MB Album Club 2022

Trollheart · 03-27-2023, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie Monday

I hope you get better soon RS!

Sorry I haven't been keeping up guys, I think I need to opt out at this point

Sorry to hear that Marie. Do you want to exit entirely or just take a hiatus like Fetcher?

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I want to jump in just let me know the rotation schedule or whatever TH.

We're starting a new album today, as above, so if you want to listen to it over the next two weeks and then give your thoughts that's cool. If you want to nom an album you can, but we have two more in the queue, so it will slot in behind those. It's two weeks for each album to be done, so that means if you nom now, your album will come up for review in... calculating, please stand by... calculating... around the middle of May or thereabouts.

**Marie Monday** · 03-28-2023, 03:05 AM

I don't see myself getting more time in the foreseeable future so I don't think there's a point in a hiatus for me

djchameleon · 03-28-2023, 06:14 AM

I'd like to nom Kidneytheives Zerospace.

Trollheart · 03-28-2023, 08:13 AM

Okay. DJ has been added, Marie has been removed. Feel free to rejoin at any time Marie, and of course you can comment if you want even without being a member. DJ's album has been added to the queue.

SGR · 03-30-2023, 10:35 AM

Ruthie Foster - Joy Comes Back (2017)

The album is produced really well (you’d think that’s a given coming from 2017, but definitely not always the case) - there’s a very nice separation between all the instruments, the levels sound great, and the bass is always clear and consistently provides a meaty backbone to Ruthie Foster’s soulful professions.

The album opens with a great cover of Chris Stapleton’s first single, “What Are You Listening To?” - a somewhat recent contemporary country tune. I actually think I like this cover better than the original - Ruthie’s excellent vocals put it over the top.

Then comes “Working Woman”. The sound of it is your average blues-rock schlock and the lyrics are abrasively “Yas Queen!” in nature:

She's overtime and underpaid
She's kicking ass and taking names
She's punching that clock, she's climbing that ladder, she's spinning those wheels
She can do your job ten times better and do it in heels

I understand and agree with the general overall sentiment - women should be appreciated, and perhaps appreciated more than they currently are by most men - but this is a little too on the nose for me. Call your local plumber, electrician, or carpenter and see if they show up in heels. Maybe I’m just not the target audience. Oh well.

Title track “Joy Comes Back” is a rather understated piano-led blues chug. It doesn’t leave a big impression, but it’s enjoyable enough.

“Open Sky” is spacious and warm, really gives off that old school soul vibe - and is that vibraphone? That’s lovely…

I am generally not a fan of double vocal tracks, depending obviously on context - but the doubled up vocal tracks on “Good Sailor” add that extra spice that makes the song memorable and joyous. A celebration of overcoming adversity and the character that gives you. "Smooth seas never made a good sailor...". Great tune.

I’m not sure how to feel about the bluesy cover of “War Pigs”. Ruthie puts on a convincing vocal exhibition, but the song has been covered so many times by so many different bands that this cover really doesn’t add much new to it for me. Ruthie sounds closer to Chris Cornell than Ozzy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever”, a cover of a Nick Kamen tune, picks things back up nicely though - an enjoyable little love song with uhhh, is that bongos? Oh yeah, and I’m a sucker for choral choruses, so that’s a plus too in my book. The little piano solo is great too.

The cover of Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Woman Blues” brings us back to an earthy country-blues sound. Love that muted “oooooh yeah” as the guitar starts to twang in isolation a bit over halfway through the song. This cover adds a lot more to the original than the “War Pigs” one I think, but perhaps that’s just because I haven’t heard as many covers of this. Here’s the original for anyone interested, a great song in its own right:

Cock-a-doodle-doo-doo

“Abraham” is a slow burner - decent track - but the intro makes me think of “Everybody Hurts”.

Heartfelt piano number “Forgiven” ends the album off nicely.

Overall, this was a nice enjoyable modern romp in blues, soul and country. It doesn't really do anything that interesting, but it's totally competent in its aim. I’ve never heard of Ruthie Foster before this, but she’s an impressively talented vocalist with a great backing band. I’m definitely going to check out more from her discography. Good pick Trolls.

