The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

FogBlueInSanFran said:
This whole board is running scared of my keyboard. Only explanation for there being 86 nominated albums thus far but none by "tHe MOsT imPorTAnt BaNd iN ThE woRld" yet.
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So you nominate it and therefore unable to score it, everyone else rightly scores it highly and it tops the charts. Works for me
 
journolud said:
So you nominate it and therefore unable to score it, everyone else rightly scores it highly and it tops the charts. Works for me
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Or . . . I eviscerate it for all the reasons I've honed over 30 years since first hearing it, the objective denizens here listen and agree with my review, and it fails as it deserves to because I persuade everyone I am right :)

I should note it depends on WHICH record. They have many, many awful ones, but some are better or worse than others. The rainbows one was okay.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
That is actually really cool and very random!

Also you should feel free to offer up bad reviews and low scores. It keeps the scoring honest for one, and those of us who disagree (or the original contributor) will argue the points against you.

Well over a year on I think we've all developed pretty thick skin and most of us have contributed some records the regulars here like, and some they dislike. Also several albums in for many of us we are onto records we feel a little less emotionally attached to as well.

Or -- if you are really worried about getting eviscerated -- nominate a record you hate! Or one with a major flaw! I've been thinking about doing that for my next pick . . . can anyone guess what that might be? :}
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As much as the actual nominations it would be quite interesting to know about some of the albums people have considered and definitively decided against for whatever reason, I realise they could in theory be on someone else's list to nominate but it's probably unlikely. As a sometime (and crap) clarinettist, part of me wanted to nominate Jimmy Giuffre's Free Fall at some point because I think it's a mind blowing album but it's not going to happen as it's just way too niche. A few people myself included think it's a mesmeric exploration of what you can get a clarinet to do sonically; many clarinet players think every copy on earth should be melted down. To say I think it would get short thrift on here would be an understatement. Other people must have stuff they really like but have decided is a bit too niche?

Back to this weeks nomination, first listen it grew on me as it went along.

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FogBlueInSanFran said:
Or . . . I eviscerate it for all the reasons I've honed over 30 years since first hearing it, the objective denizens here listen and agree with my review, and it fails as it deserves to because I persuade everyone I am right :)

I should note it depends on WHICH record. They have many, many awful ones, but some are better or worse than others. The rainbows one was okay.
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It’s an interesting concept that we should all nominate an album that we really don’t like and fly in the face of popular opinion by doing so. My Radiohead would be John Lennon, probably his first album but then I would have to listen to it in order to write my detailed negative review and I just can’t bring myself to.
 
journolud said:
It’s an interesting concept that we should all nominate an album that we really don’t like and fly in the face of popular opinion by doing so. My Radiohead would be John Lennon, probably his first album but then I would have to listen to it in order to write my detailed negative review and I just can’t bring myself to.
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No his second album, including the saccharine encased twaddle of it's title track. How do you sleep at night Paul, probably by not being as sanctimonious a twat as you John. Jealous Guy's good though.
 
threespires said:
No his second album, including the saccharine encased twaddle of it's title track. How do you sleep at night Paul, probably by not being as sanctimonious a twat as you John. Jealous Guy's good though.
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A close run thing but if I remember right his first is laced with self pity and cynicism. Imagine on my list of all time hated songs
 
journolud said:
A close run thing but if I remember right his first is laced with self pity and cynicism. Imagine on my list of all time hated songs
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At least his self-pity is only laughable given he was already very rich and not a cynical ploy from the get-go to make him rich like Thom Yorke's.

But wow -- eviscerating Imagine would be something I would enjoy reading whether I agreed or not.
 
Sorry I've missed a few scores but I generally listen to albums whilst at work. When I'm really busy (like the last few weeks) I can't listen to them as I need to concentrate! I can't listen to new music and concentrate for some reason!

Never heard of these so looking forward to it!
 
Somewhere somehow I have heard this record many times but I don’t know if it was because my parents owned it (unlikely) or my college roommate Pete did. I think it has to be the latter, because the first year we lived together I was baked to the sky literally every day and while a lot of the music from that time in my life I recall well, it’s clear that some I do not. That year or so was a bit of a fog. Our poor roommate (now a doctor) who didn’t smoke weed but made Rice Krispy squares as his little post-study treat would sometimes find his stash raided as we got the munchies late at night. We were awful. Anyhow, I will listen a few times more but what a joy it was to hear “Mr. Skin” after all these years. Would never have known the band nor the record.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
Sorry I've missed a few scores but I generally listen to albums whilst at work. When I'm really busy (like the last few weeks) I can't listen to them as I need to concentrate! I can't listen to new music and concentrate for some reason!

Never heard of these so looking forward to it!
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I'm the same, other than I have no problem with new music, maybe even welcome it.

With this one though, in this week which is pretty hectic, it has been a struggle and I am behind. At first pass I find all the chopping and changing quite confusing and uncomfortable, and a rare occurance of distraction. Hence might be one I have to reserve for out of work hours. Which any other week would be easier.
 
I'd never heard of Spirit before but the name of the album sounded like it would be either very pretentious, or a psychedelic rock classic!

As I said before, I find it hard to listen to new music if I have to concentrate a lot at work and there's no way I could've listened to this as there's a lot going on.

I thought the album was very good and I really enjoyed it and will definitely listen to this again. Every song sounded like it should be on the album and there was a good mix of catchy early-70s rock, blues rock, touch of psychedelia and some heavy-ish stuff too. I've said it before, but this type of album is good but such was the quality in the 70s it wouldn't register as a particularly good album from that era.

My only 'complaint' is that maybe it's a couple of songs too long but I'm not sure which ones to drop!

Overall, really enjoyed it and a great pick!

8/10
 
I'm about ready to head out on vacation (holiday) for a few days so I want to get a score in. It's a 7/10 for me. Brought back a lot of memories even if, as I noted, the don't actuially remember the memories! Some great tunes and some rather odd ones. I will try to add more value here but it will be post-deadline, so just wanted to at least get a number in. Arguably one of my favo(u)rite picks in this thread just because of the sudden recognition of the music for so long ago, which is a very pleasant feeling.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I'm about ready to head out on vacation (holiday) for a few days so I want to get a score in. It's a 7/10 for me. Brought back a lot of memories even if, as I noted, the don't actuially remember the memories! Some great tunes and some rather odd ones. I will try to add more value here but it will be post-deadline, so just wanted to at least get a number in. Arguably one of my favo(u)rite picks in this thread just because of the sudden recognition of the music for so long ago, which is a very pleasant feeling.
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A 'very pleasant feeling' that you articulated in an all caps outburst that made me wonder if you'd imbibed something!
 
For some reason, I really struggled to get in a decent number of attentive listens to this. Normally even with stuff I'm not that keen on I don't find it a problem but I've never really been in the right frame of mind for this one. First time really that I've struggled to give something a fair crack of the whip. From what I have managed to take in it's quite varied and there's clearly quality there but I can't get it to stick at all, albeit I've been a bit distracted this week anyway. I'm giving it a neutral 5/10.
 
threespires said:
For some reason, I really struggled to get in a decent number of attentive listens to this. Normally even with stuff I'm not that keen on I don't find it a problem but I've never really been in the right frame of mind for this one. First time really that I've struggled to give something a fair crack of the whip. From what I have managed to take in it's quite varied and there's clearly quality there but I can't get it to stick at all, albeit I've been a bit distracted this week anyway. I'm giving it a neutral 5/10.
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Same for me, I can only give an album a fair listen when on commute to work - home life is too hectic and I’m here there and everywhere lately.

I’ll always give an album a fair few listens so will have to review late again this one
 
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