1001 Albums Generator

[Radiation]

Sept 11, 2024 11:32:07 GMT -5 escapedfromthevalley said:

I spent my whole life thinking Tangerine Dream was an adult contemporary soundscapes band for yoga-moms. Phaedra came up today and I love it! It's like a sci-fi/horror soundtrack and now I can;t help but think this is where Blood Incantation steal all their synths parts from.

They're 100% influenced by Tangerine Dream

[jeanxseberg]

Sept 23, 2024 16:04:26 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Mar 26, 2024 11:28:49 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Even less winners this time lol

Day 21 - Aerosmith (Rocks) 1/5 - Guantanamo Bay torture 
Day 22 - Earth Wind & Fire (That's The Way Of The World) 3/5 - honestly not much of a disco record, it's pretty boring and ballad heavy not their best but the musicianship is still top notch
Day 23 - Christina Aguilera (Stripped) 4/5 - finally some good fucking food
Day 24 - Count Basie & His Orchestra (The Atomic Mr Basie) 3/5 - not necessarily my kind of thing but pretty dope how punk and energetic this was for like a 1950s swing record which at the time was becoming a predominantly white subgenre of jazz and was just like stuffy elevator music so I'm glad I finally heard it
Day 25 - Rush (Moving Pictures) 1/5 - more Guantanamo Bay torture 

Day 26 - Buck Owens (I've Got A Tiger By The Tail) 3/5 - This is the kind of stuff I sighned up for when I started this listening challenge, as I would've NEVER listened to it otherwise. I'm glad I did. I didn't find a new record I'll be listening to often, but I still enjoyed the ride

Day 27 - David Ackles (American Gothic) 3/5 - Day 27 and it's the first artist I've truly never heard of, not even in passing. Very sappy at times, and a bit challenging to sit through, as it feels very intentionally 'weird', but I like it! It almost reminds me of '70s David Bowie at times -- I'm glad I finally came across an artist here I've never heard of

Day 28 - Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) 3/5 - Some very good songwriting here but I doubt I'll ever come back to it. Also why is every song about sixteen year olds

Day 29 - The Beatles (Abbey Road) 4/5 - It's a banger what can I say. Not my favorite Beatles record but you can never make me a Beatles hater. I was way into them in high school and I still really like them today.

Day 30 - Django Django (s/t) 2/5 - Self indulgent zany landfill indie garbage. Cannot believe this shit is on this list but Liquid Liquid isn't. It's fine but it's ridiculous and says a lot about the listmakers' lack of knowledge that this dogshit made it but very little from the New York no wave scene did, which is what it keeps reminding me of (but bad). This isn't an essential record, it's corny and already sounds of its time

Day 31 - U2 (The Joshua Tree) 3/5 - Perfectly inoffensive. I was really expecting to dislike this a lot more, I guess because usually something being inoffensive can really piss me off, and also because my understanding of U2 was that at their best (when they first started out) they sounded like a lesser Echo and the Bunnymen to me and at their worst they're just really whiny and indulgent and bad. But the latter half of this record redeems it. The last three songs especially I liked. Jury is out on whether I'd ever come back to them but the latter half of this record was worth the listen.

Day 32 - Sly & The Family Stone (Stand!) 2/5 - I wish I liked this more but it was tedious to listen to, especially the 14-minute Sex Machine... I'm glad I gave it a listen but I think it feels more like a historical relic than something that still feels energetic today... feels more like easy listening than I expected considering how much I associated it with being a time capsule of that late '60s San Francisco hippie era.

Day 33 - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cosmo's Factory) 4/5 - This is cool as hell. Honestly, it will probably grow on me to a 5/5, because I keep coming back to it when I think about records I've actually got a lot out of since I started this. I enjoyed every minute of the 11 minute cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", until now The Slits did my favorite cover of that song but I think I might actually like this one even more? Will definitely listen to other CCR albums now this had no business being so good

Day 34 - The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde) 4/5 - I really wish these '90s hip hop records had less skits as filler and for this one especially I wish the humor wasn't so middle school but no complaints because it's still so good, no filler (apart from all the skits...) will definitely come back to this

Day 35 - Taylor Swift (evermore) 2/5 - I like willow and no body, no crime. The rest of the songs are very solid and well-crafted songwriting but reaffirm every apinion I already had about Taylor Swift, which is that even at her best her music is really detached and bland and makes no artistic decisions that aren't incredibly conservative and extremely calculated. I listened to a James Taylor record for this challenge so far and absolutely hated it and found it corny, so I guess it's really unsurprising that Taylor Swift is named after James Taylor. This is supposed to be one of her more "serious" records but even for all the bacon and moustache wax millennial pandering it's trying to do it still blows

[escapedfromthevalley]

Bums me out anytime someone doesn't like Sly and Family Stone, but Stand is not their strongest release. Riot and Fresh are both nonstop bangers.

I've been on a rough run the last couple weeks. Outside of the first Skynyrd record that I unexpectedly LOVED front to back, it's been a lot of garbage, or things that just don't hold my interest:

Derek and The Dominoes - Fuck Eric Clapton and his tragically white approach to blues
Moby - Not for me at all
Sabres of Paradise - British EDM that I wish remained unknown to me
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Music was sick, but I hate Janis Joplin's vocals
Jack White - OK at first but as it progresses just becomes annoying

The one weird standout was the first Iggy Pop album, The Idiot. Never heard it before and didn't realize it's entirely a Bowie album that he lets Iggy do vocals on. Front half sounds like the answer to the unasked question "What if David Bowie produced a Devo album?" I didn't love it, but it was interesting as hell and had replay value to me.

