1st Interference Album Roundtable

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MrBrau1

ONE love, blood, life
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You love a record.

You've loved it for a long time.
It means something to you. You listen to it over and over. It's great. It's yours. It's your "gem" of an album.

Why don't more people know about this album?

Are they fucking dumb? They have poor taste?

Maybe they never heard it. Maybe they never heard it through your ears.

It's time to preach.

Well, the 1st ever "Album Roundtable" will give you your pulpit.

It's easy.

Pick your album. Shouldn't be hard, as you probably listened to it last week.

Listen to it again this week.

Then write about it.

Why do you love it?

Why should I love it?

Then, over the next week, do the following things:

1. write about your album in this thread. Leave your email at the end of your rant.

2. upload it to send space or the like (MP3 format please.) Try and pick a service that will let your link live for 2+ weeks.

3. email that link to me by next Friday:

brau1@yahoo.com

subject: album roundtable

On Saturday I'll collect all the reviews and links, and forward them to everyone who participated.

Hopefully, you'll get 20+ album reviews and links to those albums.

The more who participate, the more albums you'll get to hear. There's no theme. Pick an new record, an old record, and R&B
record, a jazz record, a classic rock record, and indie pop record. whatever.

Ain't the internet grand?
 
My pick is “Might Joe Moon” by Grant Lee Buffalo.

glb-mjm.jpg



I first heard Grant Lee Buffalo whilst in college in 1994. MTV had a show on
Sunday nights called “120 Minutes.” It was the latest and greatest in everything
“alternative.” “Mockingbirds” was a video in pretty regular rotation. The video
was strange, band members running through the woods with bear and bird
costumes on, but the song was this haunting ballad with a beautiful falsetto
chorus that just took my imagination. Strings, piano, a giant bass drum,
intertwined with acoustic guitar and the deep voice of Grant Lee Philips.

It sounded so “American.” Completely at odds with the bouncy Brit-pop I was in
love with, yet I tracked down the album due to it’s lead single.

It’s probably the most “American” rock record I’ve ever heard. I mean, look at
the song titles:

Lone Star Song
Mockingbirds
It's The Life
Sing Along
Mighty Joe Moon
Demon Called Deception
Lady Godiva And Me
Drag
Last Days Of Tecumseh
Happiness
Honey Don't Think
Side By Side
Rock Of Ages

Lyrics name drop everything from John Wayne Gacey to Jackie Wilson to Evil
Kinevil (and that’s just one song.) It’s a perfect companion for a drive through
green mountains. Rustic tales of day gone by and thing to come, love song,
and tributes to mythic legends.

The music is just as American. Lilting country ballads. Folksy/Bluegrass banjos.
Screaming electric guitars & pounding drums Slide guitars and pianos. Dylan
is in the house. So is Neil Young. Woody Gutherie. Johnny Cash.

It’s countrified/Americana/swaggering rock music. It’s perfect American road
music. The soundtrack for views out a window at 65mph while the sun gets ready
to set.

I love this record.
 
yay I've wanted to hear stuff by them for a while. :dancing:

is the VU's self-titled from '69 too popular/well-known around here? no one I talk to knows it too well (even people who listen to "old" music strangely). but I don't want to do something everyone has.
 
VertigoGal said:
yay I've wanted to hear stuff by them for a while. :dancing:

is the VU's self-titled from '69 too popular/well-known around here? no one I talk to knows it too well (even people who listen to "old" music strangely). but I don't want to do something everyone has.

I think that would qualify.
 
VertigoGal said:
^^maybe we should disallow commentary on others' choices at least for the time being, for the sake of the thread. :uhoh:

:wink:

too late.

But a good idea nonetheless.

We can all comment next Saturday.

As we listen to many new, great albums we may have never heard before.
 
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MrBrau1 said:


Whatever you feel like sharing.

But it was a #1 album on the Billboard charts.

Does it have to be an overlooked album or can it be anything?
 
MrBrau1 said:


It can be anything.

But the person who uploads "The Joshua Tree" adds nothing to the idea.

Alright, gotcha.

My entry is going to be The New Radical's eponymous album The New Radicals

expect a writeup soon.
 
fuck yeah i'm in!
should it be 'never loved elvis' by the wonder stuff or 'cold water flat' by revolver?...
well, for this round, tis the stuffies.
how many listening parties on this very website has 'never loved elvis' been suggested and passed by? frightening. nevertheless, an opportunity to spread the love (as the band said).
so my introduction to the wonder stuff was also via 120 minutes - the fantastic video for 'caught in my shadow' - the band busking in the british street, their fans pogo-ing joyfully along to the ridiculously melodic tune. convinced my best friend to buy the record (he had a better job) on a very strong recommendation, then 'borrowed' the thing for an extended period of time...
ahhh... sweet memories...
anyway, a fantastic romp through lovable brit-pop territory, before that meant shite to anyone. the entire record felt instantly familiar to me. i felt like i knew the next chord, the next lyric, the next SONG before it happened. a glorious mix of high energy barn burners, sarcastic ballads, cartoon pop songs, with flourishes of violins, accordians, mandolins...
oh yeah, and miles hunt has one of the BEST voices you’ll ever hear, anywhere. He spits and gargles and croooooons his way through this in a way nobody else could hope to. Just amazing.
really, just a fantastic album. a gem that sounds as good soft as it does asskickingly loud. Excellence in songwriting, lyrics, production…a desert island album. Here’s a link…

