Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#41

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by silversurfer19 »

Album No.45

englishozzy AC/DC, "Highway to Hell", 1979 - Yeah this is the AC/DC I know and kinda dislike. A mixture of the vocals and the pomposity of it all just doesn't appeal.

Geezer Sum 41, "All Killer, No Filler", 2001 - I think I mentioned earlier in the countdown that my brother bought this for me as a birthday present one year solely because he knew I liked rock music. And I've listened to it all of once I think. Just not an album I can take any enjoyment from.

Leestu The The, “Infected”, 1986 - I'm sure Shryke introduced me to The The during the song countdown, though it may have been you. Still haven't gotten around to checking out more of their work, thanks for reminding me.

NSpan - I really need to get into some Frank Black work. As a huge fan of most of what the Pixies created I really SHOULD own some of his solo work already, maybe I've been intimidated by the sheer amount of records I'd have to delve into. I'll try to use this countdown as a starting point, as I really enjoyed both of these songs.

numbersix Tricky, “Maxinquaye”, 1995 - Can't say I know much about Tricky, didn't even know he was affiliated to Massive Attack, though I can obviously hear it now. It was ok, the kind of music I'd listen to if I didn't feel like listening to Massive Attack or Portishead. It's always funny that acts like these are turned into kind of 'chilled' acts, as I see this type of music as something very different, not something to use as background noise but more as an immersive experience. Funny how music works that way, I guess....

Ron Burgundy Daft Punk, "Homework", 1997 - Like six, I dismissed these guys when I first heard Around The World, but with time I acknowledged that they were not some kind of Ibiza one hit wonder dance act but in fact a group with some real talent. Don't own any of their records but they have released some fantastic songs, and their work on the Tron soundtrack almost made the movie watchable!

transformers The Black Dahlia Murder, "Nocturnal", 2007 - Those vocals were horrible, completely got in the way of what may have been some decent heavy rock.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by Buscemi »

Sum 41 was a strong example of everything that was wrong with music in the early 2000's. You can't take clean equipment* and kids from a modeling agency, have them wear dirty laundry and expect to create the next Clash.

* - Many of the great punk artists used whatever they could find. For example, Minutemen recorded with leftover tape that a local studio threw away since they worked on a strict budget (a method they called "Jam Econo") and couldn't afford to go over (Minutemen was also one of the few acts in the 1980's to stay within a budget).
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by silversurfer19 »

Album No.44

englishozzy Iron Maiden, "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", 1988 - I'm not sure why but Iron Maiden have always appeared to me as a bit of a comedy band. Maybe it's because of all those ridiculous T-shirts with hilariously over the top images on there, I'm not sure. Other than Run To The Hills I actually know very little of the band though, and while a little pompous, well there's quite a lot of pomposity, there's some really decent riffs to back it up. Very entertaining listen.

Geezer Staind, "Break The Cycle", 2001 - Can't say I've ever liked the band, they always sat alongside the likes of Puddle of Mudd as kind of mundane. This was no different either, the first song especially with it's 'oh so sincere and earnest sitting on the stage with my acoustic guitar playing something heartfelt' just never struck me. I just don't get the emotion in it, and so can't connect. Obviously you do get something, and maybe with them being a local band for you the appeal is even greater, but for me? Nothing.

Leestu Grinspoon, “Guide to Better Living”, 1997 - I knew the name, couldn't say I've ever heard any of their music though. Some nice fuzzy guitars on the first track but overall a little too pop-punk for my liking. Second song was much better.

NSpan, Led Zeppelin, "Houses Of The Holy", 1975 - I think I've mentioned it before, this is probably my least favourite Led Zep album I own (though I've only gone as far as Physical Graffiti in their discography), as while there are a few great tracks on the first side overall it has just never truly clicked with me as some of their other records have.

numbersix Pere Ubu, “Dub Housing”, 1978 - Despite knowing them by name, I can't say I'm familiar with any of their work. Kind of like a clash between Talking Heads and Pixies, this was very weird, but enjoyable stuff.

Ron Burgundy Daft Punk, "Human After All", 2005 - Again, further proof that this band could really crack out an additive tune or two.

transformers Jedi Mind Tricks, "Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell", 2006 - A nice backdrop to lyrics which I actually stopped for a second to actually listen to. Still not a fan of the hip hop genre on the whole, but as things go this is an area of the genre I can certainly abide and appreciate, it was catchy with lyrics which seem to for once have meaning.

