Ah, but SMiLE was never released, so the album cover is made up anyways….

Seriously, though, if you haven't heard the SMiLE Session tapes and are only familiar with Smiley Smile, this might change your entire opinion of the Boys. One can only hope….

I think you should review Swans' latest album To Be Kind. It's full of hypnotic post rock tracks and I'd like to see what you think of it. It could easily go either way.

So here we go. Before I start, let me just say WTF?? "The smile sessions" is like four discs or something! I ain't listening to that without a very good reason. So this will have to do ya.

For Pet_Sounds, who certainly knows the meaning of perseverance... ;)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...oundsCover.jpg
Title: Pet Sounds
Artiste: The Beach Boys
Year: 1966
Chronological position: Eleventh album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Oh, you know, the singles
Why is this considered a classic? Apparently not only a founding member of the psychedelic movement, this album is also considered one of, if not the, first progressive rock albums.

My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good, but I know this track so let’s see how it develops
One track in --- As I say, good, with the caveat above
Halfway through --- Good
Finished --- Good

Comments: The man whose username is this album has been asking me --- almost begging me --- to listen to this, so I decided to go for it. It should be noted that I do not like surf rock, especially the Beach Boys (who am I kidding? I don’t know any other surf rock: I just naturally assume I’d hate it!) ;) so this may be a hard sell. But I do know the first song so that’s not too bad. Of course, I know it from the many ads it was used in, but I have heard the original before. Nice bit of sitar to open the second track, like the accordion too. It’s a bit slow and boring though: plodding I would say, especially after the opener, even if I did know it. Mind you, I can see where ELO got some of their influences.

The next track doesn’t exactly speed things up either. Nice organ work sure, and I can see how with all the different instruments used and the way they’re played this was a pretty revolutionary album, especially the vocal harmonies. It’s just not doing it for me, yet anyway. And the pace continues slow and boring with “Don’t talk (Put your head on my shoulder)”. I do like this, I’m just waiting for something a little more uptempo which, since the opening track I have not yet heard. Lovely cello and violin here.

Okay, this is a bit more like it. “I’m waiting for the day” is a little bouncier, although to be fair not that much. Bit more energy coming in now, and yes, I think I’m enjoying this one. Best yet. I hear some violin there that sounds like Prince robbed it for the closing section of “Purple rain”. But now we’re back to slow and relaxed with some nice digital piano and vibraphone (?) for “Let’s go away for a while”. Oh, it’s an instrumental. Interesting. And on that basis quite nice, few too many touches of jazz in it for me though. And of course I know “Sloop John B”.

Oh, and I know “God only knows” too. So the next one I don’t actually know is “I know there’s an answer”, which starts like “Sloop John B” at first. It’s ok; I can hear the sort of Phil Spector Wall of Sound production there. “Here today” by contrast is terrible --- did I just hear something Survivor may have ripped off for “Eye of the tiger”?? Man that song was miserable. What’s next? “I just wasn’t made for these times”. Yeah that’s okay. Back to the slow stuff and it has a lot of later Beatles in it (yeah yeah, vice versa, whatever) and it’s quite pleasant but not much more than that. Bit meh really. The title track is another instrumental, nice but a bit loungey. Closer is nice. Very nice in fact. One of my other favourites. Great ending, but what the hell is with the dog and the train??

Favourite track(s): Wouldn’t it be nice, Don’t talk (Put your head on my shoulder), I’m waiting for the day, Sloop John B, God only knows, Caroline, no
Least favourite track(s): Here today

Final impression --- Kind of what I was expecting really. It’s a good album but I just don’t like the Beach Boys and this hasn’t changed my opinion of them. It’s music that does little for me. The album may occupy, and deserve, its position in music history, and 99.9% of the world may love it, but that doesn't mean I have to. I don’t. It’s okay. I don’t hate it. But I wouldn’t listen to it again. Sorry Mister P!

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) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it

E I do believe

As the above codes don’t always properly reflect how I actually feel about am album, and I’m running out of letters (!) I’m going to rate each album here. When I have time I’ll go back and rate the ones I’ve already done. The rating system will be the same as “Bitesize”, with five being top and one being bottom. Most albums would in that case probably rate out at three, but since these are all (supposed to be) classic albums, I expect a higher instance of fours and even fives, but we;l see. As for this one, it gets a solid
http://www.trollheart.com/classic3.png

The full Smile Sessions boxset is four discs, but the actual album is under an hour. Oh well, thanks for trying it, at any rate. ;)

EDIT: Oh, and the dogs are his "pet sounds".

