|
Post by Jordan on Oct 22, 2020 20:08:07 GMT 1
So happy to see SZA featuring, one of the truly great 21st century R&B LPs.
|
|
|
Post by onehitwonder on Oct 23, 2020 7:03:01 GMT 1
236 Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You (2009)
The second studio album by English singer/lyricist and daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen was to me a substantial improvement on her over-hyped and patchy debut album "Alright, Still". The songwriting was far more consistent with few fillers (& some great lyrical zingers from Lily), and its genre shift from Ian Dury type ska/reggae to electropop was well executed thanks to it being produced and co-written by Greg Kurstin.
The singles "The Fear"; "Not Fair"; "22"; the Take That (too closely) inspired "Who'd Have Known" are all great. As well as the notorious "f*** You" which was the biggest global hit from the album. But the Kate Nash-like "Chinese"; the Specials inspired "Everyone's At It"; & the Coldplay/Keane inspired "I Could Say" could easily have been singles had EMI wanted to mine the album Thriller-style.
Alas her third album 2014's "Sheezus" was her worst & most unfocused of her career. Whilst her last album to date 2018's "No Shame" was a significant return to form, reflected in a well deserved Mercury Album of The Year nomination. Alas, the damage to her career had been done, and most of the public had turned off due to her behaviour and the right wing tabloids giving her "A full Corbyn cut and dried".
I remember vividly when The fear (the title was I don't know before the official track listing was announced) and I could say demos leaked and I got them on repeat for months before the official release and I knew I would love this album just as much as the first one (I prefer most album tracks to singles on Alright, still), but yeah, this is a very decent album and I tried to listen to Sheezus once and I just couldn't finish it.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 24, 2020 13:41:56 GMT 1
220 REM - Out Of Time (1991)
The seventh studio album from the Athens, Georgia alternative rock band co-produced by Scott Litt, saw Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe move from being a cult band to a global mainstream act thanks to their distinctive blend of pop, folk, country and great songwriting.
They hit the grand running with the debut single "Losing My Religion" aided by its video directed by Tarsem Singh. With the follow up single being (according to Peter Buck) their own Sloop John B/Yellow Submarine "Shiny Happy People"; With the Byrds influenced "Near Wild Honey" & the KRS featuring opener "Radio Song" as the other singles.
However, it is the supporting cast of album cuts that propel this album to greatness including the intense "Low"; the charming near instrumental "Endgame"; the mandolin Americana of "Half A World Away" and my favourite non single (which ironically features bassist Mike Mills on lead vocals) "Texarkana" possibly as it reminds me of XTC.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 25, 2020 13:12:39 GMT 1
219 Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974)
The second and final solo studio album by the former Byrds & Flying Burrito Brothers band member. It was a posthumous release compiled from summer 1973 sessions and released four months after his death from a morphine and alcohol overdose in September 1973.
After a ramshackle tour in the spring and summer of 1973, Gram Parsons again convened with his singing partner Emmylou Harris, various members of Elvis Presley's "Hot Band", including James Burton and Glen Hardin and the occasional guest (such as the Eagles' Bernie Leadon and Linda Ronstadt) to record his second solo album for Reprise Records. Unlike his previous album GP, Grievous Angel was a planned affair with several arrangements having been worked out on the road.
This posthumously highly regarded classic country rock album features uptempo numbers such as "Ooh Las Vegas"; "I Can't Dance"; the pure Honky-Tonk country of "Return Of The Grevious Angel" & "Medley Live from Northern Quebec:"; arguably the best cover version of "Love Hurts"; and some great country ballads "Brass Buttons"; "$1000 Wedding"; & "In My Hour Of Darkness which the Eagles certainly used for sonic inspiration on future releases.
|
|
|
Post by blondini on Oct 25, 2020 15:59:35 GMT 1
The Bends is a great transitional album for them.
Out Of Time suffers from overexposure but is good.
PSBs good, Beach House OK.
|
|
|
Post by smokeyb on Oct 25, 2020 22:16:16 GMT 1
220 REM - Out Of Time (1991)
A truly great album and one of my all time faves from the 90's. I remember buying my new midi hifi in the early 90's but only had vinyl & cassettes, so I decided I needed a cd or 2 to play on it, one of the very first I bought was this album, as the cd player was still a novelty to me I played this to death, so know all the tracks so well.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 26, 2020 19:48:46 GMT 1
218 The National - High Violet (2010)
The self produced fifth studio album by the alternative rock band quintet from Cincinnati, Ohio of Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums) released this album in the UK via 4AD records.
