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

crublue1 said:
Hi all.
I've not contributed for a while for reasons I won't go into here, but I have followed the thread and listened to every nomination.
I've loved the discussion around this record, in fact I've been secretly hoping for a pixies nomination since the thread started, as they are one of my favourite bands.
When I was on the list of nominees before I withdrew, Surfer Rosa was going to be my choice.
It's been great reading everyones thoughts, and most, if not all, are valid. I found myself nodding, if not always agreeing with a lot of the opinions aired.
That's the beauty about this band, they can be awful and brilliant in the space of 3 minutes. One minute it's a howling mess, the next it's perfect punk/ pop with snakey bass, vocal harmonics and hooky, hooks.
It's addictive if you like it, repulsive sometimes, if you don't, and are easily dismissed as such. I get that.
When I first heard surfer Rosa back in the eighties, it was, for want of a better word, challenging, to say the least. But I kind of knew it was different enough for me to stick with it, and it was obvious to even my untrained ear they had talent, and lots of it. Now this may be that there was a lot of crap about at the time, but nonetheless I grew to love the album, and the band.
I've always liked things a bit different, and they were certainly that.
On to Frank then, briefly.
He's written some great tunes, and he delivers the lyrics how he sees fit. I've never questioned this really, but I admit I've never tried, or felt the need to. I've just always liked him and the way he leads the band, however he delivers the vocals I've just accepted it.
If I wanted simple lyrics, simply delivered in a simple to understand format, I'd put James blunt on.
Sometimes you just like things and you can't quite quantify why, or feel the need to.
Doolitle is a great record if you're a pixies fan, but it won't convert anyone who didn't like Surfer Rosa.
There is one major fault with it though, it hasn't got an instrumental track, which are normally brilliant.
I won't give it a score as that wouldn't be fair.
Enjoyed all your comments, by for now x
Click to expand...
That is a fine review and you should score it. Post more on here mate, if you have the time.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
opinions are like arseholes mate. Everyone has one. Everyone speaks their own truth about music and it is 100% correct from their perspective and pointless arguing.
Music like all art is very personal and touches our emotions in very different ways. This thread is great fun and good conversation but is pointless when it gets to band A is better than band B.



The only truth really is KB is a musical genius ;-)
No point in anyone arguing because that’s my truth.
Click to expand...

For a nanosecond I read that as KDB is a musical genius and got confused as hell!
For a long time in my younger years I prejudicely considered KB to basically be a posh bird tarrting about but I did grow to appreciate her as I got older! Though when it boiled down to her and DH in the female vocalist thread I was team Debbie but I fully accept that had bugger all to do with music.
 
RobMCFC said:
Feel free to add a score - anybody is entitled to score and you put a lot of effort at the start of this thread (and of course the door is always open if you want to nominate again, but no pressure either way).

It’s interesting how a few have come on here and say they’ve followed the thread from the start, silently in some cases.
Click to expand...
Hi Rob, that's kind and generous of you, appreciated.
I've always been lurking mate, and I love the thread and all the great contributions.
However if someone nominates a record to be judged, I feel it must be listened to a good few times and I just found I didn't really have the time to do them justice. And I'm not the type to just say its shit, 2/10, especially considering most of my favourite records took me ages to truly appreciate.

Doolittle, however, I know inside out, so I felt I could comment. In fact, I'd been listening to it in the car on the day it was nominated.
I didn't score it because I don't want to skew the scoring system, that would be unfair.
But if you insist, I'd have to go 8/10, because it's not quite as good as surfer rosa, and it lacks an instrumental track.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
That is a fine review and you should score it. Post more on here mate, if you have the time.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that's very good of you to say.
I have taken your advice and scored accordingly.
I used to have a lot more time to give the nominations a good seeing to through the week, I even used to take notes etc, before posting. But last year I had no time or inclination really to do them justice.
Maybe I'm overthinking, but if someone puts an album up, the least I should be doing is giving it a decent go.
Cheers
 
Saddleworth2 said:
opinions are like arseholes mate. Everyone has one. Everyone speaks their own truth about music and it is 100% correct from their perspective and pointless arguing.
Music like all art is very personal and touches our emotions in very different ways. This thread is great fun and good conversation but is pointless when it gets to band A is better than band B.



