjax]

i realized today I could do Emeralds. that might be interesting, they have a fair amount of stuff that is tougher to track down that I could group as well.

maybe even add in a highlights reel from side projects? that would be a lovely winter break project if I could scrounge up the listening time.

[Still-ill]

I'd be interested in Emeralds. I've never really been able to get into Neil Young unfortunately, lord knows I've tried though.

Also, I'm going to group Pennsylvania, regardless if any of you have any wanting. I'm gonna force feed that album on you folks that haven't heard it. Speechless is the only word I can use after my first listen.

[TallGuyCM]

Tallguy Chris?

I could do this, but not immediately. He has many albums that I've never listened to, but that I'm not sure anybody actually should (see: Everybody's Rockin'). 33 studio albums in total, of which I'm familiar with a little more than half.

I'm up for the challenge, but in a more Still-Ill-Pere-Ubuish timeframe.

[bmack86]

Yes for Emeralds, and yes for Chris doing Neil Young. Trans!

[Still-ill]

Yeah slamming 7 albums on yourself isn't really fair to yourself or the albums.

[Hannahrain]

If anybody is interested, I will do a writeup someday of the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings output. Four studio albums under her name and one of just his band makes five, as well as at least a full mix worth of assorted (amazing) covers and etc from tributes and soundtracks. That's legit, right? Yes no? I don't know what you people want from me.


John can help if he wants.

[bmack86]

I think it was fair enough for "Hours" by Bowie. That was a bland piece of dad rock no matter how you listen to it.

[Still-ill]

Someone did Elbow when they only had three albums. I'd say any number greater than three is fair game.

[Gribbz]

If anybody is interested, I will do a writeup someday of the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings output. Four studio albums under her name and one of just his band makes five, as well as at least a full mix worth of assorted (amazing) covers and etc from tributes and soundtracks. That's legit, right? Yes no? I don't know what you people want from me.


John can help if he wants.

Do it.

[Still-ill]

I think Oval would be a cool write-up.

Also... I wouldn't mind attempting Jim O'rourke with someone if
a) I could find a list of every project he was in
b) can find someone else who would maybe want to help

edit: I found a list... sheeyit.

[wmgaretjax]

I
a) I could find a list of every project he was in

have fun: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jim+O'Rourke

[Still-ill]

+
about 14 side project records (or more). This is going to take a while. Expect me back in about a year or so, and if I'm not back by then check in on me and see if I'm alright.

[wmgaretjax]

there are at least 400 releases on discogs that have him as at least a credit on the record.

[Alchemy]

I'd like to do a young'uns guide to of Montreal later this month. I think that's a good one.

[Still-ill]

there are at least 400 releases on discogs that have him as at least a credit on the record.

I'm not gonna fool around with stuff he produced, or 7". It also seems there is a shit load of stuff that he got in the liner notes by writing the liner notes and doing the album art. I'm just gonna stick to the stuff he was a main member in.

[wmgaretjax]

haha. yeah I figured. that just blows my mind. the guy has his hands in so much.

[Still-ill]

Yeah I counted 22 under his own name... then I got to Improvised works. I think that's about another 20 or so (I'm not so sure how many of these I'm actually gonna find though). I'm thinking the guide is gonna be at least 60 albums. Depending on availability. I've already heard a fair amount though. But still...

[TallGuyCM]

Without going into too much detail, what are some of O'Rourke's best? I've only got The Visitor and Insignificance.

[Still-ill]

Depends on what you want to get out of it I guess.

[wmgaretjax]

I would include (to some extent, maybe just mentions, not every release) Diskaholics Anonymous Trio, Fenn'O'Berg, Gastr Del Sol, his work in Illusion of Safety, Original Silence, and Red Krayola. Kind of insane... but all of these projects really speak to the musical language he's working with.

[TallGuyCM]

Awesome, thx.

Edit: Damn, those all seem to have fairly to extremely daunting discogs. Would it be too pesty of me to ask for a little guidance with each? Just an album or two.

[Still-ill]

I would include (to some extent, maybe just mentions, not every release) Diskaholics Anonymous Trio, Fenn'O'Berg, Gastr Del Sol, his work in Illusion of Safety, Original Silence, and Red Krayola. Kind of insane... but all of these projects really speak to the musical language he's working with.

You forget he's a member of Sonic Youth as well. Also gotta include Indicate and Loose Fur.

[Still-ill]

Awesome, thx.

Edit: Damn, those all seem to have fairly to extremely daunting discogs. Would it be too pesty of me to ask for a little guidance with each? Just an album or two.

Wait a couple years and I'll have a guide for you. :)

Edit: Check out the Return of Fenn O'berg and Eureka, Chris. For two sides of the coin.

[wmgaretjax]

And Second Original Silence for another...

[TallGuyCM]

Edit: Check out the Return of Fenn O'berg and Eureka, Chris. For two sides of the coin.


And Second Original Silence for another...

Much appreciated.

[TomAz]

John can help if he wants.

http://hoofbeat25.edublogs.org/files/2009/11/78F655C3-CE55-4384-BB07-A0A99EA06DA8Img100-225x300.jpg

[Hannahrain]

Have you been studying with Gaypalmsprings? You should get your money back.

[TomAz]

So sorry to disappoint.

http://tinypic.com/k0ptle.jpg

[Hannahrain]

You can do better. I'm easy to make fun of. I mean I fucking had tempeh fries for lunch, Tom. It's like I'm aligning the goddamn trebuchet for you.

[Hannahrain]

I don't really know how you use a trebuchet. I bet there's aligning, though.

[Still-ill]

There would have to be, I don't think they had heat-seeking technology in the middle ages.

[buddy]

Without going into too much detail, what are some of O'Rourke's best? I've only got The Visitor and Insignificance.

i'll second eureka and Halfway To A Threeway [EP] is good stuff. he recently made a tribute album of Burt Bacharach songs that he made with some guests like thurston moore, which turned out surprisingly well. all of which i can send you if you want.

[TallGuyCM]

I've been able to locate everything so far. Thanks though!

[wmgaretjax]

I have to say, as far as O'Rourke + Sonic Youth stuff goes, the live Rsokilde noise set with Merzbow and Gustaffson is absolutely incredible.

[TomAz]

You can do better. I'm easy to make fun of. I mean I fucking had tempeh fries for lunch, Tom. It's like I'm aligning the goddamn trebuchet for you.

Fetchez la vache!

why would I want to make fun of you?

[Hannahrain]

I think I may have our relationship all wrong.

[Still-ill]

Alright, so I've cataloged and listened to everything I could find from the 80's and 1990. Wasn't even close to everything, but I'm just gonna be fair to myself. That's good for today, I'll try to knock out a couple more tomorrow.

[bmack86]

I have to say, as far as O'Rourke + Sonic Youth stuff goes, the live Rsokilde noise set with Merzbow and Gustaffson is absolutely incredible.

Yeah, that's one of my favorite SY releases. I wish they'd do a vinyl press of it, but I guess it just wouldn't be the same with the limitations of records.

[wmgaretjax]

alrighty... this is what I plan to do for emeralds... if anyone would really like a particular split or something (i've left all off the list) lemme know:


Demo No. 2
Hidden Field
Bullshit Boring Drone Band
Dirt Weed Diaries Vol 1
Laying Under Leaves
No More Spirits Over The Lake
Hallucinations
Golden Swirl
A Row Of Exposed Columns
Queen Of Burbank Vol 2
Ledges
Dirt Weed Diaries Vol 2
Allegory Of Allergies
Grass Ceiling
A Rel Clean Gang
Emeralds
Servant
Smoke Signals
Planetarium
Emeralds & Dilloway - Under Pressure
Live
Fresh Air
The Overlook
Solar Bridge
Emeralds
What Happened
Does It Look Like I'm Here

[bmack86]

Holy crap, they've got quite a bit of material.

