What album are you listening to?

saint mark wrote:

ELO is well worth listening. I have a the best of ELO on my iPod.

Should have also mentioned that other artists on my Ipod, of which I have at least 10 songs or more, include: A-ha, Pat Benatar, Steve Miller Band, Queen, Bon Jovi and Duran Duran.

MUSE is the only group or solo act from 2000 or beyond in which I have a significant amount of songs. Well, MUSE and Adam Lambert. My biggest selection of songs from a decade on my IPod is The 80's, then The 70's, then the 90's, then The 00's. I have one song from the 60's, and a handful of songs from The 10's...I guess as I've gotten older it's become more and more difficult to find music I like, which is why I respect MUSE so much. I am also proud to say that I own absolutely ZERO LADY GAGA songs.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

saint mark wrote:

ELO is well worth listening. I have a the best of ELO on my iPod.

Should have also mentioned that other artists on my Ipod, of which I have at least 10 songs or more, include: A-ha, Pat Benatar, Steve Miller Band, Queen, Bon Jovi and Duran Duran.

MUSE is the only group or solo act from 2000 or beyond in which I have a significant amount of songs. Well, MUSE and Adam Lambert. My biggest selection of songs from a decade on my IPod is The 80's, then The 70's, then the 90's, then The 00's. I have one song from the 60's, and a handful of songs from The 10's...I guess as I've gotten older it's become more and more difficult to find music I like, which is why I respect MUSE so much. I am also proud to say that I own absolutely ZERO LADY GAGA songs.

A child from the Eighties, musicwise I guess.

And I do have Lady Gaga on my iPod, and Jennifer Lopez and that beautifull Colombian lady that I like watching at more than listening too. That is the bane of having daughters. Occasionaly I have to "lend" my player to them.

Mine has Bowie, Talking Heads, Muse, Madness, ELO, The Beatles (two Albums), Barry White, Big Country,Cee Lo Green, Diana Krall, Duran Duran (latest release), Gary Moore, Grandmaster Flash (best of), Jean Michel Jarre (best of), Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Prince (Purple Rain), The WHo, and some audiobooks which are read by Vincent Price.

x

Went on a little buying binge. Picked up some new and recent releases.

The new Mick Jagger/Dave Stewart supergroup with Damon Marley, Joss Stone and AR Rahman.This is a very unique sounding album. Mixes rock and reggae with Stone's soulfoul stylings and Rahman's eastern influences. Most of the tracks feature two or three vocal leads. Stewart handles most of the guitar work. The vocal mixes can be quite startling, especially when Marley, Jagger and Stone trade off each other.



the new Blondie, Panic of Girls (its got a bit of a reggae feel)



Last year's new Heart album ( throw back to their 70's prime)



the new Yes album ( great Yes music. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes return to the fold joining mainstays Howe, Squire and White, along with new singer Benoit David. The title opus is something Horn and Downes were playing with 30 years ago - now brought to life as an official Yes piece.)



And I have these two on order. The new Coop. This album I know will be sensational. Coop never fails to deliver the rock and schlock.



and the new Evanescence. This might suck but who cares. Amy Lee can belt out a tune and there will be guitars and drums.

Update: Have received the new Evanescence. Album does not suck. In fact it sounds identical to the last album, Open Door, released 5 years ago. Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo have granted full-time band member status to the three guys they picked up along the way on their last tour to round out the roster, after the band revolt which saw 3 mainstays, or holdovers from the Ben Moody days, quit early in the tour. Interesting that all 5 members now receive songwriting credits. The last album she wrote entirely with Balsamo. I think Amy is sensitive to criticism and dissension within the ranks that the band is all about her. It really is her band though. She's the last original standing, but based on all the blathering on the little dvd, which accompanies the deluxe edition of the album, this is the happiest Evanescence line-up ever. All 5 members, but especially Amy, prattle on about what a tight "band' they are. Band band band. Its not all about Amy. We shall see. Meanwhile this is a great gig for these new guys. They get to tour the world, play to big crowds, all under the Evanescence banner. Way more money to be made as part of Amy's troupe than slogging away in their own projects, which may or may not ever take off. There is something to be said for a good gig.

But Amy needs a good band behind her too, as Amy Lee solo won't sell albums or tickets. She needs the Evanescence brand too. Evanescence is nothing without Amy but Amy is a lot less without Evanescence.

Anyway, lots of good hard crunchy guitars, heavy drums and Amy's soaring vocals on the new album. That's all I ask. Now when's the tour start. I want to go. Makes me feel hip with the kids.

The Stone Roses. I had to.

Santa wrote:

The Stone Roses. I had to.

