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09-06-2007, 12:22 PM
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#41 (permalink) | |
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isfckingdead
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 18,967
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I have London Calling laying around somewhere I think i'll put ti in again.
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09-06-2007, 03:52 PM
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#42 (permalink) |
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Occams Razor
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: End of the Earth
Posts: 2,472
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71.
 The Cure - Disintegration (1983) WARNING: YOU ARE ADVISED TO WATCH THIS BEFORE READING THE REVIEW YouTube - south park with robert smith The Cure is an example of how to improve and grow as a band perfectly. In addition Robert Smiths incredible commitment to production of music at every level and attention to detail drives them to this peak. 1983's Disintegration marks the perfect storm of The Cure’s young raw dark and angry side and their more self aware musically efficient evolution. It is an intentionally bleak album and performed primarily in minor keys. The album has both the mayhem of their musical infancy and a new level of song construction and consistency as Smith orchestrates his finest composition. “Plainsong” transports you into the world of the Cure and applies Disintegrations first calming wave of sound. “Pictures of You” is the first song that grabs your attention, written about a fire in Smiths home and the remains he found, it is considered one of the bands greatest efforts. “Lovesong” had a resurgence recently when it was covered and quite well by 311. Still if you’d heard both versions you’d think the later was simply a live or alternate version by the Cure. Their unmistakable pulse carries the song along from start to end. The ominous single “Fascination Street” in a beautiful construction and an equal commercial success. Title track “Disintegration” is about as upbeat as the album gets but this is The Cure. Like most of the tracks on the album it pulls you into its blissful misery, it having a particularly strong hold. The penultimate “Home Sick” is one of the most perfectly titled tracks ever. The Cure being my sister’s favorite band of all-time it has always reminded me of home. A instrumental driven album with well placed and perfectly fitting vocals the “Untitled” final track is like a closing credits that you stay for out of respect for the movie of the whole and because you just have to have more. Fin. Musical Content: **** Artistic Content: **** Impact: **** Favorite Song: Lovesong 70.  Nirvana – In Utero (1993) Teenage angst has paid off well. Nirvana’s third and ultimately final effort is marked by what is to their unmistakably best composition. The Guitar in “Serve the Servants” had me thinking Beatles the moment I heard it. The album as a whole explores many directions but never fails to provide results. Following the satisfying group composition “Scentless Apprentice” is the first mainstream eye opener “Heart Shaped Box” with is magnetic rhythms and it’s an abrasive hazy chorus. Written by Kurt in five minutes in a closet so the story goes. The minimalist opening to “Rape Me” serves to provide greater impact with its energetic chorus. Even MTV refused to play the music video to the song and for obvious reasons it drew ire from feminist groups. Pushing On. Of “Frances Farmer will have her Revenge on Seattle”: Frances Farmer was a radical atheist and accused communist from the Seattle area and perhaps it’s Cobain, a similarly controversial character in a more progressive time, who is enacting said revenge. Just a thought, decent song anyway. With its opening lyrics becoming a sort an honorary eulogy for Cobain (“The Sun is gone but I have a Light”) “Dumb” is another example of Cobain’s pensive song writing. I probably prefer the live version of “Pennyroyal Tea” but there is satisfaction in one of the deepest self examinations of any of Kurt’s songs in any form. “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” is a middle singer pointing at every radio station as they plucked singles from the album because of demand. The swan song final track “All Apologies” was written three years prior and nipped and tucked to its form over the period between then and the release of In Utero. While Nevermind is responsible for making Nirvana explode they are remembered, in my opinion, because of In Utero. Musical Content: **** Artistic Content: **** Impact: **** Favorite Song: Heart Shaped Box 69.  Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975) A look into the more progressive side of Queen, “A Night at the Opera” is over the top, enjoyable as hell and has some moments of musical majesty. There is no shortage of production value here; in fact it was billed as the most expensive album ever made at the time of its release. Thanks to the book about the album I have some nice nuggets here. “Death of Two Legs” is a playful but angry letter directed towards the bands former manager and a truly appropriate introduction to the insanity. After a brief respite with “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” it transitions to “In Love with my Car” Roger Taylor’s crowning achievement in terms of song writing of lead vocals. The powerful vocals and excellent range Taylor demonstrates has made it a Queen standard. John Deacon’s proudest moment from the album must be “You’re my best friend” a semi-traditional