SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

#651

Spoiler: show

#652

Another fine review, Rico. I was also thinking that their sound reminded me of college rock but also a smidgen of jam band sensibilities as well. I'm pretty sure I heard some music recording majors listening to this album back in college. They were an interesting bunch.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #653

lol JJJ nice ranking descriptions.

@G-Man, I largely agree with your assessment of Woodface, with maybe a slightly more positive stance. It evokes a genre that I'm pretty neutral toward, but within that range I think it's very good music and pleasant to listen to, and there are a few standout-ish tracks for me.
I'm listening to Together Alone as well and getting a similar impression. Again, lovely music, and I think I can see why it's a beloved album to some (and obviously everyone has a different emotional history with music and I don't have the same connections but I know the feeling so I understand), but it doesn't have a hugely unique impression on me.

haven't watched rico's review yet, looking forward to it

#654

I could understand as well why people don't see much in Crowded House. I'm partially not sure why I love them so much; I just do. I like well crafted pop rock just like well crafted most other genres, and Woodface and Together Alone largely capture everything I could possibly love about pop rock songwriting.

What Jay said about his musical discovery process largely parallels mine, at least until a certain point, except it was a combination of synthpop, post-rock, and a few other things that got me looking elsewhere other than the most complex stuff. I branched out into electronic and jazz big time after prog as well, then slowly made the transition to appreciating atmosphere in my music rather than complexity, then I was able to stomach just well written simpler compositions. It was a steady transformative process, I suppose.

So re: the college rock comparison, I see that too, even if I always hated the label "college rock". But that reminded me of another band I love: R.E.M. Even though I find them much more hit and miss than Crowded House and I don't quite love any of their albums as a unit nearly as much just because I feel like they have that problem where some songs are just transcendent and others fall flat. So they're not quite as enjoyable as CH even at their peak to me, but I'd still say R.E.M. captures a lot of what I love about pop rock composition as well. I'm a sucker for Automatic for the People in particular; that's their Together Alone in my eyes, even if I wouldn't give AftP a 5.0.

#655

If y'all poop on APP for a third time, I might just push R.E.M.'s Murmur.

#656

Ricochet wrote:If y'all poop on APP for a third time, I might just push R.E.M.'s Murmur.

Just nominate Murmur instead.

#657

MovingPictures07 wrote:
Ricochet wrote:If y'all poop on APP for a third time, I might just push R.E.M.'s Murmur.
Just nominate Murmur instead.

No! We must find what happened to the hare who lost his spectacles.

#658

Late to the party on this one, guys. Sorry about that. But I'm listening to Woodface now. I tend to agree with G-Man. It's pleasant music thta I enjoy, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to. It reminds me a bit of the band Squeeze I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars so far.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #659

I've also been mentally comparing them to REM. Similar sound and I enjoy them in sort of the same way.

#660

nutella wrote:I've also been mentally comparing them to REM. Similar sound and I enjoy them in sort of the same way.

Funny, I made that same comparison, not so much in sound, but in my feeling that I wouldn't turn them off if they were on, but wouldn't seek them out either.

#661

Rico's review and the ensuing conversation reminded me of something that might help explain my fondness for Crowded House better.

I understand how, on the surface, they might sound like a standard issue pop rock band with some nice songs but nothing that jumps out. Indeed, a term I would imagine some critics applying to them is "inoffensive". I think this perception is a symptom of a quality I believe the band boasts which their contemporaries often did not (or at least it was less audible in the music): maturity.

When I view Crowded House's lyrical content, and when I listen to the arrangements of their songs and albums, I hear a group which has already enjoyed a long and thorough musical progression. If you follow the music of Neil Finn backwards in time, I think you'll hear the refined songwriting become less refined, and the mature presentation will become progressively more gimmicky.

Split Enz and the first two Crowded House albums can be squarely associated with many of the hallmarks of '80s production and songwriting. I'd call their debut album which Rico mentioned derivative even, though I do enjoy it a lot. Woodface and Together Alone see Crowded House coming into a sound uniquely their own, with an appeal that can be felt by all age groups in a way that I don't think can be as easily said of REM or a few other contemporaries. Crowded House also had two comeback albums in 2007 and 2010, and they are both even more refined and mature -- to the point that some fans didn't like them as much (I love them).

