The Album Review Club - Week #196 (page 1316) - Aja - Steely Dan

FogBlueInSanFran said:
I think the reason is because they are both reasonably accessible but also because they have themes that matter, at least to the artist. When evaluating a record, that really resonates with me and I think with others.
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If this is a factor, I should do very well with my next choice.

It should be noted that Talking Heads were first out of the gate on BlueHammer's thread and then stayed at the top for a while, so maybe the early picks do get some advantage.
 
RobMCFC said:
If this is a factor, I should do very well with my next choice.

It should be noted that Talking Heads were first out of the gate on BlueHammer's thread and then stayed at the top for a while, so maybe the early picks do get some advantage.
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I would humbly argue that The Talking Heads stayed up there because Remain In Light is far and away the best record that got selected for many, many weeks. :)

We just got super lucky with pick #1.

Even now, it took effectively a greatest hits record by the same band, and a non-randomly selected LZ classic to nose it out before finally a randomly-selected less-than-classic LZ (IMO! It's still very good!) got picked.

From the Wiki:

Remain in Light was named the best album of 1980 by Sounds, ahead of The Skids' The Absolute Game, and by Melody Maker,[76][77] while The New York Times included it in its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year.[78] It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists, notably at number two, behind The Clash's London Calling, by Robert Christgau,[79] and at number six by NME.[80] It featured at number three—behind London Calling and Bruce Springsteen's The River—in The Village Voice's 1980 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.[81]

In 1989, Rolling Stone named Remain in Light as the fourth best album of the decade.[83] In 1993, it was included at number 11 in NME's list of The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s,[84] and at number 68 in the publication's Greatest Albums Of All Time list.[85] In 1997, The Guardian collated worldwide data from renowned critics, artists, and radio DJs, which placed the record at number 43 in the list of the 100 Best Albums Ever.[86] In 1999, it was included by Vibe as one of its 100 Essential Albums Of The 20th Century.[87] In 2000 it was voted number 227 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[88] In 2002, Pitchfork featured Remain in Light at number two behind Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation in its Top 100 Albums Of The 1980s list.[82] In 2003, VH1 named the record at number 88 during its 100 Greatest Albums countdown,[89] while Slant Magazine included it in its unnumbered shortlist of 50 Essential Pop Albums.[90] Rolling Stone placed it at number 129 in its December 2015 issue of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", higher than three other Talking Heads releases.[15] In 2006, Q ranked Remain in Light at number 27 in its list of the 40 Best Albums of the 80s.[91] In 2012, Slant listed the album at number six on its list of the "Best Albums of the 1980s".[92]
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I would humbly argue that The Talking Heads stayed up there because Remain In Light is far and away the best record that got selected for many, many weeks. :)

We just got super lucky with pick #1.

Even now, it took effectively a greatest hits record by the same band, and a non-randomly selected LZ classic to nose it out before finally a randomly-selected less-than-classic LZ (IMO! It's still very good!) got picked.

From the Wiki:

Remain in Light was named the best album of 1980 by Sounds, ahead of The Skids' The Absolute Game, and by Melody Maker,[76][77] while The New York Times included it in its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year.[78] It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists, notably at number two, behind The Clash's London Calling, by Robert Christgau,[79] and at number six by NME.[80] It featured at number three—behind London Calling and Bruce Springsteen's The River—in The Village Voice's 1980 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.[81]

In 1989, Rolling Stone named Remain in Light as the fourth best album of the decade.[83] In 1993, it was included at number 11 in NME's list of The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s,[84] and at number 68 in the publication's Greatest Albums Of All Time list.[85] In 1997, The Guardian collated worldwide data from renowned critics, artists, and radio DJs, which placed the record at number 43 in the list of the 100 Best Albums Ever.[86] In 1999, it was included by Vibe as one of its 100 Essential Albums Of The 20th Century.[87] In 2000 it was voted number 227 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[88] In 2002, Pitchfork featured Remain in Light at number two behind Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation in its Top 100 Albums Of The 1980s list.[82] In 2003, VH1 named the record at number 88 during its 100 Greatest Albums countdown,[89] while Slant Magazine included it in its unnumbered shortlist of 50 Essential Pop Albums.[90] Rolling Stone placed it at number 129 in its December 2015 issue of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", higher than three other Talking Heads releases.[15] In 2006, Q ranked Remain in Light at number 27 in its list of the 40 Best Albums of the 80s.[91] In 2012, Slant listed the album at number six on its list of the "Best Albums of the 1980s".[92]
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So , er what are you saying, is it any good or not?
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I would humbly argue that The Talking Heads stayed up there because Remain In Light is far and away the best record that got selected for many, many weeks. :)

We just got super lucky with pick #1.

