A young'uns guide to purusing extensive artist discographies

[swdshfsk]

I've been considering this thread for sometime now, and I imagine I'm not the only one who'd be interested. So, there are a lot of artists whos names are thrown around on this message board, many of which sound like they have an extensive catalog of music to choose from. Stuff like David Bowie, Tom Waits, and even R.E.M. I'm not as well aquainted with as I'd like to be. I guess what I'm looking for is suggestions on what albums/recordings to pick up from some of these artists and any other artist that has released a lot of music. It sucks when you accidently buy the one crap album the artist made and wind up writting them off.

OK, so I'm thinking the only criteria is that the artist has to have released at least 5 albums; that does not rule out more recent acts, like Radiohead. Also, I'd say be as obscure as your music collection is...if you have five albums from some backwoods washbin player that you absolutely love and has been out of print for 10 years, please feel free to bring your pretentious music collection to our attention. I appreciate any help and hope this thread can be a reference to others, especially when it comes to checking out this years bands that have a lot to choose from.

I'll start with an obvious one:
Radiohead
I would start with either OK Computer or Hail to the Thief to have a mildly representative (though not holistic) concept of their sound. From there, I would pick up KID A, which is my favorite. If you like those first two, the others will probably suit your fancy.

[ewiggy]

personally, i'm a fan of listening to an artist's catalog initially in the order it was created as often as possible.

[swdshfsk]

personally, i'm a fan of listening to an artist's catalog initially in the order it was created as often as possible.

I would do just that (and I actually started to with R.E.M., buying Murmer after having only Monster for a long time), but, alas, I'm broke and am lucky when I pick up one or two CDs a month. Anyway, I'm digging the feedback!

[TomAz]

I would do just that (and I actually started to with R.E.M., buying Murmer after having only Monster for a long time), but, alas, I'm broke and am lucky when I pick up one or two CDs a month. Anyway, I'm digging the feedback!

technically you skipped Chronic Town, though that's only an EP. the thing about REM is that after you listen to the first five albums (not counting the EP) you can stop.

now for my contribution:

Elvis Costello
I'd start with Armed Forces, it's fairly accessible and a good distillation of the early Elvis. This Year's Model (which immediately preceded it) is in the same vein but a little nastier. I'd then recommend Trust and then Imperial Bedroom, where you can really hear him open up. then maybe King of America. and then all the older ones I've missed (This Year's Model, Get Happy!!, Punch the Clock, but be sure to avoid Goodbye Cruel World). I don't think I can recommend anything after King of America.

[sydaud]

technically you skipped Chronic Town, though that's only an EP. the thing about REM is that after you listen to the first five albums (not counting the EP) you can stop.

now for my contribution:

Elvis Costello
I'd start with Armed Forces, it's fairly accessible and a good distillation of the early Elvis. This Year's Model (which immediately preceded it) is in the same vein but a little nastier. I'd then recommend Trust and then Imperial Bedroom, where you can really hear him open up. then maybe King of America. and then all the older ones I've missed (This Year's Model, Get Happy!!, Punch the Clock, but be sure to avoid Goodbye Cruel World). I don't think I can recommend anything after King of America.

I have to disagree about the R.E.M. summation, so here goes.....

R.E.M. Discography



I just couldn't let Tom off the hook for his comment about ....there were some good R.E.M. albums after 'Document', so I'll take a run at this.

1. Gardening At Night (1982)---A 5 song-ep in which all the songs sound very similar. If interested, check it out for a different mix of "Gardening At Night" in which the vocals are pushed further in the back. For completists only as all of these cuts ended up on "Dead Letter Office" C

2. Murmur (1983)---Not the place for those interested in R.E.M. to start, as these songs are lot more subtle than their later efforts. That being said, there are a handful of great songs on their first full release: "Radio Free Europe", "Pilgrimage" and "Talk About The Passion" start the album off on a high note, but the songs near the end of the album tend to blur together with the exception of "Perfect Circle". B

3. Reckoning (1984)---No sign of a sophomore slump here. This is a major leap forward in terms of songwriting and variety. "Harborcoat", "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville", "So Central Rain" and especially "Pretty Persuasion" keep the album moving along, but even the slower songs are worth the time (Time After Time, Camera). A-

4. Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985)---In which Michael Stipe pretends he's John Fogerty. While R.E.M. is from the deep south, the influences did not penetrate the earlier releases (but that's hard to discern as Stipe's lyrics are nearly unintelligible on the earlier albums). While Fogerty was an outsider to the deep south mentality, Stipe is obviously familiar with the territory and lyrically does these songs justice. "Feeling Gravity's Pull", the lead song on Fables is classic R.E.M as is the indie hit "Driver 8" . This album has a darker feel than the earlier albums, some may be put off by this, but look no further than "Can't Get There From Here" to fix that......A-

5. Life's Rich Pageant (1986)---R.E.M. is in full command of their art on this album. The Mike Mills lead "Superman" brightens the sound, "I Believe" and it's banjo intro is great---For me, one it's one of the great sing-along songs in the R.E.M. catelog. "Fall On Me" and "Begin The Begin" are two more standout tracks from this classic R.E.M. release. While not my personal favorite, it is where I would tell someone new to R.E.M. to look first as it shows all their strengths. A

6. Document (1987)---The bands last album before "selling out" and leaving the I.R.S. label, this one's a gem. This is where R.E.M. as the world knows them begins. "The One I Love", "It's The End of The World As We Know It" and "Finest Worksong" are all here. As is a fun cover of the Wire classic "Strange". Album cuts "Fireplace" and "Exhuming McCarthy" are also strong cuts. A

7. Dead Letter Office (1987)--Did ya ever want to hear Stipe tackle Steven Tyler? Well kiddies, here's your chance. In addition to the unessential cover of "Toys In The Attic", the boys from Athens cover Nico (Femme Fatale), a ramshackle Roger Miller (King of the Road), the Velvets without Nico (Pale Blue Eyes) and throw in a few of their earlier B-sides. This is basically harmless, but it needs to be at the end of your R.E.M. list........C

8. Green (1988)---Not "Green" as in money, but as in doing the environmental..."World Leader Pretend" and "Orange Crush" portend Stipe and his 15(?) political t-shirts that he broke out at the MTV awards years later. "Stand" was everywhere that year and the backlash began. "Pop Song 89" kicks the album off just right, "Dreams" is pop perfection, "Turn You Inside Out" flat-out rocks (along with 'Crush'). Revisionist history tells me not to do this, but damnit, this is a great album. A

9. Eponymous (1988)---I.R.S. records collects the R.E.M. singles and adds a few remixed versions. Funny liner notes (....they airbrushed my face) and not a weak track on the whole damn thing. A

10. Out of Time (1991)---Some may find it hard to believe, but for the summer of 1991, R.E.M. were probably the biggest (active) band in the world. One could not escape "Shiny Happy People", "Losing My Religion" and it's mandolin showed people how 'serious' they could be (as if people had any doubt) and even the Mike Mills vocal "Texarkana" reached the Top 10. The pinnacle of R.E.M.'s popularity may have more to do with inertia that material, by far the most "pop" sounding of the career. B+

11. Automatic For The People (1992)---What did worldwide fame allow Stipe & Company to do? Ultimately it was to shed a lot of the gloss of the last album and make much more of a "REM" album. Leadoff single "Drive" pinches David Essex (Rock On) of all people, 'Everybody Hurts' acts as a much better suicide deterent than "Suicide Solution" "Man On the Moon" eulogized Andy Kaufman and the albums last two cuts "Nightswimming" and "Find The River" are two of the more beautiful songs in the R.E.M. vaults. A

12. Monster (1994)---Grunge invades the body's of Mills, Stipe, Buck and Berry. More guitar than on any R.E.M. album. "Bang And Blame" and "Strange Currencies" are the standout tracks. "Circus Envy" envokes The Jesus And Mary Chain. "Crush With Eyeliner", if I am not mistaken is an ode to Courtney Love and "What's The Frequency, Kenneth" is a bizarre paean to CBS anchorman Dan Rather. I've never been comfortable with this album as it just seemed like they were trying too hard. B-

13. New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996) After the cockrock of "Monster", the boys cool their heels with a very good release that isn't pop, grunge, "indie" or other---it's an album that the band made not knowing what direction they wanted to go in. "How The West Was Won", a terrific down-beat song kicks off the album, "Departure" and "The Wake-Up Bomb" are the rockers, "E-bow the Letter" features an E-bow and Patti Smith (this was the lead-off single that R.E.M. diehards claim started their downward chart/career projection), but I happen to love the album. Perhaps even more diverse than "Pageant" but in a different way--not that it makes any sense, lol.......B+

14. Up (1988)---Bill Berry leaves the band and the whole thing goes to shit. One great song (Lotus) and 13 other tracks you'll never need to hear. Their first real career misstep (Download 'Lotus' though....great song). D

15. Reveal (2001)---I never really gave this one a chance. R.E.M. using drum machines just doesn't do it for me---there are a million other acts that know how to use them. That being said, "Saturn Returns" is a superb slower track and "Imitation Of Life" uses real drums and would have fit right in on 'Out of Time'. It's not enough though, as the band has definitely lost its touch by this time.

