Mully Advanced Member Posts:849  
| 7/13/2006 2:01 PM |
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http://www.avclub.com/content/node/50444
The Onion's AV CLub give their top 15 ...
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Gar Veteran Member Posts:1676
| 7/13/2006 2:33 PM |
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I'd agree with all those except for the Loretta Lynn one.
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palace Basic Member Posts:392
| 7/13/2006 2:45 PM |
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f**k me, gar... your knowledge is widespread... i wouldn't know half enough about half of those acts to pass judgement... although the U2 one made the whole list slightly dubious for me...
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MullyAdvanced Member Posts:849
| 7/13/2006 4:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Gar
I'd agree with all those except for the Loretta Lynn one.
Maybe put 'Heathen' by Bowie in there ? |
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GarVeteran Member Posts:1676
| 7/13/2006 4:39 PM |
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Nah, I bought 'Heathen' when it came out hoping it be the complete comeback but it wasn't. Most of his recent stuff is very poor.
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Protein biscuitBasic Member Posts:364
| 7/13/2006 5:07 PM |
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Gar, I agree.
I'm still of the view, despite critic's statements to the contrary, that Bowie's output since Let's Dance (yes, i actually like it!) has been s**te bar the odd good song.
On the subject of lists, anyone get a butcher's at Uncuts "100 Greatest Debut Albums?"
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GarVeteran Member Posts:1676
| 7/13/2006 6:09 PM |
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Yeah, there's some decent tracks on that Uncut Compilation cd.
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blacksheep New Member Posts:50
| 7/13/2006 7:55 PM |
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I'm gonna disagree wid yis about Bowie here.His last album Reality
is a corker with ace songs,fantastic production & some of Davids
best vocals in years.Then he takes it on the road & puts in 3hr.plus
performances.Beats the arse off Arcade fire anyday.
Oh yeah the final track on Reality (Bring me the disco king)is one
of Bowies finest ever.
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AntistarAdvanced Member Posts:544
| 7/14/2006 7:54 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Protein biscuit
Gar, I agree.
I'm still of the view, despite critic's statements to the contrary, that Bowie's output since Let's Dance (yes, i actually like it!) has been s**te bar the odd good song.
On the subject of lists, anyone get a butcher's at Uncuts "100 Greatest Debut Albums?"
They pretty much got it right apart from one or two glaring omissions. Velvet Underground 'Andy Warhol' at No 1 and Arcade Fire 'Funeral' at No.100.
Speaking of comeback albums, what the hell is U2 doing in there? 'All that you....blah blah is awful! Like 'How To Dis-...blah blah, it's got about 3 quality tracks and rest is overblown filler. U2 have never equalled their crowning glory 'Achtung, Baby' and never will. |
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palaceBasic Member Posts:392
| 7/14/2006 8:40 AM |
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blacksheep, is your real name dave fanning?
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blacksheepNew Member Posts:50
| 7/14/2006 12:04 PM |
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Yes,Yes it is. How did you guess?
Dave
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Protein biscuitBasic Member Posts:364
| 7/14/2006 12:26 PM |
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They pretty much got it right apart from one or two glaring omissions. Velvet Underground 'Andy Warhol' at No 1 and Arcade Fire 'Funeral' at No.100.
Ah 'tis hard to know i suppose. Maybe they're taking the view of how the albums sounded in the context of when they were released? I'd imagine the VU's Warhol was pretty ground-breaking when it came out first, despite the fact that only a handful listened to it.
I generally enjoy reading lists/reviews like these. Good as a guide but not exactly Moses coming down from the mountain with God's best mix-tape ever!
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PeejayBasic Member Posts:340
| 7/14/2006 1:16 PM |
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Not a bad list. I'm curious about the Sinatra and Sonny Rollins albums, they might be worth checking out.
A glaringly obvious one (certainly moreso than U2) is Tom Waits. Not only was his mid-80's comeback during a fallow period for his generation, he transformed his whole approach to making records, starting with Swordfishtrombones and perfected with Rain Dogs. Not only did he succeed, but he made two of the best albums of his career without completely alienating his 70's audience and gaining a new more adventurous one for good measure. That's unheard of really, certainly in the 1980's when the likes of Dylan and Neil Young were making ill-fated attempts to modernise their music.
U2 merely reverted back to the boring commercially viable music they were making in the late 80's.
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GarVeteran Member Posts:1676
| 7/14/2006 2:06 PM |
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Interesting that you mentioned Tom Waits there because I always viewed 'Swordfishtrombones' as the start of his downfall. His early genius kind of evaporated below the muddle of this industrial rock that I don't think really suited him. The comeback album of his that I would vote for would be 'Mule Variations'.
