Albums that turn 50 this year

rubber soul · 09-08-2021, 04:56 PM

Yeah, I don't think a Space In Time is an especially great album either. The one track, I'd Love To Change The World , though, is one of my favorite songs and is atypical of the blues rock Ten Years After was known for. For me, Sssh! is probably their best album.

I could mention all kinds of suggestions but I might overload you. To me, 1971 was a great year for albums. I will mention my favorite David Bowie album though, Hunky Dory. Trollheart has a really good review of that album and others in his Bowie thread somewhere. There are a bunch of great albums from that year though, and you've mentioned a few of them.

Neapolitan · 09-08-2021, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul

Yeah, I don't think a Space In Time is an especially great album either. The one track, I'd Love To Change The World , though, is one of my favorite songs and is atypical of the blues rock Ten Years After was known for. For me, Sssh! is probably their best album.

I could mention all kinds of suggestions but I might overload you. To me, 1971 was a great year for albums. I will mention my favorite David Bowie album though, Hunky Dory. Trollheart has a really good review of that album and others in his Bowie thread somewhere. There are a bunch of great albums from that year though, and you've mentioned a few of them.

The first gig my brother played was on a side of a 7/11. He was the drummer in the band. His band ask me to do the acoustic guitar part. We were only teenagers then. I was nervous as heck playing in front of people so I practiced that song till I burned it into my memory. I'm glad to see people still dig that song.

Lisnaholic · 09-08-2021, 07:06 PM

Nick Drake: I was lucky enough that at age 17 somebody lent me Bryter Layter, and I became an immediate, long-term fan. That's how it went with my friends too: most of them loved the album, so, by word of mouth, "underground", his popularity kept spreading in a small, intimate way as befits the music. He just didn't register in the world of singles, live shows or radio plays; he was a secret to be shared with friends.

@Guybrush: yes, you're right. I can definitely say that after 50 years of listening, I've begun to notice that many of his songs are too slight: short, predictable song structures and too many obvious rhymes of the sun/done variety.

@Eleanor: most of my pals thought "One of these things first" was actually the weakest track on BL, favouring instead "City Clock" and "Poor Boy"; perhaps that's a judgement that comes from repeated playing.
But total Congrats on your journal and choice of albums so far.

Eleanor Rigby 14 · 09-09-2021, 11:13 AM

Thank you for all your kind answers. As I've seen many albums bein mentioned, I'm gonna post the intial list I had. They're alphabetically ordered depending on the artist. I think maybe it'll be good to take a look at the list (there're many of them I don't like, but I wanna review them)

Albums that turn 50 this year-sharedscreenshotalbumes.jpg

Albums that turn 50 this year-lbumes.jpg

Albums that turn 50 this year-lbumes3.jpg

Btw: I've also written separately your new suggested albums. And I might've not written some names correctly, but I've heard all the albums listed above.
Thanks again, and have a nice day everyone!
Oh, and "no reseñado" means not reviewed

Guybrush · 09-09-2021, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

"City Clock"

This is probably my favorite from BL

Eleanor Rigby 14 · 09-09-2021, 03:35 PM

Islands by King Crimson

TRACKLIST
1. Formentera Lady
2. Sailor's Tale
3. The Letters
4. Ladies Of The Road
5. Prelude-Song Of The Gulls
6. Islands

King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were the “legendary” prog rock bands I got familiar with most recently. I thought that just with Pink Floyd, Genesis, Alan Parsons’ Project and Yes I had enough and that the rest of progressive rock bands were just imitations of these 4, or maybe precursors to them whom I respected but didn’t think I’d enjoy. Also, even though I love prog rock, I don’t really listen to that genre very oftenly, because I end up thinking about imaginary tales and about how horrible life is (that goes for Pink Floyd’s 75% of their catalogue). But goin’ back to King Crimson, they actually have some albums I kind of liked (e. g. In The Court Of The Crimson King, Lizard and Discipline), but still they just don’t seem that good for me, because, many times, there’re parts of one song I love, and parts of that same song I hate. I would describe their style as a little bit chaotic, and this album is, in fact, very chaotic. All the songs were written by Robert Fripp and the lyrics, by Peter Sinfield, and this was the last time he collaborated with the band. This is also the first album featuring Boz Burrell, both on vocals and on bass guitar. Because King Crimson went through many line-up changes, just gonna say that the band members at this time were: Robert Fripp, Boz Burrell, Mel Collins and Ian Wallace. Many people describe this as their weakest effort, and although I knew this before listening to it, I thought it was gonna be a lot better than what this people said. Whether I agree or disagree with these opinions will be revealed at the end of this review, given the final mark.

