Oriphiel

It's good to see the Scrap Heap back in business!

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The Batlord

So how many Beatles albums are you going to review?

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Pet_Sounds

1956-2015: 1992

I'm not very well educated on the nineties, since I just missed out on them (being born in 2000 and all). At the very least, this should be an exploration.

1-10: 2

So, what does RYM offer as the second-best album of '92?


Cool cover--kudos for using an iconic photo. Very angsty song titles. Genres sound like crap, though.

You grind up some poor sapling in a blender, creating a smoothie. You then pour it on the rocks (literally) and force feed it to Chester Bennington. This album sounds roughly like his reaction after it goes down.

Utter waste of 52 minutes.

One down, 599 to go...

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Pet_Sounds

1956-2015: 2011

Aha, something new!

1-10: 6

The sixth-best album of 2011...


I vaguely remember kinda liking one of Steven Wilson's '90s albums, so this might be a better experience than Rage Against the Machine. Wait... it's a live album? And it clocks in at over two hours?

This reminded me why I'm only into the most mainstream of prog (Supertramp, Floyd, Alan Parsons Project, and so on). Maybe the original recordings are better, but I was bored to no end. Still, this is probably aimed at extreme Porcupine Tree fans.

Highly recommended as a sleep aid.

Two down, 598 to go...

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Pet_Sounds

1956-2015: 1978

Off the top of my head, I can think of four albums that I love and listen to regularly which were released this year: they are The Cars' eponymous debut, Big Star's Third, The Band's Last Waltz, and Brian Eno's Music for Airports. Damn, none of them even made RYM's top ten.

1-10: 6

Which leaves me with...


Before I get into this, let me state how much I loathe that cover. It's an awful picture of Springsteen wearing some sort of robe, and the Underwood typeface looks awkward.

But what it contains is incredible. The Boss takes us on a gritty ride through the lives of working-class Americans. As someone who lives in an old industrial town (which no longer has industry), I can identify with every song. "Badlands" and the title track bookend the album perfectly, much like "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland" on Born to Run (my favourite Springsteen album).

I hadn't listened to Bruce in ages (other than occasionally hearing "Born in the USA" on the radio, but I hate that song) and this reminded me of how powerful his music is, especially the lyrics. I'm off to reacquaint myself with the rest of his discography. If you're looking for me, I can be found under Abram's Bridge.

Three down, 597 to go...

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Pet_Sounds

Some time close to Christmas several years ago, my mom told me about an amazing collaboration between Bing Crosby, whom I knew as the crooner who narrated The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and "a British rock star named David Bowie" on one of my favourite Christmas songs, "The Little Drummer Boy". So she showed me the famous video.



At the time, I distinctly remember thinking two things: one, that "David Bowie" was just about the coolest name I'd ever heard, and two, "Wow, he looks like something from another planet." I'd been watching some early Star Trek at the time, and I had aliens on the brain. I had no idea who John Lennon and Harry Nilsson were, except that I kinda thought Lennon was connected with the Beatles.

A couple years later, I found out that Bing Crosby died shortly after the video was filmed. I remember thinking that recording a piece of music which lasted for generations and made an impression on countless listeners was a pretty cool way to go.


School was cancelled because of snow. I was using the time off to catch up on my English homework by studying The Merchant of Venice. I was researching the original tales that inspired Shakespeare's play when my dad came upstairs. I could tell something was unusual from his body language. He said--and I remember his words exactly, "I'm sorry to disturb your work, but I just found out David Bowie died, and I thought you'd want to know." He passed me his phone, on which was displayed a brief Rolling Stone article.

My first reaction didn't really happen. I was stunned. He was so… alive. This wasn't supposed to happen. I think I said "wow" and maybe, "Thanks for letting me know." After about five minutes, the news sank in, and I went off to my room to cry.

Bowie had made an impression on me long before I seriously listened to any of his music. I remember seeing his early album covers, specifically Aladdin Sane, in record stores and thinking, "What a weirdo." A magazine I picked up in an orthodontist's waiting room had a feature article on Chris Hadfield's version of "Space Oddity". But other my first exposure came through this forum, specifically a themed journal week Urban organized in late November 2014. As an absolute beginner, I opted to review The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, "which I chose simply because of its fame."