7/10

Lisnaholic · 04-05-2023, 08:13 AM

How have recent albums here been scoring? If you are curious, these results are in, but not yet posted on the front page of the Album Club thread:-

Paul's Boutique: SGR: 7.2 (#650)
Concrete Blonde: rubbersoul: 8.3 (#682)
From Spain To Spain: Lisna: 5.2 (#695)
Living Things : Mindfulness: 5.6 (#710)

(I think a couple of times now Trollheart has gone for the option of reviewing an album, but declining to score it because he doesn't want to offend anyone. That's a very diplomatic course of action, but, partly because our member-base is low enough already, I include that as a vote of zero when I calculate the average score for the album. Please let me know if anyone thinks it should be done differently.)

I'm very sorry to see Marie Monday leave the club as her noms have been some of my favourites here.

Welcome to the club, dj !

Mindfulness · 04-06-2023, 05:26 PM

Ruthie Foster – Joy Comes Back
This album is a collection of soulful blues songs that gave me a nice switch from what I normally listen to. I listen to more every type of music so this album wasn’t that different though too. The “War Pigs” cover of the Black Sabbath song was a great mix into the songs on the album. If I had to explain this album in one word it would be “happy”, it is very uplifting and joyful sounding. I had never heard of this artist before the review also, but will be saving this album for more listens later one in my random shuffle. As I jam to this album it is growing on me how mellow the tunes are, ‘What are you listening to?” is really chill. "Good Sailor" - This track has a laid-back bluesy feel and features some great guitar work. The lyrics encourage listeners to keep going through life's ups and downs and to be a good sailor through it all. "Forgiven" - This ballad has a gospel feel to it and features Foster's vocals accompanied by piano. The lyrics speak to the idea of forgiveness and redemption. "Open Sky" - This song has a folky sound with acoustic guitar and harmonica. The lyrics speak to the idea of finding freedom and inspiration in the wide open sky. Overall, "Joy Comes Back" is a fantastic album that showcases Ruthie Foster's incredible vocal and songwriting abilities. The album has a great mix of blues, soul, and folk sounds, and the lyrics are uplifting and inspiring. This album is a must-listen for fans of blues, soul, and folk music, and anyone in need of a little inspiration and hope.

7.1/10

djchameleon · 04-06-2023, 05:37 PM

Ruthie Foster – Joy Comes Back

I gave this album a listen this morning and within the first 10 seconds my initial reaction was is this twangy country? I'm not one of those types that claim to "listen to everything except country." I actually like country but the more country bro pop stuff. I just don't listen to it as often as other genres. Die-hard country fans tend to hate that stuff and prefer the more traditional stuff. I didn't even take the time out to think about it and say this veer more into soul/folk than country which it totally does. I have to re-listen to it again when I'm more in a mindset to accept some of the uplifting tracks that were being played before. I would give the album as a whole 6.5 but that may change after my second listen of it which I will do in a few days. None of the tracks really stood out to me imo.

Trollheart · 04-06-2023, 07:23 PM

I have to listen to it again - only heard it the once - but I really don't recall it having any sort of country element in it. To me, it came across as blues with some soul and maybe a little jazz? I'll come back when I've relistened to it, but it surprises me that you hear country in it. Maybe you're right, but that's not what I remember it as being.

SGR · 04-06-2023, 08:14 PM

First track on the album is a cover of a country song.

03-28-2023, 08:13 AM	#744 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,938	Okay. DJ has been added, Marie has been removed. Feel free to rejoin at any time Marie, and of course you can comment if you want even without being a member. DJ's album has been added to the queue. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-05-2023, 08:13 AM	#746 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,443	How have recent albums here been scoring? If you are curious, these results are in, but not yet posted on the front page of the Album Club thread:- Paul's Boutique: SGR: 7.2 (#650) Concrete Blonde: rubbersoul: 8.3 (#682) From Spain To Spain: Lisna: 5.2 (#695) Living Things : Mindfulness: 5.6 (#710) (I think a couple of times now Trollheart has gone for the option of reviewing an album, but declining to score it because he doesn't want to offend anyone. That's a very diplomatic course of action, but, partly because our member-base is low enough already, I include that as a vote of zero when I calculate the average score for the album. Please let me know if anyone thinks it should be done differently.) I'm very sorry to see Marie Monday leave the club as her noms have been some of my favourites here. Welcome to the club, dj ! __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