http://download.y s i .com/706D0BE32B1C3BBD

Song by song…
1. Mission Drive – always reminded me of ‘streets’ for some strange reason…. A repetitive guitar line that patiently unfolds… mandolins, then violins, vocals about an argument… then it ERUPTS! Glorious! Martin Gilkes was a demon on the drums! A fantastic opener, one of the best album openers EVER. Maybe that’s why I think of streets. Top song. TOP SONG.
2. Play – a frantic, dark, and lovely tune. The stuffies get heavy and sinister. ‘I used to think drinking brought shame, but a bottle of wine I would drain…’. Hypnotic fiddle line over fantastic rock music. Intense, beautiful.
3. False Start – sample of a bigger tune, a bit of an interlude. Strange, but lots of cool violin.
4. Welcome to the Cheap Seats – the best irish rock tune since the Pogues. The talents of Christy McColl are liberally employed, and Martin Bell’s infectious accordion hook saves the world! Fun lyrics, great production. One of my favorite stuffies songs.
5. The Size of a Cow – the big tune off this album. It’s ridiculous pop music. Beyond cartoon. But those lyrics are deadly. He’s ‘learning all his problems to the size of a cow’ (that cow’s a girl, btw). Also includes the line ‘me I’d like to think / that life is like a drink / and I’m hoping that it tastes like bourbon’. Deadly lyrics…
6. Sleep Alone – this is the ballad. The video was unbearably bad. But the song is lovely. Great harmonica and mandolin bits, and I love the intro – ‘listen, call immediately! Time is running out! We all need to do something crazy before we die…’ I still sit at home twitching my fingers, playing the songs of my favorite singers….
7. Donation – a condemnation of corrupt religious bodies. FANTASTIC! This is their ‘Bullet’. Don’t look for guitar fireworks here, though. 5 and a half minutes of brooding intensity, insidious melodies, scathing lyrics. ‘its ugly and it’s rot, separate those who have and have not’ and ‘empty your pockets – patronize, sympathize with the poor’. Wah guitars and violins weave an intense, angry tapestry…
8. Inertia – a release from the last song, straight up, frivolous pop. MORE VIOLINS!!! Peppy rhythm, Hammond organs, more wah guitars. Who the fuck cares what this is about after that last song?!
9. Maybe – their ‘political’ song. Lovely tune, references to Mike Stipe and such. The story of a young man feeling the press to change the world, recognizing his limits, what he can and cannot do. More lush instrumentation. One of my faves, Dylanesque…
10. Grotesque – another short tune in the mode of ‘False Start’. One of the best characterizations of a self-destructive relationship I’ve ever heard. He keeps it mercifully short (wishes all those relationships were similarly short-lived).
11. Here Comes Everyone – HOLY SHIT!!! One of dudeman’s favorite songs of all time…wistful romanticism – violins cascade around meticulously crafted guitar lines, frantic drumming, and my favorite lyrics – ‘live fast die young / leave a good looking corpse / I’m only joking, of course / he’s gonna ride out of here / on a big white horse / like some poetic whore’…
12. Caught In My Shadow –the song that prompted me to buy the album. Great pop tune, fun mandolin line, GREAT video (find it on youtube and watch it!). Fun song, like ‘Inertia’, just a pop song. In their words, it won’t hurt anybody
13. 38 Line Poem – the closer, starts calm, then rips open. More violin, more super cool wah guitars. The Wonder Stuff’s statement on why this shit all matters, and, more importantly, why The Wonder Stuff matters.

So that’s it. One of my favorite albums of ALL TIME. Everyone should hear this. I hope you enjoy one percent as much as I do. I make music, it’s part of my life. This album, as much as ‘The Joshua Tree’ or ‘Achtung, Baby!’, is part of the reason why.
 
Whoa, thanks dudeman.

To keep moderators happy, please don't post links.

Simply make a link, and send it to me.

For everyone:

I'll distribute these next Friday 12/15.

So make a link that will live throught that date.
Send Space is better than YSI, cause the links stay active for a month. YSI links die afer 1 week.

PS- Don't forget to put your email at the end of your post. This way I can send you everything next Friday.
 
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I think I'll do Brian Eno - Another Green World.

Give me until Tuesday to get the write-up and upload done though. I'm in college final hell right now. :huh:
 
Cool.

So far we've got:

Might Joe Moon- Grant Lee Buffalo
Another Green World- Brian Eno
New Radicals- New Radicals
Velvet Underground- Velvet Underground
Never Loved Elvis- The Wonder Stuff
Kid A- Radiohead

It's an excellent start.
 
Great. I've got about three albums here and one best of, all from pretty left-field sources, and all of which I haven't listened to in a while, so it'll be an interesting day of selection tomorrow!

Edit: Well actually after listening to the Stranglers-stealing bit of genius otherwise known as 'Waking Up', I shall write about one of my favourite Britpop albums, Elastica's self-titled debut. Every song's more or less a winner, so can't go wrong there.

In case you were wondering, the others I was going for were Eliza Carthy's Anglicana (a folk album), New Order's criminally underrated 2001 effort Get Ready, and a collection of singles by 60s French pop singer Francoise Hardy, but then I realized there are about 50 songs on that over 2 discs. Also gave some consideration to French rockers Noir Desir and their album Tostaky, but when they sing in English it's actually quite funny so no go.
 
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Writing huge essays about my favourite music is FAR more entertaining than studying for university finals.

pinkfloydanimalskf9.jpg


Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

Yeah, I know a lot of people around here don't like anything to do with Pink Floyd or progressive rock. But then I thought, maybe it's just because you're listening to the wrong Pink Floyd albums. Most people know the big three - The Wall, Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here. Not many people know about Animals. This is a shame, as Animals is (I feel) one of the best albums Pink Floyd ever released. My favourite album written by anyone ever.

Right, themes. This album, like most Pink Floyd albums written by Roger Waters, revolves around a concept. In this case the concept is the evils surrounding class divisions. It's almost Orwellian - in fact, you can draw parallels with Orwell's Animal Farm. Waters denies writing the lyrics with Orwell in mind, but the similarities are highly curious. He proposes that society falls into three categories: the middle-class dogs; the upper-class pigs; the lower-class sheep. The pigs use the dogs, and both manipulate the sheep. He also proposes that human companionship - love, essentially - can prevent us from exhibiting the worst qualities of these divisions.

An ambitious idea for a rock album, I agree. But damn it, it works.

1. Pigs On The Wing, Part 1 (Waters)
A very short, sparse and simple track musically - just Waters on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. Basically a sort of "if you don't love me, this is what's going to happen" kind of track. It's the quiet little precursor to the madness that follows. Great lyrics. "If you didn't care what happened to me, and I didn't care for you, we would zig-zag our way through the boredom and pain, occasionally glancing up through the rain...wondering which of the buggers to blame, and watching for pigs on the wing."

