Vinyl Me Please Essentials

[dhodo]

No I agree. And I think that even with any name its still the headline track. It has to appeal to the majority of its subscribers. Occasionally highlighting obscure artists is really cool, it’s just got out of hand this year.

Also I’m by no means deceiving myself that I’ll like everything but I’d got used to 2/3 to 3/4 being my thing or something I’m willing to try. Hitting 6 straight that are misses makes me think it’s them and not me...

Yeah. To me there's a difference between albums that are actually long critically acclaimed, just not English speaking, like Ben, and "lost" snoozers that have a cool story associated with them like U.F.O. I think EU is kind of in between as it wasn't well known like Ben, but is genuinely good and captivating for me as someone who is into that genre (which ISN'T Go-go!).

I've never had tastes that match majorities really, so it's hard for me to say that's what I want from the track, but I think your point makes sense.

 

[NathanRicaud]

Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. is such a weak Essentials ROTM pick. It should have been an exclusive limited to 500 copies. It wouldn’t even have sold out that quickly if it were an exclusive limited to 500 copies. U.F.O. is a waste of an Essentials pick. It’s seriously just as bad or even worse than the Tennis Essentials ROTM pick.

I’m so disappointed in VMP choosing this forgettable folk album as an Essentials ROTM. Veedon Fleece was a great folk/rock album and still one of the best ROTM selections VMP have done!

 

[Joe Mac]

Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. is such a weak Essentials ROTM pick. It should have been an exclusive limited to 500 copies. It wouldn’t even have sold out that quickly if it were an exclusive limited to 500 copies. U.F.O. is a waste of an Essentials pick. It’s seriously just as bad or even worse than the Tennis Essentials ROTM pick.

I’m so disappointed in VMP choosing this forgettable folk album as an Essentials ROTM. Veedon Fleece was a great folk/rock album and still one of the best ROTM selections VMP have done!

I wonder in super enthusiastic @NathanRicaud saying “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed” makes VMP feel as bad as it does when your parents say it to you? I hope so...

 

[NathanRicaud]

I wonder in super enthusiastic @NathanRicaud saying “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed” makes VMP feel as bad as it does when your parents say it to you? I hope so...

I’m angry because we have five Britney Spears albums that are better than Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. and that’s UNACCEPTABLE!

Can’t say the same thing for any other Essentials ROTM’s from this year or from 2018!

 

[supahypeag]

If only there were some sort of post, or guide or something, that VMP could turn to for Essential album selections

Best Vinyl Records - 52 Essential Albums to Own on Vinyl

Whether you're already an avid record collector or not, there are some albums you just need to have on vinyl. We at Vinyl Me, Please curated a list of the top 52 albums to own on vinyl.

www.vinylmeplease.com

Maybe 52 is too limiting...

Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection: Please, Vinyl Me: 9781419725975: Amazon.com: Books

Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection [Please, Vinyl Me] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection

www.amazon.com

 

[Joe Mac]

If only there were some sort of post, or guide or something, that VMP could turn to for Essential album selections

Best Vinyl Records - 52 Essential Albums to Own on Vinyl

Whether you're already an avid record collector or not, there are some albums you just need to have on vinyl. We at Vinyl Me, Please curated a list of the top 52 albums to own on vinyl.

www.vinylmeplease.com

Maybe 52 is too limiting...

Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection: Please, Vinyl Me: 9781419725975: Amazon.com: Books

Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection [Please, Vinyl Me] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection

www.amazon.com

True but equally that’s pretty much, with a couple of exceptions, a list of albums that are critically regarded as GOATs.

Spoiler

There is no GOAT

A lot of their subscribers will have them, just because.

It’s delicate balancing act, unfortunately this year they fell off the high wire...

 

[gaporter]

Spoiler

There is no GOAT

@Goatfish , we must prove the non-believers wrong!

 

[Goatfish]

True but equally that’s pretty much, with a couple of exceptions, a list of albums that are critically regarded as GOATs.

Spoiler

There is no GOAT

A lot of their subscribers will have them, just because.

It’s delicate balancing act, unfortunately this year they fell off the high wire...

@Goatfish , we must prove the non-believers wrong!

Y’all rang?!