04-06-2023, 05:26 PM	#747 (permalink)
Mindfulness Be aware of the psyop Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Milky Way Galaxy Posts: 9,767	Ruthie Foster – Joy Comes Back This album is a collection of soulful blues songs that gave me a nice switch from what I normally listen to. I listen to more every type of music so this album wasn’t that different though too. The “War Pigs” cover of the Black Sabbath song was a great mix into the songs on the album. If I had to explain this album in one word it would be “happy”, it is very uplifting and joyful sounding. I had never heard of this artist before the review also, but will be saving this album for more listens later one in my random shuffle. As I jam to this album it is growing on me how mellow the tunes are, ‘What are you listening to?” is really chill. "Good Sailor" - This track has a laid-back bluesy feel and features some great guitar work. The lyrics encourage listeners to keep going through life's ups and downs and to be a good sailor through it all. "Forgiven" - This ballad has a gospel feel to it and features Foster's vocals accompanied by piano. The lyrics speak to the idea of forgiveness and redemption. "Open Sky" - This song has a folky sound with acoustic guitar and harmonica. The lyrics speak to the idea of finding freedom and inspiration in the wide open sky. Overall, "Joy Comes Back" is a fantastic album that showcases Ruthie Foster's incredible vocal and songwriting abilities. The album has a great mix of blues, soul, and folk sounds, and the lyrics are uplifting and inspiring. This album is a must-listen for fans of blues, soul, and folk music, and anyone in need of a little inspiration and hope. 7.1/10 __________________ June 1st, 2023 The BX Discord Server YouTube Videos Twitter My TikToks

04-06-2023, 07:23 PM	#749 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,938	I have to listen to it again - only heard it the once - but I really don't recall it having any sort of country element in it. To me, it came across as blues with some soul and maybe a little jazz? I'll come back when I've relistened to it, but it surprises me that you hear country in it. Maybe you're right, but that's not what I remember it as being. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

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03-30-2023, 10:35 AM	#745 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,329	Ruthie Foster - Joy Comes Back (2017) The album is produced really well (you’d think that’s a given coming from 2017, but definitely not always the case) - there’s a very nice separation between all the instruments, the levels sound great, and the bass is always clear and consistently provides a meaty backbone to Ruthie Foster’s soulful professions. The album opens with a great cover of Chris Stapleton’s first single, “What Are You Listening To?” - a somewhat recent contemporary country tune. I actually think I like this cover better than the original - Ruthie’s excellent vocals put it over the top. Then comes “Working Woman”. The sound of it is your average blues-rock schlock and the lyrics are abrasively “Yas Queen!” in nature: She's overtime and underpaid She's kicking ass and taking names She's punching that clock, she's climbing that ladder, she's spinning those wheels She can do your job ten times better and do it in heels I understand and agree with the general overall sentiment - women should be appreciated, and perhaps appreciated more than they currently are by most men - but this is a little too on the nose for me. Call your local plumber, electrician, or carpenter and see if they show up in heels. Maybe I’m just not the target audience. Oh well. Title track “Joy Comes Back” is a rather understated piano-led blues chug. It doesn’t leave a big impression, but it’s enjoyable enough. “Open Sky” is spacious and warm, really gives off that old school soul vibe - and is that vibraphone? That’s lovely… I am generally not a fan of double vocal tracks, depending obviously on context - but the doubled up vocal tracks on “Good Sailor” add that extra spice that makes the song memorable and joyous. A celebration of overcoming adversity and the character that gives you. "Smooth seas never made a good sailor...". Great tune. I’m not sure how to feel about the bluesy cover of “War Pigs”. Ruthie puts on a convincing vocal exhibition, but the song has been covered so many times by so many different bands that this cover really doesn’t add much new to it for me. Ruthie sounds closer to Chris Cornell than Ozzy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever”, a cover of a Nick Kamen tune, picks things back up nicely though - an enjoyable little love song with uhhh, is that bongos? Oh yeah, and I’m a sucker for choral choruses, so that’s a plus too in my book. The little piano solo is great too. The cover of Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Woman Blues” brings us back to an earthy country-blues sound. Love that muted “oooooh yeah” as the guitar starts to twang in isolation a bit over halfway through the song. This cover adds a lot more to the original than the “War Pigs” one I think, but perhaps that’s just because I haven’t heard as many covers of this. Here’s the original for anyone interested, a great song in its own right: Cock-a-doodle-doo-doo “Abraham” is a slow burner - decent track - but the intro makes me think of “Everybody Hurts”. Heartfelt piano number “Forgiven” ends the album off nicely. Overall, this was a nice enjoyable modern romp in blues, soul and country. It doesn't really do anything that interesting, but it's totally competent in its aim. I’ve never heard of Ruthie Foster before this, but she’s an impressively talented vocalist with a great backing band. I’m definitely going to check out more from her discography. Good pick Trolls. 7/10

04-06-2023, 08:14 PM	#750 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,329	First track on the album is a cover of a country song.