In addition, you should make an Emeralds mix if it's not too much work. That'd be awesome to have.

Is What Happened worth purchasing? They had copies of it at Amoeba last time I was there, but it was 25 or 30 or something ridiculous.

[wmgaretjax]

i love what happened... so i'd say yes. but i have every piece of emeralds wax, so I'm a bit biased.

all the emego stuff is unfortunately expensive because shipping from austria is absurd. but it is a 2LP. and i can vouch for the quality. impeccable.

i'd definitely get the recent repress of Endless Summer emego put out though. but that should go without saying...

[Still-ill]

Hopefully yours doesn't get roughed up in the mail...

[bmack86]

Yeah, I'm going to look once I'm done with finals and sell my books. I'll have to pick up the Fennesz at least.

Can't wait to read the Emeralds write up. I really like the three albums I know.

[wmgaretjax]

i finish up finals tomorrow... so i'm hoping to do it soon.

[roberto73]

Okay. It's not complete, but it's close. Ready? Here we go.


The Fall

Live at the Witch Trials (1979)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Falllive.jpg
A supremely confident debut, Live at the Witch Trials actually sounds less shambolic than some of the band’s later work. Understandably influenced by that era’s post-punk movement, there are definitely echoes of contemporaries like Magazine and Joy Division, especially in the ringing guitars and keyboards of opener “Frightened.” Although the band hadn’t fully developed the “Fall sound,” the blueprint was definitely in place: frontman (and only mainstay throughout the band’s entire career) Mark E. Smith sneers, slurs, and yelps abstract and seemingly improvised lyrics; Martin Bramah provides jagged, wiry guitar with more than hint of rockabilly in it; the rhythm section of Marc Riley (bass) and Karl Burns (drums) underpin the tunes with a clattering, driving, surprisingly funky foundation; and Yvonne Pawlett’s keys add light and shade. There’s also the feeling that it could all disintegrate into a tuneless mess at any given second, but it’s to the band’s credit that even shouty, bilious screeds like “No Xmas for John Quays” maintain a strong sense of melody, while more conventional songs like the terrific “Rebellious Jukebox” balance out the chaos. Recorded in a single day, Live at the Witch Trials is a masterful statement of purpose and an exciting portent of things to come. Grade: A-

Dragnet (1979)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Falldragnet.jpg
Recorded less than a year after their debut, Dragnet expands only incrementally on that album’s sound, which is sort of remarkable considering that only Smith and Marc Riley remain from the original band, and Riley here makes the switch from bass to guitar. Coming on board is new guitarist Craig Scanlon, who generally picks up right where the departing Bramah left off: bruised rockabilly, only with a guitar sound that favors scratchy and abrasive over ringing and chiming. While there’s the usual number of songs that feature Smith’s spoken/slurred rants over jagged guitars and crashing drums (“A Figure Walks”; “Before the Moon Falls”), the album also sees the band attempting to branch out: the spindly guitar filigree etched over the top of “Your Heart Out”; the Native American-sounding melody and rhythm that introduces and resurfaces throughout “Muzorewi’s Daughter”; and “Spectre Versus Rector,” which starts out murky and echoing, only to explode into a frenzied staccato sunburst halfway through. Dragnet doesn’t work quite as well as their debut, but it’s a solid transitional effort that sees the band coming to terms with what they’re capable of. Grade: B

Grotesque (After the Gramme) (1980)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallgrotesque.jpg
It was on their third album that The Fall really started to find their groove. The breathless rockabilly rave-up “How I Wrote Elastic Man” hits the ground running and sets the tone for the rest of the album. Smith’s vocals are, for the first time, intelligible and high in the mix, and here and elsewhere he sounds even more fired up than usual. Also worth noting is that this is the first Fall album to deliver a handful of classic tunes. Besides opener “Elastic Man,” there’s the jagged “Totally Wired” and frenetic “Pay Your Rates,” both of which barrel along on the back of Craig Scanlon’s guitar and Paul Hanley’s powerhouse drumming. There’s also some inspired mimickry on display: the Peter Hook-y bassline of “Putta Block,” the repetitive krautrock stylings of “New Face in Hell,” and the droning, organ-driven, Velvets-oozing “Impression of J. Temperance.” A terrific album that bests their debut by a hair. Grade: A

Slates (1981)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallslates1.jpg
Sort of a stopgap between proper recordings, Slates is a tad too long to be considered an EP, but not quite long enough to get credit as a full-length album. It doesn’t feel like a stopgap, though, as it features a clutch of sharp, quality tunes. “An Older Lover Etc.” whipsaws from creepy to angry to maniacal and back again in 4+ minutes, and “Slates, Slags, Etc.” features one of Smith's best-ever rants over Paul Hanley’s insistent drums. The standout here is the raging “Prole Art Threat,” which packs a punch, despite its tinny production. Not essential listening, but a good indicator of what the band does between its “real” recordings. Grade: B

Hex Enduction Hour (1982)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallhex.jpg
With this album, The Fall’s discography officially entered the “Embarrassment of Riches” category. Now armed with two drummers, vitriolic leadoff track “The Classical” might be the best song they’ve ever recorded, Mark E. Smith yelping, “Hey there, fuckface!” over a pummeling art-rock groove. It’s an effective table-setter, as the previous albums’ rockabilly strut has been largely jettisoned in favor of the bile, aggression, and dissonance of songs like “Mere Pseud Mag. Ed.” and “Just Step Sideways.” The Fall has never been happy music; on Hex Enduction Hour they seem angrier than usual, but even the album’s quieter moments are enthralling. “Hip Priest” is nearly eight minutes of Smith muttering angrily over guitar squall, organ squelch, and an insistent backbeat, yet it never feels self-indulgent or overlong. It’s another album full of winners, and while it wouldn’t yet be accurate to call The Fall “tuneful,” they’ve got lyrical and musical innovation to burn. Grade: A

Room to Live (Undilutable Slang Truth!) (1982)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallroom.jpg
Another recording not quite long enough to be a full-length album and not quite short enough to be an EP, Room to Live was released mere months after Hex Enduction Hour, and it’s a minor effort that doesn’t really give us anything we haven’t heard from the band before. There’s the usual spoken-word abstraction (the bass-driven “Detective Instinct”) and rockabilly-flavored stompers (the title track), but the only indispensible track here is “Hard Life in the Country,” which finds Mark E. Smith spitting lyrical bile over a spare and spooky guitar figure. (In truth, the two best songs here are the single “Lie Dream of a Casino Soul” and its b-side “Fantastic Life,” which were only added to later editions of the album.) Don’t get me wrong: it’s a fun little record, but when you consider just how revelatory their first four albums are, this one feels a little like treading water. Grade: B-

A Part of America Therein (1982)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallpart.jpg
Recorded live in Chicago, this is one of the band’s few official concert recordings (not to be confused with the myriad unofficial recordings that the band has roundly dismissed over the years). The sound quality is actually quite good, and the eight songs here capture the band in fine form. As it turns out, this iteration of The Fall is a ferocious live proposition, especially Marc Riley and Craig Scanlon’s twin guitar barrage. And of course Mark E. Smith is an inimitable frontman, spitting his way through favorites like “The N.W.R.A.” and ‘Totally Wired,” and engaging in a surprising amount of friendly audience banter between songs. Grade: B+

Perverted by Language (1983)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallperverted.jpg
One of the popular talking points about The Fall is the band’s frequent lineup changes. If there’s a Fall 2.0, though, it begins with this album, the departure of guitarist Marc Riley, and the arrival of Mark E. Smith’s wife Brix on guitar and occasional vocals. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged, though, and as much of this album was recorded before Brix’s appearance, Perverted by Language serves as the bridge between the band’s rougher early output and their poppier mid-80’s incarnation. This shift is obvious from the get-go. “The Man Whose Head Expanded” is a dynamite opening track, heralded by a sparkling synth line and cruising along on a motorik pulse and Mark E. Smith’s typically anxious vocals. “Eat Y’self Fitter” is another standout, chugging along on an insistent bass groove, only to pause periodically for a playful spoken word chorus featuring newcomer Brix. And although not one of their best-known tunes, I think “Garden” might be one of the band’s greatest accomplishments: nearly nine minutes of Smith’s agitated vocals and Craig Scanlon’s menacing guitar. Proof that even a band in flux can still come up with a winner. Grade: A-

