jackhammer

I have a lot of respect for Welcome To Jamrock introducing many people to Reggae but all told it's a pretty poor example of Jamacian music and the RnB elements really jar with me. The title track is damn good though as is 'All night' although the drum sample used is very old hat.

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zeppy111

Album: 1. Kate Bush – The Kick Inside
Year: 1978
Genre: Pop/Rock

By this modern day and age we are almost all aware of the name Kate Bush, but that is generally for her hit “Wuthering Heights,” and known as a one-hit wonder by most of my community, which is what inspired me to feature her this week in my albums. The Kick Inside, could easily crack into the top tier of my favourite albums. Her distinct voice could be picked out individually from a pool of thousands, is only one aspect to be focused on during your experience, others include: Catchy rhythms, powerful lyrics, and I will leave the rest up to you. The music you encounter on this album is mesmerising too, considering she was only 19 years old when the album was released and arguably one of the greatest albums by a women/debutant/singer-songwriter/under 20…

Highlight: Wuthering Heights, A Kick Inside


Album: 2. At The Drive-In – Vaya EP
Year: 1999
Genre: Post-Hardcore

After receiving all of ATDI’s albums and EP’s over a week ago, barring “Relationship Command,” which I have had for a few months, they have quickly jumped up my overall standings and one of my preferred bands and for good reasons. For those who don’t know who they are, which is almost impossible seeing how much mention they get around here, ATDI was the project that Cedric and Omar, know known as The Mars Volta were involved with.

The Vaya EP is a collection of their tracks that were produced in the lead up to “Relationship Command” and following “In/Casino/Out,” which contains only one of seven tracks that never made it onto an official studio album. The class of ATDI’s raw power prevails as it did throughout the albums previously and the ones to follow, and for songs of such caliber to not make an album, is another positive.

As it has only had a couple listens, there is not much insight into the music, but more to say that anyone who has not picked up any of their stuff, or were lingering onto “Relationship Command” as it seems is the prized album, you certainly can’t go wrong with this little EP.

Highlight: Metronome Arthritis


Album: 3. Melody Gardot – My One And Only Thrill
Year: 2009
Genre: Jazz

Melody Gardot is an American jazz singer, and a very inspirational and talented one at that. After being paralysed at 19, she attended ‘Music Therapy’ classes and refers to the title of the album as her thoughts on music. Although she does battle to sit down to play the piano, and has to use a walking stick, she gets around and is making some fine music.

A soothing voice, lovely orchestral pieces and never knowing what is going to come next, are the attributes that make this album a real belter. Melody draws on many different ranges of music and styles such as Samba, and a range of vocals that can be so sweet one minute and the next so powerful. If that wasn’t enough, we are even treated to a delightful track sung in French “Les Etoiles.”

Highlight: Les Etoiles



Well it is not in the same tone as a Burning Spear record or Culture, but as you said, it is a really good record to intoduce people to reggae with. Case proven: most of my friends listen to the stuff on the radio, so I have this playing one day when they come over, I found out a couple days later all three of them went out and bought the album. And one of them took it upon themselves to get a couple other reggae albums. Success! Title track and Road to Zion are two steller tracks.

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My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

zeppy111

Black Uhuru - Youth Of Eglington

Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae band originating in the mid 70's.
They have been a shamble when it comes to their line ups during their career.

This song is the first track off of the album "Red," which was released in 1981 and came in the middle of the high point in their career to many peoples eyes.

This song sums up all of the great aspects of reggae that i have come to know of in my short stint of time with her. Powerful lyrical content, catchy rythms, sick beats... A beautiful song and a superb album.

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My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

Bulldog

Hey, good post this. Red is indeed an absolutely fantastic album (Sinsemilla runs it close though - you might wanna look out for that if you don't already have it), and that's one of my favourite tracks off it. It's just an end-to-end, brilliant album though and still among my all-time favourites. Great album to get any less reggae-literate people you know into the stuff too (it's worked with everyone I've lent it to myself anyway).

