The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

I’ve already given some of my impressions in prior posts. In summary I think it contains a mix of successful and less successful minor twists on their tried and trusted formula and it was interesting to listen to. Though I wrote a post re. Jagger's vocals, I don’t think, with the possible exception of Just My Imagination, that he on his own diminishes anything. Where it works, like Miss You, it’s a result of the whole and where it falls down, most notably for me in Respectable, it’s the whole band too. There are some solid more archetypal Stones songs on here too like When The Whip Comes Down but for me it’ll be a photo finish between Shattered and Miss You for the best track on the album.

Lyrically some of it is most kindly thought of as a relic of its time but by and large it’s that overall sound that they create rather than the words I would listen to them for.

It’s rare I don’t get something out of the nominations on this thread and in this case, it has sort of ignited slightly more interest in The Stones, albeit more in the style of The History of the World in 100 Objects rather than wanting to immerse myself in their music per se. A bit like the Sphinx of Taharqa, it just feels like I should have a better appreciation of Mick and Keith et al in order to be a more rounded individual.

I have some basic familiarity with their earlier albums as some of their stone-cold classics drew me to have a listen to them, so I might now have a listen to some of the albums post this one too. I was going to swerve ones like that one where they look like the bloody Wiggles on the front cover but I understand that was at a time that Richards and Jagger basically weren’t speaking to each other so maybe that’ll be interesting in itself? Anyway, suggestions for the best two or three post this to have a listen to are very welcome.

As for this album, it hasn’t converted me into a card-carrying member of the fan club, but it is an interesting snapshot of an iconic band at a particular moment in popular music when trends were shifting, and they needed to respond or not as the case may be. It’s also got a decent number of good songs although nothing quite as ear catching to me as some of their earlier classics; but certainly a number that I’ll be happy to listen to if/when they arrive on autoplay.

Notwithstanding their obvious qualities and deserved place in the popular music pantheon, from a personal enjoyment perspective I’m hovering between a 6 and a 7 on this album so 6.5/10 seems about right.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I must say I am surprised the scores aren't a little higher.
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It's entirely possible that my score was indicative of holding them a higher standard than I might do other albums. The problem with a band like The Stones where everybody knows a number of seminal songs is if that's what you are most familiar with you end up judging an album against those highlights of their canon rather than on it's merits. You could argue that didn't happen with Revolver but the point there is it did actually contain some highlights of their output to a level I'm not sure this album does. I might re-listen to Sticky Fingers tonight as if it is was the nomination, just as a benchmark to see if I've done this down unfairly.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I must say I am surprised the scores aren't a little higher.
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I think a 7 for an album I didn't particularly enjoy or wouldn't revisit is pretty high!

I get and recognise its place in rock history, and I am glad to have listened to it, feel all the richer for it. But there are albums I enjoyed more that I scored less generously or readily.
 
For all it’s positive points, I think one thing we struggle with on this thread is getting in the head of the nominator. But that’s not a criticism because it’s bloody hard to do.

Benny nominated an album by his favourite band. He’s been listening to it for 46 years and will undoubtedly have lots of memories tied up in the songs.

I’ve listened to it three times and the best I can do - as threespires has pointed out - is compare it to the Stones’ best songs! I appreciate their place right in the highest seats in the pantheon of rock, but to my ears it’s just an average 70s boogie album. It’s not my fault because I can’t generate 40-odd years of emotions and memories from a bunch of songs I hardly know.
 
bennyboy said:
There are no real low scores though.
What I find interesting I the amount of folk that are not really familiar with their album output.All know a few of their songs but they are not familiar with their albums.
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My problem is that many of their other records have popular songs I've never particularly liked: Sticky Fingers has Brown Sugar; Let it Bleed has Midnight Rambler; etc. Beggar's Banquet is probably the most consistent for me after this one, and I like Exile on Main Street but have always felt it was kind of overrated (The Clash's "London Calling" is IMO the greatest double record of all time; I'm not sure Exile would make my top 10 double-albums let alone be 'the greatest rock record ever made" as many have called it, though there are lots of good songs on it).
 