2. Dogs (Gilmour/Waters)
One of the greatest Pink Floyd songs ever written. Yeah, it's 17:08 minutes long. Deal with it! :wink: Every single one of those seventeen minutes is fucking brilliant. Great little acoustic guitar riff to start it off. Great singing by David Gilmour, his only vocals on the album. Roger Waters takes over on vocals at the end. Littered throughout the song are probably some of Gilmour's greatest solos (don't worry, they're not the boring flashy solos everyone hates - they're slow, emotional, perfectly structured for the song.) As I mentioned before, this is about the middle-class. The 'dogs' here represent shrewd and paranoid business men, capitalists who'll do anything to gain success. Interestingly, Waters refers to himself as a dog in Pigs On The Wing, Pt.2. Great lyrics again. "It's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around. So have a good drown as you go down all alone, dragged down by the stone."

3. Pigs (Three Different Ones) (Waters)
This is a fun track. Waters on lead vocals. Awesome keyboard intro by Rick Wright. Cowbell. Doesn't get much better than that. As the title suggests, there are three 'pigs' in this song, each given a verse. One of them is referred to by name - Mary Whitehouse, that old prude who wanted to censor practically everything in Britain during the 60s/70s, including Pink Floyd. "Hey you, Whitehouse! Ha ha, charade you are!"

4. Sheep (Waters)
My favourite Floyd song. Great spacey little keyboard intro that builds into an explosion of bass, guitar, and drums. The middle section (featuring some of the most ominous sounding synth I've ever heard) is a satire of Psalm 23 put through a vocoder. Shows the sheep as the blind followers they are. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me down to lie. Through pastures green, He leadeth me the silent waters by. With bright knives, He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places." Fucking awesome. Outro has, hands down, the best guitar riff Gilmour has ever written. And the lyrics are just great. I especially love "Bleating and babbling we fell on his neck with a scream, wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream."

5. Pigs On The Wing, Part 2 (Waters)
Same deal as part one, except it ends on a far more positive note. Instead of the "what if" situation in part one, it's "You know that I care what happens to you, and I know that you care for me too." Puts an uplifting end to what is, for the most part, a very cynical and angry album.


And there you have it. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.
 
GibsonGirl said:
Writing huge essays about my favourite music is FAR more entertaining than studying for university finals.

pinkfloydanimalskf9.jpg


Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

Yeah, I know a lot of people around here don't like anything to do with Pink Floyd or progressive rock. But then I thought, maybe it's just because you're listening to the wrong Pink Floyd albums. Most people know the big three - The Wall, Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here. Not many people know about Animals. This is a shame, as Animals is (I feel) one of the best albums Pink Floyd ever released. My favourite album written by anyone ever.

Right, themes. This album, like most Pink Floyd albums written by Roger Waters, revolves around a concept. In this case the concept is the evils surrounding class divisions. It's almost Orwellian - in fact, you can draw parallels with Orwell's Animal Farm. Waters denies writing the lyrics with Orwell in mind, but the similarities are highly curious. He proposes that society falls into three categories: the middle-class dogs; the upper-class pigs; the lower-class sheep. The pigs use the dogs, and both manipulate the sheep. He also proposes that human companionship - love, essentially - can prevent us from exhibiting the worst qualities of these divisions.

An ambitious idea for a rock album, I agree. But damn it, it works.

1. Pigs On The Wing, Part 1 (Waters)
A very short, sparse and simple track musically - just Waters on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. Basically a sort of "if you don't love me, this is what's going to happen" kind of track. It's the quiet little precursor to the madness that follows. Great lyrics. "If you didn't care what happened to me, and I didn't care for you, we would zig-zag our way through the boredom and pain, occasionally glancing up through the rain...wondering which of the buggers to blame, and watching for pigs on the wing."

2. Dogs (Gilmour/Waters)
One of the greatest Pink Floyd songs ever written. Yeah, it's 17:08 minutes long. Deal with it! :wink: Every single one of those seventeen minutes is fucking brilliant. Great little acoustic guitar riff to start it off. Great singing by David Gilmour, his only vocals on the album. Roger Waters takes over on vocals at the end. Littered throughout the song are probably some of Gilmour's greatest solos (don't worry, they're not the boring flashy solos everyone hates - they're slow, emotional, perfectly structured for the song.) As I mentioned before, this is about the middle-class. The 'dogs' here represent shrewd and paranoid business men, capitalists who'll do anything to gain success. Interestingly, Waters refers to himself as a dog in Pigs On The Wing, Pt.2. Great lyrics again. "It's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around. So have a good drown as you go down all alone, dragged down by the stone."

3. Pigs (Three Different Ones) (Waters)
This is a fun track. Waters on lead vocals. Awesome keyboard intro by Rick Wright. Cowbell. Doesn't get much better than that. As the title suggests, there are three 'pigs' in this song, each given a verse. One of them is referred to by name - Mary Whitehouse, that old prude who wanted to censor practically everything in Britain during the 60s/70s, including Pink Floyd. "Hey you, Whitehouse! Ha ha, charade you are!"

4. Sheep (Waters)
My favourite Floyd song. Great spacey little keyboard intro that builds into an explosion of bass, guitar, and drums. The middle section (featuring some of the most ominous sounding synth I've ever heard) is a satire of Psalm 23 put through a vocoder. Shows the sheep as the blind followers they are. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me down to lie. Through pastures green, He leadeth me the silent waters by. With bright knives, He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places." Fucking awesome. Outro has, hands down, the best guitar riff Gilmour has ever written. And the lyrics are just great. I especially love "Bleating and babbling we fell on his neck with a scream, wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream."

5. Pigs On The Wing, Part 2 (Waters)
Same deal as part one, except it ends on a far more positive note. Instead of the "what if" situation in part one, it's "You know that I care what happens to you, and I know that you care for me too." Puts an uplifting end to what is, for the most part, a very cynical and angry album.


And there you have it. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.


That was great :bow:


I love reading things like this:up:
 
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Not too good with descriptions and reviews and such but here i go...

The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips

This CD is psychotically melodic.

