Last album you bought, downloaded or listened to

Mirrorball95 · 05-17-2009, 03:59 PM

I first came across this album after doing a random download search ,when someone recommended Glenn Branca to me on MB.
The first time I listened to it I had never heard anything like it before & was basically my first proper venture into the more serious side of Avant Garde.
It can actually be very relaxing to listen to late at night surprisingly as it can be very loud at times. (especially 'Disonnance'- I must be mad if i can relax listening to this).
At the start it basically sounds like it could be the start of some indie bands song but just goes on and on and on lol.
On the whole the feel of the music is very progressive, for instance there can be a build up for say 3-4 mins then the tempo can start to descend again.
Also at times there is irregular tempos with the guitar and drums going at totally different speeds. I find it really hard to describe cos its so f*cking weird lol.

Urban! You Listening?
This is the first Fall cd Ive actually bought (after downloading Shift Work & The Infotainment Scan).
I bought this after seeing a video on Youtube for the song 'Dead Beat Descendant' & then 'Mr Pharmacist' which both of I thought were really good songs.
It has taken me a while to get into The Fall & Mark E Smith but it is slowly growing on me & will definitely get some more records from them.

So far I only really heard their later stuff (late 80s-early 90s) but so far my favourite album is 'Shift -Work'- there is a song called 'Edinburgh Man' which i think is just fantastic (perhaps a bit bias as I come from Edinburgh lol) I think the line 'It's Summertime, but I still miss the skies so clear', 'Sitting & Staring On A Beach Somewhere' sum up Edinburgh perfectley

.
Also the feel of the song actually sounds like Edinburgh to me (if thats possible).

I bought this album after randomly seeing him recommended by the editor on play.com.
I didnt know much about him apart from he did the theme tune to the movie 'Taxi' which I had originally mistaken for a movie of the same name I had seen in French years ago at high school.

I have since read that he is one of the more commercially successful jazz pianists & had actually had songs in the charts & with that in mind he is actually very very good & not boring and as limited as I had thought he would be after reading about his success.
There is a very good 30-odd page booklet which comes with the cd & gives you an insight into his career & also an interview with him.
Also at the back it has all the albums pictured which each song came from so Its handy for me to purchase the albums which my favourite tracks were from as opposed to having to research it myself.

Mirrorball95 · 05-17-2009, 04:01 PM

Pat Metheny is one of my favourite Jazz fusion guitarists. This is his latest album which was released this year.
It wasn't actually even intended to be a proper album, he was basically just sitting at home one night and improvising on a baritone guitar.

There were no special recording studios or anything, just him with a guitar and a mic.
There is an incredibly raw sound to the album and as if he is there playing in the same room as you (reminiscent of the same feel of Paul Weller's 'Wild Wood').
The music is very relaxing to listen to and would probably be pretty easy to fall asleep whilst it was playing.
Pat Metheny is probably my favourite Jazz guitarist although I have heard a few others John Mclaughlin, Joe Pass, Johnny Smith, Django Reinhardt.

I have a lot of Pat Metheny's albums (around 15 or so), other good ones are 'Bright Size Life', 'The Way Up' & 'Question & Answer' (With Dave Holland & Roy Haynes). I have heard most of them though & so far havent really heard a bad album from him.

I have loads and loads of Miles Davis but this album has a real classy soothing sound to Miles' playing that I have yet to hear on any other album. (definitely most evident at the start of the opening title track). Also I think the album has a slight cool jazz feel to it.
This isnt necessarily my favourite (likely to be 'On The Corner' or 'Doo Bop') but it stands out for having a distinctive sound compared to any of his other playing Ive ever heard.
The name of the album, 'Round About Midnight', is also very suitable as I think mostly all Jazz is best listened to late at night & I hardly ever listen to it during the day.

This is a Rush album from 1993. I now have all the most obvious albums: '2112', 'Farewell To Kings','Moving Pictures', 'Permanent Waves', 'Caress Of Steel' so moved on to get 'Roll The Bones' (1990) which was alright but its since Ive bought 'Snakes & Arrows', 'Vapour Trails' & 'Counterparts' that I've really been amazed at just how good their later stuff is, also I find it surprisingly heavier than any of their stuff Ive ever heard in the past.

My favourite tracks on this album are 'Animate', 'Nobody's Hero' , 'Cut The Chase', 'Alien Shore'. I dont think theres a bad track on the album TBH.
I think the opening lyrics to 'Animate' are excellent:
'Polarize me
Sensitize me
Criticize me
Civilize me
Compensate me
Animate me
Complicate me
Elevate me'

Also the other lyrics are excellent especially:
Goddess in my garden
Sister in my soul
Angel in my armor
Actress in my role

Daughter of a demon lover
Empress of the hidden face
Priestess of the pagan mother
Ancient queen of inner space

Jeez, I aint much other songs with so many excellent lyrics in them.

