The N&G Listening Club V1 - Archive only

debianlinux said:
I keep hearing about this notifications thing and people missing them. I have notifications only set for quotes and mentions. I'm using watched threads to track updates to threads.
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kvetcha said:
This thread is watched and I haven't been getting updates!
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I use notifications. It seems @kvetcha does too. And sometimes I just overlook one and so don't know that the thread is ever expanding. It happens all the dang time to me with What's Spinning. Maybe I'll try this other way to keep up - this Watched Threads way. (I doubt it though, I've been doing the notification thing for a few years).
 
Teeeee said:
I use notifications. It seems @kvetcha does too. And sometimes I just overlook one and so don't know that the thread is ever expanding. It happens all the dang time to me with What's Spinning. Maybe I'll try this other way to keep up - this Watched Threads way. (I doubt it though, I've been doing the notification thing for a few years).
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I'm the exact opposite. I've only ever used Watched Threads.
 
First Spin, Herbert - Bodily Functions

Generally speaking, I quite dug this, although it does fall victim to my common complaint about electronic music - it's so damned long! That said, the grooves are great; I enjoyed the genre-bending. The vocals were hit or miss for me, but I realize they also kind of come with the territory as far as this style is concerned. I could imagine listening to this a lot more often if it were, say, 40 minutes long. Cool rec, and I'm happy to have heard it.
 
ByersVinyl said:
Hi All

I bet anyone who has made a pick has started with “what really cool album can i pick that few on here will have listened to”. Well I considered this for a while..... then went along another line of, when i returned to vinyl what was my first “must have”. And if you wanna know it was James - Laid. But thats not my pick, well it was but now its not :)

If anyone wants to play along ive gone for something else that really grabbed me and wouldnt let go (around 1996 i think -my second yr of University )
So here it is. Julian Copes - Peggy Suicide. I love this album and can listen to it all and not find a bad tune - the odd weird tune sure, but hell he gets a lot stranger and ive failed when going down that Rabbit hole.

What else can i say, i think its one of those albums where many of the tracks can grab you and hold in your music memory banks, how many albums do we own and well the tunes just dont take a hold - I was just thinking this yesterday re: Elliot Smiths - Either/ Or which ive drifted off too on many occasions, im gonna let that one go now.

Do you want a link mmmmm lets see





I feel i needed an extra nudge to bring me back into a forum groove, work and life keep getting in the way. So thanks for the message @Bohnjaggs
Enjoy.
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This is a GREAT record. I bought it when it was released, and it's one I go back to regularly. What's unusual about this album is that it's kind of all over the place musically, from the balladry of Pristeen, the trip hop of East Easy Rider, the kick ass rock of Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line, the pop of Beautiful Love, and the straight up bonkers Western Front, Hanging Out and Hung Up to Dry, but the album works as a singular cohesive statement.

This was the first Julian Cope record I ever owned. I've tried many others of his, and, IMO, none have come close to Peggy Suicide.
 
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Looks like @Bohnjaggs drew my name out of a hat, so I'm the lucky one who gets to choose this week! I had a very difficult time deciding on which record to select. After much deliberation, I decided upon an often overlooked album by one of my favorite bands ever, Roxy Music. The album is Stranded.

Stranded.jpg

Stranded was released in 1973, and was the first by the band to have musical input by band members not named Bryan Ferry, and also was the first not include Brian Eno (which he later claimed to be the best Roxy Music album).

The album garnered much critical acclaim at the time of its release, but the US public didn't agree, reaching only 186 on the US charts (Roxy Music was still quite popular in the UK, with the album reaching #1). While they only released one single from the record, Street Life, many of the other numbers are fan favorites (like Amazona and what I consider to be the best Roxy Music song, Mother of Pearl).

So please, take my favorite Roxy Music album out for a spin!

 
I gave this an honest try. Fortunately, the album is not very long. There are strong reminders of Queen and Bowie throughout. It also reminded me a lot of the Rocky Horror soundtrack. The guy’s voice and singing style definitely makes me want to throttle him hard. The band makes great sounds even some really cool stuff but on the whole it is not my taste.

It feels like the singer probably orchestrated most of the music to match his, ahem, flair. My imagination is that the demise of this band is directly related to the singers stranglehold on the process? The guy seems extremely full of himself not only in his vocal presentation but also in the overly wrought lyrics. Most of the time they are so cliche I knew exactly what he was going to say 2 words into a verse. The other times they were so stupid I couldn’t begin to think of that (e.g. as high as the Milky Way?, really? we are in the Milky Way so...).