The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall (1984)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallwonderful.jpg
Despite Brix’s appearance on the previous album, it’s this one that always seems to me to mark the beginning of The Fall’s mid-80’s golden era. The songs are as off-kilter as ever, but producer John Leckie polishes them to a high gloss, and this album (along with the next few) are the closest they ever got to mass consumption. Opener “Lay of the Land” is a funky, herky-jerky pleasure, and “Elves” finds Mark E. Smith mumbling incoherently over clattering drums, Craig Scanlon’s ominous guitar riff, and burbling keys. And, for maybe the first time on record, the band delivers a (whisper it) musically beautiful tune in the ringing guitars of closer “Disney’s Dream Debased” – the key word there being musically, as lyrically Smith is as scabrous as ever. The original album is nine tracks long, but if you buy the CD, Beggars Banquet tagged on two terrific singles (“Oh! Brother!” and “C.R.E.E.P.”) from the same time period, along with their related b-sides. In either incarnation, it’s a keeper. Grade: A-

This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallnation.jpg
Another unqualified success, the album opens with the ominous instrumental “Mansion,” and then barrels headlong into the squalling “Bombast.” Produced again by Leckie, Saving Grace isn’t markedly different from its predecessor, but it feels like the darker and heavier of the two. This may be due to the percussive nature of the album, with songs like the furious “Gut of the Quantifier,” the chant-like “What You Need,” and minor hit “L.A.” all seemingly built around Karl Burns’ heavy-hitting drums. There are also, of course, the usual oddities, like the spoken-word “Paint Work” and standout track “I Am Damo Suzuki,” which features Mark E. Smith yelping the song’s title over more of Burns’ punishing drums. Saving Grace distills everything that’s great about The Fall into eleven tracks, so, for the uninitiated, this is an ideal place to start. Grade: A+

Bend Sinister (1986)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallbend.jpg
The Fall/Leckie collaboration continued to bear fruit here, but this is definitely the weakest of their three efforts together. It’s not a bad album, but the songs don’t seem as sharp or inspired this time around, and where in the past they’ve been energized and angry, here they often sound morose (especially on the hummable but lachrymose “Living Too Late”). To be fair, there are a few exceptions to keep things interesting. “Dktr. Faustus” finds Mr. and Mrs. Smith trading lead vocals over Simon Rogers’ demented carnival keyboards, and “Shoulder Pads 1” is uncharacteristically fun, with a bright, catchy keyboard line and Craig Scanlon’s jangly guitar. And the band saw its first serious chart action with a lively, hard-charging cover of The Other Half’s “Mr. Pharmacist.” Elsewhere, though, the songs too often resemble well-intentioned experiments: “U.S. 80’s-90’s” sees them beginning to dabble with dance-friendly rhythms, and “Riddler!” toggles uncomfortably between droning synths and pounding, tribal drums. As an album, Bend Sinister is perfectly fine, but The Fall has conditioned us to expect more. Grade: B-

The Frenz Experiment (1987)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallfrenz.jpg
Whether it was a conscious move away from the occasionally suffocating aura of Bend Sinister, opening with the spartan, minimalist “Frenz” was a bold choice, and an indicator that after nearly a decade the band wasn’t content to rest on its laurels. The rest of the album is just as bold and assertive, from the stripped-down fury of “Carry Bag Man” (Smith spitting invective as ferociously as ever) to the jangly “Tuff Life Boogie” to Brix and Mark’s shouty duet, “Guest Informant.” Even nine-minute epic “Bremen Nacht” seethes with life and energy. The Frenz Experiment sounds like the work of a band that still feels it has something to prove. (The album also features two fun covers: a surprisingly faithful rendition of The Kinks’ “Victoria,” and a smashing version of R. Dean Taylor’s “There’s a Ghost in My House” [which actually remains The Fall’s biggest hit to date].) Grade: A+

I Am Kurious Oranj (1988)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallkurious.jpg
Ostensibly the soundtrack to an avant-garde ballet, this is the band’s first unequivocally weak album. It’s actually misleading, because the album starts with a handful of some of the band's best tracks. “New Big Prinz” is a menacing, bass-heavy stomper, “Jerusalem” is a classic Smith rant (“It was the fault of the government!”), and “Wrong Place, Right Time” is a catchy-as-hell toe-tapper, but the album’s quality drops off precipitously after that. Some of the remaining songs are instrumental, befitting, I guess, the notion of a ballet soundtrack. The problem, though, is that they have a tendency to meander without going anywhere, and without Smith’s lyrical and vocal bite, they definitely lack spark. And the songs with vocals don’t necessarily seem any more purposeful. “Van Plague?” and “Bad News Girl” float by without sticking (at least until the latter’s final minute, when it kicks into high gear), and it’s only the frankly amazing “Cab it Up!,” with its buoyant synths and inspired vocal, that keeps the second half of the album afloat. A noble failure. Grade: C+

Seminal Live (1989)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallseminal.jpg
The last album The Fall released on Beggars Banquet, Seminal Live is a generally unsatisfying mix of studio odds n’ ends and live tracks. Of the former, single “Dead Beat Descendent” is clearly the standout. There’s nothing particularly memorable about the four remaining studio tracks – a countryish noodler, two variations on the style they’ve spent the last decade perfecting, and a frankly baffling tuneless experiment called “Mollusc in Tyrol.” They’re not bad, they’re just sort of there. So, too, the live tracks. It’s nice to hear a smattering of songs from throughout the band’s career (most of their albums are represented by a single song each), and the playing is certainly fine, but it’s hardly essential listening. Grade: C-

Extricate (1990)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallextricate.jpg
This is the first Fall album I heard. It was released when I was a wee lad of 17, and I fell in love with it instantly. In terms of band history, it’s the breakup album, recorded after Mark E. and Brix divorced in 1989, but in musical terms, it’s the most significant revision of the band’s sound yet. Throughout the 80’s the band had been moving further and further away from its scrappy beginnings, and here they sound positively enormous: the sound is full and rich (and augmented more completely by keyboards and other instruments), and the songs expand on “The Fall Sound” in a way they haven’t before. “Bill Is Dead” is an almost-ballad, “Telephone Thing” is the funkiest they’ve ever been, “Popcorn Double Feature” is an unapologetic pop song that finds Smith in full-on (and surprisingly effective) crooner mode, and “Arms Control Poseur” is a classic Smith rant, accentuated by shards of dissonant guitar and electronically mangled vocals. I could go on and on. There’s a hell of a lot to love about this album, which is the last truly great collection the band would record for almost a decade. There are some other quality discs in their career, but none that are as flat-out remarkable as this one. Grade: A+

Shift-Work (1991)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallshift.jpg
It’s interesting that when a band as rebellious as The Fall begins to explore things they haven’t tried before, it often makes them sound more conventional. Their most downbeat album since Bend Sinister, the second album by the third phase of the band is a collection of 14 understated tunes that are, in their own pedestrian way, unlike anything the band has ever recorded. Taken individually, they can’t belong to anyone but The Fall, but they’re not as audacious or exciting as some of the tracks on Extricate or The Frenz Experiment. For instance, “Idiot Joy Showland” (not nearly as angry as its name suggests) is a straightforward rocker: effective and fun, but lacking the spark of the band’s best work. “The Mixer,” on the other hand, finds the band dabbling in electronic music with mixed results (a trend that would continue throughout the 90’s). Most interestingly, the two best songs here are the slowest. The title track cruises along on a gentle groove and two-note refrain, and “Edinburgh Man” is a beautiful, bile-free ode to the titular city. It’s interesting to hear The Fall do subtle, and while Shift-Work isn’t one of their best, it’s still worth hearing as a document of this perpetually restless band’s eternal growing pains. Grade: C+

