50 Albums I Really Should Get Sometime

It occurred to me that you might want to know my comments on each album. I think I'll run this like my "How to Succeed..." list. If you want my comments on an album, request them and I'll see what I can cook up. Be warned, however: oftentimes I can't really put together any coherent comments until I've heard the album a few times, so I might have to wait-list your request until I've listened to the album several times.

Wow, I can't wait to hear your comments on "Blue". It may be my favorite album. I'm having trouble deciding what is these days.

Also, if you don't have "Blonde on Blonde" (I can't remember if you do) buy it!

Television's Marquee Moon is an absolute gem of an album - the greatest guitar band.
- -
the
professor - -

Coming soon... huge update with plenty of British music.

Alright! I hope you love the JB collection!

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

According to Pitchfork Media's commentary on the top 100 albums of the 1980's (on which the Talking Heads' Remain in Light is #2): "It's said that the 1980s are responsible for the worst fashion, fads, and music of any decade of the 20th century. But as we see the decade recycled and updated with post-millennial minimalism, it's becoming clear that the 1980s had more to offer than we've given them credit for."

Not much more. Sadly, even though I like "Once in a Lifetime", I wasn't a big fan of Remain in Light. It's the quintessential 80's album and I mean that in a bad way. It's very, very 80's, too 80's for me. It reminds me of the movie "Tapeheads." Of course, Remain in Light was made in 1980, so maybe it sounded fresh and original then, but it also must have inspired many copycats which were even worse, in which case I would like to give my most sarcastic thanks to David Byrne and Brian Eno for ushering in a LOT of crappy 80's music. It's not completely unlistenable, and I'm sure I will give it another chance - I may like it more then. But for now, I'll stick to James Brown (luckily, the newest song on the CD was released in 1979).

Awesome you got ok computer, you have to tell me what you think of it, its very dear to me and millions of other people, I love it to death, check out ashcampbells thread on radiohead, good stuff, hope you enjoy it!

Wow, you are burnin' through this list at dangerous speeds! I certainly hope you're grooving most of your purchases!

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

have you considered Tumbleweed by Elton John?

I'm sure I'm not the only one on Listology interested in your opinion of Exile in Guyville. You'll have to let us know what you think of it after a few listens.

Great albums! You continue to tear through this list with incredible speed.

I am dying, however, to know your reactions to the albums you've nabbed. Inquiring minds, and all that...

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

Good call on most of the list. In particular, high fives for Blur, The Stone Roses, and Led Zeppelin.

This list also reminded me how much I hate James Brown.

Well, I bet you'd like to read my reactions to the albums I've picked up recently.

Oh, what's that? You don't?

Well... go read a different list, then.

Graceland - Wow. Not really knowing anything about this album when I put it on here, I expected it to contain some soft rock ballads like he did with Garfunkel. I definitely did not expect this. After I got over the shock, I did still enjoy this album... but in a very different way. Oh, and by the way - "I Garfunkeled your mother!"

What's the Story (Morning Glory)? - On lbangs's Essential Rock Collection list, I tried to defend Definitely Maybe, mainly because it was the only Oasis album I had. But now that I've listened to this one a few times, I do think that this is the better album. Definitely Maybe was a lot of fun, but on What's the Story, they show a lot more variety as well as depth (and it's STILL a lot of fun!).

The Doors - I haven't listened to this as much as I would've liked, but so far I think it is as great as its reputation.

In Utero - Not as good as Nevermind, but there are certainly a few songs on here that could give the Nevermind material a run for its money.

The River - I'm sad that the high price kept me from buying this one for so long. It has easily become my second-favorite Bruce Springsteen album, and with time, who knows? It may even surpass Born to Run, at least in my book. A fantastic album that ROCKS HARD.

Surrealistic Pillow - A pretty good album. I'm not sure it lives up to its reputation though.

Every Picture Tells a Story / Is This It - Probably my favorite two of the eight I purchased in a bunch, with Pretenders very close behind. All three represent really fantastic musicianship and are very effective in getting their moods across. The two songs from Every Picture I had heard before ("Maggie May" and "Mandolin Wind") do represent the best of the album in my book, but the rest of the album is still excellent. Is This It is sure to become a classic given enough time. Pretenders is a really fun album. The reason it's a little behind the other two is because "The Wait" kinda annoys me.

Urban Hymns - This was the one that surprised me the most. I had heard only bits and pieces from the Verve before, and when I bought this album, I expected to like it. But I did not expect to love it, and due to its ethereal atmosphere and interesting lyrics, I do love it.

Bryter Layter / Innervisions / Shoot Out the Lights / GP / Grievous Angel - I liked these about as much as I expected I would. All are very good albums that I liked to varying degrees. I don't have much else to say about them.

Kink Kronikles - Awesome. I'm definitely gonna pick up some Kinks albums.

As for the latest five I bought, comments will come, eventually. I've only listened to 1.5 so far, so...

"Alright, here's the freakin' album history that everyone liked so much. You people happy now???"

Yes, yes I am. Thank you.

Well I guess I owe you guys some comments...

Slanted and Enchanted - An excellent Pavement album, but I think I prefer Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.

Horses - Fantastic rock album that must have had a lot of influence on Liz Phair.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - This is a good album, but IMHO, not a great one. It's too long, and the songs are too long, and the jam sessions go on for too long. At times I just wanted to scream, "OKAY! Eric Clapton can play the guitar. I GET THE POINT. Let's move on." Still, at times this album is excellent; it might be my least favorite of this wave of albums, but hey, the bar was set pretty high, and this is still a good album.

Parklife - Very good, very fun 90's Britpop. I enjoyed it a lot.

Her Wallpaper Reverie - Brilliant, tragically overlooked album of the past few years. It saddens me that it's so obscure, I can't even find Apples in Stereo lyrics online, because this is a great great album. My only complaint is it's too short. Stupid EP format...

Bridge Over Troubled Water - A great album of the duo's wonderful ballads, and even some quirky humor thrown into the mix. Kinda what I was expecting with Graceland, but each album is very good by its own right.

Daydream Nation and The Stone Roses - Both of these fell into the category of "80's experimental indie rock albums that, despite their acclaim, I thought I was going to not really like because 80's experimental indie rock isn't exactly my favorite genre" but the albums were both so great that they overcame the genre. My qualms with the genre may have hurt Daydream Nation to a very small extent, but I was definitely dead wrong about the Stone Roses - I love that album.

More of my thoughs on albums, for anyone who might be interested.

1972 - A very good underrated album. Lots of fun to listen to.

White Blood Cells - I don't like it as much as Elephant, but this is certainly a great album. Jack White can do such interesting stuff with his guitar, that even when the lyrics aren't fantastic, I can forgive (nota bene "I Think I Smell a Rat").

Marquee Moon - I LOVE THIS ALBUM.

Doolittle - Like Daydream Nation, I wasn't too thrilled with all the cacophony on first listen, but after repeated listens I grew to love both of these albums.

At Folsom Prison - Great album, my first real experience with Johnny Cash. I love his voice. It's nice to hear a big booming bass in rock 'n' roll as opposed to all the Neil Youngs and Robert Plants. I think I want to pick up a Cash album where all the songs aren't so prison-oriented though.

Loaded - It probably won't become my favorite VU album, but it is certainly a great collection of songs. Fantastic stuff here.

Pretzel Logic - This is pretty good but not as good as Can't Buy a Thrill. The lyrics are too abstruse here IMHO.

Blur - Ehhh. I'll stick with Parklife.

Ten - Liked it much more than I thought I would. A very cool album.

Otis Blue and There's a Riot Goin' On! - Great, great soul albums. I prefer the former (maybe just because the sound quality of the latter was pretty poor), but both were awesome.

The Who Sell Out - I'm going to have to disagree with lbangs on this one. I think that Tommy is the Who concept album which holds together better as a concept and this is the one which feels more like just a great collection of songs. That said, I probably prefer The Who Sell Out anyway because those songs are indeed fantastic.

Parallel Lines - When I say "Patti Smith wannabe", I mean that in the nicest possible way, because this is a very fun album with some great tunes.

Transformer - Lou Reed can indeed hold his own without the other Velvet members. This is a wonderful album.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - This is a good album, but I have the same problem with it as I do with Stevie Wonder's albums. Both Stevie and Aretha scored huge hits with great funky songs - "Superstition" and "Respect", respectively - but their albums are almost always padded with slower ballads. And it's not that I dislike the ballads or anything, but they're more fun when they're more energetic, so why can't they get funky more often? James Brown certainly understood this. He abandoned the slow love songs of his early years and became the godfather of funk. Again, don't get me wrong, I like this album and both Stevie Wonder albums, I like their soulful ballads, I just wish that both artists would funk it up more.

Sadly, my Out of Time CD has a nasty scratch through "Country Feedback" that causes it to skip. I'll take it off my Albums I Own list until I get a replacement copy.

