Listen with Trollheart
 

https://www.uebtech.com.br/imagens/s...andes/7338.png
Now that I've freed myself of my self-made burden, I'm going to start listening to music I want to listen to again. I'm going through my album collection and picking out one, or more, a day out to listen to, using this free program http://www.forman.free-online.co.uk/...er/publish.htm. It looks like my collection stands currently at around 7000 plus albums, so there's a lot for me to discover, or even rediscover. This is, for once, purely for my own enjoyment, so there will be no reviews, just the odd line, a few impressions, unless I feel like doing more.

If I've previously reviewed an album I'll point you in that direction in case you're interested. Each album will be rated with what has now become my go-to system, the speedometer rating. No recs, obviously, but if you want to ask if I have a particular album or artist, sure, why not? If I have it I'll kick the randomness to the kerb and spin that one. Not that I expect to be exactly inundated with requests, but not bothered about that. In fact, **** it: I'll mostly use random selections but some of the time I may just grab an album I really want to listen to, just because I want to. In direct contrast to just about any other thread I've ever made, the only rule here will be

Although many of these will be albums by artists I'm familiar with, there is still a good percentage of my collection I have yet to listen to. I'll indicate if that's the case by this icon
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...g?v=1490026344
and if, after listening to the album, I feel compelled to seek out more of the artist's work, this icon.
https://furtaev.ru/preview/download_small.png
If I'm already familiar with them, and/or have all their albums, then I'll use this one:
http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/i.../safe-icon.png

If it turns out to be utter shite, or just really disappointing or not what I thought it would be (in a bad way) I'll use this icon:
https://static.thenounproject.com/png/50465-200.png


As in all my threads, anyone who wishes to comment is welcome to do so. I'll slap youtubes up for anything I can.

So, what's up first? Well, this, actually...
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...g?v=1490026344
http://www.iconarchive.com/download/...ag/Romania.ico

Eternal Return – Byron (2015)
Genre: Prog rock/art-rock/alt-rock
https://img.discogs.com/Mo8gmKH1BUOh...-2171.jpeg.jpg
This really impressed me. Probably the first Romanian album I've ever listened to, certainly the first Romanian prog one. Not quite pure prog, but there are enough touches in there to qualify this as belonging primarily to that genre for me. Sort of remind me of Jadis at times. Who? **** off: this is for me, so if you don't know who they are, I don't care. Ah, freedom! Never even heard of this band before, but I'll be checking out more of their material.
http://www.trollheart.com/speed10.jpg
https://furtaev.ru/preview/download_small.png

Subbed. I think just doing comments instead of having a full review format is a good idea. It's more flexible for such a large undertaking.

Thanks. It's not even a project this time. I just figure, now I'm listening to music for me, why not scribble a bit about it while I'm doing it? If nothing else, it'll make some people feel superior and others laugh at my taste. Hey, as long as I amuse the staff, right? ;)

I'm not writing much about the albums/tracks as I want to actually spend more time listening than writing, and as I say, it's more or less a thing for me to do but to share with anyone who happens to be interested. If there are more than half-a-dozen people checking this out I'll be surprised, but does Zoidberg worry? Oh, you wish! :laughing:
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploa...to-Garbage.gif

I expect it to mostly be a load of albums I'm not very familiar with myself, but there might be the odd surprise appearance of an album I own too.

If nothing else, I can come in here to feel better when people are done laughing off my choices in metal.

You'll always be welcome. Beer good enough for ya? :thumb: :beer:

Note: there are going to be a fair few videos in this thread, especially the playlist part. I'm not going to be spoilering them, so be prepared if you're coming in on, oh I don't know, maybe a crappy Chromebook or something... :laughing:
PLAYLIST FOR MONDAY APRIL 2 2018


“Islands of the Orient” – Vangelis – Oceanic, 1996
Genre: Electronic/Ambient
I first got into the music of Vangelis when I watched the BBC astronomy/history programme Cosmos (which ties in weirdly with Occulthawk's posts in the What Are You Reading thread about Carl Sagan) and heard “Heaven and Hell” and “Alpha”. I bought his greatest hits and then Spiral and later Direct. This remains one of my favourite albums of his though, a musical travelogue over, beneath and along the sea. Great music to relax to.
10/10

