SotD Figures on a Beach - Accidently 4th Street (Gloria)

Day 89: ABBA - The Visitors

I am afraid to admit that ABBA is a small little bit of a guilty pleasure. I mean the closest thing that I have on my Ipod is an Erasure ABBA cover album, I don't have any actual ABBA, but I do enjoy their music. I think it comes from my parents listening to them while I was growing up.

Anyways, this album is actually the band's last album, and one that I don't remember hearing before. It didn't have any immediately recognizable hits on it, but it was pretty good, basically an all round fun 80s album, but not as good as let's say Voulez-vous.

On a side note, I tried to find a reason for the breakup but there really isn't anything concrete. In fact they have never even announced that they were done as a band, they just stopped performing together in 1982, shortly after this album was released. The band as also been offered millions of dollars to do even a single concert, to which they have refused all offers, even though there doesn't seem to be any bad blood that would keep them from doing it, weird. 3/5

Day 88: Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift for You

I'm not sure why I do but I hate Christmas music. I love the holiday but hate the music. It is so annoying, so terrible, I just hate hate hate listening to it. So needless to say this album was terrible for me. The concept behind the album is to take some Motown artists and have them record or rerecord the same old Christmas songs that have been recorded a hundred times. While the songs were produced OK, they weren't terrible in the sense of the music or the singing, they grated on me like fingernails on a chalk board because of how I feel about them. So as a Christmas album, probably a 4/5, but as a Christmas album to me 0/5.

Day 87: Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff

I feel really bad about the delay between posts. So many times I've thought about logging on and posting this review but every time I went to something comes up and I have to put it off. The kids starting back to school and my school starting back up have definitely ate up my free time. Now that things are starting to get back into the normal groove of things I think I'm going to be able to stay on top of this.

Anyways, Mudhoney. What can I say that is somewhat positive. There was only 6 songs on the album, and most were 3 minutes or less, that was great. Other than that I felt like this was kid of a wanna be grudge band from the 90's. I wasn't overly thrilled with the songs themselves, they seemed poorly written and poorly played and the singer is not very good, but maybe that's what they were going for, they are a grudge band after all. 1/5

New Music: Blue October - Any Man in America

I've been away on vacation for a few days before school starts back up, so I haven't had any time to listen to any albums. On top of that while I was away the one album I have been waiting for was released so I have been listening to it as much as I can so that I could give a educated review of it.

So I have listened to this album 4 or 5 times so far and still have some mixed feelings on it. The biggest thing is that it is so raw and painful. It almost feels like I am intruding on someones private conversations or that I am actually living inside Justin's (the lead singer) head. Not that this is a bad thing. It is the thing that I have loved most about Blue October's music. Whether the subject is depression, suicide, anger, or love and happiness, he is never afraid to lay it all out there emotionally. Somehow this time though, it is deeply, deeply personal. He has gone through a messy divorce and battle for his daughter, and lost, so the whole album is an account of his feelings and reactions to this process. These are real life events and real life hurts that, even though I have never gone through what he has and can not relate on that level, tear you up as you listen to them.

There has been some controversy so far on whether or not he should have been this open. Whether he should have aired all his dirty laundry for his fans to hear. Whether or not this will help or hurt his relationship with his daughter as she gets older, and hears some of the horrible things he says about her mother. That is not for us to determine. The songs speak for themselves and Justin, and Justin alone will have to deal with any aftermath that the album has for his relationships. But speech is free and if it helps him heal then it accomplishes what, I'm sure, it was intended to do, and I for one am grateful, because even though I don't relate to these songs I have related to a lot of other songs by them, like thousands of other people have. In the meantime I have an awesome album of music to listen to while I wait for concerts to come and go and hopefully many more CD's by the band. 5/5

Day 86: Metallica - S & M

I'm not a big fan of this album, and was a little surprised that it was included on the list. I can understand the concept and novelty of it, but to me, a big Metallica fan (I've seen them twice in concert), it kind of made them seem like they had gone soft. For Metallica fans I doubt it is part of their collection, and doubt that it is consider one of their best by most people. On the other hand for casual Metallica fans I can see the appeal as it brings all of their hits to one album, I just would have rather seen them release a live album instead. 2/5

The one bonus of the album, a new song not on any other albums.

SotD Sisters of Mercy - Marian

SotD Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside

Day 85: Dexy's Midnight Runners - Too Rye Ay

If I had to come up with a list of my top 10 least favorite songs ever, to go along with my top 10 favorite, the song "Come On Eileen" could possibly be #1. I hate that song. With a passion. So if I had to come up with a top 10 least favorite albums, I think this one would be right up there also. Everything about it is horrible. The music, the lyrics and the lead singer, who's name is Kevin, not Dexy, like I thought it might be, is a terrible singer. To me he sounds like he is out of tune most of the time. It is no wonder these guys only ever had 3 albums released and only one "hit" single. 0/5

I debated putting a video up since I hated this album so much but I will just to keep the blog uniform.

DAY 84: Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

Two 80's bands in a row, awesome. I really like Tears for Fears, especially this album. They are classic 80's music, with more. They use the standard synth and drum machines but also add a lot of other instruments. The songs are also a lot more message oriented. They try to convey a message in their songs about world or personal issues, instead of just happy pop songs. It adds a bit of dimension to their songs. 5/5

SotD The Nails - 88 Lines about 44 Women

Day 83: The Human League - Dare

Oh 80's synth-pop and drum machines how I love you.