16. Around The Sun (2004)---Still using drum machines. There isn't a solid hook on this entire album. At this point, the only way that I would listen to an new R.E.M. album is if the band personally brought it to my house for a listen. Not recommended---save the space on your hard drive. D

[mob roulette]

I have to disagree about the R.E.M. summation, so here goes.....

the chronic town tracks did NOT end up on dead letter office. at least not on the original one i owned. i think they might have done that in later years. i do like dead letter office though. actually one of my favorites mosty BECAUSE of its nut and botls nakedness. also agree that green is slightly underrated by long time fans because it was their first HUGE one. but it's still a good record. their last COMPLETE one too, i might add. agree with tom, no need to buy any full albums after this point. also life's rich pagaent>anything else in the catalog.

i will do the much maligned and misunderstood afghan whigs later. nobody take it. okay thanks.

[Courtney]

David Bowie: Start with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (which I think is one of the best albums every made by any artist or band), then Diamond Dogs to get a feel for the direction he goes post-Ziggy, then maybe Hunky Dory or Aladdin Sane for more classic goodness.

[C DUB YA]

David Bowie: Start with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (which I think is one of the best albums every made by any artist or band), then Diamond Dogs to get a feel for the direction he goes post-Ziggy, then maybe Hunky Dory or Aladdin Sane for more classic goodness.

amen on all accounts

[bmack86]

Boredoms:

Onanie Bomb meets Sex Pistols-A collection of their first two releases, namely Anal by Anal and The Stooges go to Osaka. This is Boredoms as mysterious noisemakers. They fuck around with their instruments and make a racket. Not for the faint of heart, and not for most music fans. It's really interesting to hear where they started, but they did this style better. Grade:C

Soul Discharge-They make good on the interesting noises from Onanie. The playful, lets-do-whatever-the-fuck-we-can-to-make-a-racket atmosphere is still here, but the songs are more palatable this time around. It's still willfully abrasive, and not for the faint of heart. Grade:B

Boretronix-This one's really hard to find info on. Sometimes it sounds like a mixtape, sometimes it sounds like insanity. It was released on cassette only, and is rather infamously hard to find. As far as I can tell, this is a set of recordings that probably went into eYe's sonic blender to make up the cut-and-paste songs that became Soul Discharge. It's interesting, but hard to listen to at points because of absolutely horrible sound quality. Grade- C

Wow2-They continue playing around, only with a slight increase in focus. This one was released at the same time as Pop Tatari, and was meant to be recorded live in the studio. It's not as good as Pop Tatari tho, and also rather hard to find. Grade:B-

Pop Tatari-A few pop sounds filtered into this recording. This is the apex of their early, fucked up noise band playing. The album flows really well, and is full of screeching, yelling and rapid instrumental changes. Most people won't like this, but it's certifiably the best of their noisy days. Grade:A

Super Roots 1/2-Essentially, these continue the sound of Pop Tatari. They're both short releases, and good luck tracking down Super Roots 2. They're more subdued that Pop Tatari, but they mostly feature more batshit vocals and random insanity. However, it's the sound of Boredoms saying goodbye to that style. Grade:B

Chocolate Synthesizer-Pitchfork said this was the most uncommercial album ever released on a major label; I don't buy it. This album is amazing. It starts with Acid Police, which is one of the best introductions to an album ever. Eye and Yoshimi scream ACID POLEEZAY back and forth, and then get into a rhythmic jam which just rules. The rhythms on this album are much more pronounced, and they, by and large, get rid of the bizarro/whatever and the kitchen sink sound of the earlier albums. Seiichi and his effects pedals are more pronounced here. This is the best of the early stuff. Grade:A+

Super Roots 3-Who the hell saw this coming. The band who formerly wouldn't focus for more than 30 seconds at a time pull together and release what is essentially a 30 minute hardcore punk song. They repeat the same riff for the entirety of the piece, and, to be honest, it gets old. However, this was the first appearance of the new, extremely focused Boredoms. Listen to this if you want to hear their development, but it's hard to enjoy for the whole time. Grade:C