Live at the Apollo - JB40 is a great compilation, but this album definitely does a better job of capturing the man's sheer energy in performance. It is an exciting album and a joy to listen to.

Singles Going Steady - This is an AWESOME compilation that I liked much more than I thought I would. Punk music with a lot of bite and also quite a bit of heart. For my money, this is even better than Never Mind the Bullocks or the Ramones' debut, and I love those too.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo - Sweet country album. I don't like it as much as GP / Grievous Angel, but it's still a very good album with some solid songs.

Songs in the Key of Life - Some wonderful songs here, some more mediocre. It's too long of an album, so the flashes of brilliance (though they are there) are sporadic. Still, a good album.

Odelay - This really isn't my kind of music, but I grew to like it after a few listens, maybe due to the superior lyrics or energy. I dunno. I still feel it is a bit overrated though. I think I will prefer Sea Change.

Physical Graffiti - Perhaps due to my bizarre affinity for double albums, this might be my new favorite Led Zeppelin album. A great diversity of rockin' songs that make a fantastic album.

Tea for the Tillerman - Wonderful melodies and lyrics. I don't really have much to say.

Fun Trick Noisemaker - Not as good as Her Wallpaper Reverie, but stil an excellent album by the best band you've never heard of.

Summerteeth - This is more straightforward that the melancholy, reflective Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but there is certainly no sacrifice to the songwriting. Make no mistake, though: this is a very different album, and I'd be hard-pressed to decide which one I liked better.

Rear View Mirror - I dunno, I couldn't really get into this album. It's okay, but I'm not a big fan.

Goodbye Jumbo - A lot of nifty stuff going on here - so many styles of music, and I love all of it.

Indestructible Object [EP] - Will show up on my TMBG Albums Reviewed article soon enough.

Woodface - Both satirical and honest, and always with interesting music. Crowded House reminded me of Steely Dan - they sound similar, and both have the ability to create enigmatic yet fun lyrics.

If I may recommend an album for eventual placement on this list, I would strongly suggest The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow. Not only is it one of the best sophomore albums I've ever heard, but I think it's clearly one of the best so far of the new decade.

Wow, AJ! Those last five you reeled in are quite excellent! Enjoy!

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

I didn't notice you had Neutral Milk Hotel on this list. I recently got a burned copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and it is pretty fantastic.

I dunno if you've heard of The Decemberists, but, knowing your taste for smart and maybe slightly bittersweet songwriting, I would have to strongly recommend their album Her Majesty...The Decemberists. It's pretty fantastic.

My thoughts on the latest albums I've picked up. As always, feel free to ignore me.

Out of Time - Great work from REM here. I disagree with the AMG on this one; I think it's a really great album, quite possibly my second favorite REM album after Automatic for the People. "Losing My Religion" is the song you konw, but there's plenty of stuff just as good as that song here.

So - This album alternates between being fun music I enjoy and being far too 80's for me. Can't win 'em all.

This Is the Sea - Wonderful stuff. Too bad this never caught on. It's great, sprawling alternative rock.

Apple Venus Part 1 - Luckily, this album is every bit as brilliant as lbangs says it is. "River of Orchids" is of course a stunning song, but I'm not even sure I could call it the best song on the album, what with the competition from other standouts like "Your Dictionary", "Harvest Festival", "Greenman", "Easter Th - well, there's really not a bad song on here. Go pick up this tragically unknown album right now.

Two Wheels Good - Smart lyrics, fun melodies, damn good music.

From the Original Master Tapes - Best bubblegum pop money can buy.

John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - This is a very good album, but I don't like it as much as a straight-up Beatles album. Without McCartney to balance him out, Lennon is totally unleashed, and there's no yin to Lennon's yang. As a result, the album is just brutally honest and angry, and for that it's very well done, but it's not as enjoyable to listen to as a Beatles album. Plus the mastering is pretty bad, but I was prepared for that.

Closer - I didn't really expect to like this, and I was pleasantly surprised. That doesn't mean I love the album, but it's pretty good. What it comes down to is, I like it enough to want Unknown Pleasures.

Great list. Love the updates, looks like you're buying albums that will actually stay in the collection for many years.

Here's my quick opinion of the next 50, take it or leave it.

1. YEP
2. YEP
3. NOPE (she did enough incredible albums to keep anyone busy for a while, the first 2 being I Never Loved A Man & Lady Soul.)
4. YEP
5. YEP
6. NOPE (B.J.'s a sticky sweet devil)
7. YES/YES/YES (and Burnin + African Herbsman)
8. YEP (Although I like Notorious better)
9. YEP
10. Great 28, you won't be sorry
11. YEP
12. NOPE
13. YEP/YEP/YEP/YEP (and Lodger is better than the reviews)
14. YEP
15. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
16. YEP (Elvis is good too although it has Old Shep on it, but I say go for Elvis In Memphis first)
17. YEP (Gram Parsons- Grievous Angel is better though)
18. YEP (rockin')
19. YEP (rockin' funkin')
20. NOPE (Never liked em)
21. YEEEEEEEEEEES
22. YEP
23. YEP
24. YEP (Village Green is better)
25. YEP
26. YEP
27. YEP (Watch out for which copy you buy, there's about 3 of 'em and two of 'em aren't good)
28. YEP
29. YEP
30. YEP/YEP
31. YEP
32. YEP/NOPE
33. YEP (Dry is better)
34. NOPE (buy Massive Attack first)
35. YEP
36. YEP
37. YEP (remastered copy rocks)
38. YEP (holy moses it's good)
39. YEP
40. NOPE/ YEP
41. YEP (tis rockin')
42. YEP
43. NOPE
44. YEP
45. YEP (Queen Is Dead and Hatful Of Hollow 2)
46. YEP (Beware, only buy remastered copy, 90 remaster has bad sound)
47. YOU BET YER PATOOTIE
48. NOPE
49. NOPE (it's dated)
50. YEP (but buy Astral Weeks and Moondance first)

There ya go, hope it helps.

Tallyho

:?)

OOO! What do you think of M&A?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Pink Flag. Your agitated gyrating hips will thank you.

Tallyho

:?)

How do you like your new albums from 6/14? I love the Shins.

Here we go again, my comments on the albums I picked up recently.

Pink Moon - Nick Drake at his melancholy, introspective finest. Better than Bryter Layter IMHO.

The Moon and Antarctica - Modest Mouse has a knack for getting individual lyrics to run over and over again in my head long after I've listened to the album. For example, "The universe is shaped exactly like the earth / If you go straight long enough, you'll end up where you were" played in my head repeatedly. Of course, there is a lot of depth to the catchiness as well. This is a wonderful album by a very promising band.

Back in Black - A hell of a lot of fun to listen to, a rousing, rollicking good time. A lot of risque stuff, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

One Nation Under a Groove - I had a lukewarm reaction to this album on first listen, loving the first half but hating the last few songs. Then I realized that the last three songs of this nine-song CD are from a bonus EP that kinda sucks. So it turns out I actually do love One Nation Under a Groove, or at least the original six-song version of it.

Low - A more experimental side of Bowie than I've seen, and while I do like Low, I personally prefer the Ziggy years.

Surfer Rosa & Come on Pilgrim - These albums don't gel together all that well, but I really, really love each one individually, and this twofer saved me some money as well. Really, I don't think there's a single song I dislike on either album. Amazing how much my taste has changed. A year ago, I would never be able to stomach this screeching, amelodic stuff.

Imagine - See my reactions to Plastic Ono Band. They more or less apply here. I guess I'm not a huge fan of John Lennon's solo career. This stuff doesn't really sit well with me. Least of all "How Do You Sleep?", which consists entirely of obvious cheap shots at Paul McCartney. Is this really the kind of songwriting that made the Beatles great?

Rust Never Sleeps - Screw After the Goldrush. Rust Never Sleeps is the most accomplished Neil Young album I've heard. I love the format - half acoustic, half electric, with "out of the blue, into the black" as bookends. This is great stuff. I've liked the Neil Young I've heard in the past, but this is the first album to really reach out and grab me.

New York Dolls - Great fusion of glam and punk. Uh, I don't know what else to say.

Smiths - Not as good as The Queen Is Dead, but then again, few albums are. This is still a fantastic set of alternative rock songs.

Music From Big Pink - Loads of fun. Maybe not quite as good as The Band, but still an excellent album.

Chutes Too Narrow - Could actually give Elephant a run for its money as my favorite album of 2003. And that's saying a lot.

Sea Change - Wistful melodies, evocative lyrics instead of just what Mr. Hansen thinks is cool - I think this album could kick Odelay's ass any day. But of course I've never been a big fan of that style of music.

