Andy's old cd albums & Tapes!

[o]

As I now have a car with a cd system, I thought I'd play some old cd albums that are gathering dust. I also thought I'd share my thoughts on the said album, and likewise anyone else can comment on the album/artist etc. etc. ;D

Please dont persecute my choices

First up is...

Crowded House – Crowded House
1. "Mean to Me"
Finn 3:15
2. "World Where You Live"
Finn 3:07
3. "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
Finn 4:09
4. "Don't Dream It's Over"
Finn 4:03
5. "Love You 'Til the Day I Die" Finn 3:31
6. "Something So Strong"
Finn, Froom 2:51
7. "Hole in the River" Finn, Rayner 4:02
8. "Can't Carry On" Finn 3:57
9. "I Walk Away" Finn 3:06
10. "Tombstone" Finn 3:30
11. "That's What I Call Love" Finn, Hester 3:39

A great debut album full of catchy songs, sometimes with a darker edge. Obviously the classics are Something so strong and Don’t dream it’s over, but also taking my attention are Mean to me, That’s what I call love and Love you til the day I die. 7/10



This is the full list of what I've listened to on cd, and is reviewed somewhere in this thread


CD Albums (115)
Bryan Adams – So far, so good 6/10
Aha - Headlines and deadlines, the hits of 4/10
Air Traffic - Fractured life 7/10
Alarm - Change 6/10
All Saints – All Saints 3/10
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not 7/10
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite worse nightmare 7/10
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug 6/10
Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and see 8/10
Athlete - Tourist 6/10
Autolux - Picture perfect 3/10
Battle - Back to earth 8/10
Battle - Break the banks (promo) 7/10
Battle - Break the banks 7/10
Beautiful South - Carry on up the charts 6.5/10
Beloved - Bliss 6/10
Bell X1 - Flock 8/10
Big Country - The crossing 6/10
Big Country - Steeltown 6/10
Big Country - No place like home 5/10
Big Country - The buffalo skinners 6/10
Big Pig – Bonk 8/10
Blameless - The signs are all there 3/10
Blackbud – From the sky 7/10
Bloc Party - Silent alarm 7/10
Bloc Party - A weekend in the city 6/10
Blondie - Denis 6.5/10
James Blunt - Back to bedlam 7/10
James Blunt - All the lost souls 5/10
Bombay Bicyce Club - Flaws 4/10
Bombay Bicycle Club - A different kind of fix 6/10
Bon Iver - Bon Iver 2/10
Michelle Branch – The spirit room 7/10
Bucks Fizz – Best of 2/10
Caesars – 39 minutes of bliss 5/10
Chalets - Check in 7/10
Eddie Cochrane - The original 7/10
Coldplay – Parachutes 7/10
Corrs – In Blue 1/10
Cornershop – When I was born for the 7th time 5/10
Cranberries – No need to argue 3/10
Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow 6/10
Crowded House – Crowded House 7/10
Crowded House - Temple of low men 6/10
Crowded House – Woodface 6/10
Crowded House - Together Alone 6/10
Crowded House – Afterglow 4/10
Cure - Galore 8/10
Darius - Live twice 2/10
Deacon Blue - Whatever you say, say nothing 7/10
Deacon Blue - Raintown 4/10
Death in Vegas - Milk it 7/10
Del Amitri - Hatful of rain 5/10
Dido - No angel 5/10
Dido - Life for rent 1/10
Dirty Vegas - One 6/10
Editors - The back room 5/10
Editors - An end has a start 7/10
Elbow - Asleep at the back 5/10
Elbow - The seldom seen kid 6.5/10
Electronic - Raise the pressure 5/10
Energy Orchard - Pain killer 2/10
Evanescence – Fallen 7/10
Paloma Faith - Do you want the truth or something beautiful? 6/10
Feeder – Pushing the senses 7/10
Fields - Everything last winter 7/10
Fischerspooner – Odyssey 8/10
Flaming Lips - The soft bulletin 3/10
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight 7/10
Nelly Furtado - Whoah Nelly 1/10
Goldfrapp – Supernature 5/10
HardFi - Stars of CCTV 8/10
Hunters & Collectors – Fate 7/10
Hunters & Collectors – Demon flower 7/10
Hunters & Collectors – Juggernaut 6/10
Inspiral Carpets – Revenge of the goldfish 7/10
Jack Johnson - In between dreams 5/10
James - Gold mother 6.5/10
JJ72 - JJ72 7/10
Kasabian - Kasabian 9/10
Killers - Hot fuss 6.5/10
Killers - Sam's town 6/10
KIngs of Leon - Youth and young manhood 6.5/10
Levellers - A weapon called the word 6/10
Levellers - Levelling the land 8/10
Levellers - Levellers 7/10
Levellers – Zeitgeist 8/10
Levellers - Zeitgeist outtakes 6/10
Manic Street Preachers - Gold against the soul 6/10
Manic Street Preachers - Everything must go 7/10
Manic Street Preachers – Lifeblood 5/10
Marmaduke Duke - Duke pandemonium 2/10
Midnight Oil – Midnight Oil 6/10
Midnight Oil - Place without a postcard 7/10
Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 7/10
Midnight Oil - Red sails in the sunset 6/10
Midnight Oil - Diesel and dust 10/10
Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mining 8/10
Midnight Oil - Earth and sun and moon 9/10
Midnight Oil – Breathe 6/10
Midnight Oil - Redneck wonderland 8/10
Midnight Oil - The real thing 6/10
Midnight Oil - Capricornia 7/10
Natural Life - Natural Life 2/10
Primal Scream – Screamadelica 1/10
Damien Rice – 9 5/10
Ricky Ross - What you are 6.5/10
Jamie T - Kings and queens 8/10
The Feeling - Twelve stops and home 6/10
Travis - Good feeling 7/10
Travis - The man who 7/10
Travis - The invisible band 7/10
Various artists - The Lost Boys 7/10
WASP - Headless children 1/10
Wonderstuff - Eight legged groove machine 7/10
Wonderstuff - Hup! 8/10