I remember hearing the preview first track & opening track on the album "Terrible Love" and fell for its hypnotic Velvet Underground meets Jesus & Mary Chain put through a Radiohead filter sound. But it was the first proper single "Bloodbuzz Ohio" that saw me hooked on Matt Berninger's baritone vocals matched with that drum pattern and tense, edgy, yet epic sounding backdrop knowing I had to get this eleven track album.
The rest of the album is a low-fi cinematic masterpiece which if I'm in the right mood I'll never tire of listening to. I could say similar things for their next three studio albums Trouble Will Find Me (2013); Sleep Well Beast (2017); & I Am Easy to Find (2019) which whilst I don't think are quite as great as this album, I'd certainly regard them as at least 4 star (8 out of 10 efforts).
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,528
|
Post by TheThorne on Oct 26, 2020 20:01:17 GMT 1
Probably my 2nd favourite National album, my favourite is ‘Alligator’
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 27, 2020 20:42:28 GMT 1
217 Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018)
The second studio album (& follow up to Brutalism. Their social commentary on the Brexit vote "Well Done" was the first track by them which grabbed my attention) by the Bristol Post Punk act who are my favourite new band of the past five years, despite not landing a record contract until they were all in their 30s. The sonic assault (think The Killing Joke meets the Pixies fronted by a shouty man who sounds like he is going to kick your head in) .... except the powerful, direct lyrics deal with toxic masculinity, love, self-love, immigration, Brexit, class, the death of his stillborn daughter and what it means to call oneself a parent, and a hate of tabloid journalism.
The band have come under fire being criticised for being "fraudulent woke snowflakes" by John Lydon (but seeing what has come out about him in the past few months that can now be taken as a badge of honour), and more unfortunately by the Sleaford Mods for working class appropriation. However, I suspect that duo are jealous this band has stolen their thunder making much better records and being championed by the likes of the Manic Street Preachers; Johnny Marr; the Foo Fighters; members of Radiohead; & Steve Lamacq. Whilst lead singer Joe Talbot's mother (who was a University lecturer & top pottery maker) had a stroke and was paralyzed, and after the death of his step-father, he became her primary caretaker aged 16, until her death in 2015. Indeed during lockdown he and the rest of the band during the lockdown either returned to the NHS where they worked in various capacities (Yes you could say they are the real life Cast From Casualty); or did deliveries to people who had to shelter from the virus. Little wonder they were vilified by Stephen Morrissey a few months ago. Doubtless as they show a level of humanity & civic pride that bitter old has been is incapable of anymore.
In truth they are at their best live. Where the audience goes to mosh in joyful pleasure at their raucous anthems.. Where they invite members of the audience to have a go playing instruments whilst band members go crowd sailing. (On one occasion their drummer who look like the doppelganger of top Darts player James Wade, was replaced by the man himself - who is a fan of the band). Their latest album last month's Ultra Mono is their best sounding album, but it falls down on the songwriting during the second half of the album, which this album certainly does not.
Just listen to this track: The Pro-Immigration anthem, a story of a Ukrainian immigrant who is a friend to the band.
|
|
|
Post by Milliways on Oct 28, 2020 0:35:47 GMT 1
Saw them live at Rebellion Festival a couple of years ago.
And, well... I would have enthusiastically seconded the recommendation, until I heard ‘Ultra Mono’. ‘War’ is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard from a band I’ve previously rated highly, and much of the rest of the album (‘Mr Motivator’, which sounds like a holdover from one of the previous strong albums, excepted) is little better.
|
|
|
Post by Milliways on Oct 28, 2020 0:38:24 GMT 1
But yes, ‘Danny Nedelko’ still sounds awesome today
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 28, 2020 20:41:33 GMT 1
216 The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
(For my countdown I have attempted to use studio albums of newly recorded material. However, my countdown does include 1 Live album; 2 Original soundtracks ..... and this album, which has subsequently become a canonical studio album, even though it was a half & half at the time).
The Liverpool fab four released this as a double EP in the United Kingdom and an LP in the United States. It includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The EP was issued in the UK on 8 December 1967 on the Parlophone label, while the Capitol Records LP release in the US occurred on 27 November and featured an additional five songs that were originally released as singles that year. In 1976, Parlophone released the eleven-track LP in the UK, from thereafter including the 1987 first time issued on CD has this become regarded as a stand alone album, rather than a half & half effort... besides you could argue they were ahead of the modern late 2010s curve where an album finally gets released half filled up with previous "single" & "grat" releases.