Super Roots 5-The next step in insanity. They take sonic waves and distortion and crank on that for over an hour. There's not a lot of development, and Yoshimi doesn't really lock it in the way she's capable of, so once again it's not so much a great listen as an interesting one. However, the sonic palate is more developed here, so it's a step up from Super Roots 3. Grade:B-

Super Roots 6-Once again, who saw this coming? No longer noisy, they start to focus here, and some of the songs are insanely good. They play more keyboards, and the rhythm becomes the central focus. The Krautrock fascination rears its head prominently on this record. However, this sounds like another experiment in a certain sound. They're developing Cosmic bore, and it's fun to listen to, but only contains moments of greatness. Grade:B

Super Roots 7-I could go on for days about this recording. I'll walk you thru it instead. It starts with the Ewe remix of the track. Eye leaves in the drums, but runs all the other instruments through a phaser, and creates a really psychedelic sound. This leads, without a break, into Super Space 7, which should be on everybody's short list for best jam of all time. Eye spells out BOREDOMS SUPER SPACE 7. Seiichi's guitar keeps switching channels, and your brain gets a little confused. The screaming synth starts to pull things together, and then the guitar explodes, beating out the chord change from Where Were You by the Mekons. It rules. The keyboards go nuts, adding all sorts of embellishments. At around 6:30, the guitars drop out, and you hear the kind of rhythmic pulse that NEU! made, only embellished with kickass keys. It slowly builds to 10:08, when Eye fucks up the track, making it sound like a broken tape. Then, Yoshimi hits the drums like a bat out of hell and Seiichi unleashes the chord heard round the world. Pure bliss ensues for the next ten minutes.
Grade:A+++

Super AE-More genius. They mine the space bore sound that they perfected on Super Roots 7, throwing in some playful vocals. The album works extremely well as a whole, and is oft considered their masterpiece. It is almost flawless, and is an essential purchase. Grade:A+

Super Go!!!!!!-A single featuring a long mix of Super Shine from Super AE. A bit superfluous, but the new mix is enjoyable, and features Eye's psychedelic remixing prowess. Grade:B+

Super Roots 8-A short little tidbit, it features their version of a Japanese children's show theme song. It's cool, but, like Super Go!!!!, not essential. Grade:B

Vision Creation Newsun-The final cosmic bore album, I like this every bit as much as Super AE. The songs are all blended together, and the rhythms are even more pronounced. Yoshimi goes crazy, and the two additional drummers make for an interesting and really well developed beat. Seems like it'd be great drug music. (If you can hunt down the box set, it comes with a live recording of Circle, which is absolutely astounding) Grade:A+

Seadrum/House of Sun-The first track is the birth of Voordoms. An insane drum onslaught with Eye as the mad sound distorter, it's a 20 minute rhythmic blast that will leave you numb, in a good way. Yoshimi's vocals are pixie-awesome, and you can hear when the drums go underwater (They recorded some of the drum parts on the beach as the tide came in). House of Sun is a great cool off after Seadrum, featuring a sitar drone that is very soothing. Grade:A-

Super Roots 9-Just came out, this is a live recording of a 2005 Voordoms show. It features the same drum frenzy as Seadrum, but, in a live context, Eye's goal to create a "Human turntable" becomes more fully realized. The rhythms are all over the place, and Eye adds electronic embellishments, and it's great to hear Boredoms still destroying conventions this far in. Good luck getting this one right now. I paid 30 bucks for the import. Grade:B+

77Boardrum-A bootleg, but really great quality, and worth mentioning because of the importance of the event. With the core 4 set up in the center of a park in Brooklyn, an entourage of 74 drummers spiraling out from this central point to create a giant drum beast, Boredoms truly let loose with the drum assault. The videos of the day are great, and rumor is that a DVD will be coming sometime soon. As it stands, an amazing event with the most dense drumming I've ever heard.

Live at Sunflancisco-It's only two tracks, as it's an accompanying single for a DVD release. That doesn't mean that the two tracks won't rock your face off. The first one is an extension of the stuff from Seadrum, and the second track features eYe's sonic manipulations that he's been perfecting live. It's a brief, 13 minute release, but it's near flawless, definitely the best expression yet of Voordoms outside of seeing the perfection of their live show. Grade: A

[SoulDischarge]

Boredoms:

Soul Discharge-They make good on the interesting noises from Onanie. The playful, lets-do-whatever-the-fuck-we-can-to-make-a-racket atmosphere is still here, but the songs are more palatable this time around. It's still willfully abrasive, and not for the faint of heart. Grade:B

I only get a B???? Rip. Off.