[o]

I'm playing catch up, so will be posting a few albums over the next few days

I decided to do the Crowded House albums in order

Crowded House - Temple of Low Men
1. "I Feel Possessed" – 3:48
2. "Kill Eye" – 3:14
3. "Into Temptation" – 4:33
4. "Mansion in the Slums" – 3:45
5. "When You Come" – 4:45
6. "Never Be the Same" – 4:28
7. "Love This Life" – 3:36
8. "Sister Madly" – 2:52
9. "In the Lowlands" – 3:56
10. "Better Be Home Soon" – 3:07

This album ends with the classic Better be home soon, but there’s plenty of other good songs, my faves are Sister Madly, Into temptation and When you come. 6/10

[o]

Crowded House - Woodface
1. "Chocolate Cake" – 4:02
2. "It's Only Natural" – 3:32
3. "Fall at Your Feet" (N. Finn) – 3:18
4. "Tall Trees" – 2:19
5. "Weather with You" – 3:44
6. "Whispers and Moans" (N. Finn) – 3:39
7. "Four Seasons in One Day" – 2:50
8. "There Goes God" – 3:50
9. "Fame Is" (N. Finn) – 2:23
10. "All I Ask" – 3:55
11. "As Sure as I Am" (N. Finn) – 2:53
12. "Italian Plastic" (Paul Hester) – 3:39
13. "She Goes On" (N. Finn) – 3:15
14. "How Will You Go" – 3:07 / "I'm Still Here" (Hester) – 1:07

The album that brought them major commercial success with the well known single Weather with you. I prefer Four seasons in one day, Fall at your feet and Chocolate cake. It does fade away towards the end of the album though. 6/10

[o]

Crowded House - Together Alone
1. "Kare Kare" (Crowded House) – 3:35
2. "In My Command" – 3:43
3. "Nails in My Feet" – 3:39
4. "Black & White Boy" – 4:00
5. "Fingers of Love" – 4:26
6. "Pineapple Head" – 3:27
7. "Locked Out" – 3:17
8. "Private Universe" – 5:39
9. "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54
10. "Distant Sun" – 3:49
11. "Catherine Wheels" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour) – 5:12
12. "Skin Feeling" (Paul Hester) – 3:56
13. "Together Alone" (Neil Finn, Mark Hart, Ngapo 'Bub' Wehi) – 3:55