That's just my perspective though. There are no wrong answers in music.

#662

This isn't actually on the album after Woodface, but it's my favorite song in the world so I'm sharing it anyway. Nobody is obligated to listen.

Spoiler: show

This is what I perceive a perfect song to sound like.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #663

thellama73 wrote:
nutella wrote:I've also been mentally comparing them to REM. Similar sound and I enjoy them in sort of the same way.
Funny, I made that same comparison, not so much in sound, but in my feeling that I wouldn't turn them off if they were on, but wouldn't seek them out either.

Yeah, same.

#664

Hey y'all, I'm on my phone all day and can't really present the next album. I'd appreciate it if anyone else could move us forward. Thanks again for giving Woodface a listen.

#665

I got it, Jay, no worries! Next up we have...

Week 8: Kinks - Arthur

Submitted by triceratopzeuhl

Available on Spotify and via the YouTube link in the OP

Let's talk about this thing!

#666

You peeps sure like rockarolla.

#667

The Kinks might be my favorite band ever, and this is one of their best albums. This is going to be a fun week. On a personal note, I bought this album on the same day I bought Talking Heads 77, and the guy at the record store complimented my taste, so that is a little special memory.

#668

Tardy as usual am I. Woodface was an entirely pleasant experience, but at the same time, it wasn't engaging to me. I will give them this: Unlike many pop rock groups, Crowded House knows how to lay down a respectable bass groove. The vocal harmonies were not my favorite, but they were unique in a way that I appreciate (I think super sleek vocal harmonies are fine- see: Eagles, The- but I like vocal harmonies with some distinction and character- Yes is a band that gets it right. Even if Steve Howe on his own is a horrid vocalist, he sounds great and important with Anderson and Squire, filling out the low end).

Good songwriting, great bass work, intriguing harmonies- overall, very good pop rock music that I was happy to be exposed to. 3/5.

#669

I'll save a more detailed commentary of Arthur for later, but I will begin by noting that the chorus of Victoria is one of the most joyous things in all of music.

#670

Arthur, like most of The Kinks' mid-period material, isn't quite a concept album but is full of overriding themes & callbacks to earlier lyrics. I picked it because it also holds some of their catchiest songwriting & none of the tracks really overstay their welcome. A fine album, if not my favourite of theirs, that showcases why I think The Kinks are the most interesting and underrated of the British invasion bands. They came a long way in just 5 years since lyrics like "they call me long tall shorty cuz I know what love is all about"

#671

Shangri-La is my fave track here btw. Also I used to live in an apartment building named Shangri-La

#672

Like most concept albums, I think Arthur gets bogged down a little by its theme. Tracks like Mr. Churchill Says and Yes Sir, No Sir feel a little forced. Drivin' and Australia go on a little longer than necessary. But the sequencing is great, the first and last tracks both being epically awesome. Due to the psychological phenomenon of the Primacy and Recency effects, this makes the album seem great in hindsight. I love the music hall of "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina." I didn't fully appreciate Brainwashed until the live version on "Everybody's in Showbiz", but now it's one of my favorites. I generally find anti-war songs a bit tedious and preachy, but Some Mother's Son is genuinely affecting.

I also love the fact that in 1969, when other British bands were releasing Abbey Road, In the Court of the Crimson King, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Odyssey and Oracle, and other forward looking psych-progessive classics, the Kinks stubbornly put out an album of old fashioned, thoroughly British music about World War II.

#673

I really haven't listened to much Kinks before, so I was pleasantly surprised by Arthur. It's like a kaleidoscope that reorients all the British Invasion sounds I know into something different—although I have a hard time expressing why exactly I find it distinctive. I think Llama's on to something by describing it as "old-fashioned, thoroughly British music"; the careful use of horns and less-careful piano work do give it an early-century sheen.

