Nicely worded review. Have you heard any other albums by the Pixies? I have only listened to "Doolittle" (which is really, really great), and I'm definitely going to get more of their music, as they are very creative, and have inspired o many great artists.

Not yet. I seem to remember having given Doolittle a spin a while back, but I remember nothing about it. And thanks. I don't think that I have the best ear for analyzing music, but it's still a fun lark.

:rofl: I was going to respond to this in like, but my head appears to be out of suitable witticisms.

The Jesus Lizard: Goat

Well, I've had a hit and miss relationship with noise rock so far, so I don't know how I'm gonna feel about this band, but they get so much mention that I figure it's about time I gave them a shot...




Well, this is another Albini production, and I notice that this has the same vibe as Surfer Rosa. I guess that's just something he does. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I just finished with the Pixies review, and now I'm hearing a production that sounds pretty much the same. I'm hoping I don't end up feeling about Steve Albini the way I feel about Rick Rubin, where at first you marvel at the power his production gives his projects, but eventually you get sorta bored with how it takes a lot of the personality out of the bands he produces.

I think Jesus Lizard might just be a miss, at least for the moment. Maybe subsequent listens may reveal some awesomeness, but for now I'm kinda bored. I have a lot of the same problems with noise rock that I do with hardcore. It just sounds like a bunch of noise (imagine that) and there's not much for me to latch onto. Of course noise rock isn't usually as dull as hardcore, but it's still pretty hit or miss with me.

The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat

I've listened to The Velvet Underground on a number of occasions, but for the most part I only really know The Velvet Underground and Nico, which I sort of dig. I've only listened to this album once and I wanted to recheck it out...




I've been trying to figure out how to talk intelligently about the song structures for about thirty minutes now, but I know fuck all about song structure or time signatures and in the end I don't really know what I'm talking about. Even so, I can still tell that this album has a very free approach to songwriting. Much of it is very simple and repetitive, but it often turns into jamming or free form experimentation. I can't help but think that the songs on here don't really even feel like songs so much as they do an R&B band (or insert more relevant reference) just playing all out in a piano bar. It gives the whole thing a sense of freedom and fun that along with the warm, fuzzy production makes you feel comfortable and at the same time challenged. It's an experimental album that feels nonthreatening and unpretentious (with the exception of "The Gift") in its experimentation.

If I had to have a problem with this on the first go round, it would be that "The Gift" is cool the first time you hear it, but after that it just becomes unnecessary. I can appreciate how ground breaking it might have been to release a song that talked so honestly and intelligently about modern sexuality in 1968, but in 2013 it doesn't have the same impact. So all we're left with is the music, which gets old. Not that it's a chore to listen to, but it's definitely not a highlight for me. The fact that it's eight minutes long doesn't help.

I am but a humble, half-retard metalhead, so I can't comment on just how good "Sister Ray" is, but I still loved it. It's simple beat is hypnotic, and even though I didn't concentrate on it the whole time thanks to my short attention span, I kept getting drawn back in to enjoy the song over and over again. It just has this infectious energy that grabs a hold of you and makes you feel like you're at the world's coolest party. And the last two minutes are more punk rock than the Clash's entire discography.

I'm sure that I didn't do VU any particular justic with that review, but I am still totally stoked at having really listened to this album. I might have to go back and really give Nico a better listen as well, not to mention their other albums.

An album let down by Nico's shocking voice on the songs she sings, I usually get some hate when I mention that on a VU thread.

I don't either, so I just bluff it. Most of these proggers that harp on about the in and outs and complexities of time signatures and other some such stuff........... I'm sure are winging it as well.

For somebody that doesn't think they know how to write a review for this kind of music, you've done a pretty good job. Try listening to some of the Krautrock bands from this period and you might enjoy.

Oh, **** yes! I'm convinced that at least some of the people who like Nico on that album are full of ****. Her voice is dull and pretentious as all hell. I know she's German, but that's no excuse for that voice.


I've listened to a bit of Neu, Kraftwerk, and Can, and I definitely dig them. I just need to actually delve further into them. Right now though I'm on a cheesy pop kick. Christina Aguilera is currently ruling my ears.

The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground and Nico

Moving on from White Light/White Heat I'm reaquainting myself with VU's debut. Should be sweet...




First of all, "Sunday Morning" is an awesome way to start the album. It's sort of a cliche for a rock'n'roll album to start off with the heaviest/fastest/most bitchin' song on the album to give you a "Welcome to the Asskick Fest" thing, but this album starts off mellow as yellow. This would be a perfect song to just put on first thing in the morning and wake up to.

Much of this album isn't really "avant garde" so much as it is just a more mature, experimental form of garage rock. I don't know what the dividing line between avant garde and just experimental is, but this still feels like rock'n'roll to me, just much more intelligent than most rock bands. It's also highly addictive and does a better job of making rock'n'roll respectable than prog rock ever did. In general it doesn't quite have the energy as White Light/White Heat, but it seems to have a greater diversity of songs. All in all I prefer White Light, but this is still a really cool album. At least for me the second half of the album isn't quite as amazing as the first half though. I know everyone and their mother go on about "Heroin", but it's just a good song as far as I'm concerned. Likewise, as cool as "The Black Angel's Death" song is with Cale's viola, it isn't quite as good as "Venus In Furs". Not that the second half isn't cool, but just not as much as the first half, though "European Son" is pretty damn sweet with it's frantic and at times terrifying noise experimentation.

I'm not really the biggest fan of Nico. Her songs give the album a different atmosphere which is kinda cool, but if they had been left off I wouldn't really be too sad.

Aside from the higher energy songs like "Run, Run, Run" and "Waiting for the Man", the standout song on this album has to be "Venus In Furs". The song itself is suitably bizarre sounding, and with Cale's unsettling viola playing over it, it is a truly weird but unique and bitchin' song.

Edit: I was just listening to White Light/White Heat again after Nico and I have to change my opinion slightly. I said that "All in all I prefer White Light" but now I have to say that White Light destroys Nico. I dig Nico, but I'm already coming to the conclusion that White Light is one of my new favorite albums and it keeps getting better with every listen.

Only half-retarded? When did you make this miraculous recovery? :rofl: ;)
Seriously, I get what you say about "Copperhead Road": I was the same when I listened to it and I mentioned it in the review, which was one of the first in my journal, about two years ago now. It's like it's two albums: side one is heavy, pumping, get-the-****-out-of-my-way rebel country rock, while side two is, well, just a total wimpout.

If you want to hear Earle at his best (if you're still interested) try these: The Hard Way, I feel alright, Transcendental blues and El corazon. And if you want to read more about him I did a full feature on him back in 2011: I know you're a lazy bastard so here's the link to save you from searching... http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1081451

:confused:

I have no memory of this reference. What was it I said? And I'm sure I'll get around to more Steve Earle at some point. I hear too many good things about his later stuff to ignore him.