Together alone and Private universe are my faves here, but I’m also appreciating Black and white boy and I mustn’t forget Distant sun, another favourite. 6/10

[o]

Crowded House - Afterglow
1. "I Am in Love" – 4:38
2. "Sacred Cow" – 3:37
3. "You Can Touch" – 3:46
4. "Help Is Coming" (N. Finn, Peter Jones, Nick Seymour) – 4:49
5. "I Love You Dawn" – 2:34
6. "Dr. Livingstone" – 3:57
7. "My Telly's Gone Bung" (Paul Hester) – 3:13
8. "Private Universe" [Acoustic Mix] – 4:08
9. "Lester" [Demo] – 2:18
10. "Anyone Can Tell" – 3:36
11. "Recurring Dream" (N. Finn, Hester, Craig Hooper, Seymour) – 3:24
12. "Left Hand" – 2:57
13. "Time Immemorial" – 4:07

A kind of bsides/extra tracks album, usually quite hit and miss as is this case. The acoustic version of Private universe is as good as the original, and I’m also keen on Recurring dream and Left hand, the rest is quite average. 4/10

[o]

Cornershop – When I was born for the 7th time
1. "Sleep on the Left Side" 4:06
2. "Brimful of Asha"
5:17
3. "Butter the Soul" 3:19
4. "Chocolat" 1:24
5. "We're in Yr Corner" 5:47
6. "Funky Days Are Back Again" 3:41
7. "What Is Happening?" 2:15
8. "When the Light Appears Boy" (featuring Allen Ginsberg)
2:41
9. "Coming Up" 1:03
10. "Good sh*t" 4:40
11. "Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again" (with Paula Frazer)
5:45
12. "It's Indian Tobacco My Friend" 4:51
13. "Candyman" (with Justin Warfield)
3:49
14. "State Troopers" 3:07
15. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" John Lennon, Paul McCartney
2:27

Brimful of Asha brought them international recognition, but it was the Fatboy Slim remix that won people over, not the version on the album here. I prefer Sleep on the left side, and my fave is We’re in yr corner, along with Funky days are back again, and the understated Good to be on the road back home again. 5/10

[o]

Caesars – 39 minutes of bliss (In an otherwise meaningless world)
1. "Sort It Out" 3:36
2. "(I'm Gonna) Kick You Out" 2:50
3. "Let's Go Parking Baby" 2:34
4. "Jerk It Out"
3:16
5. "Out of My Hands" (Sanders) (Originally by The Endd)
3:37
6. "Only You" 2:32
7. "Since You've Been Gone" 3:15
8. "Crackin' Up" (Vidal) 3:14
9. "You're My Favourite" (Lundqvist-Vidal-Åhlund) 2:02
10. "Fun and Games" (Byles-Perry) 2:22
11. "Suzy Creamcheese" (Conway-Flores-Ralston) 4:03
12. "You Don't Mean a Thing to Me" 4:37

The Caesars gained some success with an advert using Jerk it out, a catchy 3 min song that sounds rather rude I also like Sort it out and Kick you out. 5/10

[o]

Cranberries – No need to argue
1. "Ode to My Family"
4:30
2. "I Can't Be With You"
3:07
3. "Twenty One" 3:07
4. "Zombie"
5:06
5. "Empty" 3:26
6. "Everything I Said" 3:52
7. "The Icicle Melts" 2:54
8. "Disappointment" 4:14
9. "Ridiculous Thoughts"
4:31
10. "Dreaming My Dreams"
3:37
11. "Yeat's Grave" 2:59
12. "Daffodil Lament" 6:14
13. "No Need to Argue" 2:54

I remember buying this on the strength of the singles Zombie and I cant be with you, and I find the album rather weak after those singles and a bit dull. I also like Ridiculous thoughts, but the rest kind of passes me by. Disappointing. 3/10

[greendemon]

yay! crowded house!

