raising hell (run dmc)
This album never really made a big impression on me. I can respect it; I can tell how they fused rock and rap in ways that had never been done before; I can tell that they were hip hop pioneers. And a lot of the tracks are fun, acceptable tracks. But their sound is not a sound I would excitedly search out to listen to again. "Peter Piper" is a lot of fun, "It's Tricky" is a classic, a nice track for a party (pretty sure I've heard it at Meghan's or somesuch before.) "Walk This Way" is good. But that's the thing, everything is 'good,' nothing really astonishes me. And the lyrics are thematically a little redundant, a lot of it is 'we are great!' Which is cool in the sense of, that old school MC bravado is still fun, but again, good not great.
The key thing is that their beats are pretty minimalist, and I need good, melodic hooks in a beat to really get into a rap song.
The most fun or interesting aspect of this album I generally found was, the lightness of their tone. There are fewer than five swear words in the entire album- there's references to McDonald's, Adidas, Dog Food; at different points the lyrics touch on 'don't steal,' 'don't do drugs,' 'stay in school,' 'don't be promiscuous,' and some very earnest, (I don't mean this pejoratively) middle-school style black pride. "You Be Illin" and "Dumb Girl" are pretty light and silly. "Raising Hell" was generally one of their darker, more exciting songs.
Cool stuff, I like it, don't love it. Glad I listened to it.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
album #11
cease to begin (band of horses)
This would be a fun band to see live- there's a passion to their music, and their sound feels like it could mostly survive the transfer from studio to stage. I really like the vocals- this high, yearning, shouting voice, with the faintest twang.
Most of the songs are slower, with a distinct lean towards mournful country music. It's still great music, and I don't mean it pejoratively, but there's a clear country lean. "Detlef Schrempf" is my favorite of the slower songs- very pretty and thoughtful. When it comes to indie rock, I love most anything that soars, and three songs on this album absolutely soar- "Is There a Ghost," "Islands on the Coast," which truly gets better with every single listen, and evolved to a huge favorite of mine, and "Cigarettes Wedding Bands," which has a vague sadness to it but really exciting hooks.
Thumbs up. The review that introduced me to this band referenced some of their influences- Built to Spill, for instance- and this album has gotten me even more excited to listen and learn more about those influences.
This would be a fun band to see live- there's a passion to their music, and their sound feels like it could mostly survive the transfer from studio to stage. I really like the vocals- this high, yearning, shouting voice, with the faintest twang.
Most of the songs are slower, with a distinct lean towards mournful country music. It's still great music, and I don't mean it pejoratively, but there's a clear country lean. "Detlef Schrempf" is my favorite of the slower songs- very pretty and thoughtful. When it comes to indie rock, I love most anything that soars, and three songs on this album absolutely soar- "Is There a Ghost," "Islands on the Coast," which truly gets better with every single listen, and evolved to a huge favorite of mine, and "Cigarettes Wedding Bands," which has a vague sadness to it but really exciting hooks.
Thumbs up. The review that introduced me to this band referenced some of their influences- Built to Spill, for instance- and this album has gotten me even more excited to listen and learn more about those influences.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
album #10
songs in the key of life (stevie wonder)
A very impressive, versatile pop album. As far as I can tell there are three clusters of lyrical themes- songs about love, songs about lost love, and a surprisingly high number of songs about social consciousness.
The album varies between softer, slower numbers and upbeat, hook-laden, funky pop. The first song that startled me was "Village Ghetto Land," because the melody is very tender and elegant, all strings; and then the lyrics are a very stark social/political lament. "All Day Sucker" is a great song and it sounds like a definite influence on more recent pop- I can absolutely picture this song covered by N'Sync (I mean it as a compliment.)