The only truth really is KB is a musical genius ;-)
No point in anyone arguing because that’s my truth.
Click to expand...
Which is precisely why I always have a problem with the scoring element.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
opinions are like arseholes mate. Everyone has one. Everyone speaks their own truth about music and it is 100% correct from their perspective and pointless arguing.
Music like all art is very personal and touches our emotions in very different ways. This thread is great fun and good conversation but is pointless when it gets to band A is better than band B.



The only truth really is KB is a musical genius ;-)
No point in anyone arguing because that’s my truth.
Click to expand...
And I think what is 100% correct today can change over time with age and more listening experiences and more life experiences. Just like relationships with people! And bands themselves change styles and personnel too.

What I hope is (1) we never take someone disliking our taste too personally — no one’s gonna talk me out of, say, Chumbawumba, because one of their records became a soundtrack for a year of mine that mattered to me, as long as we (b) recognize objective or others’ subjective observation of flaws can still be true about something you love and that might or might not change your view.

I do think I can argue objectively that Band A is better than Band B but that’s only interesting if those with emotional attachment to either can detach from it when we are critiquing.

But saying something is great or sucks without context or thought — gratuitous praise or insults — that I think one should expect people to get riled up about. Thankfully that almost never happens here. Which is one of the reasons why this thread is so great. And why scoring is to me important.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
And I think what is 100% correct today can change over time with age and more listening experiences and more life experiences. Just like relationships with people! And bands themselves change styles and personnel too.

What I hope is (1) we never take someone disliking our taste too personally — no one’s gonna talk me out of, say, Chumbawumba, because one of their records became a soundtrack for a year of mine that mattered to me, as long as we (b) recognize objective or others’ subjective observation of flaws can still be true about something you love and that might or might not change your view.

I do think I can argue objectively that Band A is better than Band B but that’s only interesting if those with emotional attachment to either can detach from it when we are critiquing.

But saying something is great or sucks without context or thought — gratuitous praise or insults — that I think one should expect people to get riled up about. Thankfully that almost never happens here. Which is one of the reasons why this thread is so great. And why scoring is to me important.
Click to expand...
6/10 for that post.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
And I think what is 100% correct today can change over time with age and more listening experiences and more life experiences. Just like relationships with people! And bands themselves change styles and personnel too.
Click to expand...
Completely agree.
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I do think I can argue objectively that Band A is better than Band B but that’s only interesting if those with emotional attachment to either can detach from it when we are critiquing.
Click to expand...
You can argue using your own criteria and own scoring mechanisms but even then you are trying to impress your own truth about the music on someone else. So if they don’t agree with you they lack the ability to be detached?
FogBlueInSanFran said:
But saying something is great or sucks without context or thought — gratuitous praise or insults — that I think one should expect people to get riled up about. Thankfully that almost never happens here. Which is one of the reasons why this thread is so great. And why scoring is to me important.
Click to expand...
Can you say more about what you mean. If someone simply says they love a piece of music or hate it and mark it accordingly should folk ‘get riled’ because it lacks context or thought? If that’s what you mean then I don’t agree.
I think as long as posters are honest then any review, be it a few words or Charles Sharr Murray standard is perfectly valid.

You clearly have an analytical mind that likes to dissect music and that is fascinating and adds much to this thread. Not everyone is wired like that though.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
This is meant for the unpopular opinion thread
Click to expand...
You think they made decent music after 1973? What was it?

In terms of overrated, three decent albums + a live one that is lauded. What other band reached the legendary status they enjoy with such a paucity of good material over a five decade timescale?

Following the Jam/Who skirmish yesterday Im just interested to get objective views.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Can you say more about what you mean. If someone simply says they love a piece of music or hate it and mark it accordingly should folk ‘get riled’ because it lacks context or thought? If that’s what you mean then I don’t agree.
Click to expand...


I don't think that's what he means.
 
Some people remember where they were when they heard that Elvis had died, or JFK or Princess Diana. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard The Pixies and it transformed my life. The fusion of Spanish guitar rhythms, early rock n roll like Link Wray and the invention of the quiet quiet loud format I found intoxicating and still do. They are so influential it probably can't be measured, even Bowie thought they were great. My favourite album, just, is their last one Trompe le Monde but for this thread's purposes I'll give Doolittle 8.5/10. For those of you interested in the back catalogue sure, listen to everything, but also check out Frank Black's debut album, that's on a par with anything Pixies did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top