The Album Review Club - Christmas Break Until 8th January

[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.