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Josef K · 11-28-2014, 10:09 AM

Some mini-reviews... before I begin, here's my rating scheme, copied from Pink_Rolling_Zeppelin on RYM:

Perfect - ★★★★★
Nearly perfect - ★★★★½
Exceptional - ★★★★
Very good - ★★★½
Good - ★★★
Decent - ★★½
Mediocre - ★★
Bad - ★½
Quite bad - ★
Utter **** - ½

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Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk (1967)

I dig this. I don't love it and it gets sort of old by the end, but it's some really solid stuff.

Track pick: "Sure 'Nuff 'N' Yes, I Do"

3/5

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Nico - Chelsea Girl (1967)

Apparently Nico hated the production on this album, and it's easy to see why. Her voice, awkward and unsubtle (probably because of the accent), kind of grates against the strings and flutes - this reminds me of nothing so much as early Belle & Sebastian with a female vocalist and a smoother string section. If anything, though, that makes it a more interesting listen in terms of the way the vocals interact with the instrumentation. The songs get a little samey by the end - although, this may be my dad's influence talking, but I do think Jackson Browne is a great songwriter. Also, I appreciate the more avant-garde stuff ("It Was a Pleasure Then") more in theory than in practice and I think it could benefit from some percussion.

Track pick: "I'll Keep It With Mine"

2.5/5

I'll have more later today, probably.

11-28-2014, 10:09 AM	#31 (permalink)
Josef K A Jew on a motorbike! Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 800	Some mini-reviews... before I begin, here's my rating scheme, copied from Pink_Rolling_Zeppelin on RYM: Perfect - ★★★★★ Nearly perfect - ★★★★½ Exceptional - ★★★★ Very good - ★★★½ Good - ★★★ Decent - ★★½ Mediocre - ★★ Bad - ★½ Quite bad - ★ Utter ** - ½ ---------------------------------------- Captain Beefheart** - Safe as Milk (1967) I dig this. I don't love it and it gets sort of old by the end, but it's some really solid stuff. Track pick: "Sure 'Nuff 'N' Yes, I Do" 3/5 ---------------------------------------- Nico - Chelsea Girl (1967) Apparently Nico hated the production on this album, and it's easy to see why. Her voice, awkward and unsubtle (probably because of the accent), kind of grates against the strings and flutes - this reminds me of nothing so much as early Belle & Sebastian with a female vocalist and a smoother string section. If anything, though, that makes it a more interesting listen in terms of the way the vocals interact with the instrumentation. The songs get a little samey by the end - although, this may be my dad's influence talking, but I do think Jackson Browne is a great songwriter. Also, I appreciate the more avant-garde stuff ("It Was a Pleasure Then") more in theory than in practice and I think it could benefit from some percussion. Track pick: "I'll Keep It With Mine" 2.5/5 I'll have more later today, probably.