This, 'Vapour Trails' (2002), is the first 'recent' Rush album i bought (just before I got Snakes & Arrows).
Again what I was most surprised about this album was the surprising increase in heaviness Ive noticed in their latest works.
Also there is a lot of good drumming on this album and really showcases their technical ability (as if it needs showcasing) (just check out the drum intro to the first track 'One Little Victory'.
This album I dont think is completely solid throughout though, I think there are a couple of tracks near the end that are a bit mediocre but they might grow on me yet.

Antonio · 05-17-2009, 04:01 PM

went on a bit of a spree, eh?

Mirrorball95 · 05-17-2009, 04:02 PM

I read about this Kaki King on Wiki as she had been supporting the Foo Fighters or something & is pretty good mates with Dave Grohl.
Sadly, I havent got round to listening to this yet so cant comment. I have heard from several people that she is an excellent player though.

I have known the Foo Fighters for years but strangely the only two albums I have never heard are this one & 'The Colour & The Shape'. I have all the others, 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose' being my favourite out of those.

I think it is the heaviest Foo Fighters album I ever heard (unless Colour & Shape is heavier). 'This Is A Call' is a fantastic song as are the proceeding 3 tracks. Have only listened once so will have to listen more to get into the other tracks.

Haha, this is (how to put it) extremely different avant garde music. The band is a third incarnation of the original band 'King Missile' all of which include the versatile singer & composer John S Hall.
This album is humorous & angry at the same time (see the song 'America Kicks Ass' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Kicks_Ass).
There are also other really strange songs where he suggest we 'Get Down With The Funky ****' ('Get down into the ****...roll around in it').
The funny thing about this album is that the music is excellent but is a parody of what he is actually talking about over the music or screaming at times.
On the song 'Suggested Response To The Coming Crisis' he suggests that people should be 'ass f*cking' in the street- especially women f*cking men in the ass with *****s' saying that we should 'f*ck our way out of global warming'.
Now this isnt exactly my favourite topic for a singer to talk about but I find it pretty funny to listen to.

I have been into Stone Roses for years, they were one of the first bands that got me into guitar based music.

I had been aware of this for a while but had been put off by the aspect of all their songs remixed as I wasnt really into electronica at the time.
But since Ive come to appreciate/gotten into artists like 808 State, Orbital & A Guy Called Gerald - all of which feature on this album- I went out and managed to get it for a fiver.
The thing that I really enjoyed about listening to this album was that I hadnt listened to Stone Roses in a long time so to hear their songs remixed with longer intros & then recognise every single song and remember how much I used to love listening to them, it really made it a great listen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rem...ne_Roses_album)

khfreek · 05-17-2009, 04:04 PM

If you're going to post more than 4 albums, just keep it in text within one post. Seriously.
Besides, you couldn't even be arsed to get decently small pics.

jackhammer · 05-17-2009, 04:05 PM

Been after this sucka for ages. It's the underated 60's British band The Pretty Things recording under a different name with the songs ending up on cheap horror movies and soft porn. This is a collection of those recordings (never officially released) from '67-'69. Looking forward to this baby.

Mirrorball95 · 05-17-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antonio

went on a bit of a spree, eh?

Haha, I do it practically every month when I get paid; just some months I go madder than others (spent just under £400 on cds this month).

Comus · 05-17-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackhammer

Been after this sucka for ages. It's the underated 60's British band The Pretty Things recording under a different name with the songs ending up on cheap horror movies and soft porn. This is a collection of those recordings (never officially released) from '67-'69. Looking forward to this baby.

I've been wanting that for a while as well jackhammer, any chance of a link.

Mirrorball95 · 05-17-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khfreek

If you're going to post more than 4 albums, just keep it in text within one post. Seriously.
Besides, you couldn't even be arsed to get decently small pics.

Yeah, sorry man I didnt expect those pics to be that big.

EDIT: I've backtracked and made the pics smaller as it must be annoying for other users when one cover takes up the whole screen lol.
Also by the way, Ive also added a description for each album.

Antonio · 05-17-2009, 04:18 PM

if i like these, i'll get a few more of their cds

05-17-2009, 04:04 PM	#5575 (permalink)
khfreek What a guy Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Brentwood, TN Posts: 2,123	If you're going to post more than 4 albums, just keep it in text within one post. Seriously. Besides, you couldn't even be arsed to get decently small pics. __________________ last.fm

05-17-2009, 04:05 PM	#5576 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Been after this sucka for ages. It's the underated 60's British band The Pretty Things recording under a different name with the songs ending up on cheap horror movies and soft porn. This is a collection of those recordings (never officially released) from '67-'69. Looking forward to this baby. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”