There's a couple of others that could've made that list:
Steve Earle 'El Corazon'
Dr. John 'Creole Moon'
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PeejayBasic Member Posts:340
| 7/14/2006 3:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Gar
Interesting that you mentioned Tom Waits there because I always viewed 'Swordfishtrombones' as the start of his downfall. His early genius kind of evaporated below the muddle of this industrial rock that I don't think really suited him. The comeback album of his that I would vote for would be 'Mule Variations'.
There's a couple of others that could've made that list:
Steve Earle 'El Corazon'
Dr. John 'Creole Moon'
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PeejayBasic Member Posts:340
| 7/14/2006 3:22 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Gar
Interesting that you mentioned Tom Waits there because I always viewed 'Swordfishtrombones' as the start of his downfall. His early genius kind of evaporated below the muddle of this industrial rock that I don't think really suited him.
Its a matter of opinion Gar. Some people say albums such as Small Change and Blue Valentine are his best, but I think by the mid to late 70's he was (to some point) treading water, and the decadent bo-ho image he crafted was getting tiresome.
I hate the term "industrial rock", it comes with so much baggage that I wouldn't pile in Waits' corner. It also conjures of the image of Swordfishtrombone being an incomprehensible barrage of noise, which we both know isn't the case. I don't see any evaporation in songwriting during the Swordfishtrombone period either. Songs such as Down, Down, Down, Soldiers Things and Johnsburg Illinois could have sat easily on previous Waits albums without anyone raising an eyebrow, and the more experimental tracks, I feel, have aged quite well. The album isn't suffocated in noise and clatters, songs like 16 Shells and Town With No Cheer work brilliantly with the added instruments.
Mule Variations is hardly a return to Waits' 70's persona. Some MV tracks (Whats He Building? or Eyeball Kidd) are some of the most experimental he's ever done. |
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ctrlaltdeleteBasic Member Posts:268
| 7/14/2006 3:47 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Gar
Interesting that you mentioned Tom Waits there because I always viewed 'Swordfishtrombones' as the start of his downfall. His early genius kind of evaporated below the muddle of this industrial rock that I don't think really suited him. The comeback album of his that I would vote for would be 'Mule Variations'.
Crazy talk. Waits got better and better after 'Swordfishtrombones'. 'Rain Dogs', Frank's Wild Years' and 'Bone MAchine' are all fantastic records. This was when he peaked as an artist.
Peejay's spot on. His jazzy, boho schtick was getting a tad wearisome on 'Foreign Affairs' and 'Heartattack and Vine'
Don't really get why people raved over 'Mule Variations'. The records that preceeded it were better. It reeked of 'Oohh Tom Waits is back, let's adorn him before he goes and dies or something.' there wasn't half the same kerfuffle about 'Real Gone', his last release. |
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GarVeteran Member Posts:1676
| 7/14/2006 3:51 PM |
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I see where you are coming from but have to disagree about 'Swordfishtrombones'. Yeah tracks like 'Johnsburg, Illinois' and 'Down, Down, Down' are really good, but as a complete album it fails to keep me entertained and intrigued throughout its entirety. There are way too many instruments crammed in, the momentum soars and dips at an off-kilter pace, and it just feels like a bad compilation of out-takes. I think this album kickstarted a wierd period for Waits that I'm not a fan of (I know many are, including a mate who paid over €1000 to see him play live on the 'Real Gone' tour) and he slightly lost that charm. 'Mule Variations' does have its wierd moments with a more sinister approach to things but there are some really good tunes co-penned with Kathleen Brennan that stand out.
Since 'Heartattack And Vine', my favourite album of his would be 'Alice' but there are parts of 'Mule Variations' that I really liked aswell. I think the way Waits' career has gone since 'Swordfishtrombones' is that you can only expect a handful of really good tunes from each album. But that's a matter of opinion because his wierder side doesn't really appeal to me as much.
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ctrlaltdeleteBasic Member Posts:268
| 7/14/2006 3:56 PM |
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Fair enough. People either get 'Wierd Waits' or they don't.
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PeejayBasic Member Posts:340
| 7/16/2006 3:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Gar
I see where you are coming from but have to disagree about 'Swordfishtrombones'. Yeah tracks like 'Johnsburg, Illinois' and 'Down, Down, Down' are really good, but as a complete album it fails to keep me entertained and intrigued throughout its entirety. There are way too many instruments crammed in, the momentum soars and dips at an off-kilter pace, and it just feels like a bad compilation of out-takes.
Yeah, I agree with this. Swordfish is much more of a transitional album than Heartattack and Vine. You could tell that he was still finding his feet, so the album appears slightly disjointed, almost cobbled together. But then, thats what I like about it (I could say the same of some Neil Young albums that serve more as compliations).
Its the sound of a man taking some real chances for the first time in years, and paying little or no attention to the current musical trends of the time. You have to respect him for that.
Rain Dogs is much more coherent. |
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