 

[Turbo]

U.F.O. is a pretty good album and a fine pick. I realize not everyone likes the same kinds of music. I personally loathed (seriously, that much) Panda Bear, TV On The Radio and Beachhouse. But I can see how they have a following and they're fine picks. Though I also know that I'm probably odd in my tastes - for example I actually quite liked Tennis and played it a lot (scratched that Yacht rock itch somehow) .

U.F.O. is one of those crate digger discoveries first released on LITA about 8-10 years ago. I picked it up on CD at the time and played it a fair bit. I was listening to late 60s psych a bunch in those days.

That said, I won't be picking it up this month. I kind of had my fill of it back then. Will probably stick around anyway.

The LITA discovery I would have loved to see and is an absolute essential in my book (fight me ) is the Rodriguez LP. Great story, great music. I guess most people already know it because of the Oscar-winning documentary. Do most people have it already? Anyway, I love that album but never upgraded from the CD. Seems like another repress is coming out this month so I'll likely finally get it. Copies have been expensive when I looked sporadically over the last year.

 

[ohcalebbeck]

Best Vinyl Records - 52 Essential Albums to Own on Vinyl

Whether you're already an avid record collector or not, there are some albums you just need to have on vinyl. We at Vinyl Me, Please curated a list of the top 52 albums to own on vinyl.

www.vinylmeplease.com

Woah I remember reading this article forever ago. Was it up when youth lagoon was AOTM? I think this article may have been the first VMP thing I ever read.

Funny that years later and a collection 5x what it was back then and I only have 1 more of the albums one their list than I did before.

 

[SanSeattle]

Am I missing something or how does this qualify as the VMP definition of "psychedelic"? Not bad at all, but it just sounds like folk to me. Donovan sounds like the 13th Floor Elevators compared to this guy.

 

[LiamGallaghersBucketHat]

Am I missing something or how does this qualify as the VMP definition of "psychedelic"? Not bad at all, I dig it, but it just sounds like folk to me. Donovan sounds like the 13th Floor Elevators compared to this guy.

If the description is coming from Storf, there’s a good chance of it not being accurate.

 

[Captainfog]

Loretta I got the pick, not my thing so avoid but no quibbles on the pick
Experience is too esoteric to be claimed to be an album needed in every collection, ideal for the long rumored crate diggers stream
Jorge likewise
Phoenix shit and wholly unnecessary. There needs to be the odd indie pick but they need to do better.
S/K not my thing but again I get the pick
This months seems again to be like Jorge and experience, too obscure for a headline stream, a crate digger pick.

I get pushing new things on people but this year has been ridiculous, 3 and we’re only 9 months in and all this in a stream that’s about giving people things they want and need in their collection rather than obscure shit they’ll listen to once and leave aside. I wasn’t records I’ll wear out, not ones that make me look clued in.

It may not be your thing, but Jorge is widely considered to be a proper classic.

Despite swapping way more than I've kept over the past couple of years I've long maintained arguing over what is essential is completely pointless. The ROTM is deemed essential by VMP, that's all that matters. It's completely subjective, what they love will be different to what I love which will be different to what you love. There is no magic formula they should be using, for example you don't like the Experience and say it's too obscure yet that was one of the the most popular ROTMs at the old forum.

They're never going to please everyone all the time. It's a record, you might love it, you might not. UFO is hard pass for me.

 

[Joe Mac]

It may not be your thing, but Jorge is widely considered to be a proper classic.

Despite swapping way more than I've kept over the past couple of years I've long maintained arguing over what is essential is completely pointless. The ROTM is deemed essential by VMP, that's all that matters. It's completely subjective, what they love will be different to what I love which will be different to what you love. There is no magic formula they should be using, for example you don't like the Experience and say it's too obscure yet that was one of the the most popular ROTMs at the old forum.

They're never going to please everyone all the time. It's a record, you might love it, you might not. UFO is hard pass for me.

It’s the level of misses for me and the profile of records and the end of repressing leading to no worthwhile swaps that has left me feeling I’ve left a record club where I was previously happy with the misses because I could swap for something good and sure they have to mix it up to thinking I’ve left a record club and joined a posing hipster club. That’s fine if that’s where they want to go but they’ve left me behind and I won’t be alone, such obscure picks, and sorry they are obscure whether you like them or not, will alienate more that they will attract. Call it essentials, call it VMP picks, call it our favourites it’s their headline track, it needs to maintain a certain profile as it’s their biggest advertising and retention tool.