10/10...album of the decade.... the pet sounds of the 90's.... 5 stars....
I come across this album googling "greatest albums" and I think ahh I'll give it a shot. I stay up until about 4am cause lime wire is a bitch, and it’s a school night. Finally I am done I add the artwork, get the track listing right, make sure there’s no spelling mistakes, put into the ipod...and it begins...1,2,…

1. Race for the Prize: THE DRUMS COME IN BLAZING! THE STRINGS SOARING AND GOING CRAZY! WHAT A RUSH RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING! Drums get quieter and then Wayne Coyne comes in singing with that fragile voice of his "Two scientists were racing for the good of all mankind..." At that time lying in bed already in dream like state let me tell you the feeling was INCREDIBLE just goose bumps all over me and the first verse barely began...then the song sort if breaks down "Theirs is to win, if it kills them, they're just humans, with wives and children" BAM! Song takes off again… The strings are just :drool: I'm not even kidding how good these strings are...then again Drums quiet and again in comes Wayne with one of my favorite lines "Upwards to the Vanguard..." And the feeling that this song is absolutely incredible has not gone away it’s absolutely jaw dropping how great it is. EPIC EPIC EPIC EPIC EPIC SONG! Lifts me up while it still has a dark feeling to it. POWERFUL drums, strings like I’ve NEVER heard before, awesome lyrics. Favorite song by an Artist not named U2.

From now on I can't go on about the first time I heard the CD cause I honestly fell asleep immediately after RFTP finished and the rest I heard in school while the teachers were telling me take those earphones off or ill take your ipod away…bastards...

2.A Spoonful Weighs a Ton: "And though they were sad they rescued everyone..." A sort of continuation to RFTP. Strings and piano give me a nice calm mood great use of harmonies (if I’m right, could be some sort of instrument). Then has a small climb "Being drunk on their plan they lifted up the sun..." Follow that up with a couple of notes from a piano (again I’m not sure) Drums come crashing in and it's just going pretty crazy (good crazy). The song sort of repeats. Great song.

3.The Spark That Bled (The Softest Bullet Ever Shot): Second favorite song on the CD. Starts slow sort of an ambient feel. Wayne sings about accidentally touching his head and noticing it was bleeding...Strings start building up taking a darker feel, harmonies coming in...what comes up next I honestly can't describe what this sounds like, its just a great great groove great use of strings...then comes the chorus..."I stood up and I said YEah! I stood up and I said yeah! I stood up and I said HEY! YEAH YEAH YEAH!".... Trust me you'll love it simple lines but when I hear this part at home I have to get on top of my bed, have my fist in the air, singing along while smiling...(I’m a dork I know).... again back to the great groove...back to the AWESOME chorus...slows down then takes off! Into a whole other groove one of my favorite moments keeps going up up up then...."holding onto something that they never had...And that's too bad"...then just just sorta dies out. The dark strings come right back in and Wayne sings again about accidentally touching his head and noticing it was bleeding. Trust me this song is a journey so many different noises in this song. It's like a song where Wayne's been shot starts going crazy then has one last rush of energy then remembers the wound...It's just a song that is ...WOW...

4.The Spiderbite Song: Wayne's voice to me is awesome. Sounds like its gonna crack any second though. Piano song with some strange sort of drum beat thing in the verse. With other strange yet beautiful noises. It's a song that you just go with the flow with. Lyrics are strange but the last verse is great. Love it.

5.Buggin' (Remix): Great Harmonies. Wayne’s singing about bugs..."Well they fly in the air while you comb you hair" and about "The buzz of love is busy buggin you" And how "they bite, yeah they bite".....yeah don't think about it too much just go with the GREAT melody, harmonies, strings, and drums. Beautiful.

6.What is the Light? (What's in here is too long to type): Great drum beat to this one. Voice is like it's coming from far away. Great Bass line. As always, great strings. To me it doesn't stand out, but it's still a great song. I feel bad not typing more about it.

7.The Observer: An Instrumental. Continues where the previous song left off with that heartbeat beat. It's sort of like a horror movie song the part where the kids are just walking around exploring the place...I think I don’t know I’m not sure of what I’m saying its late right now. It's haunting…. there that’s what I wanted to say/type w/e. A song where you get to notice all the little sounds. Strings build up slightly halfway through giving off an even darker feel to it. Harmonies come in. It really is intense while remaining calm...know what I mean?

8.Waitin' for a Superman (Is it Getting Heavy??) This is it. This is the song that made me teary eyed (no song has done that before). Absolutely moving song. It is a song about Wayne's Dad's death. Incredible. Just rips your heart out. No bass line for most of the song, just small touches of piano and drums and Wayne's delicate moving voice. "Tell everybody waitin' for superman, that they should try to hold on the best they can...he hasn't dropped them, forgot them, or anything...it's just too heavy for superman to lift..." I adore those lyrics that's what actually made my eyes watery... Then a small piano solo thing, and Wayne again asks "Is it getting heavy?" strings start coming in...song building...church bells..."Tell everybody..." One of the most emotional songs I've ever heard...true heart wrenching emotion...incredible song.

9.Suddenly Everything Has Changed (Again long subtitle): The beginning gives that feeling like your just waking up the sun is rising slowly...then goes into a small groove with a sick bass line and great melody...but breaks down quickly and there's more great strings and great guitars, harmonies, and other great little things builds builds...then gpes into that small groove again but it's changed a little...break down quickly again...and back to stuff I mentioned before...repeat...Great song deserves more than what I typed. Is probably the next song that I’m going to really discover. There’s something there that I haven’t tapped into yet.

10.The Gash (Battle Hymn of the Wounded Mathematician): It's like an opera that travels through the universe...idk that's like a perfect description to me... A choir mostly sings the song...but when Wayne does come in he uses a great great melody that unfortunately you don't hear again... but it just makes you appreciate that moment more...a song like no other I’ve heard really.

11.Feeling Yourself Disintegrate: Unusual beginning someone mimicking with their mouth the sound of a drum snare beat. Then comes something dream like...great strings, great (your getting tired of this aren't you?) melody, harmonies, guitar, bass everything. Chorus is something you should listen to when you really are feeling down. Everything is perfect, it really is...Mesmerizing beautiful orgy of sounds, Wayne every once in a while singing the chorus. Powerful song.