Code: Selfish (1992)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallcode.jpg
Seemingly reenergized following the subdued Shift-Work, The Fall come roaring back on the very first track of Code: Selfish. “Birmingham School of Business School” is a juggernaut of squalling guitars, processed beats, and Mark E. Smith’s sneering, multi-tracked vocals. In fact, it’s the band’s new fascination with electronic music that most pervades the album, possibly due to the addition of Dave Bush, credited as being responsible for “keyboards and machines.” Whatever the reason, it’s an effective new dimension to the band’s sound. Several of the songs are a potent mix of serrated guitar (courtesy of Craig Scanlon, still with the band since Album #2) and hypnotic, sequenced beats, performed most effectively on the slinky, syncopated “So-Called Dangerous.” Elsewhere, “Gentlemen’s Agreement” and “Time Enough at Last” mine the softer side of the band that they first explored on Extricate. This is, in short, a peculiar – and peculiarly enjoyable – little album. Grade: B

The Infotainment Scan (1993)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallinfotainment.jpg
Probably the first Fall album that could be classified as “fun,” The Infotainment Scan is simply a blast from start to finish. On the last two albums, the mix of guitars and electronics occasionally seemed uncomfortable, as though the band hadn’t quite figured it out yet. It all came together on this album, though, which in its best moments rivals the inventiveness of Extricate. Every song here, up to and including their cover of Sister Sledge’s “Lost in Music,” is a seamless blend of Craig Scanlon’s typically excellent guitar work and Dave Bush’s keyboards. There are, of course, other highlights: “Glam-Racket” gallops along on the back of Simon Wolstonecroft’s brisk drumming, “It’s a Curse” is a Mark E. Smith rant that recalls their Krautrock-inspired beginnings, and “The League of Bald-Headed Men” is a grinding, throbbing beast of a song. By the time the listener gets to “A Past Gone Mad” (with the lyric “And if I ever end up like U2/slit my throat with a garden vegetable") and the inspired cover of Lee Perry’s “Why Are People Grudgeful?,” it’s clear once again that this is a band who’ve only scratched the surface of what they can do. Grade: A

Middle Class Revolt (1994)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallmiddle.jpg
As “15 Ways” kicks off, it sounds like The Fall are going back to basics. The song moves with a relentless motorik rhythm, Craig Scanlon’s recognizable guitars churn and thrash, and Mark E. Smith appears to be in fine, sneering form. With the second song, however – the subdued, understated “The Reckoning” – it’s less clear what version of The Fall we’re going to get on this album. As it happens, there’s a strange tension at the heart of Middle Class Revolt, with more traditional-sounding, guitar-based rockers wrestling with the electronic tendencies of recent albums. “M5 #1” is a dark, gnarly snarl of a song that would fit perfectly on This Nation’s Saving Grace (and “Hey! Student” goes one step further by sounding like an inspired outtake from the Perverted by Language sessions), but the very next song (“Surmount All Obstacles”) brings back the dance rhythms, processed vocals, and keyboard flourishes of The Infotainment Scan. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the very best song on the album, “Behind the Counter,” is a comfortable blend of the two styles. I actually like this album quite a bit, but where some albums offer a signpost indicating where a band is headed next, Middle Class Revolt more closely resembles a fork in the road. Grade: B

Cerebral Caustic (1995)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallcerebral.jpg
With Brix Smith back in the fold, it would be reasonable to expect the band to return to the sound of their 1980’s heyday. Instead, Cerebral Caustic is remarkably rough around the edges, and actually has more in common with their earliest records. “Don’t Call Me Darling” finds Brix shouting the title in the chorus in response to Mark E.’s spoken verses (hard to avoid the subtext there), and “Feeling Numb” hearkens back to the jagged guitar and pounding drums of Grotesque (After the Gramme), although sweetened this time around by Brix’s backing vocals. Further amplifying the similarity to their earlier work is the fact that electronics and dance rhythms, so prominent on the last few albums, are almost nowhere to be found here, the sole exception being the appropriately-titled mess that is “Bonkers in Phoenix” (perhaps unsurprisingly, keyboardist Dave Bush would be sacked after this album). No, this is an unapologetic guitar album, with “Life Just Bounces,” “Pearl City,” and “One Day” all featuring some of Brix and Craig Scanlon’s most inspired – and most ferocious – playing, and “The Aphid” even recalls the quasi-rockabilly of the The Fall’s origins. The rekindled infatuation with guitars is bittersweet, though, as this would be Scanlon’s last album with the band. Grade: B-

The Light User Syndrome (1996)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Falllight.jpg
The scrappy Fall of Cerebral Caustic returns here, even if it does so without longtime guitarist Craig Scanlon. The first few songs come snarling out of the gate, especially “Das Vulture Ans Ein Nutter-Wain,” which is propelled by Steve Hanley’s distorted bass and new keyboardist Julia Nagle’s dissonant organ. The band doesn’t really let up until four songs in, but even that song (“Hostile”), with Brix’s coiling guitar lines, Simon Wolstonecroft’s tribal drums, and Mark E. Smith’s sneering vocal, is an uneasy listen. Of particular note is how prominent Brix’s vocals are throughout the album. The tense interplay with her ex-husband on a song like “Spinetrak” gives it extra depth, especially for those who know the couple’s history. It’s actually fascinating that both the musicians and Mark E. Smith sound so vital, because by all accounts this album was a difficult one to make. The band recorded their parts separately, with Mark coming in to record all his vocals on the final day in the studio, and then Brix left the band for the second time following the supporting tour. Maybe it’s this tension that makes the album more enjoyable than it has any right to be. The Johnny Paycheck cover (sung, no less, by part-time drummer Karl Burns) is an expendable goofabout, but it’s a rarity; even late album tracks like “Powder Keg” and “Cheetham Hill” seethe with aggression and menace. The last thing this sounds like is a record by a band nearly twenty years into its career: Grade: A-

Levitate (1997)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Falllevitate1.jpg
Opening track “Ten Houses of Eve,” clattering in on electronic percussion that owes a heavy debt to the drum-and-bass genre, sounds almost nothing like The Fall, save for Mark E. Smith’s vocals. It’s actually a fun song, but the stylistic diversion highlights just what an odd album this is. With both Brix Smith and Craig Scanlon gone, it’s Julia Nagle’s keyboards that define virtually all the songs, which is an entirely different proposition from the way Dave Bush’s work complemented Scanlon’s guitar on Code: Selfish and The Infotainment Scan. While guitars haven’t been jettisoned entirely, songs like “Masquerade” and “4 ½ Inch” are built around synths and drum machines, and even a quiet song like “Jap Kid” relies on a piano line to carry the melody. Strangely, though, it works. The songs still have edge and bite, and on “Ol’ Gang,” Smith’s snarl sounds perfectly at home backed by keyboards instead of the customary guitars. It’s not an essential album, but it’s worth hearing for the sole reason that it sounds like nothing else in their catalog. Grade: B-