Good call, Santa. As you can imagine, I've been on cloud nine these past few days. In fact, words cannot express just how ecstatic I am, because I truly believed that it was never possible in a million, billion years for these guys to get back together. Can't believe they've got Reni back as well - he hasn't drummed publicly since 1990. I mean, Mrs Thatcher was in power the last time these four played live in concert together. The USSR was still a going concern and the third Dalton Bond film was in its planning stages. No doubt Daniel Craig was being regularly asked for ID in pubs.

By the way, this isn't just a one-off greatest hits reunion concert or nostalgia trip (although I'd have gratefully settled for such a thing) - they'll be bringing out new material as well!

Dunno whether you've seen the press conference, but it's heartwarming and hilarious stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6itFMuO6Os&feature=player_embedded

I have to confess I don't really "get" the Stone Roses.

What have you heard of their stuff, Harms?

Lazenby. wrote:

Brett Anderson - Black Rainbows

Brett's surprisingly fine 2009 album Slow Attack was always going to be difficult to top. Having burdened himself with stale hangovers from his previous bands on his debut solo album, then encountering "right concept, wrong execution" problems with follow-up album Wilderness, Brett finally found the perfect collaborator in Leo Abrahams to produce the beautifully wintry Slow Attack, during which concept, execution and solo identity all fell into place very satisfyingly to yield perhaps Anderson's best work since the halcyon days of Suede fifteen years earlier.

So how would Anderson follow up an album consisting mostly of icily evocative ballads? Well, he was never gonna make an electroclash record, nor was he ever likely to go all unconvincingly dubstep on us. So it was always likely to go back to rock. Black Rainbows should sound like the disappointing album it comes across as being in it's released running order, an album bookended by the only two real ballads on the album, a move which gives the album very little room to breathe or flourish, and a move which gives way to moments of tiredness as one mid-paced rocker gives way to the next.

The opening stretch of the album is an uncomfortable path to navigate, which shouldn't be the case when an album opens with a song as strong and beautiful as the sublime Unsung, which picks up the baton right where Slow Attack left it. But then, at only two tracks in, the terrible placement of the two most cliched tracks on the album lead us back into the tired MOR territory of his debut solo album, where lazy metaphors and similies reign as only Anderson can deliver them, from the "ashtray eyes" and "antiseptic skies" of box-ticking lead single Brittle Heart to the equally Radio 2 friendly tired mechanics of Crash About To Happen. These more lackadaisical moments should have been binned off to the second half of the album where they'd much better serve as preludes to the winding down of the record, yet instead we have grabbing rockers like The Exiles and Actors pushed into the middle when they should really be standing at the front with Unsung to follow as a breather.

There's a good album hidden away here, and each track (even the more lackadaisical ones) would contribute to a satisfying whole had the running order been more thoroughly considered, highlights being the aforementioned Unsung and it's uptempo blood brother In The House Of Numbers, the gnarly rock chorus of The Exiles and the Suede-worthy This Must Be Where It Ends.

With Brett having found his footing as a solo artist on these last two albums and having finally again found a collaborator to inspire quality output, the upcoming Suede reunion album really could go either way and, if it goes the wrong way (basically anything anywhere near as disappointing as their last album), then I for one will be really disappointed if Brett's solo momentum is broken as a result.

:3*:

Interesting. I was a huge Suede fan back in the day.

Am currently listening to Noel Gallagher's album. I've always had a love/hate relationship with Oasis (and loathe Beady Eye), but I really like Noel's newie. I agree with Neil McCormick that "Beady Eye sound like Oasis without the songs. High Flying Birds sounds like Oasis with a little twist of something different: charm. It is a kinder, gentler, more grown-up Oasis, freer in spirit, broader in outlook, richer in tone."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8824790/Noel-Gallaghers-High-Flying-Birds.html

Loomis wrote:

What have you heard of their stuff, Harms?

Both THE STONE ROSES and SECOND COMING. I gave 'em a listen after you raved about 'em on CB.n.

Well, I'm very pleased that you checked 'em out. I guess if neither album took your fancy it's unlikely you'll get much out of this band, although I have to say that it took me quite a while to see their appeal myself. It took quite a while for them to really grow on me, especially as I don't really like guitar-based rock music, by and large.

Off-topic, but have you read Mishima's THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILION? If not, I've a feeling you'd like it.

Oh my God, for me it was love at first listen. I was young.

Loomis wrote:

Off-topic, but have you read Mishima's THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILION? If not, I've a feeling you'd like it.

I haven't. My only exposure to Mishima's work came from watching Schrader's MISHIMA, which does use that story as a segment.

Santa wrote:

Oh my God, for me it was love at first listen. I was young.

