As usual, Scaruffi disagrees with all of us and gives it a 6/10. "When Chinese Democracy finally saw the light, it was indeed a competent hard-rock collection, albeit by a different band. That it is not the same band is emphasized by 'Catcher in the Rye' and 'This I Love', that channel grand emotions into classy adult rock formats."
He sometimes gets promos. I remember one time he reviewed a whole bunch of Kranky albums before anyone else had heard most of them, one of them being Harmony in Ultraviolet which had a 5.5/10 review that was totally against the consensus opinion that album later created.
Firstly, the Scaruffi 7.5/10 album The Taller You Are, the Shorter You Get by My Dad Is Dead is available for free download on their website along with other albums of theirs. Personally I would give that album about 7.5/10 as well; it is indeed very strong. http://www.mydadisdead.com/music/
Also, Scaruffi has added many new pages to his site in recent months. Among the bands now on the site that are mentioned in your "missing Scaruffi profiles" are:
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol7/kayodot.html - Maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot and Toby Driver (note: Choirs of the Eye is a new 7/10 and its rating might rise; "perhaps the most accomplished fusion yet of death-metal, post-rock, jazz and classical music by any band")
Pretty dodgy list, especially since a few of those near the top aren't really one-hit wonders. That Nena song is terrible and I never saw the appeal.
As far as great one-hit wonders of the 80s go, one that immediately comes to mind is "I'm in Love With a German Film Star" by The Passions. Possibly the invention of dream pop, by an otherwise unknown post-punk act.
One of the greatest albums in rock music. Sadly, Royal Trux and Accelerator didn't do nearly as much for me. I'm taking it for granted at the moment that I'll eventually find at least one other RT album I really like, but they could just be one of those bands.
Barbed Wire Maggots I'm still in two minds about. It confuses me that Scaruffi kind of writes off AMM but gives those guys such high ratings. That said, I've only listened to it a couple of times so far.
I understand that some people who read Scaruffi are going through a process of giving all the same ratings that he does. I'm new here so maybe it's even worse than I think it is, but I don't think it's worth taking all that seriously. I've aware of some people who've worked with him and supposedly been listening to Scaruffi picks all their lives, but for most other people the precise agreement on mostly everything would just be a phase. What are they going to do when they've listened to all the 9/10 albums? Have they really heard all the best that music has to offer them? Of course not, I imagine, and most of them will find that out.
A 6/10's not too bad at all for a comeback album, though. These days I'm used to him providing the 4/10 treatment.
As usual, Scaruffi disagrees with all of us and gives it a 6/10. "When Chinese Democracy finally saw the light, it was indeed a competent hard-rock collection, albeit by a different band. That it is not the same band is emphasized by 'Catcher in the Rye' and 'This I Love', that channel grand emotions into classy adult rock formats."
He sometimes gets promos. I remember one time he reviewed a whole bunch of Kranky albums before anyone else had heard most of them, one of them being Harmony in Ultraviolet which had a 5.5/10 review that was totally against the consensus opinion that album later created.
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol7/ganggang.html
The self-titled album and God's Money are new 7/10 albums.
Firstly, the Scaruffi 7.5/10 album The Taller You Are, the Shorter You Get by My Dad Is Dead is available for free download on their website along with other albums of theirs. Personally I would give that album about 7.5/10 as well; it is indeed very strong. http://www.mydadisdead.com/music/
Also, Scaruffi has added many new pages to his site in recent months. Among the bands now on the site that are mentioned in your "missing Scaruffi profiles" are:
"Igor Wakhevitch (France), a student of Pierre Schaeffer, blended electronic music, psychedelic rock and classical opera on his intimidating albums Logos (1970), Docteur Faust (1971) and Hathor (1973)." http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/cpt8.html Wakhevitch was recommended to Scaruffi by Mike Gira: http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:x8jzjHK8u8wJ:www.scaruffi.com/inter...
http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/richter.html - Max Richter, though curiously this page is presently blank.
http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/1617.html - 16-17
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol7/kayodot.html - Maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot and Toby Driver (note: Choirs of the Eye is a new 7/10 and its rating might rise; "perhaps the most accomplished fusion yet of death-metal, post-rock, jazz and classical music by any band")
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol5/species.html - Species Being, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and in particular The Book of Knots
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol7/goslings.html - Goslings
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol4/death.html - Death (this page has been around for a while)
http://www.scaruffi.com/vol7/haveanic.html - Have a Nice Life (note: Deathconsciousness is another new 7/10)
I know it's not your list, otherwise I wouldn't have been so blunt!
I'll admit there are a few songs on this list I haven't heard, or at least I don't think I have; I'll YouTube search 'em sometime.
Pretty dodgy list, especially since a few of those near the top aren't really one-hit wonders. That Nena song is terrible and I never saw the appeal.
As far as great one-hit wonders of the 80s go, one that immediately comes to mind is "I'm in Love With a German Film Star" by The Passions. Possibly the invention of dream pop, by an otherwise unknown post-punk act.
One of the greatest albums in rock music. Sadly, Royal Trux and Accelerator didn't do nearly as much for me. I'm taking it for granted at the moment that I'll eventually find at least one other RT album I really like, but they could just be one of those bands.
Barbed Wire Maggots I'm still in two minds about. It confuses me that Scaruffi kind of writes off AMM but gives those guys such high ratings. That said, I've only listened to it a couple of times so far.
Har dee har har
You know that album was banned in China, though not for the title per se.
Chinese Democracy?
I love Glen or Glenda! It's an avant-garde masterpiece.
So have I, but I must admit I don't know how I could top the Pyramids quote at least for sheer ridiculousness.
I understand that some people who read Scaruffi are going through a process of giving all the same ratings that he does. I'm new here so maybe it's even worse than I think it is, but I don't think it's worth taking all that seriously. I've aware of some people who've worked with him and supposedly been listening to Scaruffi picks all their lives, but for most other people the precise agreement on mostly everything would just be a phase. What are they going to do when they've listened to all the 9/10 albums? Have they really heard all the best that music has to offer them? Of course not, I imagine, and most of them will find that out.