The Rock Album Survivor Reviews Thread

[JGuy Grungeman]

Believe me. After Bookends, that'll my my first priority.

[Frownland]

Originally Posted by JGuy Grungeman

Believe me. After Bookends, that'll my my first priority.

Bookends was the first one I heard (unless you count their Greatest Hits, which is actually a good collection) since my mom had it on vinyl. I'd say it's their best studio album.

[JGuy Grungeman]

Then it's gonna have to be freaking amazing if it's to top ridge for me.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by JGuy Grungeman

Rumours is still by far the best, but there's no way anyone should neglect this.

What list is Rumours on?

[JGuy Grungeman]

Pop Rock. That's gonna be my number 1 choice for the list.

[JGuy Grungeman]

Dookie by Green Day



Style: Pop Punk
Release: 1994
Length: 40 min.
Round: Pop Punk (hopefully

I have heard great things about Green Day. I've also heard trash talk. Well, to decide for myself, I think they real are one of the better pop punk bands. Dookie, along with American Idiot, are both proof of that. I don't know what to tell you except that this is one of the best punk albums I've ever heard, and I was sure of that from the second track. Basically, I think Dookie represents punk. It's everything that regular punk rock needs to be, even for a pop album.

“Burnout” is the opener, a perfect opener. A great punk song, a fun and exciting punk song, and perfect for setting the ground for the rest of the album. “Having a Blast” really did give me a blast. Somehow, it took me back to my school field trip at Sunsplash, probably because it's all about excitement. At first I thought it was a little worse, but I learned to appreciate the song more than the opener over the course of the song. “Chump” takes a more mainstream/alternative route, but retains the same level of grandeur and fun. I got curious about the lyrics. They start out a little generic, but then get more creative to maker their point. It seems that the songs get better as they go. “Chump” transcends into “Longview,” which tones done the eccentric and heavy outro and turns into a kind of alternative to punk (pun-k intended), at least for the intro. The chorus carries a very riffy rhythm akin to something from SFTD. Next is "Welcome to Paradise," another grand song that takes the generic tone of punk and makes it as absolutely catchy as possible. I was right in assuming the songs got better as I went along. Or was it the album? So, next is "Pulling Teeth," which ends this "better as it goes" chain. So, it was a little, tiny bit of a disappointment. Still it was nice to listen to, like a sweet, innocent and romantic punk song. "Basket Case" is another great punk song. Nothing unique. "She" follows a similar tone to "Pulling Teeth," but a little heavier. Although the songs are great, they don't go for anything different until "When I Go Around," which carries a heavy alternative sound. You know, it's that one Green Day song you hear one the radio but can't place the name of until the chorus? After more of the same style, the a;lbum ends with a weird little acoustic song by Tre Cool.

I think Green Day had proven themselve to really know punk for a short while. I suppose the limit of doing the same thing over and over again can be stretched through a full album before it gets tiring, just as long as every song remains catchy in its own way. And Dookie is one of the catchiest albums I can thionk of.

95/100. Current top choice for the pop punk list.

[The Batlord]

Was about to say. If that album got left off for Tango in the Night, that thread was gonna have to burn.

[JGuy Grungeman]

I think I made both lists. I put on as much Fleetwood Mac as possible. It was a bit hard to do since their modern stuff pretty much only falls into both.

[JGuy Grungeman]

Hex Enduction Hour, an album by The Fall



Stylwe: Art Punk, Post-Punk
Release: 1982
Length: One Hour
Round: Post-Punk

I understand post punk and art punk were still kind of new back in 1982, but even music can havew limits. Proof? You don't like hearing the samer thing over and over again, right? I'm not just talking about the 1000th time you've heard More Than a Feeling on the radio. I'm talking about the same four seconds being played more than 100 times in a row with little to no change, and that seems to be the case with this album. Is it good? Yes. It has great instrumentals and a quirky feel. But it's also repetitive.

Upon the first note, I became aware of the art-punk experimentation this band so gleefully exudes. Upon the first bit of singing, I became aware of how much like Remain in Light this would be. I suppose "The Classical" is about breaking the rules of logic as that seems to be the point of the tune for me. It is so different from anything I've heard in the realm of post punk before. The experimentation and raspy guitars remind me of Pink Flag, but the tone and production seems closer to the post-punk I've heard. Plus, it doesn't really "feel" like a punk album yet. There are three flaws I have with the song: The layout could be a little better, and the vocals could be easier to hear, and the song drags on after about 3 and a half minutes. So it's not perfect. But I suppose it does its job as an opener. I can only hope that the rest of the album is far more experimental. I like the song, but I don't want to listen to the same sound for an advertised hour. I hit "Jawbone and the Air Rifle," the title makes me think of Samson with a machine gun. I also note that the song makes the same flaws as the opener. I then think about how I was aware of "This Nation's Saving Grace" being the real "essential" album, even if this was the album that secured their famer through the ages. Still, a part of me believes this was not the best place to start The Fall on. At least the song feels like punk. "Hip Priest" begins with a very quiet beat. As soon as the vocals start, I think about how retard they sound. I think to myself the band may have taken the experimentation the wrong way. The song's dull. I ten find out the song lasts eight minutes. Why? I continue in the hopes that the song will shift pace at some point, and thankfully it picks up adfter the 12 minute mark on the album. Still, it's dull. I can't get into it. Then comes "Fortress"/"Deer Park," clocking in at seven minutes. I think to myself that since the song's got two titles, it's in two parts. But I only hope I'm right, sincve listening to the same thing for too long has proven tiring on this album. I appreciate the punk sound of the song, but I feel it steers away from the post-punk aspects that started the album. It definitely has more rhythm than the last track. Well, it wasn't sl\plit. It was the same damn ting for seven minutes.I'm thankful the next song lasts 3 minute. Plus, it's more clever. Taking a break from the wild atmosphere, a sdofter tune plays. Winter. So easy. It ends the side on a somewhat high note. it gets a little heavier at the end, but rightfully so.