RobMCFC said:
For all it’s positive points, I think one thing we struggle with on this thread is getting in the head of the nominator. But that’s not a criticism because it’s bloody hard to do.

Benny nominated an album by his favourite band. He’s been listening to it for 46 years and will undoubtedly have lots of memories tied up in the songs.

I’ve listened to it three times and the best I can do - as threespires has pointed out - is compare it to the Stones’ best songs! I appreciate their place right in the highest seats in the pantheon of rock, but to my ears it’s just an average 70s boogie album. It’s not my fault because I can’t generate 40-odd years of emotions and memories from a bunch of songs I hardly know.
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Agree.My failing is there is no middle ground with me on the scores despite only listening a few times.
Just the way i am.
Don't think anybody has noticed.lol.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
My problem is that all their other records have popular songs I've never particularly liked: Sticky Fingers has Brown Sugar; Let it Bleed has Midnight Rambler; etc. Beggar's Banquet is probably the most consistent for me after this one, and I like Exile on Main Street but have always felt it was kind of overrated (The Clash's "London Calling" is IMO the greatest double record of all time; I'm not sure Exile would make my top 10 double-albums let alone be 'the greatest rock record ever made" as many have called it, though there are lots of good songs on it).
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Weirdly i'm the complete opposite with London calling.A single album and it would be an all time classic.Same with my favourite Beatles album,the White album.Far too many fillers but a single album would have been great.
Spotify cures this problem brilliantly.
That run of Stones albums from Beggars to Exile will take some doing to get beat for quality from me.
 
bennyboy said:
Weirdly i'm the complete opposite with London calling.A single album and it would be an all time classic.Same with my favourite Beatles album,the White album.Far too many fillers but a single album would have been great.
Spotify cures this problem brilliantly.
That run of Stones albums from Beggars to Exile will take some doing to get beat for quality from me.
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I do agree with that last sentence for sure. Whether I like the songs or not, that was a HELL of a run of iconic music. Not many can match it; other than the Beatles, maybe no one.
 
OB1 said:
Zep can, which is why they are so popular in your homeland.
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IV, Houses of the Holy, Phys Graf — that’s only three in a row and I think as we all discussed PG has a bit of filler as it gets to the last two sides. Never cared much for the first three records (I know many disagree); Presence is a letdown. ITTOD is wildly underrated though IMO. That was THEIR response to disco/punk! Also I think it’s important to point out that they never had much to say about the world at large. And one of their all-time best tunes is a cover. Don’t get me wrong — I like the best LZ tunes more than the Stones’, a fair degree more. For iconography I think the Stones album run is better.
 
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On this discussion of greatest album runs I was trying to think of four iconic ones in a row. Pink Floyd? Dark Side, WYWH, Animals (which I think is uneven) and The Wall? I need to do some thinking. I can make a good case for Steely Dan having 6 but a lot of folks think Royal Scam is weak. I’d argue REM and Talking Heads are in with a shout in the 80s — both had very good four record runs (5 even). The Clash first four too. The Ramones? Prince? Others? Trying to think of mega-huge artists so we can call them staples or iconic.

I know no one here cares about Sleater-Kinney except me but their 2nd-5th records are basically 50 songs in a row with no clunkers, but that’s personal.

To @bennyboy’s point, topping the Stones will take some doing.
 
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So no history or back catalogue of memories for me to go along with this selection. As I mentioned when it was first revealed ...... and like many I would be more of a Stones GH listener.