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by transformers2 »

Ah Sum 41, Good memories with that record.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by numbersix »

Ozzy: Bonus points for nostalgia. My brother was a huge fan and decorated his room with those bizarre camp-horror covers.

Geez: I think I actually might have a problem with misspelled band names, I never seem to the dig them (with the exception of one knowingly ironic exception).

Leetsu: These guys really didn't do a whole lot for me. As a pub band, perhaps I might have fun, but in studio they just don't stand out.

NSpan: I quite admired those songs. The latter kinda lost me towards the end, but it had some cool riffs.

Ron B: Robot Rock gets a little grating, but the second song was good.

SS: An iconic record. Hugely influential and a defining record for alternative rock. Good song choices too.

Tranny: While I truly appreciated that the lyrics were trying to deal with serious issues as opposed to being a serious issue itself, I felt that some of the samples, and thus the music, didn't impress much. A bit too poppy. But decent overall.

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by Buscemi »

I don't know which is worse: band names with numbers, esoteric band names or misspelled band names.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by Geezer »

Yeah, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin suck.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by silversurfer19 »

Album No.43

englishozzy
Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night"
, 2008

Image

Their previous outing, Because of the Times, were a band on top form but somehow managed to improve with this album. Much more commercially available but still keeping with the sound of the band I enjoy.

"Use Somebody"

"Notion"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT6mB8N24_g

Geezer
The Airborne Toxic Event, "All At Once"
, 2011

Image

1.All At Once – 5 stars
2.Numb – 5 stars
3.Changing – 4 stars
4.All For A Woman – 4 stars
5.It Doesn't Mean A Thing – 4 stars
6.The Kids Are Ready To Die – 4 stars
7.Welcome To Your Wedding Day – 4 stars
8.Half Of Something Else – 4 stars
9.Strange Girl – 4 stars
10.All I Ever Wanted – 5 stars
11.The Graveyard Near The House – 5 stars

The follow-up to their fabulous debut album continued everything that they showed on that record and even managed to improve upon it. The best album of 2011.

"All I Ever Wanted"

"Numb"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2fTAQ_bKuU

BleedBlackandGold
To Be Added At Later Date

Leestu
Lou Reed, “Transformer”
, 1972

Image

A classic album that is too good for the likes of me to put into words.

“Vicious”

“Satellite of Love”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5reyuzXis

NSpan
Frank Black, "Frank Black"
, 1993

Image

My two favorite Frank Black albums (this and Black Letter Days) fall so closely together on my list because my preference basically comes down to my mood. Two totally different records, but they're both great achievements. Though the Pixies were over, there's still a surf-rock vibe (Joey Santiago even shows up on guitar), but the sound is definitely a continuation of the "space rock" found on Trompe Le Monde. Though I'm not sure if that genre exists outside of the context, it's definitely apt: how else can you describe Frank Black's lyrical themes, dreamy compositions, and textured production? Eric Drew Feldman (of Captain Beefheart, PJ Harvey, Tripping Daisy, and Pere Ubu fame) contributed his trademark ethereal keyboards and studio wizardry, which helped Frank Black continue the Pixies' legacy while--at once--creating something new and unique. I assume everybody's familiar with the more well-known tracks (like Los Angeles, I Heard Ramona Sing, Hang On to Your Ego and Czar) so I picked two less likely songs to share:

Los Angeles
I Heard Ramona Sing
Hang On to Your Ego
Fu Manchu
Places Named After Numbers
Czar
Old Black Dawning
Ten Percenter
Brackish Boy
Two Spaces
Tossed
Parry the Wind High, Low
Adda Lee
Every Time I Go Around Here
Don't Ya Rile 'Em

"Ten Percenter"

"Places Named After Numbers"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW1nbALCBlk

numbersix
The Au Pairs, “Playing With A Different Sex”
, 1981

Image

One of the best aspects of post-punk was that it seemed to incorporate women more than most genres (outside of the manufactured male-gaze sexuality of modern pop and RnB). And with that brought entirely different views to what we’re actually used to hearing.