There’s tons of talent seeping out of the edges of an otherwise constrained box. I can imagine there is a large group of population this music directly appeals to and the rest of us it grates on fairly harshly. I can’t imagine a lot of people being on the fence about this act. I feel like everything the singer tries to do is contrived and maybe even copycat despite the fact that he is clearly very versatile. I don’t think he accomplishes anything that hasn’t been done better by other acts, though.
 
I started my Roxy Music journey based off of the VMP produced Amen Dunes recommendation. I quite enjoyed the 1972 self titled debut (which Amen Dunes recommended). It definitely had it's moments of weirdness, but I like weird (and I like Amen Dunes). Stranded is a release after Brian Eno departed the group but is just as enjoyable as what I heard in the debut. "Just Like You" is my favorite song. "Amazona" and "Mother of Pearl" round out my highlighted tracks from the album. I guess I have an appreciation for Roxy Music and a desire to go deeper into their rabbit hole. I can certainly see how this would not be for everyone. When I played the debut for my family...they laughed at the vocals and I could tell they didn't like what was going on instrumentally....but let me tell you (this is what makes me like it even more hahahahahahahah!) I wouldn't mind picking Stranded up on vinyl and I do plan on listening to the rest of their discography. Thanks for the pick. My wallet says F you for the pick.
 
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I'm a fan of Roxy Music, but this album isn't one of my favorites. I listen to their 1st, 2nd, and 4th much more - Country Life being my favorite - Avalon coming in a #2.

This album is just a bit all over the place - I think losing Eno was a bigger deal on this first album without him. You never know what Eno really does on an album until he's not there and it's just missing something.

Roxy Music ‎– Stranded
ATCO Records ‎– SD 7045, 1974

Pressed at PRC, Richmond

MEv0oH.jpg

bHe1NQ.jpg
 
BoilerRhapsody said:
The selection this week is Gotye - Like Drawing Blood.

like drawing blood4-1328763581


My last turn, I chose Wax Tailor - Tales of the Forgotten Melodies, which pretty much everyone seemed to love; this album is about as known, about the same age, and actually reminds me a bit of Wax Tailor, it has some similar Plunderphonics vibes.

Wally (Wouter) De Backer is a Belgian born, Australian raised independent multi-instrumentalist recording artist. Better known as his solo music project Gotye, which he made releases as from 2001-2011. Those who begrudge that he has seemingly vanished since then may not know that he is a member of the band The Basics, who have steadily been releasing music from the mid 2000s to now.

Like Drawing Blood was released in 2006, to good success in Australia, however the vast majority of people know the name Gotye for 'Somebody That I Used To Know' which blew up about 5 years later. With a little digging online I've seen a few people (but in general this album seriously never made it out of the country) who looked back to this after the success of that one song, but judged it as the guy that hit number one in over 20 countries with a hipster breakup song. I think that is quite unfair, if you approach this album as just coming from a future Billboard topper you will be surprised and disappointed.

I have some fuzzy childhood memories of hearing this album and for that it comes with some heavy nostalgia; but since I was around 10 when it came out I suspect some of the memory of these songs is a bit exaggerated. But still in some way I grew up hearing them.
It has always felt to me like cool adult music that I didn't know or understand anything about except that I liked how it sounded. I have similar feelings towards the first Gorillaz album which is actually the right age for it, and is definitely the first music I can remember enjoying with my own volition; both are similarly genre defying and a bit weird. I usually shudder at the label 'indie rock', but this is kind of that mixed with 2000s plunderphonics/trip hop. You'll probably notice hints of that Gorillaz album, and my previous pick, blended with a sound somewhat like the recent Ball Park Music selection.

We only have 10% of the worlds population down here in the Southern Hemisphere and despite the popularity of its successor, my pick this week still feels a little like letting you guys in on one of our secrets, so I hope you enjoy Like Drawing Blood.
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I was really dreading listening to this because I HATE Somebody That I Used to Know and yes, you are right, it is my only knowledge of Goyte. It is just one of those songs that I immediately disliked and then the radio played it non-stop and it really ingrained my dislike.

However, this album is NOTHING like that song. The Only Way sounds like a song Beck wish he had written. Learnalilfivinanlovin is a straight up jam! I hear soul and NOLA funk in it. Great stuff! Puzzle With a Piece Missing has some reggae vibes to it. But is one of those songs that lends itself to that late-night chill time. I love the nostalgic feel to the beginning of Seven Hours with a Backseat Drive. And that song title is simply amazing. The old timey feel and the song title make me think of Driving Miss Daisy. Lol. The Only Thing I Know sounds like a DC band I really dig: Trans Am.

