CD#135 Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Their last studio album, apparently "the recording process has long been described as one of the most arduous and prone to control freakitude ever." though you wouldn't know it to listen to the resulting music.
CD#136 Cocteau Twins - Milk And Kisses
Another last studio album. It was never going to usurp Treasure as my favourite Cocteau Twins album, but it's still pretty good.
CD#137 Public Image Ltd. - Public Image: First Issue
This is certainly ground-breaking in terms of the post-punk landscape but I bought it (the original vinyl rather than this CD) having heard the single Public Image, and as far as I can recall I was mostly disappointed. My favourite track is probably Fodderstompf which the drummer described as “Not even a song just a wank, ripping off our fans. It still turns my stomach thinking about it.”
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Day 31
CD#130 Sam Brown - Stop!
Sadly no longer singing due to voice problems, this where her solo career began. It sounds very 80s but none the worse for that.
CD#131 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
This is where I started with Rilo Kiley and it's still my favourite, though I do skip past one or two songs towards the end when listening in the car.
CD#132 Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle
Picked up today with the thought that I could have bought this 39 years ago, but chose not to. I loved Tubeway Army but while I bought Cars and then Complex I've never bought any other Gary Numan stuff, mostly due to the increase in synth sounds instead of synths and guitars mixed.
Was I right ?
For me, yes. It feels like the whole future world/lonely android thing has been taken to its limit and lost all emotion as a consequence, and what resonated with me listening to Replicas was a feeling of isolation but with some small connection to humanity (perfect for a teenager!), whereas this has gone beyond that into complete disconnection. I don't like it much now and probably wouldn't have liked it then.
CD#133 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
I do like Hendrix, but I'm not a die hard fan. There were times that I was listening more to the skill of the drummer than anything else, but there is some cool stuff on here. And great drumming.
CD#134 Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone
Apparently this is more guitar-heavy and less jazzy-pop than her previous work, but it's all I have so I don't know if that's good or bad. The next one goes back to being more experimental, apparently.
Sadly no longer singing due to voice problems, this where her solo career began. It sounds very 80s but none the worse for that.
CD#131 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
This is where I started with Rilo Kiley and it's still my favourite, though I do skip past one or two songs towards the end when listening in the car.
CD#132 Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle
Picked up today with the thought that I could have bought this 39 years ago, but chose not to. I loved Tubeway Army but while I bought Cars and then Complex I've never bought any other Gary Numan stuff, mostly due to the increase in synth sounds instead of synths and guitars mixed.
Was I right ?
For me, yes. It feels like the whole future world/lonely android thing has been taken to its limit and lost all emotion as a consequence, and what resonated with me listening to Replicas was a feeling of isolation but with some small connection to humanity (perfect for a teenager!), whereas this has gone beyond that into complete disconnection. I don't like it much now and probably wouldn't have liked it then.
CD#133 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
I do like Hendrix, but I'm not a die hard fan. There were times that I was listening more to the skill of the drummer than anything else, but there is some cool stuff on here. And great drumming.
CD#134 Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone
Apparently this is more guitar-heavy and less jazzy-pop than her previous work, but it's all I have so I don't know if that's good or bad. The next one goes back to being more experimental, apparently.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Day 30
CD#124 Curtis E Johnson - The Compleat Unknown
It was in the genial company of Curtis that I first tasted sweetcorn . . . and LSD, though probably not at the same time.
CD#125 Paul Simpson - Noise With A Purpose
A solo guitar-and-pedal-based explosion before he went and found jazz. Nice.
CD#126 Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
An earlier album is titled "epic" which would appear to have been premature after a couple of listens to this.
CD#127 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
I bought this after watching a live performance of I'm Amazed on Letterman that I stumbled upon on YouTube, the majority of the tracks don't quite reach the same height, but it's not bad.
CD#128 Grandaddy - Below The Radio
This is not as I had thought, an album by Grandaddy. It's a mixtape put together by Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, which includes tracks by people I've heard of, including Giant Sand, The Handsome Family, Pavement and unexpectedly, Snow Patrol - plus a lot I'm hearing for the first time.