Interesting album picks lately as well. I always find it strange how I still haven't given Kate Bush a chance, because I do like the stuff of hers that I've heard. ATDR I appreciate and as for Melody Gardot, another top pick.

Keep these coming eh

zeppy111

Album: 1. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Year: 2009
Genre: Progressive Rock

After hearing words from that band such as “acoustic,” to describe the album, I was very sceptical. I mean surely not TMV, crazy outbreaks, jazzy snippets everywhere, would this to be the beginning of the end for them?

On a personal note, I think that this album could come in at 2nd spot for my favourite of their albums, following Frances the Mute. Although I love the jazzy influences ever present on the previous albums and their extreme energy that they bring to the music, it was refreshing to hear them with a slightly different sound. The more chilled out, ambient sound was a real hit with me and allows you to embrace the quality of the musicianship yet not have to focus too hard on it.

Highlight: Since We’ve Been Wrong


Album: 2. Death – Scream Bloody Gore
Year: 1987
Genre: Death-Metal(surprise surprise)

This is probably quite a generic input as it has hailed to be the first of the Death Metal albums and the album/band that really kicked the genre off, but I cannot keep them off my top albums much longer. Led by the late Chuck Schuldiner, or the Godfather of Death Metal as he had been known to be named, they really were superb with this, their first release.

The reason why this album was such a hit with me is that it constituted of the heavy riffs, extreme percussion and all the necessities you would expect from a death-metal band, but the vocals are the influencing factor in my un-denied love for the band and this album. Unlike many of the bands that fall into the same genre, their vocals are more accessible and listenable, which I think is what pushes many people away from the genre as a whole.

I could have chosen any of their albums to list here as all of them are of superb quality but this one in particular carries more sentiment than the rest.

Highlight: Zombie Ritual


Album: 3. Dave Brubeck – Brubeck Plays Brubeck
Year: 1956
Genre: Jazz

I am not going to profess to know anything about jazz, which I don’t as it is a completely new genre to me and a very complex one it seems like.
What I do know is that you HAVE to listen to this album, not a maybe or a no, you have to. I bought it totally out on a whim for change in my pocket and what a great buy. The only previous stints I have had with jazz would be Miles Davis – ‘Round about Midnight and Mahavishnu Orchestra. I know the latter is jazz-fusion, which is probably why I found it so easy to listen to and enjoy, that I can’t say about Davis though.

As a pure jazz album, this was easy to get into and enjoy, throw it on to play on a Sunday afternoon and just chill. The simplicity and easiness of the sounds just entice you to listen, instead of being so distinct and sometimes even scary which I found with ‘Round about Midnight.

Highlight: The Duke


I am on the look out for it, I think it was available at my new little gem of a shop I found the other day. I will be swinging past there next weekend to pick up a couple albums and the one you just mentioned is definitely on the list. Damian Marleys - Welcome To Jamrock and Wailing Souls - Firehouse Rock did the trick for a couple of my mates.

Well i would offer up a link but her album was on vinyl. Definitely worth picking up the album if you can though. Melody is amazing. Absolutely brilliant album, I agree. Cheers.

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My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

Antonio

some really great stuff in this thread, i'll be sure to check in on this

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zeppy111

Album: 1. John Martyn – Bless The Weather
Year: 1971
Genre: Folk/Rock

After going out on another whim of downloading and downloading this, without any previous listening of John Marytn, not even a Last FM snippet, I am amazed.

To begin with (My first listen) I really had to sit down hard and listen to it, as the first impression I got was, “Oh my, please can someone turn this off, this is ****e, how can anyone listen to it?” Then the other day it came on randomly so I decided to give it another go and another and another… You get the point.

Five listen later, the album has really grown to me, and I am going to stick my neck out and say this is in my top 3 favourite albums from MB.

It all begins with the master like guitar playing, which is prominent the whole album through, which would be good enough without any vocals for me. But, there are vocals, those oh-so Scottish vocals which almost take you into the Highlands and make you feel like you are back in the days of William Wallace and Co. A complete album from back to front lyrically, musically and artistically.