Today was album #153 for me!

[jeanxseberg]

Sept 27, 2024 13:46:30 GMT -5 escapedfromthevalley said:

Bums me out anytime someone doesn't like Sly and Family Stone, but Stand is not their strongest release. Riot and Fresh are both nonstop bangers.

I've been on a rough run the last couple weeks. Outside of the first Skynyrd record that I unexpectedly LOVED front to back, it's been a lot of garbage, or things that just don't hold my interest:

Derek and The Dominoes - Fuck Eric Clapton and his tragically white approach to blues
Moby - Not for me at all
Sabres of Paradise - British EDM that I wish remained unknown to me
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Music was sick, but I hate Janis Joplin's vocals
Jack White - OK at first but as it progresses just becomes annoying

The one weird standout was the first Iggy Pop album, The Idiot. Never heard it before and didn't realize it's entirely a Bowie album that he lets Iggy do vocals on. Front half sounds like the answer to the unasked question "What if David Bowie produced a Devo album?" I didn't love it, but it was interesting as hell and had replay value to me.

Today was album #153 for me!

I really like Janis Joplin's vocals but I get why it's an acquired taste. Only the first two records have her as a vocalist so maybe you'll like the second two more.

[jeanxseberg]

Sept 27, 2024 13:19:30 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Sept 23, 2024 16:04:26 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 26 - Buck Owens (I've Got A Tiger By The Tail) 3/5 - This is the kind of stuff I sighned up for when I started this listening challenge, as I would've NEVER listened to it otherwise. I'm glad I did. I didn't find a new record I'll be listening to often, but I still enjoyed the ride

Day 27 - David Ackles (American Gothic) 3/5 - Day 27 and it's the first artist I've truly never heard of, not even in passing. Very sappy at times, and a bit challenging to sit through, as it feels very intentionally 'weird', but I like it! It almost reminds me of '70s David Bowie at times -- I'm glad I finally came across an artist here I've never heard of

Day 28 - Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) 3/5 - Some very good songwriting here but I doubt I'll ever come back to it. Also why is every song about sixteen year olds

Day 29 - The Beatles (Abbey Road) 4/5 - It's a banger what can I say. Not my favorite Beatles record but you can never make me a Beatles hater. I was way into them in high school and I still really like them today.

Day 30 - Django Django (s/t) 2/5 - Self indulgent zany landfill indie garbage. Cannot believe this shit is on this list but Liquid Liquid isn't. It's fine but it's ridiculous and says a lot about the listmakers' lack of knowledge that this dogshit made it but very little from the New York no wave scene did, which is what it keeps reminding me of (but bad). This isn't an essential record, it's corny and already sounds of its time

Day 31 - U2 (The Joshua Tree) 3/5 - Perfectly inoffensive. I was really expecting to dislike this a lot more, I guess because usually something being inoffensive can really piss me off, and also because my understanding of U2 was that at their best (when they first started out) they sounded like a lesser Echo and the Bunnymen to me and at their worse they're just really whiny and indulgent and bad. But the latter half of this record redeems it. The last three songs especially I liked. Jury is out on whether I'd ever come back to them but the latter half of this record was worth the listen.

Day 32 - Sly & The Family Stone (Stand!) 2/5 - I wish I liked this more but it was tedious to listen to, especially the 14-minute Sex Machine... I'm glad I gave it a listen but I think it feels more like a historical relic than something that still feels energetic today... feels more like easy listening than a time capsule of that late '60s San Francisco hippie era.

Day 33 - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cosmo's Factory) 4/5 - This is cool as hell. Honestly, it will probably grow on me to a 5/5, because I keep coming back to it when I think about records I've actually got a lot out of since I started this. I enjoyed every minute of the 11 minute cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", until now The Slits did my favorite cover of that song but I think I might actually like this one even more? Will definitely listen to other CCR albums now this had no business being so good

Day 34 - The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde)
 4/5 - I really wish these '90s hip hop records had less skits as filler and for this one especially I wish the humor wasn't so middle school but no complaints because it's still so good, no filler (apart from all the skits...) will definitely come back to this

Day 35 - Taylor Swift (evermore) 2/5 - I like willow and no body, no crime. The rest of the songs are very solid and well-crafted songwriting but reaffirm every apinion I already had about Taylor Swift, which is that even at her best her music is really detached and bland and makes no artistic decisions that aren't incredibly conservative and extremely calculated. I listened to a James Taylor record for this challenge so far and absolutely hated it and found it corny, so I guess it's really unsurprising that Taylor Swift is named after James Taylor. This is supposed to be one of her more "serious" records but even for all the bacon and moustache wax millennial pandering it's trying to do it still blows

Day 36 - Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II) 1/5 - I hate Led Zeppelin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was fucking boring and shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hated every moment of this shitass record

Day 37 - Def Leppard (Pyromania) 2/5 - I already knew I wasn't gonna like this because for the most part I really hate anything to do with hard rock or hair metal with a burning passion I did like two songs from this, Too Late For Love and Foolin’ and the rest was painful to sit through

Day 38 - Neil Young (Tonight's The Night) 3/5 - This was pretty cool. "Albuquerque" and "Tired Eyes" especially stood out to me. I saw Neil Young when I was 19 but wasn't really in a place at the time to fully appreciate what he was doing. Not all of this speaks to me but it doesn't ever drag on, and it's really good songwriting. Honestly, Neil Young sounds so much like Stephen Malkmus to me, I didn't realize how similar their vocals were until this record. I listened to it twice and could tell I would really like it if I was in the right mood, so I'll revisit this later when I'm in a particularly melancholic self-pitying mood.

