All Time Top 1100 Albums (Aerosmith - Big Ones) P265

Is it art? Why did they bother? Does it provoke a reaction in me?

You probably think I'm talking about that banana gaffer-taped to the wall, but sadly, I am in fact referring to the Sigur Ros album. There are odd little pieces where you think "that's nice", but they are taking the mick with the track lengths and they are certainly taking the mick with the album length.

You could argue that it would work as background music, but I can find better background music than this amongst the royalty-free music that YouTube offers.

Doesn't do much for me, I'm afraid. 4/10.
 
Onto “song” 4. Doing some research, I found out their drummer quit after this record. I wonder if it’s because he was never called into the studio in the first place.

Edit: I see he shows up on track 5. Maybe he quit because he wanted to hurl his ride cymbal through the neck of the insipid trumpeter. Kind of like Oddjob from Goldfinger, you know? I wouldn’t blame him.
 
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Ok, I made fun of this pretentious frozen twaddle as I listened to it, but it isn’t all completely terrible. There are bits I liked. About two minutes of that battery song. Much of the second one. The English translation of the title of another one (“Good Weather For An Airstrike”), which also is quite listenable for a couple of 90 second patches. The piano on the title track (and none of the vocals, drums, bass, cello-bow guitar in it). Look, I’m trying, ok?

I love Eno (though his 801 stuff and solo rock efforts are more fun, catchy, interesting and weirder than his ambient work) and I went through a Windham Hill phase (look it up), so I’m down with new age or whatever. But this isn’t “ambient” anything — this is an Icelandic twat trying to create “soundscapes” and atmosphere drenched in ponderous meaning. This is to Radiohead what Angels & Airwaves were to Blink 182 (some of you will understand what I mean I think) except I like B182 and A&A. The point of ambient is it’s inherent meaninglessness — it’s designed to enhance mood and feeling, not to impress with its depth or innovation. There’s no falsetto. There’s no folk interlude, no harmonies. It doesn’t mean you couldn’t listen to this whilst enjoying a massage at the Lowry’s spa and have it enhance the experience. But dozens (hundreds) of records fit that bill.

Which brings up the point — how did this become such a cause celebre? Because it came from Iceland? I learned in order to go platinum in Iceland you need to sell 10,000 copies. Fuck that, I’m moving to Monserrat where I bet I can go platinum with a record consisting of me blowing on the top of a whiskey jug, and where I only need to sell 100 copies, which I’ll buy myself. Then I can put a sticker on the CD — “Platinum in Monserrat!” — and get some dipshit rock music critic to pump it up in the States.

Other than this, I don’t have much to add to the astute observations of the regular denizens here. I did see that some website terms this “shoegaze” which actually made me LOL as My Bloody Valentine would be a pretty hilarious double bill with these guys. Lull all the fans to sleep with these bozos and then send 10,000 concert-goers to the ER with perforated eardrums with the opening riff of “Only Shallow.”

3/10 with at least a point of it earned because I liked that Airstrike title.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Ok, I made fun of this pretentious frozen twaddle as I listened to it, but it isn’t all completely terrible. There are bits I liked. About two minutes of that battery song. Much of the second one. The English translation of the title of another one (“Good Weather For An Airstrike”), which also is quite listenable for a couple of 90 second patches. The piano on the title track (and none of the vocals, drums, bass, cello-bow guitar in it). Look, I’m trying, ok?

I love Eno (though his 801 stuff and solo rock efforts are more fun, catchy, interesting and weirder than his ambient work) and I went through a Windham Hill phase (look it up), so I’m down with new age or whatever. But this isn’t “ambient” anything — this is an Icelandic twat trying to create “soundscapes” and atmosphere drenched in ponderous meaning. This is to Radiohead what Angels & Airwaves were to Blink 182 (some of you will understand what I mean I think) except I like B182 and A&A. The point of ambient is it’s inherent meaninglessness — it’s designed to enhance mood and feeling, not to impress with its depth or innovation. There’s no falsetto. There’s no folk interlude, no harmonies. It doesn’t mean you couldn’t listen to this whilst enjoying a massage at the Lowry’s spa and have it enhance the experience. But dozens (hundreds) of records fit that bill.

Which brings up the point — how did this become such a cause celebre? Because it came from Iceland? I learned in order to go platinum in Iceland you need to sell 10,000 copies. Fuck that, I’m moving to Monserrat where I bet I can go platinum with a record consisting of me blowing on the top of a whiskey jug, and where I only need to sell 100 copies, which I’ll buy myself. Then I can put a sticker on the CD — “Platinum in Monserrat!” — and get some dipshit rock music critic to pump it up in the States.