The Marshall Suite (1999)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallmarshall.jpg
It’s entirely possibly that Mark E. Smith thrives on conflict. The Marshall Suite, recorded with no returning members save keyboardist Julia Nagle (making this, I guess, The Fall, Mark IV), is easily the band’s best album since 1993’s The Infotainment Scan, and its opening track, “Touch Sensitive,” is an instant classic. With its stomping beat, wiry guitar, and repetitive “hey, hey, hey, hey” chant, the song sets a standard that the album as a whole could have a hard time meeting. Thankfully, the band is working with a clutch of songs that sound as vital as anything they’ve ever done. “Shake-Off” sees Smith sounding even angrier than usual, and its mix of electronics and guitars is much more propulsive and effective than the more one-sided keyboard treatment the songs got on Levitate. And, hey, “(Jung Nev’s) Antidotes” is fucking ridiculous (and I mean that in the best possible way): siren guitars, squealing keyboards, booming percussion, and Mark E. Smith shouting some of the most nonsensical lyrics of his career. This is juxtaposed with “Birthday Song,” a largely electronic song full of burbling synths and quiet percussion that’s unexpectedly beautiful. The album is over and done with in under 40 minutes – it’s a lean, stripped-down, no-nonsense monster that, against all logic, finds The Fall sounding as relevant as ever. Grade: A

The Unutterable (2000)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallunutterable.jpg
The lineup from The Marshall Suite returns mostly intact, and The Unutterable largely continues that album’s winning ways. Ever since 1992’s Code: Selfish, it’s now more or less a given that the “Fall sound” has permanently expanded to include an emphasis on both guitars and keyboards, but it’s to the band’s credit that they continue to refine this sound, rather than fall back on tracklists that could occasionally be summarized as “Guitar Song – Keyboard Song – Combo Song – Repeat.” Keyboardist Julia Nagle and guitarist Neville Wilding work well together, complementing each other’s playing on songs like the storming “Two Librans” and the menacing, distortion-heavy “Dr. Bucks’ Letter.” Nagle’s buzzing synth even sounds at home on the rollicking rockabilly of “Hot Runes,” and the guitar/keyboard interplay on “Serum” makes for one of the album’s very best tracks. However, while the playing is more balanced, and Mark E. Smith is as reliably feisty as ever, this album doesn’t pack quite as much of a punch for me as The Marshall Suite does. It’s more polished, to be sure, but in sprucing things up, the band dulled just a little of its edge. Grade: A-

Are You Are Missing Winner (2001)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallare.jpg
The first Fall album to lack any sort of distinguishable identity is, probably not coincidentally, their first album to feature no returning members from the previous recording except for Mark E. Smith. The singer jettisoned the rest of the band following The Unutterable, and, while the group of players he gathered for Are You Are Missing Winner soldiers mightily to live up to the reputation established by previous incarnations, neither the spark nor the songs are there. Where before there was a palpable sense of both tension and forward momentum to the songs, here a song like “Crop-Dust” finds Smith muttering disconsolately over a distorted, vaguely Arabic-sounding riff that slowly circles the drain and then disappears altogether. Too many of the songs blur into each other in a haze of overdriven guitars and mumbled vocals, making this the one album where critics would be justified to complain that all the songs sound the same. Except, that is, for “Ibis-Afro Man”: nine minutes of masturbatory silliness featuring what sounds like an angry monkey. The album does boast two highlights: “My “Classmates’ Kids” is a remarkably punchy little number that revisits the band’s rockabilly roots, and “Kick the Can” is split in two, shifting halfway through from a fuzzy, bass-heavy drone to a jangly, call-and-response fight song. More like these, please. Grade: C-

The Real New Fall LP (Formerly ‘Country on the Click’) (2003)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallreal.jpg
This is more like it. Opening with “Green Eyed Loco-Man,” a song that borders on the anthemic, listeners would be forgiven for thinking that Mark E. Smith feels like he has something to prove. There’s never been much indication, though, that Smith cares much about his audience’s perceptions one way or another, so it’s probably more accurate to say that The Real New Fall LP simply benefited from a more stable lineup and an uncharacteristic amount of time off between albums (two whole years! – eons in Fall World). Whatever the reason, The Real New Fall LP is a winner from top to bottom and finds the band sounding revitalized, and angrier than it has in years. “Sparta 2#” barrels around the room, powered by a muscular riff, a long-overdue Smith rant, and chanted backing vocals from the rest of the band. Similarly, “Contraflow” sports jagged shards of guitar and Smith spitting, “I hate the countryside so much,” while “The Past” rushes along at breakneck speed, Smith’s urgent vocals accompanied only by Dave Milner’s drums and Elena Poulou’s air-raid siren keyboards. I hadn’t listened to this album in a while, and I spent most of its running time with a big dumb grin on my face. It’s that good. (Note: After an early mix of the album leaked online, Smith partially re-recorded and remixed its songs, which explains the odd [even by Fall standards] title.) Grade: A

Fall Heads Roll (2005)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallheads.jpg
Rejuvenated by the unmitigated fury of The Real New Fall LP, the band sounds downright playful on its follow-up. “Ride Away” opens the album with an oompah beat, rinky-dink keyboards, and Mark E. Smith’s by-now comfortingly snide vocals. Elsewhere, any doubts about the long-term viability of this lineup (the fifth, unveiled with Are You Are Missing Winner) should be put to rest here. “What About Us?” is a pounding snarl that sees Ben Pritchard’s guitar and Elena Poulou’s keyboards meshing and complementing each other in a way similar to Craig Scanlon and Dave Bush’s work on The Infotainment Scan. And while Pritchard doesn’t define the band’s sound in the way Scanlon did, this is undoubtedly a guitar-heavy record that benefits from his work. From the rave-up of “Clasp Hands“ to the chiming tranquility of “Midnight Aspen,” Pritchard’s work is dynamite. And then there’s “Blindness,” a skronking, distortion-heavy slice of heaven that’s easily one of the best (and funkiest) things the band has ever recorded. Quality control suffers just a bit toward the end (especially with the odd closing track, “Trust in Me,” which is sung by a guest vocalist and sounds like it belongs on a Placebo album), but Fall Heads Roll is still the exhilarating sound of Mark E. Smith letting his (thinning) hair down. Grade: B+

Reformation Post-T.L.C. (2007)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallreformation.jpg
Another year, another lineup for The Fall. Despite the huge success of the last two albums, Smith once again sacked his entire band mid-tour, with the exception of keyboardist Elena Poulou, his wife. (Fun Fact: In an interview, Smith claimed the T.L.C. of the title stands for “traitors, liars, and cunts.”) But even though the lead track is titled “Over! Over!” and begins with the lyrics, “I think it’s over now/I think it’s ending,” there’s actually little sign that anything is amiss in the Fall camp. In fact, Reformation Post-T.L.C. sounds like nothing so much as a heavier version of the band’s classic lineup. The guitars in the sort-of title track (“Reformation”) drone and thrash with Scanlon-esque fervor, and “Fall Sound,” all hard-edged jangle and Peter Hook bass line, wouldn’t sound out of place on Hex Enduction Hour. It’s also worth noting the increased prominence Poulou has had on recent albums – she provides a Brix-like presence in the lineup, and here even takes the lead vocal on “The Wright Stuff.” Also intact is the band’s knack for choosing unusual covers, with Merle Haggard’s “White Line Fever” getting the Mark E. Smith treatment. The band is probably past the point of ever releasing another bona fide classic, but it’s still reassuring to know that every year or two Smith is going to churn out another unassuming, high-quality album. Grade: B

Imperial Wax Solvent (2008)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallimperial.jpg
The Fall’s lineup has seen so many changes in the last decade that it’s easy to forget how stable it was for most of the 80’s. It’s a testament to Mark E. Smith that quality control in these turbulent years has remained relatively high, despite the band’s revolving door. That remains true here, too, as he once again brings in a cadre of fresh-faced musicians for the enjoyable Imperial Wax Solvent (keyboardist Elena Poulou and bassist Dave Spurr remaining constant). The album lurches from eerie opener “Alton Towers” (squiggly synths, echoing guitars, and zombie vocals – check) into the hard-charging “Wolf Kidult Man,” proving once again that even though Smith is getting older, he hasn’t lost his edge. As if to underscore this point, “50 Year Old Man,” easily the album’s highlight, follows. For 11 minutes, Smith is at his rancorous, spitting best, and the music behind him is equally inspired. The guitars make like a jet engine and the drums thrash just to keep up … and then the song comes to a screeching halt for a banjo solo before revving back up to race for the finish line. It’s pretty remarkable. The really surprising thing is that the band keeps up the intensity for the duration of the album. “I’ve Been Duped” is a Poulou-sung barn-burner, complete with chanted backing vocals, and later, “Latch Key Kid” and “Senior Twilight Stock Replacer” snarl with just as much fire as other songs recorded nearly thirty years ago. I know just an album ago I predicted the end of classic albums by The Fall, but this one makes you believe anything is possible. Grade: A

