#744 Screaming Trees - Dust

More often than not, while listening to albums from the list, it is multiple albums in a row that I don't really like. Whether it is because the album is a genre I don't like or the albums just aren't that good, it was really refreshing to listen to two albums in a row that are really really good.

I really liked this album, and the interesting thing is that it wasn't even suppose to exist. The band had planned on splitting up following their album Sweet Oblivion, but it was such a huge success they decided to give it another go. Dust is the result.

Now I haven't listened to Sweet Oblivion yet, although I plan to, but if it is even half as good as this album it will be awesome. Following Dust, and issues with coming up with another album, the band finally did break up.

The band, btw, came out of the Seattle music scene during the same time as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Some great company to keep.

"All I Know"

Tomorrow's Album #382 Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food

#484 Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

This is a fine, fine example of 80's new wave, a genre that I really like. For unknown reasons I had never listened to the band prior to now, which is too bad cause I really liked this album and it is definitely staying in my music library.

Interesting fact #1 - the band name comes from them naming their drum machine "Echo" and for some reason deciding to call the members "The Bunnymen"

Interesting fact #2 one of the original members, before they actually became The Bunnymen and released any music, Julian Cope, left the band to form the band The Teardrop Explodes, of which i have previously reviewed an album. This album is so much better.

let's let the music do the talking:

"Silver"

"The Killing Moon" - great song

"Ocean Rain"

Can't wait to listen to more of their albums!

Tomorrow's Album #744 Screaming Trees - Dust

#79 Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

I've listened to some albums that it is obvious that a lot of drugs were used during the creative process, but these guys are the masters. This, their debut album, is just an introduction to their style of "drug" music :) A style which they would perfect on future albums like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and especially, The Wall, which, I have heard, makes sense if you are stoned while you watch the movie.

I've never been a big fan of their music so this album was not great in my mind. Too out there and weird for my tastes.


"The Gnome" - perfect example of the weirdness of this album

Tomorrow's Album #484 Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

#873 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am

The Arctic Monkeys burst on to the UK music scene in 2002 and have subsequently released 5 albums so far, all of which have debuted at #1 on the UK charts. This album, their first, really showcases their fast-paced indie rock, although following albums have become more refined and polished.









"I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor"

BTW their album AM, released in 2013, isn't on the list but is really really good.

Tomorrow's Album #79 Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

#323 Aerosmith - Rocks

Aerosmith is probably my favorite of the "classic' rock bands, well maybe just under Kiss, and the fact that they are still alive today is amazing to me. The put themselves through hell with drug use, until they cleaned themselves up.

Rocks is the bands fourth album, released in 1976, and even though the charts don't show it they had already released 6 songs that would go on to be classic rock staples. This album has two more songs to add to their growing list, "Back in the Saddle" and "Last Child". Over the years and the course of their 40 year history the "bad boys from Boston" have had more success than most bands can ever even imagine. Definitely one of the greatest of all time.

"Back in the Saddle"

Oh yeah, Steven Tyler is easily one of the best front men ever.


Tomorrow's Album #873 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am

#519 Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate

I remember when I was a teenager, I don't remember the exact year although  I could look it up, when Elvis Costello had a huge hit with "Veronica". I had forgot about it until now, but I actually really liked it. It was the first time I had heard a song by him and I think probably the last. Turns out he has released a lot of albums that I was unaware of. This album was the the one prior to the album Spike, which contained Veronica.

If Veronica was his biggest hit I can understand why. Didn't really like his music all that much, from the one album I've heard.


"I Want You"

Not sure if Spike is on the list so here is "Veronica" for nostalgia's sake

Tomorrow's Album #323 Aerosmith - Rocks

#656 Tom Waits - Bone Machine

Well this album wins the award for the weirdest album so far. The album cover is weird, the lyrics  and music are weird and his voice is weird. No idea how this guy got famous, he sounds like he swallowed a bunch of gravel.










"Goin Out West" - apparently his videos are weird too.

Tomorrow's Album #519 Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate

#850 Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

I would like to know in what setting someone puts on a Norah Jones album and listens to it from start to finish. It wasn't that it was terrible, her voice is quite good actually. It was just so boring and every song sounds the same.