Day 39 - Leftfield (Leftism) 2/5 - I didn't get a lot out of this at all. The second half of this is definitely more energetic than the first but for the most part I found this to be just really mid-tempo and disaffected, I also can't tell if it's a Seinfeld effect type thing where maybe this was massively influential or if it is just literally straight up bland. It reminded me of generic runway show music, generic video game loading screen music, generic gay club music. I'm not surprised Leftfield doesn't like it either.

Day 40 - Elliott Smith (Either/Or) 4/5 - Still hits as hard as when I cried to it in high school what can I say a certified hood classic

[jeanxseberg]

Sept 29, 2024 13:53:40 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Sept 27, 2024 13:19:30 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 31 - U2 (The Joshua Tree) 3/5 - Perfectly inoffensive. I was really expecting to dislike this a lot more, I guess because usually something being inoffensive can really piss me off, and also because my understanding of U2 was that at their best (when they first started out) they sounded like a lesser Echo and the Bunnymen to me and at their worse they're just really whiny and indulgent and bad. But the latter half of this record redeems it. The last three songs especially I liked. Jury is out on whether I'd ever come back to them but the latter half of this record was worth the listen.

Day 32 - Sly & The Family Stone (Stand!) 2/5 - I wish I liked this more but it was tedious to listen to, especially the 14-minute Sex Machine... I'm glad I gave it a listen but I think it feels more like a historical relic than something that still feels energetic today... feels more like easy listening than a time capsule of that late '60s San Francisco hippie era.

Day 33 - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Cosmo's Factory) 4/5 - This is cool as hell. Honestly, it will probably grow on me to a 5/5, because I keep coming back to it when I think about records I've actually got a lot out of since I started this. I enjoyed every minute of the 11 minute cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", until now The Slits did my favorite cover of that song but I think I might actually like this one even more? Will definitely listen to other CCR albums now this had no business being so good

Day 34 - The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde)
 4/5 - I really wish these '90s hip hop records had less skits as filler and for this one especially I wish the humor wasn't so middle school but no complaints because it's still so good, no filler (apart from all the skits...) will definitely come back to this

Day 35 - Taylor Swift (evermore) 2/5 - I like willow and no body, no crime. The rest of the songs are very solid and well-crafted songwriting but reaffirm every apinion I already had about Taylor Swift, which is that even at her best her music is really detached and bland and makes no artistic decisions that aren't incredibly conservative and extremely calculated. I listened to a James Taylor record for this challenge so far and absolutely hated it and found it corny, so I guess it's really unsurprising that Taylor Swift is named after James Taylor. This is supposed to be one of her more "serious" records but even for all the bacon and moustache wax millennial pandering it's trying to do it still blows

Day 36 - Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II) 1/5 - I hate Led Zeppelin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was fucking boring and shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hated every moment of this shitass record

Day 37 - Def Leppard (Pyromania) 2/5 - I already knew I wasn't gonna like this because for the most part I really hate anything to do with hard rock or hair metal with a burning passion I did like two songs from this, Too Late For Love and Foolin’ and the rest was painful to sit through

Day 38 - Neil Young (Tonight's The Night) 3/5 - This was pretty cool. "Albuquerque" and "Tired Eyes" especially stood out to me. I saw Neil Young when I was 19 but wasn't really in a place at the time to fully appreciate what he was doing. Not all of this speaks to me but it doesn't ever drag on, and it's really good songwriting. Honestly, Neil Young sounds so much like Stephen Malkmus to me, I didn't realize how similar their vocals were until this record. I listened to it twice and could tell I would really like it if I was in the right mood, so I'll revisit this later when I'm in a particularly melancholic self-pitying mood.

Day 39 - Leftfield (Leftism) 2/5 - I didn't get a lot out of this at all. The second half of this is definitely more energetic than the first but for the most part I found this to be just really mid-tempo and disaffected, I also can't tell if it's a Seinfeld effect type thing where maybe this was massively influential or if it is just literally straight up bland. It reminded me of generic runway show music, generic video game loading screen music, generic gay club music. I'm not surprised Leftfield doesn't like it either.

Day 40 - Elliott Smith (Either/Or) 4/5 - Still hits as hard as when I cried to it in high school what can I say a certified hood classic

Day 41 - Common (Like Water For Chocolate) 4/5 - The first half hour or so of this was kind of a drag (and this is too long of a record -- it's an hour and twen'ty minutes long) but everything that comes after makes me get why it's a classic. The lyrics are pretty dated and homophobic but I'll come back to it

Day 42 - Norah Jones (Come Away With Me) 3/5 - Generic Starbucks easy listening music but I unapologetically like it. It's some bullshit I can put in the background while I answer emails and that's fine, I enjoyed it as that. There were some pretty groovy bass lines in here too.

