Search found 252 matches

by G-Man
Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:02 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: New activity maybe

I'm in.
by G-Man
Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:54 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: New activity maybe

What would the verdict be on finding an incomplete playlist on YouTube and then linking to a separate video of the missing song if that missing song belongs in the middle of the playlist? Are we trying to listen to the album in song list order? If so, the idea I have in mind would require listening to five songs, pausing the playlist, listening to an individual video, then resuming the playlist. I have a back-up album in mind but it's not quite as good as my preferred choice. I don't want to create too much work for people.
by G-Man
Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:29 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: New activity maybe

MovingPictures07 wrote:
G-Man wrote:What would the verdict be on finding an incomplete playlist on YouTube and then linking to a separate video of the missing song if that missing song belongs in the middle of the playlist? Are we trying to listen to the album in song list order? If so, the idea I have in mind would require listening to five songs, pausing the playlist, listening to an individual video, then resuming the playlist. I have a back-up album in mind but it's not quite as good as my preferred choice. I don't want to create too much work for people.
I have to listen to an album in one sitting and in order; I'm one of those weirdos that views the album as the ultimate vehicle by which to deliver music. But that's alright with me, depends on what everyone else thinks.

The album I recommended is not standard either in that it's live and just over two hours long, but I couldn't not recommend it. I still think that's doable for a week, but by all means, I can pick a different one if you all think that's too much. I think we can get into specific grievances or preferences when it comes time to vote though, right? Maybe Jay can advise there as to what he was envisioning.
I prefer listening to an album straight through as well. I guess I've gotten used to partial playlists and searching for individual tracks as I've been working through my Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame list. YouTube is lacking in the 'oldies' department. :disappoint:

I'll wait and see what Jimmy says.
by G-Man
Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:32 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: New activity maybe

I've long held the belief that you can't appreciate where things are now without an understanding (if not an appreciation) of the past. My submission:

Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry Is on Top
Genre: Rock and roll
1959
12 tracks
29:26

YouTube Playlist- Listen to the first six tracks (through Johnny B Goode), then listen to this solo track (Little Queenie), then resume the playlist.

Sorry for the split-up nature of this submission. This is my favorite of Berry's albums. I almost submitted his first album, After School Session, but I feel like this is album (his third) is a tad better.
by G-Man
Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:29 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: Syndicate Album Ranking and Sharing [First Poll]

I think I will vote for the ones that I think I'll enjoy the least in order to expand my musical horizons. :D
by G-Man
Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:35 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Yeah, severe accute respiratory syndrome isn't something you want your music thread to be confused with.
by G-Man
Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:50 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Golden wrote:
MovingPictures07 wrote:
Golden wrote:
JaggedJimmyJay wrote:~ I don't want a small portion of the participants getting all the glory, and that's possible with repeating polls.
A one poll stand down after your album is selected? Or is that discouraging.
I must be being dense right now; what is meant by a "one poll stand down after your album is selected"?
It's probably a bad idea. I just meant that people who get selected one week take a week off from nominating, so they aren't on the poll next week. Would mean the same five people don't get picked week after week.
See I like the idea of having the folks behind our first batch not submitting for the next poll. Those left in the mix could change their offerings or keep them the same. Yeah, it creates a queue-like system but it also helps ensure that each of us gets to share. Otherwise it might become a case of trying to cater to what we think peope might want to listen to rather than offering up something we'd like you to try out, for better or for worse. It won't take long to lose interest if your options continually get passed over.

Simply put: If I'm going to listen to your weird music, I want you to eventually listen to my weird music.
by G-Man
Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:17 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

I plan on listening to this at least once a day for each of the days we are considering it. Doing a basic run-through now. What exactly are we evaluating? Are we using any kind of common rating scale for the songs and album as a whole? I have two rating scales at my disposal, personally. Are we just judging for discussion or are we going to come up with an average group rating to track as we go along? Am I over-thinking this already?
by G-Man
Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:50 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

After a full listen (I got a better offer mid-listen last night ;) ), I'd say it's decent. It had what felt like an intentional hipster vibe, though it didn't sound too pretentious like some hipster music does. Some of the songs sounded like this group may have been influenced by a few other artists that I have in my own music collection. I think I agree that the music is better than the vocals. I'm going to look up some information on the group before my next run through. I didn't dislike the album, so additional listens are welcome. We'll see if any of my opinions change from my initial gut-check reactions.
by G-Man
Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:52 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

MovingPictures07 wrote:What's going on? I thought I clicked on The Syndicate. This looks more like ProgArchives. :p

Next thing you know there will be 10 polls on Yes vs. Genesis. :haha:
If those are my only options, then...

