Trollheart

Well, mostly the tearing down of the established rock hierarchy, making music without any talent or class and basically just fucking with people while getting rich in the process. Oh yeah, I don't like punk rock.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Neapolitan

We are at opposites ends then, I love early Yes up to and including Drama. I don't want to sound too critical but 90125 is not my favorite album, and it boils down also to a certain change in line-up. Long story short - it's a Trevor Raven pop record - no offense. Chris' revolving door policy for other band members is something he thinks is great. But for me not in the case of Yes without Steve Howe.

Maybe early era Yes is something that has to grow on you. I remember every early Genesis album I bought I didn't care for after the first listen. I would pack it away give it a try another time later. It might had taken several tries, but when I became more familiar with the album I enjoyed it more. Why I didn't care much for it the first time around? I don't know. Sometimes Prog can be demanding on the first listening, but if you know the song well the length of the song, and other things don't matter as much any more (and maybe that goes without saying). I think if you do decide to listen to Close to the Edge maybe start off with say Classic Yes first were you get a cross section of the music they did before, during and after the album (CttE). And who knows maybe you'll (secretly) become a fan of early Yes, and listening to the (CttE) album will be more enjoyable and less of a chore.

Honestly I don't care much for the SP either... finding other bands of the era more to my liking.

The Rezillos are still a good choice, they're from Scotland, and music-wise they cut their teeth on R&B and you'll find them excellent musicians, they're not the "I'll spit in your face because I don't know how to tune this guitar and play three chords in the right order" kind of punks either... which is so stereotypical of Punk anyways.

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Trollheart

Okay a few more lines before I get into my list.
Urban, I know you can listen to boybands on the radio, TV, whatever. My point in doing that wasn't necessarily to subject myself to terrible music I would normally not listen to (though that of course became a side effect), it was to try to understand the genre, so that when I next slagged boybands off I would know what I was talking about, and have references, not just the hits everyone knew. But you're right: I wouldn't launch into an investigation of screamo metal or hardcore punk or techno really; I just don't have any interest in those genres.

Oh,and it may seem I've been here for five years but I only really returned actively in 2011, so it's only three. Seems like thirty, seems like thirty... (Jesus Christ Superstar reference which probably nobody will get)

[List moved to OP 10.03.17]

And the one I'm starting with is this...


I know they have a new one out but everyone references this so much I thought I should give it a listen. Everyone's free to disagree and argue with me of course on certain/all albums, but obviously my impression won't be swayed by someone saying "but that's a classic!" If I don't like an album, after giving it a fair go, it's likely I never will so please don't any well-meaning member try to change my mind. Hopefully though, some of these will strike a chord and I'll wonder why I never listened to them before.

So, off I go to download "Loveless" and see what, if anything, I've been missing all these years. Wish me luck! I'll post my initial review, as it were, in the next day or so, once I've listened through to it once all the way.

Notes


Note 2: Yes yes I know! I have heard tracks off it, but never the whole album all the way through. Don't know why: I have it, just have never got around to listening to it.

Note 3: Listened to this once in my twenties and hated it, but in fairness I expected to and was biased against it, so will give it a more discerning and tolerant listen when I get around to it.

Note 4: I know it's a greatest hits package, but I don't know enough about Marley to know what his classic album is considered to be? If anyone knows, and has suggestions, let me in on it.

Note 5: Owned this years and years ago but hated it. Will try to understand it and give it a fair hearing.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Urban Hat€monger ?

Are you sure Different Class wouldn't be a better choice?
That's the one with all the hits on it, This Is Hardcore bombed when it was released. Hell it took me a good while to get into that album & Pulp were one of my favourite bands at the time.

Excellent choice sir

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djchameleon

Go with Rhythm nation 1814, I personally prefer Control but Rhythm Nation won more accolades when it was released.

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Fame, fortune, power, titties. People say these are the most crucial things in life, but you can have a pocket full o' gold and it doesn't mean sh*t if you don't have someone to share that gold with. Seems simple. Yet it's an important lesson to learn. Even lone wolves run in packs sometimes.

Paedantic Basterd

I'd argue that the quintessential Pulp album is actually Different Class, and The Queen is Dead for The Smiths.

Trollheart

Title: Loveless
Artiste: My Bloody Valentine
Year: 1991
Chronological position: Second album
Previous experience of this artiste: Nothing
Why is this considered a classic? According to Wiki, this album invented shoegaze as a genre?