Led Zeppelin - This is a bit of a different sound for Led Zeppelin than I've heard on their other albums (though this may just be because I got the earlier-mastered one). I hear the elements of a great band coming together here. The first album isn't quite as focused, but I still really like it.

Sign o' the Times - Call me a killjoy, but I wasn't a big fan. Some of it's pretty good though. Some double-albums can carry me along and at the end leave me begging for more (Something / Anything?, The River, Exile on Main Street, etc.). This one kept making me wonder when it would be over.

Screamadelica - I figured this would be a good introduction into electronica. I was wrong; it's the perfect introduction into electronica, because it's more like a rock / gospel album with a strong rave / house quality. As a result, it's the first electronic album I've ever bought, and the first electronic album I've ever loved.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers - I actually liked this a hell of a lot better than the Gram Parsons-influenced album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I guess I prefer psychedelic Byrds to the country rock Byrds. But since I love Gram Parsons's solo work, I guess this is an example of two rights making a wrong.

For Your Pleasure - Wonderful, wonderful album. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to pick it up.

Document / Squeezing Out Sparks - I didn't intend this, but how ironic that I picked up albums from one of the most left-wing artists of all-time and one of the most right-wing artists of all-time on the same day. Of course, in Document, Stipe wears his politics on his sleeve, while Parker actually holds back his ideologies for most of the album. I mean, sure, you've got "You Can't Be Too Strong", but that's less an attack on pro-choicers and abortion and more a personal response to the event. Indeed, the song is partially autobiographical (according to the AMG). And most of the rest of the album is also about people and personal problems rather than politics. If I didn't know Parker was right-wing, I certainly wouldn't have known from most of these songs. And damn, but he sure rocks hard, for a conservative. The Michael Stipe Fan Club might kick me out for saying it, but I actually really love Squeezing Out Sparks. (Haven't had time to listen to Live Sparks yet though - is it worth it? The AMG only gives it 1.5 stars.)

Document, on the other hand, is a radical, raging call to arms, simultaneously dark and very, very catchy. It's almost a cliche to say this, but "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is the most fun apocalyptic song ever made. But there are plenty of other strong tracks here, from the hits that I heard on Eponymous ("Finest Worksong", "The One I Love") to the other great tracks like "King of Birds" and "Disturbance at the Heron House." And then there's "Exhuming McCarthy", which has quickly become one of my all-time favorite REM songs. I love this album, albeit in a very, very different way from how I love Squeezing Out Sparks.

I love Skylarking. I was just thinking of the song 1000 Umbrellas as it poured down last night.

I won't swear to this, but I think there are only three albums on my 50 that were on the list when I originally started it, one year and three months ago. They are:

Beatles - Hard Day's Night
Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Deja Vu
Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

In case anyone was wondering.

Imperial Bedroom? You're in for a treat.

(Assuming that Elvis floats your boat.)

Your follow-through in actually acquiring the CDs you list is inspiring. Off to Amazon...

Wow, nice nabbing! Both terrific albums.

I'm guessing the obscure one is the undersung spooky lustfest that is 1965. Why hardly anybody knows about the album is a complete mystery to me, but hey, we're in on the secret, eh?

Enjoy!

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

Good luck with the Happy Mondays album. I only really dug it in spots. I think I greatly favored the Double Easy: The U.S. Singles compilation instead.

Maybe *that's* an album I'm just too American to dig... :)

Shalom, y'all!

L. Bangs

Wow, I'm way behind on those comments. Well, better start catching up. Here's what I thought of some of the albums I've picked up recently (or not so recently):

Skylarking – A fantastic album that only made me like XTC more. It is just as good as Apple Venus.

The Spine – Of the three 2004 albums I’ve heard, this is the third best. Reviewed more in-depth here.

#1 Record / Radio City – Strong influences in Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, etc. Also very influential. A fun twofer well worth a listen or five.

Aftermath – Doesn’t hold together as an album as well as some of the Stones’ later releases, but still a very solid collection of songs. “Out of Touch” is now one of my favorite Rolling Stones non-hits.

Lust for Life – No song here can really compare with the GREAT title track (which I had heard before), but it’s still a damn good album. Now, if I could only get my hands on some Stooges albums, I’d be all set.

Natty Dread / The Harder They Come – I actually didn’t know how reggae the second album was, so I got my first and my second reggae albums at the same time quite by accident. Marley is luminary of the genre, and it’s easy to see why. The former is a magnificent album, marred only by the mediocre mastering of the pre-remastered copy that Second Spin sent me. The latter is quite good too.

MTV Unplugged in New York – I know that some people ‘round here think this is Nirvana’s finest, but I’m finding it hard to adjust to. It just doesn’t sound like Nirvana to me. Maybe I’ll like it better once I get more used to the sound. Certainly, the songwriting is strong enough to stand by itself without fierce guitars.

Imperial Bedroom – The sneering punk rock of Elvis’s first two albums has been replaced here with a lounge-y power pop. If this choice does not result in a completely consistent album, it is at least rather interesting. It is uneven but still pretty strong. There are some great songs here.

A Night at the Opera – Weird, funny genre explosions. An oddly compelling rock album.

Something Else by the Kinks – A strong album. Most of these songs are as solid as the ones on the Kink Kronikles, and one of my favorites from said compilation – “Waterloo Sunset” – originated here.

Pink Flag – 22 tracks, 37 minutes. You do the math. Minimalist punk rock at its finest. A superb album.

War – U2’s solid songwriting is good here in this fiery call to arms, but not as well-used as in their more honest, personal work. Still, being the worst U2 album I’ve heard still makes you pretty damn good.

Let It Be – Yeah, it’s slight. What do you expect with song titles like “Gary’s Got a Boner”? It promises a lot of fun, and it delivers. I really enjoy this album, even if I should maybe count it as a guilty pleasure.

Franz Ferdinand – Of the three 2004 albums I’ve heard, this is the second best. “Dark of the Matinee” is a brilliant song.

Déjà Vu – Not terrible, but this didn’t really grab me. Sorry.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the best 2004 album I’ve heard… Good News For People Who Love Bad News! While it may not better Moon and Antarctica, it can certainly stand alone as a fantastic album. Though Radiohead is sometimes called the band that is doing new, original experimentation most effectively, I’d be more tempted to give that title to either Modest Mouse or the White Stripes. On another note, how did we go from “If you could be anything you wanted, I bet you’d be disappointed” to “Bad news comes don't you worry even when it lands / Good news will work its way to all them plans” in only four years?

The Specials – Best ska punk money can buy. I think.

White Light / White Heat – A weird, dense album. I would call it the worst Velvet Underground album I’ve heard. I would also call it great. I guess that says something.

Bookends – A good album, but I like Bridge Over Troubled Water better. The songs there are just stronger.

Sister – I expected this to be a decent but unremarkable album that paled in comparison to Daydream Nation, but I actually kinda loved this album. If it’s not better than Daydream Nation, it sure puts up one hell of a fight.

It’s Too Late to Stop Now – Loads of freewheelin’ fun, this album explodes with the frenetic energy that you just can’t hear in a studio album. It even manages to make the Astral Weeks song exciting. :-) A really dazzling live album.

Tonight’s the Night – I guess my comments on Young’s work in my Rust Never Sleeps review were a bit harsh. Certainly, Harvest and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are excellent albums that can really hook me when I’m in the right mood. I guess what I’m really reacting against here is After the Goldrush, which I find quite overrated. Anyway, Tonight’s the Night has some great and very personal songwriting and is another excellent album. I still think Rust is Young’s best though.

At San Quentin – These Cash prison albums have a formula and it sure works. I love this album just as much as At Folsom Prison. This one features more of the hits you’re probably more familiar with (A Boy Named Sue, Ring of Fire, Daddy Sang Bass, etc.).

Loveless – You can tell how much I’ve been desensitized by the amelodic music of Sonic Youth and the Pixies that I can enjoy this album on a first listen. A year or so ago, it would’ve taken me quite a few listens, or maybe I would’ve never liked this album. I suspect many people would find it a dense, inaccessible album, but I loved it.

1965 – A really unique sound. I guess “grunge-soul” says it best. I found it creative and highly enjoyable.

To Bring You My Love – Rock on, Polly Jean. Rock on.

Dig – It’s easy to see why lbangs loves this album so much. I’m ready to get on board this bandwagon. This is a truly stunning album without a bad song on it. I mean, yeah, there are weaker songs than others; IMHO the weaker ones are “It is What It Is”, “Hopeless Etc.”, and “So Long.” These songs will have to settle for being merely great. The rest is awesomely amazing.

Perfecta – Not as consistent as Dig, but the peaks (Stone, What’s Your Name?, Try Not to Try, etc. etc.) are great and the valleys (the irritating chorus of “Strobe”) are still not so bad. Definitely worth a listen.

Whew! I guess I'll go to bed now.