My favorite track is probably "Australia." Catchy lyrics that combine setting, rhyme, and concept, groovy beats, and an extended psych coda that just swirls and swirls. I don't think it goes on too long; I think it successfully portrays the lure of the exotic on the postwar mind. But that's me.

#674

I won't get a chance to listen until later in the week. It's been a long time since I've listened to The Kinks so it should be neat.

#675

My thoughts usually get less and less front-of-mind by the time I finish the album, so putting my thoughts out gets butchered a lot of the time. Instead, I'll give some thoughts on each track as they happen and then give one at the very end with a proper rating.

--------------------------------

Victoria was great. I enjoyed the uplifting vibes and the pacing of the song. For a song from 1969, it really doesn't feel too outdated. I wouldn't mind coming back to listen to it every now and again.

I couldn't get into Yes Sir, No Sir. I feel like it tried to go in three directions at once - I was getting country, something else and marching band vibes all at once. They didn't do it well.

Some Mothers Son was okay all around. I think you need to be able to really connect with the song to enjoy it so it's definitely outdated for my demographic.

I completely tuned out of Drivin'. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, because it did make for some alright background listening. To me though, it's not the kind of thing you sit and really 'listen' to.

Brainwashed was mediocre. Nothing good or bad to say about it.

Not a fan of Australia (lol). I couldn't get into it at all, and unlike Drivin I didn't like it sitting in the background either. Too long for very little payoff, imo.

My thoughts of Shangri la were pretty much identical to Drivin'. I was slightly more captivated in parts though, so I give this one a thumbs up.

Mr. Churchill Says was a good listen. Funnily enough, I think I'd have enjoyed it more without the lyrics. The parts where that was the case were fantastic.

Feeling very meh about Princess Marina. That is all.

Young and Innocent Days was nice. Not particularly engaging but if you stop everything and just listen it's definitely enjoyable.

Nothing to Say is another example of good background noise.

As for Arthur, I only say this because of the order of the album I listened to, but it's not a good fit for the concluding song of the album. My interest sort of fizzled out towards the end and Arthur didn't do much for me. On it's own, it's good background noise.

----------------------------------------

There were a few good tracks, namely Victoria and Mr. Churchill, but most of them were pretty mediocre. It's not something I'd ever seek out to listen to again, but it was fun to give it a once-over. I'd give it a 3/5.

#676

Quin, do you think your enjoyment of Australia was mitigated by the fact that you live in New Zealand?

#677

thellama73 wrote:Quin, do you think your enjoyment of Australia was mitigated by the fact that you live in New Zealand?

Probably. Those assholes think they invented pavlova.

#678

Quin wrote:
thellama73 wrote:Quin, do you think your enjoyment of Australia was mitigated by the fact that you live in New Zealand?
Probably. Those assholes think they invented pavlova.

From the Wikipedia page: "Later research by Andrew Wood and Annabelle Utrecht suggested the dessert originated in the United States and was based on an earlier German dish."

WILL AMERICA EVER STOP WINNING?!

#679

Looking forward to listening to this later today! I've only heard a little bit by The Kinks in the past (mostly just listening to the Village Green Preservation Society a handful of times), and I've never heard this album.

An update for Rico (and anyone else who cares): I revisited my ratings for all of these albums over the last few nights, and I have revised my ratings for Bisch Bosch (2.5) and Berry Is on Top (2.5), which fell just a bit because I'm mostly bored with both and otherwise the moments of enjoyment and displeasure cancel each other out just too much. All other ratings remain the same.

#680

Late as usual. My review for Woodface:

The first three tracks played well. "Chocolate Cake" establishes a quasi-college rock/jam vibe that's light and witty but also outdated (seriously- did anyone else get the Tammy Faye Bakker reference?). "It's Only Natural" does much of the same, with more pop aspirations and less name-dropping. "Fall At Your Feet" takes the songwriting into adult-contemporary territory (no offense intended). All three are fine songs and set a laid-back mood that I associate with chilling rather than actively listening. True enough, I'd lose a few tracks the first few listens because I unconsciously relaxed my focus too much.