12.Sleeping on the Roof (another long subtitle): Another haunting instrumental. Something you should listen to at night while staring at the moon. It's like something majestic is happening. Gorgeous.

Bonus Tracks:

13. Slow Motion: Nice groove. It's a fun song reminds me a bit of the groove the 2nd part of TSTB sounded like. Again I’m getting tired so let me just sum it up. Everything's great.

14.Race for the Prize (Remix): Nowhere near as powerful as the original...effects added to the voice...harmonies added as well...drums really really toned down.

15. Waitin' for a Superman (Remix): A lot more bass, more strings, and effects to the voice. I prefer the originals to the remixes by a long shot.

I honestly don't feel I’ve done the CD justice with my descriptions...YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS CD IF YOU HAVEN'T AND IF YOU HAEV AND DIDN’T LIKE IT...GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE!!!! I know I mentioned a lot of strings but this is the way strings should be done not like some fuckin rascal flatts bullshit (forgot the name of the song) never do they make it sound cheesy, forced, or fake. The CD IS A POP MASTERPIECE!!!A MASTERPIECE!!! As a POP album THERE'S NONE GREATER!!!!(in my humble opinion of course... :wink:)

Here's a small summary of how good it is from Wikipedia:
"The album was noted for its fusion of ordinary rock instruments, electronic beats and synthesizers. Its large, layered, symphonic sound has also earned it a reputation as the "Pet Sounds of the 1990s."[1][2] The Soft Bulletin topped over 60 "Best of 1999" lists [3] with some critics, namely All Music Guide and Inkblot Magazine, even going so far as to name it as a contender for the best album of the 1990s."

Believe it.

Thanks for reading and for putting up with the word great so many times!! I shall probably send my link on thursday... and with that i am going to sleep!

sumtin2stupid@aol.com
 
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You people don't know this album. I've only met one person who knew it before I forced them to play it, and that was the guy who introduced me to it in the first place. If you don't love this album, you just don't love music. It's that fucking good.

Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
(UK version)

This album is Pure Reason Revolution's debut, which makes it all the more amazing because they don't sound like they're just playing their first outing. I would not hesitate to place the title of "album of 2006" on The Dark Third, though 2006 was admittedly not a spectacular year and the only serious competition PRR had was Agalloch's new masterpiece, Ashes Against The Grain. If you can't be arsed to read my entire review, please at least read my review of track eight, The Twyncyn / Trembling Willows. It's the most important part.

If you like The Unforgettable Fire, this album should be right up your alley. If you like Pink Floyd, this album should be right up your alley. If you don't like either, this album should still hopefully still be right up your alley somehow. These guys - and girl - take clear inspiration from the Floyd, but they also bring in bucketloads of originality and craft their atmospheres and soundscapes with an ability that should be well beyond their years and experience. I haven't heard such gorgeous music in a long time.

I must mention the vocal harmonies. If I remember correctly, there's six in the band and five of them sing. There isn't a clear lead singer, though the girl (who's the bassist and sometimes live keyboardist) and one of the guys (one of the guitarists) take most of the roles. They all sound fantastic together, floating in and out of one another with impeccable harmonies. PRR deserves every comparison to the Beach Boys that its vocal harmonies receive, except for one thing: unlike the Beach Boys, PRR are actually good.

1. Aeropause
This song is a gorgeous instrumental intro. It has a soft, ethereal beginning and progressively builds up pace. It is a nice demonstration of the band's craft and leads into the second track.

2. Goshens Remains
This is, in my opinion, one of the two best tracks on the album and was an instant favourite the second I heard it. It begins softly with the female vocalist singing lead, but after a minute, the song really kicks into gear and one of the male vocalists comes in. We even get some violin in this song. The harmonies as the song progresses are great, especially in the third minute.

3. Apprentice Of The Universe
At a second short of four minutes, this is the shortest song on the album. It segues out of Goshens Remains - in fact, the entire album is cohesively connected - and begins with the lead male on vocals. This is another song that builds up, with some heavier guitar kicking in after two minutes before singing more anthemic than has gone before. The song then eases off for a segue into the next track.

4. The Bright Ambassadors Of Morning
At twelve minutes in length, this is, by a considerable margin, the longest song on the album. And yes, its title is a homage to Pink Floyd. It starts off even slower and more atmospheric than before. The band take time to establish the song's atmosphere. The song really begins to settle into its style around the 2:30 mark. It contains an extended instrumental passage through the middle of the song that is simply stunning and foreshadows a change of mood. Finally, the song concludes with the same soft atmospherics with which it began.

5. The Exact Colour
This song was not meant to be on the album. When PRR initially began recording an album, they ran overtime and did not complete it, but had to release an EP. Therefore, two songs intended for the album were taken for use on the EP, and one of those was Nimos and Tambos. It was replaced by this song, The Exact Colour. For the US release, the band used their original intended tracklisting, so this song is only available on the UK edition. It's nonetheless a great song. I find it to be quite catchy.

6. Voices In Winter / In The Realms Of The Divine
The first part of this song, Voices In Winter, does indeed have a wintry feel and it takes its time to craft a soundscape awash with the white of snow. Then, halfway, with a burst from a violin, In The Realms Of The Divine is introduced and the song heads in a completely new direction.

7. Bullitts Dominae
Unlike many of the other songs, this song starts without a soft introduction. This song was an early favourite of mine, mainly for the vocals. It maintains pace nicely through the song, with appropriately timed declines and increases in intensity.

8. The Twyncyn / Trembling Willows
This song, like The Exact Colour, was not meant to be on The Dark Third and takes the place of Arrival / The Intention Craft. Thing is, this is the best damn song PRR's ever made! The Twyncyn is not necessarily a soft piece, but it nonetheless lulls you into a false sense of security, initially maintaining a steady pace before slowing down to a more atmospheric portion with great vocals. And then, just before the halfway mark, Trembling Willows kicks in and sends this song into the stratosphere. It is fast paced, energetic, and is a perfect demonstration of the band's amazing vocals. Imagine an edgier Beach Boys doing Bono's "rap" at the end of Wire and you'll be some of the way there to getting an impression of how this sounds. Both parts considered, this song is as perfect a statement that you'll get of what Pure Reason Revolution are all about. It's a great outpouring of their style.

