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~~MicShazam~~ · 09-06-2017, 09:06 AM

I wrote down the six albums I listened to in a row yesterday so that I could write some notes about them later. Here they are:

Shannon Wright - Dyed in the Wool

I've heard two other albums of her's and they were both great, but this one quite possibly takes the cake. Just an amazing dark, gritty, melancholy vibe going on here. I will compare Wright to PJ Harvey, but I'm starting to think I like Wright better! The melodies, the textures, the song structures, the variety, the instrumentation, the vocals... It's just all so artfully handled and so interesting to listen to. Top drawer material, easily.

Judie Tzuke - Turning Stones

I seem to remember Trollheart saying this was one of his favorite Tzuke albums, and I see why! In some ways it is clearly stylistically different from the three other albums I have before this one (Sportscar, I Am the Phoenix and Shoot the Moon), yet much more in the vein of those than the last album I have (Left Hand Talking).

That latter album is pretty much an adult contemporary styled singer songwriter record, while all the rest are this very melodic style of 80's pop, complete with kinetic drum beats and lots of synths, guitars and bass lines.

Turning Stones feels set apart from the other albums in this style with its much cleaner, smoother production and in simply using different sounds. It somehow feels very much like the sort of thing Judie has done many times before, but at the same time completely fresh and rejuvenated.

Some of these tracks perhaps feel like they're made for a dance floor than anything she's done before.
Check out the first track of the album for an example.

"We'll Go Dreaming":

I'm actually not really into 80's pop, but Judie Tzuke kicks so much ass at this that I love it anyway.

The songs are generally very memorable, loaded with atmosphere and the album is pretty varied too. I had a very enjoyable ride my first time through this one.

I'm still not sure which Judie Tzuke album I like the most, but this one is certainly a candidate.

Helion Prime - [self titled]

I've been itching to hear all of this album for a while since I've been re-playing the single Life Finds a Way a million times over the last couple months. The album didn't disappoint!
It's a load of power metal of the less fruity variety, with more of a heavy metal feel. The singer is a woman with a fairly rich and strong voice and I'm actually a bit bummed that they already replaced her after this debut album came out just last year.
There's a vague sort of theme to the album, about exploring new worlds and such, but it doesn't feel like a concept album as such. There's 10 tracks on this and pretty much no duds. Lot's of catchy hooks, creative guitar solos and wild keyboard solos.
I feel like the album has really nice sound, but I still hope they find a guitar sound with a bit more character for the next album - which they're already working on by the way.
I don't buy many metal albums anymore, but this one convinved me. Can't beat a good song, and this album has plenty.

Bryan Ferry - Frantic

This is what I've usually considered the last Ferry album worth listening to. After this, he contracted a terminal case of boring and I didn't even consider the album all that strong. An album of a handful good songs and a handful or two of blandness.

This isn't exactly a new album in my collection. I've owned it for years. It had been a while since I last listened to it, so I thought that maybe a re-appraisal was in order, especially considering how I'm listening to a lot more low key music now than I used to (metal 24/7) and... lo and behold, now I found it to be pretty damn good all the way through! Even the Bob Dylan cover Goodnight Irene seemed appealing to me this time round, and I used to skip that one without any hesitation.

This just goes to show that our tastes in music aren't etched in stone. So, now I guess I'm actually going to recommend one of Bryan Ferry's "weakest albums"? I find it to be a very tasteful, nuanced piece of work with a lot of subtle character and flavor. There's even a good amount of variety on this.

Probably my current favorite off the album:

Nobody Loves Me:

Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart

I'm going to shorten things from here on so I can get through this today.
Basically, I dismissed as boring when I heard her music some time last year. Then I saw Ted Gioia recommend one of her albums on his personal blog, which I found early this year. I have found dozens of amazing music on his blog and respect his tastes quite a bit, so I thought that maybe I was just plain wrong and should try again. I did and... To my surprise, after a bit of time went by, I saw what's supposed to be so great about her.
Man, does this lady have character! She's so much fun to listen to once you get past the fairly been-there-done-that vocal jazz facade of it all. I especially love when she's scatting or otherwise livening things up vocally. Sultry is another adjective you can throw at her and not miss.
That she apparently walks with a cane in real life due to some bicycle accident just adds to her character.
Good album!

Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

I got my hands on this one a couple years ago or less and have loved it ever since. The story goes that Vashti released this way back in 1970. Her debut album barely sold any copies and she gave up on having a professional music career. Then, over the decades, her album became a sort of cult favorite. An album folk music fans would share with each other as being a true hidden gem. Now it's pretty much considered a must-listen. Vashti even came back with a couple new albums in 2005 and 2014 respectively and I must admit I haven't checked the out yet. But I will, because Just Another Diamond Day really is all it's made out to be.