[bmack86]

Boredoms:

Onanie Bomb meets Sex Pistols-A collection of their first two releases, namely Anal by Anal and The Stooges go to Osaka. This is Boredoms as mysterious noisemakers. They fuck around with their instruments and make a racket. Not for the faint of heart, and not for most music fans. It's really interesting to hear where they started, but they did this style better. Grade:C

Soul Discharge-They make good on the interesting noises from Onanie. The playful, lets-do-whatever-the-fuck-we-can-to-make-a-racket atmosphere is still here, but the songs are more palatable this time around. It's still willfully abrasive, and not for the faint of heart. Grade:B

Boretronix-This one's really hard to find info on. Sometimes it sounds like a mixtape, sometimes it sounds like insanity. It was released on cassette only, and is rather infamously hard to find. As far as I can tell, this is a set of recordings that probably went into eYe's sonic blender to make up the cut-and-paste songs that became Soul Discharge. It's interesting, but hard to listen to at points because of absolutely horrible sound quality. Grade- C

Wow2-They continue playing around, only with a slight increase in focus. This one was released at the same time as Pop Tatari, and was meant to be recorded live in the studio. It's not as good as Pop Tatari tho, and also rather hard to find. Grade:B-

Pop Tatari-A few pop sounds filtered into this recording. This is the apex of their early, fucked up noise band playing. The album flows really well, and is full of screeching, yelling and rapid instrumental changes. Most people won't like this, but it's certifiably the best of their noisy days. Grade:A

Super Roots 1/2-Essentially, these continue the sound of Pop Tatari. They're both short releases, and good luck tracking down Super Roots 2. They're more subdued that Pop Tatari, but they mostly feature more batshit vocals and random insanity. However, it's the sound of Boredoms saying goodbye to that style. Grade:B

Chocolate Synthesizer-Pitchfork said this was the most uncommercial album ever released on a major label; I don't buy it. This album is amazing. It starts with Acid Police, which is one of the best introductions to an album ever. Eye and Yoshimi scream ACID POLEEZAY back and forth, and then get into a rhythmic jam which just rules. The rhythms on this album are much more pronounced, and they, by and large, get rid of the bizarro/whatever and the kitchen sink sound of the earlier albums. Seiichi and his effects pedals are more pronounced here. This is the best of the early stuff. Grade:A+

Super Roots 3-Who the hell saw this coming. The band who formerly wouldn't focus for more than 30 seconds at a time pull together and release what is essentially a 30 minute hardcore punk song. They repeat the same riff for the entirety of the piece, and, to be honest, it gets old. However, this was the first appearance of the new, extremely focused Boredoms. Listen to this if you want to hear their development, but it's hard to enjoy for the whole time. Grade:C

Super Roots 5-The next step in insanity. They take sonic waves and distortion and crank on that for over an hour. There's not a lot of development, and Yoshimi doesn't really lock it in the way she's capable of, so once again it's not so much a great listen as an interesting one. However, the sonic palate is more developed here, so it's a step up from Super Roots 3. Grade:B-

Super Roots 6-Once again, who saw this coming? No longer noisy, they start to focus here, and some of the songs are insanely good. They play more keyboards, and the rhythm becomes the central focus. The Krautrock fascination rears its head prominently on this record. However, this sounds like another experiment in a certain sound. They're developing Cosmic bore, and it's fun to listen to, but only contains moments of greatness. Grade:B

Super Roots 7-I could go on for days about this recording. I'll walk you thru it instead. It starts with the Ewe remix of the track. Eye leaves in the drums, but runs all the other instruments through a phaser, and creates a really psychedelic sound. This leads, without a break, into Super Space 7, which should be on everybody's short list for best jam of all time. Eye spells out BOREDOMS SUPER SPACE 7. Seiichi's guitar keeps switching channels, and your brain gets a little confused. The screaming synth starts to pull things together, and then the guitar explodes, beating out the chord change from Where Were You by the Mekons. It rules. The keyboards go nuts, adding all sorts of embellishments. At around 6:30, the guitars drop out, and you hear the kind of rhythmic pulse that NEU! made, only embellished with kickass keys. It slowly builds to 10:08, when Eye fucks up the track, making it sound like a broken tape. Then, Yoshimi hits the drums like a bat out of hell and Seiichi unleashes the chord heard round the world. Pure bliss ensues for the next ten minutes.
Grade:A+++

