Interference's Top 100 Albums of All Time - Results Thread

[bono_212]

THE RISING!!!!;LAKJDJADS;LJFADF


Yep, I'll definitely share responsibility with Peef for this one

 

[Irishteen]

I've yet to listen to the Rising in full

 

[LemonMelon]

#56 - R.E.M. - Murmur

Fuck. Yeah.

3 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Imagine a lo-fi Kansas album without "Dust in the Wind", and that's what you have here, July 4, 2005
By aLar (GA) - See all my reviews
The best music to come out of Athens, Georgia is that of the almighty B-52's. With songs like "Planet Claire" and "Rock Lobster, they are infact the epitome of Alternative. Yeah, I'll get to REM in a second...

This early era of REM is embarrassingly bland and dull-- it reminds me of a subpar Kansas or Chicago release. I'm aware the sheer mediocrity of Murmur is blinding, but how could all you reviewers who gave this five stars say this mush is even halfway decent? It doesn't have anything special to it. I think fans of this REM record like to brag about the indie label because it doesn't have any real musical or lyrical value. I listened, and I listened closely several times, and there's nothing on here (not even "Radio Free Europe") that makes get up and say "Wow, that's unique". This was a chore to get through. I don't care what year this was from, or how different you say it was from the synth-ladden norm at the time; it's safe, boring, and utterly forgettable crap. Only someone on pot could enjoy something so boring. And based on the other reviews here that compare Stipe to Christ, I'm sure many of you are using other kinds of "medicinal enhancement" as well.

A trudge.

I force manrched myself through these pretentious, tuneless dirges at the insistance of a friend.

I still haven`t forgiven him.

very solid album.liked it a lot.the only complaint is the vocals on only a few songs.the instrumentals are great.very solid debut album.

Later Reviewsont know what i was thinking with tht 4 satr rating. the more i listen to it the more i hate it. cant even listen to it anymore.

Really annoying. Sums up everything which is bad about indie rock. The voice of Michael Stipe gives me shivers and sends me into a deep depression.

I wanted to like R.E.M. several times in my life but I never succeded. Murmur is even much worse than what they did in their later career (Monster being their only decent album).

I want to like this album so so badly. But I can't. Maybe its coz the sounds been imitated relentlessly over the past two decades. But that has no bearing on my rating here.

I listen to this n more often than not find myself bored by it. Yeah, the opening few songs are excellent n all but later...? Ugh. "9-9" just hurts to hear at this point, almost making me yearn to hear there newer stuff. Almost.

 

[corianderstem]

Ah, The Rising. I'm up to 3 and am satisfied. Will stop counting out loud on the board now.

 

[bono_212]

Ahhh I'm still super happy about the Rising

 

[joyfulgirl]

I've yet to listen to the Rising in full

Well, what are you waiting for? Hop to it.

 

[LemonMelon]

#55 - U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind

One of their worst albums. Good job, guys. Now we get to hear Axver rant on and on. As a matter of fact, let's start with him:

This album is tremendously disappointing and I consider it U2's worst album. I can understand how U2 ended up where they did; if you listen to some bootlegs from the later stages of the Popmart tour, there are some speeches by Bono where he just sounds worn out and depressed, and the band needed to go somewhere new and rejuvenate. But that didn't mean they had to become formulaic, and Bono certainly didn't have to toss out his lyrical ability! Pop, for all its flaws, may be the best U2 album in a lyrical sense, while All That You Can't Leave Behind (ATYCLB) is a complete trainwreck for the most part.

When I Look At The World is the best song on the album, even if U2 didn't seem to recognise it (its only live appearance was as a snippet during one performance of Bad). It features some good lyrics and the only semblance of a guitar solo on the album. The musicianship is actually good. And if you are lucky enough to have one of the editions with The Ground Beneath Her Feet as a bonus track, savour it as it is a stunning song full of atmosphere. Another good song on the album, though much maligned amongst fans, is Grace; it has some nice bass work by Adam Clayton's standards, and if you get past the terrible "Grace, it's a name for a girl, it's also a thought that changed the world" line, it has some decent lyrics too. Don't write it off just because it's slow; the song doesn't show off, but if you let yourself, you can become immersed in a welcoming, warm atmosphere. The fourth good song on the album, in my opinion, is Kite; the first half of it isn't that spectacular and I hate the cheesy opening strings, but I really enjoy the second half.

The rest of the album? Well, I have a strong sentimental attachment to Walk On, but if I'm honest, it's quite cliche. Beautiful Day can be uplifting but it has never struck me as remarkable. Elevation, I admit, can be fun live but falls flat in the studio. New York is unremarkable. Peace On Earth is a contradiction; it has some touching moments and some appallingly cliche moments (not to mention its title!) that I cannot believe U2 put on an album. Wild Honey is a poor quality song but kind of fun in the summertime; it baffles me why the also summery but genuinely good Summer Rain was not put on the album instead (it was used as Beautiful Day's b-side).