Day 43 - The Black Keys (Brothers) 1/5 - An hour worth of primetime TV commercials... the soundtrack to the death of mainstream guitar music

Day 44 - The Electric Prunes (s/t) 2/5 - Not bad weirdo psychedelic freak rock but pretty cheesy and forgettable, I don't think I'll ever listen to this again

Day 45 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus) 3/5 - I really like Nick Cave but this isn't even close to his best. It's pretty indulgent with all the backup chorus vocals and in general feels mostly filler. I think this is an album only for the diehards, which is fine because I'm a fan of his but it begs the question why it's on this list?

[Mr. Dingle Foot]

Big fan of the reviews, Jean. Keep it up!

[bravecaptain]

jeanxseberg how da fuck did Lookout Joe, off of Tonight’s The Night not blow your mind

[jeanxseberg]

Oct 3, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Sept 29, 2024 13:53:40 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 36 - Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II) 1/5 - I hate Led Zeppelin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was fucking boring and shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hated every moment of this shitass record

Day 37 - Def Leppard (Pyromania) 2/5 - I already knew I wasn't gonna like this because for the most part I really hate anything to do with hard rock or hair metal with a burning passion I did like two songs from this, Too Late For Love and Foolin’ and the rest was painful to sit through

Day 38 - Neil Young (Tonight's The Night) 3/5 - This was pretty cool. "Albuquerque" and "Tired Eyes" especially stood out to me. I saw Neil Young when I was 19 but wasn't really in a place at the time to fully appreciate what he was doing. Not all of this speaks to me but it doesn't ever drag on, and it's really good songwriting. Honestly, Neil Young sounds so much like Stephen Malkmus to me, I didn't realize how similar their vocals were until this record. I listened to it twice and could tell I would really like it if I was in the right mood, so I'll revisit this later when I'm in a particularly melancholic self-pitying mood.

Day 39 - Leftfield (Leftism) 2/5 - I didn't get a lot out of this at all. The second half of this is definitely more energetic than the first but for the most part I found this to be just really mid-tempo and disaffected, I also can't tell if it's a Seinfeld effect type thing where maybe this was massively influential or if it is just literally straight up bland. It reminded me of generic runway show music, generic video game loading screen music, generic gay club music. I'm not surprised Leftfield doesn't like it either.

Day 40 - Elliott Smith (Either/Or) 4/5 - Still hits as hard as when I cried to it in high school what can I say a certified hood classic

Day 41 - Common (Like Water For Chocolate) 4/5 - The first half hour or so of this was kind of a drag (and this is too long of a record -- it's an hour and twen'ty minutes long) but everything that comes after makes me get why it's a classic. The lyrics are pretty dated and homophobic but I'll come back to it

Day 42 - Norah Jones (Come Away With Me) 3/5 - Generic Starbucks easy listening music but I unapologetically like it. It's some bullshit I can put in the background while I answer emails and that's fine, I enjoyed it as that. There were some pretty groovy bass lines in here too.

Day 43 - The Black Keys (Brothers) 1/5 - An hour worth of primetime TV commercials... the soundtrack to the death of mainstream guitar music

Day 44 - The Electric Prunes (s/t) 2/5 - Not bad weirdo psychedelic freak rock but pretty cheesy and forgettable, I don't think I'll ever listen to this again

Day 45 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus) 3/5 - I really like Nick Cave but this isn't even close to his best. It's pretty indulgent with all the backup chorus vocals and in general feels mostly filler. I think this is an album only for the diehards, which is fine because I'm a fan of his but it begs the question why it's on this list?

Day 46 - Pet Shop Boys (Very) 3/5 - Very unapologetically annoying and cheesy and gay, but still a vibe. I really like bands like Erasure so a lukewarm Pet Shop Boys record isn't a hard sell for me.

Day 47 - The Who (Tommy) 2/5 - God, this was pretty unbearable at times. I can't believe how hard I've forced myself to like Tommy. When I was in high school and was obsessed with bands like The Jam and The Specials (definitely flirting with punk without being outright fully into punk yet) and dressed like a little mod revivalist I really wanted to 'get' The Who in turn, I've even seen them live in their geriatric age. And The Who Sell Out still is great to me. But Tommy is a rock opera and it can get really whiny and corny, as rock operas all do. It has its moments though.

Day 48 - Missy Elliott (Supa Dupa Fly) 4/5 - Love Missy. Love Timbaland. Love Aaliyah. Love this era of avant-garde freak hip-hop production so much. It's a little clunky and dated and it's not Timbaland's best production work, but it's weird as fuck and defined the sound of an entire decade of pop music that left a huge imprint on me, so it was a pleasure to listen to. Twice!

Day 49 - Baaba Maal (Djam Leelii) 3/5 - Finally something I would've never heard otherwise instead of fucking U2 and Aerosmith. I don't think I'd ever heard music from Senegal until now. This was kind of psychedelic, kind of blues-y, kind of... new age-y? I won't come back to it probably, but I'm glad I got to experience it. It is kind of long and droning and I just can't stand when any record is over an hour long, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.
I really liked the title track "Djam Leelii" especially.

Day 50 - Leonard Cohen (You Want It Darker) 3/5 - I like Leonard Cohen a lot. This was Leonard Cohen's last work, it came out a few weeks before he died. It's a record made by a man who's dying and who knows he's dying, and who's definitely come to peace with it, though certainly not in a serene and sugar-coated way. If most of the songs were as strong as the title track or Traveling Light were it'd get a 5, but I still got a lot out of the few tracks that really spoke to me. It's very heavy, ambient and atmospheric. Leonard Cohen's voice sounds like pure gravel, rich and thick and overwhelmingly matter-of-fact, like Tom Waits on steroids. It's not consistently strong all the way through, but it's a very, very beautiful last work to leave this world with.

