Classic Albums I have never heard

Urban Hat€monger ? · 02-25-2015, 12:36 PM

I love Steel Pulse's first album, I'd add Forces Of Victory by Linton Kwesi Johnson to that rec too.
I was blown away by that album and I didn't even like reggae at the time.

Trollheart · 02-25-2015, 12:54 PM

Title: Back in black
Artiste: AC/DC
Year: 1980
Chronological position: Seventh album
Previous experience of this artiste?: The singles, a few tracks and my little brother used to own If you want blood … you’ve got it which I hated for the gory album sleeve and never listened to.
Why is this considered a classic? After the death of lead singer Bon Scott it might have been expected the band would find it hard to continue, however with the previous album, 1979’s Highway to Hell breaking them commercially after their association with producer supremo Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who would go on to work similar magic with The Cars, Heart and Def Leppard in the eighties, AC/DC were on the cusp of greatness and so found a new vocalist. The rest is, apparently, history. Oh, and it’s the second-best selling album of all time? Find that one hard to believe, but there you go...

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

Comments: As you’ll gather from the blurb above I have never been a fan of AC/DC. To my mind, their vocalists (either of them) screamed too much rather than sung, and I’ve always preferred my vocals with a little less histrionics. This, then, will be the first full album of theirs I’ve ever listened to. Have my decades of prejudice been justified, or has my intransigence blinded me to a band I should have checked out much sooner? Read on…

The semi-live feel as the album opens is a little confusing, as I don’t believe this could really be live. then there are Black Sabbath-style pealing bells before the opening track gets going. Trouble is, whenever I’ve heard Brian Johnson sing he’s always reminded me of Donald Duck, and here is no exception. Good rocker, but the music definitely swamps the vocal. I know “What do you do for money honey”, and I do quite like that track. It has a great hook in it and surely goes down great live. Looking into the lyrics though they’re very sexist and very limited, and that’s disappointing. I’m not exactly expecting songs about saving the whales here, but for every song to be about sexual prowess or ramroddin’ it is a little tiresome and verges into self-parody.

The title track has more faux-live feel about it, but I do like it and of course I know “You shook me all night long”, leaving us with three tracks to decide whether this album is worth it or not. Well I like the sort of bluesy feel to “Have a drink on me”, even if the lyric is no thing to shout about. Another one that surely goes down well live. “Shake a leg”’s good, but again nothing terribly different. There’s a definite sense of blues too about the closer, “Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution”, though it sounds like it’s partially based on some older song I know. Bit basic, but okay.
Favourite track(s): What do you do for money honey, Back in black, You shook me all night long, Have a drink on me
Least favourite track(s): Let me put my love into you, Given the dog a bone

Final impression --- If I had to choose one word to describe this album it would be “basic”. I hear nothing special here, nothing innovative and that may have been AC/DC and that’s fine if so, but like the Peter Tosh album just reviewed it has failed to make me think that maybe I should be checking these guys out.

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?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it

Think this is an E

Trollheart · 02-25-2015, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

I love Steel Pulse's first album, I'd add Forces Of Victory by Linton Kwesi Johnson to that rec too.
I was blown away by that album and I didn't even like reggae at the time.

I may consider that, but I won't be going back to reggae for a while. I'm just all Star Trekked out at the moment so wanted to get back to doing something a little different, hence the resurrection of this perhaps-thought-dead journal...

Chula Vista · 02-25-2015, 01:06 PM

Back in Black is in 7th place as best selling based on certified sales and is tied for 6th based on claimed sales.

Trollheart · 02-25-2015, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

Back in Black is in 7th place as best selling based on certified sales and is tied for 6th based on claimed sales.

You dare doubt the Wiki?

Its enormous sales figures have made it tied for the second-highest selling album in history; in addition, the album has broken numerous records in sales

and

World wide, Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time, behind only Michael Jackson's Thriller.

**Frownland** · 02-25-2015, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

Back in Black is in 7th place as best selling based on certified sales and is tied for 6th based on claimed sales.

When are you going to quit using the bandwagon fallacy? Enter Murphy's law.

The Nazi Party had a membership of 5.1 million members during WWII and was one the most popular political affiliations in Germany at the time.

Just because something is popular doesn't mean that it's good. Especially with something as subjective as music, film, and other forms of art, it's silly that you keep bringing up popularity and success as a measure something's worth when a negative opinion is brought up on that piece of art.

Chula Vista · 02-25-2015, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

When are you going to quit using the bandwagon fallacy?