"Come Away With Me" - Listen to this song and you've heard them all

Tomorrow's Album #656 Tom Waits - Bone Machine

#196 Janis Joplin - Pearl

I didn't love the songs on this album they were just o.k, but Janis' voice is just so unique and good that it made up for it. Her sound was just so original that it really hooked me and made me want to listen to the album. Unfortunately she only released 3 albums prior to dying of a heroin overdose in 1971. This album was already recorded when she died and was released 3 months after she passed.

They the brightest stars burn out the quickest.

"

Tomorrow's Album #850 Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

#488 Run-DMC - Run-DMC

I do like some rap music. I steer clear of gangster rap, and almost all current rap. I think the last time there was a "new" rap song that I liked it probably was back when Eminem was super popular, so a long time ago. I do have some rap in my music library that I will listen to on occasion. Some of it belongs to Run-DMC. I have probably about a half dozen of their songs that I like. None of which happen to be on this album. In fact I had never listened to this album before, and it wasn't very good. I'm really glad that they improved over time so that they could record songs like "It's Tricky" cause this was just not good.




"It's Like That"

Tomorrow's Album #196 Janis Joplin - Pearl

#120 Traffic - Traffic

Traffic is a 60's English psychedelic rock band of which Steve Winwood, who had some solo success in the 80's with the hits "Higher Love" and "Roll With It". I have already discussed in previous posts my dislike of "hippy" music and this album was borderline "hippy". It does win the award for some very original song titles such as "Vagabond Virgin" " Roamin Thro the Gloamin" "Am I What Was or Am I What I am" " Medicated Goo" and my favorite "Shanghai Noodle Factory"






"Shanghai Noodle Factory"

Tomorrow's Album #488 Run-DMC - Run-DMC

#207 The Allman Brothers - The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East

So for some reason, not ever having listened to The Allman Brothers before, always thought that they were a country band. I think it is the name, it just sounds like they would be country. They are, however, a 60's rock band that pioneered the "Southern Rock" sound. I felt like the album was o.k. It is a live album, which when you have never listened to a band is maybe not the best way to be introduced to their music. Live albums can be a bit hard to enjoy and most people either Love them or hate them. I usually like them, it gives the feel of being at their concert, if done right, but when you don't know the songs, a studio album might be better to start with.



"Hot 'Lanta"

Tomorrow's Album #120 Traffic - Traffic

#426 Killing Joke - Killing Joke

 Unlike the My Bloody Valentine album from yesterday, Killing Joke, an Industrial metal band, was much better. The Songs were better crafted and actually had a rhythm to them. The singers voice left a little to be desired, but it was tolerable. They reminded me quite a bit of bands like Ministry or Skinny Puppy. I enjoyed the album and felt like it was definitely worth a listen.








"Wardance"

Tomorrow's Album #207 The Allman Brothers - The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East

#568 My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything

This album was a hot mess. The songs were poorly constructed, noisy mess what was just irritating. I have no idea what they were going for or, for that matter, what genre the band even is. It was just a mess and not enjoyable.

So out of curiosity I looked up the genre. It is called shoegazing and the style is "typified by the blurring of component musical parts—typically significant guitar distortion, feedback and obscured vocals—into indistinguishable mixtures of sound". Like I said it was a mess, but now at least I know that it was intentional.



Here's a good example: "All I Need"

Tomorrow's Album #426 Killing Joke - Killing Joke

#765 Finlay Quaye - Maverick A Strike

So right off the bat I could tell this was going to be a Reggae album, which I don't usually like, but this was better than expected since it was Reggae infused with jazz and funk. The songs were really pretty good, and I didn't find myself getting bored with the album, which is always a good sign. I like it even better now that I just researched him and discovered he is from Scotland!




"Way of the Explosive"

Tomorrow's Album #568 My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything

#679 The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys are a English pop band that take their name from the book To Kill A Mockingbird.

I don't really have a lot to say about the album. It was average at best, with nothing that really grabbed me when I listened to.