The album starts off with “Formentera Lady”. Even though the title makes reference to one of my favourite Spanish cities, I don’t like the song. Not even Mel Collins (whom I adore) saved this one. I don’t know, just didn’t enjoy it very much. And I must say that I love wind instruments being used in rock songs. It just makes them more powerful and beautiful at the same time. But no, not on this one. If a song is boring, then it’s boring and there’s nothing a whole orchestra can do about it. And the fact that it lasts 10 minutes doesn’t help either. The next one (“Sailor’s Tale”) is a lot better in my opinion, there’re more things goin’ on, but it ain’t really something I’d like to hear more than once. Moving on to “The Letters”, the beginning gave me the hope it was gonna be a lot better than the previous ones, like A LOT BETTER, at a different level, but still everything gets chaotic, like it sometimes seems as if King Crimson didn’t really know at what moment they had to do the “change”. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself, but many times it just seems that they do everything “randomly”. And experts might say: “That’s art, dear”. Hell no, it doesn’t sound pleasant to me, and I know I might not hear that track in my life anymore. I don’t hate it or anything like that, I just don’t like it. But then again who am I, a person who thinks ABBA is a billion times better than King Crimson, to criticize what most people who “understand music” appreciate and love. I must confess that the A side of this album annoys me for some reason, but I must also admit that side B is a lot better. The fourth song “Ladies Of The Road”, still doesn’t really sound interesting, but I think it has some OK moments, like that “ All of you know that the girls of the road are like apples we stole in our youth” bit which was quite surprising, because I’m the number one fan of vocal harmonies, but still it’s not really something I would consider to be “really good”. That term would be used to describe our fifth track: “Prelude-Song Of The Gulls”. It’s actually surprising how they were able to spend more than 4 minutes without spoiling their own work by introducing some random fuzz guitar solo. It’s a very nice piece of music, I love it, really. It’s the only one of this album that could be considered as great. Fortunately the album is short, as it ends with “Islands”, being the sixth song. This one’s OK. It’s kinda nice, too. I love how the piano and the saxophone are being used on this one.
So, to sum up, first of all, Mel Collin’s work is amazing as always. And Boz Burrell was OK. I read as a fun fact that he didn’t know how to play bass guitar and Robert Fripp taught him. Oh, and he can also sing well. We should blame it all on Robert Fripp then, for not coming up with good compositions (except “Prelude”).
Overall rating: 4/10. Sorry, you can’t expect one and a half good songs to save your whole album.
Would it be successful today? No. Prog rock is still a popular genre. There’re many bands playing it, and with better compositions and having little to no success.

Trollheart · 09-09-2021, 08:20 PM

First, I'm in the minority but I agree with you on this (people here will say that just goes to show how wrong you are). I'm no expert on KC, I have only heard about six albums so far, and that's through my History of Prog Rock journal, so was of necessity. Most I thought okay, a few really good, a lot mediocre. You can be hanged for such comments here I know, but I don't give a... fig. I don't think I'll ever be a fan of Fripp's soundscapes, and the fact that King Crimson are so closely linked with jazz (and, worse for me, some free jazz) makes it very hard for me to like them. I don't like this album. I only listened to it the once, to be fair, but it did not impress me.

Second: Genesis, Yes and Floyd are certainly progenitors of prog rock (along with ELP, Caravan, Moody Blues and others) but APP came much later, their first album being in the late 1970s (1976) so they could not be said to have been laying down any sort of trail.

Third: Nobody, and I mean nobody should be able to tell you what you should like. If you hate an album, or artist, a million people love, it's been my experience that you should feel free to hate it. There's no rule in music that says you have to like this band or that artist. We're all different. Except me.

I liked your review. I thought it was honest and while you went on record (hah) to say you didn't like the album, you still paid it and the band some respect, which is I think important. Nothing should be trashed or disparaged out of hand. Other than Nickelback, of course.

Guybrush · 09-09-2021, 09:04 PM

I feel like 95% of KC worship focuses on their debut. While there are some things I like a lot, like the song Dinosaur from Thrak or the title track from Red, I don't find their albums terribly interesting. Especially John Wetton I could never quite get behind, preferring Belew.