My thoughts
My reaction/immediate impression, ranging from Great, Good, Meh to Bad or Still waiting, or perhaps Other if nothing else fits.
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good
One track in --- Good
Halfway through --- Other: frustrated mostly. Some good ideas but hard to make them out under the weapons-grade distortion.
Finished --- Still waiting, but maybe Other, ie frustrated?

Comments: I was trying to place the voice, and now I know. Though this will mean nothing to any of you, he's very very similar to the lead singer from another Irish band, the Stars of Heaven. I'm not mad about the heavy reverb and distortion, which seems even to be on the vocals, though I've read it is or was MBV's trademark. Makes it a little hard to listen to, for me, specially on the second track. Almost like listening to two albums playing at once, one slightly behind the other. Track three is a bit stupid, just a squealing guitar and then some orchestral style keyboard, a short instrumental if you can call it that.

Look, is this backwards masked or something? Because To here knows when (huh?) sounds like that. It's just a mess. I must say I'm beginning to lose patience here people. Is it possible you have to be stoned to appreciate this? Cos it sounds like they are. So far, apart from the opening track, bloody awful. Right, and some growly guitar with a warped effect right at the end. Where's me tea? Sigh. On we go. When you sleep has a nice melody in there somewhere but so much gets twisted and warped it's almost like MBV can't stand to have an ordinary song on this album. Right, now it's settling down a little. Sort of.

Jesus! What do they have against allowing the vocals to be heard? This is really annoying me now. I'm getting angry now, and you wouldn't like me when I'm ... oh wait, I already used that line. Anyway, there does seem to be some good, possibly great music in there somewhere but it's all buried under mountains of distortion, reverb, echo and singing that can't really be made out that it's just become a jumbled mess as far as I'm concerned. Although... I do like that fading out guitar riff that's been running all through the song, and the next one up, Come in alone is actually listenable, with clear(ish) vocals, so that may make it onto my list of, so far, one favourite track. Actually, the previous one might squeeze in too, on the basis of that riff. Maybe.

Yeah, hold the phone: Sometimes is good too; guitar's growly but not drowning out the rest of the music, and the vocal's good. Nice melody. Say nothing, say nothing, fingers crossed... Ah no. Blown a wish brings all the feedback and distortion and hard-to-decipher vocals back. Oh well. Look, I know it's the way they do things, apparently, and I'm not saying anything against that, but it's making it hard for me to enjoy --- damn it, even listen to --- this album. What you want has a vaguely Prefab Sprout feel to it, but again the vox are hard to make out --- yes, yes, I know it's intentional, not bad production. That's the whole problem, and why I don't see this band being a good fit for me.

Favourite track(s): Only shadow, Come in alone, I only said, Sometimes
Least favourite track(s): Everything else

Final impression --- Kind of still waiting: I'll have to take a few more listens, but right now, I'd say good but not great.

Do I feel, at the end,
A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Not at all sure, have to wait and see

Sort C combined with D really. But I don't think I hate it. Or do I?

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

ladyislingering

their theme was pretty much "we're mad about stuff but we're not really sure what we're mad about, but we're still mad, did we mention we're mad?"

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Trollheart

Okay, see this is where I need the help of you guys. I'm just looking at lists, which are of course biased and may not reflect an artiste's true classic album, or the one considered as their classic. I mean, some people would have you believe "Invisible touch" is Genesis's classic! So, then...

Early Genesis was never a problem for me. I fell in love with them via "Seconds out", most of which is early 70s (Watcher of the skies, Supper's ready, The Musical Box etc) and gobbled up everything, even Genesis to Revelation. Paradoxically, it was the later Genesis material I didn't altogether love, like Abacab and Calling all stations. As for Yes, I came to them via Big Generator, which I loved, then to 90125 and on from there. We are definitely at opposite ends, as you say. See, when I was into Genesis, Rush and Supertramp I was equally NOT into ELP, King Crimson or Yes. But I intend to go straight to CttE once I decide to review it, because this is what this journal is about: not softening the blow as it were by trying other albums around it, but going straight to the one considered the classic.

Quite possibly. I know little of Pulp bar the singles, so if you think that's the one I'll change it. See what I mean about lists? Thanks!




Okay I'll change it to that one.

Queen is dead, eh? I'll change that too then. Always thought "Meat" was their better known, but I know virtually no Smiths music so I'll bow to your expertise on that.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Antonio

I guess I'll get some "seriously?" responses from people, but could I recommend something?

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