Classic Albums I have never heard

Powerstars · 07-26-2013, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Everybody with a set of ears has, even if they don't know the artist.

This. Trollheart, go listen to "Epic," and for the love of all that is holy, tell us you've heard it before.

The Batlord · 07-27-2013, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powerstars

This. Trollheart, go listen to "Epic," and for the love of all that is holy, tell us you've heard it before.

He doesn't like hip hop. Something tells me he won't have anything good to say about "Epic".

Trollheart · 07-27-2013, 08:05 PM

Oh THAT one! Sheesh! Why didn't you say? Of course I have

never ever heard that in my life.

And I hate it.

You were right Batlord.

Powerstars · 07-27-2013, 08:40 PM

D:

Trollheart · 08-06-2013, 06:31 AM

Title: In the aeroplane over the sea
Artiste: Neutral Milk Hotel
Year: 1998
Chronological position: Second, and last
Previous experience of this artiste?: Not a sausage
Why is this considered a classic? No, I really want to know...

My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good
One track in --- Good
Halfway through --- Good
Finished --- Good

Comments: Everybody raves about this album, so it's one that got added to the list later on, and now here I am listening to it for the first ever time. The opening track is nice: I had no idea what to expect from this band but it's quite palatable for me at any rate. Some nice stuff though "Oh comely" goes on way too long and is as dreary as a wet weekend in Dublin, while "Communist daughter", less than two minutes, is a far superior track. That untitled one just before the end is good too, the instrumental one.

Favourite track(s): The king of carrot flowers, part one, In the aeroplane over the sea, Holland 1945, Ghost
Least favourite track(s): The king of carrot flowers, parts two and three, Oh comely

Final impression --- Good album but I'm not overly impressed really. Decent eclectic mix of instrumentation but both Passenger and the Waterboys do this thing so much better. I might listen to it again, then again I might not.

Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?

E I would say. Suppose that may change on repeated listens.

Trollheart · 08-09-2013, 03:22 PM

Title: Floodland
Artiste: The Sisters of Mercy
Year: 1987
Chronological position: Second album
Previous experience of this artiste?: "This corrosion". That's it.
Why is this considered a classic? Maybe because it was the last official album before the band broke up, and also because it rather paradoxically it seems to me marked their commercial breakthough. What do you do on the cusp of fame and fortune? Yeah, break up!

My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great
One track in --- Great
Halfway through --- Great
Finished --- Great

Comments: I loved Andew Eldritch's voice when I heard it on "This corrosion": I always felt if a vampire started up a band the lead singer would sound like him. How do you categorise this music? Dark new wave? Gothic rock? Darkwave? "Flood I" sort of gives me a Gary Numan feel, especially his earlier work with Tubeway Army, mixed in with a harsher Nick Cave sound. I love the bassline in "Lucretia my reflection", very sparse. I also like Eldritch's more restrained vocal for most of the song. You know, SoM sound a little like The Damned too. The piano ballad "1959" is a step away from what has gone so far and is a nice surprise.

I'd have to say I'm pretty damn impressed by this album; just a pity they didn't last to do more than one after this. Never heard of a band striking against their record label before but apparently that's exactly what they did!

Favourite track(s): Pretty much everything really
Least favourite track(s): So that would leave...?

Final impression --- Something of a masterpiece really; and a supernova that flared and rather sadly died out all too quickly.

Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?

Have to be A.

Bulldog · 08-15-2013, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Final impression --- Good album but I'm not overly impressed really. Decent eclectic mix of instrumentation but both Passenger and the Waterboys do this thing so much better. I might listen to it again, then again I might not.

That's basically what I thought of the album when I listened to it verbatim, except that I actually never listened to it again - just let it gather dust for years with my Urban Verbs and Afghan Whigs albums, along with all that other stuff I've virtually forgotten I own.

Good thread by the way.

Trollheart · 08-15-2013, 05:41 AM

Thanks Bulldog, and thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I started this journal because it seemed to me I was maybe missing out on some pretty amazing albums that everyone mentions or cites, and I wanted to know more about them. In general I think a good percentage of them have impressed me, but others have left me a little cold and wondering why they're considered as classics. Still, it's an interesting journey.

Trollheart · 08-15-2013, 06:03 AM

Did I not already do this one? And the Waterboys? Oh well: getting hard to differentiate between the reviews I write and the ones I post. On we go then...

Title: Graceland
Artiste: Paul Simon
Year: 1986
Chronological position: Seventh album
Previous experience of this artiste?: No albums but singles and of course Simon and Garfunkel. I've also heard his greatest hits and liked it.
Why is this considered a classic? This was a breakout success for Paul Simon, with its utilisation of African and World music, and turned the spotlight on some hitherto unknown or at least unrecognised African artistes like Juluka and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Mind you, Simon was lambasted by many in the anti-apartheid movements for being seen to break the embargo on working with South African musicians, which set him at odds with, among others, the powerful ANC.

My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great
One track in --- Great
Halfway through --- Great
Finished --- Great

Comments: As I mentioned in the note to this album originally, when I first heard this album decades ago I didn't really like it; truth to tell I didn't really listen to it at all, which is why I'm including it here even though technically it's a classic album I have heard. I want to see if, with the benefit of older, less naive ears I can "get" it. Okay well I'm halfway through so far and I like everything I've heard up to now. Ah, the difference twenty-five years makes!