This female led group employed sharp guitar sounds and a dominant rhythm while Lesley Woods sang stories of frayed and hypocritical sexual politics. It’s no wonder she has become an immigration lawyer. My favourite song has to be the still edgy Come Again, in which the female character is bored by her man’s obsession with giving her orgasms, the irony being his interest in her pleasure is actually still self-interest. This brilliantly subverts the chauvinistic idea that being sexually talented means anything. Oh, and the music is pretty good too.

Other songs deal with abuse in women’s prisons, self-denial in an open relationship, and the general trappings of domesticity within regular relationships. While lyrically liberating, it’s the grove of the music, which is surprisingly funky at times, which really draws you in.

"It’s Obvious"

"Come Again"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZSRWIxse_I

Ron Burgundy
The Police, "Synchronicity"
, 1983

Image

"Synchronicity II"

"Every Breath You Take"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs

silversurfer
Nick Drake, "Pink Moon"
, 1972

Image

A stark and bleak affair, Pink Moon was ultimately Nick Drake's final record, and for me at least with it's "No Frills" approach to the sound, it is his best. Harnessing just his voice and a guitar, the record is a sobering and haunting one, as his delicate, whispering voice evokes the rawness of his songwriting at it's best. Not to say Five Leaves Left or Bryter Later are bad records, just that by stripping everything back to basics I always felt this record exposed Drake's soul. It's a very atmospheric record, with Drake's soft croon beautifully complementing his guitar strum - which almost seems to dance over the strings, but while at first it seems a very depressing record - especially considering his apparent suicide which would follow, there are certainly uplifting moments on here, notably on "Road". So perhaps Drake had found that peace he had been long searching for? Either way, what we are left with is one of the most beautiful record you will ever hear.

"Things Behind The Sun"

"Place To Be"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUqN9ozmhw

transformers
Children of Bodom, "Hate Crew Death Roll"
, 2003

Image

"Needled 24/7"

"Triple Corpse Hammerblow"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ9nZqQOKfA

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by numbersix »

Ozzy: Never been a huge fan of these blokes, but it's not painful to listen to.

Geez: I never like it when stadium rock bands employ strings in their songs. It always feels pompous. The second song was better though.

Leetsu: This is a great record, and perhaps Lou's poppiest album. Some really great songs (though I prefer the version of Satellite he recorded with the Velvets) here, including the iconic Perfect Day. Bowie's presence deserves noting, as he really influence the sound.

NSpan: Following on from your response to our thoughts on the last Frank Black album, I guess I stayed away from Frank's solo stuff because there is a fairly accurate theory that solo artists rarely are as good as the act they become known for. And I never heard much from his solo stuff that I've enjoyed (though I do like that Frank Black Francis compilation!). The first song felt a bit like a sub-standard song that never made it onto Trompe, but the second song was great. But overall I preferred the other Black album, as there's a sort of distancing from his past.

Ron B: Never liked The Police. They have one or two listenable singles, but for the most part they sound like a band who ignored the late 70s and kept the more annoying elements of prog alive!

SS: A really great guitar album. Drake really made some beautiful tunes. Interestingly, while you feel the solo guitar approach opened up his music, I feel it was a tiny bit limiting, and so my favourite record of his is Five Leaves Left. But they're all really good.

Tranny: I think I dislike modern metal. It always sounds as if they've nowhere to go besides making the vocals really raw and grating.

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by silversurfer19 »

Album No.43

englishozzy Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night", 2008 - I really, truly dislike the direction the band took with this record. It was indeed a very commercial attempt to broaden their audience, mainly to teenage girls I feel, and it really affected the quality of their music. Give me anything from their first couple of records over this anyday, as they certainly have the quality, it's just I really don't like the direction they have veered off onto.

Geezer The Airborne Toxic Event, "All At Once", 2011 - Like six I much preferred the second song, the first just sounded a little too much like it was the production of an MTV commercial. Much prefer their debut over what I've heard here.

Leestu Lou Reed, “Transformer”, 1972 - I think sometimes I underestimate the quality of this record. I picked it up about 8 years ago and listened to it a lot. But then I stopped for some reason, maybe I'd over played it, but it all felt a little too familiar. But looking at it again, it is a fantastic record with song after song of hits.