This album was great. I had heard the main single "Don't you want me" many times before, but had never bother to listen to the whole album. Probably because, even though "Don't you want me" is a pretty good song it's not an amazing song compared to other 80's pop songs. The album is much better than the single though. All of these songs are pure 80's joy. Just really fun to listen to. If you are a fan of 80's pop then you will most assuredly love this one. 5/5

SotD Rancid - Ruby Soho

Day 82: The Verve - Urban Hymns

I guess,because I'm not in a band, I can't understand the turmoil and difficulties that come from being in one. It seems like only the rarest of bands can hold it together through all of the fame, money etc that comes with being in a popular band. All the others at some point in time fall victim to their own success and implode. The Verve is just another example. These guys had released a few EPs and 2 full length albums before this one. They had also already broken up one time before it was released. Then they release "Urban Hymns" and the single "Bittersweet Symphony" and have their greatest success to that time. Then it all comes crashing in again and they spend the next decade not talking to each other, reforming as a band, releasing a forth album and then breaking up a third time.
Overall the album was pretty good but not great. Bittersweet Symphony is definitely the highlight. Its pretty pop oriented with a touch of psychedelica thrown in for good measure. 3/5
BTW someone please explain to me why bands throw away all of the fame and money that they work so hard to obtain. It just baffles me.

SotD The Verve Pipe - Freshman

Day 81: Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

I. Love. This. Album. But it wasn't always this way. The first time I ever heard this album I was standing in line to buy INXS concert tickets. Now this was way back in the day when u couldn't just go on the internet and grab your tickets. If it was a really popular band u would go stand in line for hours before they went on sale so that you could make sure and get some. Anyways, the people in front of us had a ghetto blaster, which for you young-ins is a portable stereo. These people were playing, although I didn't know at the time who it was, this album. But that's not the best or the worst part. It was the only thing they had to play so they just kept playing it over and over for hours. I didn't count but I bet that they played the whole thing between 8 and 10 times. By the time they had got their tickets and left I was absolutely sick of it. I hated it. I never wanted to hear it again.
Fast forward a few months. I'm out at a dance and the DJ plays "Add It Up" and I have forgotten all about the previous experience. This time I'm totally into it, and ask the DJ, cause I still don't know who the band is, who it is so that I can go out later and get the album. Ever since that time I have loved this album.
What I love so much about it is its simplicity. The songs are simple and extremely catchy, and you can crank it and sing along knowing that you probably aren't singing any worse than the lead singer. So to make a long story short, if you have never heard this album you have got to give it a listen, I promise that it will grow on you and you will love it as much as I do. And to those random people in front of me in the line that day, thank you for inadvertently introducing me to one of my all time favorite albums. 5/5

SotD Robbie Williams - Millenium

Day 80: John Lee Hooker - The Healer

I am starting to notice a trend in the albums that I have listened to so far. The albums by artists who are masters at their particular instruments, and this guy is an amazing guitar player, they are lacking in most other areas. Like I said this guy is one of the best blues/R&B guitar players I have heard, but not a great singer and the lyrics are not the best I have heard, I was a little bored with the album other than the guitar playing. I would rather have this been an instrumental album for sure. 3/5

SotD Thornley - So Far So Good

Day 79: Bob Dylan - Bring it all Back Home

I have never listened to a Bob Dylan song before today, let alone an album. I guessed that I wouldn't like it and I was absolutely right. It was agonizingly painful to listen to. I'm not even really sure how to explain in words why it was so terrible. His voice is horrible, I doubt it can be called singing, and the songs themselves are a mess. They kind of ramble on without making a whole heck of a lot of sense. I know there are a lot of Dylan fans, if you happen to be one, let me know what it is I am missing in this cause I really didn't like it at all. 0/5

SotD Soft Cell - Tainted Love

Day 78: Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark

I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. First of all I think this is the 1st album so far that is by a Canadian artist, so that gives it extra credit and secondly, I really enjoyed the folk rock sound to it and Joni's lyric writing ability is really inspired. I love songs that are more about telling a story, and not as concerned about being a hit pop tune. Songs that I can relate to or that have an emotional connection of some sort, and she was able to pull this off quite nicely.
I can also see how she is considered so influential on so many other artists, and why Prince has repeatedly said that she is one of his favorite artists. I can see her style in many of his songs. 5/5

I loved "free man in paris"

SotD Trans X - Living on Video

Day 77: Louis Prima - The Wildest

So today's album is way back to almost the beginning of the list chronologically. It is #4 and was originally recorded in 1958. I was really liking this album. Again is an album heavy on jazz with lots of horns and piano, which I really like, and imagine my surprise when two of the songs are songs that I had heard before as re-recorded cover versions by more current artists. "Just a gigolo - I ain't got nobody" was redone by David Lee Roth in the 80s and "Jump, Jive an Wail" was redone by Brian Setzer (lead singer of the Stray Cats) in the 90s. It was good to see that these songs that had a big influence on today's music were being appreciated and honored by the artists they inspired. Overall it was a really good jazz/rock album with upbeat lively songs that gets you tapping your feet. 5/5

SotD Sly Fox - Let's go all the way

Day 76: Living Colour - Vivid

I haven't listened to anything by these guys for a really long time, and probably have never listened to the whole album. I think that the band released other albums besides this one, but I think it is safe to say that they were a one hit wonder. A couple of the songs are really good, "Cult of Personality" and "Glamour Boys" being the two main hits. It is a pretty decent rock album, but lacking in both the lyrics and singing department. Most of the songs are a little hokey lyrically, and are just generic rock songs. Overall I'm not sure that I agree that this album should have been included in this list. 2/5

SotD Ready for the World - Oh Sheila