The Album Review Club - Week #144 - (page 1893) - XO - Elliot Smith

[bennyboy]

Well yes but in fairness at least he hasn't unleashed Andy Stewart on the thread followed immediately by whatever that other kilted abomination was (though I must admit to being mesmerized by how white their socks were).

I mean FFS what had any of us done to deserve that?

Fair enough.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Yes, but at least he is bringing some balance to the scores.

I’m genuinely surprised by the size of the scores for this one. I know it’s a popular album, I know it sold in bucketloads, I know it was a major release in terms of that sound in the early 90s. And yet I struggle to see why this should get such praise where other rock outfits would probably get short shrift.

Like Bon Jovi (who have several albums I like) and Def Leppard (not so much) and any number of 80s/90s hard rock/AOR/hair metal etc, Ten is a slickly produced stadium-filler.

EDIT - I’m saying this to promote discussion by the way, not to complain :)

It levered grunge to transition to arena rock the same way U2 did with punk/new wave.

Difference between this record and those artists you note is that neither BJ nor DL had ANYTHING EVER to say even once in their careers, whereas Eddie/PJ did.

Now Van Halen never had anything to say either, but they had firepower, personality and — very important — hooks galore relative to DL and especially BJ, who didn’t come up with the goods remotely as often. Sadly the one VH record we’ve reviewed was the weakest of the DLR era :(.

All that said, I too am a little surprised by the scores, including my own score.

 

[journolud]

Warning scouse humour at large.lol.

An oxymoron surely ;-)

 

[threespires]

Fair enough.

The two fellas in that second video looked like they were hollowed out bodies being controlled by some sort of alien parasite, gave me the fucking willies.

 

[RobMCFC]

It levered grunge to transition to arena rock the same way U2 did with punk/new wave.

Difference between this record and those artists you note is that neither BJ nor DL had ANYTHING EVER to say even once in their careers, whereas Eddie/PJ did.

Now Van Halen never had anything to say either, but they had firepower, personality and — very important — hooks galore relative to DL and especially BJ, who didn’t come up with the goods remotely as often. Sadly the one VH record we’ve reviewed was the weakest of the DLR era :(.

All that said, I too am a little surprised by the scores, including my own score.

I agree Bon Jovi were just an entertaining act. Whilst it didn't have much to say, "Wanted Dead or Alive" is the equal of anything on Ten - a masterpiece of the era, with superb JBJ vocals, wonderful atmospherics and a guitar solo to die for.

I do appreciate that the lyrics on Ten are striving for something that most bands weren't, I'll give you that, which is why I was prompting the discussion. Musically though, it's just another slick rock album.

 

[threespires]

Yes, but at least he is bringing some balance to the scores.

I’m genuinely surprised by the size of the scores for this one. I know it’s a popular album, I know it sold in bucketloads, I know it was a major release in terms of that sound in the early 90s. And yet I struggle to see why this should get such praise where other rock outfits would probably get short shrift.

Like Bon Jovi (who have several albums I like) and Def Leppard (not so much) and any number of 80s/90s hard rock/AOR/hair metal etc, Ten is a slickly produced stadium-filler.

EDIT - I’m saying this to promote discussion by the way, not to complain :)

It's a fair point but I do think there is something qualitatively different about it. As a rule of thumb stadium rock is just not my thing, and let's just say my views on Bon Jovi are pejorative in the extreme and leave it at that, so since you've posted this I've being trying to think why for me I found it the acceptable face of stadium rock. I'm not sure I have the answer yet but I think it's a mixture of relatively subtle shifts: sound, lyrics, attitude that make them neither exactly the same as that previous world but also not fully part of a more hardcore scene, they are more like a bridge between the two worlds (might have been Coaty who has already made that point?) and maybe that's why they ended up so popular.

 

[Coatigan]

Yes, but at least he is bringing some balance to the scores.

I’m genuinely surprised by the size of the scores for this one. I know it’s a popular album, I know it sold in bucketloads, I know it was a major release in terms of that sound in the early 90s. And yet I struggle to see why this should get such praise where other rock outfits would probably get short shrift.

Like Bon Jovi (who have several albums I like) and Def Leppard (not so much) and any number of 80s/90s hard rock/AOR/hair metal etc, Ten is a slickly produced stadium-filler.

EDIT - I’m saying this to promote discussion by the way, not to complain :)

I'm not that surprised. If anything, I rated it lower than I would have, looking for faults with it now, decades later, rather than my memory and experience of it at the time. And looks like I am not alone either.

Unlike, for example, Revolver. When people just dropped 10s the minute it was posted, and then more or less fucked off. Which is probably what that 4 will do, preseve it in second when it was looking like this one would pip it.

 

[bennyboy]

The two fellas in that second video looked like they were hollowed out bodies being controlled by some sort of alien parasite, gave me the fucking willies.

My mother played that non stop when I was a lad.

 

[bennyboy]

I'm not that surprised. If anything, I rated it lower than I would have, looking for faults with it now, decades later, rather than my memory and experience of it at the time. And looks like I am not alone either.

Unlike, for example, Revolver. When people just dropped 10s the minute it was posted, and then more or less fucked off. Which is probably what that 4 will do, preseve it in second when it was looking like this one would pip it.

A 10 for an album with yellow submarine on it.
Makes you wonder.

 

[Mancitydoogle]

PEARL JAM TEN

I’m not a PJ fan per se but I do have a few of their albums and I love EVs voice, so I’ve also got a few of his solo albums which show off his voice to better effect.His version of ‘Masters of War’ is superb.
Anyways on to the album in question, as others have mentioned it’s the best PJ album, great production, some great, some good and a few ok songs but in my opinion no fillers.
The problem I have with this nomination is it’s just too familiar,Mrs MD listens to Radio X when she’s in the car and they must play Alive and Jeremy every few hours! So listening to album again after so many years I’m more drawn to the lesser played tracks.

All in all I’ll give it 8.5 it would’ve got a 9 if it wasn’t for Radio X.