The tune from Winter begins Side 2 with "Winter 2." Odd. I guess it's clever in the sense that it's not done before, but this only proves how often they play the same thing. Knowing it was 4 and a half minutes, I skipped the rest. "Just Step S'ways" starts with an ad. It later uses that vocal speaking style and turns it into singing, like making a commercial out of music. I find this humorous, because it was clever for a moment. Despite its short length, I think this is the best example of getting tired of the same thing, because all of the lines sound the same and I don't think there's any real change in the rhythm until the last minute, literally. "Who Makes the Nazi's" was actually pretty good, because it experimented the right way. I think it changed its direction (while keeping the same rhythm) long enough to contradict the tiring repetition of the album's tracks. Best track. Next comes "Iceland," a song starting with spoken words. I suppose it's a little creative for this album, as the song goes from white noise to a nice luittle tune. But when the singing starts, I think of how lame it can get. At least it has a nice tune to back it. But it dragged on as well, so I skipped the last two minutes. Next comes the final, 11 minute track... "And This Day." It begins with an obnoxious sound that I hope doesn't last the full twelve minutes. If the band knows ANYTHING about experimentation, they'll know eleven minutes of the same four seconds being played is just too mjuch, like Chinese Water Torture. At least it went by pretty quickly at the start. Every two minutes felt like 1. I let the sound drag on as much as possible before I get tired and skip a bit ahead. I'm impressed they were able to use drowned rhythms and new instruments to make this redundancy a lot less redundant, and I eventually grew to enjoy the track and part of me accepted it was a worthy ending. I also accepted it was the real best track. I actually enjoyed practically the whole song. Is this because the legnth of the album grew on me as I played it? I don't know. All I can say is that this one impressed me the most. I actually let it drag on until the end.

Overall, it felt like a mix of Talking Heads and Wire. Still, I think it often got too carried away with blending their artistic side with the post-punk side. This gets in the way of enjoyment for me. I think it could have been much better, and I think anyone wanting to get into The Fall should start elsewhere.

Despite how negative my review has been, it wasn't bad. Just tiring. I mean, instrumentally, it was good. Clever. But the length is the problem. It could easily be Hex Induction 40 Minutes. 76/100. Voting it off first because I think their attempt at artistic flair got in the way of music.

[JGuy Grungeman]

L.A. Woman by The Doors



Style: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Release: m1970
Length: 49 min.
Round: Blues Rock

I've never been a Doors fan. I like acid rock. In fact, one of my favorite bands is Jefferson Airplane, but I guess these guys were a little too different for me. However, I am actually quite into some of the songs on L.A. Woman. I'mn glad Jim Morrison lasted long enough to create this opus.

Upon the first note, I understood how true to their style and their origins they would be in this album. I've heard three Doors albums before, Doors, Strange Days, and Waiting for the Sun. I theorized this might be the most devoted album the band has. The intro, "The Changeling," is one of the best intros to an album I've heard, being a perfect example of getting the listener familiar with the vibe and the style of the album. The funkiness of other psych acts like Sly Stone and Hendrix is very apparent in this intro. "Love Her Madly," one of The Doors biggest hits, is a worthy second, even though I feel it was a little too early to switch from a funky psychedelic song to a piano and acousic guitar based track. It's a great song, no doubt. Despite its odd and cheery vibe, it has an almost sad kind of romantic background, as if this was a fantastic bar song. "Been Down So Long" has a little bit of the auras from both of the first two tracks. It's slower, but heavy for its bass line. Very bluesly as well. This blues feel is carried into a softer, more easy-going track..."Cars Hiss By My Window." It's overall aura is very similar to the softer blues of the early 60's. The vocals are carried very, very well. The truth to blues proved my earlier statement of being true to the original styles this album is spo heavily influenced by, failing to be cheap immitations. The title track comes nexy, ending the A Side. I remember this song from the radio and forgot it was a fairly big radio hit, not that that's a qualification of its quality. The real hint comes from the awesome, grand guitar playing akin to the happy and lovable style of Duane Allman. At this point, I think to myself, "This is better than their debut." A heartful eight minutes end the side.

A deep, dark, electric guitar... unsettling like a dark alley, begins this side. An organ then comes in, accompaned by bass. This is "L'America." It continues into this vibe throughout the song except for a middle section, causing a pleasant contradiction. "Hyacinth House" is next, starting with an acoustic solo similar to "Over the Hills and Far Away." The rest of the song continues into its own, strange gospel of soft rock and psychedelia, once again creating a guitar style similar to Duane Allman. "Crawling King Snake" carries the blues well, but it gets a little tiring after 5 minutes. "The WASP" ios a cpoem of cryptic energy that can send the player into a strange, desert realm of magic. When the singing starts, it seems to carry the same cryptology, except in the form of an ancient tune. Clever song. The album ends with one of the Doors most notable and most essential hits, the lengthy and thought-provoking "Riders on the Storm." As a mist of rain descends upon the piano and bass, like a strangte jazz intro, Morrison works mwith the guitar to create a mystifying and mezmerizing sense of emotion. Amazing song. I never knew its quality until now.

Overall, I find this album to be better than the debut for its diversity and its devotion to the feel of the elder genres of rock. L.A. Woman is nothing short of amazing. 95/100.