 

[Captainfog]

It’s the level of misses for me and the profile of records and the end of repressing leading to no worthwhile swaps that has left me feeling I’ve left a record club where I was previously happy with the misses because I could swap for something good and sure they have to mix it up to thinking I’ve left a record club and joined a posing hipster club. That’s fine if that’s where they want to go but they’ve left me behind and I won’t be alone, such obscure picks, and sorry they are obscure whether you like them or not, will alienate more that they will attract. Call it essentials, call it VMP picks, call it our favourites it’s their headline track, it needs to maintain a certain profile as it’s their biggest advertising and retention tool.

If I run out of swap options then I'll quit too.

Again, it might not reflect what you think is essential, but that not necessarily reflect what other people think. I refer back to your criticism of their recent funk album by Experience. The old forum was overwhelmingly in support of that pick and I'd say your reaction was very much in the minority.

I think UFO is shit, I've no interest in owning it whatsoever, but if VMP think it's essential then... **shrug**

 

[Captainfog]

Obviously, If the majority of record buying public think their picks are rubbish then they'll go bust. They'll live and die by their selections.

But the essential tag is really subjective and if they think something deserves to be on their essentials list then it does, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or even agree with them.

 

[Joe Mac]

If I run out of swap options then I'll quit too.

Again, it might not reflect what you think is essential, but that not necessarily reflect what other people think. I refer back to your criticism of their recent funk album by Experience. The old forum was overwhelmingly in support of that pick and I'd say your reaction was very much in the minority.

I think UFO is shit, I've no interest in owning it whatsoever, but if VMP think it's essential then... **shrug**

Yeah see this forum is an echo chamber to a degree. We are all music nuts and may come to conclusions on albums that are not those of the wider music buying population, never mind the general public.

What I will say though is none of my criticisms are based on “don’t like this”. I think that there are plenty of intelligent people who have made, and will make, great arguments for all three picks. I honestly don’t know enough about the genres, beyond them not being my thing, to pass a fair critique. The only album I’ll outright call shit is Phoenix because I know that genre and know how much better they could have done.

My issue is that all 3 are pretty obscure. By all means pick the odd different genre/artist but it, to me, seems an almost aggressively obtuse strategy to put all 4 in a 5 month period in the first 9 months of the year. I don’t see why they wouldn’t try to take a more strategic approach to dropping them in.

 

[Joe Mac]

Obviously, If the majority of record buying public think their picks are rubbish then they'll go bust. They'll live and die by their selections.

But the essential tag is really subjective and if they think something deserves to be on their essentials list then it does, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or even agree with them.

No true but it doesn’t mean I have to sit quietly and go “oh aren’t they doing a good job picking all these obscure albums I don’t want...”

 

[Selaws]

Just to tag onto this debate, I almost always dismiss the Essentials nowadays. Im in the situation where I fully expect to pass on it, and if it happens to be something I like im usually pleasantly surprised.

The Classics is where its at for me, and theres been multiple times where I think some of those picks could easily have been picked as the Essential release regardless of personal preference to the genres (Stan Getz / Charlie Byrd, Alice Coltrane, John Lee Hooker maybe?).

I personally think their 'Essential' picks should somewhat reflect the best selling records list (after all, if that many people consider an album worthy of purchase then surely thats as close to a unified 'essential' pick as we can get?). That doesn't mean I would be happy with every pick, but as @jamieanderson1968 mentioned, earlier picks like Sabbath, Simone, etc seem much more 'well known' (and therefore essential) than some of the recent picks - Jim Sullivan, Phoenix, Experience Unlimited, etc. I do honestly think VMP weighed themselves down by referring to the track as 'essential'. If they had gone with 'VMP Pick' or something then all we would be doing is saying our personal preference isn't lined up with theirs.

 

[bother]

I moved over fr Essentials to Classics as my main track a couple back. Essentials has been way more misses than hits for me this past year so I'd rather just have the option of adding it on instead. UFO seems like a very odd pick though, it's folk rock that never took off and died in obscurity, which is probably cool for hardcore folk people, but for a record club that's ostensibly picking records to appeal to wider demographics with their essentials track? dunno.

That said, I guess this is why they have swaps and the ability to move tracks. And their Classics have been consistently killer.