:Uhh:
by G-Man
Mon Feb 13, 2017 3:31 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Golden wrote: I hear Muse influences in the first track.
Ha! I thought the exact same thing! One of my thoughts coming off the album was that the vocalist emulates a hybrid of Muse's Matt Bellamy and Fun.'s Nate Reuss at times. I also feel like I hear some Ben Folds and Keane influence on a couple of tracks.
by G-Man
Mon Feb 13, 2017 5:33 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

thellama73 wrote:More thoughts after the second listen:
Some of the songs are excellent; I particularly like The Water's Fine. And as I said before, I appreciate the lush orchestration and arrangements.

I do find that the album runs out of steam at about the 35 minute mark, and the last few tracks feel more or less like repetitions of what has come before. I also find the tone of tracks like As We Move Along and There's a Thunder overly saccharine. That sort of "gosh, look how amazing everything is!" attitude wears thin after a while.

Apparently not included in the youtube link is the album's last track, the frustratingly ambiguous "Make Me a Boat", available here. Does it mean "transform me into a boat" or "fashion a boat for my use"? The lyrics are no help.
Interesting. After my first listen, I thought that "As We Move Forward" was the best song. On my second listen, I'm not so sure, but I still like it more than you apparently do.

Here's a playlist I've been using to that has all the tracks. If you have ad-block, it flows right through.
by G-Man
Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:11 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: TSARS [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Third listen. I've pretty much determined which songs I like and which ones I am indifferent to. I am still in partial agreement with those who aren't crazy about the singer's voice. I've been trying to put my finger on it but it's not a black-and-white vocal issue for me. On some tracks, his voice works well with the music. On others, not so much (my opinion). I think for me it's part to do with the orchestration.

I did a little homework on the group. The signer is one of the few members of the group who does not hold a degree in musical performance. I think that might be part of it. He's surrounded himself with classically-trained musicians and, for me, that makes his voice stand out as sub-par compared to the rest of what's going on musically. Another thing that makes his voice stand out to me is the scope of the orchestration. I watched two videos of them performing live and the whole package sounds better when the group's sound is smaller. With all the layers of a full orchestra behind them, his voice can't match the rest of the sonic beauty being delivered.

At times it also feels like he's trying to make his voice sound the way he envisions the song sounding, rather than making music that suits his voice (be it range, tone, color, etc.). There's nothing wrong with pushing your boundaries but it feels like he overstretches on a few tracks.

I don't find any of the tracks unfavorable but there are a few that I was mostly or completely indifferent to. On my playlist, track 4 is a 59-second long instrumental ("William's Dirge"). I don't really know how to evaluate that track. It sounds good but what is its function? Is it a stand-alone track? If so, I wish it could be longer because it's on to something heard nowhere else on the album. If it's to serve as an intro to track 5 ("Howl"), then should it really have its own track space at just 59 seconds long? I'm inclined to say no, but maybe some of you more musically-minded people can help me out there.

Seeing their visual aesthetic confirms to me that they are hipsters on some level. The good news is that any hipster pretension they may harbor does not cross over into their music. I hear love and passion for their craft rather than a sense of superiority or ego.
by G-Man
Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:10 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

I've rated every song but ranking every song would be far too time-consuming for the purposes of this thread. I'll probably list my three favorites and one or two least favorites but I don't have time at work to do track comparisons. I don't even do that for my RnRHoF listens.

But I will keep a ranked lost of each album we listen to. Besides, if anyone is going to be the one to share a universally reviled album, it'll probably be me. That would be my luck. :p
by G-Man
Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:16 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Golden wrote:Hey, G-Man. Did you catch this?
Golden wrote:Howl ends the same way a Lost episode does (surely others heard this?)
If it had sounded like Lost, I'd have noticed. :pout:

In all seriousness though, the trill thing didn't register with me because it just sounded like a trill. Not the same notes as Lost but I can see why you might be inclined to think that. I don't recall many episodes ending with that effect though. I recall it most vividly in Season 1 when Jack is walking through the bamboo after waking up.

I could be wrong though. I listen to the soundtracks now and again and I watched each episode at least 10 times back when I was running the Lost Fantasy League, but, as the years stretch on, these things get nudged further back in my memory.
by G-Man
Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:20 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

:fist: Darn it, you coward! Now you've got me scouring my memory for Lost motifs to hum. I'm getting all nostalgic now. If it weren't for the fact that it would feel disjointed to the uninitiated, I'd say someone should nominate the Lost soundtracks sometime during this thread's run.
by G-Man
Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:49 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Yeah, but I think a TV soundtrack like Lost would be jarring at times because it's highlights from a whole season instead of just the music from a stand-alone film. It takes a while to get used to going from a death motif right into 'oh s*** here comes the Smoke Monster!' I love the Lost soundtracks because I can remember where those musical moments happened and it takes me back there. In the end, though, the soundtracks are more like greatest hits collections than true albums. The exceptions to that are disc 2 of Season 3 and disc 2 of the Season 6 Last Episodes collection.