I liked a whole lot of the songs, particularly "Sir Duke," a classic single which evokes the spirit of 1920s jazz clubs; "I Wish," an especially brilliant, upbeat single; "Contusion" is a fun instrumental, and I might be using the term incorrectly but it made me think of 'jazz fusion'; "Pastime Paradise" (I did not know that Coolio was sampling this song); "If It's Magic," based entirely around his vocals and a harp, is particularly sad and pretty among his sad and pretty 'lost love' songs; and "Black Man" is exhilarating, both as an uplifting, funky work of pop and as a defiant, proud social statement.
The only thing I found tiresome about the music is that, more than one track gets a little repetitive or dragged-out near the end. But altogether this is a masterful collection of exciting melodies and interesting themes.
A very impressive, versatile pop album. As far as I can tell there are three clusters of lyrical themes- songs about love, songs about lost love, and a surprisingly high number of songs about social consciousness.
The album varies between softer, slower numbers and upbeat, hook-laden, funky pop. The first song that startled me was "Village Ghetto Land," because the melody is very tender and elegant, all strings; and then the lyrics are a very stark social/political lament. "All Day Sucker" is a great song and it sounds like a definite influence on more recent pop- I can absolutely picture this song covered by N'Sync (I mean it as a compliment.)
I liked a whole lot of the songs, particularly "Sir Duke," a classic single which evokes the spirit of 1920s jazz clubs; "I Wish," an especially brilliant, upbeat single; "Contusion" is a fun instrumental, and I might be using the term incorrectly but it made me think of 'jazz fusion'; "Pastime Paradise" (I did not know that Coolio was sampling this song); "If It's Magic," based entirely around his vocals and a harp, is particularly sad and pretty among his sad and pretty 'lost love' songs; and "Black Man" is exhilarating, both as an uplifting, funky work of pop and as a defiant, proud social statement.
The only thing I found tiresome about the music is that, more than one track gets a little repetitive or dragged-out near the end. But altogether this is a masterful collection of exciting melodies and interesting themes.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
album #9
marquee moon (television)
This is a brilliant album. One of my big goals this year was to listen to a lot of music I hadn't heard before, expand my knowledge of a lot of the all time greats; this album I first listened to last year, when I had a similar motivation but less of a structure/routine. So I figured I'd go ahead, give it a fresh listen and write a quick review.
I really love the structure of the band- the drums and bass setting the rhythm, and those absolutely amazing, interwoven guitars- the intricacy, the hooks, the energy. I'm not completely in love with the vocals but they match the energy of the music very well. The first half of this album is extremely good, the second half is pretty good. "See No Evil" has a great opening riff and is generally a good song; "Venus" is fucking brilliant, probably my favorite song on the album. But it's close between that one and "Marquee Moon," which is pretty long but goes through really compelling phases (and fantastic hooks). "Friction" has an Amazing opening and otherwise it's pretty good, but not an automatic favorite.
Altogther it's a great, great album- I might have to try and find a way to get it, because it's much harder to find on youtube than it was last year. A lot of the tracks have been removed, leaving only live performances- this is probably why my impression of the later tracks wasn't as strong.
This is a brilliant album. One of my big goals this year was to listen to a lot of music I hadn't heard before, expand my knowledge of a lot of the all time greats; this album I first listened to last year, when I had a similar motivation but less of a structure/routine. So I figured I'd go ahead, give it a fresh listen and write a quick review.
I really love the structure of the band- the drums and bass setting the rhythm, and those absolutely amazing, interwoven guitars- the intricacy, the hooks, the energy. I'm not completely in love with the vocals but they match the energy of the music very well. The first half of this album is extremely good, the second half is pretty good. "See No Evil" has a great opening riff and is generally a good song; "Venus" is fucking brilliant, probably my favorite song on the album. But it's close between that one and "Marquee Moon," which is pretty long but goes through really compelling phases (and fantastic hooks). "Friction" has an Amazing opening and otherwise it's pretty good, but not an automatic favorite.