"I Hang Suspended"

Tomorrow's Album #765 Finlay Quaye - Maverick A Strike

#433 The Cure - Seventeen Seconds

So this is my first review of a Cure album. In fact, I checked, and there are only two Cure albums that made the list. Yes only two! I know I couldn't believe it either.

I have a favorite album of all time, Depeche Mode - Violator, which I reviewed a few weeks ago, and I probably have a list of top 10 favorite songs, but that would be much harder to pick. I have a favorite solo artist - Prince, and I have favorite artists of different genre's. If I were pick an overall, all-time favorite band, of any genre, it would have to be The Cure. Even though Blue October has to be my favorite band, it is the nostalgia factor that puts The Cure on the pedestal.

Like I mentioned, there are only two Cure albums on the list. I'm not going to argue if the two, this one and Disintegration, are the two that should be on it, since I'd probably put 5 or 6 of them on the list. O.k. I will argue it. Definitely Disintegration should be on the list but if I could only put one other I'm not sure it would be Seventeen Seconds. It is very indicative of the bands earlier sound. It is a classic Cure album for sure. It is very simple, yet complex, and contains one of their best songs, A Forest. But...if there can be only 2 albums on the list I'd probably have to replace this one with "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me". It is sooooo good and was the very first Cure album I ever heard and it hooked me on the band. There is that Nostalgia creeping in again.

"A Forest"

BTW I have had the opportunity to see them twice now in concert, the second time just a year ago, and there is no band out there that I know of that plays 30+ songs every single concert. Just amazing. 

Tomorrow's Album #679 The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps

#317 Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information

I was very interested to hear what kind of music someone named Shuggie was going to make. Turns out he is a 70's jazz/funk/blues guitarist. I thought the album was good but not great. Nothing really amazing or better than anything else I've heard while listing to the list.









"Aht Uh Mi Hed"

Tomorrow's Album #433 The Cure - Seventeen Seconds

#906 Chvrches - Bones of What You Believe

Chvrches are a synth-pop band from Scotland. I had previously only heard the song Leave a Trace which plays quite frequently on the Alt radio station here in SLC. It is a pretty good song, but I never liked it enough to want to listen to any of their other music, maybe I should have. This album, their debut, there is that pattern again, is really good, and will be staying in my music library.







"The Mother We Share"

Tomorrow's Album #317 Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information

#310 Neil Young - Tonight's the Night

Typical 70's classic rock album + points for being Canadian - points for not being a great singer = typical 70's classic rock album.











"Tonight's the Night"

Tomorrow's Album #906 Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

#810 Suba - Sao Paolo Confessions

Suba is a Serbian musician who moved to Sao Paolo Brazil and became quite famous. Unfortunately, a few day after the release of this album, and while working on an album for a different musician, his recording studio caught fire. Suba was overcome by smoke while trying to rescue the recordings, and died in the fire.

The album reminds me of the music that is played for ballroom or Latin dancing. The music was pretty good but the lyrics are sung in, I assume Portuguese. Not being able to understand what was being said made it hard to listen to the whole thing straight album through.


"Antropofagos" (Cannibals)

Tomorrow's Album #310 Neil Young - Tonight's the Night

#330 Peter Tosh - Legalize It

I think that this is the first Reggae album to pop up on the list so far, and it pretty much covered all the themes that I expected it to cover, peace, love and smoking marijuana. It was an o.k. album even though I don't really care for Reggae too much, I do like steel drums however, so it was more enjoyable than what I was expecting.

BTW once again this is a debut album.






"Legalize it" (If you don't know what "It" is I'll give you a hint it starts with M and rhymes with arijuana

Tomorrow's Album #810 Suba - Sao Paolo Confessions

#734 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

So apparently DJ Shadow, an American music producer, has a personal record collection of over 60,000 albums. So for his debut album he crafted the songs completely from a drum machine and sampling pieces of other songs, which landed him in the Guinness World Book of Records as the only album ever to be made completely  by sampling.

The album didn't do to much for me. I found it to be kind of boring and very repetitive. Not only did the songs sound a lot like each other but each song's beat just repeated over and over.