Your Future Our Clutter (2010)
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/rmonty73/Fallyour1.jpg
What is there left to say about a new Fall album at this point? As it turns out, plenty. The lineup from Imperial Wax Solvent returns in full, and it doesn’t waste any time making the statement that, while it might not be the permanent lineup, it’s the lineup now, so you’d better listen up. “O.F.Y.C. Showcase” thrashes and throbs, and, once again, Mark E. Smith sounds like he’s been cataloging all the anger and indignity he’s suffered since the last album. Two songs later, “Mexico Wax Solvent” comes soaring in on churning guitars and a ridiculously funky backbeat, which serves to reinforce the odd little fact that The Fall has released some surprisingly potent dance music over the years. And then, just because they can, The Fall gives us “Cowboy George,” a galloping spaghetti western that’s only missing mariachi horns to complement Smith’s surly vocals. The rest of the album is just as authoritative, which I think speaks well of the lineup. Rather than merely assume the role of competent session players, they tear their way through “Y.F.O.C./Slippy Floor” and “Chino,” and in the process lend Mark E. Smith a relevance that few middle-aged rock musicians can boast. The album ends on the quiet, vaguely optimistic “Weather Report 2,” and only the most cynical listener would find The Fall’s forecast anything but promising, even after thirty years. Grade: B+

What have I left out? A boatload of compilations (both official and unofficial) and a boatload of live albums (mostly unofficial). For everyone, I’d recommend the mostly good Early Years: 1977-1979 (1981), which rounds up a handful of singles they released pre-Live at the Witch Trials. For completists, the band released three albums’ worth of rough demos and alternate versions during the 90’s and 00’s: The Twenty-Seven Points (1995), 2G+2 (2002), and Interim (2005). All three are interesting from an anthropological standpoint, but they’re very rough and not worth much more than a cursory listen to see how some of the band’s album tracks sounded in their earliest form.

[bmack86]

Wooooooo! I've got some serious reading to do now!

[TomAz]

holy shit. gold.

[wmgaretjax]

well fucking done!

[TomAz]

Joe Jackson is my favorite. Listening to him evolve throughout his career shows what a talented musician he is. Below are highlights of his discography:

Look Sharp and I'm the Man (1979) - What I think of as his "angry disillusioned young man phase". New wave with witty lyrics and catchy tunes. They are classics in my collection.

Jumpin Jive (1981) - Total departure into jive and jazz - not really my cup of tea, but I still listen to it because it sounds unique.

Night and Day (1982) - Slower, more mellow songs, you'd recognize a few from radio play. Melodic but still a bit cynical.

Big World (1986) - This was the last real "album" I bought before CDs were popularized - it's a concept album and it was a double album but the fourth side was blank. It inspired me to travel the world and see new things. Will always be one of my favorites because of that. The music on this album has a distinct sound - upbeat and descriptive. "Hometown" has a palpable nostalgic feel.

Blaze of Glory (1989) - Upbeat songs with a message. He's starting to express a more mature version of himself .

I haven't heard most of the newest material but I have seen him live recently and his performance was very mellow - just him at the piano and it was sublime. He has also done a few movie soundtracks and a symphony (I haven't heard the symphony so I don't know if it's pure classical or not..anyone know?)

He is hands down my favorite non EDM artist.

Rob I think we should expand on this. There are errors and gaps here. Plus I'm still on that spree I told you about.

[Hannahrain]

Wooooooo! I've got some serious reading to do now!


holy shit. gold.


well fucking done!

Yes.

[roberto73]

Glad to oblige. Listening to nothing but The Fall for a week has been ... interesting. Good, but interesting.

Tom, I'll be happy to refine the Joe Jackson entry (or at least offer my two cents), but my ears need a palate-cleanser after a week of Mark E. Smith.

[Still-ill]

Whoa! high five!

[TallGuyCM]

Holy moly. Hats off, man.

[SoulDischarge]

You are way more fond of 90's The Fall than I. And I have inverse sentiments regarding Bend Sinister and The Frenz Experiment. Anyway, a monumental undertaking well done.

[roberto73]

You are way more fond of 90's The Fall than I.

It's funny: I knew I loved The Infotainment Scan, but in my memory I had mostly written off the decade. But when I sat down and listened to their catalog straight through in chronological order, those albums came off well. Turns out, when I stopped expecting them to sound like This Nation's Saving Grace, it turns out there's a lot to love.

[guedita]

I'm diving into Mogwai, and starting with Young Team. If there is an album that some of your recommend skipping over, please let me know. I want to listen to their entire discography (or most) before seeing what their newest album sounds like.

It's fantastic so far.

[bmack86]

Young Team
Happy Songs for Happy People
Ten Rapid
Mr. Beast
Rock Action
The Hawk is Howling
Come on Die Young

Is how I view their basic catalog (ignoring EPs and live albums, but including Ten Rapid because it's one of their three essential works in my mind)

[liquidsnake28]

I'm familiar with Mogwai but I haven't heard the new one (Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will) and I was just about to. How does it rank, assuming you've heard it?

[bmack86]

I've not listened to it yet. It made the iPod today, so I'll add it in there once I've listened.

[doppelganger]

Did we ever get a full on kinks one?

[Kyliediscope]

It ranks in the lower half for me, but still I enjoy it.

[spence]

just read through this entire thread.....whoa

[Still-ill]

Haha

[roberto73]

So we don't have to go searching:

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 - Bosco - 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

Page 48
#1419 The Birthday Party (Nick Cave supplement) - Souldischarge (complete)
#1420 Stone Temple Pilots - Backwater (complete)

Page 49
#1446 Belle and Sebastian - Bmack86 (Complete)
#1456 Jay-Z - Sushov (overview)

Page 50
#1472 The Mae Shi - Bmack86 (complete)
#1489 Nightmares on Wax - Passivetheory (work in progress)

Page 51
#1515 Madonna - Hawkingvsreeve (complete)

Page 52
#1543 Bright Eyes - TheStripe (complete)
#1551 Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi/The Evens) - Bmack86 (complete)
#1560 Merzbow 1979-1983 - wmgaretjax (complete)

Page 53
#1566 Merzbow 1983-1990 - wmgaretjax (complete)
#1589 Propellorheads - vicviper (complete, even though there's only one album)

Page 54
#1595 Husker Du - bmack86 (complete)
#1611 Monkees - stuporfly (selected, incomplete)
#1612 Fucked Up - bmack86 (complete)

Page 56
#1652 Swans - souldischarge (incomplete, in progress)

Page 58
#1729 Xiu Xiu - involvelemons (complete)

Page 60
#1790 Dave Matthews Band - alchemy (complete)

Page 61
#1804 Air - alchemy (complete)
#1827 Delgados - Mountmccabe (Complete)

Page 63
#1870 David Bowie - Bmack86 (Complete)
#1890 Pere Ubu – Still-ill (Complete)

Page 65
#1940 The Fall – Roberto73 (complete)

[betao]

Roberto, can you edit the list for this - Bosco did the Chemical Brothers one on Page 38, not me. Proper credit where it is due.

[betao]

I really need to revisit this thread more often. I'm also going to add some to it eventually.

[roberto73]

Roberto, can you edit the list for this - Bosco did the Chemical Brothers one on Page 38, not me. Proper credit where it is due.

