Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums- my listening experience

Miss Amanda Jones is my Fav track ,but I think the rest of the Lp is fabulous sounding especially the u.k mono version.

 

It helps to listen to it while really drunk, from what I remember of my college days, when it was a new release.

 

#329: Daydream Nation- Sonic Youth

noise noisy noise noise. Sonic Youth likes to make a lot of noise.

I've tried to listen to them before because when I was a kid it seemed all these cool people liked Sonic Youth. And for an hour this album goes noise, mid-tempo plodding, feedback noise, and that kind of disaffected out of tune sounding singing.

I'm sure it's all quite experimental and whatnot, but it's all a bit over my head.

 

90s grrrl power!

#328: Exit in Guyville- Liz Phair

This record is remarkable more for the context than the actual musical content. Phair does not have strong singing voice, and the musical arrangements are mostly your standard grungy 90s dirty guitar stuff (barring a couple of more bolder arrangements like Flower). But the fact that a young attractive woman singer was performing songs that exposed female vulnerability in such a blunt and direct way, which actually made her seem stronger, was an inevitable but necessary consequence of preceding pop music trends.

So to me this record is entertaining, and an interesting time capsule from my youth. It was only later I saw what a huge impact it made on the music scene. So many hardcore fans, and then so many betrayed when she moved to a more pop sound. To anyone still surprised by that, re-listen to some of Guyville and tell me, seriously, does she sound like some confessional soul-bearing singer to you? Yes the lyrics are personal, but to me it sounds like she adapted the persona of confessional singer, if that makes any sense. This ain't exactly Blue, here.


#327: Jadded Little Pill- Alanis Morissette

Wow, I forgot that all of her hits came from this one album, and that half of this album was hits.
I spent a lot of time very much disliking Morissette. That singing, which I still can't get over, where she either inflects with this bad snark or cracks her voice to jump octaves ungracefully. It's supposed to be emotionally intense but it's just annoying.

But then every girl I liked in high school was into this record. It was everywhere.
While I never warmed up to the music, I've warmed up to her personally, after she appeared in Dogma and Curb You Enthusiasm and other things. She seems like the genuinely cool chick that's into making hip tunes. I still can't abide her singing, though.

It was interesting (if a little painful) actually sitting down and listening to the whole record. Some of the writing, production and arrangements are rather strong. Lyrically, she's not afraid to risk seeming foolish, which I respect, except sometimes it does seem a little foolish.

 

#326: Disintegration- The Cure

What very very pretty record. The synths are used beautifully, especially on Plainsong and Lullaby, where they wash over everything else. It's all quite grand and lovely.

Smith's over-emotive sensitive girl-child type of singing is never going to be my favorite thing in the world but it fits the arrangements much better than the earlier material because he has more sonic space to make it work emotionally.

Like the New Order and Depeche Mode albums on this list I recently heard, I'm impressed with how some of these groups had figured out how to incorporate the then-new sounds and instrumentation to make layered, impressive pop music. However I think the best of these albums was actually Songs From the Big Chair by Tears For Fears, but I don't think that one's on the list.

And then one day South Park decided to make Robert Smith and the Cure cool.

 

#325: Slowhand- Eric Clapton

One of the most frustrating records I've ever heard.
The respect the pop musical establishment generally have for Clapton's musicianship is well-deserved. The man can sing, play and write. So my frustration comes from what he does with it.

He heard J.J. Cale and loved his minimalism and directness. I like J.J. Cale too, but Clapton's cover of Cocaine adds nothing because he doesn't have the mellow grizzled charm of Cale. But it was a hit, along with Wonderful Tonight, and those tunes are pretty boring.

And then Clapton hits you with The Core, which is perfect song for him- ambitious but catchy, cool guitar riffs and well-placed female vocals and saxophone. It's the perfect realization of a former heavy blues-rock guitar guy who wants to mature and use all of his many talents to create something unique.
The last track is a lovely instrumental, a nice surprise that I totally forgot about since the last time I heard this record many years ago.
If more of Clapton's solo efforts were like these two tracks, I'd be his biggest fan.

 

#324: The Very Best of Linda Rondstadt

She is a very nice singer, and pretty. If I heard and saw her doing this music at a party or bar, I would be smitten. And then she'd be pushing her CDs and I'd... not buy that.

I'm not expert and without any research, my understanding is that she's famous for one original song (You're No Good) and covers. You're No Good is the best song on this CD, while the covers are pleasant enough but ultimately lacking in anything besides "pleasant." She sings Warren Zevon without the biting scornfulness; she sings The Miracles without Smokey's delicate soulfulness.

And, you know, the Eagles are her band, so there's that...

It's not bad. I don't hate it. It's just... there.

 

#323: Station To Station- David Bowie

Bowie's most impressive album, IMO. It's one of those records where an artist who tries so many different things is able to bring them all together to create his own thing, fully realized. Lots of tasty percussion, string-popping guitar sounds and Bowie doing all his voice tricks.

I can't tell you how any of the songs went after listening to it (except for "Golden years, whap whap whap"), as it's more like a well-organized bunch of sound. And I have heard this quite a few times.

 

#322: Ghost In the Machine- The Police

Is this the first Police record to feature keys? I don't remember any on their previous record, which will be the next and last, and therefore highest ranked record, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it's pretty good. I'm not necessarily crazy about some of the deeper cuts like Omega Man, but they ain't bad.