Super AE-More genius. They mine the space bore sound that they perfected on Super Roots 7, throwing in some playful vocals. The album works extremely well as a whole, and is oft considered their masterpiece. It is almost flawless, and is an essential purchase. Grade:A+

Super Go!!!!!!-A single featuring a long mix of Super Shine from Super AE. A bit superfluous, but the new mix is enjoyable, and features Eye's psychedelic remixing prowess. Grade:B+

Super Roots 8-A short little tidbit, it features their version of a Japanese children's show theme song. It's cool, but, like Super Go!!!!, not essential. Grade:B

Vision Creation Newsun-The final cosmic bore album, I like this every bit as much as Super AE. The songs are all blended together, and the rhythms are even more pronounced. Yoshimi goes crazy, and the two additional drummers make for an interesting and really well developed beat. Seems like it'd be great drug music. (If you can hunt down the box set, it comes with a live recording of Circle, which is absolutely astounding) Grade:A+

Seadrum/House of Sun-The first track is the birth of Voordoms. An insane drum onslaught with Eye as the mad sound distorter, it's a 20 minute rhythmic blast that will leave you numb, in a good way. Yoshimi's vocals are pixie-awesome, and you can hear when the drums go underwater (They recorded some of the drum parts on the beach as the tide came in). House of Sun is a great cool off after Seadrum, featuring a sitar drone that is very soothing. Grade:A-

Super Roots 9-Just came out, this is a live recording of a 2005 Voordoms show. It features the same drum frenzy as Seadrum, but, in a live context, Eye's goal to create a "Human turntable" becomes more fully realized. The rhythms are all over the place, and Eye adds electronic embellishments, and it's great to hear Boredoms still destroying conventions this far in. Good luck getting this one right now. I paid 30 bucks for the import. Grade:B+

77Boardrum-A bootleg, but really great quality, and worth mentioning because of the importance of the event. With the core 4 set up in the center of a park in Brooklyn, an entourage of 74 drummers spiraling out from this central point to create a giant drum beast, Boredoms truly let loose with the drum assault. The videos of the day are great, and rumor is that a DVD will be coming sometime soon. As it stands, an amazing event with the most dense drumming I've ever heard.

Live at Sunflancisco-It's only two tracks, as it's an accompanying single for a DVD release. That doesn't mean that the two tracks won't rock your face off. The first one is an extension of the stuff from Seadrum, and the second track features eYe's sonic manipulations that he's been perfecting live. It's a brief, 13 minute release, but it's near flawless, definitely the best expression yet of Voordoms outside of seeing the perfection of their live show. Grade: A

77BoaDrum DVD/CD-The DVD doesn't feature the whole show, but the CD has audio from the set, and it's almost complete, and it sounds better than the bootleg. A pretty fantastic recording of the event, it captures the sound of Voordoms at this point in time almost perfectly. Grade: A

Super Roots 10-Akin to DJ Pica Pica Pica, Eye's electronic side project, this is a lengthy exploration into psychedelic electronic music. The first full track, Ant 10, is a continuation of VCN style Boredoms music more than it is a Voordoms style recording, although the music on the disc was definitely pulled from their most recent tour. The song adds layers of tropical-sounding samples and throbbing bass over the dense drum tracks they're so well known for now, building to a guitar-led midsection that weaves thru, creating webs of psychedelic effects. It's the first guitar they've had on a release in 10 years, and to these ears it makes a great return. The next four tracks are remixes. Antz's first remix is a slightly looped and chopped version of the track, with some added vocal effects and a wicked beat. DJ Finger Hat turns in a brief electro-sounding remix that flows straight into Lindstrom's disco remake. The song sounds more like him than Boredoms, which is interesting but expected, and I like what he does with it. Antz's second remix is more subdued and calm, and a good way to calm out. I've only listened a few times, but I've already got a good opinion of this one. Grade: A

Added a few releases.

[Still-ill]

Boredoms:
Pop Tatari-A few pop sounds filtered into this recording. This is the apex of their early, fucked up noise band playing. The album flows really well, and is full of screeching, yelling and rapid instrumental changes. Most people won't like this, but it's certifiably the best of their noisy days. Grade:A

Just got this, it's really awesome. I couldn't really stomach Soul Discharge and something I have called Early Boredoms. Now I just need to get Chocolate Synthesizer and start on the Super Roots and I think I'll pretty much have everything I want from them.

[SoulDischarge]

I couldn't really stomach Soul Discharge

Give it time, child. It'll make sense upon repeat listens.

