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

[RobMCFC]

I am enjoying these reviews, and I have come to the conclusion that the two camps here are those who are pro-music to dance to, and pro-music to sit down and really listen to. While we probably all like something of both, I get the sense that what we love is either one or the other. I’m generalizing and hyperbole-creating for effect, but it’s interesting.

I think you are correct. I'd definitely rather sit down and listen to music, and to think about it whilst I'm listening. And think about it afterwards.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Talking Heads
Remain in Light
2/10

Beth Orton
Central Reservation
4/10

David Crosby
If Only I Could Remember My Name
7/10

Def Leppard
Euphoria
2/10

Beck
Mellow Gold
2/10

Bad Company
Bad Company
6/10

Bob Dylan
Bringing it all back home
6/10

Aretha Franklin
Aretha Now
6/10

Carly Simon
No secrets
3/10

The Beatles
Help!
6/10

Rush
Permanent Waves
5/10

Leonard Cohen
Songs of love and hate
3/10

Crosby Stills & Nash
Crosby Stills & Nash
7/10

Frank Sinatra
Sings for Only the Lonely
5/10

Talk Talk
Spirit of Eden
5/10

Roxy Music
Country Life
3/10

Joe Jackson
Body and Soul
2/10

Madonna
Erotica
2/10

Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
2/10

Metallica
Metallica (Black?)
6/10

Bob Dylan (Father to love-child @BlueHammer85 )
Love and Theft
4/10

Derek and the Dominos
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
4/10

Talking Heads (@BlueHammer85 are you paid on commission by these guys?) ;-)
Stop making sense (Live)
Here we go again..............

@RobMCFC I think your ears prick up at the same overproduction of sounds or effects that litters their music as mine.

In addition, I don't seem to be able to hone in on what the guy is really singing / yodelling / making noises about? Are we tone deaf to different things or am I just a bit off - on seconds thought, don't answer that ;-)

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this far more than listening to Remain in Light (which lets face it, I hated and given my time again it would have scored a 1).*

There is some ok stuff on this across 3-4 tracks, Slippery people is good - and I would say this is the perfect example of how they can be improved (yes yes, who am I to critique the almighty Talking Heads) by refining their output. Less is definitely more and strip away the overproduction and extremely busy wall of sound and it can be good.

In a parallel universe, I would like to see how the live version of Cross eyed and painless pans out after the first enjoyable minute of music. As I professed when someone posted in here right at the inception of the thread, I like the opening bit but once the change of pace is injected it's only the really the backing singers that I really like.

I don't doubt their ability, to be fair I don't doubt their creativity (again back to the over done sound effects, I just wonder whether this is an extension of that and / or that particular period of time), but as I have probably laboured to death with @Bill Walker , regardless of their technical ability the overall output is and can be bettered by far inferior (technically) musicians.

I'm going 5/10 (again referring to previous scores) which is a huge swing from where I started with them circa 5 months ago.

I have to raise it though, I'm not sure why a lot are so set that this is THE live performance that everyone should be aspiring to. Who knows, I'm 35 and still learning.

* Some of my responses are potentially not as consistent as usual as I am now reviewing whilst in Greece on holiday - the sun is shining so how has a far greater platform than the usual drive to work et al.

Have we come across a more decisive act than Talking Heads? To be fair to them, I imagine they would love it.......... :-)

Other than Crosseyed, Slippery is — IMO — the best track on this record, and much better live than the studio version.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I think you are correct. I'd definitely rather sit down and listen to music, and to think about it whilst I'm listening. And think about it afterwards.

As such, you can bet yer ass my next pick on your thread will be a discotheque staple!! :) :) Just kidding — though I might not be; we’ll see!

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

To say that I didn’t enjoy this would be quite some understatement. I find that there can be a type of cleverness and artiness that is different from - and a poor substitute for - genuine creativity. At the first ‘qu’est que c‘est,‘ i was like ‘uh-oh,’ and then when ‘bah ba bah ba…’ comes along, alarm bells are ringing and i don’t want to listen to anything this guy has to offer. By the end, yeah there are some parts that could possibly be put together to create songs i could enjoy. Just not in this packaging, not with this tone and, most likely, not with this band. 3/10

Can't disagree with that.......... :-)

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

I am enjoying these reviews, and I have come to the conclusion that the two camps here are those who are pro-music to dance/move to, and those that can't dance so have to listen. While we probably all like something of both, I get the sense that what we love is either one or the other. I’m generalizing and hyperbole-creating for effect, but it’s interesting.

Slight tweak......... ;-)

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Other than Crosseyed, Slippery is — IMO — the best track on this record, and much better live than the studio version.

It is a good track to be fair.........

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Fair comments. I do like them a helluva lot more than that, but you are right, they were a band is was very ‘cool’ to like and tell people you liked, and to write articles about. The ‘cognoscenti’ for want of a better word, or intellectual/alternative music journalists used to, and probably still do, cream over this band. (Rolling Stone, Q, NME etc etc). Not so much in Kerrang though ;-) I’ll bet they are a regular staple on 6Music too.

Fair play to you - even though a fan at least you can observe it..........

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

They were cool once because they were unique and different at their inception and not many have sounded like them or did. And lyrically and vocally Byrne is an odd duck. Almost always a plus with critics and for good reason. Technical facility doesn’t matter much with art nor music to critics. Look at how beloved the Pistols or Ramones were/are by critics.

You too Fogmeister...........

 

[Marklr]

Although I have a couple of TH's albums (Remain in Light and 77), I've never heard this live album. I've seen some footage of it, but never listened to it fully. I could never be arsed. So this is my first listen...even though I know most of the songs, it'll be good to hear these versions.
I like it. From start to finish. The acoustic version of Psycho Killer and Heaven were...heavenly killers!
Love the Tom Tom Club tune too. I prefer the studio version of Once in a Lifetime, but it's still a decent rendition.
Highlight for me is This Must Be the Place..great, mellow tune with a cool melody. I wish I'd listened to this earlier now...fantastic live album 7/10

 

[Marklr]

As such, you can bet yer ass my next pick on your thread will be a discotheque staple!! :) :) Just kidding — though I might not be; we’ll see!

My album for the other thread is gonna be one of those Top of the Pops unknown musicians doing covers of famous hits albums from the 70s with the page 3 girl on the cover. Not sure which one yet, though. haha.