I bought the Neutral Milk Hotel (Aeroplane) a couple of weeks ago. It really is excellent. If you like it, pick up Funeral by The Arcade Fire.

Here we go again with my thoughts on the albums I picked up recently.

Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches - It's no Screamadelica, but it's still pretty damn good, not to mention influential.

Call Me - I seem to have weird taste in soul music. I like this album and Otis Blue more than any Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, or Marvin Gaye album I've heard. Call Me is wonderful and over much too quickly.

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Someday, everyone will wake up and realize that Transmissions from the Satellite Heart is the best Flaming Lips album. It will finally make it to acclaimedmusic.net, instead of having the Lips represented by very good but overrated albums like The Soft Bulletin and this one. Yoshimi is a great album, better than the Soft Bulletin, but my heart still belongs to Transmissions.

Station to Station - Sort of a transition album for Bowie. It has elements of the artsy prog-rock of Low, but hasn't abandoned the singer-songwriter feel of Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. The result is pretty damn exhilirating, to tell you the truth.

Satellite Sky - I already mentioned my reluctance to buy this album since I had the highlights from High Noon. I wanted to add that the other day I listened to only the non-High-Noon tracks, and it was still a really awesome album. Mark Heard rocks my world. Or he at least mandolins my world.

Fun House / Raw Power - Ferocious explosions of music, and like real explosions, the results are thrilling but can be quite messy. Much better than Lust for Life.

Oh, Inverted World - Not as appealing as Chutes Too Narrow, but still a great album.

Damn the Torpedoes - Fun and energetic, mainstream yet clever, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Hot Rats - Perhaps I'm merely perpetuating the detestable quality of most Americans of just wanting to hear the same thing over and over again, but I think this is a failed experiment for Frank Zappa. I'm sorry, but when I want creative jazz experimentation, I'll listen to Miles Davis. When I listen to Frank Zappa, I want a twisted sense of the bizarre and macabre, I don't want instrumentals. Maybe if the music were a little less uneven... but no, I think it is the overarching concept of this album that turned me off. But I do apologize for being such a slave to convention.

More reviews to come soon enough.

Thanks. ;?)

Oh, Inverted World. Ug!

I'm listening to Neutral Milk Hotel right now and I'm telling you to buy it next!

:?F <------vampiric stook

A few quick comments on the albums I've picked up of late:

Unknown Pleasures - I actually liked this album a lot more than Closer, and a lot more than I expected to. Who knows? Maybe I'll turn into a Joy Division fan. Who would've seen it coming...

Mothership Connection - As the singer-songwriters of his time were plunging into the depths of human emotion (whatever that means), George Clinton was just trying to have a good time. And it shows. A more fun album one could hardly ask for. Well, it's not quite as good as the amazing One Nation Under a Groove, but it's very close, and "Tear the Roof off the Sucker" is a brilliant song.

Dusty in Memphis - Great album. I've always loved "Son of a Preacher Man", but there are many great songs here ("Windmills of Your Mind", for example). However, I tend to have weird taste in soul music, so you may want to take that with a grain of salt.

Blueberry Boat - I thought I knew what I was getting into since I had heard the song "Two Fat Feet" off Gallowsbird Bark. Damn, was I wrong. Blueberry Boat is out of control. The lyrics are gibberish, the music is amelodic, the album is very long, and yet somehow this all comes together into a unified whole. I have never heard music like this, so unbelievably wild and... kinda eerie. It's weird and wordy, it's dense yet funny. It's a little uneven, but I think it might be the best 2004 album I've heard. However, that seems to be something I think of each new 2004 album I hear, so don't expect Blueberry Boat to top my list for very long.

Everclear - Melancholy, beautiful album. Not exactly a picker-upper though.

More reviews coming sometime soon.

Hell Yes: Arcade Fire, Beatles, King Crimson, Radiohead.

If you haven't heard them already, Some Suggested Artists:

Dream Theater. (brilliant, mostly accessible prog-metal that often sounds like 'classical' music/jazz, but always with the power and drive of 'rock')
Xploding Plastix. (electronic jazz that doesn't sound electronic)
Moondog. (highly accesible minimalist jazz)
Amon Tobin. (more-electronic Xploding Plastix)
Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung. (ummmm... "improvised contemporary classical music with a rock drive and Klezmer instruments")
Mew. (dense, catchy, shimmering rock)
Cinematic Orchestra. (pretty much like it sounds)
Explosions in the Sky. (post-rock)
Labradford. (post-rock)

Feel free to ask for more details if any of those intrigue you, or comment if you've heard some of them.

BTW, a GIANT number of Carbon Leaf songs can be downloaded for free at Amazon.com

Green River - Wonderful album, a great introduction to CCR. A bit short though, but to release albums as rapidly as they did, maybe you have to make some sacrifices.

Entertainment! / Sound Affects - Two very different approaches to punk rock. The former goes for a more minimalist, Wire-esque sound, while Sound Affects was more melodic and occasionally reminded me of Blur's Parklife. Both are great albums, but definitely for different moods: Gang of Four for when I'm pissed off, Sound Affects just for whenever I want to listen to some great pop rock.

Psychocandy - A good album, but not an easy one to listen to in whole simply because of the layers and layers of distortion and feedback. I prefer Loveless, personally - the lyrics are better IMHO.

Piper at the Gates of Dawn - I found this album really boring. It's as if some people sat down and tried to create the most generic psychedelia album. It's nowhere near as influential as Pink Floyd's later stuff, and it just barely passes for listenable. There are a few aspects I liked - the guitar on "Lucifer Sam" is pretty catchy, the first part of "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" is cool, and parts of "Bike" (mainly the chorus) are weird enough to be enjoyable. Other than that, though, I'm simply baffled as to this album's acclaim.

Dummy - Maybe my perception of electronica has been skewed all this time, or maybe it's just this and Screamadelica which are exceptions. But all I can say is, if this is electronica, it's not too far off from music I'd call rock. It's a sleek, sexy album that I really like. I dunno... maybe in spite of all of darktremor's efforts, I still thought of electronica as techno.

Trout Mask Replica - Imagine guitars like Stooges combined with early Velvet Underground, vocals like the throaty growl of an old bluesman, and lyrics that are all over the map but occasionally similar to Frank Zappa. My guess is that you are thinking of something NOTHING like Captain Beefheart, which just goes to prove that this album is so unique it's indescribable. Which isn't always a good thing - after all, I was very turned off to "Ella Guru" when I first downloaded it - but my tastes have matured and expanded now, and it's growing on me. I think I can actually say I like this album.

More reviews coming... eventually.

You know I'm gonna demand a review of Funeral.

Since I haven't bought any albums in a little while, I though I'd post a few thoughts to prevent the list from getting stagnant.

Axis: Bold as Love - A pretty kick-arse album. It doesn't get as much respect as Are You Experienced? or Electric Ladyland, but I doubt that's due to the song quality, as this music is pretty great. I guess it's a little less experimental here - most of the songs are pop-length, no "Voodoo Chile" - but it's immensely listenable.

Aladdin Sane - Doesn't really hold together as an album as well as Ziggy Stardust, but as a collection of great songs it's tough to beat. This 30th anniversary edition is pretty sweet too. Great booklet, awesome pictures, and the second CD is very nice and features Bowie's version of "All the Young Dudes." I just wish it had some lyrics.

Westing (by Musket and Sextant) - Features some great outtakes that really satisfy my Pavement fix (e.g., "Box Elder"). Also features some stuff that was just never meant to be recorded (e.g., "Krell Vid-User"). And the noise isn't really used to good effect like it is on Slanted and Enchanted. So it's a mixed bag, but definitely some great stuff on here.

Rocket to Russia - Doesn't really show much growth from the self-titled album, but hey, that's not what anyone wants from the Ramones, right? Very enjoyable punk-pop, including the great "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" and a hilarious cover of "Surfin' Bird."

SMiLE - Not a bad album, but I suspect most of its acclaim comes from its legendary status. It's a straying from the harmonic pop of Pet Sounds and an attempt at artsier pop that is not entirely successful. It's great to have "Good Vibrations" on an album, and "You Are My Sunshine" is one of the most unnerving things I've ever heard, but then you get the pretty childish "Barnyard" and all this father of the son/man nonsense. It's pretty good, but I wish Brian would just stick to Pet Sounds. Then again, I wasn't too thrilled when Simon and Garfunkel did this kinda thing with Bookends either, so it's probably just me.

Aja - Really fantastic stuff from Steely Dan. Maybe my favorite album by them.

At Fillmore East - 78 minutes. 7 tracks. Few words. I really should hate this album for all its self-indulgent jams, but I don't. Probably because these are among the best jams ever recorded. But don't think I'm a jam band guy just because of this. I think the Allmans just got lucky, just this once.

Second Edition - Joy Division-esque post-punk. Actually, I think the AMG says it best: "It's alien dance music." Really quite great alien dance music, in fact.