Highlight: Bless the Weather


Album: 2. Scott Walker - Scott
Year: 1967
Genre: Rock?

First off, I have sadly never heard of Scott Walker before visiting Bulldog’s Last FM page, so I really have no background with it.

The one thing that grabs me from this album is the power of Scott’s voice and how it can override everything else. Most of the music on this album has little to no-appeal to me personally, but I think that is because of the dominant voice bursting through the speakers at me.

So, this is more so a shout out to people to check this album out than an actual review.

Highlight: Amsterdam


Album: 3. The Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground & Nico
Year: 1967
Genre: Art-rock, Experimental

Possibly the most reviewed album on these boards, I don’t think a novice like me could tell you guys much new and fresh about this album, instead I am going to just say that this album is an absolute masterpiece, and I think possibly the greatest album ever, but time will tell about that.

You could brake down the album into certain parts, such as Lou Reed’s contribution, or any of the other band members and just sit there thinking to yourself WOAH! What are these people and how did they create this cacophony of noise and possibly when you could fit in a trip to get a hearing aid in your upcoming week.

For those of you, who have this album, or any of VU’s music, pass on this, but anyone who doesn’t… I am ordering you to experience this album. NOTE I say experience, not listen as putting this album on is truly an experience of a lifetime.

Highlight: Heroin


Cheers.

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My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

Bulldog

Another update, another 3 very interesting albums. Quite the thread this John Martyn's a guy I've heard a lot about but never investigated when it comes to his back-catalogue (I'm sure I'll see to that changing soon). The VU & Nico album is one I listened to an insane amount but not so much anymore (I hardly touched my copy of it for years). Still a top-drawer album, but I just never really get round to listening to it these days - a John Martyn-esque situation with me.

As for Scott Walker, I've said quite a few times before on these boards that he's one of my absolute favourites. As you say, there's a certain power and commanding air to his voice which makes him one of the most unique talents in all of music to me. You're spot on with your opinion of the album there as well, as it's one I don't find myself coming back to very often at all. The 4 solo albums Walker released in the 60s map a kind of evolution of him as a solo artist, which is why Scott 3 and especially Scott 4 are the ones I find myself listening to the most. And, of course, his later works are a totally different kettle of fish altogether.

Basically, if you like this song and/or this one, then I couldn't recommend both albums enough. If you're up for a quick overview of his first 4 albums, I did do a comp of them in that Beginner's Guide To thread right about here.

zeppy111

Gald you are enjoying the picks.

I would definitely advise you to check out John Martyn in the near future. Im sure you'll have no problem with links but if you need just shout. You won't be dissapointed, especially if you enjoyed the video.

I will admit I am going through quite a Velvet Underground phase at the moment. I only ever had the S/T and the album with Nico, but I recently got Loaded and am getting White Light/White Heat as we speak, they really seemed to have hit a spot. Personally I prefer them alot more than Pink Floyd, which im guessing would be quite a fair comparison.

Well I am gonna pick up those albums as soon as the new month comes, so maybe I can add something more after I have actually listened to them. I can see why he ranks so highly in your books, great artist and an outstanding, unique voice, which doesn't make me want to end my life like Joanna Newsom does on occasions. Thanks for the links. Two top notch songs.

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My Blog (album of the day): http://musicfromthesouth.blogspot.com

Schizotypic

John Martyn, not heard much of his stuff actually. But I definitely love me some great classic growers, so I'll go and look for him today. I've never heard any Scott Walker before, but that youtube video is astonishingly good! He's actually on my to get list, though, but it's gotten so big it's hard to keep track. Definitely going to try and snatch that up today as well. I love The VU&Nico, it's actually my all-time favorite album! That whole album is a highlight. Great to hear someone else is giving it a listen, Lou Reed is rad. =)

Honestly I haven't really checked out this Journal much, but a very good three picks for this time around. Thanks for passing along some inspiration and some really great music. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread from now on.