pop hit amongst the chaos. In true romantic pop fashion the song was written for and about his wife. Brian May attempted to fuse Jazz, Blues and Folk (that’s right skiffle fans) into he’s ode to a fictional group of bizarrely fated space travelers title simply enough “39”. The Chorus is a delightful success and the verses are folksy enough to pass though the rest of the song is a bit out there, it could only be home in “A Night at the Opera”. May follows that with naturally the heavy metal “Sweet Lady” which trails into “Seaside Rendezvous” which has a notable bridge performed completely by the vocals of Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor. You don’t have to like this song to realize its pure evil genius which makes Queen of the best acts ever. “The Prophets Song” is about a dream May had with Mercury on vocals, a powerful compilation highlighted by a vocal and instrumental canon in the middle of the song, by the timed its plucked acoustic outro concludes its Queens longest track ever. Mercury’s simple ballad “Love of my Life” is a foreshadower of the epic “Bohemian Rhapsody” which follows Brian May’s “Good Company” a Dixieland style ditty featuring a humming ukulele accompanied intro and verses. Another story telling song the narrator is rewarded with his own Limited Company and the listener is dropped off at the door step of “Bohemian Rhapsody” which was known as “Freddie’s Thing” during its embryonic stages it evolved into the bands Magnum Opus and gave birth to the music video concept. While Mercury was shy when it came to discussing the meaning of his songs he made no effort to hide the pride he felt and personal resonance the song held for him. The electric version of the traditional “God Save the Queen” is Brian May’s tribute to Jimi Hendrix and a most fitting end for an excellent album. Musical Content: **** Artistic Content: ***** Impact: **** Favorite Song: Bohemian Rhapsody Last edited by Son of JayJamJah; 09-08-2007 at 11:19 PM. |
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09-06-2007, 04:06 PM
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#43 (permalink) |
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Ba and Be.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: This Is England
Posts: 17,331
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Stunning choice for DISINTEGRATION. A great, great album. A bit higher in my top 100, a nice succinct review too.
__________________
“A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”
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09-08-2007, 06:16 PM
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#45 (permalink) | |
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Ba and Be.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: This Is England
Posts: 17,331
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Quote:
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“A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”
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09-08-2007, 07:39 PM
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#46 (permalink) |
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Occams Razor
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: End of the Earth
Posts: 2,472
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68.
 Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979) Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is of course a rock opera concept album and if you didn’t know I am a total sucker for the format. This is one of many that will appear on the list so if you don’t dig the Progressive concept stuff, this is not the review for you. The eighty minute masterpiece chronicles the story of Pink the protagonist and survivor of childhood trauma. His tale is one of isolation out of anxiety turned to fame and fortune only to find the same need for seclusion. After completing his “wall” to the outside world, Pink goes mad and obligations of his notoriety afflict his madness on the outside world. Musically the Wall is near perfection it tells the story note by note and supplies poetic narration with each verse. The first five tracks include the first two sections of “Another Brick in the Wall” tell the story of Pinks childhood up until grammar school and allude to the events that have lead to Pinks current state of being. “Mother” is a wonderful and concentrated track narrating a macabre type of motherly instinct in action. The Depression is still haunting the protagonist however in the next track “Goodbye Blue Sky” which despite its innocent appearance has a sinister tranquility that you can’t help but feel. The next portion of the album addresses Pink’s rise to stardom entrance into marriage and contemplation of abandoning construction of the wall but eventually in part three of “Another Brick in the Wall” he completes it in response to his wife’s betrayal. The final track of the first record is “Goodbye Cruel World” indicates Pink’s complete withdrawal from the outside world. The second half of the experience starts with “Hey You” the first song on the second side is out of its intended order and was cut from the film. It was intended to be the prelude to what is in my opinion the musical highlight of the album “Comfortably Numb” A rhythm driven song with two outstanding Gilmour guitar solos. Following Comfortably Numbs’ eerie atmosphere is another disquieting allusion in “The show must go on” which shows Pink’s angst and frustration with the burden of fame. The next three tracks are a psychedelic departure into a hallucination of Pink as a fascist dictator. He snaps out of it just in time for the penultimate chapter of the story “The Trial” with amazing vocals by Waters and complex song composition requiring over the top musical execution. Detailing Pink’s self afflicted examination in the form of a courtroom trial. Despite the verdict “The Wall” stands as one of my favorite Rock Operas of all-time and among the best stories told within one. Musical Content: *** Artistic Content: ***** Impact: **** Favorite Song: The Trial 67.  