Random Music Talk LXXXIX: This, That, and The Other Place

[Imperor]

We've got a Barenaked Ladies show tonight and all the emails from various staff members say "BNL" and I'm about to fucking lose it.

 

[bono_212]

But that's what they're called

 

[LemonMelon]

Queen is Dead is definitely the best Smiths album, Meat is Murder probably the worst (especially the version without How Soon is Now) but yeah, I wouldn't count Hatful of Hollow. It's basically a greatest hits. Coming from one of the greatest singles bands of all time, it's not exactly fair.

 

[lazarus]

I wouldn't even call it The Smiths best album of all time. Good grief who are these idiots who compile these lists? lol

The Queen Is Dead is widely considered their best by consensus (and regularly shows up on all-time lists), so not sure why NME are idiots because of that, when there are far more legit reasons to apply that label to their editorial staff.

Haha, I just remembered that my favorite Smiths album is actually a compilation (Hatful of Hollow). Oh well, what the fuck do I know.

Not even as much as the idiots, apparently.

 

[PhilsFan]

We've got a Barenaked Ladies show tonight and all the emails from various staff members say "BNL" and I'm about to fucking lose it.

Fundamental.

 

[LemonMelon]

That NME list sucks, as most subjective lists are bound to, but it's totally fucking awesome that Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and now NME refer to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as one of the greatest albums of all time, less than three years after release. Definition of instant classic.

 

[iron yuppie]

Meat is Murder probably the worst (especially the version without How Soon is Now).

Worst has got to be Strangeways, though that one is still brilliant. Too many great tracks on Meat Is Murder. And there's plenty of relative obscurity on Hatful to prevent it from being a "greatest hits." Handsome Devil and Back to the Old House weren't exactly chart-climbers as far as I know.

 

[lazarus]

That NME list sucks, as most subjective lists are bound to, but it's totally fucking awesome that Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and now NME refer to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as one of the greatest albums of all time, less than three years after release. Definition of instant classic.

Mount Temple

 

[gvox]

Queen is Dead is definitely the best Smiths album, Meat is Murder probably the worst (especially the version without How Soon is Now) but yeah, I wouldn't count Hatful of Hollow. It's basically a greatest hits. Coming from one of the greatest singles bands of all time, it's not exactly fair.

Maybe so, but the singles from those earlier albums, and subsequently alot of the b-sides included on it and to a greater extent Louder Than Bombs, in my opinion easily trump the singles from The Queen Is Dead. They have a pull that lives to this day.

I realize that they are compilations, but to call them merely greatest hits collections really oversimplifies it. They are truly vital parts of the discography (compared to a collection such as U218 or something, for instance)

 

[BoMac]

That NME list sucks, as most subjective lists are bound to, but it's totally fucking awesome that Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and now NME refer to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as one of the greatest albums of all time, less than three years after release. Definition of instant classic.

Um, I'm not so sure about that.

I've listened to it numerous times now, hoping it would grow on me but it hasn't. It's not the beats - they're good. It's the lyrics. They're utterly non-sensical. Kanye now puts no effort into the lyrical content of his songs, focusing rather on the sensory overload of his production. The first half of the album is pretty good, even despite the lyrical mess, but the second half drags and I really start to get annoyed with the length of the songs, which seem to average around 6 minutes, many of which have 2-minute long outros of guitars and drums playing. I don't think we'll ever get the old Kanye back from his first two albums. I'd even take 808s & Heartbreak over this any day, where Kanye actually had some pretty interesting things to say instead of the mindless puns and non-sequiturs of this album

Spoiler

http://www.amazon.ca/product-review...iewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

 

[LemonMelon]

And there's plenty of relative obscurity on Hatful to prevent it from being a "greatest hits." Handsome Devil and Back to the Old House weren't exactly chart-climbers as far as I know.

OK, "very best of"

William, It Was Really Nothing
This Charming Man
How Soon Is Now
Hand In Glove
Still Ill
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Reel Around the Fountain
Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Hell, Best of 1990-2000 is more esoteric than that.

And I suppose this reply works for Gabe's response as well. I'm not trying to oversimplify its place in the catalog, I think it was integral to bolstering their reputation for releasing great singles. It's just not an album, as such.

 

[lazarus]

Worst has got to be Strangeways, though that one is still brilliant. Too many great tracks on Meat Is Murder. And there's plenty of relative obscurity on Hatful to prevent it from being a "greatest hits." Handsome Devil and Back to the Old House weren't exactly chart-climbers as far as I know.