CD#129 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly
Described as dream-pop, this is another Exmouth Market purchase, the two main members are the singer who is from a band called Mazzy Star and the drummer from My Bloody Valentine, who writes, sings and plays various instruments. Very relaxing.
It was in the genial company of Curtis that I first tasted sweetcorn . . . and LSD, though probably not at the same time.
CD#125 Paul Simpson - Noise With A Purpose
A solo guitar-and-pedal-based explosion before he went and found jazz. Nice.
CD#126 Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
An earlier album is titled "epic" which would appear to have been premature after a couple of listens to this.
CD#127 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
I bought this after watching a live performance of I'm Amazed on Letterman that I stumbled upon on YouTube, the majority of the tracks don't quite reach the same height, but it's not bad.
CD#128 Grandaddy - Below The Radio
This is not as I had thought, an album by Grandaddy. It's a mixtape put together by Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, which includes tracks by people I've heard of, including Giant Sand, The Handsome Family, Pavement and unexpectedly, Snow Patrol - plus a lot I'm hearing for the first time.
CD#129 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly
Described as dream-pop, this is another Exmouth Market purchase, the two main members are the singer who is from a band called Mazzy Star and the drummer from My Bloody Valentine, who writes, sings and plays various instruments. Very relaxing.
Monday, 11 April 2016
Day 29
CD#120 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
Their first major label release and their last album together. Not my favourite but despite the high polish there's enough Rilo Kiley in there to make it listenable.
CD#121 Elvis Costello - Spike
For a long time this was the last EC I bought, possibly because while it has some good moments it's a bit all over the place, in part because it was recorded in four different locations with four different groups of musicians, none of whom were Bruce Thomas.
CD#122 Moses - Django
I first heard Moses supporting Sam Brown at The Stables in Wavendon. This is only six songs so more of an EP than an album.
CD#123 Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese
The world would be a poorer place without Primus.
Their first major label release and their last album together. Not my favourite but despite the high polish there's enough Rilo Kiley in there to make it listenable.
CD#121 Elvis Costello - Spike
For a long time this was the last EC I bought, possibly because while it has some good moments it's a bit all over the place, in part because it was recorded in four different locations with four different groups of musicians, none of whom were Bruce Thomas.
CD#122 Moses - Django
I first heard Moses supporting Sam Brown at The Stables in Wavendon. This is only six songs so more of an EP than an album.
CD#123 Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese
The world would be a poorer place without Primus.
Sunday, 10 April 2016
Day 28
CD#118 Steve Lawson - Grace and Gratitude
Looped bass that's perfect for a relaxed Sunday morning, lovely.
CD#119 XTC - White Noise
Some good, some weird and a magnificent cover of All Along The Watchtower which sounds like no other.
Looped bass that's perfect for a relaxed Sunday morning, lovely.
CD#119 XTC - White Noise
Some good, some weird and a magnificent cover of All Along The Watchtower which sounds like no other.
Friday, 8 April 2016
Day 26
CD#116 Mo Foster - Time To Think
This is a beautifully relaxing album to ease your way into the day - bass, acoustic guitar, piano, sax and vibraphone all recorded in an Oxford church.
CD#117 Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
This used to be a regular Sunday morning album, particularly side 2, and is far and away my favourite Bob Dylan album. There are others that I like a lot but this contains most of what I like about him in one perfect package.
- - - - -
When side 2 starts I'll have listened to 1/4 of my CDs which feels like being told I've done 1/4 of a marathon, though to be fair I've suffered far less wear and tear on feet, knees and hips.
- - - - -
This is a beautifully relaxing album to ease your way into the day - bass, acoustic guitar, piano, sax and vibraphone all recorded in an Oxford church.
CD#117 Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
This used to be a regular Sunday morning album, particularly side 2, and is far and away my favourite Bob Dylan album. There are others that I like a lot but this contains most of what I like about him in one perfect package.
- - - - -
When side 2 starts I'll have listened to 1/4 of my CDs which feels like being told I've done 1/4 of a marathon, though to be fair I've suffered far less wear and tear on feet, knees and hips.
- - - - -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)