Movie soundtracks tell a more complete story. I see nothing wrong with putting a symphony or opera on the list someday.
by G-Man
Wed Feb 15, 2017 2:37 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 1 - "Beneath the Brine"]

Alright, after five listens, I'm ready to call this one done for me. The Family Crest is not the type of music I would normally listen to on purpose, so this thread has already served itself well. Beneath the Brine wears only a little of the group's indie-hipster vibe on its sleeve and I appreciate that. Rather than thinking they're awesome for what they're doing, it's evident to me that the group thinks what they're doing is awesome. That's the difference between passion and pretension and it pays dividends.

I was indifferent to a few tracks but I found nothing objectionable with the album as a whole. Sure, the singer's voice doesn't seem to match the music at times but there are also songs where they do match well. After seeing their live sets on YouTube, I think they sound better small. If they cut their orchestration and big-sound production in half for their next album, it could be a win for everyone.

They give in to convention now and again, with too many whoa-oh-oh-oh's and on-and-on-and-on-and-on's in places but I like that the album doesn't sit in one place. Rather than have a full album of indie-jazz tunes like "Howl," they go there once and explore other light, somber, sweet, and soulful sounds that are in the folksy-hipster vicinity. That gives the album a nice ebb and flow.

I don't fuss over lyrics unless they're excessively profane or so corny that it pulls me out of the music. I consider the vocals to be another instrument in the overall package. If the words happen to move me or make some other kind of impact, all the better. This album didn't really register much in terms of lyrics, and that's okay. The singer's voice was hit-or-miss for me depending on the track but it didn't pull me out of the experience. Perhaps that says something about how strong the music is here. At times it was fantastic and never was it irritating. A little melodrama here and there lyrically and sonically but nothing detrimental to the cause.

If I had to pick three tracks to take with me, I would take "Beneath the Brine," "She Knows My Name," and "As We Move Forward." I thought there was some steam lost late in the album. "When the Lights Go Out" may work as a hipster love song but I am not a hipster, so it slowed things down too much for me. I'd say scrap that one, dial back the gusto on "Make Me a Boat," and replace the whoa-oh-oh-oh's on "Love Don't Go" with more meaningful words. That would take this album up another notch.

I have a three-song approach to any album (assuming there are three or more tracks). I pay a lot of attention to the first three songs and if at least two of the first three tracks elicit a positive response, I find myself more receptive to the whole package. The first song, "Beneath the Brine," swings for the fences and scores. The second song, "The World," is lighter but still agreeable. Track three, "Love Don't Go," had me rolling my eyes a little with all the whoa-oh-oh-oh's. As Meat Loaf sang, two out of three ain't bad, and that's exactly how I feel about this album. The group set out to make pretty music with a little flair and they did just that.

Overall, I give it 3.33 out of 5 for a solid B.
by G-Man
Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:01 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 2 - "98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare"]

I gave this one a first listen on Thursday or Friday. My first listens are always gut-check reactions that guide me through additional listens. My initial thought was that the album lacks bite, but that should probably be expected from a genre called dream pop.

I was pleasantly surprised by the dub sound though. Made it feel almost quasi-jam band-esque in places. I think those tracks may end up scoring higher for me. I will have to focus more on the trajectory of each song with my next listen. The first time around, it was a noisy day at the office, so I couldn't get too absorbed into it. A surface-level listen says it's okay but ultimately not my kind of music. We'll see how the week goes for this one.

Count me as a live album detractor for the most part. I think I only own six or seven live albums and the only essential one I need to buy is the debut album of the MC5. It's funny how that works because up-and-coming bands get noticed for their live shows but most end up sounding lousy live because albums are so squeaky clean and over-produced these days. Then again, showmanship on stage can't be seen on an album. Maybe that's the missing piece.
by G-Man
Sun Feb 19, 2017 10:10 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 2 - "98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare"]

Listen #2 in progress. I enjoy the chill vibe of the music but there's some weirdness going on (the recurring shouting/proclaiming of "Fishmans!" on track 1 for starters) plus the tone of the singers voice reminds me of Radiohead's whinier moments, which I still haven't managed to appreciate. I think I may end up being in the minority on this one unless this album grows on me something fierce over the next few days.
by G-Man
Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:10 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 2 - "98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare"]

I'll try to give my full review tonight or tomorrow. Still trying to pick my top three tracks. To be brief, this album was odd but rather pleasant.
by G-Man
Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:09 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 3 - "World Music"]

Okay, like Golden the Coward ;) I'm past due for a review of the Fishman's album. Here goes:

Once again, not the kind of music I would naturally gravitate to. Unlike The Family Crest, I never got a sense of any particular image or vibe Fishmans is going for here. It's light, jam-centric music, which I tend to relegate more to background music more so than music to actively listen to. That's just me and my tastes.