Other than this, I don’t have much to add to the astute observations of the regular denizens here. I did see that some website terms this “shoegaze” which actually made me LOL as My Bloody Valentine would be a pretty hilarious double bill with these guys. Lull all the fans to sleep with these bozos and then send 10,000 concert-goers to the ER with perforated eardrums with the opening riff of “Only Shallow.”

3/10 with at least a point of it earned because I liked that Airstrike title.
Click to expand...
Lovely review........
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Ok, I made fun of this pretentious frozen twaddle as I listened to it, but it isn’t all completely terrible. There are bits I liked. About two minutes of that battery song. Much of the second one. The English translation of the title of another one (“Good Weather For An Airstrike”), which also is quite listenable for a couple of 90 second patches. The piano on the title track (and none of the vocals, drums, bass, cello-bow guitar in it). Look, I’m trying, ok?

I love Eno (though his 801 stuff and solo rock efforts are more fun, catchy, interesting and weirder than his ambient work) and I went through a Windham Hill phase (look it up), so I’m down with new age or whatever. But this isn’t “ambient” anything — this is an Icelandic twat trying to create “soundscapes” and atmosphere drenched in ponderous meaning. This is to Radiohead what Angels & Airwaves were to Blink 182 (some of you will understand what I mean I think) except I like B182 and A&A. The point of ambient is it’s inherent meaninglessness — it’s designed to enhance mood and feeling, not to impress with its depth or innovation. There’s no falsetto. There’s no folk interlude, no harmonies. It doesn’t mean you couldn’t listen to this whilst enjoying a massage at the Lowry’s spa and have it enhance the experience. But dozens (hundreds) of records fit that bill.

Which brings up the point — how did this become such a cause celebre? Because it came from Iceland? I learned in order to go platinum in Iceland you need to sell 10,000 copies. Fuck that, I’m moving to Monserrat where I bet I can go platinum with a record consisting of me blowing on the top of a whiskey jug, and where I only need to sell 100 copies, which I’ll buy myself. Then I can put a sticker on the CD — “Platinum in Monserrat!” — and get some dipshit rock music critic to pump it up in the States.

Other than this, I don’t have much to add to the astute observations of the regular denizens here. I did see that some website terms this “shoegaze” which actually made me LOL as My Bloody Valentine would be a pretty hilarious double bill with these guys. Lull all the fans to sleep with these bozos and then send 10,000 concert-goers to the ER with perforated eardrums with the opening riff of “Only Shallow.”

3/10 with at least a point of it earned because I liked that Airstrike title.
Click to expand...
I do get your gist Fog after a little bit of sentimentality and digging back to my past and my experience and knowledge of Eno and A&A / B182 bands I also admire like you.

I am however not so accommodating as having listened to this twice I must admit ( I had heard of the name but not paid any attention to it having seen it named in RS top lists ) that there is a complete disconnect between the vocals and the music no real tempo or flow and no direction and I completely disagree with those that claim the music builds in crescendo and style and no Fog you wouldn't enjoy this music while having a massage as you would fall asleep and rightfully so albeit the vocals might keep you awake for pitch reasons alone.

the tracks are way too long and dull for your classic ambient approach and I dispute its origin in ambient genre in any case as its not a mood setter or gives you a better feeling about yourself and life in general when listening to it.

I found it very hard on the ear.

I tried to give it every chance playing it twice over and I have to give it wide birth pure and simple.

1/10 for me and apologies to those who like the group and their music I trust they have something better in their catalogue.
 
I wonder how many of these albums in the Top 1000 are there because critics heard it, thought it sounded different and gave it 4.5 or 5 stars in the clamour to be the first to bring "something different" to their audience. Later, when they realised their truly terrible mistake, they weren't big enough to admit that they were wrong and somehow tried to justify their original opinion with a load more pretentious twaddle, and so it snowballs with other people claiming it's the best thing since sliced bread.

That, or some version of it, can be the only reason why this is in the Top 1000 and some huge selling/well-loved acts or true innovators don't appear at all.

Still, it's good to hear stuff like this every so often to make you appreciate what's in your own collection.
 
Is it ambient? Really, who gives a toss what 'genre' it is? I really liked this. I listened on a longish walk on Sunday with my earphones and there were certainly many parts of it that I enjoyed. Just playing it now quite loud whilst I carry out some mundane admin tasks and I like it even more. After the earache inducing Pantera this was like a complete breath of fresh Icelandic air - clearing my aural airways.
I will keep this in my Spotify library and will return to it again.
6/10
 
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