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

BlueHammer85 said:
Is it not cool to admit Automatic For People is also a great album ?
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It’s not a “cool” thing. But a) I hate how the strings took over; b) it was Peter Buck’s idea but sounds like a Michael Stipe solo record and he’s the least talented guy in the band; c) it’s slow, slow, slow (sit and listen vs. get up and move); and d) listen to what Buck said: “The world that we'd been involved in had disappeared, the world of Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, all that had gone [...] We were just in a different place and that worked its way out musically and lyrically." Well, I motherfucking love Husker Du and The Replacements so I didn’t really want to be in a different place.

I don’t hate AFP really, but it was a new direction that veered so far away from the old I couldn’t get with it because I loved the old. I had exactly the same problem with Talking Heads and “Little Creatures.” A new direction that took them so far away from what I loved about them that I couldn’t follow. Admittedly REM veered back with “Monster” but by then Nirvana had changed everything and it was too late for me because Athens, GA had been replaced by Chapel Hill, NC and Superchunk and Archers of Loaf had taken the traditional four-piece post-punk set-up and moved it far more interesting directions.
 
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hilts said:
What's some fans problems with automatic for the people? Is it their sold out became successful period that a lot of bands get called on by certain fans?
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It wasn’t the “sell out” part at all — I was amazed it was so popular. Just a direction I didn’t want them to go, but obviously gave them a whole new broader fanbase. As noted above, the same (for me) with Talking Heads.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Seen her twice, once at Brixton Academy about 12 years ago now - she was brilliant, only negatives was the stench of weed and the venom at which my wife was singing 'You Oughta Know' lyrics.
Awesome album full of hits.

9/10
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Your weed comment reminds me of an Aswad gig I went to many years ago. Bearing in mind I've seen the likes of Burning Spear and Black Uhuru I had it in my head that because it was a bit reggae lite and Brinsley was that nice kid off The Double Deckers thst there'd be not much more than a mild fragrance in comparison. Turned out by some margin to be the biggest weed cloud I've ever watched a gig in. Always makes smile whenever I see a bit of totp footage of them.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
It wasn’t the “sell out” part at all — I was amazed it was so popular. Just a direction I didn’t want them to go, but obviously gave them a whole new broader fanbase. As noted above, the same (for me) with Talking Heads.
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Oh FFS - here we go again.

Thread about to be de-railed........... ;-)
 
BlueHammer85 said:
Slower more haunting version highlights how good her voice is.

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Does it, is it? Not sure I agree.

A lot better than on the album, sure. Still wouldn't say it is 'good'. Or, maybe good, in a technical sense. But not good to listen to.

I gave this album another go after the recent few pages of outpours of praise. thought embrace the mood of positivity, shake off the irritation, go afresh and really try. Lasted 46 seconds. Skipped a bit and lasted even less elsewhere.

It is pretty much a replay the Mike Patton discussion. Good range, good ear. Awful tone to the voice though. Hence so divisive. There are singers with far worse ability that pull off their own styles better.

But it is obviously a niche problem, as she has sold so much and found big audiences without any issue, so that's very much a me thing. Which should go without saying, but I said it anyway.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
It wasn’t the “sell out” part at all — I was amazed it was so popular. Just a direction I didn’t want them to go, but obviously gave them a whole new broader fanbase. As noted above, the same (for me) with Talking Heads.
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Another band I wouldn’t claim to have ever been totally into, but I think I tend to agree with you regarding REM.
I would tend to like their earlier stuff.
I’m more Orange Crush and Losing My Religion, than Sidewinder.
 
Sorry ran out of time to post a review, she’s not my cup of tea.
I’ve never listened to the album before but was obviously familiar with the hits.
My main problem is her voice , catchy songs but the wailing on certain tracks put me off.
Definitely very talented lady.

5/10
 
A great nomination from @Saddleworth2 that generated 20+ pages of discussion.

Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill averaged 6.68 across its 17 votes. I was hoping for last-minute scores of 3 and 5 because we had every other number between 1 and 10 for the scores here :)

This week it's the turn of @Coatigan to nominate .....
 
Clues:

- A vital part in the process without which we would not be able to breathe. Well, technically we would, but would not survive.

- Hermann Hesse, Paolo Coelho and Paul Tordey all wrote about this process. Which is also not too irrelevant to our good club.


(The two above are different things, and cover both the band and album)
 
Coatigan said:
Does it, is it? Not sure I agree.

A lot better than on the album, sure. Still wouldn't say it is 'good'. Or, maybe good, in a technical sense. But not good to listen to.

I gave this album another go after the recent few pages of outpours of praise. thought embrace the mood of positivity, shake off the irritation, go afresh and really try. Lasted 46 seconds. Skipped a bit and lasted even less elsewhere.

It is pretty much a replay the Mike Patton discussion. Good range, good ear. Awful tone to the voice though. Hence so divisive. There are singers with far worse ability that pull off their own styles better.

But it is obviously a niche problem, as she has sold so much and found big audiences without any issue, so that's very much a me thing. Which should go without saying, but I said it anyway.
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You are not alone, I can assure you...
 
RobMCFC said:
A great nomination from @Saddleworth2 that generated 20+ pages of discussion.

Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill averaged 6.68 across its 17 votes. I was hoping for last-minute scores of 3 and 5 because we had every other number between 1 and 10 for the scores here :)

This week it's the turn of @Coatigan to nominate .....
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Doogie gave it a 5, so just a 3 missing.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
It wasn’t the “sell out” part at all — I was amazed it was so popular. Just a direction I didn’t want them to go, but obviously gave them a whole new broader fanbase. As noted above, the same (for me) with Talking Heads.
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Didn't know the order of their songs particularly well was just curious as I've seen a few fans knock the album. It was probably the first of theirs I had ever heard tbh.
 
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