I'm sorry to say I didn't. I listened to Ziggy Stardust a couple more times and otherwise completely neglected Bowie until the radio brought him to my attention. In the course of a week in late January 2015, I heard a live version of "Ziggy Stardust", "Space Oddity", and "Changes" all playing on either my local rock station or CBC Radio 2. It was "Changes" that captured my imagination and rekindled my interest. I identified with its lyrics, particularly the second verse:

I watch the ripples change their size, but never leave the stream of warm impermanence. And so the days float through my eyes, but still the days seem the same. And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through.

So on February 7th, I visited the used record store downtown and bought Best of Bowie, a two-CD set with 38 songs, for only nine dollars. I remember looking at all the amazing song titles and eagerly anticipating hearing them for the first time: "The Man Who Sold the World"… "Life on Mars?"… "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps"…

"David Bowie and Charlie Parker? You've got classy taste for a 14-year-old."

I smiled and corrected the cashier's observation by stating that Charlie Parker was for my brother and I hadn't heard much Bowie. That was about to change.

I listened to the entire first disc that day. "Life on Mars?" thrilled me. "Panic in Detroit" made me want to dance. And then something bizarre happened. The music changed. "Young Americans" was all right, I guessed. But I was severely disappointed in "Fame" and "Golden Years". When was Bowie going to get back to the awesome rock energy of the earlier songs? After forcing myself to sit through "TVC15" and "Sound and Vision", I had high hopes. "'Heroes'" was up next! It was apparently his greatest song--surely it would be cool? Nope. I remember thinking, "Maybe Bowie isn't as good as I thought." I listened to the first 30 seconds of "D.J.", then switched to Simon and Garfunkel.

Over the next few weeks, something weird happened. I slowly began to love those disappointing tracks. Unable to relax, I turned to the hypnotic rhythm of "Sound and Vision". Struggling on an essay due within hours, I turned to "'Heroes'" for inspiration and received my highest mark ever. David Bowie had opened my ears to a new world of music. I began to admire the man behind the art. I styled my hair to look like his did in the '80s. I adopted the famous Heroes pose for photographs. The British rock star with a cool name had indeed become one of my heroes.

I introduced Bowie's music to several friends, most notably the super-talented 14-year-old artist who drew the picture I now use as an avatar for my 15th birthday. She had no idea who Paul McCartney was (although I'm happy to say I've changed that) at the time. But, even as someone who's not into music, she became almost as much a fan as I was.

David Bowie was my most played artist in 2015, but the release of Blackstar took my enthusiasm to another level. Not only had he already created some of the most stunning music known to man, he was still at it, over 40 years later! Where would he go from here?

I know it sounds ridiculous, hyperbolic, and cliched, but David Bowie quite honestly changed my life. There's no other way to put it. I'm glad I was lucky enough to discover his music while he was still alive and experience him as an active musician, something future generations will only dream of.

January 8th, 1947 - January 10th, 2016. Rest in peace.

(By the way, I re-recorded this on January 11th. I apologize for the crappy audio and my shaky voice--I didn't have a decent mic set up and was close to tears a couple times.)

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Pet_Sounds

Before I start this, I'd like to say one thing. I wanted to write an in-depth, track-by-track review, but Spotify is currently failing to recognize Canada as a country and thus I can't listen to the album in order, meaning I'm forced to review from memory. Anyway...


I'd narrowed the first day's submissions down to four candidates and was debating over which to review. Then I noticed a new post in my thread. I tried out the recommendation and was absolutely stunned. While I legitimately enjoyed every single one of your recommendations (except for Linkin Park ), there was no doubt in my mind that this was the album to review.


First, let me say what an awesome cover that is. It reminds me of Jules Verne.

I absolutely loved this from beginning to end. The lyrics relaxed me and, quite honestly, took me to another world, one of days gone by. The sea themes running throughout were beautiful. I picked up a strong German vibe, and since Bavarian beer is mentioned in one of the songs, I'm going to assume that's intentional, although the band is apparently British. Lovely accordion and piano. This brought back vivid memories of my visit to Germany a couple years ago--thanks, grindy. It was a beautiful experience and the band is now my second most played artist of 2016. I'm sure you can guess who #1 is.

