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

[RobMCFC]

Yeah, you go listen to "Plans I Make" or side 2 of Zen Arcade and tell me what the reaction here would be.

After The Blue Nile, Radiohead, this, Black Sabbath all in less than two months I'm just getting a little tired of slow tempos.

You'll have your chance to up the pace in a couple of weeks.

Also, discussions are ongoing behind the scenes and a change may be coming that might suit you.

 

[bennyboy]

Pick something you like and do not worry about the scores.
I picked The Cocteau Twins Head Over Heels knowing that a big amount would hate it.
Another pick All Mod Cons by the Jam I thought would get slated because I thought Weller was not liked.
Again it did well.

Weirdly this weeks pick I'm struggling listening too as an album despite liking most of the songs.
Getting more out of it listening to a couple of songs at a time than the whole album.

 

[cyan]

Nice track-by-track analysis. I certainly had the same feeling as you for more than one of those.

As you've put all that effort in, feel free to contribute a score out of 10.

I haven't quite worked out where I would pitch a vote. Clearly last week with Guitar Town, I'm a fan - but it's such an intro and his better work was to come - it might have been a 5 or a 6. This one, Its new (to me) and its interesting - but I'm not going to rush to put it on any playlist - so could be a 5 or 6 - which also feels like damming with faint praise. - so I might commit later in the week (or life might have moved on and I forget again!)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

“Half the reason you write… is that you’re feeling misunderstood and frustrated with life in general,” Gibbons protested. “Then it’s sort of successful and you think you’ve communicated with people, but then you realise you haven’t communicated with them at all – you’ve turned the whole thing into a product, so then you’re even more lonely than when you started.”

To be fair, though the atmospheric soundscapes here might echo Radiohead (meaning sound like, not copy, obviously, given this is earlier), a quote like this encourages me to think the motivation for the creation of them is far more artistic and pure.

 

[Out on blue 6]

Just to add to the Sugar/Bob Mould discussion - they/he haven't been nominated, but I remember giving Copper Blue a listen when Foggy mentioned it on here and quite enjoying it. So that's at least 4 or 5 people who would probably enjoy discussing it. I think he's sounding us out because he's afraid of a low points score :)

Copper Blue is a very good album. Top 10 in the UK and NME album of the year in 92. I saw them tour it at Edward's No.8 in Brum a venue I'm sure Gornik must know. A very noisy,sweaty and great gig. Not as good as Dummy though

 

[Mancitydoogle]

Great list - But wait... there's more!

+Live+ - Throwing Copper (saw Weezer and +Live+ that year at a double bill)
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Green Day - Dookie
Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies
The Cranberries - No Need To Argue
Sugar - File Under: Easy Listening
Tom Petty - Wildflowers
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea (seeing them live again Friday night)

1994 was a fantastic year for music. Not sure we knew how good we had it.

Much prefer your list.

 

[BlueHammer85]

 

[stonerblue]

Top drawer album for lying down too.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I’ve really gone down the rabbit hole here but I suspect there are very few in this thread that could possibly appreciate let alone enjoy Sugar.

Is there a special IQ rating or maybe some specialist training required? You might be right though mate, I always hated the Archies.

 

[GornikDaze]

Copper Blue is a very good album. Top 10 in the UK and NME album of the year in 92. I saw them tour it at Edward's No.8 in Brum a venue I'm sure Gornik must know. A very noisy,sweaty and great gig. Not as good as Dummy though

Blimey, Edward’s No 8 takes me back!! Just around the corner from Kaleidoscope when my musical tastes were put on hold in an effort to meet members of the opposite sex. In the end I gave up and concentrated on the music!

 

[threespires]

Is there a special IQ rating or maybe some specialist training required? You might be right though mate, I always hated the Archies.

Apparently the most successful bubble gum pop song of all time.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Apparently the most successful bubble gum pop song of all time.

But too rich for this forum.

 

[threespires]

Yeah, you go listen to "Plans I Make" or side 2 of Zen Arcade and tell me what the reaction here would be.

