The Album Review Club - *** Christmas Break Playlist (next album 7/1/26) ***

Agree.As long as it does not interfere with this thread as well.
I gave up on the 5 song thread due to too much to listen to.
I did too. I also like albums more than song collections. And I still like two weeks to do an album here instead of one -- still weekly nominations, just more time to listen and think. I'm here pretty regularly and there is still a lot I've missed.
 
I should add — what worries me about this idea is pre-empting records to bring to this thread. I know what year I’m picking and my five records and would be happy to bring any of them here except one that was already discussed on the top 1100 thread.
Guys, if there are worries that it will interfere with this thread we don't need to do it. Maybe we should wait for one of the breaks? Rob, your call mate. I wouldn't want anything to dilute the attention to this thread.
 
Agree.As long as it does not interfere with this thread as well.
I gave up on the 5 song thread due to too much to listen to.
We've been down to 3 for a few rounds now, so you can maybe give it a shot when things pick up again on 12/8/24?

I'll have you know that we even had a trial during the last round on a Canadian pick from the 80's, and you'd be happy with the Judge's verdict on which one got chosen.

I don't think it got much notice given the real "stuff" happening in the UK IRL, speaking of some upcoming trials.
 
nice one. I'm hopeless. My god I can't identify my Americana from my progressive country from my outlaw country from my folk.

As the Yorkshireman said, I know what I like an I like what I know.

Folk is a whole other beast. But I am the same with the various americananas, it's all country in sheep's clothing.

I have yet to brave this. But I have hated anything with a hint of country so far, so this being full on proper stuff will either break that barrier, or break me.
 
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anyone else other than @OB1 and I want to play 'the very best year for music'? I'm more than happy to organise. Simply nominate your year and your list of 10 favourite albums from that year which demonstrate why it's the best. Then when everyone has nominated vote for your favourite (other than your own) and see if we get a winner. As always in these threads most fun will be in the discussion.
I'm in!
 
Guys, if there are worries that it will interfere with this thread we don't need to do it. Maybe we should wait for one of the breaks? Rob, your call mate. I wouldn't want anything to dilute the attention to this thread.
Yeah, that's my thinking I guess.

I DO think, however, we should make an effort to fill in the years we don't have on this thread yet during the next round. Not a requirement but maybe we can "highly encourage" it. My next pick for this round won't do that but I do have another three that would.
 
@Mancitydoogle is on trend with this pick as apparently the UK is up 67% year on year in streaming country music at the moment. Not sure the degree to which that's distorted by 70 gazillion streams of Beyonce's efforts which I must get round to having a listen to at some point.

Every now and then we go back to the genre discussion and I was reminded of this when doogle mentioned 'new country' which was indeed the term used for Earle and a host of others so broad as to render it meaningless other than as a marketing term to make country music seem less naff. In fairness it did the trick, it got the likes of Q magazine and even some of the music newspapers reviewing albums that they otherwise might not have done. Pretty sure the first Nanci Griffith album I bought was off the back of one of those types of 'new country' reviews, the fact that when I put it one it turned out to be folk music sung in a slightly cutsie Americana accent was neither here nor there as I enjoyed it immensely.

Back to the pick, I dug out my physical copy and was looking at the cover at the, not that young but, still relatively fresh faced man looking back at me and thinking of that face now and the life it has led. That thought made My Old Friend The Blues, which is already one of my favourite songs, all the more poignant to listen to.

7% of that is probably this thread and the playlist one!
 
Here's another problem -- there are lots of great records that were released in one year in the UK and in a different year in the US or other countries. That creates an issue too. @Saddleworth2 your site has UK release dates I believe. In checking through it there are several records released either earlier or later in the States than in the UK.
 
I never expected you to follow us herd Foggy :-).
I think it can be either scenario the albums chosen should either demonstrate the quality/quantity of the work or their role in ‘changing’ the music landscape. Do you have views on the number? I would be happy with ten but if the consensus is five then fine with that too.

You thinking this as a separate thread?

I would say 5 personally, 10 distorts it, and might end up with a great year suffering from filler.
 
You thinking this as a separate thread?

I would say 5 personally, 10 distorts it, and might end up with a great year suffering from filler.
No truly great year should suffer from filler at 10 records -- but it should be super hard to whittle it down to five :).

The more I think about it, the more I think this idea -- which I like in theory -- kind of mucks up this thread.
 
Yeah, that's my thinking I guess.

I DO think, however, we should make an effort to fill in the years we don't have on this thread yet during the next round. Not a requirement but maybe we can "highly encourage" it. My next pick for this round won't do that but I do have another three that would.

I can sort out 2009. If it hasn't been taken by then.
 
No truly great year should suffer from filler at 10 records -- but it should be super hard to whittle it down to five :).

The more I think about it, the more I think this idea -- which I like in theory -- kind of mucks up this thread.
I can see that it might distract and take time from this thread but I don't know why it would screw with choices. One thread is concentrating on a year using multiple albums to highlight why the year was special. This thread deep dives on a specific album. The two could coexist quite happily. I would like Robs view. If he is in the slightest bit nervous then we shouldn't do it just now.
 
I can see that it might distract and take time from this thread but I don't know why it would screw with choices. One thread is concentrating on a year using multiple albums to highlight why the year was special. This thread deep dives on a specific album. The two could coexist quite happily. I would like Robs view. If he is in the slightest bit nervous then we shouldn't do it just now.
I was thinking all along this would be a separate thread and 5 sounded good for me. I think having this here would clutter up and take away from the singular album which we cover and focus on, and I don't want to be meddling or distracting from the current album at hand either (beyond which a Rolling Stone article on a particular instrument and the like will occasionally do).

I already have this and the playlist, so not even sure how I could fit this in, but I'm getting lots of good music from both now, so I'm willing to give a 3rd a go, especially for "the missing years".
 

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