Okay, a few people have asked me to listen to this, so as I’m on something of a roll here with journal entries I’m gonna have a shot at it now.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Dead-cover.png
Title: The Queen is dead
Artiste: The Smiths
Year: 1986
Chronological position: Third album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Singles and more singles
Why is this considered a classic? I have no idea.

My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Meh
One track in --- Meh
Halfway through --- Meh
Finished --- Good to meh (can’t really decide)

Comments: I remember the Smiths as a vaguely bland boring band with some tall guy poncing about on stage at “Top of the Pops” with a leek or something sticking out of his back pocket. I was not impressed, and Morrissey’s warbling impressed me less. I must admit, I have heard very few Smiths tracks and those I have heard have probably been accidentally, like “How soon is now”, which I heard when I watched “Charmed” (shut up!) so this is my first (and probably last) full Smiths album.

It’s a gutsy title for sure; one thing you don’t do in the UK is slag off ‘Er Majesty, but then I guess that’s what Morrissey and Co were aiming for. I’ve never liked his voice, there’s just something about it that grates on me, so the title track doesn’t do a lot for me, though Johnny Marr’s guitar playing can’t be faulted of course. Unfortunately, it seems that every time he winds up for a good solo Morrissey drones over him. One thing I do note about this song is that it is way, way too long. Just wanders on for about two minutes after it could have comfortably ended. Not a great start, my friends. Not a great start.

“Frankly, Mr Shankly” sounds like something Chas and Dave would have refused to record on the grounds of its being too corny, but at least it’s short, which is not something I can say about “I know it’s over” (though it isn’t. Over, that is), a nice bluesy ballad with another morose vocal from the Big M. Very nice bass lines. Oddly, I can hear Kim Wilde singing this… Yeah. It’s a pretty damn depressing album so far, not that I didn’t expect that but it’s sort of like listening to music with your head stuck in the oven. Gas, of course. The next track is slow too, and boring as hell. Yawn. Okay, oddly a song called “Cemetery gates” actually kicks the tempo up, and it’s not bad at all, very indie rock, kind of reminds me of Deacon Blue or Ivyrise. Like this one. First one I have liked, but I like it.

Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. “Bigmouth strikes again” is another boppy, uptempo song, but again I hate Morrissey’s voice so it’s hard to really like any of the songs. Really hard. If I have to choose though this would be one I don’t completely hate, and Marr’s guitar is sparkling and vibrant, let loose for once. Sounded like fiddle or something there but I can’t be certain. “The boy with the thorn in his side” continues what I see as the resurgence of this album, making me like it a little more, or hate it a little less. Nah, I don’t hate it. But maybe dismiss it a little less?

The next one is too rockabilly for my tastes though, the one after that I like and the closing track is a pleasant, boppy song that’s inoffensive and light, and takes a little away from the overall doomy, gloomy feel (lyric-wise) of this album. The music’s (mostly) uptempo and the lyrics are downbeat, and it’s hard to reconcile the two really.


Favourite track(s): Cemetery gates, Bigmouth strikes again, The boy with the thorn in his side
Least favourite track(s): Frankly, Mr. Shankly, Never had no one ever, Vicar in a tutu

Final impression --- Started off slowly and very plodding, but definitely got better after the first three or so tracks. Still not something I’d revisit and hasn’t changed my already-formed opinion of The Smiths. Would not be a fan.

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) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it

E again

http://www.trollheart.com/classic3.png

You gonna get round to The Auteurs at any time?

So, did you ever get around to Close to the Edge? If yes, can you point me to a page number where the review is? If no, please give it a go but with headphones on, and with zero distractions.

I'd be interested in this as well.

I'll be honest, at this point no. I will probably review it at some stage but I have no real interest in doing it any time soon. Sorry. Just too many other albums I want to hear.

Quite some time ago. Here's the link:
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1408227

PS Chula I can't ever listen with headphones in the house, as I look after my sister and need to be able to hear if she's calling me at any time, day or night.

Check. You're a good soul.