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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 0:34:58 GMT 1
#82 Cocteau Twins "Heaven Or Las Vegas"
Blis-5-ful: Cherry-Coloured Funk, Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires, Iceblink Luck, Pitch The Baby, Fifty-Fifty Clown
I really love the Cocteau Twins although it's only recently that I've realised just how much I do. Elizabeth Fraser is the lead singer and she's probably better known for being the lead vocalist on Massive Attack's 'Tear Drop' than any of her own work, it's a real shame. I can't really comment on specific tracks - although I do have favourites - as they are all sung in their unique style which means I can barely make out the lyrics to any of them. Listening to a Cocteau Twins album is not about the lyrics though, it's about the mood and the dreaminess of their sound - by making the lyrics less comprehendable they cleverly turn Elizabeth's magical voice into an instrument and she sings very much as though it is just part of an overall band melody. A wonderous band.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 0:53:58 GMT 1
#81 Ryan Adams "Gold"
Hi 5 for: Wild Flowers, Answering Bell, Nobody Girl, When The Stars Go Blue, Harder Now That It's Over
This was Ryan Adam's second album and it was the one that took him into a mainstream audience. 'Wild Flowers' is a beautiful ballad and, for me, is one of the best tracks ever written - it's very Neil Young and he even sounds a bit like him on it also. It's 17 tracks long (Mr Adams has never adhered to the less is more rule) and everything here is good - among the moments that fly way above good are the opening triplet of 'New York New York', 'Firecracker' and 'Answering Bell' as they benefit from added harmonica and the 9 minute plus 'Nobody Girl' which rocks out to levels he's never seen before or achieved again. Ryan really can write a decent lament though and that's where he shines through on all of his albums and it's demonstrated amply here on the likes of 'When The Stars Go Blue' and 'Harder Now That It's Over'. My one and only criticism of the guy is that he always sounds a bit like someone else before him but it doesn't alter the fact that the music itself is great.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 0:55:27 GMT 1
So... the first 20 that make the cut are: 100 Moby "Play" 99 PJ Harvey "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" 98 Royksopp "The Understanding" 97 Michael Jackson "Dangerous" 96 Herbert "Bodily Functions" 95 Duran Duran "Rio" 94 Mew "And The Glass Handed Kites" 93 Muse "Absolution" 92 A-Ha "Scoundrel Days" 91 Jazzanova "In Between" 90 The Divine Comedy "Regeneration" 89 Erasure "Erasure" 88 Susumu Yokota "Sakura" 87 Fiona Apple "When The Pawn..." 86 Tortoise "Standards" 85 David Holmes "Bow Down To The Exit Sign" 84 The Human League "Dare" 83 Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat" 82 The Cocteau Twins "Heaven Or Las Vegas" 81 Ryan Adams "Gold"
Feel free to comment or suffer my hissy-fit.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 22:06:19 GMT 1
Not a single comment all day, you SWINES.
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Post by Chris on Nov 26, 2006 22:17:13 GMT 1
Waiting for top 20.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Nov 26, 2006 22:24:55 GMT 1
I own: 83 Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat"
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Da Quen B
Member
*She of many holidays*
Walkin' In Rhythm
Posts: 15,690
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Post by Da Quen B on Nov 26, 2006 22:59:34 GMT 1
I don't like any of those apart from possibly the PJ Harvey one Oh and infinate 's at Moby...
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 23:09:57 GMT 1
I don't like any of those apart from possibly the PJ Harvey one Oh and infinate 's at Moby... None of them? For some reason I thought you'd be ok with the likes of Duran Duran and Human League. Mind, I'm not surprised as I did think your top 100 was almost a polar opposite of mine! And Moby is really not that bad, I'm perplexed as to why you hate it so.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 26, 2006 23:11:13 GMT 1
I own: 83 Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat" But at least you like 1 of them, it's more than some!