Some of the musical stuff Fripp has been interested in, like his 80s league of guitarists, feature some of the worst aspects of musicality/virtuosity with few or none of the attractions. He's an interesting character for sure, but not always appealing.

rubber soul · 09-10-2021, 10:34 AM

I happen to like King Crimson a lot though I think Guybrush is right that most fans fixate on the brilliant debut. There are so many incarnations of King Crimson, which is essentially Robert Fripp and company, it's hard to keep count. I do think they've done a lot more than Court of the Crimson King though (In the Wake of Poseidon, Lark's Tongue in Aspic, Red). In fact, if you're only a casual fan, I'd recommend A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson. The complilation covers just about every great track Crimson did from 1969-1975 (though it did miss Easy Money off Lark's Tongue). Still the greatest prog band ever in my book.

Guybrush · 09-10-2021, 11:42 AM

I think they're touring again these days? But without Belew in the lineup.

I think Fripp is probably at his most appealing these days, having reinvented himself through his and Toyah's sunday lockdown covers.. So he is human after all. It's great! And I like that they brought their young lover into the mix

09-08-2021, 07:06 PM	#33 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Nick Drake: I was lucky enough that at age 17 somebody lent me Bryter Layter, and I became an immediate, long-term fan. That's how it went with my friends too: most of them loved the album, so, by word of mouth, "underground", his popularity kept spreading in a small, intimate way as befits the music. He just didn't register in the world of singles, live shows or radio plays; he was a secret to be shared with friends. @Guybrush: yes, you're right. I can definitely say that after 50 years of listening, I've begun to notice that many of his songs are too slight: short, predictable song structures and too many obvious rhymes of the sun/done variety. @Eleanor: most of my pals thought "One of these things first" was actually the weakest track on BL, favouring instead "City Clock" and "Poor Boy"; perhaps that's a judgement that comes from repeated playing. But total Congrats on your journal and choice of albums so far. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

09-09-2021, 11:13 AM	#34 (permalink)
Eleanor Rigby 14 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 413	Thank you for all your kind answers. As I've seen many albums bein mentioned, I'm gonna post the intial list I had. They're alphabetically ordered depending on the artist. I think maybe it'll be good to take a look at the list (there're many of them I don't like, but I wanna review them) Btw: I've also written separately your new suggested albums. And I might've not written some names correctly, but I've heard all the albums listed above. Thanks again, and have a nice day everyone! Oh, and "no reseñado" means not reviewed Last edited by Eleanor Rigby 14; 09-09-2021 at 12:39 PM.

09-09-2021, 08:20 PM	#37 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	First, I'm in the minority but I agree with you on this (people here will say that just goes to show how wrong you are). I'm no expert on KC, I have only heard about six albums so far, and that's through my History of Prog Rock journal, so was of necessity. Most I thought okay, a few really good, a lot mediocre. You can be hanged for such comments here I know, but I don't give a... fig. I don't think I'll ever be a fan of Fripp's soundscapes, and the fact that King Crimson are so closely linked with jazz (and, worse for me, some free jazz) makes it very hard for me to like them. I don't like this album. I only listened to it the once, to be fair, but it did not impress me. Second: Genesis, Yes and Floyd are certainly progenitors of prog rock (along with ELP, Caravan, Moody Blues and others) but APP came much later, their first album being in the late 1970s (1976) so they could not be said to have been laying down any sort of trail. Third: Nobody, and I mean nobody should be able to tell you what you should like. If you hate an album, or artist, a million people love, it's been my experience that you should feel free to hate it. There's no rule in music that says you have to like this band or that artist. We're all different. Except me. I liked your review. I thought it was honest and while you went on record (hah) to say you didn't like the album, you still paid it and the band some respect, which is I think important. Nothing should be trashed or disparaged out of hand. Other than Nickelback, of course. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

09-09-2021, 09:04 PM	#38 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I feel like 95% of KC worship focuses on their debut. While there are some things I like a lot, like the song Dinosaur from Thrak or the title track from Red, I don't find their albums terribly interesting. Especially John Wetton I could never quite get behind, preferring Belew. Some of the musical stuff Fripp has been interested in, like his 80s league of guitarists, feature some of the worst aspects of musicality/virtuosity with few or none of the attractions. He's an interesting character for sure, but not always appealing. __________________ Something Completely Different

