The Album Review Club - Christmas Break Until 8th January

[mrbelfry]

I believe it is my turn tomorrow.
I cannot remember if i post my clues,write up and pick myself or send them into Rob

You normally do it yourself. Wait until the scores have been tallied by Rob though

 

[RobMCFC]

I believe it is my turn tomorrow.
I cannot remember if i post my clues,write up and pick myself or send them into Rob

Yes, as mrbelfry says above. I'll tag you when it's time to post (sometime between 2 and 3 PM).

 

[RobMCFC]

There's nothing new under the sun. Not really, not when. it comes to music. Given the number of years that a lot of the posters on this thread have put in, and I include myself in that. So, inevitably everything sounds a bit like something else. Whether it's influenced by, a shameless copy of or purely coincidental.

I suspect that there isn't much new that can be said about music either. Certainly my opening paragraph isn't original. There are some pretty creative talents on here though and I thought I used to give a fair crack myself at finding an angle.

Now though it boils down to do I like this week's offering. The Charlatans. As a matter of fact I do. @BlueHammer85 and @RobMCFC might have thought my earlier flippant remark was being dismissive of them and that other Manchester band. I wouldn't pay over the odds to see them now, Oasis that is, but I do think I scored Definitely, Maybe well enough when it came up for review and also enjoyed the Oasis tracks that came up courtesy of Apple Music after one of my listens to this.

So, the Charlatans reminded me in places of Oasis although I get that they came first. They also reminded me of what I think some sixties bands sound like, or was it just a bit of a sixties vibe. A bit Jaggerish with the vocals and Jagger is a singer I just don't rate. But maybe it's what the voice is surrounded with. Because limitations aside I could get on with Tim Burgess' vocals just fine.

And that organ sound. Very cool. Typically the more I listened to this album the more I enjoyed it, there's a bit of swagger. When I find something I like on this thread I listen to a bit more and I do suspect judging by some of the other random tracks I've heard that this isn't necessarily their best. But it's good enough. There isn't anything to quit challenge The One and Only but of the original 11 tracks there aren't really any bad ones. I listened to the expanded version once and found myself getting a wee bit bored there but the original is about right length wise.

With No Shoes isn't the strongest opener but it's followed by three strong tracks and while that level isn't quite kept up I wouldn't say it sags.

Where to score it? I was on a 7 but after todays last (before the review) listen it's edged up another half so 7.5.

Another band I should have listened to more considering their associations and if I had been more familiar with them I might have had something more original and interesting to say but for now, well it was a bit of a curveball from Rob and definitely his best pick on this thread.

Your first paragraph is spot on. When you get into music (in my case, the mid-80s), everything sounds shiny and new and wonderful and different, but as the years go by, you realise that most things have been done before. It's just how a song or an album is repackaged with slightly different emphasis or arrangements. Glad you enjoyed the album.

Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

This was another band I had not heard much of their music, much less than anything from this album before this week. A bit surprising even to me with the alternative rock, Britpop, and indie rock labels the band gets. The album gets a hip hop soul label, and I don't think that is far off either.

My impression of this vocally unfortunately didn't change much over repeated listens. I still struggled with songs like "North Country Boy", "How Can You Leave Us", and "How High" in the vocal delivery, but the music was better in those songs.

It should come as no surprise then that "Area 51" and "Rob's Theme" without lyrics were both highlights. Those, along with "Tellin' Stories", "One To Another", and "With No Shoes" were better received, and ones I welcomed hearing again on subsequent listens. All were musically enjoyable with the organ and piano really helping those songs along in places.

I'd be remiss if I didn't note the Dylanesque beginning to "Get On It" and the street song it positively reminded me of, down to the organ:

They've got a lotta nerve to think they can sneak that one in
When I was listening I swear I saw them grinnin'
They've got a lotta nerve to say "no matter how you're feelin'"
I think I know which Dylan song I'm hearin'

And yes, I did like how the song changed tempo and focus halfway through to a pure rocker that did end better with the piano, organ, and guitars carrying it home.