Well, as a fourteen-year-old, I only liked "Fools Gold" initially, but only because it was "dance" music. I liked synthesizer-based stuff at the time (I was heavily into the Pet Shop Boys, and also liked Depeche Mode and Erasure). In fact, I loathed The Stone Roses at first - I thought they were backwards-looking, boring rockers. I couldn't understand why they seemingly wanted to recreate the 1960s when we were just coming into the 1990s. I hated the fact that they went in for guitar solos, wore flares, had a "virtuoso" drummer, and all that carry-on. It just seemed so dated and dull. I did try listening to a few of their songs, but they didn't really grab me, and I was positively turned off by the colossal hype around them at the time. I much preferred Happy Mondays and, later, Primal Scream. It was only when, sitting around a friend's room one day some time in 1992 or thereabouts, I happened to put on a cassette of THE STONE ROSES (because there was nothing else to listen to) and heard "Made of Stone", and for some reason the whole thing clicked for me. Even then, it took a few more years for me to become "a fan" of the band.

Harmsway wrote:

Loomis wrote:

Off-topic, but have you read Mishima's THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILION? If not, I've a feeling you'd like it.

I haven't. My only exposure to Mishima's work came from watching Schrader's MISHIMA, which does use that story as a segment.

I really wish they'd release that film on DVD over here.

I'm listening to a few of the tracks from the new Tom Waits album, BAD AS ME, which is my most anticipated album release of the year (anything new from Waits is enough to get me foaming at the mouth).

More albums I've listened to recent-ish:

The Protomen, The Protomen
The Protomen, Act 2: The Father of Death
Genesis, Selling England By The Pound
Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Queen, A Night At The Opera

I'm trying to get more into prog-rock's 70's heyday, as that seems to be the type of music I enjoy most. Also more concept albums and rock operas.

tiffanywint wrote:

Update: Have received the new Evanescence. Album does not suck. In fact it sounds identical to the last album, Open Door, released 5 years ago.

Open Door was okay, at least it had "Lithium" on it. And a good sleeve. But the new album's not doing much for me after three listens, probably because they DO still sound too much the same as usual, but minus any really great tunes, and not even an album title or a good sleeve either. As a fan, it's sad to see their new album being largely ignored, but to be honest I can see why that's happened.

tiffanywint wrote:

But Amy needs a good band behind her

Definitely. More ballads would be nice as well. Shouldn't have to wait 7 tracks for one to turn up on the new album when you've got a vocalist who can nail them as well as Amy. Right now she sounds like a great vocalist stuck in a band unable to move forward, churning out the same out-of-vogue post-nu-metal formula since 2003.

Loomis wrote:

Lazenby. wrote:

Brett Anderson - Black Rainbows

Interesting. I was a huge Suede fan back in the day.

Me too, I loved Suede before their last album. I'd given up on Brett after the poor last Suede album and the disappointing reunion album with Bernard Butler as "The Tears". His songwriting had become pretty terrible in my opinion, and I think Lazenby was being generous in calling his writing lapses "lackadaisical".

Lazenby's the only person I know who's still bothered with Brett since (well, him and a couple of people at The Quietus and XFM probably), and he persuaded me to give Brett's "Slow Attack" album a listen the winter before last. It's a surpisingly lovely album, but should probably only be listened to on a cold winter's day or night. In that climate, it was a beautiful soundtrack to the snowed-in weeks we had here in the UK at the time. I remember it very well, as I was putting the finishing touches to the forum here at the time listening to it, freezing my arse off in front of a two-bob half broken halogen heater. I'd definitely recommend "Slow Attack", especially if you liked Suede's b-side slowies, and I'm now looking forward to getting hold of "Black Rainbows" when I can. The track Laz posted from it sounds like Brett's still on good form, and I'd love that form to carry over into the Suede reunion album (if it happens that is).

Loomis wrote:

I loathed The Stone Roses at first - I thought they were backwards-looking, boring rockers. I couldn't understand why they seemingly wanted to recreate the 1960s when we were just coming into the 1990s.

I too saw them as no big deal at the time (I was also into Depeche, New Order, PSB, etc), but later listened to both Stone Roses albums around the mid 90s as my then-girlfiend was a fan. I liked them but (like Nirvana, who also only made one fine album but were merely "okay" outside of that one album), I think they've been put on way too high a pedestal especially coming as they did in the wake of the likes of The Smiths (who, by comparison, made four near-perfect albums and probably about two albums' worth of equally great b-sides and compilation-only tracks).