The rest of the album covers that same crossroads between college/jam and adult-contemporary. It's much nicer to listen to than that fusion might otherwise suggest. If this is a transitional album, where the band wants to add maturity and depth to their sound, then they fooled me. The album sounds like these guys already figured out how to play fun but mature music, because none of the tracks sound forced or overdone, which can plague bands who try to add a splash of "grown-up" stuff to their set list. It sounds natural and authentic.

That said, it's not quite my thing. There's not a bad track on this album but I didn't hear anything that I wanted to call a great song. This kind of respectable effort reminds me of bands like the Foo Fighters- past their heyday but still making respectable, good-quality music. It's not going to set the world on fire but industry types and fans will still applaud the effort and the end product.

Picking three songs was difficult because four appealed to me more than the rest. My top three would be (in no particular order) "Fall At Your Feet," "Four Seasons In One Day," and "As Sure As I Am." The 4th place option was "She Goes On," and I think that;s mostly because the line about Frank Sinatra made me realize that I heard that song back in college at some point.

Overall, it's quite good and very listenable. It lacks the bite that I tend to gravitate toward but I wouldn't be opposed to hearing it again in the right setting.

G-Man Score: 3.71out of 5 (almost a B+)
Rico Score: 3.5 out of 5

#681

MovingPictures07 wrote:Looking forward to listening to this later today! I've only heard a little bit by The Kinks in the past (mostly just listening to the Village Green Preservation Society a handful of times), and I've never heard this album.

An update for Rico (and anyone else who cares): I revisited my ratings for all of these albums over the last few nights, and I have revised my ratings for Bisch Bosch (2.5) and Berry Is on Top (2.5), which fell just a bit because I'm mostly bored with both and otherwise the moments of enjoyment and displeasure cancel each other out just too much. All other ratings remain the same.

Chucky downgrade noted.

Bosch downgrade denied.

#682

After first listen, I thought Arthur was a mix of pretty damn good and just OK. "Victoria", "Australia", and "Shagri-La" are the clear highlights.

In the end I gave it a 3.0.

#683

For anyone who is interested in more Kinks, Muswell Hillbillies is my favorite of theirs.

#684

Muswell Hillbillies is great, so is Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One (either that or the self-titled 1964 album would be my favourite)

#685

I've listened to the Arthur a few times now. I like it but don't love it. I understand what Llama said about it sounding very British. It reminds me of 1964/1965 Beatles at times, with the arrangements that is.

One weird thing that struck me is how much Franz Ferdinand emulated (either intentionally or accidentally) some of this sound on their first album (I don't have any of their others). I can totally hear their singer performing a bunch of these tracks. Weird.

#686

G-Man wrote:I understand what Llama said about it sounding very British. It reminds me of 1964/1965 Beatles at times, with the arrangements that is.

I read somewhere once an opinion that the reason the Kinks never broke big like the Beatles and Rolling Stones is that they were "too British" and I think there's some truth to that.

The Dry Flood · #687

I've enjoyed Arthur for the most part. In limited exposure I think I like the former half of the album more than the latter. I appreciate the straight-forwardness of the music; no genre-bending gimmicks are called upon to add unnecessary flare. It's a 3.5 for me.

#688

Hackett wrote:I've enjoyed Arthur for the most part. In limited exposure I think I like the former half of the album more than the latter. I appreciate the straight-forwardness of the music; no genre-bending gimmicks are called upon to add unnecessary flare. It's a 3.5 for me.

That's exactly how I feel.

#689

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:
Hackett wrote:I've enjoyed Arthur for the most part. In limited exposure I think I like the former half of the album more than the latter. I appreciate the straight-forwardness of the music; no genre-bending gimmicks are called upon to add unnecessary flare. It's a 3.5 for me.
That's exactly how I feel.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #690

Bit behind this week -- only just now on first listen and it's 9pm on Friday

But I'm about halfway through and I'm pretty thoroughly enjoying it so far, so I'll definitely listen a couple more times.

#691

I'm running out of space for the ratings.

