The "Recommended by" thread

[Trollheart]

XO --- Elliot Smith --- Recommended by Ki and Briks

I expected big things from this album, and I certainly don't want to throw dirt into the eyes of anyone's hero, but I just don't get it. I'm not saying the album is bad, because it isn't, but it's just good, as far as I can see. Not great, not lifechanging, and certainly not, as both the above guys have claimed, the perfect album.

Maybe you need to know more about the guy, or be into his music for a while, but all I heard was a decent songwriter with some weak tracks on an okay album. I thought I would be able to say "Wow! I see why these guys love this!" but I did not. And it wasn't for a lack of trying. It just didn't grab me.Not only that, but as I accidentally let the selection run on I also got another album (think it was "Either/or") plus about four tracks off his s/t, so it's not like you could even say that was a poor example (though given the above comment from the lads that would never seem to have been the case anyway).

There were some great tracks, some good tracks and some poor ones. Like any other album. It was good. It was okay. But I'd be waiting before trying to get into his music again. Bit of a disappointment for me.

Rec rating: I'll be respectful of the guys and award it a decent 6/10, but I can't really justify anything higher than that.

(Sits back and waits for the backlash...)

[Isbjørn]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

(Sits back and waits for the backlash...)

I'll try to be nice. I'm a little disappointed, but not at all surprised. You're a prog/hard rock guy, right? So I guess this isn't really your type of music, and that's alright. But if you find yourself in the mood for mood for some sad, sappy, non-progressive indie pop, give him another try, please? You're missing out.

[Anteater]

XO is more of an 8/10 for me. The thing I've always liked about Elliot Smith (particularly here) are all those classic power-pop influences floating in and out like the tide that he filters through his own charisma. You can tell he's a huge Beatles, Todd Rundgren (and probably Jeff Lynne) fan, and that's a good thing.

I'm up for recommendations right now by the way, and I'm open to any genre.

[Isbjørn]

Originally Posted by Anteater

XO is more of an 8/10 for me. The thing I've always liked about Elliot Smith (particularly here) are all those classic power-pop influences floating in and out like the tide that he filters through his own charisma. You can tell he's a huge Beatles, Todd Rundgren (and probably Jeff Lynne) fan, and that's a good thing.

I'm up for recommendations right now by the way, and I'm open to any genre.

I immediately thought "The Beatles!" upon hearing the song "Independence Day" for the first time. They must've influenced him somehow.

[Key]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

XO --- Elliot Smith --- Recommended by Ki and Briks

I expected big things from this album, and I certainly don't want to throw dirt into the eyes of anyone's hero, but I just don't get it. I'm not saying the album is bad, because it isn't, but it's just good, as far as I can see. Not great, not lifechanging, and certainly not, as both the above guys have claimed, the perfect album.

Maybe you need to know more about the guy, or be into his music for a while, but all I heard was a decent songwriter with some weak tracks on an okay album. I thought I would be able to say "Wow! I see why these guys love this!" but I did not. And it wasn't for a lack of trying. It just didn't grab me.Not only that, but as I accidentally let the selection run on I also got another album (think it was "Either/or") plus about four tracks off his s/t, so it's not like you could even say that was a poor example (though given the above comment from the lads that would never seem to have been the case anyway).

There were some great tracks, some good tracks and some poor ones. Like any other album. It was good. It was okay. But I'd be waiting before trying to get into his music again. Bit of a disappointment for me.

Rec rating: I'll be respectful of the guys and award it a decent 6/10, but I can't really justify anything higher than that.

(Sits back and waits for the backlash...)

Nothing wrong with not feeling the same way about an album as others do. If it helps, it took a few listens after my first initial listen to really feel a deep connection with this album. Elliott Smith is one of the few artists that I can really feel the pain through his lyrics because part of me feels like in some way, it's related to things i've been through. It's difficult to explain. He's just someone that I have a deep connection with and he'll never know it.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by Briks

I'll try to be nice. I'm a little disappointed, but not at all surprised. You're a prog/hard rock guy, right? So I guess this isn't really your type of music, and that's alright. But if you find yourself in the mood for mood for some sad, sappy, non-progressive indie pop, give him another try, please? You're missing out.

Well that's a little of an oversimplification. I do tend towards prog and hard rock, sure, as well as AOR and metal, but I've enjoyed a lot of acoustic albums and a lot of singer/songwriters. I found Newton Faulkner quite good and I liked Suzanne Vega's first two albums, huge fan of Dan Fogelberg, and then of course there's God, Mr. Waits himself. So I'm certainly open to a singer telling a story with often minimal instrumentation --- it doesn't all have to be banks of keyboards and multi-part epics --- and I did enjoy the album. I just failed to see where the love/worship from you two was coming from. That's not to say it's wrong that you feel that way or that the album is any less; I just didn't see it the same way. I really expected more. I mean, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, James Blunt, Nanci Griffith ... there are some incredible singer/songwriters out there and I can appreciate them all. I can also appreciate Smith; I just wasn't converted as I had expected to be. As you say, a few more listens, who knows?

Originally Posted by Ki

Nothing wrong with not feeling the same way about an album as others do. If it helps, it took a few listens after my first initial listen to really feel a deep connection with this album. Elliott Smith is one of the few artists that I can really feel the pain through his lyrics because part of me feels like in some way, it's related to things i've been through. It's difficult to explain. He's just someone that I have a deep connection with and he'll never know it.

Yes I thought that. If you have a special connection with a singer through some sort of shared experience, you're going to assign them a lot more importance than someone who doesn't.

[Trollheart]

After the last two negative opinions I'm glad to be able to get back to saying "Fuck yeah! Thanks for the rec!!"

Myrkur --- Myrkur --- Recommended by Ninetales and Briks

Hands up here anyone who thought I'd ever dig Black Metal? Really? Not a single one? Me neither. But this is something special. As Ninetales relates in another thread, this is a one-woman effort with Amalie Bruun --- oddly enough, a member of a POP band called Ex Cops, but perhaps NOT oddly, a model: I mean, look at her! --- fusing hard Black Metal guitar riffs and pounding drum fusillades with soft, atmospheric, ambient soundscapes reminiscent of Sigur Ros.

Yeah, it's just amazing. Basically, if Austin Lunn from Panopticon (well, he IS Panopticon!) were a chick and had some more ambient stuff in his music he'd sound like this. Sadly only an EP with a mere six tracks, hope to hear more from her soon.

Rec rating: 9.5/10

[Ninetales]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Myrkur --- Myrkur --- Recommended by Ninetales and Briks

Hands up here anyone who thought I'd ever dig Black Metal? Really? Not a single one? Me neither. But this is something special.

Rec rating: 9.5/10

whoa didn't see this until now but very cool! Glad you dug this, especially since black metal is not generally your bag. It is superb, and I agree with you, I wish it were longer/she comes out with more stuff soon.