“School” - Roger Hodgson – Classics Live, 2010
Genre: Prog Rock
The very first Supertramp song I ever heard, both studio and live, as it opens both Crime of the Century and the double live Paris, this is ex-founder member Hodgson's version of it played live. It's almost as good as the Supertramp version, but then, he did co-write and co-sing the original, after all.
10/10

“Silent Path” - Dreamtale – Beyond Reality, 2002
Genre: Power/Symphonic Metal
One of those albums I obviously downloaded, as it's there, but I don't remember when or why I got it. Basic power/symphonic metal from Finland. I won't rate it as, to be honest, it made no impression on me, to the point that I can't recall what I thought of it, but it's certainly not memorable, on first listen at least. Your basic power metal ballad. Yawn.

“Queen of the Night” - Eloy – Planets, 1981
Genre: Prog/Symphonic Prog Rock
Interesting thing about Eloy: I'm not really what you'd call a fan. I used to spend my weekends hanging out in a record shop (as most of us around my age probably did) and it was great, but you did tend to get the hard sell, and you'd be generally not allowed (in the nicest possible way) to leave unless they sold you something. So when Tommy, the owner, heard I was into prog he foisted Performance on me. It was okay, and I bought Metromania as well, but I've never really been that bothered about Eloy. This track didn't do anything to change that. Again, no rating as it just passed me by.

“Fatboy” - Gary Moore – A Different Beat, 1999
Genre: Rock/Electronic
My least favourite Moore album, on which he, for some reason I've never been able to understand, thought he'd try his hand at dance music, leaving his fans bemused and those who weren't familiar with his work baffled and apathetic. This song consists of him singing “Let's hear it for the fatboy!” over and over against a thumping electronic beat. Yeah. Should have stuck with the blues, mate.
3/10

“Arcana” - Edenbridge – Arcana, 2001
Genre: Symphonic Metal
I mentioned before that I like Edenbridge, and well I do, but this song kind of passed me over, though that might have been due to the extractor fan going as I was cooking dinner. Either way, can't give it much of a rating.
5/10


“See Who I Am” - Within Temptation – The Silent Force, 2004
Genre: Symphonic Metal
I like Within Temptation too, and this song generally wasn't bad, but I've heard better from them.
6/10


“Blind Curve” - Fish – Return to Childhood, 2005
Genre: Prog rock
Nearly twenty years after leaving Marillion, Fish played a live tour in which he revisited all the work he had created with Marillion, including one of my favourites of theirs in its entirety, Misplaced Childhood. This is the full “Blind Curve” suite from that album, which consists of “Vocal Under a Bloodlight”, “Passing Strangers”, “Mylo”, “Perimeter Walk” and “Threshold”. Needless to say, I love it.
10/10

“El Codor Pasa (If I could)” - Simon and Garfunkel – Greatest Hits, 1972
Genre: Folk
An unassailable classic. Nothing more to say.
10/10

So you kicked 2017 wiki to the curb?

Yeah
No, I don't think it has to be. If it did, then the Albums of 2017 thread would have had to be a journal. Unless I miss my guess, it's up to you whether you want to post in the normal section or in the journal one.

I'm sure you can. I doubt anyone's going to stop you, assuming you have stuff to write about.

I have 3 journals just as regular threads:

Free Jazz 2018
Drone Ambient 2018
The South


Same as my actual journal anyone is invited to post whatever but everyone knows they’re kind of my deal. I mean if other people wanted to they could post more than me but so far I’ve put way more time tracking down new releases and listening to them right away. Because I’m time affluent recently. When I was banned I just kept listening to music but not writing about it.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Personally, for me, a journal has to involve a lot more effort from me. I have to have put a lot more thought into it than just slapping down the songs I've listened to and writing a few lines about them. So although technically, this could be called a journal, I think it's fine here. Also, I don't recall quadruple posting here, and anyway, elph, if you want to see someone who does that on a regular basis, look in the mirror.