After The Blue Nile, Radiohead, this, Black Sabbath all in less than two months I'm just getting a little tired of slow tempos.

Nah, I reckon you're dead wrong on this mate. I can think of at least half a dozen regulars who would rate the tracks you're on about. You might get the odd 'shouty noisey shite' comment but no more than a lot of recent stuff. Husker Du punched above their weight in the UK and were in the UK music press a lot. You are right though we're probably due something up tempo.

I've checked out the next pick and to be fair Gerry and the Pacemakers first album has got some nice mid-tempo numbers on it, though it does have that bloody awful dirge too. :-)

 

[threespires]

To be fair, though the atmospheric soundscapes here might echo Radiohead (meaning sound like, not copy, obviously, given this is earlier), a quote like this encourages me to think the motivation for the creation of them is far more artistic and pure.

Let's not be mentioning the R word in the same breath please. Three albums in 15 years suggests both an ambivalence with the music industry and lack of interest in the commerce of music.

 

[threespires]

Pick something you like and do not worry about the scores.
I picked The Cocteau Twins Head Over Heels knowing that a big amount would hate it.
Another pick All Mod Cons by the Jam I thought would get slated because I thought Weller was not liked.
Again it did well.

Weirdly this weeks pick I'm struggling listening too as an album despite liking most of the songs.
Getting more out of it listening to a couple of songs at a time than the whole album.

There's been quite a few albums on here I've chunked up in order to enjoy them more. As an aside, I think the idea of Weller being disliked must come from the music press because I pretty much never come across people who can't stand him, unless he's become more appreciated with age?

 

[GornikDaze]

Yeah, I'm with Foggy on this which is why I listed the album in my 1994 list first. Given I don't have the backstory on if Bob or his bands had been discussed here, I didn't know where that mention was going to take things. Suffice to say I'm a bit amazed you haven't heard Bob Mould/Hüsker Dü/Sugar before, and given what I know on your musical tastes, I think you may have just hit a "sweet spot" with Sugar. ;-)

Sugar has definitely diverted my attention from this weeks pick! Great to drive to with the windows down on full blast :)

 

[threespires]

Sugar has definitely diverted my attention from this weeks pick! Great to drive to with the windows down on full blast :)

Bloody hell, it's like my kids. Focus on the task in hand, focus on the task in hand ;-)

 

[GornikDaze]

Bloody hell, it's like my kids. Focus on the task in hand, focus on the task in hand ;-)

Tbf I’m enjoying your pick, it’s just a hard listen in one go. It’s quite draining, not unlike Idles. Glory Box is a belting tune. It even inspired a session on the guitar with extra distortion!

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Nah, I reckon you're dead wrong on this mate. I can think of at least half a dozen regulars who would rate the tracks you're on about. You might get the odd 'shouty noisey shite' comment but no more than a lot of recent stuff. Husker Du punched above their weight in the UK and were in the UK music press a lot. You are right though we're probably due something up tempo.

I've checked out the next pick and to be fair Gerry and the Pacemakers first album has got some nice mid-tempo numbers on it, though it does have that bloody awful dirge too. :-)

Late Husker Du maybe — not early HD.

Anyhow I’ve got lots of downtime at Denver airport so plan to delve into Dummy this afternoon!

 

[LGWIO]

I've checked out the next pick and to be fair Gerry and the Pacemakers first album has got some nice mid-tempo numbers on it, though it does have that bloody awful dirge too. :-)

I almost feel likes thats..."go on, I dare you"......and for a split second I was tempted. As amusing as it may have been, that pleasure would have been short lived and I would probably have been blocked or tarred with the brush of being WUM exiled from RAWK.

As for this weeks selection giving images of dirty squats, I must contradict that any of the squats I stayed in briefly or visited were kept very well. Although not recalling listening to this whilst in one, it may well have taken place.

It actually received a positive response (as opposed to their view of Idles) from wife and son in the car this morning.

It's odd as although I think many of the tracks do tend to blend into one, there is also so much going on in the background of each track, the variation in the drum sounds, the organs etc.