Here's my favorite track.
Rose Hip November:

09-06-2017, 09:06 AM	#23 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	I wrote down the six albums I listened to in a row yesterday so that I could write some notes about them later. Here they are: Shannon Wright - Dyed in the Wool I've heard two other albums of her's and they were both great, but this one quite possibly takes the cake. Just an amazing dark, gritty, melancholy vibe going on here. I will compare Wright to PJ Harvey, but I'm starting to think I like Wright better! The melodies, the textures, the song structures, the variety, the instrumentation, the vocals... It's just all so artfully handled and so interesting to listen to. Top drawer material, easily. Judie Tzuke - Turning Stones I seem to remember Trollheart saying this was one of his favorite Tzuke albums, and I see why! In some ways it is clearly stylistically different from the three other albums I have before this one (Sportscar, I Am the Phoenix and Shoot the Moon), yet much more in the vein of those than the last album I have (Left Hand Talking). That latter album is pretty much an adult contemporary styled singer songwriter record, while all the rest are this very melodic style of 80's pop, complete with kinetic drum beats and lots of synths, guitars and bass lines. Turning Stones feels set apart from the other albums in this style with its much cleaner, smoother production and in simply using different sounds. It somehow feels very much like the sort of thing Judie has done many times before, but at the same time completely fresh and rejuvenated. Some of these tracks perhaps feel like they're made for a dance floor than anything she's done before. Check out the first track of the album for an example. "We'll Go Dreaming": I'm actually not really into 80's pop, but Judie Tzuke kicks so much ass at this that I love it anyway. The songs are generally very memorable, loaded with atmosphere and the album is pretty varied too. I had a very enjoyable ride my first time through this one. I'm still not sure which Judie Tzuke album I like the most, but this one is certainly a candidate. Helion Prime - [self titled] I've been itching to hear all of this album for a while since I've been re-playing the single Life Finds a Way a million times over the last couple months. The album didn't disappoint! It's a load of power metal of the less fruity variety, with more of a heavy metal feel. The singer is a woman with a fairly rich and strong voice and I'm actually a bit bummed that they already replaced her after this debut album came out just last year. There's a vague sort of theme to the album, about exploring new worlds and such, but it doesn't feel like a concept album as such. There's 10 tracks on this and pretty much no duds. Lot's of catchy hooks, creative guitar solos and wild keyboard solos. I feel like the album has really nice sound, but I still hope they find a guitar sound with a bit more character for the next album - which they're already working on by the way. I don't buy many metal albums anymore, but this one convinved me. Can't beat a good song, and this album has plenty. Bryan Ferry - Frantic This is what I've usually considered the last Ferry album worth listening to. After this, he contracted a terminal case of boring and I didn't even consider the album all that strong. An album of a handful good songs and a handful or two of blandness. This isn't exactly a new album in my collection. I've owned it for years. It had been a while since I last listened to it, so I thought that maybe a re-appraisal was in order, especially considering how I'm listening to a lot more low key music now than I used to (metal 24/7) and... lo and behold, now I found it to be pretty damn good all the way through! Even the Bob Dylan cover Goodnight Irene seemed appealing to me this time round, and I used to skip that one without any hesitation. This just goes to show that our tastes in music aren't etched in stone. So, now I guess I'm actually going to recommend one of Bryan Ferry's "weakest albums"? I find it to be a very tasteful, nuanced piece of work with a lot of subtle character and flavor. There's even a good amount of variety on this. Probably my current favorite off the album: Nobody Loves Me: Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart I'm going to shorten things from here on so I can get through this today. Basically, I dismissed as boring when I heard her music some time last year. Then I saw Ted Gioia recommend one of her albums on his personal blog, which I found early this year. I have found dozens of amazing music on his blog and respect his tastes quite a bit, so I thought that maybe I was just plain wrong and should try again. I did and... To my surprise, after a bit of time went by, I saw what's supposed to be so great about her. Man, does this lady have character! She's so much fun to listen to once you get past the fairly been-there-done-that vocal jazz facade of it all. I especially love when she's scatting or otherwise livening things up vocally. Sultry is another adjective you can throw at her and not miss. That she apparently walks with a cane in real life due to some bicycle accident just adds to her character. Good album! Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day I got my hands on this one a couple years ago or less and have loved it ever since. The story goes that Vashti released this way back in 1970. Her debut album barely sold any copies and she gave up on having a professional music career. Then, over the decades, her album became a sort of cult favorite. An album folk music fans would share with each other as being a true hidden gem. Now it's pretty much considered a must-listen. Vashti even came back with a couple new albums in 2005 and 2014 respectively and I must admit I haven't checked the out yet. But I will, because Just Another Diamond Day really is all it's made out to be. Here's my favorite track. Rose Hip November: Last edited by MicShazam; 09-06-2017 at 09:14 AM.