I'm glad you see finally see things my way. I tried to warn you that in a tongue and cheek manner but you won't have it. I felt you were water boarding yourself with that Wiki list and all those K-pop albums. But you seem determine to subject yourself to it. In the long run it was up to you to figure out it was a self-made burden.

Funny thing, that is how I wanted my first journal to be: just comments about videos and songs.

Odd, innit? I originally started off loving the idea, and the point behind it, which was to "get current" - and mostly, that went to plan - but when I was intending to leave, and thought "well that's the end of my list", I wasn't sad but relieved. So, once I decided/was persuaded to stay, I thought there's no way I can continue this now: the fun has gone out of it. I did enjoy it for a long time though, but no point in pushing through another six months just to prove a point. Ah well: I got halfway through, and that's not bad, is it?
Absolutely: for some people that works perfectly. But not for me. It's just the way I am I guess.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...g?v=1490026344
http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/i...lag-2-icon.png
Remedy – Old Crow Medicine Show (2014)
Genre: Folk/World/Country/Bluegrass

https://img.discogs.com/0rNcpAqlHvQz...-6555.jpeg.jpg
Hard not to like a bluegrass album really: they're just so much fun! Feel like I should be out in the moonlight with a mean dog and a shotgun, protectin' my still from the gubment! Love the silliness of “8 Dogs 8 Banjos” (sounds like Frownland's house!) and it contrasts sharply with the pathos of “Dearly Departed Friend”. I like how they can slow things right down and be all serious with tracks like that and “Firewater”, then kick out the stays and go all apeshit with “Brave Boys”, and to be fair, any band who can write a song called “Shit Creek” gets my vote. Yeah, absolutely love this to death.
http://www.trollheart.com/speed10.jpg
https://furtaev.ru/preview/download_small.png

This is the best blue grass **** creek

"This video is not available". :(
I'll take recs for good bluegrass though. It's cool as **** on a cowboy's boots.

https://cdn3.iconfinder.com/data/ico...ngdom-flag.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._And_Death.jpg
A Matter of Life and Death - Iron Maiden (2006)
Genre: Heavy Metal

This is where I cheat. It's the first time, but it won't be the last. IDGAF. This is chosen not by random selection but after continual requests from Batty that I give it another shot. So I will. I haven't paid too much attention to any Maiden album really since Brave New World; none of them have impressed me sufficiently to have me come back for a second go. This, from what I remember, went in one ear and out the other, the first and only time I listened to it. Yeah, it's kind of the same really. I can hear a few tracks I might like to try again - “These Colours Don't Run”, “Brighter Than a Thousand Suns”, “For the Greater Good of God” - but mostly there are two problems here, and they apply to all other post-BNW albums too. One, the songs are mostly too long. Looking down the track list here, there are only three songs under six minutes, and only one under five. Maiden songs used not to need to be this long. For me, it can make them tedious and boring. And two, many of the songs here remind me of earlier Maiden songs, suggesting (as I've posited before) that they are running out of ideas. I see little here that would bring me back, on the face of this listen.
http://www.trollheart.com/speed7.jpg
http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/i.../safe-icon.png

Move to the first world mick

PLAYLIST FOR TUESDAY APRIL 3 2018

“Gonna Rain Today” - Gary Moore – Old New Ballads Blues, 2006
Genre: Blues
That's more like it! When Gary was on his game, there were few white boys who could best him at the Blues. Whether he was bashing out a standard, unearthing a forgotten song or writing his own material, Moore shone at the blues. A sad loss. This is one of his own. Superb stuff.
10/10

“I Want to Give it All” - Air Supply – Forever Love, 2003
Genre: Soft rock/pop/pap
Don't judge me. All right then: judge me. A while ago I had this stupid idea that I would prove Air Supply were more than just soppy ballads, that there was more to them than people gave them credit for. And I downloaded their discography. I quickly realised I was wrong, that Air Supply are just a band who do soppy love songs, occasionally venturing into uptempo pop (with very embarrassing results). Look, if you're into the love songs, the hits is all you need - “Even the Nights are Better”, “All Out of Love”, “Every Woman in the World” - you're set. This, you don't need. And neither do I. I do wonder though why they even bother touring (this is from a live greatest hits album)? Surely everyone at the gig is too busy snogging? They can't be actually listening to this crap.
2/10