This album is all over the place, but in a good way. This is some excellent song writing. Thank you for opening my ears to the music of Goyte. It seems my dislike for that song was an exception with his music.
 
Teeeee said:
I was really dreading listening to this because I HATE Somebody That I Used to Know and yes, you are right, it is my only knowledge of Goyte. It is just one of those songs that I immediately disliked and then the radio played it non-stop and it really ingrained my dislike.

However, this album is NOTHING like that song. The Only Way sounds like a song Beck wish he had written. Learnalilfivinanlovin is a straight up jam! I hear soul and NOLA funk in it. Great stuff! Puzzle With a Piece Missing has some reggae vibes to it. But is one of those songs that lends itself to that late-night chill time. I love the nostalgic feel to the beginning of Seven Hours with a Backseat Drive. And that song title is simply amazing. The old timey feel and the song title make me think of Driving Miss Daisy. Lol. The Only Thing I Know sounds like a DC band I really dig: Trans Am.

This album is all over the place, but in a good way. This is some excellent song writing. Thank you for opening my ears to the music of Goyte. It seems my dislike for that song was an exception with his music.
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I really like that tune
Somebody That I Used to Know
 
LeeVing said:
I'm a fan of Roxy Music, but this album isn't one of my favorites. I listen to their 1st, 2nd, and 4th much more - Country Life being my favorite - Avalon coming in a #2.

This album is just a bit all over the place - I think losing Eno was a bigger deal on this first album without him. You never know what Eno really does on an album until he's not there and it's just missing something.

Roxy Music ‎– Stranded
ATCO Records ‎– SD 7045, 1974

Pressed at PRC, Richmond

MEv0oH.jpg

bHe1NQ.jpg
Click to expand...
Funny, because while most people consider For Your Pleasure and Country Life to be their best, I consider them to be weaker. IMO, Stranded and Siren are their best works. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
ByersVinyl said:
Hi All

I bet anyone who has made a pick has started with “what really cool album can i pick that few on here will have listened to”. Well I considered this for a while..... then went along another line of, when i returned to vinyl what was my first “must have”. And if you wanna know it was James - Laid. But thats not my pick, well it was but now its not :)

If anyone wants to play along ive gone for something else that really grabbed me and wouldnt let go (around 1996 i think -my second yr of University )
So here it is. Julian Copes - Peggy Suicide. I love this album and can listen to it all and not find a bad tune - the odd weird tune sure, but hell he gets a lot stranger and ive failed when going down that Rabbit hole.

What else can i say, i think its one of those albums where many of the tracks can grab you and hold in your music memory banks, how many albums do we own and well the tunes just dont take a hold - I was just thinking this yesterday re: Elliot Smiths - Either/ Or which ive drifted off too on many occasions, im gonna let that one go now.

Do you want a link mmmmm lets see





I feel i needed an extra nudge to bring me back into a forum groove, work and life keep getting in the way. So thanks for the message @Bohnjaggs
Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Oh man, this is a great album that I never ever would have listened to had you not chosen it. Perfect choice!!

This has a ton of late 90s nostalgia vibes that I think people here would really dig. It's also very much hitting the spot right now for me. The Presidents of the United States HAD to have been influenced by this album, right? If You Loved Me At All sounds like them.

My only complaint - good gosh damn this is a long album.
 
Teeeee said:
Oh man, this is a great album that I never ever would have listened to had you not chosen it. Perfect choice!!

This has a ton of late 90s nostalgia vibes that I think people here would really dig. It's also very much hitting the spot right now for me. The Presidents of the United States HAD to have been influenced by this album, right? If You Loved Me At All sounds like them.

My only complaint - good gosh damn this is a long album.
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Yeah it is long - thankfully its got quite a few gems. i got quite addicted to it and i quickly picked it up on Vinyl when I started collecting. Strangely Ive not spun it much - I need to rectify that !
 
ByersVinyl said:
Yeah it is long - thankfully its got quite a few gems. i got quite addicted to it and i quickly picked it up on Vinyl when I started collecting. Strangely Ive not spun it much - I need to rectify that !
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I agree you do! It's a wonderful album with all kinds of post punk, late 90s, left of the dial feel. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I think my only familiarity with Julian Cope was World Shut Your Mouth.
 
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