09-10-2021, 11:42 AM	#40 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I think they're touring again these days? But without Belew in the lineup. I think Fripp is probably at his most appealing these days, having reinvented himself through his and Toyah's sunday lockdown covers.. So he is human after all. It's great! And I like that they brought their young lover into the mix __________________ Something Completely Different

09-09-2021, 03:35 PM	#36 (permalink)
Eleanor Rigby 14 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 413	Islands by King Crimson TRACKLIST 1. Formentera Lady 2. Sailor's Tale 3. The Letters 4. Ladies Of The Road 5. Prelude-Song Of The Gulls 6. Islands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were the “legendary” prog rock bands I got familiar with most recently. I thought that just with Pink Floyd, Genesis, Alan Parsons’ Project and Yes I had enough and that the rest of progressive rock bands were just imitations of these 4, or maybe precursors to them whom I respected but didn’t think I’d enjoy. Also, even though I love prog rock, I don’t really listen to that genre very oftenly, because I end up thinking about imaginary tales and about how horrible life is (that goes for Pink Floyd’s 75% of their catalogue). But goin’ back to King Crimson, they actually have some albums I kind of liked (e. g. In The Court Of The Crimson King, Lizard and Discipline), but still they just don’t seem that good for me, because, many times, there’re parts of one song I love, and parts of that same song I hate. I would describe their style as a little bit chaotic, and this album is, in fact, very chaotic. All the songs were written by Robert Fripp and the lyrics, by Peter Sinfield, and this was the last time he collaborated with the band. This is also the first album featuring Boz Burrell, both on vocals and on bass guitar. Because King Crimson went through many line-up changes, just gonna say that the band members at this time were: Robert Fripp, Boz Burrell, Mel Collins and Ian Wallace. Many people describe this as their weakest effort, and although I knew this before listening to it, I thought it was gonna be a lot better than what this people said. Whether I agree or disagree with these opinions will be revealed at the end of this review, given the final mark. The album starts off with “Formentera Lady”. Even though the title makes reference to one of my favourite Spanish cities, I don’t like the song. Not even Mel Collins (whom I adore) saved this one. I don’t know, just didn’t enjoy it very much. And I must say that I love wind instruments being used in rock songs. It just makes them more powerful and beautiful at the same time. But no, not on this one. If a song is boring, then it’s boring and there’s nothing a whole orchestra can do about it. And the fact that it lasts 10 minutes doesn’t help either. The next one (“Sailor’s Tale”) is a lot better in my opinion, there’re more things goin’ on, but it ain’t really something I’d like to hear more than once. Moving on to “The Letters”, the beginning gave me the hope it was gonna be a lot better than the previous ones, like A LOT BETTER, at a different level, but still everything gets chaotic, like it sometimes seems as if King Crimson didn’t really know at what moment they had to do the “change”. I don’t know if I’m explaining myself, but many times it just seems that they do everything “randomly”. And experts might say: “That’s art, dear”. Hell no, it doesn’t sound pleasant to me, and I know I might not hear that track in my life anymore. I don’t hate it or anything like that, I just don’t like it. But then again who am I, a person who thinks ABBA is a billion times better than King Crimson, to criticize what most people who “understand music” appreciate and love. I must confess that the A side of this album annoys me for some reason, but I must also admit that side B is a lot better. The fourth song “Ladies Of The Road”, still doesn’t really sound interesting, but I think it has some OK moments, like that “ All of you know that the girls of the road are like apples we stole in our youth” bit which was quite surprising, because I’m the number one fan of vocal harmonies, but still it’s not really something I would consider to be “really good”. That term would be used to describe our fifth track: “Prelude-Song Of The Gulls”. It’s actually surprising how they were able to spend more than 4 minutes without spoiling their own work by introducing some random fuzz guitar solo. It’s a very nice piece of music, I love it, really. It’s the only one of this album that could be considered as great. Fortunately the album is short, as it ends with “Islands”, being the sixth song. This one’s OK. It’s kinda nice, too. I love how the piano and the saxophone are being used on this one. So, to sum up, first of all, Mel Collin’s work is amazing as always. And Boz Burrell was OK. I read as a fun fact that he didn’t know how to play bass guitar and Robert Fripp taught him. Oh, and he can also sing well. We should blame it all on Robert Fripp then, for not coming up with good compositions (except “Prelude”). Overall rating: 4/10. Sorry, you can’t expect one and a half good songs to save your whole album. Would it be successful today? No. Prog rock is still a popular genre. There’re many bands playing it, and with better compositions and having little to no success.