“Us and Them” - Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
Genre: Prog Rock
Another perfect track from an album that's an unassailable classic. Anyone who doesn't like Dark Side of the Moon can eat a dick. That is all.
10/10

“Part Two” - Hostsonaten – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Chapter One, 2012
Genre: Prog Rock
Although I love the fact that Maiden wrote a song about Coleridge's epic poem, Hostsonaten go one better and write a whole album, using the poem verbatim as the lyrics. Well, half of it, so far: chapter two, though promised, has yet to surface. This track concerns the shooting down of the albatross by the old guy. He'll be sorry he did that.
10/10

“Under Fire” - Enchant – Blink of an Eye, 2002
Genre: Prog Rock
Enchant will never convince me they're anything more than a third-rate prog rock band with delisions of adequacy. Nothing I've heard from them yet has been in the slightest memorable, and this joins that dubious honour roll.
3/10

“Gemini” - The Alan Parsons Project – Eye in the Sky, 1982
Genre: Prog Rock
Though their most commercially successful album, this is not by any means my favourite of theirs. But I could listen to Eric Woolfson all day every day. Unfortunately, this is Chris Rainbow. Oh well: still a lovely song.
10/10

“Avalon” - Threshold – Critical Mass, 2002
Genre: Prog Metal
One of my all-time favourite tracks, one of my favourite ballads from one of my favourite bands. Enough said.
10/10

My name isn't Mick.

Big playlist today, as I was making a stew for my dinner.
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 4 2018

“I Am a Wanderer” - Steve Earle – I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, 2011
Genre: Country/Folk
Big fan of Earle, but this was the first of his albums not to impress me so much. Mind you, I only gave it one listen. More in the folk arena than the hard-hitting country he had been peddling up to this album. A decent song, a real everyman tune, but he's written far better.
7/10

“Empty Cages” - Dan Fogelberg – The Innocent Age, 1981
Genre: Soft Rock/Folk
Also a big fan of the late Dan Fogelberg. This is one of his best and one of my favourite albums from him, yiedling such hits as “Run For the Roses”, “Leader of the Band” and the classic “Same Old Lang Syne”. Every track is gold. This is no exception.
10/10

“Before Another Wilbury Dies” - Tiamat – The Scarred People, 2012
Genre: Gothic Metal/Gothic Rock
A strange little one from the Swedish rockers. Basically some kind of radio recording or something of someone's voice, with a lot of squealing guitar feedback. Quite short.
5/10


“One Small Step” - Ayreon – Universal Migrator, Part 1:The Dream Sequencer , 2000
Genre: Prog Metal
Ayreon are another band who are going to have to work harder to convince me they're not just making up the numbers. Although I have only heard one full album to date (and that was the latest, The Source, and I didn't much like it) most tracks I've heard from them have just been all right. This one is better than all right, with a sort of mixture of influences from Threshold, Floyd and Arena. Yeah, maybe there's hope for them yet.
8/10

“The Shadow” - Pendragon – The Masquerade Overture, 1996
Genre: Prog Rock
Love Pendragon and everything they've done. This is a great track, which comes in several flavours across various albums.
10/10


“When the Time is Right” - Air Supply – Air Supply, 1985
Genre: Soft rock/Pop/Pap
Serves me right, I suppose. Jesus Christ! All these songs sound the same. And why did they feel the need to release two self-titled albums, a decade apart? One was enough. No: none would have been enough.
1/10

“Fly at Higher Game” - Edenbridge – Aphelion, 2003
Genre: Prog Metal
Eh, what? What the hell does that title mean? Not the worst Edenbridge song, by any means, but far from the best.
5/10

“Chloroform” - Porcupine Tree – In Absentia, 2002
Genre: Prog Rock
Porcupine Tree are another band I've yet to “get”. Much of their material seems a little substandard to me, and I can't really put my finger on anything of theirs I really like. I don't really like this.
4/10

“When I Think of You” - Journey – Trial by Fire, 1996
Genre: AOR
I like Journey. Deal with it. This is a decent ballad, one thing they're both renowned and reviled for.
8/10

