Saddleworth2
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His blues man his blues. :-)
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The Album Review Club - Week #147 - (page 1942) - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
Evening chums.....2 listens in. Picking wife up from work and dropping son off at work.....and son straight away was...."what you doing listening to The Struts. Are that lot on your bloody forum wrecking my spotify playlist again?"
But it was a nice sunny day and this did seem to put me in a good mood. perhaps fitting in with a generally good mood after the England win last night and then the very enjoyable NED/TUR game.
My initial thoughts were that I got a little bit of INXS off this and did quite like a bit of the orchestration.
Will give it another couple of listens and whilst not standout stuff its pretty easy listening with the first 2 tracks being enjoyable.
But it was a nice sunny day and this did seem to put me in a good mood. perhaps fitting in with a generally good mood after the England win last night and then the very enjoyable NED/TUR game.
My initial thoughts were that I got a little bit of INXS off this and did quite like a bit of the orchestration.
Will give it another couple of listens and whilst not standout stuff its pretty easy listening with the first 2 tracks being enjoyable.
southamptonblue
Well-Known Member
This week's offering......there's 'background music' for restaurants, which doesn't annoy or get me reaching for the off button, but rather, I'd take so little to no interest, that I wouldn't notice if it stopped!
Then there's 'background music' like this, happily have it playing, maybe at a bbq or chatting with mates, would notice it, and listen if not in conversation, but at no point say "listen to this, this is a great song".
Was well described by someone as 'pleasant', it's exactly that!
I actually liked it a bit less on each listen.
Definitely not rock, probably listened to by students who think it's rock and cool to like them, but in reality, those same students are too 'nerdy' to listen to what 'is' rock music! (I know what I mean, even if nobody else does!)
A bang average...5
Then there's 'background music' like this, happily have it playing, maybe at a bbq or chatting with mates, would notice it, and listen if not in conversation, but at no point say "listen to this, this is a great song".
Was well described by someone as 'pleasant', it's exactly that!
I actually liked it a bit less on each listen.
Definitely not rock, probably listened to by students who think it's rock and cool to like them, but in reality, those same students are too 'nerdy' to listen to what 'is' rock music! (I know what I mean, even if nobody else does!)
A bang average...5
threespires
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This week's offering......there's 'background music' for restaurants, which doesn't annoy or get me reaching for the off button, but rather, I'd take so little to no interest, that I wouldn't notice if it stopped!
Then there's 'background music' like this, happily have it playing, maybe at a bbq or chatting with mates, would notice it, and listen if not in conversation, but at no point say "listen to this, this is a great song".
Was well described by someone as 'pleasant', it's exactly that!
I actually liked it a bit less on each listen.
Definitely not rock, probably listened to by students who think it's rock and cool to like them, but in reality, those same students are too 'nerdy' to listen to what 'is' rock music! (I know what I mean, even if nobody else does!)
A bang average...5
I'm a bit uncomfortable with this post, in fact I'd go as far as to say it's nerdist. Doubtless you'll say something like "I can't be nerdist I've got a friend with an A-level in Further Maths" but it won't wash.
Anyway, apart from Mr May and his astrophysics doctorate I'm pretty sure Tom Morello went to Harvard and Gregg Graffin from Bad Religion has got a PhD from Cornell. We'll gloss over the fella in Boston who went to MIT as they're about as rock n roll as the Cheeky Girls.
So don't come on here with your nerds can't rock tropes that belong back in the dark ages.
:-)
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Pretty Vicious – The Struts
I Don’t think that this album gets any better than the opener, “Too Good At Raising Hell”. With its sound bolstered by a bit of brass, some good rock vocals and a nice guitar workout towards the end, this remined me very much of Little Angels. And that’s a good thing.
As Eamo has already pointed out, the contrast between the first two tracks is significant. The title track is more in the pop vein but still with some nice guitar. After that, it got a little lightweight for my tastes until the rock returned on “Do What You Want”. “Rockstar” is another catchy song that becomes an earworm after a couple of listens.
The songs pass by with little variation but always with a good production, a big sound and some decent guitar parts. “Better Love” is something a little different and strikes me as a good rock/pop crossover.
Threespires described this as “good intergenerational matchday travel music”, and that for me is a good summary. I could quite happily have this spinning whilst driving or on holiday. It’s fun music played with conviction, but obviously doesn’t reach the heights of Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Thunder or the other big names in this bracket.
I was going to go with 6, but as it’s got me listening to a couple of 90s albums by Thunder and Little Angels, I’ll give it an extra half point - 6.5/10
I Don’t think that this album gets any better than the opener, “Too Good At Raising Hell”. With its sound bolstered by a bit of brass, some good rock vocals and a nice guitar workout towards the end, this remined me very much of Little Angels. And that’s a good thing.
As Eamo has already pointed out, the contrast between the first two tracks is significant. The title track is more in the pop vein but still with some nice guitar. After that, it got a little lightweight for my tastes until the rock returned on “Do What You Want”. “Rockstar” is another catchy song that becomes an earworm after a couple of listens.