The Stone Roses reunion tickets all sold out within 14 minutes apparently. In a current climate where rock seems slightly dead and reunions (gigs or otherwise) are becoming boringly de-rigeur (Roxy Music, Floyd at Live8, Blur at Glasto, The Verve, Suede, Pulp, heck even the fucking Police all did little more than give their fans a decent two hours of nostalgia but made themselves and their fans feel and look very old in the process), and I think maybe some "legacies" should just be left as they are. It's never the same the second time around. My biggest worry about this kind of thing is always Morrissey and Marr being next. Morrissey may always dismiss it, but money is a powerful force, so I really hope the Stone Roses reunion is somehow about a little bit more than that.

M wrote:

The Stone Roses reunion tickets all sold out within 14 minutes apparently.

Reportedly they sold out even faster than the tickets for that 2009 Michael Jackson comeback that never was.

M wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

Update: Have received the new Evanescence. Album does not suck. In fact it sounds identical to the last album, Open Door, released 5 years ago.

Open Door was okay, at least it had "Lithium" on it. And a good sleeve. But the new album's not doing much for me after three listens, probably because they DO still sound too much the same as usual, but minus any really great tunes, and not even an album title or a good sleeve either. As a fan, it's sad to see their new album being largely ignored, but to be honest I can see why that's happened.

tiffanywint wrote:

But Amy needs a good band behind her

Definitely. More ballads would be nice as well. Shouldn't have to wait 7 tracks for one to turn up on the new album when you've got a vocalist who can nail them as well as Amy. Right now she sounds like a great vocalist stuck in a band unable to move forward, churning out the same out-of-vogue post-nu-metal formula since 2003.

yes I share your pain. I've listened to it three times and songs still aren't taking shape and sticking out. It does sound like a generic Evanescence wall of sound album - almost like outtakes from the last album. The Open Door songs, seemed to have better melodies and hooks. Anyway I'm happywith it, in the sense it sounds good loud. Maybe this collaborative approach wasn't the best idea. Maybe she and Balsamo should focus on writing the next album without help. If the other guys quit, so what, they're easily replaced. They all came late to the party anway. All good bands have a creative leadership, and in this band Amy has to be the boss, with Balsamo as collaborator and muse. He effectively replaces Ben Moody, who was the other original co-leader but he quit, so it's now Amy's band. I think contributions from the others are welcome but only at her sufferance. If the input is put to good use, toss them a writing credit. The other approach is to let them write a song or two each, but again at her sufferance and with her final input. All the great bands have been dominated by one or two creative writers, or factions of creative teams, notably Pink Floyd, in which Gilmour and Waters tended to put their own stamps on their songs, even if the other guy got a credit too, but a 5 person collaborative effort, doesn't make much sense. The best creative talents must be unbridled without being held back by obligatory deference to other's contributions.

I don't know what's going on with her fan base. As far as I can tell she's alway had legions of young female fans. At their last concert, 2007, that I saw here, I was ready to offer my services as a female angst counsellor. There was a lot of hormonal emotion in the seats around me. "I'm just here for the big vocals, heavy crunch guitars and big drums, but I'd be happy to help with the angst" 8)

Johnny Cash at San Quentin.

EBTG, Walking Wounded.
Someone sent me a link to Before Today and it reminded me how long it was since I'd listened to them, and they're great.

Just got the new Alice. The Coop delivers as always with this sequel to 1975's,Welcome to my Nightmare. Coop and original Nightmare producer Bob Ezrin, re-visit one of their greatest commerical successes. Basically Alice, or is it Steven ( not sure) despite his best efforts, falls asleep and has another Hell nightmare. In the underworld our boy experiences the Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever, Ghouls Gone Wild and my favourite new track, the crazed What Baby Wants, in which Coop trades vocals with Keisha, who plays a female Satan. Coop finally manages to wake-up and get away from the Nightmare in the next song.

Members of the original Alice Cooper band make appearances on the album. Very heavy,very rock n roll album; also quite eerie and campy in parts, but the hi-lites are the crazed vocals and wild lyrics, which are quite intelligible (nice change for a rock album), as Cooper wants the listener to be able to follow the story.

Rob Zombie and Vince Gill are among the featured guest artists along with some rapper types. No Slash this time though. The former Gunners guitarist usually turns up for a cameo on most Alice albums and vice versa.

btw this is Alice's 26th studio album. I am not aware of any other classic rock act, that has such prodigious output. The Stones only have 24 official North American studio releases to their name (they really slacked off in the last two decades). Possilby Paul McCartney's combined Beatles/solo work might eclipse Coop. In fact I think it might, but I don't think anyone tops Alice's single-act output.

THE ROYAL SCAM by Steely Dan. One of the most perfect albums of the 1970s.