When you start reading entire threads for context. I was countering what Troll posted in the first AC/DC entry about BIB.

And Troll: (pretty sure some fan went in and added the 2nd place thing to the album's Wiki entry)

List of best-selling albums - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trollheart · 02-25-2015, 03:53 PM

Yeah in fairness Frown I queried how BiB could be the second-best selling album of all time, and Chula just responded to that. You really need to stop skimming through entries I make (cough) intro to Tom Waits's Swordfishtrombones (cough)

Trollheart · 02-25-2015, 05:39 PM

Title: Different class
Artiste: Pulp
Year: 1995
Chronological position: Fifth album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Just the singles, both of which are on here
Why is this considered a classic? Coming at the height of the Britpop movement, it propelled Pulp to superstar status and also gave them their two biggest hit singles. It made a household name out of Jarvis Cocker too.

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 had originally been going to go for This is hardcore but was convinced by those who know better to change it to this. I see why now, as it is regarded as one of their best and most successful albums, the one that broke them commercially. I pretty much love it from the start, both the first two tracks are great: the first has a lot of anger and pent-up energy in it, while the second is quite sly and cheeky. I of course then know “Common people”, love that song. Next track is fucking brilliant, and then of course I know “Disco 2000”. No complaints so far!

I hear a lot of Bowie in “Live bed show”, probably the first slow song, though I wouldn’t quite call it a ballad, and “Something changed” has a very Divine Comedy vibe about it, another slow song with some lovely strings-like keys (unless it’s an actual orchestra. It could be an actual orchestra) and then I love the acoustic guitar and keys in “Sorted for Es and wizz” (huh?), kinda folky in a way. And it just gets better. The next track has a sort of spacey, psychedelic feel, with a note of menace and brooding about it, then explodes into a big orchestral punch, which really takes you by surprise.

I’m not sure what “Underwear” is about --- at first I thought it was a child abuse thing, daddy creeping into daughter’s bedroom --- but now I’m not so sure. It’s a great song though, very guitar driven and with the same hooky melodies that abound throughout this album. “Monday morning” pulls in a bit of Madness, and puts into words the feelings we all have on that crappiest of mornings. Staccato guitar really helps here, and if closer “Bar Italia” is also great then this is a truly exceptional album. Yep, it is. Superb.

Favourite track(s): Everything
Least favourite track(s): Nothing

Final impression --- What a wonderful slice of 90s Britpop. I thought after hearing the two singles that I might like Pulp, but I didn’t realise how much. This is stupendous!

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?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it

Oh, an absolute A and another, only our second

Urban Hat€monger ? · 02-25-2015, 05:42 PM

I think the album they did before this, His n Hers is even better.

Glad you liked it though, Pulp will always be one of my favourites.

Edit: Here's something you might like. This is a song they recorded for that album but in the end released it on the Trainspotting soundtrack instead.
I love this song and think it should have been a single...

And here's something about the cover..
http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith...ver#.ckXo73Q8R

02-25-2015, 12:36 PM	#361 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I love Steel Pulse's first album, I'd add Forces Of Victory by Linton Kwesi Johnson to that rec too. I was blown away by that album and I didn't even like reggae at the time. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