Apr 4, 2012 15:18:32 GMT 1 o said:

Crowded House – Crowded House
1. "Mean to Me"
Finn 3:15
2. "World Where You Live"
Finn 3:07
3. "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
Finn 4:09
4. "Don't Dream It's Over"
Finn 4:03
5. "Love You 'Til the Day I Die" Finn 3:31
6. "Something So Strong"
Finn, Froom 2:51
7. "Hole in the River" Finn, Rayner 4:02
8. "Can't Carry On" Finn 3:57
9. "I Walk Away" Finn 3:06
10. "Tombstone" Finn 3:30
11. "That's What I Call Love" Finn, Hester 3:39

A great debut album full of catchy songs, sometimes with a darker edge. Obviously the classics are Something so strong and Don’t dream it’s over, but also taking my attention are Mean to me, That’s what I call love and Love you til the day I die. 7/10

this is such an underrated album. i came to it very late - i loved 'together alone' growing up as my dad was a fan, but i didn't discover their back catalogue until i was in my 20s. this one i didn't buy until 2008, but i already knew the singles, and together with 'woodface' it became the soundtrack for my MA year in york

i think the best two tracks on there are 'something so strong' and 'don't dream it over', but i also particularly enjoy 'world where you live', 'can't carry on' and 'i walk away'.

[wonderwall]

I have the corner shop album some good stuff on there but not a album I'd play much

[greendemon]

Apr 4, 2012 15:20:28 GMT 1 o said:

Crowded House - Woodface
1. "Chocolate Cake" – 4:02
2. "It's Only Natural" – 3:32
3. "Fall at Your Feet" (N. Finn) – 3:18
4. "Tall Trees" – 2:19
5. "Weather with You" – 3:44
6. "Whispers and Moans" (N. Finn) – 3:39
7. "Four Seasons in One Day" – 2:50
8. "There Goes God" – 3:50
9. "Fame Is" (N. Finn) – 2:23
10. "All I Ask" – 3:55
11. "As Sure as I Am" (N. Finn) – 2:53
12. "Italian Plastic" (Paul Hester) – 3:39
13. "She Goes On" (N. Finn) – 3:15
14. "How Will You Go" – 3:07 / "I'm Still Here" (Hester) – 1:07

The album that brought them major commercial success with the well known single Weather with you. I prefer Four seasons in one day, Fall at your feet and Chocolate cake. It does fade away towards the end of the album though. 6/10

i really like this album. i bought it on a whim in australia in 2006, not knowing any of the songs except the singles. i listened to it a lot in my MA year and still play it every now and again. i agree with you about the second half of the album tailing off, though (after 'there goes god', which is one of my faves). but out of the first 8 tracks the only one i don't really like is 'tall trees'. 'weather with you' is one of my favourite crowded house tracks ever, as is the brilliant 'chocolate cake'. i also have a soft spot for 'whispers and moans'.

[greendemon]

Apr 4, 2012 15:21:03 GMT 1 o said:

Crowded House - Together Alone
1. "Kare Kare" (Crowded House) – 3:35
2. "In My Command" – 3:43
3. "Nails in My Feet" – 3:39
4. "Black & White Boy" – 4:00
5. "Fingers of Love" – 4:26
6. "Pineapple Head" – 3:27
7. "Locked Out" – 3:17
8. "Private Universe" – 5:39
9. "Walking on the Spot" – 2:54
10. "Distant Sun" – 3:49
11. "Catherine Wheels" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour) – 5:12
12. "Skin Feeling" (Paul Hester) – 3:56
13. "Together Alone" (Neil Finn, Mark Hart, Ngapo 'Bub' Wehi) – 3:55

Together alone and Private universe are my faves here, but I’m also appreciating Black and white boy and I mustn’t forget Distant sun, another favourite. 6/10

i was always going to love this album because i have such strong childhood memories attached to it, but honestly, as free from bias as i am ever going to be, i think it represents crowded house at their peak. it's one of the most atmospheric pop records ever made. i challenge any songwriter to come up with something as brilliantly evocative as 'private universe' or 'fingers of love' or as haunting as 'together alone'.

it's quicker to talk about what i don't love than what i do here. 'skin feeling' i think is a misguided foray into a style of music which never suited them, and i usually skip it. i never used to like 'walking on the spot' either, but i'm finding i'm growing into it. it's hard to pick favourites from something which i always feel flows better as a complete entity (minus 'skin feeling') than in bits but 'nails in my feet', 'distant sun' and 'private universe' are easily in my top 5 crowded house songs.

