tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post2510511089971959968..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: You Choose the Band, and Their Best AlbumDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-71082781022922179292013-02-24T06:13:40.151-06:002013-02-24T06:13:40.151-06:00Thanks Karen. I'll watch it tonight. I always ...Thanks Karen. I'll watch it tonight. I always enjoy a good documentary about music history. I used to enjoy VH1 Behind The Music until it ran out of interesting musicians or groups to cover. Anthonynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-80492414428296222802013-02-23T20:17:47.967-06:002013-02-23T20:17:47.967-06:00I didn't know where else to mention this, but ...I didn't know where else to mention this, but since we have the recent comment gizmo maybe some of you will see it: Showtime has a really excellent documentary on the Eagles called History of the Eagles currently showing multiple times right now. Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-79749061777588794502013-02-19T20:15:29.139-06:002013-02-19T20:15:29.139-06:00Oh, Richard, no doubt at all-- the omission of BAT...Oh, Richard, no doubt at all-- the omission of BAT OUT OF HELL is a genuine overlook. And I do like BACK INTO HELL almost as much-- it just doesn't have anything to match the epic "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", of course.<br /><br />HBHumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-56028141632411743472013-02-19T15:27:34.006-06:002013-02-19T15:27:34.006-06:00Hmmm, seems like a few choice areas to comment on ...Hmmm, seems like a few choice areas to comment on have arose since I left..:<br /><br />Blues Brothers, EVERYONE MUST BUY 'Made in America'.. It's their final album with John, made as a 'live concert' album with studio sound effects. Better than the earlier ones, 'cept possibly the movie soundtrack.<br /><br />Wings..? Highly, HIGHLY recommend 'Final Flight' Bootleg CD everyone.<br /><br />You can find it on the 'net, but it's Macca's studio-quality tapes culled from their '79 UK tour with Lawrence Juber on hot jazzy guitar. The quick demise of Wings kept this underwraps for all these years, but it's a PURE GEM, right up there with 'Wings Over America'. As for best studio album, I lean towards 'Venus and Mars', with the pre-group 'Ram' as a close second.<br /><br />Bowie..? Never was a regular listener, but LOVED ol' 'Ziggy Stardust'.<br /><br />(No one will ever scream 'WHAMBAM THANK YOU MA'AM' quite the same way ever again.<br /><br />Vancover, favorite Beatles moment for me would HAVE to be 'Paperback Writer/Rain'. Many ways to listen to it on youtube, either FULL BLAST remastered with extra bass, or deconstructed..:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQRbktCpWQk<br /><br />Listening to each track individually is scintillating on it's own merits. If you can track down the 'Rain' deconstruction for John's awesome double-tracked self harmonies.., it's SO WORTH the bandwidth.<br /><br />Doug/Karen, we may have to do 'comedy albums' someday soon.., I can feel some George Carlin, Steve Martin and Bob Newhart bubbling up.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-34693235672701976072013-02-19T09:25:35.556-06:002013-02-19T09:25:35.556-06:00Man, I am seriously going to have to go shopping a...Man, I am seriously going to have to go shopping after this thread! <br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-6433328914887917372013-02-18T15:39:17.232-06:002013-02-18T15:39:17.232-06:00Richard, I definitely agree with you about Born to...Richard, I definitely agree with you about Born to Run and Long Distance Voyager.<br />Here's my own 'uncool' pick: I'm not really fan of New Age, but I really love Manheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire III.<br />I also can't believe I forgot to mention Television's Marquee Moon - I was just listening to it recently.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-23065263399553093432013-02-18T10:54:11.080-06:002013-02-18T10:54:11.080-06:00OK, here’s the list:
Bob Seger didn’t have a sin...OK, here’s the list: <br /><br />Bob Seger didn’t have a single album that qualified to me, but his ‘best of’ is stunning. <br /><br />Likewise the Police – awesome songs, but SC & AS couldn’t remotely equal Sting, so the albums all sound like filler while you’re waiting for the next great Sting track.<br /><br />Sting - Ten Summoner’s Tales. Start to finish, brilliant. <br /><br />Floyd – nothing left to say about the obvious choices, so I’ll pick Amused to Death by Roger Waters. Far and away the best ‘Floyd’ album of the last 33 years. <br /><br />Sisters of Mercy - Floodland <br /><br />the Quireboys - A bit of what you fancy. <br /><br />Steinman - Bad for Good. <br /><br />Warren Zevon – Transverse City<br /><br />Bowie – Hunkydory. <br /><br />Pandora’s Box – Original Sin. Cheating really, It’s just a way of getting two Steinman albums in. <br /><br />This is not a cool album to pick, but Long Distance Voyager by the Moody Blues. This might be a unique example of a band producing their best work 20 years in. <br /><br />Richard<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-45901775452101458422013-02-18T10:36:32.620-06:002013-02-18T10:36:32.620-06:00To Karen’s point about people not making real albu...To Karen’s point about people not making real albums any more, in the sense of sustained mood pieces, I kind of agree, although am I always impressed when I hear it done. Two albums that really impressed me as, very unexpectedly, having a mood, a manifesto almost, were Lily Allen’s It’s not me, it’s you and Katy Perry’s One of the Boys, which seemed like a metro sexual concept album when I first heard it. <br /><br />Neither of these is on my favourites list, but they are recent examples of albums as coherent, thought out collections of consistent songs, rather than just patchwork quilts of different sounds. <br /><br />Richard<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-57987433541572679812013-02-18T10:24:19.368-06:002013-02-18T10:24:19.368-06:00Hi Clem – right there with you on ELO –Out of the ...Hi Clem – right there with you on ELO –Out of the Blue. I would take New World Record as more my favourite, but OOTB is the clear pinnacle for writing, production, musicianship, harmonies and the arrangements (not something you often notice on rock albums). <br /><br />Hi HB – I’m afraid I’m in the ‘10 years of magic, 40 years of crap’ camp with McCartney, but Tug of War and Flaming Pie stand head & shoulders above the rest of Macca’s post Beatles catalogue. Ebony & Irony is dire, but Tug of War and Take it Away are a great one-two to start an album with.<br /><br />Hi Matt – Tusk over Rumours? Really? Please talk us through that one. I thought Tusk was supposed to be one of the worst albums of all time. <br /><br />Everyone – seriously, we’ve mentioned every Springsteen album EXCEPT Born to Run. Am I to conclude that we, as a group, not only regard this as Springsteen’s worst album, but also as a generally bad album? Or is there a big Asbury elephant in this room? <br /><br />I'm also genuinely astonished that Bat Out of Hell didn't get a look in.<br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-28287766237970184282013-02-18T08:09:29.977-06:002013-02-18T08:09:29.977-06:00Forgot to add:
The Pogues "Rum, Sodomy &...Forgot to add:<br /><br />The Pogues "Rum, Sodomy & the Lash" -- The Irish folk tradition meets punk rock and both of them benefit grandly. The perfect album to down a Harp lager to.Inkstained Wretchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-51157611257443277392013-02-17T17:25:35.148-06:002013-02-17T17:25:35.148-06:00Wow -maybe we should run music posts more often! I...Wow -maybe we should run music posts more often! I love reading all the comments. And as Doug says -thanks for keeping it all positive. <br /><br />This might be cheating, but two AC/DC selections:<br />Best album with Bon Scott: Highway to Hell<br /><br />Best album with Brian Johnson: Back in BlackKarenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-45375832078066766752013-02-17T16:31:54.602-06:002013-02-17T16:31:54.602-06:00Hmm, missed this one yesterday...