He Tried To Show Them Magic / Ambassadors Return
Trembling Willows comes to a sudden stop and this song begins. It's a beautiful outro for the album and wraps everything up nicely. With gorgeous vocal harmonies, its intensity rises and falls and its direction is not predictable. Finally, it ends on a soft, serene note and the album fades out.

You know you want to listen to this album. Your ears and your imagination will thank you.

Oh, and because Brau requested it at the end of the post, here's my e-mail address: amakaxver[at]gmail.com
 
LemonMacPhisto said:


Alright, gotcha.

My entry is going to be The New Radical's eponymous album The New Radicals

expect a writeup soon.

Another great choice. These(yours and Mr Brau's choice) would have been 2 of my top 5 overlooked albums.

I love this guy's writing, from the humorous story of 'Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending" to the sad "Crying Like a Church on Monday"...and a great voice.

It's a waste he never went on to record more on his own.
 
i'm either going to do my all-time favorite, sinners & saints, the sky is falling, or sell myself out a bit and tell you all why you need to give the loved ones' keep your heart a chance. folks here would probably enjoy the latter album moreso than the former. i'm really not sure yet.
 
To echo what Gibsongirl said, I know that Interference isn’t too big on progressive rock but this album isn’t the usual prog rock album. The songs are tight with the solos being structured. It has many genre-bending moments. Even so it is still a prog rock record. So my challenge to Interference is to try to expand your musical horizons with this 1977 classic.





RA by Utopia

Ra is a progressive masterpiece and a concept album about the sun. All four members of Utopia are featured vocally which creates layers of lush harmonies. In fact, Ra might feature the best use of harmonies on any rock record. Every member is extremely talented at their instrument, none more talented than Todd Rundgren on guitar. In my opinion, Todd’s work on this record is the best guitar work that I’ve ever heard. Todd and keyboardist Roger Powell duet in a sense throughout the entire album. This gives the songs an almost jazz quality. Moreover, Ra is one of the more cinematic records around. Turn off the lights and close your eyes when listening. Let the album take you on its journey. The album has a top notch production. The credit goes to Todd Rundgren who produced artists including XTC, Patti Smith, Meat Loaf, The Band and The Psychedelic Furs. It is a great headphone album. All the songs are tight but free to breathe. Enjoy

1. Overture: Mountaintop and Sunrise/ Communion With The Sun
Communion With The Sun, as it is more commonly called, is the best rock song ever. The song is about dawn or the rise of the sun god Ra. It is lavish while blowing you off your feet. The climax of the song features a stretch of keyboards before ripping into a guitar/keyboard solo that is spectacular. It is the prog rock equivalent of The Fly.
2. Magic Dragon Theatre
Magic Dragon Theatre is a playful song. It is a moment of levity a la The Beatles’s Magical Mystery Tour. Not for everyone, of course. Certainly an interesting track and the hardest track to describe really. I think the best way I’ve heard it described is “progressive show tune.” Take from that what you will
3. Jealousy
Jealousy seems to linger into heavy, hard rock haze. It is nothing too impressive as it is pretty simple song. There is great guitar solo towards the end of it. It actually fits perfectly along with Communion, Sunburst and Hiroshima. It’s a good song just not as complex as the rest
4. Eternal Love
Eternal Love is a slow, patient song. It seems to balance out Jealousy and Sunburst Finish two heavy and really driving songs. Eternal love is just that a love song about the sun if you want to look at it like that. At first it might not appeal to you but in the middle it has a very beautiful a cappella. Overall, it is lavish track drawing influence on soul.
5. Sunburst Finish
Sunburst Finish is in the hard rock vein along with Communion and Jealousy. The song is a portrait of a desert and caravan in Egypt. It starts off very simply not too unlike Jealousy. Once the chorus hits, the song turns very frantic. The chorus is unique in that three of the members exchange lines. The song ends in a beautiful part where the band sings “stay forever, stay for a while.”
6. Hiroshima
Hiroshima is in my opinion the second best track on the album. It is just a trip. You can see an eastern influence which due to the subject is expected. The song isn’t political it is more a portrait. Todd Rundgren’s vocals seem to represent the Japanese people while Kasim Sulton’s represent the American viewpoint. Roger Powell’s keyboards are expressive of the spirit of the victims and their terror. Then the climax of the song features the bombing itself. Everyone should hear this song once. You can’t say enough about it.
7. Singring & The Glass Guitar
Singring & The Glass Guitar is a…“musical journey.” It is described as an electrified fairy tale. It is vintage prog but all 18 minutes are worth it. The song begins with this beautiful guitar part that reappears through the track. The story goes something like this. Singring/sun has been imprisoned in a glass guitar forcing the four band members to go out to find the four keys that can free it. As you can gather this means four solos. This is the part of the album that you really should close your eyes to: drummer Willie Wilcox goes into a endless pool and raging river, bassist Kasim Sulton faces the desert winds, keyboardist Roger Powell goes into the forest of fire and fights a dragon, then guitarist Todd Rundgren climbs the highest mountain in what is the highlight of the entire album. After capturing the keys they destroy the glass guitar and free Singring which results in a breathtaking ending thanks to our hero, Todd Rundgren. The album has taken us from Egypt to the Magic Dragon Theatre to Japan and to wherever Singring takes place. If you’ve listened to the whole thing you’ve been treated to a workshop on musicianship and a really cinematic record.



Salhawkings@yahoo.com

I’ll send get the album uploaded and sent to you by tomorrow, Brau.
 
I'm not all that great at album reviews, but I'll give it a shot. I'm not going to write about every single song, just the ones that I actually have something to say about.

Our Lady Peace - Live
2577864_lady_200.jpg


This is Our Lady Peace's first live album taped in Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal in 2003.


1. All For You

2. Do You Like It?

3. Superman's Dead
Has an acoustic guitar beginning...ends with a crowd sing along. One of the band's bigger hits, performed at Woodstock '94.

