Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Anything music related. Latest songs, good new bands, and blasts from the past.

Moderators: Buscemi, BarcaRulz, Geezer, W

Post Reply
User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

Hell, I get some sleep and I miss this?

Ah, but this argument always seems to rear it's ugly head.

Firstly, I don't think anyone here was said that something was bad just because it was mainstream. I don't think anyone here has ever demonstrated such an opinion, not with movies, not with music. It's almost impossible to maintain such a belief unless one likes nothing but the most obscure music known to man, and nothing else.

There's also no definitive correlation between being mainstream and being unoriginal. Yes, many mainstream acts are often deliberately attempting to replicate the success of another act (ahem Snow Patrol) and that's pretty despicable, but pop music (the worst for this) can actually be incredibly inventive as well. The point is to try and not make sweeping generalisations and be open to new experiences.

As SS implied I think all of us look for some element of originality when we listen to new music. Otherwise, we would never bother to listen to another new song again, and we'd just stick with what we already have. But it's pretty obvious that nothing in music is entirely original, every band borrows from ones previously. I tend to like bands who mix and match creatively, though, and I always ask myself am I listening to a band because they remind me of the original? If so, what's the point, especially if the original is better? Hence my lack of interest in Tom Petty, for example, when I'd rather listen to Dylan or The Boss. But this is where Geez and myself seem to differ. He seems to be looking for the same experience every time (with minor differences), where I often get easily bored of that. It's the reason why I like Interpol and hate Editors

I do have a problem with a lot of 90s heavy rock and nu metal. A lot of the bands on Geez's list not only sound similar, but sound extremely unambitious... and as much as I try to hear the differences I feel like the chords sound the same, the vocals sound the same. Of course, that would be fine but I'm also not a fan of their tendancy to sound over-produced and the lyrics are absolutely terrible. Nu Metal does at least try new things but they never seemed to gel together. For me.

And the "for me" part is obviously crucial. It's obvious this is subjective. Indeed, the majority of my negative comments tend to say "it's not my thing" more than "It's objectively bad".

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

Now that it's over and done with... I can honestly say (and without bias): the preceding squabble was objectively bad.
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

Aly: It wasn't bad. Listenable, but not very memorable. Your picks and Ozzy's share many similarities.

Ozzy: Nah, I'm really not into guitar pop, especially in the guise of punk.

Geez: Not bad at all. The 70s was responsible for some of the most bloated, overlong pieces of aural garbage of all time, but I sat through that with toes tapping the entire time. I know Freebird is meant to be a classic, but I think this is the first time I really gave it attention.

Leetsu: Sounds like a band that's very rough aroud the edges. The first song is a bit clunky in its attempt to fuse two genres, although the second was a bit better. Oz really has its own sub-culture, doesn't it?

Ron B: I always found the Doors to be over-rated. The keyboard playing was excessive and a pain to my ears, and for someone whose only job was to write lyrics and sing, ol Jim wasn't great at either. Just read the lyrics of Light My Fire! I do think they got a bit better later in their career, though.

SS: We often agree on movies and music, but I draw the line here. You're right in identifying these guys as pompous, but unlike you that doesn't work for me. Bellamy is a pretentious git, tending to be overambitious with his vocals and never quite making it. Their music is totally overblown and totally OTT, yet they seem to take themselves too seriously. Queen were at least fun and very tongue-in-cheek. I mentioned above that the 70s were guilty of overlong and pretentious tunes, thanks to the emergence of prog, and these guys resurrected that horrendous trait.

Tranny: Never knew Homme had a band before QOTSA. This was pretty damn cool. Rocked my little socks off.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

NSpan: if you will be known for anything by the end of this, it'll be for liking albums with the worst covers, ironic or not ;)

Funk is a genre I've never acively explored much, but I certainly enjoy it. The prime acts are always almost listenable. Interestingly, I only own one funk album and it made my Top 100. I'm hoping to hear more funk from you, and by the end of this there will be a few options to get into. As for this record, I really enjoyed and the songs certainly didn't outstay their welcome. Great stuff.

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

numbersix wrote:NSpan: if you will be known for anything by the end of this, it'll be for liking albums with the worst covers, ironic or not ;)
You're telling me, man. I've owned physical copies of most of the entries on my Top 100 (in the form of CD, cassette, or vinyl), but I've been listening to my collection through purely digital means for years now. Revisiting the album covers has made me question my own collection--and sanity.