Altogther it's a great, great album- I might have to try and find a way to get it, because it's much harder to find on youtube than it was last year. A lot of the tracks have been removed, leaving only live performances- this is probably why my impression of the later tracks wasn't as strong.
album #8
highway 61 revisited (bob dylan)
Dylan is probably most famous for his lyrics, but my interest with music is much more about melodies, not lyrics. On top of that, I found the structure of many of the songs kinda redundant- "rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song! rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song!" (JD says that this is a classic Blues structure, and Dylan is playing with it) Regardless, this was a generally likable album with a few tracks that were really incredible.
"Like a Rolling Stone" is obviously an astonishing track. It's an all-time classic and I absolutely loved it. "Queen Jane Approximately" sounds like a very generic Dylan song, 2nd listen through 7th listen, but the first time it sounds really cool, and after enough plays it earns back a unique appeal. A very sweet (melodically, not lyrically), chill, rhythmic experience, especially at the very opening. "From a Buick 6" really grew on me, my favorite I think of several particularly rambly, uptempo tracks. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a good one, it reminds me- appropriately, I suppose- of The Band. It struck me as a little cooler and more relaxed than a lot of the other tracks (not that the faster tracks were dislikable, but it was a cool change of pace.) "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the other hand, I found pretty eerie, mean and annoying.
Good stuff, I look forward to hearing more of him and expanding my knowledge of his oeuvre.
Dylan is probably most famous for his lyrics, but my interest with music is much more about melodies, not lyrics. On top of that, I found the structure of many of the songs kinda redundant- "rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song! rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song!" (JD says that this is a classic Blues structure, and Dylan is playing with it) Regardless, this was a generally likable album with a few tracks that were really incredible.
"Like a Rolling Stone" is obviously an astonishing track. It's an all-time classic and I absolutely loved it. "Queen Jane Approximately" sounds like a very generic Dylan song, 2nd listen through 7th listen, but the first time it sounds really cool, and after enough plays it earns back a unique appeal. A very sweet (melodically, not lyrically), chill, rhythmic experience, especially at the very opening. "From a Buick 6" really grew on me, my favorite I think of several particularly rambly, uptempo tracks. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a good one, it reminds me- appropriately, I suppose- of The Band. It struck me as a little cooler and more relaxed than a lot of the other tracks (not that the faster tracks were dislikable, but it was a cool change of pace.) "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the other hand, I found pretty eerie, mean and annoying.
Good stuff, I look forward to hearing more of him and expanding my knowledge of his oeuvre.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
album #7
the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars (david bowie)
Until now, I'd only heard the most famous tracks ("Sufragette City" and "Ziggy Stardust.") Something that surprised me was the enormous presence of influences and resemblances to other musicians. "Moonage Daydream" evokes Led Zepplin, "Sufragette City" is kinda like the Beach Boys, "Five Years" sounds like a Beatles track with Lennon-solo-era screaming, and "It Ain't Easy" makes me think of southern rock for whatever reason, although it also kinda sounds like a late-Beatles, Let It Be era McCartney track. "Starman" made me think of a rock opera. The general theme of this album was, classic 70s rock with a weird, cool, space age twist. My favorite tracks are "Five Years," which has this really interesting, insane, frantic pulse of desperation that grows at the end, and ultimately overtakes the steady, almost doo-wop rock demeanor. "Lady Stardust" is also a great one, and also sounds a bit like a rock opera (which I guess makes sense- Ziggy Stardust, thematically, sort of is a rock opera.) A lot of other tracks made me think of bands and songs that came long afterwards- there's a bit of punk rock to it, a bit of the 2000s new wave revival. There's no doubt that this was an influential album, both for capturing a lot of contemporary sounds, and it's creative, weirder innovations, and the influences it lent to future music movements.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a great song and a great closer. It brings back some of the screaming and broken energy of "Five Years," a nice circular turn.
The bonus tracks are generally really good. "Sweet Head" is one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. With the bonuses included, the album ends on demos of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Lady Stardust." The album itself is this very bold and weird thing, like it's literally coming from a creature from outer space. So the demos are striking because they remind you that these are songs, crafted and drafted and planned by humans. The "Lady Stardust" demo is a great album closer, a soft but encouraging epilogue.