I was indifferent to about a third of the tracks. Most of those tracks were either a little too weird for me or they lacked the kind of musical trajectory that I find agreeable. The vocals work most of the time but when they get really high, they sound kind of silly to my ignorant American ears. Dream pop sounds like a good name for the genre of this music because (based on this album alone) I don't believe the band could rock my socks off. They're too mellow overall for me to take on other albums, so this will almost certainly be my first and last Fishmans experience.

I like the dub/reggae sound they work with here and there throughout the album but I think I prefer them singing their native tongue. It just sounds more authentic. I felt that some of the tracks/songs wasted so perfectly good musical moments. On track 9, the final minute and a half is leaps and bounds better and more interesting than the first six minutes of the track. On track 12, I thought the bass part at the very end deserves to be developed into it's own full-length song. It too was better than the rest of the track (which is kind of a deal-breaker for me when the rest of the track was 13+ minutes long). It seemed at times that they had two or three musical ideas on one track. Shifting gears/sounds/tempos like that usually disorients me slightly and makes me think a new track has started.

My three-song approach wasn't favorable for this album. Track 1 started with a 90s-style riff reminiscent of Oasis or perhaps even Radiohead (?). Not sure how exactly to place that sound but it was very 90s to me and I dug it. But it never went anywhere. It just repeated and the vocals got weird, so I was left feeling indifferent. Tracks 2 and 3 were hard to rate. Track two had a good vibe but the vocals got a little too high and whiny at times for me. Track 3 had a nice groove but it never went anywhere or did anything more interesting than the keyboard/synth tune. I had to split the difference on both, because they sounded nice but didn't really touch me. I don't like deviating from my quarter-point scale for individual tracks but I was forced to give each a 5/8, which is pleasant but not solidly good.

The tracks that I liked made it hard for me to pick just three keepers. The obvious winner for me was the full-album track Long Season. I will go back on what I said earlier. If I listen to another Fishmans album, it will be Long Season just to see how the studio version sounds. They live version was excellent and I think the haunting, echoey sound of being performed live really gave this track something special. My other two choices are tracks 6 and 11. I think they had they best blend between vocals and groove. I liked the organ/keyboard on track 6 and the funky guitar on track 11.

This one was another mixed bag of sorts. I stand by my earlier statement- this was an odd but pleasant album.

3.14 out of 5 for a high B-
by G-Man
Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:40 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 3 - "World Music"]

Currently on my third listen of the day for World Music. This is my kind of funky strange right here. :nicenod:
by G-Man
Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:44 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 3 - "World Music"]

Just got through listen #5. Maybe it helps that I'm not well-versed in prog/experimental music or maybe it hurts. I'm curious to hear the opinions of others on this one by the end of the week. Yes, I've heard songs in the same vein as this- trippy psychadelic rock but the sounds just really work together. Funky, blaxploitation film soundtrack style guitars over top of psychedelic organ and tribal-esque drums? It's not something I would expect to sound so captivating. For me, it's great two-way music. I can use it as background music and it gets me in a good rhythm or I can listen closer and admire the marriage of neat sounds.

If I get more acquainted with genres on the fringe of my tastes, my I can revisit this one late and see if I hear what MP07 hears. Right now, it's my favorite album of the three we've covered by a long shot.
by G-Man
Wed Mar 01, 2017 2:47 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 3 - "World Music"]

thellama73 wrote:
triceratopzeuhl wrote:haven't had much time to write words about music lately but this is my favourite album we've listened to so far

it actually kind of reminds me of OM of all things
Yes, and I was considering nominating an Om album next, but I feel like too many people here have already heard them.
I have never heard an Om album.
by G-Man
Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:55 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 3 - "World Music"]

I'll write up an official review tomorrow but Rico can mark me down as a 4/5 for World Music.
by G-Man
Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:57 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 4 - "Bish Bosch"]

Working from behind here.

Goat- World Music

Though I didn't know it at the time, this album at me at hello. "Diarabi" is the first song we've listened to in this thread that perked my ears way up and made me do one of these:

Image

The electric guitar that blasts in at 0:48 with the drums has a sinister sound that gave me chills. The track serves as both a great standalone track and also a fine introduction to the weird world of Goat that is coming up. The talking intro to track 2 is a little corny but fits the band's attempts to craft an out-there image. As I said before, I'm not a lyrics analyst unless they go too far. I liked that I couldn't understand all of (heck, most of) the lyrics. Taken as another musical element, I think the vocals kick things up a notch. Rather than just being a hybrid of musical genres, the vocals challenged me as a listener.

Sometimes the screaming approached a grating quality that my wife would surely not enjoy but I liked it this time. It keeps you from getting too comfortable in the music and forces you to focus on more than one thing at a time. But it fit with the tribal-esque percussion and enhanced the primal appeal of the music for me. And that's the best way for me to describe this album- primal. It's like Iggy Pop's sisters dropped acid at a hippie party and the Jimi Hendrix experience and the MC5 crashed the gig to add a little oomph to the atmosphere. There's something sexy about this music. It's more erotic than The Stooges' lusty, testosterone-infused albums but it's in the same vein.