From late April 1967, the Beatles continued their psychedelic sound experimentation of the previous two albums Revolver & Sgt Pepper's ... but these sessions petered out with an incomplete album when the unexpected death of their manager Brian Epstein hit them for six. But then a few weeks later Paul McCartney had the brainstorm (or bearing in mind its critical & public mauling it received, brain-fart) to do a weird "mainstream avant garde" film very loosely based on the songs recorded and tie them in to the concept, which the rest of the band agreed with, which went out in black & white on Boxing Day 1967, when it would have been far better to release in colour.
The first six tracks are specifically from that film, along with the 5 other new songs released on singles during 1967. Still any album which contains "I Am The Walrus"; "All You Need Is Love"; "Hello Goodbye"; "Fool On The Hill"; & "Strawberry Fields Forever" & "Penny Lane" can't be bad can it.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 29, 2020 20:02:17 GMT 1
215 Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
"Hit It" ...... The debut album from Missouri born singer-songwriter whom had been a music teacher and part time jingle ads writer/singer. But moved into the music industry via becoming a backing (session/touring) singer for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Belinda Carlisle, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Loggins, Don Henley & most famously toured with Michael Jackson as a backing vocalist during his Bad tour 1987–1989, and often performed with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
After abandoning a far more polished debut album produced by Hugh Padgham in 1992 she subsequently recorded a more organic, rootsy, folk/country/blues rock hybrid effort for A&M records produced by Bill Bottrell, which went on to win 3 Grammy Awards, in 1995: Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Female Vocal Performance.
It features the huge hit singles "All I Want To Do" & "Strong Enough"; plus several lesser singles "Leaving Las Vegas"; "Run Baby Run"; "What I Can Do For You"; & "Can't Cry Anymore". But my favourite track is the haunting final track sounding like Bonnie Raitt meets Crowded House "I Shall Believe":
|
|
|
Post by smokeyb on Oct 29, 2020 22:01:28 GMT 1
216 The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967) I think this is a great album, often overlooked when some of their others are held in high regards. Love all the singles, plus "Fool on the Hill" is just class. bought it on cd along with these others......
|
|
|
Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 29, 2020 22:06:19 GMT 1
'Run baby run' is my favourite Sheryl Crow single from that album. It might actually be my favourite thing she's ever done actually, I just love it!
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 30, 2020 20:10:35 GMT 1
214 P!nk - I'm Not Dead (2006)
Alecia Moore's fourth studio album reversed the commercial decline of her misfiring third album Try This (2003), and ultimately set her up as a dependable pop rock artist for the next fifteen years with elements of electronica, r&b, & country chart star there after on what I regard as her career best effort.
The quirky opening single "Stupid Girl" was a Black Eyed Peas sounding feminist statement with an entertaining slightly bonkers parodying video which was really bold in a pre-Gaga landscape after her patchy third album. But we did not know, but the record company did know was this album had stone cold bankers on it to rescue the campaign if needed (not that it needed saving, as "Stupid Girls" worked as an opening gambit).
With the Xtina like ballad "Nobody Knows"; the solid driving pop rocker "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)"; to three infectious P!nk/Max Martin/Dr Luke collabs: the proto I Kissed A Girl stomper "'Cuz I Can"; the Since U Been Gone like "U + Ur Hand"; and the best thing she has ever done about a male friend (not a boyfriend) she lost to drug abuse "Who Knew". Plus the rest of the album cuts are pretty sturdy efforts, especially the folky "Dear Mr President"; and my favourite non single from it "Runaway"
|
|
|
Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 30, 2020 20:16:37 GMT 1
P!nk has never done any wrong for me, but that is a fantastic album indeed!
|
|
|
Post by Jordan on Oct 30, 2020 20:36:04 GMT 1
Absolutely the best album P!nk has put out there, and one of my all time go-to 21st century records. Runaway is also my favourite from it too.
|
|
|
Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 30, 2020 20:37:04 GMT 1
I think 'U and UR Hand' is my favourite.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Oct 31, 2020 22:19:29 GMT 1
213 M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
The sixth studio album by French electronic music band, but I was not aware of them until their 5th album 2008's Saturday's = Youth and the "Kim & Jessie" single.
This is a bold dynamic 22 track double album (73 minutes) full of sonic moody landscapes of a hybrid between the indie synth pop of a French Peter Gabriel fronting New Order meets the Cure detouring via The Flaming Lips & early 1970s Pink Floyd filtering through the more contemporary sounds of Empire Of The Sun & The Knife.
Highlights including the killer single "Midnight City"; backed up by the uptempo "Reunion". But there are several album highlights including "My Tears Are Becoming A Sea"; the final track "Outro" and "Wait".
|
|