“Albedo 0.39” - Vangelis – Albedo 0.39, 1976
Genre: Electronic/Ambient
Perhaps a contender for the weirdest Vangelis song ever, this is basically someone narrating scientific facts about Earth against a rising synth line. Hey, if you're a fan you get it. If not, you can **** off.
9/10

“Innocent” - Threshold – Psychedelicatessen, 1994
Genre: Prog Metal
Another great track from one of my favourite bands. A live version from the special edition of this album.
10/10

“Run For a Fall” - Epica – Cry to the Moon, 2004
Genre: Prog Metal
Nice little ballad from the B-side of the above single, with none of the usual death vocals from Mark Janssen. Good. He can **** off.
8/10


“Brown Man” - Devin Townsend – Stuff That Was Stuff Before it Was Finished
Genre: Prog Metal I guess
And speaking of people who can **** off ... Jesus, Devin! Every time you take a dump you don't have to release it as a song! That's what this sounds like, and well named it is. Utter trash. Should have stayed in the crapper and been flushed away.
1/10

“L'Orientale” - Rondo Veneziano – Oddisea Veneziana, 1985
Genre: Chamber music/Classical/Rock
I like Rondo. They update classical music with rock themes. This, however, I'm not sold on. Too much like something Harold Faltermeyer might have recorded.
3/10

“The Man of Sorrows” - Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls, 2015
Genre: Heavy Metal
One of the shorter tracks from the latest Maiden opus, coming in at a mere six and a half minutes. It's okay I suppose, but I miss the days of Piece of Mind and Powerslave.
5/10


“Shackled and Drawn” - Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball, 2012
Genre: Americana/Folk Rock
You can really hear the influence making the Pete Seeger tribute album had on the Boss here. It's very folky, but still a good everyman song.
7/10

“Trapped in This Age” - Narnia – Desert Land, 2001
Genre: Heavy Metal/Christian Metal
Meh, it's all right I suppose. I've heard better from them.
6/10

I used to be annoyed when artists had tracks they wouldn't release, but artists like Townsend teach you why that's really for the best. I almost hope they never start digging into the vaults of Prince and release all the unheard stuff he doubtlessly had lying around. I don't need to hear 1500 mediocre, unpublished Prince tunes when he's already got a massive library of published music.

I think the question on everyone's mind is whether the stew turned out good?

It was delicious. Unlike Townsend's song. :D

https://cdn3.iconfinder.com/data/ico...ngdom-flag.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Gold_Bars.jpg
12 Gold Bars – Status Quo – 1980
Genre: Boogie Rock/Pub Rock/Rock

Ah, hell: just about everyone here will sneer (our new word of the day, it seems) at the Quo, but tell me honestly, hand on heart, that you haven't once in your life boogied on down (drunkenness is no excuse, by the way) to “Caroline”, “Again and Again” or “Rockin' All Over the World”? Nobody expects these guys to change the world or write some amazing composition, but they've been popular pretty much across most of the spectrum for decades. Sure, they only use three chords but they use them to great effect. They're a basic, down-in-the-dirt, no-frills honest band who know who they are and what they do. They're comfortable with their image and they even poke fun at it, the title of their twenty-eighth album being In Search of the Fourth Chord! :laughing: All I can say is, when I hear this album it transports me back to my youth, and I rock out and love every track. So boo to you if you slag off Quo or anyone listening to them. They're fun, man, and that's what it's all about.

http://www.trollheart.com/speed10.jpg
http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/i.../safe-icon.png

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...g?v=1490026344
https://cdn3.iconfinder.com/data/ico...ngdom-flag.png
https://img.discogs.com/WHnw8Zo944us...42463.jpeg.jpg
Moments – IOEarth – (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock

Yeah, I know the album sleeve makes it look like the band are called Dearth, and so you might expect a Doom Metal or DSBM band, but no: they're called IOEarth (why I have no idea) and though I've heard the odd track through my playlists this is the first time I'm going to be checking out a full album. And as it turns out, it's pretty damn good. I realise I do know one track, the Battle of Britain-inspired “Finest Hour”, which utilises so many Churchill samples that really it should have stood some chance of becoming a hit single. Needless to say, it did not. Very good album though; I'll be looking forward to hearing more from this band.
http://www.trollheart.com/speed10.jpg
http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/i.../safe-icon.png

I like the Staus Quo song "In The Army Now". It's got some nostalgia value for me since it was on a mix tape I had as a young kid.