I will most likely bail out of this week's review, since it's already Saturday and I barely have a paragraph written down, and prepare to resume normal schedule with the next one. This week just had me pinned, tis all; it's in no way a slight to Arthur, which, while not the kind of album to describe as "sensational" and grabbing, I appreciated for what it went for. If, say, Tommy is showy, this one is kinda more artistic. I would have spoken of it in a slightly more positive light than much of the previous couple of albums and would give it a 3.5 / light 7. I guess this small comment will have to do, I just don't see myself sitting down today (or even this weekend) to write and record myself.

#692

unacceptable

#693

Agreed, I expect two reviews next week, Rico.

#694

#695

Thanks for the submission, Trice. It maintained a nice trend of sending us back and forth through time, which continues again with our next album.

#696

Week 9: Vanessa Rossetto - Whole Stories

Submitted by A Person

Available on Bandcamp

#697

I'm so far behind.

#698

I thought up until now that this album was called "Whale Stories"

SPLIT YOUR LUNGS WITH BLOOD AND THUNDER WHEN YOU SEE THE WHITE WHALE

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #699

I actually quite enjoyed Arthur. I think I give it a 3.5 (if I may be generous it's leaning upward to 3.75)

Looking forward to listening to this next one. Completely unfamiliar, should be fun.

#700

My review for Arthur:

Concept albums aren't a guaranteed hit for me but this one was rather enjoyable. Some concept albums get too bogged down in telling the narrative component and fail to keep the music engaging. Others fall victim to pretension, assuming that whatever statement the artist is trying to make should be understood to be of high importance. Arthur is sort of the opposite. For me, the album is very listenable though I was left wondering if the tracks aren't in full narrative order.

Track 1 ("Victoria") opens the album with a familiar Beatles-esque mid-60s British sound that is nostalgic but also not imitative. There's some tongue-in-cheek going on that I like quite a bit. It shows that the band isn't trying to make a profound statement but merely have something to say. Track 2 ("Yes Sir, No Sir") is not quite as good as the opener but still amusing. There's enough irreverence going on between the lines the uphold the lighter tone and the singer's delivery adds a dash of what I interpreted to be sarcasm. This song could have easily been overdone and melodramatic but it wasn't. Track 3 ("Some Mother's Son") is darker but it does not get preachy like many of the anti-war songs that sprung up during the most recent Iraq War. It's still got that sarcasm, which adds bite to the dark tone of the song.

So, my three-track make-or-break system says this album starts very successfully. I can see those early three songs playing over a montage of scenes depicting events of suburbia, enlistment, and war. Maybe that's what the band was going for, since the project started as the companion to a TV production that fizzled out.

I was initially not super keen about this album but it grew on me quite a bit with each successive listen. I was indifferent to two tracks though. "Drivin'" and "Young an Innocent Days" felt almost like filler and just didn't do it for me. It was hard in the end to pick three top tracks. "Australia" is the clear standout. I still can't tell if it's a straight-forward tune from the idealists mindset of someone looking for opportunity or if it's a sarcastic and condescending parody from the mindset of an old codger who thinks the kids should stay put in jolly old England. "Victoria" is a strong opener and it's leaner than some of the other stand-out songs. I appreciate that. I was drawn to "Some Mother's Son" for some reason. Perhaps it's because I took a semester-long course on the Vietnam War once and the battlefield lyrics resonate with me.

"Shangri-La" and "Arthur" receive honorable mentions. The former is a really good example of songwriting because it builds up effectively. The latter is a nice little closer that summarizes everything nicely while also being very catchy.

I look forward to listening to more of The Kinks when I reach them on my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame project. This may not be the best way to introduce someone to their work, so it helps that I was familiar with them beforehand. Otherwise, it might run the risk of sounding too much like The Beatles, given the British sound the band went for here. Youngins these days have a tendency to switch off their interest if something sounds too old to be "cool," so Arthur is certainly something that needs a few listens to warm up to.

G-Man Scale: 4.0625 out of 5 (A-)
Rico Scale: 4 out of 5

My ratings so far:

Spoiler: show