4. Naveed/Life
Starts off with a great guitar solo, then in comes drums and vocals. This is a monster song at over 10 minutes, but excellent for every single second of it. Raine Maida's lyrics consist mostly of a conversation with/about a man named Naveed in which the topic is death, life, and heaven. Without a doubt my favorite song on the album.

5. Not Enough

6. Bring Back The Sun
A slower song about a fight between a couple. The man is apologizing and asking to "bring back the sun."

7. Innocent
Drum solo begins the song...leads into lyrics about teenage kids, holding on, etc. Overall a solid song.

8. One Man Army

9. Whatever
Straight up rock. This happens to be the theme song for Chris Benoit, a WWE wrestler.

10. Mafia

11. Is Anybody Home?

12. Are You Sad?
Slowing it down again...about people who are having troubles in their lives.

13. Our Time Is Fading
Raine Maida says this is a new song...it hasn't surfaced as a studio version to date.

14. The Birdman
Much older song from one of their first albums.

15. Clumsy

16. Starseed
Mainly improvised, another very long song...around 7-8 minutes.

17. In Repair

18. Drive
Cover of The Cars' version, beautifully sung and performed.

19. Somewhere Out There
OLP's biggest hit in the U.S., not one of my favorites, mostly because it's a bit too poppy, but still a good song.

20. 4 AM
Absolutely amazing song! A lot is sung by the audience, okay most of it is sung by the audience, but just absolutely amazing!

onebloodonelife (at) hotmail.com

I need to split the recording into separate tracks (I ripped from the DVD) and then I'll upload it and send the link to Brau.
 
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Street Dogs - Fading American Dream

1. Common People
2. Not Without a Purpose
3. Fatty
4. Decency Police
5. There is Power in a Union
6. Tobe's Got a Drinking Problem
7. Shards of Life
8. Sell Your Lies
9. Rights to Your Soul
10. Hard Luck Kid
11. Fading American Dream
12. Final Transmission
13. Katie Bar the Door

I was going to write up a thing about how great their first album, Savin Hill, is. That album is truly street punk brilliance, and the notion of saying the latest album even comes close seems preposterous at first. Savin Hill is excellent. The title track starts things off and sets a tempo that never really wanes throughout the entire album. It's a killer album. When I was doing college radio, I can't tell you how many times I played tracks off that cd. Hell, I played the entire cd from start to finish--twice (first time was when the album came out, second was after the second album, Back to the World came out). Savin Hill is really the only album of the three they've released that comes close to conveying the energy the band has live. I'm not sure if it's the difference in production, or the line-up changes that they've gone through since releasing Savin Hill, it's the only one that consistently throws that energy at you on record. Fading American Dream has moments of that, but not like Savin Hill. I'd go as far as to say that Savin Hill is one of my all-time favorite albums by anyone, and that the Street Dogs are one of the best punk rock bands out there right now.

Fading American Dream might actually be better. While Savin Hill has the power of a live show, Fading American Dream is more interesting. Most of it's still just straightforward punk rock, but there are two things that set it apart from the debut album. It's actually a quite logical progression from the Back to the World album, which introduced more instruments: mandolin on "Unions and the Law" meant more complexities than it's Savin Hill counterpart, "Modern Day Labor Anthem," accordian on "Tale of Mass Deception," there's an organ in there somewhere on a couple tracks. Fading American Dream continues this on tracks like "Shards of Life" and "Tobe's Got a Drinking Problem." "Final Transmission" is the token slower/acoustic-ish track.

In addition to the music differences, lyrics set Fading American Dream apart from the previous two albums. The band seems like they've got more to say this time around, or they're saying it better. I'm not entirely sure. There are these vocabulary idiosyncrasies that exist throughout all the albums, even back on the first Dropkick Murphys album. It's either McColgan's delivery, or his contribution to the writing of these songs involved multi-syllabic words in kind of odd places. Given the way he talks in interviews and stuff, I'm inclined to think it's the latter. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hear them. I don't want to spoil the fun. Maybe it's a personal thing, but I dig it.

basic breakdown:
punk rock tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11
hardcore tracks: 4, 8
acoustic-like tracks: 12
swears: 1, 8
highlights: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
absolute best tracks: 2, 5, 7, 11
covers: 3, 5

long-ass, exhaustive version:

1. Common People - If you were wondering, the answer is no. It's not a cover of the Pulp song by the same name. I could imagine them covering that song (and doing a damn good job), but this isn't it. As far as lead tracks go, it's hard to top the title track from Savin Hill. The way that starts out, it's just perfect. The Boston subway, "Next stop, Savin Hill station, doors open on the left," the guitar intro, verses building up to the chorus--the song sets the tempo for the entire album. "Strike a Blow" on Back to the World was extremely weak by comparison. "Common People" hits about as hard as "Savin Hill" does. Musically, it's not as melodic in the verses--more spoken than a lot of their stuff. It kicks some serious ass, though. Lyrically, it sets the tone for the album. I don't want to damn things by calling it a political album, because not all the songs are political. And they're still not preaching like certain other bands. It does a good job balancing that personal vs. political stuff they teach you in poetry classes. The last couple lines sum things up, "Got no more to talk about, this is where we are/ not a damn expert, I only sing what's in my heart/ not a damn expert, only sing what's in my heart/ this is what we have today and this is what we do/ and if you don't like it, fuck you." It's angrier. It's also the first time there's been any profanity on any of their records. A couple of the non-album tracks had the occasional swearing (hey, it's punk rock), but like I said before, when both the other two albums came out I played them start to end on the radio. This one isn't quite so FCC friendly. I like it.

2. Not Without a Purpose - I remember reading on their site that the album was initially supposed to be called "Not without a Purpose, not without a Fight." That line itself is very Street Dogs. You can rally around the idea, get it tattooed, shout it, sing it, wave your fists in the air, scream along... This song fucking rules, plain and simple. It's straight-forward punk rock. I listened to it 20 times the day it showed up on their myspace page. It was like when they posted "Fighter" before Savin Hill came out. Back to the World grew on me, overall I think it's a great album, and I had a similar love affair with "Tale of Mass Deception" when that was made available. But not like this song or "Fighter."