02-25-2015, 12:54 PM	#362 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: Back in black Artiste: AC/DC Year: 1980 Chronological position: Seventh album Previous experience of this artiste?: The singles, a few tracks and my little brother used to own If you want blood … you’ve got it which I hated for the gory album sleeve and never listened to. Why is this considered a classic? After the death of lead singer Bon Scott it might have been expected the band would find it hard to continue, however with the previous album, 1979’s Highway to Hell breaking them commercially after their association with producer supremo Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who would go on to work similar magic with The Cars, Heart and Def Leppard in the eighties, AC/DC were on the cusp of greatness and so found a new vocalist. The rest is, apparently, history. Oh, and it’s the second-best selling album of all time? Find that one hard to believe, but there you go... My thoughts One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Still waiting One track in --- Good Halfway through --- Good Finished --- Good Comments: As you’ll gather from the blurb above I have never been a fan of AC/DC. To my mind, their vocalists (either of them) screamed too much rather than sung, and I’ve always preferred my vocals with a little less histrionics. This, then, will be the first full album of theirs I’ve ever listened to. Have my decades of prejudice been justified, or has my intransigence blinded me to a band I should have checked out much sooner? Read on… The semi-live feel as the album opens is a little confusing, as I don’t believe this could really be live. then there are Black Sabbath-style pealing bells before the opening track gets going. Trouble is, whenever I’ve heard Brian Johnson sing he’s always reminded me of Donald Duck, and here is no exception. Good rocker, but the music definitely swamps the vocal. I know “What do you do for money honey”, and I do quite like that track. It has a great hook in it and surely goes down great live. Looking into the lyrics though they’re very sexist and very limited, and that’s disappointing. I’m not exactly expecting songs about saving the whales here, but for every song to be about sexual prowess or ramroddin’ it is a little tiresome and verges into self-parody. The title track has more faux-live feel about it, but I do like it and of course I know “You shook me all night long”, leaving us with three tracks to decide whether this album is worth it or not. Well I like the sort of bluesy feel to “Have a drink on me”, even if the lyric is no thing to shout about. Another one that surely goes down well live. “Shake a leg”’s good, but again nothing terribly different. There’s a definite sense of blues too about the closer, “Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution”, though it sounds like it’s partially based on some older song I know. Bit basic, but okay. Favourite track(s): What do you do for money honey, Back in black, You shook me all night long, Have a drink on me Least favourite track(s): Let me put my love into you, Given the dog a bone Final impression --- If I had to choose one word to describe this album it would be “basic”. I hear nothing special here, nothing innovative and that may have been AC/DC and that’s fine if so, but like the Peter Tosh album just reviewed it has failed to make me think that maybe I should be checking these guys out. 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? G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits H) Glad I listened to it Think this is an E __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-25-2015, 01:06 PM	#364 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	Back in Black is in 7th place as best selling based on certified sales and is tied for 6th based on claimed sales. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

02-25-2015, 03:53 PM	#368 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Yeah in fairness Frown I queried how BiB could be the second-best selling album of all time, and Chula just responded to that. You really need to stop skimming through entries I make (cough) intro to Tom Waits's Swordfishtrombones (cough) __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-25-2015, 05:39 PM	#369 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: Different class Artiste: Pulp Year: 1995 Chronological position: Fifth album Previous experience of this artiste?: Just the singles, both of which are on here Why is this considered a classic? Coming at the height of the Britpop movement, it propelled Pulp to superstar status and also gave them their two biggest hit singles. It made a household name out of Jarvis Cocker too. 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 had originally been going to go for This is hardcore but was convinced by those who know better to change it to this. I see why now, as it is regarded as one of their best and most successful albums, the one that broke them commercially. I pretty much love it from the start, both the first two tracks are great: the first has a lot of anger and pent-up energy in it, while the second is quite sly and cheeky. I of course then know “Common people”, love that song. Next track is fucking brilliant, and then of course I know “Disco 2000”. No complaints so far! I hear a lot of Bowie in “Live bed show”, probably the first slow song, though I wouldn’t quite call it a ballad, and “Something changed” has a very Divine Comedy vibe about it, another slow song with some lovely strings-like keys (unless it’s an actual orchestra. It could be an actual orchestra) and then I love the acoustic guitar and keys in “Sorted for Es and wizz” (huh?), kinda folky in a way. And it just gets better. The next track has a sort of spacey, psychedelic feel, with a note of menace and brooding about it, then explodes into a big orchestral punch, which really takes you by surprise. I’m not sure what “Underwear” is about --- at first I thought it was a child abuse thing, daddy creeping into daughter’s bedroom --- but now I’m not so sure. It’s a great song though, very guitar driven and with the same hooky melodies that abound throughout this album. “Monday morning” pulls in a bit of Madness, and puts into words the feelings we all have on that crappiest of mornings. Staccato guitar really helps here, and if closer “Bar Italia” is also great then this is a truly exceptional album. Yep, it is. Superb. Favourite track(s): Everything Least favourite track(s): Nothing Final impression --- What a wonderful slice of 90s Britpop. I thought after hearing the two singles that I might like Pulp, but I didn’t realise how much. This is stupendous! 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? G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits H) Glad I listened to it Oh, an absolute A and another, only our second __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-25-2015, 05:42 PM	#370 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I think the album they did before this, His n Hers is even better. Glad you liked it though, Pulp will always be one of my favourites. Edit: Here's something you might like. This is a song they recorded for that album but in the end released it on the Trainspotting soundtrack instead. I love this song and think it should have been a single... And here's something about the cover.. http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith...ver#.ckXo73Q8R __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave. Last edited by Urban Hat€monger ?; 02-25-2015 at 05:52 PM.