The beginning of the album is my single favorite Police moment: kick the record off with the coolest bass line ever and the lyric "There is no political solution." Yes! That Gordy fella had his songwriting moments, didn't he?

 

#321: Sail Away- Randy Newman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9wrKSutqsE&feature=related

Our last and most consistent Newman album of the bunch and what is there left to say, but take what one feels about 12 Songs and iron out the kinks.
Political Science is the tune that runs through my head when angry older people rant about global affairs foolishly, which is of course the point. But one doesn't listen to Newman for the subtlety.

 

Actually, even "You're No Good" is a cover of an early 60's Betty Everett minor charting hit, but a very good cover.

Personally I don't really get much of Ronstadt's appeal for the same reasons cited here, but if anything I'd rather see "Heart Like a Wheel" than this hits comp on the list, which IMHO is her best LP and holds up pretty well.

 

Why settle for one when you can have both?

 

#320: Pink Moon- Nick Drake

I've listened to his 3 albums many times but I never remember which is which and they're all equally good to me.
In a style swarming with competition- singer/songwriter acoustic guitar guy- Drake stands out to me because of his particularly guitar picking technique (he's not just strumming chords or playing finger-pickin' arpeggios) and how his voice is rather deep for someone who sings this style and still very pretty.

The only thing that bothers me is that it's sometimes hard to make out what he's saying.

 

All three of his original albums rank as all time favorites for me. I never tire of listening to him and I have been listening since 1973 when I first heard him.

 

Stand up for your right to not like Sonic Youth. I feel the same way about Husker Du.

Oh yeah, and Sonic Youth are even noisier in concert. Occassionally they would go all VU and through in some tuneful numbers as well. Hear Goo, for examples.

 

This album was so important to me as a kid. And while I still love it, I tend to appreciate Stand Up and Benefit a bit more, maybe because they don't have as much pretention or maybe that they are simply less over exposed. Glen Cornick was certainly a better bassist that Hammond!

 

#319: Burnin'- The Wailers
(though still filed under Marley, Bob in my digital collection)

Burnin' and Catch A Fire are my favorite Marley/Wailes albums because it's early enough in their history where there's grit and full group dynamic, but far enough along where the production is good.

My favorite lyrical summary of any messianic religious belief:
"Some people think great god will come from the sky
Take away everything, and make everybody feel high"

Check out Pass It On- that's gotta be Bunny Wailer singing, right? It ain't Bob, it ain't Tosh. Man I forgot about that.

Small Axe is lyrically the polar opposite of Rush's "Trees." Think about it.

Burnin' And Lootin' has the most aggressive feel of any of their tunes to me.

Sall Axe and Duppy Conquerer were recorded earlier and available on the Songs of Freedom Box Set. Disc 1 of that set is all singles and tracks that were from before they were on Tuff Gong and is must-have for any Marley fan.

 

One of my favorites by The Police. Definitely agree with you on the bass line on "Spirits In The Material World". Actually, "Omega Man" is one of my favorites on the album though. I love those vocals towards the end, especially.

 

#318: Back Stabbers- The O'Jays

I love classic R&B and soul so much that you can put on your typical oldies station and I'll dig any tune sung by black people.
Except "Love Train." That tune always rubbed me the wrong way. Sounds kinda corny. Naming a bunch of places in a song, usually a mark of bad songwriting.
So I never dug into the O'Jays as that's the only song of theirs I knew.

Backstabbers is a fantastic album and one of the best finds for me so far. It's dark r&b, Curtis Mayfield and "Ball of Confusion" Temptations thing. Just look at the song titles: Listen To the Clock On the Wall; Shiftless, Shady Jealous Kind of People; and of course the title track.

Some of the songs shift dynamics and tempo, and all feature the kind of close harmonies that work in angry music much better than love songs.

By the time Love Train closes the album, it feels more like a relief, or maybe it's supposed to be ironic.

 

#317: The Eminem Show

Eminem's 3rd album probably features his most personal, confessional lyrics, and sometimes they make me really uncomfortable, especially calling out people in his life by name.

In addition to being uncomfortable, I find the personal stuff kinda boring. Like, what do I care about his ex-wife or whatever? I could barely make it through Cleaning Out My Closet. What disturbs is that track was kind of a hit, which my mind connects with this whole watching-train-wreck reality crap that's pervaded pop culture, like Celebrity Rehab kinda stuff. It makes me feel dirty participating.

Without Me is one of his best songs and by far my favorite off the album. Sure it's typically self-centered and egotistical, but it's a great f-you track with a snappy beat and hook.

Like all too many hip-hop albums there's a lot of filler, especially the ones with other rappers (persumably D-12). The cynic in me wonders if Eminem deliberately found himself a posse of inferior rappers to make himself look better.
And there's a track where he sings, one where his kid does the chorus, one with Dre, and really this 20 track record could have been 10 tracks without all that crap.

In fact White America and the afore-mentioned Without Me (both about how daring and controversial he is) are really the two stand-out numbers and belong on anyone's "best of Eminem" playlist (which I shall be created when all this is over).

 

316: Rock Steady- No Doubt

Well earlier I promised you another No Doubt album, and garshdabnit, here's a better No Doubt album.

It's better because there's less "rock," some techno/dancy sounds and slick production, and Gwen Stefani isn't wailing about like a lunatic anymore. Mostly it sounds like a party record, and to me, what a really good first Stefani solo album could've been like (alternatively, one could see why she left).

 

How is it possible a No Doubt album placed higher than "Station to Station"???