But, hopefully, this phenomenon will spawn a new common saying about not judging an album by its cover... or something like that.
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

User avatar
silversurfer19
John Rambo
Posts: 7726
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 3:34 pm
Location: pretty much the ass end of the universe

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by silversurfer19 »

Sorry this is a little late, busy day...

Album No.85

Alyson
Goo Goo Dolls, "Dizzy Up the Girl"
, 1998

Image

"Black Balloon"
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Gk7FD2Qz94[/youtube]

englishozzy
Shiny Toy Guns, "We Are Pilots"
, 2007

Image

Not the sort of music I normally listen to, but there is something about this band that keeps me listening.

"Don't Cry Out"

"You Are the One"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QUHVr7-Juk

Geezer
Van Halen, "1984"
, 1984

Image

1.1984 – 3 stars
2.Jump – 5 stars
3.Panama – 5 stars*
4.Top Jimmy – 4 stars
5.Drop Dead Legs – 3 stars
6.Hot For Teacher – 5 stars
7.I'll Wait – 4 stars
8.Girls Gone Bad – 2 stars
9.House of Pain – 3 stars

Just some really great rock and roll from one of the greatest bands ever. Many criticize them for adding synth (like on Jump) to their already great guitar work, but I still think it is fun and it works. More on them in the not too distant future.

"Panama"

"Jump"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNy3-6ooMTc

BleedBlackandGold
Teenage Bottlerocket, "Warning Device"
, 2008

Image

A obvious Ramones style pop punk band TBR is too much fun with sing along chorases and wacky lyrics.

"In The Basement"


Leestu
Depeche Mode, “Black Celebration”
, 1986

Image

Depeche Mode are a band I listened to quite a bit when I was a teenager, and they had a few really good albums around this time. On this, their fifth album, they took the synthesiser electronica music that was popular at the time, and that they had had success with and added some darkness to it as shown by the first two songs on the album.

“A Black Celebration”

“A Fly on the Windscreen – Final”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOTWfoQaU0I

NSpan
To Be Added At Later Date

numbersix
Mogwai, "Mr. Beast"
, 2006

Image

A major return to form for Scotland’s enduring post-rock act. While they don’t exactly surprise with any new elements (previous albums already introduced piano and electronic music to their core guitar sound), they certainly put them all in the right places for this immensely satisfying record. Perhaps the only new element is their enhanced sense of dramatics, as evidence by their pounding, cinematic opener Auto Rock (which appeared in a few trailers as well as the Miami Vice soundtrack). But for the most part this is a perfect example of an album that doesn’t push the boundaries of a band’s sound but instead sees them refine what they do best.

"Auto Rock"

"Friend of the Night"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKfodgHvRrI

Ron Burgundy
Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm"
, 2005

Image

"Helicopter"


silversurfer
Bob Dylan, "Blood On The Tracks"
, 1975

Image

I'll admit I only got into this album a couple of years ago, promptly after hearing six's inclusion of "Shelter From The Storm" on his top 100 countdown. But man, I've fallen in love with this record. From the opening ramshackle of "Tangled Up In Blue" and the delicate "Simple Twist Of Fate" through the searing "Idiot Wind" and the stunning track I mentioned earlier, there isn't a foot Dylan puts wrong here. It's a much more poetic record than the other few records I have of this, seems to be less politically charged and sneery than the likes of Highway 61, but it's also all the more tender for it. A beautiful record in ever sense of the word.

"Tangled Up In Blue"

"Simple Twist Of Fate"
http://rutube.ru/video/d0fa9a16a578a9cd ... 805a93396/

transformers
Wu-Tang Clan, "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)"
, 1993

Image

"C.R.E.A.M"

"Bring Da Ruckus"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbfGkiecl2M
Last edited by silversurfer19 on September 30th, 2012, 5:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

Aly: Not a fan of the saccharine GGD. Iris drove me crazy that year. Tried to listen to Dizzy but it did zero for me.

Ozzy: I liked the duelling vocals. Reminded me of The Human League. In fact they're very derivative of 80s synthpop in general, which is why I'd probably avoid exploring more.

Geezer: Always felt like 70s and 80s stadium rock bands lived for the solos, and I'm not a fan of their excessive and show-off nature. That's why I like punk. But it wasn't bad. Always thought Van was singing "animal" in that first song. And the music video to Jump always ignites the nostalgia.

Leets: I actually got Some Great Reward on the back of hearing Blasphemous Rumours in your Top 100 Songs list. The entire album is only okay, failing to meet the magc of that particular song. Here it feels somewhat similar. I like the dark tone but I wasn't grabbed. I think Depeche Mode really mastered their sound in the following albums.