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Da Quen B
Member
*She of many holidays*
Walkin' In Rhythm
Posts: 15,690
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Post by Da Quen B on Nov 26, 2006 23:37:11 GMT 1
I don't like any of those apart from possibly the PJ Harvey one Oh and infinate 's at Moby... None of them? For some reason I thought you'd be ok with the likes of Duran Duran and Human League. Mind, I'm not surprised as I did think your top 100 was almost a polar opposite of mine! And Moby is really not that bad, I'm perplexed as to why you hate it so. I can't remember what the Duran Duran and Human League albums sound like though I like Hungry Like The Wolf That Moby album was far too overexposed and I got sick of hearing it very quickly (not that I liked it much to begin with...) The other half likes The Divine Comedy though
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Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
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Post by Tom on Nov 27, 2006 11:34:20 GMT 1
Great thread Dandy and glad that Dangerous is in there, I've always thought it was underrated. It would be comfortably in my Top 50 favourite albums. Although I only bought it fairly recently, up until a couple of years ago it was the only album I'd wanted to buy in week of release. I distinctly remember hearing the first 2 tracks "Jam" and "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" in a small record shop in Slough when I was a kid. Jam is one of my favourites on the album, and "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" reminds me a lot of Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You", something that was perhaps more obvious when I bought the album as that song had just been released. Disagree with you on Heal the World though, thinks it s a great track, though it does hold personal memories for me, and I'm also surprised you don't mention "Black or White" as its one of the standout songs on the album, and one of his best songs ever imo.
As for the singles debate I remember reading in "Number One" magazine how they were going to release 10 of the tracks as singles. I think Dangerous or Keep the Faith were the other track mentioned. Obviously it was shelved because of the court case in 1993 surrounding the child sex scandals etc, With the long gap between the final 2 singles (Will You Be There and Gone Too Soon) the other single would probably have been released in that time, but was obviously shelved because of the child sex scandals that broke out around that time in 1993.
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space
Member
Posts: 3,739
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Post by space on Nov 27, 2006 17:06:29 GMT 1
very good chart so far. i m glad that u have some 80s "pop" classic like Human League Aha n especially Duran Duran (pop masterpiece even if my favorite DD album is their first).
The Cocteau Twins , Tortoise n PJ Harvey albums give toi your chart a darek n deep feeling.excellent choices .
Ryan adams,Mew r brave choices too.oh n that divine comedy album.
no more comments from me.
btw your reviews r really great.
i ll be around for the next 20
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 27, 2006 22:14:32 GMT 1
Great thread Dandy and glad that Dangerous is in there, I've always thought it was underrated. It would be comfortably in my Top 50 favourite albums. Although I only bought it fairly recently, up until a couple of years ago it was the only album I'd wanted to buy in week of release. I distinctly remember hearing the first 2 tracks "Jam" and "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" in a small record shop in Slough when I was a kid. Jam is one of my favourites on the album, and "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" reminds me a lot of Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You", something that was perhaps more obvious when I bought the album as that song had just been released. Disagree with you on Heal the World though, thinks it s a great track, though it does hold personal memories for me, and I'm also surprised you don't mention "Black or White" as its one of the standout songs on the album, and one of his best songs ever imo. As for the singles debate I remember reading in "Number One" magazine how they were going to release 10 of the tracks as singles. I think Dangerous or Keep the Faith were the other track mentioned. Obviously it was shelved because of the court case in 1993 surrounding the child sex scandals etc, With the long gap between the final 2 singles (Will You Be There and Gone Too Soon) the other single would probably have been released in that time, but was obviously shelved because of the child sex scandals that broke out around that time in 1993. Great response, thank you! I agree with you that 'Black Or White' is a classic MJ single - I just don't think it suits the album as much as some of the other tracks plus it's well known enough without me mentioning it. I was forgetting that the sex scandal was around about the time of the tail end promotion of this album, that does indeed explain a lot.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 27, 2006 22:17:29 GMT 1
very good chart so far. i m glad that u have some 80s "pop" classic like Human League Aha n especially Duran Duran (pop masterpiece even if my favorite DD album is their first). The Cocteau Twins , Tortoise n PJ Harvey albums give toi your chart a darek n deep feeling.excellent choices . Ryan adams,Mew r brave choices too.oh n that divine comedy album. no more comments from me. btw your reviews r really great. i ll be around for the next 20 Thanks for taking the time to comment, very glad to hear you'll be about for the next 20 - just hope you approve of them! I don't have Duran Duran's first album - although I fully admit that I should do, FLOP fan Dandy*
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 27, 2006 22:35:48 GMT 1
#80 Garbage "Garbage"
Girls 5 Rock: Vow, As Heaven Is Wide, My Lover's Box, Only Happy When It Rains, Milk
I bought this when it came out and I wasn't expecting anything at all from it, I played it once and it blew me away. For me, it remains their best album to this day as 'Version 2.0' was that tiny bit too mechanical where as subsequent albums have been ok in patches but not as a whole. The best track here for me is 'Vow', I absolutely love it and can't help but put on an evil voice for the "I can't use what I can't abuse... and I can't stop when it comes to you" bit! A string of excellent singles (Queer, Only Happy When It Rains, Milk) coupled with a string of even better album tracks (the other ones in my top 5) makes for one hell of a good album. I assume Subhuman/Big-Dan approves!