Standout tracks: White Waves, Deluded and Obscene, You Can't Break a Broken Heart, Turning Hay in the Fields, Petroleum Lampa

Thanks for all the recs, guys. The next review might be slightly delayed until Spotify gets their act together.

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grindy

Ha! Nailed it.
(Thanks to Lisna, since I know the band from his "Chamber Orchestras and Avant-Garde Lite" thread.)

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Pet_Sounds

The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
Nationality: British
Released: May 21, 1981
Genres: Post-punk, new wave, neo-psychedelia
Average RYM rating: 3.65
Recommended by: Neapolitan

Track listing:
Dumb Waiters
Pretty in Pink
I Wanna Sleep With You
No Tears
Mr. Jones
Into You Like a Train
It Goes On
So Run Down
All of This & Nothing
She Is Mine

There are two different track orders for this album, but I'll go with the one used by both RYM and Spotify.

A heavy saxophone riff opens "Dumb Waiters" and the album. Then the vocals kick in. They're reminiscent of the Sex Pistols' John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten). The instrumentation is typical for the genre--guitar-centred and a bit messy with an odd, processed feel. The saxophonist and the guitarist take solos, and the track fades out with finger snaps.

I'm sure I'd heard "Pretty in Pink" before listening to this album. It was featured in a movie of the same title, so that seems likely. The guitar work sounds more jangly now and the general feel is more poppy. This sounds almost like the Smiths. In fact, the vocalist's tone sounds similar to Morrissey's. The vocals are mixed way too low in the ending--I can barely make out what he's saying. Even if that's intentional, I don't like it.

You can probably guess the subject matter of "I Wanna Sleep With You." Lyrics don't mean much to me unless they're exceptional (think Paul Simon), so I won't analyze them. Sonically, this one is quite similar to the opener, with more guitar and less saxophone. It's got a catchy riff and nice drum fills.

"No Tears" was Neapolitan's recommended track. It's my favourite on the album by far. As soon as the vocals came in, I thought of David Bowie, and that's always good. One thing I'm noticing about the singer is that he likes to keep his accent. The whole track feels like Bowie circa Scary Monsters, which coincidentally (or not) came out a year earlier. I really do love this song.

Another catchy, but not particularly memorable riff kicks off "Mr. Jones." I'm getting a bit bored with the lack of variety, and the lyrics aren't interesting enough to kerp me hooked. There's not much to say--more repetitive saxophone and guitar.

The beginning of "Into You Like a Train" sounds promising, but it soon falls into the same pattern. The main problem I'm having is that the songs so far have all been played at roughly the same tempo, which makes for a dull experience. There are some cool wispy effects going on--maybe a synthesizer or a guitar pedal, but the lyrics are too similar to "I Wanna Sleep With You." I'm yawning, although that may be due to the fact that's it's currently 11:36 pm. Whatever.

"It Goes On" introduces a slightly different sound--the guitarist is using a wah-wah pedal at the start of the song. (I believe? I'm no guitar expert.) It soon transitions to the usual saxophone and guitar jam and a chorus without a strong melody.

"So Run Down" is promising from the start. The drums are played differently--like a disco beat combined with the bridge of the Beatles' "Something." Its melody still doesn't really exist, but the backing track is interesting enough to compensate.

Guitar arpeggios reminiscent of the Police introduce "All of This and Nothing." The sound and tempo have changed again. That lasts for about a minute, then a riff kicks in, followed by the vocals. This is more interesting--the drumming changes up again with some hi-hat accents on the offbeats and the chorus has a strong melody. Ah, now it's back to the arpeggios. I wish they'd do more of this. The bass and drums join in, and soon the lead guitar riff does too. It turns into a saxophone/guitar jam and fades out.

"She Is Mine" sounds like "No Tears"--a laid back riff and a poppier, more melodic verse. Once again, I'm reminded of the Smiths and specifically Morrissey. There's also bit of Roxy Music in the saxophone lines. It's a pretty tune and a nice way to end the album.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the album. It started strong, dragged in the middle, then ended with three good songs in a row. But it never quite got off the ground and wasn't varied enough to pique my interest. I rated it 3/5 on RYM. If you're heavily into post-punk, I'd recommend it. It just so happens I'm not, and if I'm in the mood, I'll probably listen to a different artist. That said, "No Tears" and "She Is Mine" are addictive and in regular rotation on Spotify. Thanks, Nea.