PLAYLIST FOR THURSDAY APRIL 5 2018

“Movement V” - Vangelis – El Greco, 1998
Genre: Electronic/Ambient/Classical
Based on the life of the Renaissance artist of the same name. Meh, it's okay: a bit boring if I'm honest. This is not a Vangelis album I've listened to in full.
5/10


“Siberian Khatru (runthough)” - Yes – Close to the Edge, 1972
Genre: Prog Rock
Controversial opinion # 2,391: I'm not impressed with seventies Yes. Anything I've heard has been just all right or downright boring. Let the lawsuits begin! This is a runthrough of one of their most famous songs from this classic album, but I have to be honest: it does little for me. Plus, every time I hear this title I'm reminded of that Star Trek episode: “I wager sixty Kwatlus on the newcomer!” I know it's not the same word, but they link in my brain. Whaddya gonna do? Yeah, give me eighties or even nineties Yes. This bores me.
4/10


“The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom of Heaven Part II)” - Epica – The Quantum Enigma, 2013
Genre: Prog/Symphonic Metal
Speaking of boring, a typical symphonic metal tune: too long, overblown and overstretched, plenty of choirs, orchestra and fiddling around with no real result in the end. Yawn.
4/10

“Sound Chaser” - Yes – Relayer, 1974
Genre: Prog Rock
Slightly better than the other Yes track, a bit more interesting, but not much. Again, too long and with not enough happening over the length of its run. Not a great playlist today, is it?
5/10

“Day of Wrath” - Virgin Steele – The House of Atreus, Act I, 1999
Genre: Power Metal
A nice short little neoclassical piano instrumental. Not a lot more to say. Runs for less than two minutes.
7/10

“Last Look at Eden” - Europe – Last Look at Eden, 2009
Genre: AOR
Europe are another Air Supply, as far as I'm concerned. I was convinced there was more to them than “The Final Countdown”, but there kind of isn't. Their last two albums were good, but other than that, everything I've heard from them has been pretty meh. This, to be fair, is a lot better, and gives me hope that there might be some gems hidden in among all the dross. Though I doubt thee are many.
8/10

“Missing My Son” - Tom Waits – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards, 2006
Genre: Spoken Word
A great little understated piece of prose from Waits, wherein he recounts his meeting a woman who swore he looked just like her dead son. “When I looked at the picture of her son,” he drawls in sort of embarrassed amusement, “I didn't look anything like her son. In fact, he was Chinese!” Good on ya, Tom! You ended the playlist on a high, and I had not expected that.
10/10

I love Orphans. It has one of my favourite Waits tracks, King Kong (originally by Daniel Johnston). I still prefer the original but Waits emulates the emotion well.

I didn’t know that pos covered Daniel.

Disgusting.

That phony dick riding bitch is the direct opposite of everything that makes Daniel great.

I hope someone kills Tom Waits. That’s how ****ing disgusting that is.

Not kidding.

I know. Tom knows.

F uck you

Ikr. He should've done She Called Pest Control.

We all know. He's said it before. He can be shy and retiring, but occasionally Hawk will let his opinion be known. He can be coaxed out of his shell, usually with a southern flag and some whisky, maybe a few loose women...
I seriously hope Waits covers, or has already covered, Hawk's favourite artist(s).
:laughing:

Has he ever covered Beefheart? Would be funny to literally hear him water down a CB track.

I think I'd pay money to hear that.

**** this pissed me the **** off last night.

I couldn’t settle back down for like two hours.

What did?

Waits dickriding Daniel Johnston and Frowny being cool with it

Daniel’s #15 on Freak Fighter Forty

Oh. I thought you meant existence in general.

Nah that’s for

Bitch Niggaz



I’m not naming names.