Uncut Best of 2004 (New Albums) - Two versions of the issue - best of 2004 new releases, or best of 2004 reissues? Well, I was really impressed with the Best of 2003 new releases, so I picked up the new albums one. Probably a mistake. Even when not compared to last year's mix, this is a disappointment. It's 15 tracks from their list of best albums of the year, but unlike the 2003 mix, the songs aren't from their top 15 albums. They're scattered out across the list. I don't know why they didn't just pick songs from the top 15 - maybe they figured everyone had already heard "Take Me Out." As for the actual music, the American Music Club song and the Elliott Smith song are pretty great. But the last half is just one long, languid ballad after another, and it gets rather soporific (I do enjoy "Goddamn Lonely Love" though). It also doesn't help that I already owned SMiLE and I'm not a Bjork fan.

I always think of Second Edition in this light:

"Wow, finally I know what it feels like to get kicked in the gonads by an elephant!"

Yick.

I should warn you that almost noone enjoys New Boots and Panties!!!, if you want me to burn you a copy so you don't have to spend any money just let me know.

:?)

Su-i-cide! Su-i-cide! One of my favorite seventies albums;) Does that make me a sick animal? I certainly hope not...

Anyway, when you listen for the first time, please do me a favor: listen to "Frankie Teardrop" loud and with the lights out. If it isn't the most frightening song you've ever heard, I will...be shocked. And for what it's worth, the liner notes claim that your boy Springsteen once claimed it as his favorite song; interesting, no?

Johnny Waco

Remember when I used to review the albums I picked up? Yeah, those were the good old days...

Crosby, Stills, and Nash - I liked this debut better than Deja Vu. It's less country-sounding and includes the wonderful songs "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Long Time Gone." Still some weak tracks, but it has redeemed CSN(Y) in my eyes.

The Bends / A Grand Don't Come for Free / 69 Love Songs / Echo Echo / An Innocent Man - See here.

New York - Much more bitterly honest than Transformer, this album paints a portrait of late 80s urbia (suburban ==> suburbia, urban ==> urbia?) that feels fresh to this day. It's hard to argue with the quality of Transformer's songs, but I think New York as an album is quite an experience.

Siamese Dream - This album is only about an hour, but God does it feel long. There were some parts I liked, but all the songs sound the same, so I don't remember which parts were good.

L.A. Woman - Not a terrible album on its own, but definitely suffers in comparison to the Doors' great debut. It is not as consistent, and the best tracks are not as good as the best tracks on the debut. Still an okay album.

Superfly - Another great concept album in the same vein as New York. I have picky taste in soul music, but this is an album I definitely enjoyed.

Funeral - Incredibly clever, a delight to listen to, and the only album that could give Blueberry Boat a run for its money as my favorite album of 2004. A spectacular debut from an incredibly original band. I'm very eager to see what they come up with next.

Different Class - If Oasis was hailed by the UK as a Beatles for the 90s, Pulp was surely the 90s' Rolling Stones. This is the dark, dirty side of Britpop. I really loved this album more than I ever imagined I would.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - The bizarre imagery and often impenetrable meaning brought They Might Be Giants to my mind, and that's certainly a good thing IMHO. The music is infectious as well. Wonderful album.

Modern Lovers - Raw, emotional, wry, and frustrated. And wonderful. And Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole.

Rain Dogs - I've never really liked what Tom Waits songs I've heard, but I actually did enjoy this album quite a bit. Maybe you need to listen to a whole disc to fully appreciate him.

Raincoats - Not quite as essential as some other punk bands, the Raincoats could still put together a very solid album. The polar opposite to Gang of Four's punkish minimalism, the Raincoats are even described by the AMG as "folk-punk." I guess that might seem like an oxymoron unless you've heard this very enjoyable album.

Pearl - Janis Joplin really had a set of pipes on her (in her?), and that's the centerpiece of this album, but Pearl also features a band that can keep up with her and some great songwriting to boot (most of which is not actually Joplin's). The result is a masterful 70s classic that has not aged a day.

Cosmo's Factory - Even better than the wonderful Green River, this album is chock-full of classics. CCR could pull off the three-minute single ("Up Around the Bend") or the 11-minute jam ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine") and do both with grace and energy.

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Liked it about as much as I could like a rap album, which isn't a whole lot compared to my love of rock, but it's still refreshing to know that rap can spurn this and not just stuff like that shitty Usher song ("Yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah!").

Elvis Presley - Not as interesting as some of the other albums on this list, but you can always count on the King for some great pop singles and killer vocals.

EP - Long enough and certainly good enough to be an LP, but I guess compared to the 77-minute Blueberry Boat, this can count as an EP for the Fiery Furnaces. It's not as awesome as Blueberry Boat, but it's still pretty damn great.

In the Court of the Crimson King - Few artists can pull off songs like the jazzy, uptempo "21st Century Schizoid Man" and also the wistful "Moonchild" and do both so well. The album is eclectic, influential, and damn enjoyable. The last half of "Moonchild", which is more a collection of sounds than an actual song, is interesting for a few minutes but goes on for too long; in fact, every reviewer seemed to think so, judging by the ones printed in the CD booklet.

Deserter's Songs - Neo-psychedelic pop that dazzles with its gorgeous orchestrations (and gorgeous lyrics to match). One of the most beautiful albums of the 90s.

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - I wasn't really into this one, but it took me a few listens to warm up to Shoot Out the Lights (which I now love), so the same may be true for this album.

Lexicon of Love - So exciting and dance-inducing that you may not catch the heartbreaking lyrics. If you do, you'll find great songwriting, but if you don't, that's fine too. Fantastic album.

Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom should be #1 on this list. I've listened through it about 5 times since aquiring it, and it's now securely anchored in both my "10 Best Rock Albums of All Time" and "10 Favorite Rock Albums of All Time" mental lists, and might be the only album on both lists. Not convinced? A little backstory from AMG:

Rock Bottom, recorded with a star-studded cast of Canterbury musicians, has been deservedly acclaimed as one of the finest art rock albums. Several forces surrounding Wyatt's life helped shape its outcome. First, it was recorded after the former Soft Machine drummer and singer fell out of a five-story window and broke his spine. Legend had it that the album was a chronicle of his stay in the hospital. Wyatt dispels this notion in the liner notes of the 1997 Thirsty Ear reissue of the album, as well as the book Wrong Movements: A Robert Wyatt History. Much of the material was composed prior to his accident in anticipation of rehearsals of a new lineup of Matching Mole. The writing was completed in the hospital, where Wyatt realized that he would now need to sing more, since he could no longer be solely the drummer. Many of Rock Bottom's songs are very personal and introspective love songs, since he would soon marry Alfreda Benge. Benge suggested to Wyatt that his music was too cluttered and needed more open spaces. Therefore, Robert Wyatt not only ploughed new ground in songwriting territory, but he presented the songs differently, taking time to allow songs like "Sea Song" and "Alifib" to develop slowly. Previous attempts at love songs, like "O Caroline," while earnest and wistful, were very literal and lyrically clumsy. Rock Bottom was Robert Wyatt's most focused and relaxed album up to its time of release.

"Sea Song" is a moving ballad that could be the best track on Forever Changes if its varied synthesized accompaniament was replaced with Forever Changes' orchestral flourishes. "A Last Straw" is another ballad with less experimentation but the same unpredictable, jazzy interludes. The wandering horns and drums of "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road" keep the heartstring-tugging song moving at terrific pace. Half way through, Wyatt reverses the vocals and couple instruments ala Radiohead's "Like Spinning Plates", but the emotional development of the song continues in forward motion. "Alifib" is a meandering exploration of quiet places and hidden emotions, and "Alife" explores darker, more erratic territory. The finale, "Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road" is thick and forceful until it gives way to a string quartet and seaman's-accent "chanting". Rock Bottom combines the emotion of Forever Changes with the jazzy inventiveness of Soft Machine and the production techniques of, yes, Radiohead (even though Rock Bottom was released in 1974).

My favorites are "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road" and "Sea Song." Here is an extended clip from "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road." Listen to it, seriously.

Hey, now, haven't you aquired Rock Bottom, now?

Man, I'm way behind on these reviews, eh? Some of these will be pretty lazy, sorry...

Catch a Fire / Exodus - Solid reggae albums. I'm not a huge reggae fan, but I do like these efforts from Bob Marley. I'm not sure which album of his I like best (I have these two and Natty Dread).

Paranoid - Great hard rock. Also very influential. "Iron Man" kicks arse.

Her Majesty, the Decemberists - Wonderful, fun, well-written album. Standouts off the top of my head include "Song for Myla Goldberg" and "I Was Meant for the Stage." I want to check out Picaresque.