Even now, it took effectively a greatest hits record by the same band, and a non-randomly selected LZ classic to nose it out before finally a randomly-selected less-than-classic LZ (IMO! It's still very good!) got picked.

From the Wiki:

Remain in Light was named the best album of 1980 by Sounds, ahead of The Skids' The Absolute Game, and by Melody Maker,[76][77] while The New York Times included it in its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year.[78] It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists, notably at number two, behind The Clash's London Calling, by Robert Christgau,[79] and at number six by NME.[80] It featured at number three—behind London Calling and Bruce Springsteen's The River—in The Village Voice's 1980 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.[81]

In 1989, Rolling Stone named Remain in Light as the fourth best album of the decade.[83] In 1993, it was included at number 11 in NME's list of The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s,[84] and at number 68 in the publication's Greatest Albums Of All Time list.[85] In 1997, The Guardian collated worldwide data from renowned critics, artists, and radio DJs, which placed the record at number 43 in the list of the 100 Best Albums Ever.[86] In 1999, it was included by Vibe as one of its 100 Essential Albums Of The 20th Century.[87] In 2000 it was voted number 227 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[88] In 2002, Pitchfork featured Remain in Light at number two behind Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation in its Top 100 Albums Of The 1980s list.[82] In 2003, VH1 named the record at number 88 during its 100 Greatest Albums countdown,[89] while Slant Magazine included it in its unnumbered shortlist of 50 Essential Pop Albums.[90] Rolling Stone placed it at number 129 in its December 2015 issue of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", higher than three other Talking Heads releases.[15] In 2006, Q ranked Remain in Light at number 27 in its list of the 40 Best Albums of the 80s.[91] In 2012, Slant listed the album at number six on its list of the "Best Albums of the 1980s".[92]
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I accept that a lot of people love it, and we've done the Talking Heads debate to death on the other thread. I think we'll just have to accept that some people, of which I'm one, just don't connect with it.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I would humbly argue that The Talking Heads stayed up there because Remain In Light is far and away the best record that got selected for many, many weeks. :)

We just got super lucky with pick #1.

Even now, it took effectively a greatest hits record by the same band, and a non-randomly selected LZ classic to nose it out before finally a randomly-selected less-than-classic LZ (IMO! It's still very good!) got picked.

From the Wiki:

Remain in Light was named the best album of 1980 by Sounds, ahead of The Skids' The Absolute Game, and by Melody Maker,[76][77] while The New York Times included it in its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year.[78] It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists, notably at number two, behind The Clash's London Calling, by Robert Christgau,[79] and at number six by NME.[80] It featured at number three—behind London Calling and Bruce Springsteen's The River—in The Village Voice's 1980 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.[81]

In 1989, Rolling Stone named Remain in Light as the fourth best album of the decade.[83] In 1993, it was included at number 11 in NME's list of The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s,[84] and at number 68 in the publication's Greatest Albums Of All Time list.[85] In 1997, The Guardian collated worldwide data from renowned critics, artists, and radio DJs, which placed the record at number 43 in the list of the 100 Best Albums Ever.[86] In 1999, it was included by Vibe as one of its 100 Essential Albums Of The 20th Century.[87] In 2000 it was voted number 227 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[88] In 2002, Pitchfork featured Remain in Light at number two behind Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation in its Top 100 Albums Of The 1980s list.[82] In 2003, VH1 named the record at number 88 during its 100 Greatest Albums countdown,[89] while Slant Magazine included it in its unnumbered shortlist of 50 Essential Pop Albums.[90] Rolling Stone placed it at number 129 in its December 2015 issue of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", higher than three other Talking Heads releases.[15] In 2006, Q ranked Remain in Light at number 27 in its list of the 40 Best Albums of the 80s.[91] In 2012, Slant listed the album at number six on its list of the "Best Albums of the 1980s".[92]
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So you like Talking Heads. So do I Foggy but I don’t get so defensive about them to people who just don’t get them.
You don’t get Radiohead like a lot of people in here, but I and plenty of others do.

This what I mean about the competitiveness of taste when it comes to music.
People like what they like and no amount of analysis will change people’s minds.

You’ve made my mind up. I’m in. I don’t know what I’ll offer yet, but it’ll be Irish and hopefully something you haven’t heard yet.

I’ve decided it is more cowardly to comment on others taste without offering others the chance to reciprocate if I’ve been offered the opportunity.

@RobMCFC I’ll be in touch.
 
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