"Building Steam With a Grain of Salt"

Tomorrow's Album #330 Peter Tosh -  Legalize It

#585 Firehose - Fromohio

Listed as the biggest album of their career which, if that is the case, doesn't say much for the band or their other albums. I didn't like it at all. I felt like the music and lyrics were poorly written and that the album was hastily made. Not worth the time to listen to it.









The one highlight of the album and that is a stretch "The Softest Hammer"

Tomorrow's Album #734 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

#324 Boston - Boston

Love, Love, Love this album. I have Forever. Perfect example of a hit filled classic rock album. Listen to any classic rock station in the country for an hour or so and I guarantee that you will hear a Boston song, most probably one from this album. BTW this album ended up being 17x platinum, which in sales terms means it sold 17 million copies in the USA.

As a side note I have started to notice that a lot of the albums in this list are debut albums, including this one. Way to hit it out of the park on your first try.



"More Than a Feeling"

Tomorrow's Album #585 Firehose - Fromohio

New Music - The Killers "The Man"

Once upon a time I really liked The Killers. Their first couple albums were amazing, but I kind of lost interest in their newer stuff. Last week they released a single from their upcoming album Wonderful Wonderful, and if the song is any indication of the album I'm excited to hear it. It sounds like they back to fine form.

"The Man"

#202 Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On

Oh yeah some slow mellow R&B. Sometimes you are in the mood for it and this album is the perfect example for those times. Gaye recorded quite a few albums and had numerous hits before being fatally shot, in 1984, by his father after the two had had an argument.









"What's Going On"

Tomorrow's Album #324 Boston - Boston

#824 Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain

I was confused by this album and don't really know what to think of it. It was very different than other albums I have listened to, and for that matter anything that I have in my music collection. It wasn't terrible and it wasn't amazing. It was good enough that I hope there is at least
one more of their albums on the list so that I can form a better opinion of the band.







"Human"

Tomorrow's Album #202 Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On

#753 The Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself

Haha. Awesome. Two rap albums in a row. At least guys play instruments while they rap.













"The Fun Lovin Criminal"

Tomorrow's Album #824 Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain

#692 Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East

I really don't know what to write that I haven't already said about the other rap albums I've listened to already. Once again it is, in my mind, a typical rap album. Same themes as the others. I just don't get it or appreciate it.








"My Mind Spray"

Tomorrow's Album #753 The Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself

#10 The Crickets - The 'Chirping' Crickets

Oh yeah some Buddy Holly. This was a great album. I can totally appreciate late fifties rock. The songs were short and sweet, most on the album about 2 minutes long. The have super catchy arrangements and lyrics. It's all about the hook, they get you singing along right off the bat. Throw in sweet some backing harmonies and you've got an album of songs, any of which could have been a hit on the radio.







"That'll be the day"

Tomorrow's Album #692 Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East

Happy Canada Day!

For those that don't know, I am Canadian, and Today is Canada's 150th birthday. To musically celebrate, I decided to go through my music library  and include a video for my favorite song from each Canadian Artist that I listen to. But first the national anthem "Oh Canada". Here is to another amazing 150 years!

Oh Canada - Traditional

Rock Version

Rap Version

Now my favorites:

Arcade Fire "Reflektor"

Barenaked Ladies "Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel"

Big Wreck "Inhale"

Blue Rodeo "The Ballad of  the dime store greaser..."

Chalk Circle "20th Century Boy"

City and Colour "Thirst"

David Usher "Forestfire"

Glass Tiger "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)

I Mother Earth "When Did You Get Back From Mars?"

Matthew Good "Alabama Motel Room"

Mother Mother "Infintesimal"

Mounties "Headphones"

Neverending White Lights "The Grace"

Nickelback "Breathe"

The Northern Pikes "Things I Do For Money"

Our Lady Peace "Wipe That Smile Off Your Face"

Raine Maida "Careful What You Wish For"

I'm closing with. in my mind, the band that best represents Canada as a whole. So many of their songs talk about Canada and Canadian history. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite, so I picked the one that I feel is the "most" Canadian - Enjoy & Happy Birthday Canada!

Tragically Hip "Bobcaygeon"

Tomorrow's Album #10 The Crickets - The 'Chirping' Crickets