Zhanteimi

I harbored quite a prejudice for Bowie’s earlier stuff for a long time. 1969 through 1972: Bowie at his best. And so I just listened to albums #2 through #5 for the longest time, but eventually I had to look myself in the mirror and admit how much I loved Bowie. And if I loved Bowie that much, could I be content with just his earlier folk stuff? After much late-night pacing and soul-searching, I was forced to come to the conclusion that I would have to explore more of his discography. It was a painful realization, but like a child taking his medicine, sometimes what’s painful is what’s best for you. This branching out led me to Low and this album, and I just adore everything about them, especially “Wild Is the Wind”.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

The first two tracks are basically saxophone porn (I mean, the dude has four different people playing saxophone on this album), and if the album didn’t lay off, I probably wouldn’t have had as good a rating for it. But with the third track, Pohjola pulls back into more delicate territory with strings and flutes, which then gives way to playful music that’s more guitar driven. A lot going on here, basically.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

This album kicks off with some fun piano work, setting a not-too-serious prog mood. It’s like they’re telling the listener, “We’re here to play, not show off.” Not to say that showing off is bad. I know some people hate it, but I don’t mind it. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because so much prog shows off, so it’s nice to hear something a bit more straightforward for a change. “Freedom Rider” is the centerpiece here, but being a folkhead, I prefer “John Barleycorn”.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

windsock

I own all the Traffic LPs and still Barleycorn is one of the best. Glad and the title track are 👌👌👌. Good to see it's getting 'preciated.

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RYM
Last.fm

Zhanteimi

This is my favorite Pogues album, but that’s a safe bet anyway. I mean come on! This album has everything The Pogues are: drinking, death, a proclivity to engage in fisticuffs, swearing, and drinking. Oh did I say “drinking” twice? Well, that sounds about right. By the way, this might just be the best named album of all time. The only gripe I have about this album is that I greatly prefer Woody Guthrie’s “Jesus Christ” to The Pogues’ “Jesse James”.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

This album follows a natural progression of emotions throughout a typical drinking session, from boisterousness to defiance, even to getting political. Two thirds of this album is traditional folk tunes sung beautifully, with all the pathos Irishmen can muster.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

Ben Folds is having as much fun in the studio as he does in concert. From the scathing criticism of fat Americans to the not-so-subtle reminder that there's always someone out there cooler than I am to the hilarious and beautiful rendition of "Bitches Ain't Shit", this album has all the fun.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

How important is importance to you?

I can't count how many people have recommended me albums they said are "important".

"This album is a must-have or a must-listen because it's important!"

There are obviously many groundbreaking, legendary albums that have helped guide the course of rock history, but my style of listening to and enjoying music is to come to the albums in my collection with as much of a clear mind as I can. That is, I try not to bring meta considerations to my appreciation. I don't subscribe to the “oh this is an important album” mindset. I don’t necessarily care if an album is important. I care more about enjoying it. There are tons of “important” albums I either don’t care for or flat-out despise.

I might like an important album, of course, but I like it because of how it sounds, not because of its importance. To me, "important" albums are like the respectable gentleman at the ball. Everyone speaks highly of him, but nobody remembers to talk to him. "Important" albums are like Moby-Dick: everyone has heard the title and probably knows the basic story, but no one's actually read it. Or if they have read it, they have to pretend they like it because of its importance.

What say you? Important for importance's sake?

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

This is the soundtrack to Julie Taymor's film of the same name. The music alone is just a bunch of Beatles covers, but if you see and love the film, the soundtrack takes on a whole new magic and charm, allowing you to watch the film in your mind, replaying with vivid clarity all those uniquely Taymor-esque scenes.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

This is an interesting album, especially since it’s the only one the band released, and yet it’s highly regarded. Harsh in some parts and playful in others, this album maintains a strong psychedelic feel throughout. The weird spoken samples that break down the end of the album are a collage of sound that seems to have been envelope-pushing in the late 60s.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic