The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

Catching up with the project again. I have been listening every day, but not really had time to write anything.

This was a pretty strange, but ultimately also satisfying, week.
  • Buffalo Springfield and Tom Petty are certified classics although both these albums have their flaws. Don't think I've listened to this Buffalo Springfield in full before, and I had higher expectations of it than it could deliver. Still a good album in any regard. Tom Pettys debut has its' highlights, but is a bit stale in comparison with his later work.
  • I hadn't heard K.D Lang before (beyond hearing the name pop up occasionally), but I liked it. Will check out more from her for sure!
  • I have a pretty hard time with 70's funk, but I enjoyed this Parliament quite a bit. Like most funk albums it gets a bit samey after a while.
  • I really liked Green Day when they broke with Dookie. This one didn't really do that much for me when it came out, but listening today, I realize it's pretty good by it's own merits.
 
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5/22/23

Sarah’s Vaughan ad Her Trio - At Mister Kelly’s




This was album #100 for my personal project.

I don't really gravitate toward vocal jazz all that much outside of Nina Simone. I can appreciate it (and do!), but I don't seek it out too often save for specific settings or company. I don't know that I've ever listened to more than the odd song here and there from Sarah Vaughan before this but this was quite a delight. Her rapport with the audience, in particular, is a treat; it feels very casual while also feeling like a formal show - a perfect atmosphere for something like this. And her voice is top notch - it's obviously no mistake that she's considered one of the greats. 5/5
 
5/22/23

Sarah’s Vaughan ad Her Trio - At Mister Kelly’s



Was on board until they said she was using lyric sheets. Now I'm out!

But seriously, this is the kind of album I have a hard time assigning a rating to. I can certainly appreciate it but it's not something that's in my wheelhouse. So I have a hard time discerning a good jazz vocal album from a bad one. It'd nice to listen to but it's not something I would go reaching for again.
 
5/19/23


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Green Day - American Idiot





I haven't had a chance to give this one as close a listen as I'd like - but feel like I can safely give it a 4/5 after playing it during a family car ride today. I could see it rising a bit with more listens, and am definitely likely to listen to it more. Feels like a very mature album from a band known for immaturity.
 
So I didn't give comments on Green Day. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Even the overplayed singles worked better in context. It'll probably never be a 5 from me because it does give off hella Broadway Vibes which is not really my thing (especially modern all kind of samey broadway). Anyhow suprisingly addictive. Gave it a three.

The Vaughan is goddamn brilliant. 5
 
So I didn't give comments on Green Day. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Even the overplayed singles worked better in context. It'll probably never be a 5 from me because it does give off hella Broadway Vibes which is not really my thing (especially modern all kind of samey broadway). Anyhow suprisingly addictive. Gave it a three.
No album from Green Day will ever be a 5 for me.
For American Idiot, 3 sounds about right.
 
5/23/23


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Moby - Play





3/5

Yeah, this is a thing. It's ubiquitous and it certainly did a lot to make electronic music a little more mainstream. I think the biggest positive for the album is that it introduced Vera Hall to a much larger audience - however the majority of that audience probably still has no idea who Vera Hall is!

The music is fine enough that I can't write off the entire album simply because Moby can be an insufferable twat
 
Same. There's enough hooks and earworms on this that keep my attention. It does get same-y as it moves along. I don't know that I've ever listened to another Moby album. 4/5.
I don't think I have listened to another one of his albums either. I actually prefer the slower, prettier songs to the upbeat electronic ones. Those couple of tracks do sound a bit dated to me. 4/5 for me as well.
 
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