I love the mix of sounds. There are familiar elements- the accoustic closing on "Goathead" reminded me of Metallica's "To Live is To Die," the guitar on "Let It Bleed" reminded me of The Strokes and some of their influences, and "Det som aldrig förändras" gave me Wolfmother vibes- and then there are retro elements. The way they blend them together so seamlessly suggests that the band didn't just say 'let's play music like that' and mimic those sounds. For me, these folks know how to play those sounds (and blend them) well.

For my three-track snap judgement, Track 1 hooked me, Track 2 brought me in deeper, and Track 3 kept the show running. I was never indifferent toward any track. They may suffer from a few tracks sounding a little too much alike, so future albums probably need to venture into new areas rather than just sticking with the same stuff that makes World Music a success. My favorite tracks were "Diarabi" (track 1), "Run to Your Mama" (track 7), and "Goatlord" (track 8). Whatever instruments they're combining on "Goatlord" makes for an almost evil, ritualistically slaughtering a small woodland creature by the light of the harvest moon vibe, which I dig.

This is my favorite album we've listened to as a group by a long shot. I plan on checking out their other albums and World Music is going to be one of my weird mood go-to albums from now on. If I hadn't already told family members not to get me anything for my birthday, I'd have probably asked for this album.

4.2 stars out of 5 for an A-
by G-Man
Tue Mar 07, 2017 11:45 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 4 - "Bish Bosch"]

My initial reaction to Bish Bosch:

Image
by G-Man
Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:21 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 4 - "Bish Bosch"]

My second time through the album. I like some of the strange musical elements. They're neat, if incomplete. The lyrics though, have me all...

Image
by G-Man
Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:13 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 4 - "Bish Bosch"]

After five runs through this album, I think I have my scores down. I'll give it one more listen tomorrow and close the door on this one. I warmed up to some tracks but I'm still on the 'meh' end of the spectrum on this one.
by G-Man
Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:44 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 4 - "Bish Bosch"]

And here... we... go.

Thirty seconds into this album, the disorienting drums and synth(?) combo brought back memories of the music playing in Room 23 when Sawyer and Kate rescued Karl in season 3 of Lost. I'm pretty sure you could use this kind of stuff for that same purpose. I otherwise enjoyed this track ("See You Don't Bump His Head"), even though I felt Walker needed to move past the repetitive swan song line. It was weird and had potential but it never really went anywhere. I don't know where I would want music like this to take me but I like to move in more than just circles inside a padded cell.

Track two, "Corps De Blah," is a similar story but with an added hang-up for me. There were some neat elements (no, the flatulence sounds were not among them) but the track is too long and too broken up. Build upon one section or find a way to segue two or three of them together. The seconds of silence separating some components made me think there had been a track break. That bugs me. If that is Walker trying to challenge convention, good for him but I still don't like it. The lyrics here started to become a distraction. Again, that may be the point but that doesn't help them bug me any less. I had to score it as indifferent.

Track three was the closest thing in my three-track gut-check that was structured like an honest-to-goodness song. Even then, I found it agreeable but not quite enjoyable. Again- the lyrics got in the way. That means my make-or-break criteria for gut-checking an album left me slightly north of indifferent. After the over-long fourth track, I think my brain had all but checked out. There are virtues to this album but they're either too few and far between or too overpowered by intentionally strange lyrics for me to sing their praises.

Lyrics don't usually matter for me, so when they matter for me it means a lot. I can't tell if Walker is intentionally throwing weirdness together as an intellectual exercise, it's all stream-of-consciousness, or if he's just having a laugh with the people he knows are going to listen to this album. If it's an intellectual exercise, then it's pretentious in its sophistry. If it's stream-of-consciousness, then I call BS because I don't know anyone that goes that far off the deep end. If he's having a laugh at us, then what's that say about him and also the people who like this?

Without being able to sort out exactly what's going on behind the lyrics, I'm left to take them at face value, which makes the album sound all the more like the internal monologue of someone slowly (and quickly at times) going crazy. I can dig that kind of concept but the journey here is stranger, lyrically speaking, than I've encountered before. Thus, I am left rejecting the lyrics. I grew tired at times of the theatricality of Walker's delivery but I didn't dismiss it outright as pretension because sometimes it works well when he's not singing about genitalia and bodily fluids.

After track 5 ("Epizootics") the album became a kind of blur. I found myself waiting for it to end, despite some interesting musical components. I've heard weird stuff and "art music" before but I've never listened to it for an extended period of time like this. The album grew on me overtime (or perhaps I grew numb to its oddities), so it wasn't a failure from my perspective. I was left indifferent to some tracks but I never actively disliked any one track altogether.