[bmack86]

Can:
They have three distinct phases, and there was some great music released in all three. However, the litmus test is the Damo years. I'd recommend starting with Ege Bamyasi. Tago Mago is my favorite album of all time, but Ege Bamyasi consolidates everything that was great about Damo-era Can (psychedelic guitars, polyrhythyms galore, crazed vocals, sheer brilliance). If you like that, then check out the other two Damo albums, and Monster Movie, which features original singer Malcolm Mooney.

[bmack86]

Spiritualized:
Hey boy, you can go almost anywhere with this group and not fail. They've maybe released one or two bum notes in their whole career. Starting with Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space is a good way to go; that's their classic, and it's so damn good. However, Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies are both excellent lead ups to that album, and you can hear them developing their sound.

[canexplain]

Spiritualized:
Hey boy, you can go almost anywhere with this group and not fail. They've maybe released one or two bum notes in their whole career. Starting with Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space is a good way to go; that's their classic, and it's so damn good. However, Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies are both excellent lead ups to that album, and you can hear them developing their sound.

interesting choice, i should look back, but i would guess you posted them as one of the least known bands that should have been .... i saw bowie many times, maybe 15, and i always enjoyed him ... got really close on the area 1 or 2 ? ... he is one in a million to say the least ... only time he bummed me out was, i was so used to a big concert experience with all the lights and that like the ziggy tour ( thin white maybe santa barbra sp 71 prob, funny thing about that show, they checked us so much, we had to dump out our cigarette packs to make sure we didnt have anything hidden in them oh well ), well when he did the Thin White Duke tour, it was all black and white .... sort of a let down, but as i look back, fit .... cr******

[breakjaw]

Thanks,mob,but I was thinking that this post alone should make Colorado Ron BMOTW next week:

interesting choice, i should look back, but i would guess you posted them as one of the least known bands that should have been .... i saw bowie many times, maybe 15, and i always enjoyed him ... got really close on the area 1 or 2 ? ... he is one in a million to say the least ... only time he bummed me out was, i was so used to a big concert experience with all the lights and that like the ziggy tour ( thin white maybe santa barbra sp 71 prob, funny thing about that show, they checked us so much, we had to dump out our cigarette packs to make sure we didnt have anything hidden in them oh well ), well when he did the Thin White Duke tour, it was all black and white .... sort of a let down, but as i look back, fit .... cr******

[TallGuyCM]

Spiritualized:
Hey boy, you can go almost anywhere with this group and not fail. They've maybe released one or two bum notes in their whole career. Starting with Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space is a good way to go; that's their classic, and it's so damn good. However, Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies are both excellent lead ups to that album, and you can hear them developing their sound.

*bump*

Spiritualized definitely have a stellar catalog, front to back. My small gripe is that on some of their non-LAGWAFIS albums, it just sounds like they're rewriting the same songs. There are at least two other songs in their repertoire that sound nearly identical to Electricity. To me, anyway. It's that way with a few other LAGWAFIS songs, too.

[roberto73]

The Wedding Present:

A tough band to find, but worth the effort. My favorite album is Seamonsters, which roughly marks the halfway point in their career as well as a change in sound. Everything pre-Seamonsters is fast and jangly; post-Seamonsters the guitars slow down a little, but the arrangements get more complex. Singer/guitarist David Gedge is the only original remaining member, but quality control has remained high throughout their 20-year career.

Start with Seamonsters, then check out George Best (their debut) and Watusi. You might also want to track down the two volumes of Hit Parade. They tied a record in the U.K. by releasing one Top 30 single a month for an entire year, and each volume contains six of the singles and their corresponding B-sides (fun cover versions of songs by artists like Bowie, The Go-Betweens, and Elton John, as well as "Theme from Shaft"). The band went on hiatus for nearly a decade as Gedge fronted Cinerama, but they released a new album in 2005, Take Fountain, which picked up right where 1996's Saturnalia left off. They've also released an obscene number of singles compilations and John Peel sessions. Criminally underrated and one of my all-time favorite bands.

[mountmccabe]

I have over the last year and a half gotten into Cinerama and the Wedding Present due to inclusion on mixes by board folk and damn I love this stuff. Some stuff I listen to now is stuff I know I wouldn't've liked when it came out but I would've loved Seamonsters at any time in my life. I'm kinda pissed at the radio stations I listened to for not playing them ever.

[Slushmier]

Stuff like David Bowie, Tom Waits, and even R.E.M. I'm not as well aquainted with as I'd like to be.

I guess I'll directly address that problem with Tom Waits. I'll definitely admit that there's someone on this board that knows more about him, but I do at least want to throw this one out there.