[JDS]

Sept 29, 2024 13:53:40 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Sept 27, 2024 13:19:30 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 36 - Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II) 1/5 - I hate Led Zeppelin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Agreed.

[jeanxseberg]

Oct 8, 2024 10:55:19 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Oct 3, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 41 - Common (Like Water For Chocolate) 4/5 - The first half hour or so of this was kind of a drag (and this is too long of a record -- it's an hour and twen'ty minutes long) but everything that comes after makes me get why it's a classic. The lyrics are pretty dated and homophobic but I'll come back to it

Day 42 - Norah Jones (Come Away With Me) 3/5 - Generic Starbucks easy listening music but I unapologetically like it. It's some bullshit I can put in the background while I answer emails and that's fine, I enjoyed it as that. There were some pretty groovy bass lines in here too.

Day 43 - The Black Keys (Brothers) 1/5 - An hour worth of primetime TV commercials... the soundtrack to the death of mainstream guitar music

Day 44 - The Electric Prunes (s/t) 2/5 - Not bad weirdo psychedelic freak rock but pretty cheesy and forgettable, I don't think I'll ever listen to this again

Day 45 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus) 3/5 - I really like Nick Cave but this isn't even close to his best. It's pretty indulgent with all the backup chorus vocals and in general feels mostly filler. I think this is an album only for the diehards, which is fine because I'm a fan of his but it begs the question why it's on this list?

Day 46 - Pet Shop Boys (Very) 3/5 - Very unapologetically annoying and cheesy and gay, but still a vibe. I really like bands like Erasure so a lukewarm Pet Shop Boys record isn't a hard sell for me.

Day 47 - The Who (Tommy) 2/5 - God, this was pretty unbearable at times. I can't believe how hard I've forced myself to like Tommy. When I was in high school and was obsessed with bands like The Jam and The Specials (definitely flirting with punk without being outright fully into punk yet) and dressed like a little mod revivalist I really wanted to 'get' The Who in turn, I've even seen them live in their geriatric age. And The Who Sell Out still is great to me. But Tommy is a rock opera and it can get really whiny and corny, as rock operas all do. It has its moments though.

Day 48 - Missy Elliott (Supa Dupa Fly) 4/5 - Love Missy. Love Timbaland. Love Aaliyah. Love this era of avant-garde freak hip-hop production so much. It's a little clunky and dated and it's not Timbaland's best production work, but it's weird as fuck and defined the sound of an entire decade of pop music that left a huge imprint on me, so it was a pleasure to listen to. Twice!

Day 49 - Baaba Maal (Djam Leelii) 3/5 - Finally something I would've never heard otherwise instead of fucking U2 and Aerosmith. I don't think I'd ever heard music from Senegal until now. This was kind of psychedelic, kind of blues-y, kind of... new age-y? I won't come back to it probably, but I'm glad I got to experience it. It is kind of long and droning and I just can't stand when any record is over an hour long, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.
I really liked the title track "Djam Leelii" especially.

Day 50 - Leonard Cohen (You Want It Darker) 3/5 - I like Leonard Cohen a lot. This was Leonard Cohen's last work, it came out a few weeks before he died. It's a record made by a man who's dying and who knows he's dying, and who's definitely come to peace with it, though certainly not in a serene and sugar-coated way. If most of the songs were as strong as the title track or Traveling Light were it'd get a 5, but I still got a lot out of the few tracks that really spoke to me. It's very heavy, ambient and atmospheric. Leonard Cohen's voice sounds like pure gravel, rich and thick and overwhelmingly matter-of-fact, like Tom Waits on steroids. It's not consistently strong all the way through, but it's a very, very beautiful last work to leave this world with.

Day 51 - John Zorn (Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman) 4/5 - Cool guys doing cool guy shit I would definitely blow young John Zorn 👍

Day 52 - The Dictators (Go Girl Crazy) 5/5 - All killer no filler. Very dumb, snarky, sarcastic, camp, danceable: everything that punk music should be

Day 53 - John Lennon (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band) 3/5 - First three songs really made me think I would hate this because god John Lennon can be really fucking whiny but Working Class Hero is such a masterpiece of a song. I guess John Lennon is at his best when he's trying to sound like someone else because I love how Bob Dylan/Nick Drake that song is so much, it's incredible. And after that it picks up a bit and starts to sound more like a Beatles record, and I like the Beatles. I definitely don't regret listening to it, but it's also pretty forgettable too, save three tracks -- one of which left a huge impression on me, so there's that.

