Big playlist today, as I was making a stew for my dinner.
PLAYLIST FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 4 2018
“I Am a Wanderer” - Steve Earle – I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, 2011
Genre: Country/Folk
Big fan of Earle, but this was the first of his albums not to impress me so much. Mind you, I only gave it one listen. More in the folk arena than the hard-hitting country he had been peddling up to this album. A decent song, a real everyman tune, but he's written far better.
7/10
“Empty Cages” - Dan Fogelberg – The Innocent Age, 1981
Genre: Soft Rock/Folk
Also a big fan of the late Dan Fogelberg. This is one of his best and one of my favourite albums from him, yiedling such hits as “Run For the Roses”, “Leader of the Band” and the classic “Same Old Lang Syne”. Every track is gold. This is no exception.
10/10
“Before Another Wilbury Dies” - Tiamat – The Scarred People, 2012
Genre: Gothic Metal/Gothic Rock
A strange little one from the Swedish rockers. Basically some kind of radio recording or something of someone's voice, with a lot of squealing guitar feedback. Quite short.
5/10
“One Small Step” - Ayreon – Universal Migrator, Part 1:The Dream Sequencer , 2000
Genre: Prog Metal
Ayreon are another band who are going to have to work harder to convince me they're not just making up the numbers. Although I have only heard one full album to date (and that was the latest,
The Source, and I didn't much like it) most tracks I've heard from them have just been all right. This one is better than all right, with a sort of mixture of influences from Threshold, Floyd and Arena. Yeah, maybe there's hope for them yet.
8/10
“The Shadow” - Pendragon – The Masquerade Overture, 1996
Genre: Prog Rock
Love Pendragon and everything they've done. This is a great track, which comes in several flavours across various albums.
10/10
“When the Time is Right” - Air Supply – Air Supply, 1985
Genre: Soft rock/Pop/Pap
Serves me right, I suppose. Jesus Christ! All these songs sound the same. And why did they feel the need to release
two self-titled albums, a decade apart? One was enough. No: none would have been enough.
1/10
“Fly at Higher Game” - Edenbridge – Aphelion, 2003
Genre: Prog Metal
Eh, what? What the hell does that title mean? Not the worst Edenbridge song, by any means, but far from the best.
5/10
“Chloroform” - Porcupine Tree – In Absentia, 2002
Genre: Prog Rock
Porcupine Tree are another band I've yet to “get”. Much of their material seems a little substandard to me, and I can't really put my finger on anything of theirs I really like. I don't really like this.
4/10
“When I Think of You” - Journey – Trial by Fire, 1996
Genre: AOR
I like Journey. Deal with it. This is a decent ballad, one thing they're both renowned and reviled for.
8/10
“Albedo 0.39” - Vangelis – Albedo 0.39, 1976
Genre: Electronic/Ambient
Perhaps a contender for the weirdest Vangelis song ever, this is basically someone narrating scientific facts about Earth against a rising synth line. Hey, if you're a fan you get it. If not, you can **** off.
9/10
“Innocent” - Threshold – Psychedelicatessen, 1994
Genre: Prog Metal
Another great track from one of my favourite bands. A live version from the special edition of this album.
10/10
“Run For a Fall” - Epica – Cry to the Moon, 2004
Genre: Prog Metal
Nice little ballad from the B-side of the above single, with none of the usual death vocals from Mark Janssen. Good. He can **** off.
8/10
“Brown Man” - Devin Townsend – Stuff That Was Stuff Before it Was Finished
Genre: Prog Metal I guess
And speaking of people who can **** off ... Jesus, Devin! Every time you take a dump you don't have to release it as a song! That's what this sounds like, and well named it is. Utter trash. Should have stayed in the crapper and been flushed away.
1/10
“L'Orientale” - Rondo Veneziano – Oddisea Veneziana, 1985
Genre: Chamber music/Classical/Rock
I like Rondo. They update classical music with rock themes. This, however, I'm not sold on. Too much like something Harold Faltermeyer might have recorded.
3/10
“The Man of Sorrows” - Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls, 2015
Genre: Heavy Metal
One of the shorter tracks from the latest Maiden opus, coming in at a mere six and a half minutes. It's okay I suppose, but I miss the days of
Piece of Mind and
Powerslave.
5/10
“Shackled and Drawn” - Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball, 2012
Genre: Americana/Folk Rock
You can really hear the influence making the Pete Seeger tribute album had on the Boss here. It's very folky, but still a good everyman song.
7/10
“Trapped in This Age” - Narnia – Desert Land, 2001
Genre: Heavy Metal/Christian Metal
Meh, it's all right I suppose. I've heard better from them.
6/10