If I had to pick three tracks, I guess I'd go with "Phrasing," "Epizootics," and "Dimple."

I know some pretentious academic types who would gush over this album. I also know some quirky build-your-own-instrument types who would like it too. I'm not here to judge the fans of the music, just the music itself. It's not for me but I wouldn't say it's void of merit.

G-Man Scale: 2.8 out of 5 (C+)
Rico Scale: 2.5 out of 5
by G-Man
Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:24 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 5 - "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown"]

I'll resubmit my previous choice as well.
by G-Man
Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:32 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 5 - "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown"]

This sounds like unhinged Deep Purple and I mean that in a good way. :nicenod:
by G-Man
Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:27 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 5 - "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown"]

Why not include the other also-rans from last time as well? If those folks didn't submit a different choice, could we include their Round 1 offerings too?
by G-Man
Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:26 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 5 - "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown"]

MovingPictures07 wrote:5 out of 8? Cool. Please just don't take any offense, the 3 that I don't select.
:pout:
by G-Man
Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:04 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

First, my review for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown-

This was a splendid album. My first-three-tracks system was not disappointed. The opener kicks butt and I like the short spoken verse track that follows and leads into 'Fire." The first side of the record is superior to the second side, as Llama mentioned to us. It's the right kind of psychedelic music for me. It walks the line between silly and dark. I definitely hear influences for all kinds of stuff on here, from Deep Purple to even heavy metal.

I love his falsetto/higher register. Those vocals pierce through the air like few can. I do appreciate the fact that this album lacks a guitar. That makes it unique and forces the band to pull their mood and effects in a different way from guitar-drive psychedelic bands.

The second half of the album isn't as good but it's still good music. I am more familiar with the CCR version of "I Put a Spell on You," so it was neat hearing it sung so low. It added to the brooding, creepy nature of the tune. The rest of the songs on that side are good fun too. I found myself drawn to "Rest Cure" for whatever reason. Perhaps it reminded me of Bowie.

Another fine pick with this album. I enjoyed every track. If I have to take only three with me, I'd take "Prelude/Nightmare," "Fire," and "Rest Cure." In a perfect world, I'd take the whole first side because it is a full-on extended concept that holds its own as a single piece.

G-Man Scale: 4.1 out of 5 (A-)
Rico Scale: 4 out of 5
by G-Man
Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:44 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

Now for a quick little background on Chuck Berry is on Top:

Chuck Berry began recording singles with Chess Records in 1955. Chess was a smaller label that lacked the ability to produce LP's at that time. Plenty of black artists were in the same boat- they were largely on smaller, regional record labels that were catching up to the big dogs. The LP format was introduced in 1948 and it took almost 10 years for it to overtake 78rpm discs (though the production of 45rpm discs gave it healthy competition).

Smaller record companies lacked the capital to invest in longer-format records at the dawn of rock and roll. This new sound's popularity grew out of white audiences taking interest in black R&B music that was being fused with white Country & Western elements and black audiences taking interest in some white cats tackling bluesy tunes. Chuck Berry was one of the originators of this hybrid sound that came to be rock and roll. He didn't create it by himself but he took popular elements and mixed them together in the right place at the right time.

When Chess Records finally got the equipment to make LP's in 1957, rock and roll was already in full gear and growing in popularity. Chuck was already a star but white acts (Elvis, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.) had full-length albums out there. Chuck Berry's first three albums are all compilations of sorts because Chess got into the LP game and had to play catch-up with their back catalogue of hits.

Chuck Berry is on Top features songs that Berry recorded from 1955 to 1959. Some were A-sides and some were B-sides ("Carol" was both an A-side and a B-side). According to the internet, the only track written specifically for this album release is the closer, "Blues for Hawaiians." Otherwise, you can probably use Wikipedia or AllMusic to figure out which of the tracks are from which years, because they're certainly not in chronological order ("Maybellene" was his first single in 1955).

When I started listening to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, I got to listen to just about all of Berry's records. This one happens to be my favorite. While it is not an intentional album (meaning it wasn't the end-goal product of intentional session work), it represents the best of Chuck Berry's music. Other albums are an uneven blend of high-tempo rock and roll and slower bluesy R&B. Later albums saw Berry more or less recycle his favorite intros and rhythms for new songs, leading to a repetitive and unoriginal sound that saw him never move much past the success of his early years. Rock and roll grew past Chuck Berry, while he was more or less content to play the same old thing.

While Chuck Berry's guitar work is rudimentary compared to what came after him and what exists today in all the many genres that rock and roll splintered into, he is one of the earliest pioneers to bring the electric guitar forward and make it the star of the show. Early on, he still considered his music to be R&B (hence the shout-out to rhythm and blues in "Roll Over Beethoven) but he embraced the rock and roll label, as that's what the music came to be called. He put a lot of the pieces together- riffs, lyrics that resonated with young people, and showmanship.

