The Album Review Club - Week #147 - (page 1942) - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan

[Saddleworth2]

If anyone’s interested, my right foot hurts like fook.

what have you done to it?
hat have you been kicking?

 

[Saddleworth2]

This thread seems to be morphing into a physical ailments thread. For those interested i seem to be fine this morning. In fact I’m off to the Lake of Menteith for some trout wrangling. Forecast looks a bit iffy though :-(

 

[RobMCFC]

Thanks Rob, well summarised.

I think it should have its own thread.
i‘m happy for anyone to throw their hat in the ring, I’m still working so fairly busy
and not great at IT excel spreadsheets or whatever, but if no one wants the gig
I’ll do it.
I think it should be open to all and sundry as we could maybe do with some new blood.
I think max of 5 songs or less but max of 40 mins so maybe 2 for the Prog Rock fans lol.

I can manage it if there are no other takers.

I think this should be pretty easy to run, given that there's no scoring.

If I run it, I may insist on the list being submitted to me a week in advance - this will head off any no-shows. In fact I may start doing that for this thread.

Updated summary:-

• Runs in a new thread
• Starts on a different day to albums on this thread - I'd suggest Monday (given that this thread starts on a Wednesday/Thursday and BlueHammer's thread on a Friday)
• Should be 5 songs or less (but no more than 40 minutes)
• It can have a binding theme, but doesn't have to.
• The playlist creator should provide a write-up, explaining why they have chosen the songs.
• There will be no scoring

Now all we have to decide is:-

• Any other volunteers to run the thread, or run it some weeks, are welcome. If there are none, I'll fall to me or Mancitydoogle.
• How do we come up with the creators list - I got a bit of pushback when I created this thread and suggested a closed shop, so beware - especially if it's in its own thread :)
• When do we start!!!!

 

[threespires]

Ran out of time to write something meaningful as I was quite conflicted about this but in reality my take is a mixture of what @Bill Walker @FogBlueInSanFran and @RobMCFC have already written.

I don't have a problem with a bit of melancholia but this was a bit too unremitting for me. I did think it had some musical and lyrical merits (though lyrically a bit variable) but if I'm going to listen to something like this I need the sound to feel more organic and human and at times the way it was mixed actively distracted/annoyed me. I think it's decent and a very interesting choice but something I would not personally want to spend a lot of time with. Going with 6/10.

 

[Coatigan]

I can manage it if there are no other takers.

I think this should be pretty easy to run, given that there's no scoring.

If I run it, I may insist on the list being submitted to me a week in advance - this will head off any no-shows. In fact I may start doing that for this thread.

Updated summary:-

• Runs in a new thread
• Starts on a different day to albums on this thread - I'd suggest Monday (given that this thread starts on a Wednesday/Thursday and BlueHammer's thread on a Friday)
• Should be 5 songs or less (but no more than 40 minutes)
• It can have a binding theme, but doesn't have to.
• The playlist creator should provide a write-up, explaining why they have chosen the songs.
• There will be no scoring

Now all we have to decide is:-

• Any other volunteers to run the thread, or run it some weeks, are welcome. If there are none, I'll fall to me or Mancitydoogle.
• How do we come up with the creators list - I got a bit of pushback when I created this thread and suggested a closed shop, so beware - especially if it's in its own thread :)
• When do we start!!!!

I'll volunteer to partially run/help with it, given how much you do with this one and hammer does on the other. Not sure about how that actually works on reality, but will be available to help.

 

[BimboBob]

Sorry @Coatigan this is not really where I'm at with music.
Lack of real musical instruments, mostly sequenced synths and drum machines, electronic music. The whole feel for me is morbid and darkly emotional, listening to it it doesn't give me any pleasure at all. It brings on feelings of glumness bereft of all joy.
Lyrically it has some attraction for me if I'm in that mood, but its' let down by unambitious music that just "drifts".

Like abandoned unloved driftwood. It doesn't solve anything for me, it doesn't give me anything. It's just too morbid.
Not for me I'm afraid.
4/10

I'm very much in agreement with our resident convict.
It's relentless in its moodiness. Maybe I wasn't in a melancholic state of mind over the past week or didn't want to be as this whole album grated in its depressive over/ undertones. Some respite would have been lovely.

It gets a 4.

 

[RobMCFC]

I'll volunteer to partially run/help with it, given how much you do with this one and hammer does on the other. Not sure about how that actually works on reality, but will be available to help.

Thanks. I suspect it will simply involve making sure that the next week's playlist is ready to go and then calling on that person to take over the thread for the week. The lack of scoring will make it easier, although maybe we'll want to keep a record of the various playlists in Post #1 of the thread? Again, this would be no issue because you could just pull it out of a PM.

Having multiple people running the thread would be good because we can take it in turns, say a month at a time, if one or another of us is busy. Then you could act like the party whip and ensure the four or five people for that month are lined up and read to roll!

 

[BlueHammer85]

I'd say 'depressing' Indie is one of my favourite genres - Just hits the spot and instead of finding it depressing in some ways I find it uplifting and euphoric - Many tracks here really hit the spot

takes me back to my teen years where I would dig for this type of Music, away from the clubs, away from my mates shed listening to rap and smoking weed and trying to find direction in life

On to the Album, it's beautiful all the way through - the two stand outs and catchy ones 'Blood Under the Bridge' and 'Still Want to Be Here' just love how they both transcend and build with the horns and crashing guitars coming in like many others on here

'Woke Up Hurting', '400 Bones' and 'Get Out' all very strong - and there isn't a bad track here although maybe a few did just pass by forgetfully, but I can't fault this, very nice pick.


9/10

 

[OB1]

Thanks Rob, well summarised.

I think it should have its own thread.
i‘m happy for anyone to throw their hat in the ring, I’m still working so fairly busy
and not great at IT excel spreadsheets or whatever, but if no one wants the gig
I’ll do it.
I think it should be open to all and sundry as we could maybe do with some new blood.
I think max of 5 songs or less but max of 40 mins so maybe 2 for the Prog Rock fans lol.

Agree on separate thread.

I think up to five songs or 40 mins is fari enough although I prefer just a time limit but I would, wouldn't I as that was my suggestion.

The time limit is essential though,otherwise some twat like me will find five 20 minute long tracks. I think I have one 30 minute track :-)

 

[BlueHammer85]

@Coatigan this ones for you