My picks:
Bob ...Hmm, missed this one yesterday...<br /><br />My picks:<br /><br />Bob Dylan "Highway 61 Revisited" -- Most people say Blonde On Blonde is his best, but that one doesn't do much for me. This one, on the other hand, is epic.<br /><br />Johnny Cash "Live At Folsom Prison" -- This is the rare album that everybody calls great that truly lives up to its reputation. The Man in Black is truly The Man here.<br /><br />Rod Stewart "Every Picture Tells A Story" -- A just amazing album that effortlessly mixes rock, folk, soul and features Rod's best-ever songwriting. Then, in the late 70s, a gypsy apparently laid a curse on him that he would only make crappy pop records for the rest of life...<br /><br />Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" -- You could tell somebody who didn't know John that this two-disc album was a greatest hits compilation and they would readily believe you.<br /><br />Tom Waits "The Heart of Saturday Night" -- I know most Waits fans prefer his later, edgier stuff, but this collection of jazz, blues and beat poetry is just flawless and isn't an acquired taste to the average listener.<br /><br />Greg Allman "Laid Back" -- His first solo album is a real gem, dropping the ABB's twin-quitar boogie for a collection of soul and blues that really show off his prowess as a singer.<br /><br />Johnny Winter "Still Alive And Well" -- A ferocious bluesrock album by a major talent that never quite got his due.<br /><br />Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas" -- A truly raucous live album with the twist that it was almost entirely new material rather than a band relying on already proven hits. <br /><br />Blue Oyster Cult "Secret Treaties" -- Their later albums have the biggest hits, but this dark collection of hard rock, progressive metal and just plain weirdness - they have a song called "Flaming Telepaths" in here for goodness sake - is their definitive album.<br /><br />Bruce Springsteen "Born In The USA" -- I mean, come on, do I have to justify this?<br /><br />The Cramps "Stay Sick" -- Most of the 70s punk bands had nowhere to go artistically after a while because they were tied to the genre's raw, amateur <br />aesthetic - which had the effect of freezing them in time. The Cramps were actually a roots rock band and some of their best albums came later when their chops were sharper.<br /><br />The Cowboy Junkies "The Trinity Sessions" -- Listening to this one as I write this. The most soothing music I've ever heard.Inkstained Wretchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-88617952063367310652013-02-17T14:03:35.143-06:002013-02-17T14:03:35.143-06:00I love this post -- thanks, Karen!
A couple of th...I love this post -- thanks, Karen!<br /><br />A couple of thoughts:<br /><br />Edo, loved the film and the album "Stop Making Sense". Always a joy when any of those cuts come across the shuffle.<br /><br />I'd also like to offer a tip of the hat to all of those who've left comments so far. What a great and varied selection for us to check out in broadening our own listening horizons. And even if anyone read a comment and thought, "Oh, man -- that album or group sucks!", no one said it. Thanks as always for the good blogging manners!<br /><br />Finally, here's another album I wore out back in 1979: Get the Knack. Bawdy, sexist, a little punky... But man those guys could play.<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-64991486898557478582013-02-17T12:54:13.390-06:002013-02-17T12:54:13.390-06:00Thanks Edo! It's a new band, new single. We...Thanks Edo! It's a new band, new single. We're heading out to play several gigs over the next few weeks, then back into the studio to record more original songs.<br /><br />Hey Vancouver Mark, I always have to wait for the part and sing along to Chilliwack:<br />"Well we fly by night, it's like a rocket flight<br />And baby THAT'S JUST WHAT IT'S FOR!<br />Yeah, we fly by night, it makes you feel alright<br />It keeps you coming back for more"<br />Garettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-45230207021303914202013-02-17T11:16:28.884-06:002013-02-17T11:16:28.884-06:00Ding! Oh dear, I'm afraid time's up, and n...Ding! Oh dear, I'm afraid time's up, and nobody's correctly named the best Stones album. No winners this week. The answer, of course, is Let It Bleed, quite possibly the greatest album of all time, by anyone, ever, anywhere.<br /><br />As for the Beatles, I agree with the people who picked Revolver, but my favorite Beatles moment wasn't on an album, it was the 45 with Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane.<br /><br />Some other favorites that I haven't seen mentioned yet are<br /><br />Stooges - Funhouse (if you've never listened to it you should try it, at least once, preferably very loud)<br /><br />Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (although Night at the Opera is incredible too)<br /><br />Alice Cooper - Killer<br /><br />Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town<br /><br />David bowie - Diamond Dogs (out of many favorites...)<br /><br />Doors - Strange days<br /><br />Peter Gabriel - Us<br /><br />To James, I echo your love for Townsend's Empty Glass. One of my favorite concert moments ever was seeing the Who in 89 and hearing that long slow intro of Rough Boys building and building and building.<br /><br />And Logan, it was a hoot to hear you mention Chilliwack! The album I had was Dreams, Dreams Dreams, with Something Better and Fly By Night. I do feel forced to have some loyalty to that band, in that I was actually BORN in Chilliwack, the town, a few miles east of Vancouver.vancouver marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-5410214763198305492013-02-17T11:12:49.262-06:002013-02-17T11:12:49.262-06:00I've always thought that Tug of War was one of...I've always thought that Tug of War was one of McCartney's strongest albums. The Pound is Sinking is a hidden gem. The problem with Tug of War is that everyone remembers it for Ebony & Ivory. And I've yet to meet anybody face-to-face who didn't think it was the worst song he ever wrote. Mind you, I worked in a record store for the entirety of the 80's. Never found anyone who liked it, then or now.<br /><br />"Wings is the band the Beatles could have been."<br />-Steve Coogan, I'm Alan Partridge <br /><br />James ChattertonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-75012499318788837122013-02-17T10:16:42.959-06:002013-02-17T10:16:42.959-06:00Kind of skimming through this delightfully volumin...Kind of skimming through this delightfully voluminous thread at this point-- am I correctly seeing that no one has tossed in a choice for Paul McCartney and/or Wings?? Mind you, like KLAATU (and thanks for the brave support back there, fellas-- you are troupers, indeed!), the body of Sir Paul's work for much of the last forty years could be considered a guilty pleasure. HBSpouse rolls her eyes at the mere mention of his name. BE THAT AS IT MAY-- while most folks would likely name "Band on the Run" as his seminal sort-of-solo work, or possibly "Wings at the Speed of Sound", I'd like to posit the somewhat later "Tug of War". There, I've said it.<br /><br />Say, with Beatles albums, it's almost impossible to really make any kind of call. Personally, I love nearly every song on every record-- maybe 10 songs total that I'd say, "enh--don't really like that one." REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER, and ABBEY ROAD are all solid choices. But the WHITE ALBUM and THE EARLY BEATLES could make a case, as well. And many in-between. However, I think I'll go with the American release of RUBBER SOUL simply because it, oddly enough, pulled a number of songs that seemed more like "filler" on the British release, and provided an entire album with many non-hit songs that I LOVED the first time I played it through. <br /><br />HBHumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-69769451499870970352013-02-17T09:17:08.028-06:002013-02-17T09:17:08.028-06:00I could listen to Maybe the People Would Be the Ti...I could listen to Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale on endless repeat. Same with More Than This off Avalon, but nothing from Siren strikes me that way.<br /><br />I'm surprised no one has mentioned Astral Weeks.Doc Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08783244633195233970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-40941603186858863712013-02-17T08:33:17.966-06:002013-02-17T08:33:17.966-06:00Hey, where's the love for Roxy Music? Siren i...Hey, where's the love for Roxy Music? Siren is far and away one of the best records any of you will ever hear. It starts off with 'Love is the drug' and ends 'Just Another Guy'. Twenty five years ago I would have argued for 'Forever Changes' but now I only do drugs for hypertension.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-22388083747359420102013-02-17T01:41:04.026-06:002013-02-17T01:41:04.026-06:00Wow, I knew it would be hard for people to just pi...Wow, I knew it would be hard for people to just pick one band and stick to that - this thread really exploded since last night (Central European time).<br />Karen, I'm totally with you on Wish You Were Here - my favorite Pink Floyd album, and the title track is one of my favorite Floyd songs.<br />Doug, since you mentioned funk, Rick James is just fine, but when I think of funk I think of Sly Stone, George Clinton or Betty Davis. Speaking of Clinton, my favorite project he worked on is Maggot Brain by Funkadelic. Another classic funk ablum is Stand! by Sly and the Family Stone.