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Pet_Sounds

Fifty Foot Hose - Cauldron
Nationality: American
Released: December 1967
Genres: Psychedelic rock, experimental rock
Average RYM rating: 3.67
Recommended by: Frownland

Track listing:
And After
If Not This Time
Opus 777
The Things That Concern You
Opus 11
Red the Sign Post
For Paula
Rose
Fantasy
God Bless the Child
Cauldron

This is in the Rock Album Survivor thread, and I've never heard it. Time to change that.

Vibrations in the left channel open the "And After" and the album. Thery're almost like the sound of an aircraft flying overhead. They get louder and faster until the pulses turn into a steady, rippling drone and gradually move toward the right channel. The pitch is changing, and it's over.

"If Not This Time" was Frown's recommendation. It opens with a neat guitar riff, based on some weird harmonies. Then a female vocalist kicks in, echoing herself. Sounds kinda like Jefferson Airplane. There are weird electronic noises bleeping in the background, and they eventually take over as the track ends. Or not, that riff is back, and so are the vocals.

"My soul eroded
My brain imploded
Down to cinders
Growing new senses to feel
Seeing, hearing all that is real
If not this time, maybe never"

A door opens and it's over.

"Opus 777" is too short to scrobble on Last.fm and therefore too short to talk about.

"The Things That Concern You" has a more conventional melody and male vocals, again with the echo effect. But the synths fooling around in the background keep it interesting. There's a trippy solo, and then the vocals are back. This one has a nice groove--almost like an doo-wop tune gone mad. The synths and guitar accelerate, building up to an upward pitch bend.

Another short track is up in "Opus 11". Damn, wish these things would scrobble.

A heavy, distorted descending synth (?) line kicks off "Red the Signpost". The female vocalidt returns. The synth is providing a fuzzy wall of sound behind her, sometimes playing a melody, sometimes droning, sometimes taking a solo while she wails. I'm loving her voice. It builds up, then suddenly tapers away to some electronic blips and ends.

When did I get into a submarine? That's what the intro of "For Paula" feels like. Wait, that's the whole song.

"Rose" is more laid back, kinda Doors-y, but with female vocals. So far, I'm reminded of United States of America[/] + a little bit of [IPiper at the Gates of Dawn. She's whispering now, while the bass goes all over the place. Almost sounds like a standup. The synths are chugging away in the background, adding unconventional hums, squeals, whirs, and cracks periodically. There's a long solo, and then we're back to the main song. She kinda sounds like Janis Joplin now. The synth trails away and we're on to...

"Fantasy", which sounds like the soundtrack to a '60s sci-fi show to begin, then settles into a chill groove, which gradually progresses into controlled chaos. There are so many unconventional sounds and instruments here that it's not even worth describing thrm all--I don't even know what's playing the lead. But those synths keep doing different things. Now it's a more straightforward psychedelic jam. Nice guitar work by whoever. That crescendos and transitions into some gentle strumming. Other instruments kick in one by one. Very early-proggy. After six minutes, the vocals have kicked in. There's a neat thing going on, the backing track is also playing the vocal melody. Now that chill groove from the beginning returns and things get weeeeird, man. It sounds like, well, a cauldron, or perhaps a swamp, bubbling and oozing liquids and gases. That ends and a different vocal melody enters. The track collapses in a heap of noise.

"God Bless the Child" is more straightforward. Or it would be, y'know, except it isn't because of all the synths. I keep mentioning them, but they are what make this album so interesting and unique. Oh, she's singing about money, I believe, and maybe the rich? There's some acoustic guitar and a chipmunk chatter dancing around between channrls. Sounds like a cello at the end.

Bells hearald th arrival of the title track, "Cauldron". Some processed, reverb-heavy spoken word takes over, then gains a melody as the bass plays a jazzy line in the background. Somr weeping and gnashing of teeth is going on in the background--sounds like somebody's being boiled in the cauldron. Some clanking and maybe rattling of chains accentuates their misery. Then there's a nice sizzle. There's some bubbling, like something has been tossed into the pot. Something that sounds like a parrot laughing jumps in. Man, this is creepy.

Well, this one is certainly going to be hard to vote off. I'll give it a 4.5, just because it's not quite as good as USA.

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