Day 54 - Jurassic 5 (Power In Numbers) 5/5 - Is this considered kinda corny now or a classic? Or both? I guess lyrical miracle rap and also just being sincere in general isn't that cool in 2024 (it wasn't very cool in 2002 either) but it really doesn't make Jurassic 5 any less good. "I Am Somebody" is very annoying and a skip but it's ok still a 5 for everything else

Day 55 - Miriam Makeba (s/t) 3/5 - Beautiful voice with a ton of range, doubt that it's something I'll realistically revisit. But I learned more about South African history through googling who she is, that counts for something. I also didn't realize she was the wife of Kwame Ture. Anyway, none of that has to do with the music -- I guess I'll file it under "glad I listened, but unlikely I will again"

[escapedfromthevalley]

Weird run lately:

Sufjan Stevens, Illinios 1/5 - This is god awful! It’s the musical equivalent of a basic college white girl. It’s ugg boots, leggings, and a puffy vest turned into music

Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends 3/5 - Usually not a fan of this duo and their style but this album was alright

Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers 4/5 - Straight forward blues inspired rock. Fuck yeah

Dagmar Krause, Tank Battles 2/5 - Sounds like showtunes. Nope

The Sugarcubes, Life's Too Good 4/5 - Blast from the past! Great pre-solo Björk with a post-punk/new wave sound

The Who, Tommy 3/5 - Lots of nostalgia hear from when I was a kid. Did not really hold up

Fatboy Slim, You've Come a Long Way Baby 3/5 - I think I just don't like listening to beats without someone rhyming over the top. Not bad, just boring

Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority - 4/5 - This mostly rocks. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is the overuse of horns

[jeanxseberg]

The 1/5 on Sufjan Stevens Illinois breaks my heart a little. I definitely get why because he's very sappy and indulgent but that record left a huge impression on my middle school Pitchfork baby hipster self! It was the first time I'd heard a concept album that wasn't some 60s rock opera type thing and I thought it was so cool.

Oct 13, 2024 23:26:07 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Oct 8, 2024 10:55:19 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 46 - Pet Shop Boys (Very) 3/5 - Very unapologetically annoying and cheesy and gay, but still a vibe. I really like bands like Erasure so a lukewarm Pet Shop Boys record isn't a hard sell for me.

Day 47 - The Who (Tommy) 2/5 - God, this was pretty unbearable at times. I can't believe how hard I've forced myself to like Tommy. When I was in high school and was obsessed with bands like The Jam and The Specials (definitely flirting with punk without being outright fully into punk yet) and dressed like a little mod revivalist I really wanted to 'get' The Who in turn, I've even seen them live in their geriatric age. And The Who Sell Out still is great to me. But Tommy is a rock opera and it can get really whiny and corny, as rock operas all do. It has its moments though.

Day 48 - Missy Elliott (Supa Dupa Fly) 4/5 - Love Missy. Love Timbaland. Love Aaliyah. Love this era of avant-garde freak hip-hop production so much. It's a little clunky and dated and it's not Timbaland's best production work, but it's weird as fuck and defined the sound of an entire decade of pop music that left a huge imprint on me, so it was a pleasure to listen to. Twice!

Day 49 - Baaba Maal (Djam Leelii) 3/5 - Finally something I would've never heard otherwise instead of fucking U2 and Aerosmith. I don't think I'd ever heard music from Senegal until now. This was kind of psychedelic, kind of blues-y, kind of... new age-y? I won't come back to it probably, but I'm glad I got to experience it. It is kind of long and droning and I just can't stand when any record is over an hour long, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.
I really liked the title track "Djam Leelii" especially.

Day 50 - Leonard Cohen (You Want It Darker) 3/5 - I like Leonard Cohen a lot. This was Leonard Cohen's last work, it came out a few weeks before he died. It's a record made by a man who's dying and who knows he's dying, and who's definitely come to peace with it, though certainly not in a serene and sugar-coated way. If most of the songs were as strong as the title track or Traveling Light were it'd get a 5, but I still got a lot out of the few tracks that really spoke to me. It's very heavy, ambient and atmospheric. Leonard Cohen's voice sounds like pure gravel, rich and thick and overwhelmingly matter-of-fact, like Tom Waits on steroids. It's not consistently strong all the way through, but it's a very, very beautiful last work to leave this world with.

Day 51 - John Zorn (Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman) 4/5 - Cool guys doing cool guy shit I would definitely blow young John Zorn 👍

Day 52 - The Dictators (Go Girl Crazy) 5/5 - All killer no filler. Very dumb, snarky, sarcastic, camp, danceable: everything that punk music should be

Day 53 - John Lennon (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band) 3/5 - First three songs really made me think I would hate this because god John Lennon can be really fucking whiny but Working Class Hero is such a masterpiece of a song. I guess John Lennon is at his best when he's trying to sound like someone else because I love how Bob Dylan/Nick Drake that song is so much, it's incredible. And after that it picks up a bit and starts to sound more like a Beatles record, and I like the Beatles. I definitely don't regret listening to it, but it's also pretty forgettable too, save three tracks -- one of which left a huge impression on me, so there's that.

Day 54 - Jurassic 5 (Power In Numbers) 5/5 - Is this considered kinda corny now or a classic? Or both? I guess lyrical miracle rap and also just being sincere in general isn't that cool in 2024 (it wasn't very cool in 2002 either) but it really doesn't make Jurassic 5 any less good. "I Am Somebody" is very annoying and a skip but it's ok still a 5 for everything else

Day 55 - Miriam Makeba (s/t) 3/5 - Beautiful voice with a ton of range, doubt that it's something I'll realistically revisit. But I learned more about South African history through googling who she is, that counts for something. I also didn't realize she was the wife of Kwame Ture. Anyway, none of that has to do with the music -- I guess I'll file it under "glad I listened, but unlikely I will again"

Day 56 - Bob Dylan (Blonde On Blonde) 2/5 - Very monotonous and just not for me. I really should give Blonde on Blonde a 1/5 but I am going to give it a 2 because I didn't actually like any of the songs but I do like the cadence of Bob Dylan's weird grating voice and his lyricism.