Tom Waits more or less has three phases: 70s, 80s, and 90s on. 70s was more of a standard singer-songwriter phrase. Sure he was a lyrical genius, but it's before he started getting esoteric in the way he constructed his music. The 80s was characterized by the Frank's Wild Years trilogy that consisted of Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years. He also did some soundtrack work, most notibly for One From the Heart. Then, starting with Bone Machine in 1992, Waits' music became more or less unclassifyable. Every album has a more unique sound in this period.

So, as for what albums I would pick for each period:
I would pick Closing Time for the 70s period. It's generally regarded as his best from this period, and it's the album that most purely represents Tom Waits as a singer songwriter.

For the 80s pick Rain Dogs. I really don't have a very good reason, I just like this album more than Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years. Plus, "Downtown Train" is one of the best songs ever, regardless of how Rod Stewart tried to destroy it.

For the 90s on pick Mule Variations. Bone Machine and Orphans are also good picks, but, and I'll be honest here, Bone Machine is really a downer of an album. Mule Variations has many of the stylistic elements of Bone Machine, but also has more of a tinge of hope thanks to songs like "Hold On." Plus, you can appreciate the song "Chocolate Jesus" more because of this. As for Orphans, it's three discs, and that's a lot of Waits to start with.


Overall, I would start with Rain Dogs because while it's so stylistically unique, it also incorporates a lot of elements from his other periods. The ballads like "Time," "Hang Down Your Head," and "Downtown Train" reflect his 70s roots. You even get some spoken word fun that shows his beatnik roots. Additionally, the unique use of instruments foreshadows his music from the 90s and later. Finally, "Downtown Train" is one of my two or three favorite songs, so I have to suggest the album with that song.

[swdshfsk]

Mogwai:
Just to start, it's difficult for me to pick a favorite album. Though the typical favorite is probably "Young Team", I also really like Happy Songs for Happy People. This could be because it was my first exposure to the band, but I still think it's great, yet probably not as accessible as Young Team(?? I guess niether are that accessible). If I were introducing a new fan, I'd start em' off easy and so on:

"Mr. Beast": the newest and by-far most "easy" Mogwai album to listen to. It's accessible much like "Rock Action" is, in my opinion, but I prefer it much more than the latter.

"Young Team": their first album that is just "awesome" (the old version of awesome). The music is diverse but just about every song goes where it should. "Mogwai Fear Satan" rocked my face last year.

If you like the first two and want to be a bit more adventurous I'd say check out "Happy Songs...", but if you kind've want to stay in the same vein, then see "Ten Rapid", which is all B-sides but is still really good. And, of course, if you would like to totally stray off the beaten path there's always "Come On, Die Young" (which, I guess isn't that strange but just lacks the emotiveness of the others) or the "My Father, My King" EP. "EP+2 (or whatever)" is really great as well...the sound falls somewhere between "Young Team" and "Rock Action"

[tessalasset]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

[TomAz]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

ahahahahahahaha. i crapped my pants. ahahahahhaha

[mountmccabe]

ahahahahahahaha. i crapped my pants. ahahahahhaha

She's serious, though.

This is why you're the best, Tessa, btw.

[waxybk]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

HAHA! That made my morning! Thank you. Serious or not...doesn't matter, thank you for making my morning shine!

[thestripe]

She is very serious.

[TallGuyCM]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

Went back to the first page, and this made me laugh. No offense Tessa, I just doubt very many people come to this thread thinking "damn, I really wish someone would guide me into the best way to sift through Hanson's discography."

[mountmccabe]

Guided by Voices:

Bee Thousand is one clear entry point. It is widely regarded as their masterpiece, there's a 33 1/3 about it... it has "I Am A Scientist" etc. etc. It is lo-fi cut and paste wild and crazy affair. Expanding from here is a good way to go, both forward to the excellent Alien Lanes and back to the albums (Propeller and Vampire on Titus.that got them noticed enough to convince Pollard to get the band back together and actually do the whole music thing.

I'd almost say start with Aline Lanes because it's slightly easier but it's significantly less mythic.

As for the later records I'd rep for Universal Truths and Cycles and then moving back and forwards from there. It's far enough removed from the Ric Ocasek album to sound much like the old stuff but there's some of the arena rock leanings so that it's a good intro. I don't mean to be knocking Do the Collapse, you know, it's great stuff but not representative.

[omg wtf bbq]

bmack86:
HELL yes to Boredoms and Can