Elvis Presley may have been the king of rock and roll but Chuck Berry was one of the major architects of it. I'm sad we're making this first album of the new set as a weird sort of tribute to Chuck Berry after his passing but I am glad you guys are jumping back 60 years and checking out rock and roll music when it was in its infancy.
by G-Man
Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:40 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

Great review, Rico! You make a very good point about how the album itself wasn't groundbreaking though the music was. I don't think any of Chuck Berry's LP albums changed the game because his first three were all released well after his singles were tearing up the charts. I've found that the hardest thing to put into context when listening to early RaRHoF inductees albums is that most of their early albums were just collections. Rock and roll began in 1954/1955 but singles were still the main ticket for those artists.

I understand what you said about being exposed to a bubble and only breaking in one direction. It's hard to branch out from what is familiar sometimes. My dad was a punk rocker that appreciated a little flair when he was a kid, so I grew up on a healthy dose of Ramones and Queen. I happened to start listening to the radio when grunge broke and put the nail in the coffin of 80s hair band music. As a teen/college student, my love for post-grunge led me to explore more of my dad's punk roots, which led me back to oldies, which a number of 70s punk bands cite as inspiration for their simpler, wild jam sounds. That and a girl I had a major crush on in high school was big into oldies. :rolleyes: There are pockets of each decade and some genres that I still haven't fully explored yet but I'm willing to check those out as time permits.
by G-Man
Thu Mar 23, 2017 9:55 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

I'm enjoying the wide variety of responses to my pick. Maybe I'll have to throw some more oldies at you with future picks.
by G-Man
Fri Mar 24, 2017 4:16 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

nutella wrote:
JaggedJimmyJay wrote:Maybe Back to the Future is an early option for Movie of the Week [Week 1]. :ponder:
Let's do it. :clap:
This is a music thread, not a movie thread. Why don't you make like a tree and get outta here.
by G-Man
Sat Mar 25, 2017 5:05 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

Time to share my take on Chuck Berry is on Top.

I try to rid my mind of as much information as I can when I go back in time with books, music, and movies. It's not always possible to appreciate the context of things from even 50 years ago but I try. It's hardest for me with books and easiest for me with movies. Music falls into the middle ground somewhere. Sometimes I miss out with music but I think going back to the beginning of rock and roll makes it easy to capture the right mindset.

Chuck Berry did not invent rock and roll. It was a gradual process that began with electronic amplification of guitars, progression in blues, R&B, and country music that all built up to his song "Maybellene." I'm sure if you go back far enough, you'll hear something that makes you say- "I hear Chuck Berry in that." I haven't had that a-ha moment yet in my musical wanderings but in listening to Chuck Berry's early music, I hear the future. Not the future from now but the future of back then.

That 50's rock and roll sound that we're all acquainted with is due to the popularity of Chuck Berry and other artists circa 1955-1957. Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others still emphasized the piano. Chuck Berry made the guitar the instrument of choice for frontmen for generations. Heck, when the Beatles were famously told in a rejection notice that "guitar groups are on their way out." Listening to Berry's opening riffs on "Carol," "Maybellene," "Sweet Little Rock 'N' Roller," "Johnny B. Goode," "Little Queenie," and "Roll Over Beethoven" makes me want to learn how to play guitar. Since I am largely musically-challenged, I'll settle for flailing around the house shredding the air guitar with wild abandon. That is the potency on display here.

Simplistic? Maybe. But it strikes a nerve all the same. It's not music that beckons to be listened to intently or evaluated structurally. It doesn't care about form, difficulty, effects, or being arty. The early rock and roll that Chuck Berry belongs to has but two simple purposes: get you moving and make you smile. Why are these songs remembered so fondly? Nostalgia is largely about emotion- what made us happy or what we think we remember making us happy. This music is fun. Plain and simple, fun music is good music. Chuck Berry is on Top, being a collection of previously-released tracks, is fun to listen to. You can tell that Chuck Berry is having fun playing this music. He's having fun singing and playing. You can almost envision the wide smile on his face as he rattles off lyrics at what had to be a blistering pace back in the day and it's obvious he's smiling when lets his guitar do the talking.

The showmanship factor is missing from an audio recording but we all know what people do when they play these songs. Chuck showed us how to be playful when he did some of this stuff first. For that joy and playfulness to transcend the limitations of an audio recording is priceless. I'll take that simplistic joy over mastery and effects any day.

I mentioned hearing the future. Is there anyone who doesn't hear the Beach Boys in Chuck Berry? After all, one of their biggest hits, "Surfin' USA" is a note-for-note, beat-for-beat rip-off of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen." The 50's rock sound morphed into Surf Rock, which the Beach Boys owned. I can even hear early Beatles in Berry's music. Not a bad gig, inspiring two of the most famous recording acts on two sides of the Atlantic.