Green Day – American Idiot (2004) I was surprised to see how poorly this album was regarded by this forum; I still think its brilliant and critically the best of 2004. For me it conjures up images of the Who, Pink Floyd and the Beatles and seems like a band producing the best they are capable of in any given genre. Beyond the unnecessary title track you enter a, you guessed it Rock Opera, beginning the five part introduction “Jesus of Suburbia” which presents Jimmy the title character aka Jesus of Suburbia. The punk rock eponymous first fifth transitions in the ascending “City of the Damned” showing Jimmy’s feelings of isolation similar to the Wall’s Pink. The energetic middle section “I Don’t Care” serves to turn the energy in a more ominous direction as “Dearly Beloved” and it’s soothing chimes serve to confuse the issue further, leading into the final movement “Tales of another broken home” which brings resolution to the introduction with Jimmy leaving behind the city he calls home. Despite its borderline retarded message “Holiday” is a wonderfully addictive song and a lot of fun with wonderful crescendo and lyrical phrasing. The radio played the shit out “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” I’ll give you that, but has not stopped me from appreciating it just the same. In addition to moving along the story and showing the state of Jimmy on his travels it is a solid instrumental composition from a band whose singles are noted for being such. The anthemic chorus of “Are we the Waiting” coupled with its powerfully simple verses and creative imagery created via poignant lyrics act to validate it as a concept album musically and artistically. The protagonist’s second title track “St. Jimmy” is a pure punk romp from the doppelganger alter ego of Jesus of Suburbia which is followed by the appropriately relaxing “Give me Novocaine” a mirror of “She’s a Rebel”. The songs present Jimmy and Whatshername respectively from the others perspective this serves to show the union of the two a sort of exchanging of vows. Their relationship is detailed in the next two songs “Extraordinary Girl” and “Letterbomb”. Before the eccentric conclusion Billy Joe's personal ballad “Wake me up when September Ends” soothes you with a comfortable build up from isolated lyrical recounting to electric hard rock anthem. before bleeding out into the “Homecoming” the five part counterpart and climax of the story. Beginning with victorious “The Death of St. Jimmy” announcing the removal of Jimmy’s destructive alter ego before modifying into East 12th street as Jimmy fills out police work as a metaphor for his ambivalence to his burdens. The middle movement “Nobody Likes You” was originally written to relieve stress created by making the album. Turns out it fit perfect as a light hearted intro to the heavy handed “Rock and Roll Girlfriend” and bends into Jimmy’s announcement to return home in “We’re coming Home Again” which leaves an indelible mark with its deliberate methodical drumming and affecting purposeful lyrics. In my opinion it should have ended the album and will end my review. Except for noting that if the master tracks of what was intended to be their seventh album were not stolen this would never have been made. Musical Content: **** Artistic Content: **** Impact: **** Favorite Song: Homecoming 66.  The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Let’s Face It (1997) This album is overrated on my list, I am sure of it, but I can’t help myself. If you have a band and you want me to be a fan there are a few things you can do to increase your odds…#1 Add a brass section; #2 Have a lead singer with a distinctive voice; #3 Work Reggae into your music somehow. The Bosstones succeed at all three and never more impressively then in their fifth album Let’s Face It. Featuring the immensely popular “The Impression that I Get” with its memorable ska driven guitar rhythm and smashing horn section. It is the biggest single the band ever had and a song it’s tough to get tired of. Joining it as radio singles from the album were the surf music inspired “Royal Oil” and jazz ska “Rascal King” a personal favorite of mine from the first time I heard until today. In addition title track “Let’s Face it” has a great message and is presented in a quick passed brass powered way. There are heavier electric tracks as well like “A bug bit me” “Nevermind Me” and “Numbered Days” which is among the bands most overlooked and under-rated songs. To me it is their best lyrical effort on the album as well and has the most dynamic chorus despite its short length. The surreal “Another Drinking song” I’ve found serves its purpose quite effectively. “1-2-8” shows the greatest range in terms of song structure on the album, but that’s not what this music is for. The overwhelming strength of this album comes from its fluidity each song lends momentum to the next. It flows so nicely it’s over before you realize you put it on. Probably the last CD I bought on the day of its release at a store. Musical Content: ***** Artistic Content: *** Impact: *** Favorite Song: Rascal King Last edited by Son of JayJamJah; 09-08-2007 at 11:06 PM. |
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