'catherine wheels' was one of my favourite songs when i was little, probably because i didn't know it was about domestic violence...

[greendemon]

Apr 4, 2012 15:23:46 GMT 1 o said:

Cranberries – No need to argue
1. "Ode to My Family"
4:30
2. "I Can't Be With You"
3:07
3. "Twenty One" 3:07
4. "Zombie"
5:06
5. "Empty" 3:26
6. "Everything I Said" 3:52
7. "The Icicle Melts" 2:54
8. "Disappointment" 4:14
9. "Ridiculous Thoughts"
4:31
10. "Dreaming My Dreams"
3:37
11. "Yeat's Grave" 2:59
12. "Daffodil Lament" 6:14
13. "No Need to Argue" 2:54

I remember buying this on the strength of the singles Zombie and I cant be with you, and I find the album rather weak after those singles and a bit dull. I also like Ridiculous thoughts, but the rest kind of passes me by. Disappointing. 3/10

ha. i too bought this album on the strength of 'zombie'. actually, when i say 'bought', what i mean is 'asked for and was given' as i was pretty young when it came out. in fact, it holds the dubious honour of being the first CD i ever owned...

i think i still have it somewhere, but i honestly wouldn't recognise a single song if it were played to me now, except 'zombie', beyond being able to spot the distinctive vocals. can't say i'm inspired to dig it up after your review, either

[borneoman]

ohhhhh no one mentions the best Crowded House song ever... from their debut, which is (of course) Hole In The River!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Crowded House is one of the most under-rated bands ever... unbelievable how they were regarded as 1-hit wonders after Don't Dream It's Over and that their second album flopped completely despite having gems like Better be Home Some, Into Temptation or I Feel Possessed... and even Woodface flopped initially, well, cos they chose the wrong single

disagree 100% with No Need to Argue. It's a great great album... not perfect cos some of the lyrics are on the suck-y side, Dolores tries but some of her rhymes are very very bad... I love the slowies off the album, like Ode to my Family, Empty, Dreaming my dreams... It's a 9/10 album for me...

[o]

Wow, glad to have some replies and opinions
I do love Hole in the river and should have mentioned that

[thehitparade]

OK, I'm going to try and do some of this from memory because if I wait till I've listened to the albums again I'll never get round to it.

Crowded House - Not one I've ever really got into, probably more because of the dated production and poor mastering (isn't the CD at slightly the wrong speed?) than the songs themselves. Never liked 'Something So Strong' though.
Temple Of Low Men - Much better-sounding technically but a weaker set of songs, though 'Into Temptation' and 'Better Be Home Soon' are two of the best things Neil Finn's ever written. The only "album track" I really remember is 'Sister Madly' because Richard Thompson's on it.
Woodface - Most expensive Crowded House CD I've ever bought at a whopping £7:99 but it was worth it. I do agree with the consensus that it's a classic case of bad sequencing even though the last two tracks are very good.
Together Alone - Their masterpiece IMO
Afterglow - More nice to have than essential

When I was Born - Hugely underrated album, one of my favourites of the 1990s
39 Minutes Of Bliss - never heard this but I remember getting very tired of that awful sub-Inspiral Carpets hit they had. Seems they liked songs with the word "out" in the title.
No Need To Argue - I almost bought this in 1995. I haven't much regretted that in the last 17 years.

[borneoman]

forget to add that I love love love Private Universe too!!!! Should have been the lead single off Together Alone, talk about 'lost classic'!!!!

[o]

One cd I wont be playing in my car and reviewing is Bucks Fizz - Greatest hits, sorry chaps.

[Chris]

Apr 4, 2012 18:33:36 GMT 1 o said:

One cd I wont be playing in my car and reviewing is Bucks Fizz - Greatest hits, sorry chaps.

Oh come on they had some catchy songs. I want to read your review!!

Seems like you've already made your mind up though.

[o]

Another one I doubt I'll listen to is the Corrs - In blue. Both albums of Mel's I wasn't going to do the best of Aha either, but they had some good songs, so I will at some point. Just found two more I've listened to Coldplay - Parachutes and Damien Rice - 9.