Ron B: A really strong debut from a band who descended into mediocrity.

SS: glad you dug the album. It really is a "mature" Dylan record, though I do like how he can get nasty (Idiot Wind) as well.

Tranny: On both songs I loved the music. The first was great. Gritty, tough, vivid. But the second felt like a very stereotypical rap song in which it mostly consists of bragging at how good they are.

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

#85

NSpan

The Modern Lovers
- The Modern Lovers (recorded 1971-72, released 1976)

Image

Side One
1. "Roadrunner" — 4:04
2. "Astral Plane" — 3:00
3. "Old World" — 4:00
4. "Pablo Picasso" — 4:15

Side Two
5. "She Cracked" — 2:53
6. "Hospital" — 5:31
7. "Someone I Care About" — 3:37
8. "Girlfriend" — 3:51
9. "Modern World" — 3:40

I've described this many times in the past as "the first punk album ever"--though I think a better description would be "the last proto-punk album ever." Because, after this, the advent of punk was simply inevitable. The album wasn't properly released until '76, but Jonathan Richman (a friend of the Velvet Underground) had been making waves in the North-East since '67. And everybody who mattered in the scene heard this when it was first written and recorded around '71. The foundation was set for the New York Dolls, The Ramones, and the Sex Pistols to usher in a new era. Funnily enough, the last proto-punk record strongly hints at the post-punk sound that would quickly become popular with bands like Television and the Talking Heads. In fact, I'd argue that "post-punk" came into being at the same time (if not even sooner) than what we would today call classic "punk."

Annnyway, all that History of Music 101 talk aside, this is simply a killer album on its own merits. Jonathan Richman would go on to create a wonderfully inventive solo career that combined incredible songwriting with a tongue-in-cheek style of presentation. But there's no winking at the camera on The Modern Lovers' album. They're playing it straight... well, as "straight" as you could expect from a band essentially saying "fuck you" to contemporary pop.

"Pablo Picasso"


"Modern World"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZuK9QREmcs
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

Awesome! Loved those Modern Lovers fans. MY mates in college were big into him and now I realise why. Very Velvets. On my To-Get list

User avatar
Geezer
Axel Foley
Posts: 4967
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:22 am

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by Geezer »

I think NSpan just wants his own special post every time.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. - The Dude

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by numbersix »

He's old and senile. He probably just forgets. And drools a lot.

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

Alyson Goo Goo Dolls, "Dizzy Up the Girl", 1998
I dug A Boy Named Goo when it first came out. I don't think I really kept track of these guys after that, though..

englishozzy Shiny Toy Guns, "We Are Pilots", 2007
Also not the sort of music I normally listen to, but it was catchy.

Geezer Van Halen, "1984", 1984
If I could magically erase any band from the history of music, it just might be Van Halen. Nothing personal of course. PS. Not sure if Six was joking about the vocals of "Van"

Leestu Depeche Mode, “Black Celebration”, 1986
Did the Halloween theme song really need lyrics?

numbersix Mogwai, "Mr. Beast", 2006
Mogwai doesn't always keep my attention, but when I'm in the right mood (and I have a nice pair of headphones handy)... shit howdy.

Ron Burgundy Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm", 2005
When these guys got big, their music was really, REALLY over-hyped. I kinda held back at the time. Now that I can listen more objectively, I'd say it's actually pretty good!

silversurfer Bob Dylan, "Blood On The Tracks", 1975
This was a consideration on my own list. I consider it his second-to-last truly great album.

transformers Wu-Tang Clan, "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", 1993
I never really got the appeal, but I dug the first track.
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

Buscemi
CONGRATS! You may now chose your own rank!
Posts: 16164
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:14 am
Location: Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by Buscemi »

But you'd leave Poison and Motley Crue? NSpan, no bands did more bad in music than those two.
Everything on this post is strictly the opinion and only the opinion of Buscemi.

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/user/1244530511 ... 9GBj16VEmr

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

Those guys might be worse, but Van Halen did more damage.
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

User avatar
NSpan
Frank Booth
Posts: 2791
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 7:52 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums of All Time (Thread #2) 90-81

Post by NSpan »

Geezer wrote:I think NSpan just wants his own special post every time.
numbersix wrote:He's old and senile. He probably just forgets. And drools a lot.
You're both right. But, for the record, Surf refuses to put my name in 150 size font.
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

Post Reply