Roger.

Also, maybe people want to list things they could see themselves doing – or have started doing – just to keep themselves accountable. I think I said I'd do Joe Jackson, and Jared had mentioned doing Emeralds.

Any others, or requests for others?

[zircona1]

I can do one on Ween if you like.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I can do one on Ween if you like.

I'd love that! i've only really ever listened to White pepper

[ods..]

Is there any want/need for an Erykah Badu writeup? She's had 5 studio albums and 1 great live album.

[zircona1]

Ween is composed of two people, Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, PA. They are much more than a “joke band”. Their influences are many, their spiritual guide is The Boognish:

http://th276.photobucket.com/albums/kk20/boognish1999/ween/th_boognish.gif

Albums:

Godweensatan: The Oneness (1990): Their first full-length, this crazy
album has the Ween boys playing with a wide variety of genres from heavy
metal (You Fucked Up, Mushroom Festival in Hell) to jazz (Never Squeal) to
pop (Don’t Laugh (I Love You)) to an X-rated Prince homage (L.M.L.Y.P.).
At 70 minutes, it’s a bit much for a beginner (and for me, a mixed bag),
but it’s worth checking out if you’ve listened to a few of their later albums. C+

The Pod (1991): Do not start with this album. A reviewer on Amazon put it best: “This is your music on drugs.” Recorded on a 4-track at an apartment they were living in at the time, this album sounds like it was recorded under the influence of lots of substances. Most of their vocals on here are warped in some way. The liner notes say that they were huffing cans of Scotchgard, but they later said that wasn’t true. Some of the songs are difficult to digest, but there’s also a lot to recommend here: The pop-py “Pork Roll Egg and Cheese” and “Oh My Dear (Falling in Love)”, the prog rock rave-ups “Right to the Ways and the Rules of the World” and “Captain Fantasy”. There’s also the Pitchfork 500-making classic “Dr. Rock”. B

Pure Guava (1992): The first of their albums with Elektra, sounds cleaner
than their previous records. It also includes one of their most famous songs, “Push Th’ Little Daisies.” “Mourning Glory” is a noise experiment that is hard to listen to, but “Don’t Get Too Close (2 My Fantasy)” is a one of their best early songs. B

Chocolate and Cheese (1994): Now here’s where you start if you’re new to Ween. This is probably their most popular album, they made videos out of a few songs on here (Freedom of ’76, I Can’t Put My Finger On It). This album is accessible and gives you the best overview of what Ween is about and what they do. Also has a lot of tunes that show up regularly in their setlists: “Take Me Away”, “Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down”, “Baby Bitch”, etc. A-

12 Country Golden Greats (1996): Aka The Ween Country Album. There’s 10 songs on here, the title refers to the pro musicians who played on it. “Piss Up A Rope” is essential, but the rest of the album isn’t that great. Some people dig it, but I didn’t. D+

The Mollusk (1997): The next step after Chocolate and Cheese (or you could go with anything after this one). Most of the songs and lyrics have to do have references to oceans and sea creatures. This one has “Ocean Man”, which is used on Spongebob Squarepants. B+

White Pepper (2000): This is probably their most straightforward record, some think of it as their “Beatles” album (Sgt Pepper+White Album = White Pepper). “Stroker Ace” sounds like a Motorhead song, while “Stay Forever” is one of their best, most honest tunes about – are you ready for this? – love. A-

Quebec (2003): This one is a little darker than their previous few albums. A lot of people liked this, it didn’t stick with me particularly though. “Zoloft” and “Happy Colored Marbles” are woozy highlights, while “Chocolate Town” and “I Don’t Want It” are solid, straightforward pop songs. B-

Shinola Vol. I (2006): An album full of outtakes, but most are surprisingly good. "Gabrielle" sounds like Thin Lizzy, and the electro-funk of "Monique the Freak" sounds like it should've been a hit. B+

The Friends EP (2006): A warm-up for La Cucaracha, this 5-song EP is pretty great. The version of "Friends" on here is all Eurodisco and is produced by the Crazy Frog guy. "Slow Down Boy" is sounds like a Spandau Ballet song. A-

La Cucaracha (2007): By contrast, some people didn’t like this album, but it’s one of my favorites. It has “Object,” which is one of the best songs they’ve ever recorded. It also has “Your Party” which is a spot-on Al Stewart/Year of the Cat 70’s tune – complete with sax solo. A-

Live Albums:

Paintin’ the Town Brown: Ween Live 1990-1998: This is a double-live album, but no ordinary one. The first disc is excellent, with strong live renditions of studio songs and a few unreleased tunes. It also has a cover of the old standard “Mountain Dew”, which has them playing around with vocal effects on stage - it makes me laugh every single time. The second disc has only 3 songs, two of which push close to 30 minutes: “Poop Ship Destroyer” and “Vallejo.” You have to be a hardcore Ween fan to listen to them more than once (I can’t do it). B

All Request Live (2003): This is an interesting concept – Ween took requests through their website and then did a live broadcast playing a bunch of them. The version of “Awesome Sound” on here is the absolute best. Also includes the official release of “Where’d The Cheese Go?” which was originally written and pitched to Pizza Hut as an ad jingle (and rejected by them). B+

Live in Chicago DVD (2004): Here’s Ween proving they can bring it live. Includes songs from all throughout their existence, many of them sounding better than they do on record (Ocean Man comes off like a pop gem). They also do a solid cover of Led Zep’s “All of My Love”. The encore is awesome, with the crowd singing and waving their arms to “The Blarney Stone.” Also includes a bonus CD with several of the songs from the DVD. A+

They also released a Live At Cat’s Cradle a year or two ago, but I haven’t heard that one.

[ods..]

Awesome job man! I've only heard Chocolate and Cheese so I'm gonna check out a few more of their albums. Thanks for the writeup

[TallGuyCM]

Roger.

Also, maybe people want to list things they could see themselves doing – or have started doing – just to keep themselves accountable. I think I said I'd do Joe Jackson, and Jared had mentioned doing Emeralds.

Any others, or requests for others?

I'll do Neil Young at some point. Hopefully sooner than later.

[spence]

yesss so happy this thread is up and going again...I wish I could contribute more but I am nowhere near as musically knowledgeable as it seems the majority of the people in this thread are.....might I suggest someone do The Melvins though?

[bmack86]

I'll do Neil Young at some point. Hopefully sooner than later.

I've been working on getting my knowledge up for this as well. Weren't you, buddy and I going to each write up Neil and then all post them simultaneously?

[TallGuyCM]

That sounds familiar. You will both put my writeup to shame, but I'll play regardless. I work well with deadlines, let's shoot for, say, the end of June?

[bmack86]

I can definitely do that. I now own every album from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere to RE-AC-TOR, so now I just need to get acclimated with three decades of almost constant work. Piece o' cake.

[buddy]

i'm still in. i can probably do sometime in late june.

[TallGuyCM]

Sounds like a plan. There's a few I haven't heard of his on purpose (read: Everybody's Rockin'), but I'm extremely familiar with the majority of it.

[SoulDischarge]

Heh. I didn't realize it but I'm probably familiar enough with enough of Richard D. James' output that it wouldn't be that much work to put something together. Not saying I will, but it's an option. We'll see how the life unemployed progresses.

[bmack86]

The Neil Young list I have currently is 38 albums, 39 if I include Decade. I've reviewed 11 and am intimately familiar with about 7 more.

[ods..]

Really excited to read the Neil Young writeup. I only have Harvest and it's one of my favorite albums of the '70s. I know he has an insane amount material, so it will be awesome to see the breakdown you guys write up.

[softbulletin]

If you like Harvest, get the Live At Massey 1971 show, it's one of my favorite releases ever. A bunch of Harvest songs before they were released, except all the cheesy parts that keep it from being a perfect album are taken out.