<br />As to Led Zeppelin, I see most people here have a fondness for IV, which is, granted, a classic, but my personal favorite is In Through the Out Door - I just love the unusual (for Zep) quality of most of the songs, which work together really well.<br />Also, Karen said, logically, that we can't pick greatest hits or compilation albums, but I wonder if that also includes live albums? Because I think Stop Making Sense is by far the best Talking Heads album. And sometimes I think Bongo Fury, a partially live album, is my favorite work by both Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart.<br />A few others I thought of:<br />Robbie Robertson - Contact from the Underworld of Redboy<br />Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey<br />Tom Waits - Franks Wild Years<br />And the soundtrack to the movie "To Live and Die in LA" - it's actually a Wang Chung album, and by far the best music produced by them.<br /><br />And Garett, thanks for the link - that's a great song.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-87723938219108147862013-02-17T00:45:39.836-06:002013-02-17T00:45:39.836-06:00 The Electric Light Orchestra was tops with me han... The Electric Light Orchestra was tops with me hands down. I went to see them in 1978 and it was great of course. Jeff Lynne was the writer of course and is still at it today. Out of the Blue was a great double album might be the best. There song are used all the time in commercials and television shows. Dr Who was a recent one. nuff said.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443698840142149646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-73094622614038220442013-02-17T00:03:50.632-06:002013-02-17T00:03:50.632-06:00This might be my favorite non-comic related topic ...This might be my favorite non-comic related topic on this site. In trying not to repeat too much of the great posts above, here are some of my favorite albums that I love as just that: whole albums. Not just a few highlights but the whole cohesive unit.<br /><br />Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (enjoy every single song on this album at any time of day)<br /><br />Arcade Fire - Funeral (never get sick of it. such a great, cohesive collection)<br /><br />Springsteen - Nebraska (i always win over Springsteen-haters with this one)<br /><br />The Clash - London Calling (hard to pick a fav from them, but every song here is a winner)<br /><br />Led Zeppelin - IV (seems cliche, but it really is their best, IMHO)<br /><br />Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (i listen every year on my birthday)<br /><br />Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood<br /><br />Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy<br /><br />The Pixies - Surfer Rosa<br /><br />Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary<br /><br />Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been?<br /><br />The Who - Quadrophenia (my all time, undisputed, grand champion, favorite album of all time)<br /><br />Thanks for letting me list this. Can't wait to read more of others' picks.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00267401771086411957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-64591576855626705202013-02-16T23:44:35.770-06:002013-02-16T23:44:35.770-06:00James, I'm sure I will be the odd ball here, b...James, I'm sure I will be the odd ball here, but while I love Wish You Were Here yet today, I think Dark Side of the Moon is one of theirs that doesn't hold up as well for me.<br /><br />Seconds on Quadrophenia though.<br /><br />And Klaatu? Love them, HB!<br /><br />Here's one that I'd wager no one had...Chilliwack LP Wanna Be a Star. They had a Top 10 hit with My Girl (Gone Gone Gone) in the US, but the whole album was good stuff.Logan Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-43416129312645319132013-02-16T23:21:36.936-06:002013-02-16T23:21:36.936-06:00You're right about Gene Clark, Matt. He was th...You're right about Gene Clark, Matt. He was the best songwriter in the Byrds. I could've easily picked No Other. A great collection of songs, that really cohere the way all the best albums do.<br /><br />James ChattertonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-89470851174072506732013-02-16T22:56:42.371-06:002013-02-16T22:56:42.371-06:00i have all the byrds LPs...I favor the Gene Clark ...i have all the byrds LPs...I favor the Gene Clark years. Also enjoy the "Preflyte" stuff with their demo of You Showed Me (later recorded by the Turtles in a version nowhere near as good). Speaking of Gene Clark, No Other is a great overlooked gem.Doc Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08783244633195233970noreply@blogger.com