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Da Quen B
Member
*She of many holidays*
Walkin' In Rhythm
Posts: 15,690
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Post by Da Quen B on Nov 27, 2006 23:43:12 GMT 1
My faith in Dandy*'s good taste is restored! Though you seem to have forgotten to mention the sensational A Stroke Of Luck in the top 5 tracks...
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Post by Doctor Blind on Nov 28, 2006 14:02:18 GMT 1
What a fantastic album there at number 80, definitely one of their finest moments- I love all the singles ESPECIALLY "Only Happy When It Rains" and a lot of the album tracks just as much. A solid album, good to see it represented here.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 28, 2006 15:30:50 GMT 1
#79 Lamb "Lamb"
Lou 5 Andy: Gorecki, God Bless, Trans Fatty Acid, Gold, Cotton Wool
Before I go on, the Kruder & Dorfmeister mix of 'Trans Fatty Acid' is one of the most essential things ever, download it now... aside from that, so is Gorecki (the best track here) so go download that now also... Lou Rhodes is the lead vocalist in Lamb, the same Lou Rhodes who was nominated for the Mercury Prize this year, and this is their debut album. It's best described as a kind of folk music set to faint drum and bass influenced beats. Lou's vocals are beautiful and at times completely breathtaking while Andy manages to actually create a rich, varied and textured background for them to nestle softly into. Sometimes, as on 'Cotton Wool' for instance, the beats are rather difficult to penetrate as they cut across so many layers but it somehow doesn't detract from the overall feel. They've been surprisingly consistent since too, 'Fear Of Fours' was a similar sounding follow up before 'What Sound?' when slightly poppier and finally 'Between Darkness And Wonder' almost dropped the dance elements entirely - the original doth remain the best though.
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 28, 2006 15:52:34 GMT 1
#78 Duran Duran "Medazzaland"
Le Bon 5: Electric Barbarella, Out Of My Mind, Big Bang Generation, Midnight Sun, So Long Suicide
This is the best Duran Duran album and it arrived and went again in 1997 without anyone even vaguely noticing. The back cover has 'mid price' in cut and paste lettering to acknowledge their lack of popularity at that time but, amusingly, it's now the most expensive Duran Duran album to get hold of going for a minimum of £20 for second hand standard CD version. Anyway, the music itself... It begins with the spooky Dr Who-esque title track as Simon Le Bon utters random phrases over an offputting background before storming into the catchy 'Big Bang Generation'. 'Electric Barbarella' is next up and is the only track here to make it to their 'Greatest' album, it's a rollicking electro-guitar hybrid that storms for it's 5 minute length - of course the track itself is a direct reference to the film 'Barbarella' from which Duran Duran stole their name. 'Out Of My Mind' was the second single and is my favourite track ever by them, it's kinda floaty and is not too dissimilar to the equally excellent 'Come Undone' from the wedding album. Only the awful 'Be My Icon' takes their more experimental approach too far and the sweet 'Michael You've Got A Lot To Answer For' is an acoustic led contrast - incidentally, the track was released only just before Michael Huthence took his life and is rumoured to have been about him. On a similar note to this album, I'd also recommend the follow up 'Pop Trash' as being a good starter for 90s Le Bon action!
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Post by dandyhighwayman on Nov 28, 2006 16:11:59 GMT 1
#77 Joni Mitchell "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns"
His 5 ssssssss: In France They Kiss On Main Street, Harry's House/Centerpiece, Shadows And Light, Don't Interrupt The Sorrow, Shades Of Scarlett Conquering
Joni Mitchell surely has to be one of the best lyricists ever, ignore the mid 80s period and you can't go far wrong with most of her work. This is my favourite by her and is from her sublime mid 70s work ('Hejira' is also brilliant from this era). The album opens with the free spirited 'In France They Kiss On Main Street' as Joni paints a picture of growing up in the pin ball arcades where everyone was 'rollin' rollin', rock n rollin' - it's a chipper start to a mellow album. 'Harry's House/Centerpiece' takes one of her own songs (HH) and then merges it into a classic (Centerpiece) halfway through to great effect - a trick she repeated later in her career on 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody', a better version of the classic you will not hear. The album ends with the gorgeous 'Shadows And Light', just Joni's voice and the occasional synth making the perfect end to the album. Joni's songs tend to not be based around a normal verse/chorus structure and that's evident here but don't let that put you off as they really do return great rewards if you give them chance. Start your Joni collection with 'Blue' as nearly everyone does but don't leave this one far behind.
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