Yeah, Hatful of Hollow is nowhere near as good as Louder Than Bombs, which probably has like 5 of the top 10 Smiths songs.

 

[gvox]

Not even as much as the idiots, apparently.

Oh fuck off. lol

 

[bono_212]

I should listen to some Smiths


New Hellogoobye album is really good guys:

 

[LemonMelon]

Um, I'm not so sure about that.

I've listened to it numerous times now, hoping it would grow on me but it hasn't. It's not the beats - they're good. It's the lyrics. They're utterly non-sensical. Kanye now puts no effort into the lyrical content of his songs, focusing rather on the sensory overload of his production. The first half of the album is pretty good, even despite the lyrical mess, but the second half drags and I really start to get annoyed with the length of the songs, which seem to average around 6 minutes, many of which have 2-minute long outros of guitars and drums playing. I don't think we'll ever get the old Kanye back from his first two albums. I'd even take 808s & Heartbreak over this any day, where Kanye actually had some pretty interesting things to say instead of the mindless puns and non-sequiturs of this album

Spoiler

Amazon.ca: Customer Reviews: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I disagree.

Even though I'm not a fan of rap, this is an excellent CD, showing off great compositional and arranging qualities. There's a great deal of variety in the material, and some fab rock-out songs, such as "Turn Out the Lights". It's great to see acknowledgement to the proto-rapper, Gill Scott-Heron in the last piece, including samples of the great man's own work. Highly recommended!

 

[LemonMelon]

I should listen to some Smiths


New Hellogoobye album is really good guys:

 

[Danny Boy]

Finally listened to Lorde's album this morning. It's really good.

 

[bono_212]

 

[PhilsFan]

Finally listened to Lorde's album this morning. It's really good.

You know, if I were an interviewer I'd ask her what she thinks about her hometown.

 

[nielsgov]

The Smiths' 'The Queen is Dead' Named The Greatest Album Of All Time By NME

at Random Access Memories being inside the top 500.

 

[Jive Turkey]

That NME list sucks, as most subjective lists are bound to, but it's totally fucking awesome that Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and now NME refer to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as one of the greatest albums of all time, less than three years after release. Definition of instant classic.

But these list are always biased toward new material. I'm sure it will drop off exponentially in the coming years

 

[LemonMelon]

But these list are always biased toward new material. I'm sure it will drop off exponentially in the coming years

Actually, lists like that are biased towards old material. Half of the NME list is comprised of albums from the 80s or earlier. 20% of the list is albums from 2000 or newer.

The newest album in Rolling Stone's top 100 is 22 years old. I certainly couldn't point to an age bias in favor of new albums.

 

[Jive Turkey]

I will bet you $2 that in 10 years it doesn't break the top 50

 

[gvox]

Have you looked at the individual top 10s? One of them has The National in slots 1 thru 4. OF ALL TIME lol

 

[PhilsFan]

They published my list?

 

[LemonMelon]

I will bet you $2 that in 10 years it doesn't break the top 50

I'll take that bet. It's got an advantage being the go-to hip hop choice for white people.

Have you looked at the individual top 10s? One of them has The National in slots 1 thru 4. OF ALL TIME lol

Trying desperately to be cool.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Actually, lists like that are biased towards old material. Half of the NME list is comprised of albums from the 80s or earlier. 20% of the list is albums from 2000 or newer.

So it is biased toward newer material. You've got 3 decades compromising 50% and 2 decades compromising the other 50%.
That's not unexpected, since you'd assume they'd have grown up with the newer material, but still, I've already decided how to spend your $2

 

[Jive Turkey]

I'll take that bet. It's got an advantage being the go-to hip hop choice for white people.

....fuck.... I hadn't considered this.

Hip hop is a phase though. Like my Dad said in the 80s: "rap? more like crap". Its days are clearly numbered

 

[LemonMelon]

So it is biased toward newer material. You've got 3 decades compromising 50% and 2 decades compromising the other 50%.
That's not unexpected, since you'd assume they'd have grown up with the newer material, but still, I've already decided how to spend your $2

The 80s (5) and 90s (6) were the the most heavily represented decades. By that logic, extend the bet out to 25 years and you don't have a chance.

Of course, $2 will be worth a dime by then.

 

[Jive Turkey]

The 80s (5) and 90s (6) were the the most heavily represented decades. By that logic, extend the bet out to 25 years and you don't have a chance.

Of course, $2 will be worth a dime by then.

Will the list in 25 years be smeared out over 8 decades or will they chop off everything prior to 50 years old like they do in every list today? There's 2 2038 dollars riding on this, so lets make sure we've got everything straight