Dan Bern - Really terrific album. Bern was clearly very influenced by Dylan, and like Dylan, the album is funny and freewheelin' at times, sad and slow at other times, and well-written throughout. It's a shame this is so obscure.

All Mod Cons - I'm not sure it's better than Sound Affects, but it's hard to beat "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight."

Trust - I actually really love this album; it may be my favorite by Elvis Costello. Less lounge-y than Imperial Bedroom but not as punkish as My Aim is True or This Year's Model, I think the balance between the two really suits Costello. Plus it's just a really top-notch collection of songs.

Dare! - This kind of new-wave 80s music can be pretty silly, but Dare stands out from the crowd by merit of its great songwriting. Standouts for me are bunched together on the album: "Do or Die", "I Am the Law", and "Seconds."

Younger Than Yesterday - Another great album by the Byrds. I definitely prefer their pre-Gram Parsons days.

Berlin - My least favorite album from Lou Reed, whether solo or with the Velvet Underground. The music is less interesting than it normally is, and the lyrics lay it on pretty thick. Still, maybe it will grow on me with more listens.

Gallowsbird's Bark - Love it, but not as good as Blueberry Boat. The wordplay is just as fun here, but some songs seem a bit underdeveloped. Still, it's hard to beat the brilliant four-song stretch that includes "Asthma Attack", "Don't Dance Her Down", "Crystal Clear", and "Two Fat Feet."

Nearly Human - I prefer Todd's simpler-sounding songs with weirder lyrics to this epic power pop. But this album is still pretty great due to its songwriting and sheer energy.

The Delivery Man - Unfortunately, I lost the burned CD after I listened to it once, so I don't remember it that well. I did like it a hell of a lot, though.

Mass Romantic - One of the catchiest albums I've ever heard. The chorus from "The Fake Headlines" was stuck in my head for days. It's a really terrific album; the New Pornographers deserve to be far more popular than they are. I should check out Electric Version one of these days...

Double Nickels on the Dime - This album is just such a ridiculous concept that I couldn't help loving it. Listening to it is a mind-bending experience that I highly recommend. Picking standout tracks would be a futile exercise here for obvious reasons.

Gilded Palace of Sin can be found as a double CD at single cd price backed with the Burritos second album...

Wow, I haven't written these mini-reviews in almost a year. I'll see how much interest is sparked by this catch-up post and decide if I should pick them up again.

Skipping a few, jumping around...

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Hilarious left-wing punk, starting off with a catchy pop tune about killing the poor, continuing on with the singer gleefully confessing to crimes from lynching the landlord to stealing people's mail, and ending up with a twisted cover of "Viva Las Vegas." Love it, except for "I Kill Children" which lacks the wit some of the other songs have, and it goes a bit far for me (strange, considering I love dead baby jokes).

Electric Warrior - "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" is one of those songs I think I've heard 100 times but never knew its title or artist. That song and the rest of the album are lots of fun.

Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea - Better than the more acclaimed To Bring Me My Love. Very good stuff.

Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes pretty much completely shake the whole garage band thing, proving they can (and should) write anything from tender ballads to Broadway showtunes to bluegrass to Caribbean marimba music. Actually, I predict that a White Stripes musical actually will hit Broadway at some point. My favorite song on here is "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)", but I was addicted to this whole album for a while last year.

Disraeli Gears - Man, is Eric Clapton overrated. This album is okay though.

Illinois - A huge, sprawling album that is somewhat tough to digest. I'm still working on fully wrapping my head around all this, but along the way, I've heard some really wonderful songs. But hey, Sufjan, if you want to get through all 50 states, you better get cracking. You don't have time to release albums dedicated to outtakes from past states.

Earth and Sun and Moon - Great anthemic rock. I have a hard time picking a favorite track, but I think it's between "My Country," "Truganini," "Now or Never Land," or the title track.

Life's Rich Pageant - A lesser effort from REM is still really awesome.

Twin Cinema - Mass Romantic's choruses have a habit of latching onto my brain and never ever letting go. Twin Cinema doesn't have anything close to that effect, which might just mean I haven't listened to it enough.

Swordfishtrombones / Closing Time - I like these albums, but I didn't fall in love with them like I did with Rain Dogs. Both are solid Tom Waits efforts though.

Girlfriend - This album is, er, Sweet. Great pop songs, some of which are a bit slight, but no matter, listening to it is too much fun to care.

Paul's Boutique - Those nice Jewish white boys sure can rap.

Road to Ruin - More of the same from the Ramones. Luckily, I like the Ramones.

Elvis - More of the same from Elvis. Luckily, I like Elvis.

Modern Sounds in Country/Western Music - Pretty good, but I think I would like Ray Charles' normal style better than this genre experiment. Still, some good tunes here.

If You're Feeling Sinister / The Bends / Turn on the Bright Lights / Team Boo / Countdown to Ecstasy - I had heard these albums before, so I already knew they were great.

Some Girls - Probably the weakest Stones album I've heard, which means it's only really good.

Smiths' Singles - Awesome compilation that helped me discover a lot of songs from albums I wasn't going to buy. I particularly love "Panic," "Ask," and "Sheila Take a Bow."

Hot Buttered Soul - Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymisticriffic!

Saturday Night Fever soundtrack - Disco may be dead, but this album still makes me want to shake my booty.

Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash - Love it. For a while I was addicted to "Sally MacLennane." Highly recommended for any fans of Carbon Leaf, Flogging Molly, or Ireland.

Searching for the Young Soul Rebels - Also love it. Tons of fun. For a while I was addicted to "Seven Days Too Long."

Lady Soul - I think I might like this better than I Never Loved a Man...

Sail Away - A very clever album.

A Tribute to Jack Johnson - I'll tell you what I told lukeprog: Jack Johnson's first track "Right Off" is an exciting blast of jazz-rock energy. I liked the mellower second track "Yesternow" slightly less, but I still really enjoyed the album as a whole.

Happy Sad - A mesmerizingly wonderful album that catches you under the spell of its mystical style. Just fantastic.

Songs the Lord Taught Us - Take Halloweeny "Monster Mash"-type music, give it better pop hooks, and you end up with this incredibly weird album. Still, many of the songs (especially "The Mad Daddy") are infectiously catchy.

Safe as Milk - Most of this album is great, bizarre fun, though not as good as Trout Mask Replica. For some unexplainable reason, though, "Dropout Boogie" hooked me in on first listen and still hasn't let go. That's probably my favorite Beefheart song.

Songs of Leonard Cohen - Well yeah, the lyrics are good (though not as good as Dylan's, IMHO), but man these arrangements are boring. I'll have to give this some more listens to fully digest, but my initial impression is that Cohen should have been a poet instead.

Perfect From Now On - The songs aren't too catchy so I can't really recall what this album sounds like at this point, but I remember loving it while it lasted.

Cyclops Nuclear Submarine Captain - A sort of indie psychedelia that often veers past psychedelic and becomes, well, just plain weird. That's not a criticism, though, as I really enjoyed the alternative music and bizarre imagery. Also, when you kiss me, I'm a silkworm exploding.

Bitter Tea - I'll tell you what I told lbangs. Easily the worst Fiery Furnaces album I've heard (which amounts to all of them except Rehearsing My Choir), partially due to the absolutely obsessive use of backwards messages, but there's still plenty of good stuff on there. I especially dig "Waiting to Know You," "Borneo," "Police Sweater Blood Vow," and the "Benton Harbor Blues" remix. It's no Blueberry Boat, but hey, what is?

Have you got yet: Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator ???
Self-confessed Peter Hammill fans include David Bowie, John Lydon, and Thom Yorke.

There are definitely some albums you're to be getting sooner or later (Desertshore, Black Saint, Lorca, Repeater, etc) that I am curious to see your reactions on. Are you considering re-igniting your "reactions column"? I found it very interesting.

If you're a big XTC fan (you are a big XTC fan, right?), then you won't be disappointed with Drums and Wires or English Settlement. The latter is better I feel (maybe just because it's got more songs) but I'd put them both in my top 5 list for XTC (along with Black Sea, Skylarking, and Apple Venus) (the Dukes album doesn't count).

For the Costello album - how many other albums by him do you have? Armed Forces is as great as the other Elvisesses I've listened to (My Aim is True, This Year's Model, and Get Happy). It's a little more uneven though, some of the songs really aren't too great, but the good songs are easily some of the best of Elvis'ses career, soooooo...

The other one I really like on this list is Crazy Rhythms. What can I say, the music matches the cover (which is one of my favorite album covers...check out the guy on the right!) Really great percussion work there. The stretch of songs from 6-9 are all really great, but really the whole album's solid as a rock.

I figured it’s about time for another one of these. I haven’t listened to the albums I ripped as much as the albums I bought (if at all), so I’m skipping over them here.

Gilded Palace of Sin – I have very fickle taste in country music, and I didn’t like this album very much.