So overall, I felt musically, this is a 7.5, but vocally, I have it kindly as a 4.5, so it is a 6/10 overall with me.

I also don't think this album is better than the Mellencamp or Midnight Oil albums that Rob has nominated, which I would score much higher in being very familiar with both.

Musically, I can hear how Rob likes this album, but vocally, I will admit - I'm still a bit unsure. Perhaps I just need more time and background that a week just doesn't afford.

Tim Burgess wouldn't be my pick as vocalist in my fantasy band, but he's good enough because the instruments and arrangements of the songs are so good.

I'm not always that great at spotting influences and similarities, so I'm still not sure of the Dylan song that "Get It On" is influenced by. I've just done a Google and it's suggested that it's "Like A Rolling Stone", a song I'm very familiar with. But even with this knowledge I can't put the two together in my head!

I agree with your comments about the Mellencamp and Midnight Oil albums - my #1 and top 20 all-time albums for me respectively whereas Tellin' Stories would probably be merely a top 50 album.

Things that stick in my head: When I read Q Magazine's review of Earth & Sun & Moon by Midnight Oil, I remember it talking about the organ sound on the album, "kind of like a Charlatans down under". I had never listened to a Charlatans album at this stage (1993) but I was familiar with "The Only One I Know", so the review was a great reference point.

 

[GornikDaze]

Been a hectic couple of weeks so many apologies for lack of contribution to this and the previous discussion. On the plus side we welcomed our first grandchild into the world in the early hours. Football is a lost cause (SiL’s family are big West Brom fans) but music will be my domain! He’s called Leo - obviously named after Leo Fender so he has a bright future!!
Anyway, in the brief moments between home and hospital runs my Charlatans listens were pretty decent. He’s not got the voice of a choirboy, but I’ve heard worse. Guitar and general music vibe is decent so I’ll go a positive 7/10 and have a listen to some of their other stuff which has also passed me by

 

[RobMCFC]

Been a hectic couple of weeks so many apologies for lack of contribution to this and the previous discussion. On the plus side we welcomed our first grandchild into the world in the early hours. Football is a lost cause (SiL’s family are big West Brom fans) but music will be my domain! He’s called Leo - obviously named after Leo Fender so he has a bright future!!
Anyway, in the brief moments between home and hospital runs my Charlatans listens were pretty decent. He’s not got the voice of a choirboy, but I’ve heard worse. Guitar and general music vibe is decent so I’ll go a positive 7/10 and have a listen to some of their other stuff which has also passed me by

Congratulations to you and your family. And well done for squeezing in some music listens as well!

 

[LGWIO]

As I tend to do most of my listening in the car on my commutes, this has been a tough week finding time. Bloody adblue sensor packed in, so not as much listening time...more nagging time.
But a lovely nostalgic pick from Rob and thoroughly enjoyed.
I does seem to be a recurring thing on this thread with regard to bands and their vocalists. Its clear that Tim isn't the best and at times I thought I would class him alongside Bobby Gillespie, which I realised was quite apt with so much of Martin Duffy on here.
As I thought @Black&White&BlueMoon Town said so well in his summary, it is the musicianship and the organ that elevates this album above so much of the other. Faves were Area51 & Robs Theme, although anything with the organ in was excellent.
Much has been commented about Madchester and comparisons to Oasis. It was listening to the album and then reading the comments that brought me back to some lines from Mike Skinner....
"I make bangers, not anthems
Leave that to The Artful Dodger
The broad-shouldered fifty-one percent shareholder
You won't find us on Alta Vista
Cult classic, not bestseller".

No anthems on here, not bestseller but certainly a quality album and therefore its a 7.5 from the Derry jury

 

[Saddleworth2]

I haven't really listened to this enough to vote. Lots going on at chez Saddleworth and none of it good. Sorry.

 

[Coatigan]

Naturally I think all of my nominations are great but I’m proud of the range I’ve covered with my last three selections:-

• Bruce Hornsby - American jazz, blues, Americana, pop
• INXS - Australian new wave/rock
• The Charlatans - British indie rock

Not that they’ve all gone down well with the punters but at least I’m trying to pull different sounding selections out of the bag.