Half of these tracks are timeless and perfect to my ears. The rest of them are still entertaining to listen to. I know I am a fan of Chuck Berry, but I know it's infectious because my 5-year-old daughter can't stop smiling when she hears his music. I think the one song I struggle with is "Hey Pedro," because you couldn't write that song now. Is it racist? Possibly. If a white performer (and probably even a black performer) came up with the tune now, the PC Police would be all over it. That's the only song on here that hasn't aged well. Everything else still sounds fresh because it is so potent and pure.

Hail! Hail! Rock and roll. Hail! Hail! Chuck Berry.

G-Man Scale: 4.33 out of 5
Rico Scale: 4.5 out of 5


Rankings So Far:
1. Chuck Berry is on Top- Chuck Berry- 4.33/5
2. World Music- Goat- 4.17/5
3. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown- The Crazy World of Arthur Brown- 4.09/5
4. Beneath the Brine- The Family Crest- 3.33/5
5. 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare- Fishmans- 3.14/5
6. Bish Bosch- Scott Walker- 2.85/5
by G-Man
Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:42 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

I realize I forgot to do my usual first-three-tracks breakdown and which tracks I would take.

"Almost Grown" is a good song but it lacks punch. It's far from the best opening tracks I've ever heard but it's still a good song. "Carol" takes things up a notch. "Maybellene" kicks it up yet another gear. So there's a very nice progression to the album, as tracks get stronger. There's an opposite progression at the end. Coming off of "Roll Over Beethoven," it eases up the tempo with "Around and Around," dips a little more with "Hey Pedro," and comes to a nice, easy finish with "Blues for Hawaiians."

I can't pick three tracks on this album. I just can't. Instead, with albums this good, I can only try to pinpoint which songs I would drop to make it better. That would be "Hey Pedro," "Jo Jo Gunne," and maybe "Anthony Boy." Not easy choices and I really like the closing track even though it is the slowest.
by G-Man
Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:00 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 6 - "Chuck Berry Is on Top"]

What can I say? I'm a rocker. I have my moments of liking intricate stuff but I'm pretty straightforward. I want my rock and roll to rock.
by G-Man
Sun Mar 26, 2017 12:41 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

I haven't listened to it yet but reading what's been posted jogged my memory of some things. Though I am familiar with the name Crowded House, I couldn't put a song to the band's name. Unfortunately, that's a common problem for me and 80s music. Nice to put two and two together with "Don't Dream It's Over."

That being said, I was surprised to learn that some of the band were in Split Enz as well. I am much more familiar with Split Enz because my dad was a punk/new waver. He has a couple of their albums, including True Colours. Dad's copy feature laser etching, which was apparently only done on a few records back then, though I don't know if that means it's worth anything.

So yeah, this should be an interesting listen for me given my indirect exposure to some of Crowded House's members.
by G-Man
Mon Mar 27, 2017 1:35 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

I've listened twice now. The first track is pretty dated thanks to the lyrics but overall the album is pleasant. Nothing's gripped me yet but the week is still young.
by G-Man
Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:06 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:
G-Man wrote:I've listened twice now. The first track is pretty dated thanks to the lyrics but overall the album is pleasant. Nothing's gripped me yet but the week is still young.
Yeah I have no idea who Tammy Baker is, but apparently she likes cake. :shrug2:
Shoot. You just made me feel old. Jerk. :p

Tammy Faye Bakker was the wife of televangelist and huckster Jim Bakker. They made millions selling their brand of Christianity and lived large. She had big hair. In the 80s, the more hairspray you used, the more powerful your connection was to Gawd, praise Jeez-us!
by G-Man
Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 am
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

I think I'm going to have to join this Rate Your Music thing and set you all straight. :p

Running a rating listen on Woodface. We'll see how it shakes out the first time through grading it.
by G-Man
Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:44 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

This is a weird way to describe this but please don't be offended. The majority of these songs sound like the kind of music you hear on someone's stereo or during the emotional build-up in a romantic comedy, particularly 90s romantic comedies that were still trying to be hip and not just shamelessly corny or take themselves too seriously.

It's pretty music, no denying that. I wasn't indifferent to a single track but I also didn't hear anything I would call a great song. There are a few standouts but nothing smashes through like the Kool-Aid Man.
by G-Man
Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:32 pm
Forum: Tin Pan Alley
Topic: SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]
Replies: 2046
Views: 79711

Re: SAW [Week 7 - "Woodface"]

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:For your ratings thing, Rico, I give Woodface a 4.5.

Does that make me the first person to submit an album that I wouldn't give a 5? :grin:

I am a bigger hardass about 5-star ratings than almost everyone alive.
I only gave Chuck Berry a 4.5 out of 5, so you're in good company. :beer:

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