Day 57 - The Pogues (If I Should Fall From Grace With God) 1/5 - No.

Day 58 - scoot Walker (scoot 2) 5/5 - I actually love this so much. I was not prepared to like this at ALL. So melancholic, debaucherous, lustful, old-fashioned. Jacques Brel meets Frank Sinatra? I listened to it three times in a row and enjoyed it each time.

Day 59 - Manu Chao (Clandestino) 2/5 - Very unremarkable hotel lobby music but he has good politics so there's that? Idk nothing about this grabbed me at all but maybe if I was European and an annoying lefty dense nuggs of fat buds person in 2002 this would be a vibe

Day 60 - Spiritualized (Lazer Guided Melodies) 3/5 - I listened to this a couple of times because it was pretty easy to let it mentally fade to the background and I wanted to actually notice it. All I know from Spiritualized is "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space", which I do like, so I guess that was my only benchmark for what I expected from this debut of theirs. There is a good amount of that sound in this one, but this is also decidedly more jangly and shoegazey.

It reminds me a lot of the more mellow songs on Primal Scream's Screamadelica, particularly "I'm Coming Down". It was really pleasant to have on, and it definitely has an atmosphere around it, but apart from Shine A Light, which is probably the best Spiritualized song I've ever heard, the individual tracks are pretty forgettable. This is definitely an album you put on start to finish just for the mood it sets.

[escapedfromthevalley]

SPOILER: Click to show

Oct 18, 2024 13:35:27 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

The 1/5 on Sufjan Stevens Illinois breaks my heart a little. I definitely get why because he's very sappy and indulgent but that record left a huge impression on my middle school Pitchfork baby hipster self! It was the first time I'd heard a concept album that wasn't some 60s rock opera type thing and I thought it was so cool.

Oct 13, 2024 23:26:07 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

Day 51 - John Zorn (Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman) 4/5 - Cool guys doing cool guy shit I would definitely blow young John Zorn 👍

Day 52 - The Dictators (Go Girl Crazy) 5/5 - All killer no filler. Very dumb, snarky, sarcastic, camp, danceable: everything that punk music should be

Day 53 - John Lennon (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band) 3/5 - First three songs really made me think I would hate this because god John Lennon can be really fucking whiny but Working Class Hero is such a masterpiece of a song. I guess John Lennon is at his best when he's trying to sound like someone else because I love how Bob Dylan/Nick Drake that song is so much, it's incredible. And after that it picks up a bit and starts to sound more like a Beatles record, and I like the Beatles. I definitely don't regret listening to it, but it's also pretty forgettable too, save three tracks -- one of which left a huge impression on me, so there's that.

Day 54 - Jurassic 5 (Power In Numbers) 5/5 - Is this considered kinda corny now or a classic? Or both? I guess lyrical miracle rap and also just being sincere in general isn't that cool in 2024 (it wasn't very cool in 2002 either) but it really doesn't make Jurassic 5 any less good. "I Am Somebody" is very annoying and a skip but it's ok still a 5 for everything else

Day 55 - Miriam Makeba (s/t) 3/5 - Beautiful voice with a ton of range, doubt that it's something I'll realistically revisit. But I learned more about South African history through googling who she is, that counts for something. I also didn't realize she was the wife of Kwame Ture. Anyway, none of that has to do with the music -- I guess I'll file it under "glad I listened, but unlikely I will again"

Day 56 - Bob Dylan (Blonde On Blonde) 2/5 - Very monotonous and just not for me. I really should give Blonde on Blonde a 1/5 but I am going to give it a 2 because I didn't actually like any of the songs but I do like the cadence of Bob Dylan's weird grating voice and his lyricism.

Day 57 - The Pogues (If I Should Fall From Grace With God) 1/5 - No.

Day 58 - Scatt Walker (Scatt 2) 5/5 - I actually love this so much. I was not prepared to like this at ALL. So melancholic, debaucherous, lustful, old-fashioned. Jacques Brel meets Frank Sinatra? I listened to it three times in a row and enjoyed it each time.

Day 59 - Manu Chao (Clandestino) 2/5 - Very unremarkable hotel lobby music but he has good politics so there's that? Idk nothing about this grabbed me at all but maybe if I was European and an annoying lefty dense nuggs of fat buds person in 2002 this would be a vibe

Day 60 - Spiritualized (Lazer Guided Melodies) 3/5 - I listened to this a couple of times because it was pretty easy to let it mentally fade to the background and I wanted to actually notice it. All I know from Spiritualized is "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space", which I do like, so I guess that was my only benchmark for what I expected from this debut of theirs. There is a good amount of that sound in this one, but this is also decidedly more jangly and shoegazey.

It reminds me a lot of the more mellow songs on Primal Scream's Screamadelica, particularly "I'm Coming Down". It was really pleasant to have on, and it definitely has an atmosphere around it, but apart from Shine A Light, which is probably the best Spiritualized song I've ever heard, the individual tracks are pretty forgettable. This is definitely an album you put on start to finish just for the mood it sets.

THANK YOU for confirming all my feeling on The Pogues.

If it's any consolation, I got a lot of shit from bdg on my hatred of Sufjan Stevens as well. She gave me a better album to listen to but I have not gotten around to trying it yet

[captainsunshine]

I love Sufjan and will happily guide anyone on what to get into when it comes to his big ass output

[captainsunshine]

i fucking love that fool's music tbh

[bdg]

Oct 18, 2024 13:58:29 GMT -5 escapedfromthevalley said:

SPOILER: Click to show

Oct 18, 2024 13:35:27 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

The 1/5 on Sufjan Stevens Illinois breaks my heart a little. I definitely get why because he's very sappy and indulgent but that record left a huge impression on my middle school Pitchfork baby hipster self! It was the first time I'd heard a concept album that wasn't some 60s rock opera type thing and I thought it was so cool.

Day 56 - Bob Dylan (Blonde On Blonde) 2/5 - Very monotonous and just not for me. I really should give Blonde on Blonde a 1/5 but I am going to give it a 2 because I didn't actually like any of the songs but I do like the cadence of Bob Dylan's weird grating voice and his lyricism.

Day 57 - The Pogues (If I Should Fall From Grace With God) 1/5 - No.

Day 58 - Scatt Walker (Scatt 2) 5/5 - I actually love this so much. I was not prepared to like this at ALL. So melancholic, debaucherous, lustful, old-fashioned. Jacques Brel meets Frank Sinatra? I listened to it three times in a row and enjoyed it each time.

Day 59 - Manu Chao (Clandestino) 2/5 - Very unremarkable hotel lobby music but he has good politics so there's that? Idk nothing about this grabbed me at all but maybe if I was European and an annoying lefty dense nuggs of fat buds person in 2002 this would be a vibe

Day 60 - Spiritualized (Lazer Guided Melodies) 3/5 - I listened to this a couple of times because it was pretty easy to let it mentally fade to the background and I wanted to actually notice it. All I know from Spiritualized is "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space", which I do like, so I guess that was my only benchmark for what I expected from this debut of theirs. There is a good amount of that sound in this one, but this is also decidedly more jangly and shoegazey.

It reminds me a lot of the more mellow songs on Primal Scream's Screamadelica, particularly "I'm Coming Down". It was really pleasant to have on, and it definitely has an atmosphere around it, but apart from Shine A Light, which is probably the best Spiritualized song I've ever heard, the individual tracks are pretty forgettable. This is definitely an album you put on start to finish just for the mood it sets.

THANK YOU for confirming all my feeling on The Pogues.

If it's any consolation, I got a lot of shit from bdg on my hatred of Sufjan Stevens as well. She gave me a better album to listen to but I have not gotten around to trying it yet

I did do that. Biggggg sufjan fan he deserves zero hate

[floorpunchchalie]

Oct 18, 2024 14:07:35 GMT -5 captainsunshine said:

I love Sufjan and will happily guide anyone on what to get into when it comes to his big ass output

Carrie & Lowell is his best material. Listening to that record is an experience.

[johnny two cool]

gonna have to join in on this in 2025.

Glad the bergster dug scoot Walker. All his stuff is basically the best example of what it is.

[captainsunshine]

I got Tusk today, goddamn I love this album

[captainsunshine]

[captainsunshine]

muhfuckin Tusk

[jeanxseberg]

I got an Ella Fitzgerald box set today that is three hours and fifteen minutes long. Had to look it up online to make sure I wasn't thrown off by bonus tracks and no, it's actually that long. I like it so far, but come on man.

[captainsunshine]

if you skip even one track you ruin the entire figurative structural integrity of the project

[captainsunshine]

Ella NoSkipsgerald

[captainsunshine]

Today I got Stereo MC’s Connected. This is the first time in a long time in the project where I’m going in having no idea what the album is going to be like. I’ve always heard their name but don’t believe have heard a single song of theirs, or at least been aware of it. The album cover art looks terrible lol

[escapedfromthevalley]

Oct 22, 2024 7:52:52 GMT -5 captainsunshine said:

Today I got Stereo MC’s Connected. This is the first time in a long time in the project where I’m going in having no idea what the album is going to be like. I’ve always heard their name but don’t believe have heard a single song of theirs, or at least been aware of it. The album cover art looks terrible lol

I guess it depends on your age, but you'll probably recognize the song Connected at least because it was impossible to get away from for a while.

I've been through a bunch of things I either THINK I know what they sound like going in, and I'm totally wrong or I just don't recognize at all. The forced exposure is a good part of why I'm going through this. Honestly found a few things this way that I really like and probably wouldn't have just discovered any other way.

[escapedfromthevalley]

Damn, since I wen't back and actually looked, there are A LOT of artists I knew little or nothing about going in, but turned out I really like:

Supergrass
Jeff Buckley
CHIC
Dennis Wilson
Miriam Makeba
T. Rex
Janelle Monáe
Joan Armatrading
My Bloody Valentine
Fela Kuti
Ash
Mike Oldfield
Tangerine Dream
MC Solaar

[jeanxseberg]

Oct 21, 2024 13:35:23 GMT -5 jeanxseberg said:

I got an Ella Fitzgerald box set today that is three hours and fifteen minutes long. Had to look it up online to make sure I wasn't thrown off by bonus tracks and no, it's actually that long. I like it so far, but come on man.

Will take me a few days to get through this because I keep replaying songs over and over dancing in the kitchen by myself like I'm in a musical

[captainsunshine]

I am not a fan of Stereo MC’s upon first listen