3. Fatty - Apparently this is the one they were pushing as the single. It's a cover. Originally by Mung. And I've never heard the original. The song is good. It's stuff like this, I listen to this and honestly don't see how they're not playing to Green Day-sized audiences. Maybe it's the emo thing. This song still really isn't emo. BUt if you like that stuff, I don't see why you wouldn't like this.

4. Decency Police - I think I can say with confidence that no one here is going to be too big a fan of this song. And I admit I'm not always fond of their attempts at old school Boston hardcore. "Drink Tonight" was good, and when I listen to this one I realize that I like it, still I'm not sure I'm entirely sold on the two hardcore tracks off this album. This is definitely the better of the two. The one thing I will say is that the music fits the lyrics, aggression-wise. I wouldn't want to hear them sing against the Patriot Act to the tune of "Hard Luck Kid." It wouldn't work. It's the same with "Sell Your Lies," it wouldn't work with that Bouncing Souls-like "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooaaaaaaaaaahhhh"/driving guitar line. Even though I generally like what they're emulating musically on these songs, I'm not sure I like the way they pull it off. For once, I really wish I could hear the words better.

5. There is Power in a Union - Billy Bragg! Union songs are a constant theme among the Street Dogs' music. To some extent they come off as some kind of working class, Irish-American, Boston-area punk rock cliche. It would be incredibly irritating if it didn't seem genuine. It's the same thing live. They'd be annoying as hell, but all the passion and energy seems real. They're up there on stage, and they believe what they're saying. Even the most skeptical and rarely-impressed guy I know thought they were amazing live. Unless they're really that convincing liars, they're actually an honest and real punk rock band. That's the reason I think this cover works so well. The intro would be cheesy otherwise. It might still be cheesy, but I'll tell you. The first time I heard it, I literally jumped all around the room while trying to sing along. I hate that about covers. You know the words, but you don't know the changes (and they made some changes), exact phrasing and whatnot, the first time around. But it's really an excellent cover.

6. Tobe's Got a Drinking Problem - Amidst a pile of rather serious songs, I still don't know what to make of this one. Eh, I guess it's just a good drunken barroom sing-a-long song. Or something. Not bad. Just not brilliant.

7. Shards of Life - It's like "Tale of Mass Deception" from the previous album, only a step up. This is where I mention that the guy who produced the last Bouncing Souls album produced this one, or draw comparisons between this and "The Pizza Song." They're both slightly different from what I've grown to expect. I want to say that lyrically this is one of the strongest songs on the album, but a lot of the others are just as strong. Lyrically it's one of my favorites.

8. Sell Your Lies - see track 4, "Decency Police."

9. Rights to Your Soul - I go back and forth on this one, between liking it like I like "Hard Luck Kid," and liking it like I like "Fatty." The "numb like a mortician, funeral parlor cold" line is awesome. Musically, it's like "White Collar Fraud" or "Declaration." It's the kind of straight-forward combination street punk/pop punk (if you want to get all technical in your sub-genre classifications. I just call it punk fucking rock) that they do so well, but without that thing that makes the hooks from "Fading American Dream" or "Jakes" so great. It's a good song, but I've grown to expect to love everything like it's the greatest thing I've ever heard. It isn't that amazing, but it's good.

10. Hard Luck Kid - This one is amazing. I'm not sure if I want to start with the words or music. Okay, words. In addition to the union stuff and hometown pride songs, they've got a fw, for lack of an original expression, hard luck stories on the personal side of things. On Back to the World they had "Patrick." This is a lot like that song, except it's crime instead of booze. Music is similar, too. And it sounds like a Bouncing Souls track. It's got the "whooaaah" like "Gone," and the same kind of guitars. It still sounds like a Street Dogs song, though. Therefore I like it.

11. Fading American Dream - Easily my favorite track on the album. Here's why:
Working hard from day to day now, I get a check that barely lasts
I'm just another no-choice member in Uncle Sam's desperation class
finding it hard to face my wife, new kid born of a shotgun life
20 years old and I love them both, see no sunshine in our skies
Silently we pray for turbulence to break
How much more financial stress can we all take?

chorus: Getting closer to our limit
We chase the penthouse from the basement
Our current rat race
We run to standstill
This is our fading American dream

Bad news coming in
These higher rent rates gouge us thin
The sands of time are a-running down
as we slip further behind
Bleeding my family, they're stretched too
Eviction notes, what can I do?
20 years old, feel my life's on hold
Yell at a school-taught God, oh why?
Silently we pray for turbulence to break
How much more financial stress can we all take?

(chorus)
Have we ever been above water?
do we ever see ourselves coming out of here alive?
oh my god oh why
god oh why?

(chorus)
I've got no time now to go and cry now
Leave for a second job, don't want to go poor
I'm just searching for my dignity
This is our fading American dream
(3x)

That's one reason. The other reason is because it just kicks ass. Guitars, bass, drums, vocals. That's all you really need.

12. Final Transmission - Initially I didn't like the semi-acoustic music. It's grown on me. I like the echo on the bridge. Excellent song. Not the kind of thing you can listen to repeatedly.

13. Katie Bar the Door - This one feels like it was tacked onto the end of the album as an afterthought. It sounds like it belongs on DKM's Do or Die more than anything. Right between "Boys on the Docks" and "Skinhead on the MBTA." Really. I think it's great. "You singing another union song? You're goddamn right I am." That kinda sums it up lyrically. And like I said about "There is Power in a Union," it comes off as cheesy nostalgia given the "brand new world economy." But McColgan sounds like he believes what he's singing. I'd mention something about hearing loads of union songs as a kid, so I like it in that respect, but I think I've said enough and most of it was probably a pile of crap. Just listen to the music and form your own opinions.



calvhobs13 [at] yahoo [dot] com
 
Looking forward to yours, Screwtape. :up: Never heard it before.

By the way, Brau, sorry but I didn't see the bit about leaving our email addresses at the end of our posts. I can't edit mine now, so: e63svdl [at] mun.ca
 
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