Once again I think we also have to thank @BlueHammer85 for providing his almost obligatory helping hand video to accompany our considerations. It certainly does give you the feeling to understand at least some of the sounds that influenced the record, or at least what Mick was perhaps trying to latch on to make a bigger buck. But then there is the oddity of "Just My Imagination" amongst the rest of the album...... as @RobMCFC says...."Meh"

Since being welcomed into this little enclave of Bluemoon I think I have always been quite superficial with what I like or don't like, but over time have picked up on the nuances pointed out by my more discerning musical colleagues, so it was interesting that I was immediately drawn to the playing of Watts/Wyman on this. It does allow the rest of the band to get on and do what they do so well. The first two tracks being excellent IMO. Track 3 as stated, Meh.

The title track was enjoyable and was interesting to read of the controversy over the lyrics. Perhaps another attempt by Jagger to be abit more edgy or "punk", rather than the parody as stated.

With C&W not being my fave genre I did actually enjoy Far Away Eyes with the humour of it. After that I found the album enjoyable but not outstanding with Shattered standing out with its "new wave/punk" sound.

Overall, enjoyable enough but I think I will perhaps revert to my GH packages and also appreciate them more for being the sum of their parts, a great band with a great front man........... so its going to be a 7 from the Derry jury
 
So I listened to Sticky Fingers last night and I think I'm comfortable with the score for this one.

As someone who was too young to listen to Sticky Fingers when it was released it's hard to put yourself in what the moment would have been like but with the benefit of distance it strikes me that the more the The Stone's lean wholly into their American influences the less I like them in some ways*. I suspect this is to spectacularly miss the whole point of them especially when they were at the heights of their early powers. Nonetheless I can't help but shake the feeling that given all the music at our disposal these days, for a track like I Got The Blues I'd be better off just listening to a Stax album, whereas I don't feel that way with tracks like Sister Morphine where they are still clearly plying their influences but don't sound like they are doing a homage to something.

*Actually the caveat to this is when they lean in so far it's effectively deliberate but loving parody like Dead Flowers.
 
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FogBlueInSanFran said:
On this discussion of greatest album runs I was trying to think of four iconic ones in a row. Pink Floyd? Dark Side, WYWH, Animals (which I think is uneven) and The Wall? I need to do some thinking. I can make a good case for Steely Dan having 6 but a lot of folks think Royal Scam is weak. I’d argue REM and Talking Heads are in with a shout in the 80s — both had very good four record runs (5 even). The Clash first four too. The Ramones? Prince? Others? Trying to think of mega-huge artists so we can call them staples or iconic.

I know no one here cares about Sleater-Kinney except me but their 2nd-5th records are basically 50 songs in a row with no clunkers, but that’s personal.

To @bennyboy’s point, topping the Stones will take some doing.
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Fog, if you prefer 80's to the seventies overall your shouts are on the mark , but from sixties to now I cannot go past Steely Dan and you could make a case for Gaucho as well despite most critics canning it at the time of release when arguments and egos and differences in musical direction took over.

Royal Scam is loved by most ardent fans but yes not so by others it is somewhat polarising however it features Larry Carlton so for me it has to be included in the run of great albums.

Aja and Katy Lied for me are not only two of the best albums made in the seventies but both are in my top ten albums of all time and I am sure in many others top twenty if not top ten as well.

You can find faults or pieces of music in any album that make you think meh , or that doesn't do it for me but when you take Steely Dan from 1972 -1977 each album and each track stacks up , no fillers for me at all each track deserves its place on the album and many of the tracks not released into the market place as singles are as good if not better than those that were responsible for each albums commercial success.

Many would disagree I think most on this forum and most music lovers would disagree I know but if you could only have 6 albums on the spin by one artist / band / duet etc to listen to for all time for me it has to be Steely Dan.

Musicianship , sound , lyrics , production , humour even a dig at the Eagles and a preference for listening over great dance music its Steely Dan.
 
I raise you all.

  1. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan — May 27, 1963
  2. The Times They Are a-Changin’ — February 1964
  3. Another Side of Bob Dylan — August 8, 1964
  4. Bringing It All Back Home — March 22, 1965
  5. Highway 61 Revisited — August 30, 1965
  6. Blonde on Blonde — June 20, 1966
 
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