Or are we saying that they all sound the same?

I went quite early so I stayed out of it after that, particularly given it was a low score.

The three nominations above don't 'sound' alike and aren't similar in profile. But there are big key similarities between them imo.

Technical proficiency at their instrumsnts, singers being able to sing, and not strayng from convention. There is a light use of influences from elsewhere, but while sticking to the basics.

That's the common links I see in the three, and most nominations you put forward, think that's the things that you might be drawn to consciously or not. We all have similar things I guess and we could probably find common themes in our own very different albums.

Back to this one, the only thing that surprised me was anyone that argued the album doesn't sound like Oasis. I know they came before, I am not suggesting they are Trying to sound like oasis, but they absolutely do. Basic progression, and that drawn out nasal singing. I think Noel Gallagher's solo album hammer nominated sounded less Oasisy than this.

My couple jokey digs at them earlier in the week, were not accidental. Having listened to it, I knew where my review was headed and I was trying to gently set my stall out and remind people how I felt about them. Ultimately, I think it is the sound itself I dislike (as opposed to entirely the concept of them, like fog's Radiohead quirk) because I didn't really mind Noel's album. Hence this one was a bit of a lost cause on me, and I was pretty open with that.

 

[RobMCFC]

I went quite early so I stayed out of it after that, particularly given it was a low score.

The three nominations above don't 'sound' alike and aren't similar in profile. But there are big key similarities between them imo.

Technical proficiency at their instrumsnts, singers being able to sing, and not strayng from convention. There is a light use of influences from elsewhere, but while sticking to the basics.

That's the common links I see in the three, and most nominations you put forward,,think that's the things that you might be drawn to consciously or not. We all have similar things I guess and we could provably find common themes in our own very different albums.

Back to this one, tho only thing that surprised me was anyone that argued the album doesn't sound like Oasis. I know they came before, I am not suggesting they are Trying to aound like oasis, but they absolutely do. Basic progression, and that drawn out nasal singing. I think Noel Gallagher's solo album hammer nominated sounded less Oasisy than this.

My couple jokey digs at them earlier in the week, were not accidental. Having listened to it, I knew where my review was headed and I was trying to gently set my stall out and remind people how Infelt about it. Ultimately, I think it is the sound itself I dislike (as opposed to the concept of them, like fog's Radiohead quirk) because I didn't really mind Noel's album. Hence this one was a bit of a lost cause on me, and I was pretty open with that.

"Technical proficiency at their instruments" - this above all else. Music isn't worth it to me if an artist isn't trying to do the best they can with their instruments. It's why I just can't get into any hip-hop or the like - whilst there may be technical skill, it isn't artistic. It's the same as Mathematics or fitting a boiler. Pressing a few buttons or spending hours labouring away on ProTools can't replace the sound and feel of somebody playing an instrument (well, it can, but I'm not interested anyway).

As I did note on the History of Rock & Roll thread, whilst I initially said I'm never drawn to the voice, that isn't true - think The beach Boys, The Everly Brothers or the song "California Dreamin'" - in all those cases, the voices are far more important than the instruments, but it's very rare that that's the draw in my case.

 

[threespires]

"Technical proficiency at their instruments" - this above all else. Music isn't worth it to me if an artist isn't trying to do the best they can with their instruments. It's why I just can't get into any hip-hop or the like - whilst there may be technical skill, it isn't artistic. It's the same as Mathematics or fitting a boiler. Pressing a few buttons or spending hours labouring away on ProTools can't replace the sound and feel of somebody playing an instrument (well, it can, but I'm not interested anyway).

As I did note on the History of Rock & Roll thread, whilst I initially said I'm never drawn to the voice, that isn't true - think The beach Boys, The Everly Brothers or the song "California Dreamin'" - in all those cases, the voices are far more important than the instruments, but it's very rare that that's the draw in my case.

I can't comment on fitting boilers (shame really as ours is making some disturbing noises) but fans of Betrand Russell might disagree with you on maths as a technical endeavour!