NSpan Frank Black, "Frank Black", 1993 - Ok, you've won me over, I have to get me some Frank Black solo records. Loved both of those songs, they did indeed have many elements on show on Trompe Le Monde, and that's a very good thing, can't believe I've dismissed this work all these years.

numbersix The Au Pairs, “Playing With A Different Sex”, 1981 - Very interesting, sounded a little like a cross between Television and Gang Of Four - so naturally, what have I been doing ignoring these!

Ron Burgundy The Police, "Synchronicity", 1983 - Man, that was the 80s on the first track! Big hair, big, expensive music videos and bucket loads of pomposity. It was all a bit too much really. The Police did craft a few decent songs, notably Message In A Bottle and Every Breath I Take, but overall they just never really appealed, either as a kid or now.

transformers Children of Bodom, "Hate Crew Death Roll", 2003 - Pretty decent driving riffs, but as usual vocals didn't appeal and the songs didn't really offer much else.

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by NSpan »

I know I'm way behind on my responses, but I haven't stopped listening--and there have been some great picks over the last few days. I'll try to catch up when I can.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by NSpan »

numbersix wrote:there is a fairly accurate theory that solo artists rarely are as good as the act they become known for.
Yes; abundant are the examples of rock stars attempting to cash in on their former glories (and the quality of the work declining as a result).

However, Frank Black is a fairly unique case--and a clear exception to your theory, in my opinion. At this point, his solo output has completely dwarfed his work with the Pixies. That band released 4 LPs over the span of 4 years. Meanwhile, Frank Black has released more than 20 full albums in a solo career that has lasted over 20 years. That is 5x the output. Now, quantity certainly doesn't necessarily equate to quality... but if you think the guy EVER had talent, it'd be an odd choice to dismiss 80% of his work because of an assumption.

That's like refusing to acknowledge Neil Young's first 10 albums because you happen to be a fan of Buffalo Springfield's 3-album career.

Or Elliot Smith because you liked Heat Miser.
Or Janis Jopin from Big Brother & the Holding Company.
Or Michael Jackson from the Jackson Five.
etc.
etc.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by NSpan »

englishozzy Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night", 2008
These guys have a big following back in Austin. It's probably about time that I finally give 'em a listen. Where do you suggest starting?

Geezer The Airborne Toxic Event, "All At Once", 2011
I described the clips from the first album as "self-conscious" (resulting in an anthemic sound that bordered on bombastic). But I can't apply those terms to these newer songs. Perhaps a result of more confident songwriting? Usually the "sophomore slump" is problematic with bands that experience a big debut, but that doesn't appear to be the case here. Good stuff.

Leestu Lou Reed, “Transformer”, 1972
Taken on its own, I love Lou Reed's solo career. But I was a VU fan long before I explored the solo stuff. So many of these early songs were recycled from band outtakes/rarities. When I compare the two, I consistently prefer the immediacy and rawness of the VU version. That was a problem on his self-titled debut, but I think Transformer marks a significant turning point where Lou established his solo identity (with plenty of help from David Bowie). I see a lot of similarities between this and Iggy Pop's debut (also produced by Bowie).

numbersix The Au Pairs, “Playing With A Different Sex”, 1981
You had already won me over with their appearance on that post-punk compilation album. These chicks rock.

Ron Burgundy The Police, "Synchronicity", 1983
The first track was blocked by YouTube, but I found another copy. I definitely preferred it to just about every other Police song I know (it was pretty good, in fact), but I still don't entirely get the appeal of the band overall.

silversurfer Nick Drake, "Pink Moon", 1972
If I recall, Wes Anderson provided my introduction to Nick Drake's music. And I believe he made a couple of appearances in the Top Songs countdown. I've been meaning to pick this record up for a long time.

transformers Children of Bodom, "Hate Crew Death Roll", 2003
As I've mentioned, nearly all of your picks carry at least some appeal to me--but there's consistently some element of the presentation that turns me off and prevents me from really getting into it. I actually thought this was a notable step closer to the balance I've been looking for.
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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by silversurfer19 »

Awaiting no.42 picks from ozzy, NSpan and tranny.

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Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #6) #50-#4

Post by NSpan »

silversurfer19 wrote:Awaiting no.42 picks from ozzy, NSpan and tranny.
I'm currently preparing the spreadshee--er, um... my song selection.

(Just trying to find a way to incorporate a chart into my album description!)
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