[kreutz2112]

If I didn't suck at writing about music I could do this for DOOM and all his monikers and collabs. Maybe I'll try.

[TallGuyCM]

Really excited to read the Neil Young writeup. I only have Harvest and it's one of my favorite albums of the '70s. I know he has an insane amount material, so it will be awesome to see the breakdown you guys write up.

While we're working on the writeups, as soon as you can check out On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, After the Gold Rush, and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

[kreutz2112]

If you like Harvest, get the Live At Massey 1971 show, it's one of my favorite releases ever. A bunch of Harvest songs before they were released, except all the cheesy parts that keep it from being a perfect album are taken out.

I'm curious to know what cheese you are talking about? If you say anything about "A Man Needs A Maid" your opinion is void.

[TallGuyCM]

The excessive instrumentation on "There's a World" comes to mind. But yes, he's probably talking about that too, since they're both with the same orchestra.

[bmack86]

While we're working on the writeups, as soon as you can check out On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, After the Gold Rush, and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

Chris, cmon. You can't make these recommendations and skip Rust Never Sleeps.

If you hear those five, you'll know pretty quickly whether you're interested in diving in and plumbing the depths of his career. A majority of the songs on those albums weren't hits but are of uniformly high quality, so if you enjoy the album cuts you're a Neil fan.

[softbulletin]

I'm curious to know what cheese you are talking about? If you say anything about "A Man Needs A Maid" your opinion is void.

Well, on that and "There's a World," there's just too much going on. It gets cluttered and disengages me every time. I can't get into it.

[ods..]

While we're working on the writeups, as soon as you can check out On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, After the Gold Rush, and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.


Chris, cmon. You can't make these recommendations and skip Rust Never Sleeps.

If you hear those five, you'll know pretty quickly whether you're interested in diving in and plumbing the depths of his career. A majority of the songs on those albums weren't hits but are of uniformly high quality, so if you enjoy the album cuts you're a Neil fan.

Nice, I will definitely check them out.

[buddy]

Sounds like a plan. There's a few I haven't heard of his on purpose (read: Everybody's Rockin'), but I'm extremely familiar with the majority of it.


The Neil Young list I have currently is 38 albums, 39 if I include Decade. I've reviewed 11 and am intimately familiar with about 7 more.

just out of curiosity, do ya'll want to break it up in decades? (for example, bmack takes 70's, tallguy 80's, myself 90's, split it three ways for the 00's. doesn't necessarily have to be split up that way, but you catch my drift.) i'm up for either way, if you guys feel it would be better if we just did the whole discography each.

[bmack86]

If you wanted to do that and I took the 70s I have that all reviewed already. I've also already reviewed the 60s Buffalo Springfield albums, the two 60s Neil albums, the 70s CSNY and Stills-Young and a good amount of the 90s Neil work.

[TallGuyCM]

Ugh. You guys should probably just do it then. His 70s work is what I'm mainly familiar with.

[bmack86]

Chris. Two months. The reviews don't have to be fantastic, they just have to be your opinion on one listen. That's what I did with some of the Bowie albums. I'd love to hear someone else's opinion on these albums I love so much.

[SoulDischarge]

You guys should alternate albums. It's shitty giving someone a whole decade of past their prime material, no matter how good it is.

[zircona1]

If no one has any objections, I'd like to do a writeup for The Coup.

[Newro7ic]

If no one has any objections, I'd like to do a writeup for The Coup.

No one is going to object. Just do it. If you put work into it and someone doesn't like it, they can get bent. :)

[ods..]

No one is going to object. Just do it. If you put work into it and someone doesn't like it, they can get bent. :)

And with that, I'm gonna do Erykah Badu. Even though she only has 6 albums, they are all fucking amazing. She deserves to be in here, I would say.

[travelfan]

If no one has any objections, I'd like to do a writeup for The Coup.

Do it! What a coincidence, I was listening to Party Music last night and wanted to listen to more of their stuff but they've got a big discography. I was jokingly thinking somebody should write them up in this thread but wrote them off as not being big enough.

[travelfan]

And with that, I'm gonna do Erykah Badu. Even though she only has 6 albums, they are all fucking amazing. She deserves to be in here, I would say.

I'm all for this, love what I know about her but don't know nearly enough about her entire discography.

[travelfan]

I can do Outkast, my favorite group and favorite CD (Aquemini) in one package. I'd have to revisit Idlewild and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below a bit before writing it though.

[buddy]

Ugh. You guys should probably just do it then. His 70s work is what I'm mainly familiar with.

It was just an idea, but yeah it's probably best we all do his whole discography. Since, that's what most fans are passoniate about, including ourselves, I imagine.

[ods..]

I can do Outkast, my favorite group and favorite CD (Aquemini) in one package. I'd have to revisit Idlewild and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below a bit before writing it though.

Do it! But I'm warning you if I don't like what I see regarding Southernplayalisticadllicamusik, I will be disappointed. Lol, just playing, I'm sure you dig that cd.

[zircona1]

The Coup are a political hip-hop/rap group from Oakland. Its members are Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress. There was a third member, E-Roc, but he left the group amicably after the second album. They sing about capitalism, foreign policy, police brutality, and social inequalities, among other things. Their songs are angry, cynical, explicit and often darkly funny. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin has called their music a “stomach-turning example of anti-Americanism disguised as highbrow intellectual expression”. What better endorsement do you need?

Kill My Landlord (1993): Their debut album pretty much shows you what they’re all about. Not that great except for a few songs (Funk, Not Free Yet), they’d refine their voice and improve more on later records. C

Genocide and Juice (1994): An improvement over the first album, this one shows their sense of humor coming alive on tracks like “Pimps” (where rich people at a party trade rap verses) and the hook on “Repo Man”. It also starts to become clear that Boots Riley is the better writer/rapper than E-Roc. B

Steal This Album (1998): Reissued as Steal This Double Album in 2002, this one is their masterpiece. Having the mic all to himself now, Boots comes into his own as a storyteller on fantastic tracks like “Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ’79 Granada Last Night” and “Nowalaters”. It’s also quite funny, “Cars and Shoes” is about poor-condition cars (“Put your knee right there/I’m trying to keep the glove compartment closed, playa”) and “Sneakin’ In” is just what the title says (“See me in the alley, no I ain’t a crack ho/I’m waiting for my partners to open up the back door”). “Piss On Your Grave” is one of my favorite songs ever, with Boots railing against the people in charge (“I’ll make you pay for your sins in the trunk of your Benz”) while Pam keeps the funk flowing. There’s not a dud on here. A+

Party Music (2001): The targets are the same, but the songs are different. The opening track “Everythang” could possibly be the quintessential Coup song (“Every death is an abrupt one/Every cop is a corrupt one”) with Boots boasting “when we come we takin’ everythang.” Amongst all the anger and dark humor, there are some moments of sentimental sweetness in “Wear Clean Draws” and “Heven Tonite.” A-

The album didn’t sell that well, mostly because it was delayed due to cover art that had to be changed due to the 9/11 attacks:

http://gothamist.com/attachments/arts_jen/200801coup.jpg

Pick A Bigger Weapon (2006): Their most recent album, and the one that got me interested in them. Not much change in terms of sound and subject matter, and that’s a good thing. “Head (Of State)” is a biting indictment of the U.S.’s relationship with Saddam Hussein, while “I Love Boosters!” is a hilarious love letter to shoplifters. There are a few slow jams on here that, for the most part, keep the album from being perfect, but otherwise, this one’s pretty solid as well. Get this one and the previous two to start if you’re new to The Coup. A-

[TallGuyCM]

It was just an idea, but yeah it's probably best we all do his whole discography. Since, that's what most fans are passoniate about, including ourselves, I imagine.

Agreed. And plus, doing the whole thing will give all three of us the chance to listen to his entire discography. I'm afraid if we split it up, we wouldn't end up listening to a whole lot aside from the decade we're each covering.