Suicide – Check out this exchange with JohnnyW for my thoughts of the terrifying “Frankie Teardrop.” The rest of the album is also pretty creepy. I can’t say I find it all that enjoyable, but it’s certainly a very interesting album.

Zen Arcade – An uneven album that doesn’t really grab me early on with its not particularly well-written bursts of shouting and noise. The second half is much better than the first, though, and at some point in the middle the album really sucks me in with some killer songs, including the great epic “Reoccurring Dreams.”

Countdown to Ecstasy – Another terrific Steely Dan album in a similar vein as Aja.

Third/Sister Lovers – Aside from the wonderful “Ballad of El Goodo,” Big Star’s first album has fallen from grace in my eyes; the songwriting is really quite weak in my opinion. Radio City shows off their talents better as the great pop songwriters that they are, and Third shows off their range as they explore much darker material. This might be my favorite album of theirs for this eclecticism; after all, how many albums contain both a song called “Kizza Me” and a song called “Holocaust” (both of which are fantastic songs)?

Get Happy!! – Tons of fun and in a similar vein as Trust. Trust just has better songs IMHO, though I do love “King Horse” and “Human Touch.”

3 Feet High and Rising – The game show motif is kind of irritating in my opinion, but once you get past that, this is top-notch old school rap.

Straight Outta Compton – Also top-notch old school rap, but of course more angry and less brainy than De La Soul. I personally prefer 3 Feet High and Rising, but that’s just me.

Team Boo – Some of the most infectious music of the decade. Mates of State, like the New Pornographers, have a knack for taking a hook and making sure it latches into your brain and doesn’t leave. An album that is just simply joyous.

The Bends – Less experimental, but more listenable, than their later albums IMHO.

Let's Get It On – Sexy soul music. What’d you expect?

Too-Rye-Ay – I already own the more acclaimed Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, but this is the album with Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ biggest hit “Come on Eileen,” which means it can join the ranks with Blur’s self-titled album and Mott the Hoople’s All the Young Dudes as the album that features a band’s only huge hit but in terms of critical acclaim, lives in the shadows of another album (Parklife and Mott respectively). As for Too-Rye-Ay, the band experiments less here than on SFTYSR, and so the songs sound more similar to each other as a result, but the album’s goal is really just to be fun, thrilling Celtic soul music, and for that Too-Rye-Ay really delivers.

Los Angeles – Great punk album, though not one of my favorites. I have not much else to say.

Synchronicity – I gotta say, I’m a really big fan of this album, even the parts that the All Music Guide makes fun of like the bizarre “Mother” (which is pretty hilarious in my opinion). “King of Pain,” though, is a brilliant song.

The Modern Dance – Strange, eerie album. “Sentimental Journey” has got to be one of the most uncomfortable songs I’ve ever heard, and surprisingly, I mean that as a compliment. Other songs are easier to listen to, of course.

Hounds of Love – An enjoyable enough album, but a bit much if you ask me.

Bitches Brew – A brilliant album that goes from jazz to rock and everywhere in between.

Straight Outta Lynwood – I’ll hopefully review this on my Weird Al page, but in a few sentences: Weird Al continues to experiment with complex arrangements (see “Pancreas” and “Virus Alert”), proving that his talent extends well beyond parodic humor. Luckily, though, this album is also pretty frickin’ funny. The polka is great, a lot of song parodies and style parodies are dead-on, and a good time is had by all. Some weak songs (“Do I Creep You Out”), but mostly a solid effort from Mr. Yankovic.

Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society – Good times.

Spirit of Eden – A slow, methodical album, with every song spending far more time building to a climax than actually climaxing. I must admit I didn’t find it particularly engaging, and yeah AfterHours, maybe I just didn’t get it.

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... to a Blind Horse – Rod Stewart rocks out, with great success. A wonderful, underrated album that jgandcag has raved about. I miss him.

If I Should Fall From Grace With God – Can I say something? I love the Pogues. I really do. I love this album, and I love Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. People should play their upbeat songs at parties, and people should play their ballads at… I dunno, sad, emotional things.

Geek the Girl – Every now and then I do grow to love a Scaruffi favorite, and yeah, Geek the Girl is a fantastic album in my opinion.

Risqué – This is an album full of songs that start off good and then repeat themselves over and over again until they overstay their welcome. Like, really. “Good Times” would be a great song if it were three minutes long. Instead, it’s eight minutes long and boring as hell.

Yerself Is Steam – Yeah, I prefer the more melodic, orchestral Deserter’s Songs, but I do still like this much weirder album a hell of a lot.

Songs for Swingin' Lovers – Even decades later, Frank Sinatra can still charm the pants off me.

Licensed to Ill – Really enjoyable.

A Love Supreme – There’s a reason why this album is wildly acclaimed by Scaruffists and mainstream critics alike. It’s a brilliant, wonderful emotional experience.

Come to Where I'm From – A fantastic album. I struggle to pick a favorite song from it. “In the Sun” sticks in my head the most, but that’s probably just because I’ve heard it the most due to an Uncut sampler. Still, that is a terrific song.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got – This album is okay but I wasn’t really a big fan. Then again, I don’t really like Bjork either.

Cheap Thrills – Janis certainly could belt. This is a great though somewhat uneven album. For me, “Combination of the Two,” “Piece of My Heart,” and the bonus track “Magic of Love” are on a higher tier than everything else.

Heroes – Meh. Bowie in a similar vein as Low. I like Low better than Heroes, and I greatly prefer his earlier work to either album, so that should tell you I don’t think too much of this album.

Live at the Regal – I thought I found the blues pretty boring, which is why I didn’t expect to like this album. Luckily, B.B. King ripped apart every stereotype I had about blues music and really brought these songs to life. Completely exceeded my expectations with this awesomely powerful album.

Live Through This – A good though unexceptional 90s alt-rock album.

Disintegration – I expected to find this really dull actually, so I was pleasantly surprised that I actually really liked it. Probably won’t ever be one of my favorites though.

Machine Head – Pretty good. I must admit I don’t find very early hard rock particularly interesting, but this album is enjoyable enough.

Kick Up the Dust – Bought because I love the Blood Meridian songs I’ve heard on Uncut samplers. The rest of these songs aren’t quite as good, but this is still an album worth hearing.

Roxy Music – I really like Roxy Music. Their music is often completely ridiculous, but a lot of it is solidly grounded.

Hearts of Oak – Sometimes I wonder if Ted Leo would be a more widely popular artist if his songs were named after his hooks. If you’ve only heard “High Party” a couple times, you might not recognize it by its title, but change the name to “Drink It Down” and then you can connect it better. He’s certainly catchy enough to make it big, and this album is awesome.

There's Nothing Wrong With Love – Built to Spill is a fantastic, underrated group, and this may be my favorite album of theirs that I’ve heard.

The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not on Fire – Bought this album because I love “She Will Bring You Happiness” and it’s probably the best album title I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the album sounds very little like that song. I still like it, but I was a bit disappointed.

Mr. Tambourine Man – As someone who loves Dylan’s vocal delivery and believes it fits very well with his songwriting, I can’t really get behind an album chock-full of Dylan covers. Yeah, they’re still pretty good songs, but it seems like the Byrds wanted to take Dylan’s words and make them more stomachable for mass appeal, which I can’t really get behind. A good album, but I greatly prefer The Notorious Byrd Brothers and Younger Than Yesterday.

From a Basement on a Hill – A waitress once told me she thought it was ridiculous that this was being hailed as Elliott Smith’s best album, that it wasn’t as good as his earlier work and that it was only getting this acclaim because of his untimely death. That may be partially true, but I dunno, I think this album is great.

New Magnetic Wonder – I am a big fan of Fun Trick Noisemaker and Her Wallpaper Reverie, but listening to this album makes me think the Apples in Stereo may have lost their touch a bit. The songs on those earlier albums were poppy and tons of fun, but for the most part, they had some real meat to them, whereas some of New Magnetic Wonder is so light and airy, you feel it’s going to float away. To be fair, some of this album is quite good, but “Can You Feel It?” and “Energy” are mind-numbingly slight. I do really like “Play Tough” and “Same Old Drag.”

John Prine – Once again, I have fickle taste in country music… but I adore this album. It’s well-written, both humorous and heartbreaking, and references Christianity without having it feel gimmicky. Great stuff.

Ocean Rain – Very good album.

Odessey and Oracle / Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus – Top-notch psychedelia. Wonderful stuff.

Germ-Free Adolescents – Punk music with a specific target, and damn catchy too.

Tago Mago – Um, riiiight…

There’s a Riot Goin’ On! – The older master of this album never really hooked me in, but the new remaster really brings this music to life. It’s weirder and a bit more experimental than Stand or Fresh, but it holds together very well as a masterful album.