And then there are the two dreadful songs. Two songs that are a disgrace to U2. Two songs the band should never have released in any form. Stuck In A Moment is flaky, soulless pop; the lyrics, especially the chorus, are weak and the production makes it right at home amongst other low-quality pop radio selections. It was meant to be a tribute to Michael Hutchence, but it fails miserably; a more sincere presentation would have helped. The last 30 seconds, with Edge and Bono exchanging vocals, gives a glimpse into how nice this sincerity may have been. And then there is In A Little While; even worse lyrics than Stuck In A Moment, and the worst singing Bono has ever put on tape. He sounds like he has a frog stuck in his throat. This song is an embarrassment. You feel embarrassed for U2 when you hear it. It should be forgotten. Later pressings of the album should omit it. You should burn yourself a copy of the album without it or Stuck.

Thank goodness the following album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, showed some signs of improvement from this disappointing dross.

Fly
High
In the sky
Dig a hole
Like a mole
Up a tree
I'm a bee
It's OK
For today

The fat cat sat on the mat
Rat-a-tat-tat
What about that?

There's a dog
On a log
And a mouse
In a house
The Edge
In a hedge
Making noise
With the boys


But now
At the end
It's just you and me
All quiet and half-talking
In a croaky voice, yeah
Sayin
I can't forget you, starvin childre-he-en.

For the love of Fuck, people, why do we do this?

I can't believe I used to own (a burnt copy of) this album. What an absolute piece of recycled manure. All That You Can't Leave Behind is another self-indulgent chapter in Bono's history of rubbling a microphone between his sticky legs. Out of all the songs, "Kite" is the one that makes me want to pull all my eyebrow-hairs out. If you want to hear Bono's cock belting out power vocals, fine by me, just don't do it when I'm around.

Also, is it just me or does the word Bono sound like it could be diagnosed as "Mono of the Ass." Imagine a doctor saying, "I'm very sorry sir, but you have Bono and there's nothing we can do. The Bono has infected the entire ass, it left no cheek untouched. All we can do at this stage is remove the ass."

 

[Irishteen]

Well, what are you waiting for? Hop to it.

My dad has the CD and has it in his car, and I've never been in the car for long enough to hear it all

 

[Mr. V]

I'm pulling an all-nighter due to an assignment I left until the last minute. Looks like I found some distraction... and some funny distraction, too!

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm going to take a minute to let you guys appreciate the ATYCLB reviews.

 

[Irishteen]

ATYCLB!!!!!!!!!

Yes people here aren't insane!

 

[bono_212]

I love you, Axver There were even set list quotes, and one of his "I Love HTDAAB" confessions.

 

[cdisantis83]

"The Rising" ahead of "E. Street Shuffle" might be the biggest surprise yet. Interesting indeed.

 

[bono_212]

My dad has the CD and has it in his car, and I've never been in the car for long enough to hear it all

I have it you know

 

[Irishteen]

I have it you know

But you're all the way in American-land; not like we have the interwebz

 

[bono_212]

But you're all the way in American-land; not like we have the interwebz

I wish we had the interwebz

 

[the tourist]

Also, is it just me or does the word Bono sound like it could be diagnosed as "Mono of the Ass." Imagine a doctor saying, "I'm very sorry sir, but you have Bono and there's nothing we can do. The Bono has infected the entire ass, it left no cheek untouched. All we can do at this stage is remove the ass."

 

[Irishteen]

I wish we had the interwebz

Maybe one day? Imagine what we could all do with the interwebz!

 

[bono_212]

Maybe one day? Imagine what we could all do with the interwebz!

We could probably talk to people all the way in Australia!

 

[Irishteen]

We could probably talk to people all the way in Australia!

And people might obsessively learn the setlists of bands they don't even like! What a crazy world that would be

 

[bono_212]

And people might obsessively learn the setlists of bands they don't even like! What a crazy world that would be

Ohh you go to far, sir.

 

[Irishteen]

Ohh you go to far, sir.

I was referring to the guy at The Verve who shouted out the name of the song before they started playing it every time

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

any time Mel...

 

[bono_212]

I was referring to the guy at The Verve who shouted out the name of the song before they started playing it every time

Suuuuuuuurrrreee you were.

 

[Irishteen]

Suuuuuuuurrrreee you were.

Who else could I ever be referring to?

 

[the tourist]

LM's having a poop break I suppose....

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

 

[LemonMelon]

#54 - The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

Pretty damn fine record. No further discussion necessary.

Pussy Galore did it better...

The lippy Lothario of rock royalty herein pecks at the studio mike like a peacock in leotards that got into the catnip, sneerily squawking bluesrock cliches like a private school poseur who rode through a ghetto while on holiday, and thinks he "gets it" because he saw winos strewn on street corners from the back seat of his stretch limo. The thumping end of what had been a reasonably listenable ballads band.

for me rating the stones is something like how it must feel to rate your kids if you're the father of the baldwins. and rating exile on main street is two fucking discs so it's like rating two baldwins put together. i dunno which two i get them confused, i think one of them might be alright so not that one, he can be aftermath

Maybe it’s because every fan of the Stones (and this album in particular) I’ve met has been a complete fucking nut, but I just cannot for the life of me conjure up any inspiration to actually play the damn thing. I’ve spun it a few times and all I hear decent, muddy rock tracks. Eighteen of them. I’m sure it’s superb; feel free to ignore what I write. Just don’t try to talk to me about it.

 

[bono_212]

I can't remember if Exile was on my list or not...I think no.

 

[Irishteen]

The Stones...meh