The songs pass by with little variation but always with a good production, a big sound and some decent guitar parts. “Better Love” is something a little different and strikes me as a good rock/pop crossover.
Threespires described this as “good intergenerational matchday travel music”, and that for me is a good summary. I could quite happily have this spinning whilst driving or on holiday. It’s fun music played with conviction, but obviously doesn’t reach the heights of Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Thunder or the other big names in this bracket.
I was going to go with 6, but as it’s got me listening to a couple of 90s albums by Thunder and Little Angels, I’ll give it an extra half point - 6.5/10
OB1
Well-Known Member
Pretty Vicious – The Struts
I Don’t think that this album gets any better than the opener, “Too Good At Raising Hell”. With its sound bolstered by a bit of brass, some good rock vocals and a nice guitar workout towards the end, this remined me very much of Little Angels. And that’s a good thing.
As Eamo has already pointed out, the contrast between the first two tracks is significant. The title track is more in the pop vein but still with some nice guitar. After that, it got a little lightweight for my tastes until the rock returned on “Do What You Want”. “Rockstar” is another catchy song that becomes an earworm after a couple of listens.
The songs pass by with little variation but always with a good production, a big sound and some decent guitar parts. “Better Love” is something a little different and strikes me as a good rock/pop crossover.
Threespires described this as “good intergenerational matchday travel music”, and that for me is a good summary. I could quite happily have this spinning whilst driving or on holiday. It’s fun music played with conviction, but obviously doesn’t reach the heights of Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Thunder or the other big names in this bracket.
I was going to go with 6, but as it’s got me listening to a couple of 90s albums by Thunder and Little Angels, I’ll give it an extra half point - 6.5/10
I think that’s a fair summation. Me and the girls played it on one of our trips into Silverstone this weekend and they sang along. One did comment she could see why old guys didn’t like it because she thinks some songs sound a bit like 5SOS!
We followed it with “What’s The Story…” and I have to admit that yesterday when there were complaints about a 70’s #1’s cd and requests to play Oasis or The Struts again, I went for Oasis but it had been quite awhile since I played that. WTSMG is of course the better album; couldn’t decide if I now prefer it to Definitely Maybe.
Saddleworth2
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What score would you give The Struts album mate?I think that’s a fair summation. Me and the girls played it on one of our trips into Silverstone this weekend and they sang along. One did comment she could see why old guys didn’t like it because she thinks some songs sound a bit like 5SOS!
We followed it with “What’s The Story…” and I have to admit that yesterday when there were complaints about a 70’s #1’s cd and requests to play Oasis or The Struts again, I went for Oasis but it had been quite awhile since I played that. WTSMG is of course the better album; couldn’t decide if I now prefer it to Definitely Maybe.
mancity2012_eamo
Well-Known Member
Summation?
A little less Strut. A little more Strat, if you please.
A little less Strut. A little more Strat, if you please.
OB1
Well-Known Member
I’ll answer that once all the scores are in.What score would you give The Struts album mate?
threespires
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An unfortunate thought popped into my head during my second listen to this. I imagined myself typing this into NoteGPT...
"create some upbeat pop/rock that I can use for TV commercials"
and there they were...
Do What You Want - with an array of footballers getting their closest shaves yet
Hands On Me - encouraging people to start a direct debit for a clean water charity
Bad Decisions - the new fragrance by Johnny Depp for Dior
You get the idea.
I don't want to wade into this record cause it's pretty inoffensive and I don't think there's any cynicism on behalf of the players. I think they are writing and performing what they like and enjoy. However it's biggest issue for me is it lacks any real identity of its own. I actually think they are at their best the poppier they become and they should lean more into that though maybe that's not their desired destination.
Either way a few albums back one of my kids dismissed the pick as "the sort of thing AI would come up with". Sadly I think we're back in that territory for me.
It's not awful but as others have said it feels generic. I still get how it could be listenable in a mixed group on a journey but though it won't offend people it won't grip them either imo.
I think the Ian Hunter cover is well selected and nicely done so I'm giving an extra half point for that. 6/10.
"create some upbeat pop/rock that I can use for TV commercials"
and there they were...
Do What You Want - with an array of footballers getting their closest shaves yet
Hands On Me - encouraging people to start a direct debit for a clean water charity
Bad Decisions - the new fragrance by Johnny Depp for Dior
You get the idea.
I don't want to wade into this record cause it's pretty inoffensive and I don't think there's any cynicism on behalf of the players. I think they are writing and performing what they like and enjoy. However it's biggest issue for me is it lacks any real identity of its own. I actually think they are at their best the poppier they become and they should lean more into that though maybe that's not their desired destination.
Either way a few albums back one of my kids dismissed the pick as "the sort of thing AI would come up with". Sadly I think we're back in that territory for me.
It's not awful but as others have said it feels generic. I still get how it could be listenable in a mixed group on a journey but though it won't offend people it won't grip them either imo.
I think the Ian Hunter cover is well selected and nicely done so I'm giving an extra half point for that. 6/10.