Stand! / Fresh – Two great albums that now sound great on CD. I can finally enjoy Sly Stone in all his soul clappin’ glory.

Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus – I recently discovered Nick Cave and wish I had earlier. This double album is both rockin’ awesome and emotionally powerful, and I hope to hear more Nick Cave soon.

Kick Out the Jams – See Machine Head.

Heart of Saturday Night – Tom Waits’s personality shows through well here, though the songs aren’t as good as they’ll be on Rain Dogs.

Mr. Fantasy – Pretty good, but feels kinda dated.

Cool EP – Five fun, poppy songs. Not much to this EP, but it’s highly enjoyable.

Sound of Silver – Terrific, intelligent album.

Either/Or – In terms of albums, I think I prefer Figure 8 and From a Basement on a Hill, but “Say Yes” may be my all-time favorite Elliott Smith song. It’s simple but poignant.

AWB – The first half is absolutely fantastic. It drags a bit in the second half, but it’s still quite a good album.

Everything Must Go – Great Britpop.

Copper Blue – Great American pop. When my girlfriend broke up with me in early June, the catchy yet profound “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” sort of became my anthem for the summer. Why was this song not a huge hit? Wait, was it a huge hit? I guess I wasn’t listening to radio much in 1992 when I was 6.

Uncle Meat – The liner notes: “The words to the songs on this album… are all very serious & loaded with secret underground candy-rock psychedelic profundities. (Basically this is an instrumental album.)” This sentiment is apparent on Uncle Meat, and honestly it kinda disappointed me. What happened to the Zappa who would sing about prunes and vegetables and the ugliest part of your body and completely sell it?

Underwater Moonlight – Fantastic album that I should really spend more time with.

When I Was Born for the 7th Time – Hard not to enjoy, in my opinion, and yet there’s actually some real poignancy here. Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, indeed.

Blank Generation – The next best thing to another Television album. Fabulous stuff.

Bee Thousand – The intentionally sloppy production gets irritating after a while if you ask me, but a lot of these songs are pretty great.

The Else – Again, I should review this fully on my TMBG page, but basically I think this album is okay. I don’t dislike any songs, but no songs will become my favorites from TMBG either. It’s basically inoffensive, pleasant enough, with some good moments, but not nearly as good as TMBG in their prime.

Ayyyy, your list is filled with the Scaruffi albums now, what gives!?? ;) Some of them are great though and I know you'll appriciate them, like the one by Pop Group.

One thing I can say is that the Fall totally rule. This Nation's Saving Grace is a good first pick, but I'd go with the compilation 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong if I were you. It contains lots of their best tracks and is easy to listen to all the way through (even though it's like 2 1/2 hours long). Even if you don't like 'Greatest Hits'-type deals for the Fall it's different - they have many many many great songs that didn't make the comp for one, and since they have like 30 albums out it's not going to ruin anything for you once you decide to pick them up.

I feel like it's time for my yearly update of thoughts on these albums. Once again, I am lame and haven't spent as much time as I should've on the albums I've ripped from library loans rather than buying, so I'll skip over most of those.

The Charm of the Highway Strip - Another very good Magnetic Fields album, though I prefer when they're not so country-tinged. Standouts include "Two Characters In Search of a Country Song" and both songs with titles that mention trains.

Willy and the Poorboys - Damn, Green River/Cosmo's Factory/Willy and the Poorboys makes for a remarkably consistent streak for CCR.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Terrific album by Spoon. Some songs resonate more than others but all are great.

Silent Alarm - Sounds a lot like the Strokes/Franz Ferdinand, but a bit more mature than those bands. At the same time, a bit more distancing. Still, a very good album.

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - A mediocre Elton John album is still a solid album.

The Nightfly - I prefer Steely Dan, but this has some gems.

The Spine Surfs Alone EP - Seven memorable but still not particularly interesting songs. One of TMBG's worst releases, but still fair.

Barenaked Ladies Are Men - Better than Barenaked Ladies Are Me. Despite a somewhat weak opening track, this is a terrific collection of ballads and up-tempo rockers. "Fun and Games" is a creative, clever take on the Iraq War; "I Can I Will I Do" is a terrific sensual love song; "Why Say Anything Nice?" is a great break-up song; and tracks 2 through 9 just creates a remarkably consistent string of catchy songs.

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins - An awesome expansion of one of the greatest albums of the nineties. I particularly enjoyed discovering "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence," a tribute to R.E.M.

Stooges - The Stooges have always been a band that I've appreciated as influential but which I've never quite gotten into. This is even more true of this particularly unpolished early work. The songs they admit to writing the night before ("Real Cool Time," "Not Right," "Little Doll") are below-average filler, and "We Will Fall" is interesting but pretty slow and repetitive. I do like the first two tracks.

The College Dropout - One of my favorite rap albums that includes some of my favorite rap songs ("We Don't Care," "School Spirit," and "Jesus Walks"), but saddled with an overlong, self-indulgent closing track.

The Complete Original Sun Singles - Far inferior to listening to either of Cash's live prison albums. The songs pretty much all sound the same, and you've got 40 of them here.

Todd - A really dense album full of weirdness and power pop. I probably haven't fully digested it yet, but I do like "An Elpee's Worth of Toons" and "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song," partially because I was in the Gilbert and Sullivan show that that comes from last semester.

Boxer - Strong album though a bit too murky at times.

I Should Coco - Sounds like a 70s punk album infused with that 90s alternative youth culture, which makes for a great combination.

Armed Forces - I really have been liking Elvis Costello more and more lately. This is not his best work, but it is terrific.

The Gay Parade - Quickly became one of my favorite indie rock albums. Beautiful songs about various weirdnesses (a miniature philosophy and boxer Hector Romano) and truly melancholy topics (including some song titles that are huge downers such as "A Man's Life Flashing Before His Eyes While He and His Wife Drive Off a Cliff into the Ocean" which follows "Advice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage"). The whole is greater than the sum of its parts; this is an amazing album.

Last Splash - Uneven but ultimately quite good album from Kim Deal's band after she left the Pixies. My favorites are "Saints" and "Divine Hammer."

The Three EP's - Nothing else is quite as good as the hit "Dry the Rain," but much of it comes close. Some great hooks here.

August and Everything After - I already knew I loved this album, but I saw it for a cheap price and picked it up.

Fire of Love - Passionate rockabilly punk. "Sex Beat," "Preaching the Blues," and "She's Like Heroin to Me" are all brilliant, but the album loses some steam in its second half. Still great though.

Undertones - Very fun album though some songs are fairly slight. Standouts include "She's a Runaround" along with the two singles "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You."

Youth and Young Manhood - Picked up largely because I love the song "Molly's Chambers" which I first heard on dgeiser13's Secret Santa mix (see, the system works!). Amazingly, I loved the rest of this album just as much.

That's What Love Songs Often Do - All the songs have that same grungey feel, and it gets old, but in smaller doses this album is quite good.

Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse - Like Frank Zappa with a bit more structure, this album is a hilarious journey through the bizarre minds of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. I could list standouts here but really every song is infectious in its own twisted way. A brilliant album if you're into humorous rock 'n' roll.

Van Lear Rose - I have fickle taste in country music, disliking much of it but having a certain fondness for Johnny Cash, John Prine, and Lucinda Williams. Van Lear Rose has now cracked that list as well to be a country album I think is awesome.

Sweet Baby James - Good times with down-home soft-rock. "Fire and Rain" is a beautiful song, and the rest is nearly as good. It took me a while to realize "Steamroller" was a joke; before, I thought it was unintentionally hilarious.

I've Seen Everything - A bit more varied than the Fig Dish album, and with plenty of catchy songs. An underrated obscure pick with some great songwriting.

Kimono My House - Like a glam rock They Might Be Giants, Sparks seems to just come up with an inspired, absurd idea for a song and execute it with wit and charm. The first and last songs are the best, but the whole album is truly infectious. I sorta feel like if Mael dropped his distinctive falsetto, the band would be more accessible (which I don't really care about) and more understandable (which I do care about), but I'm not really complaining. This is a wonderful album.

Paris 1919 - The liner notes inform me that this is Cale's one accessible spot in a career of dense experimentation but assure me that the album has some dark touches. I haven't heard Cale's other work so I can't really verify that, but I can say that it's immediately enjoyable and a very good album.

Maggot Brain - The ten-minute guitar solo may be appropriately mournful, but it bores the crap out of me. The rest of the album is a little better than this snoozefest, but it still pales in comparison to One Nation Under a Groove and Mothership Connection. What happened to us, George Clinton? We used to have fun. Where did that go?

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - Odd but very charming songs combining American folk with an Eastern tinge. I hate to sound so Scaruffesque but the best song here really is the complex 13-minute suite, which really is a fantastic piece of music. "The Minotaur's Song" and "Mercy I Cry City" are close runners-up though.

That's all for now.