Favourite track(s): The boy in the bubble, Graceland ... ah to hell with it! Everything here is great!
Least favourite track(s): Nada

Final impression --- As I say, what a difference 25 or so years makes! I obviously was not properly equipped to appreciate this album when I first listened to it. Now that I have had another crack at it, its splendour has been revealed to me and I finally see the light!

Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?

After all these years, A!

The Batlord · 08-15-2013, 09:15 AM

You're stalling. Give us Slayer.

07-27-2013, 08:05 PM	#143 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Oh THAT one! Sheesh! Why didn't you say? Of course I have never ever heard that in my life. And I hate it. You were right Batlord. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-27-2013, 08:40 PM	#144 (permalink)
Powerstars Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 450	D: __________________ Last.Fm My New Journal Favorite Album Of The Moment: They Might Be Giants - Glean

08-06-2013, 06:31 AM	#145 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: In the aeroplane over the sea Artiste: Neutral Milk Hotel Year: 1998 Chronological position: Second, and last Previous experience of this artiste?: Not a sausage Why is this considered a classic? No, I really want to know... My thoughts One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good One track in --- Good Halfway through --- Good Finished --- Good Comments: Everybody raves about this album, so it's one that got added to the list later on, and now here I am listening to it for the first ever time. The opening track is nice: I had no idea what to expect from this band but it's quite palatable for me at any rate. Some nice stuff though "Oh comely" goes on way too long and is as dreary as a wet weekend in Dublin, while "Communist daughter", less than two minutes, is a far superior track. That untitled one just before the end is good too, the instrumental one. Favourite track(s): The king of carrot flowers, part one, In the aeroplane over the sea, Holland 1945, Ghost Least favourite track(s): The king of carrot flowers, parts two and three, Oh comely Final impression --- Good album but I'm not overly impressed really. Decent eclectic mix of instrumentation but both Passenger and the Waterboys do this thing so much better. I might listen to it again, then again I might not. Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner B) I'm sorry I bothered C) I might end up liking this D) Have to wait and see E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic? F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic? E I would say. Suppose that may change on repeated listens. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

08-09-2013, 03:22 PM	#146 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: Floodland Artiste: The Sisters of Mercy Year: 1987 Chronological position: Second album Previous experience of this artiste?: "This corrosion". That's it. Why is this considered a classic? Maybe because it was the last official album before the band broke up, and also because it rather paradoxically it seems to me marked their commercial breakthough. What do you do on the cusp of fame and fortune? Yeah, break up! My thoughts One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great One track in --- Great Halfway through --- Great Finished --- Great Comments: I loved Andew Eldritch's voice when I heard it on "This corrosion": I always felt if a vampire started up a band the lead singer would sound like him. How do you categorise this music? Dark new wave? Gothic rock? Darkwave? "Flood I" sort of gives me a Gary Numan feel, especially his earlier work with Tubeway Army, mixed in with a harsher Nick Cave sound. I love the bassline in "Lucretia my reflection", very sparse. I also like Eldritch's more restrained vocal for most of the song. You know, SoM sound a little like The Damned too. The piano ballad "1959" is a step away from what has gone so far and is a nice surprise. I'd have to say I'm pretty damn impressed by this album; just a pity they didn't last to do more than one after this. Never heard of a band striking against their record label before but apparently that's exactly what they did! Favourite track(s): Pretty much everything really Least favourite track(s): So that would leave...? Final impression --- Something of a masterpiece really; and a supernova that flared and rather sadly died out all too quickly. Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner B) I'm sorry I bothered C) I might end up liking this D) Have to wait and see E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic? F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic? Have to be A. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

08-15-2013, 05:41 AM	#148 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Thanks Bulldog, and thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I started this journal because it seemed to me I was maybe missing out on some pretty amazing albums that everyone mentions or cites, and I wanted to know more about them. In general I think a good percentage of them have impressed me, but others have left me a little cold and wondering why they're considered as classics. Still, it's an interesting journey. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

08-15-2013, 06:03 AM	#149 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Did I not already do this one? And the Waterboys? Oh well: getting hard to differentiate between the reviews I write and the ones I post. On we go then... Title: Graceland Artiste: Paul Simon Year: 1986 Chronological position: Seventh album Previous experience of this artiste?: No albums but singles and of course Simon and Garfunkel. I've also heard his greatest hits and liked it. Why is this considered a classic? This was a breakout success for Paul Simon, with its utilisation of African and World music, and turned the spotlight on some hitherto unknown or at least unrecognised African artistes like Juluka and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Mind you, Simon was lambasted by many in the anti-apartheid movements for being seen to break the embargo on working with South African musicians, which set him at odds with, among others, the powerful ANC. My thoughts One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great One track in --- Great Halfway through --- Great Finished --- Great Comments: As I mentioned in the note to this album originally, when I first heard this album decades ago I didn't really like it; truth to tell I didn't really listen to it at all, which is why I'm including it here even though technically it's a classic album I have heard. I want to see if, with the benefit of older, less naive ears I can "get" it. Okay well I'm halfway through so far and I like everything I've heard up to now. Ah, the difference twenty-five years makes! Favourite track(s): The boy in the bubble, Graceland ... ah to hell with it! Everything here is great! Least favourite track(s): Nada Final impression --- As I say, what a difference 25 or so years makes! I obviously was not properly equipped to appreciate this album when I first listened to it. Now that I have had another crack at it, its splendour has been revealed to me and I finally see the light! Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner B) I'm sorry I bothered C) I might end up liking this D) Have to wait and see E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic? F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic? After all these years, A! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018