Altogether I didn't love this album but it was pretty cool. And I liked it more the more I heard of it (though that'll probably be true of most albums.)
Until now, I'd only heard the most famous tracks ("Sufragette City" and "Ziggy Stardust.") Something that surprised me was the enormous presence of influences and resemblances to other musicians. "Moonage Daydream" evokes Led Zepplin, "Sufragette City" is kinda like the Beach Boys, "Five Years" sounds like a Beatles track with Lennon-solo-era screaming, and "It Ain't Easy" makes me think of southern rock for whatever reason, although it also kinda sounds like a late-Beatles, Let It Be era McCartney track. "Starman" made me think of a rock opera. The general theme of this album was, classic 70s rock with a weird, cool, space age twist. My favorite tracks are "Five Years," which has this really interesting, insane, frantic pulse of desperation that grows at the end, and ultimately overtakes the steady, almost doo-wop rock demeanor. "Lady Stardust" is also a great one, and also sounds a bit like a rock opera (which I guess makes sense- Ziggy Stardust, thematically, sort of is a rock opera.) A lot of other tracks made me think of bands and songs that came long afterwards- there's a bit of punk rock to it, a bit of the 2000s new wave revival. There's no doubt that this was an influential album, both for capturing a lot of contemporary sounds, and it's creative, weirder innovations, and the influences it lent to future music movements.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a great song and a great closer. It brings back some of the screaming and broken energy of "Five Years," a nice circular turn.
The bonus tracks are generally really good. "Sweet Head" is one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. With the bonuses included, the album ends on demos of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Lady Stardust." The album itself is this very bold and weird thing, like it's literally coming from a creature from outer space. So the demos are striking because they remind you that these are songs, crafted and drafted and planned by humans. The "Lady Stardust" demo is a great album closer, a soft but encouraging epilogue.
Altogether I didn't love this album but it was pretty cool. And I liked it more the more I heard of it (though that'll probably be true of most albums.)
recap
lately I've mainly used this blog to publish my cultural reflections- this strikes me as a pretty good use. I've got another album review coming up in a few minutes. I did some good work earlier this week, and I've had some good social experiences, otherwise it's been a lower key, less eventful/disciplined week. The exercise regimen I've not been good about. Whenever I do it it's a lot of fun and feels good, but I don't think I've approached the consistency necessary to make it a really effective re-shaping.
On the other hand, I think some of the habit changes have made an effective, positive change. I'm publishing my drawings now on another website, and it's very good having a consistent pattern of posting work, and it's nice hearing friends say good things about the drawings. It's a good step in the right direction. And the music education is good- and I definitely feel really proud whenever I hear and recognize a song, like in the theatre or in a bar or wherever, that I learned from the time I'm putting into listening and learning.
The book readin' has not happened at all. Books just put me to sleep, unfortunately. But hopefully I'll get that back on track.
The daily/weekly process of planning my days and counting my accomplishments and goals, is now handled by my year planner. So I don't post that stuff here anymore. But now and then I should, and will, post missions here if they're particularly important or if I really need to remind myself, focus myself.
On the other hand, I think some of the habit changes have made an effective, positive change. I'm publishing my drawings now on another website, and it's very good having a consistent pattern of posting work, and it's nice hearing friends say good things about the drawings. It's a good step in the right direction. And the music education is good- and I definitely feel really proud whenever I hear and recognize a song, like in the theatre or in a bar or wherever, that I learned from the time I'm putting into listening and learning.
The book readin' has not happened at all. Books just put me to sleep, unfortunately. But hopefully I'll get that back on track.
The daily/weekly process of planning my days and counting my accomplishments and goals, is now handled by my year planner. So I don't post that stuff here anymore. But now and then I should, and will, post missions here if they're particularly important or if I really need to remind myself, focus myself.
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