Welcome to another set of music in the first round of Moderately Acclaimed Albums!
Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as the voter has heard both albums.
Good-spirited comments are encouraged, but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = March 23rd at 10am EST.
Here's a link to the bracket for the entire tournament:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=474290
Match-ups:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good
Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
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Schüttelbirne
- Into the Groove
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Echo and the Bunnymen | Heaven Up Here (1981)
The cover is really pretty (except for And and The which should be lower case). I like the atmosphere it presents. Unfortunately, the album itself isn‘t quite as good as its cover. It‘s not a bad album, and there‘s nothing majorly wrong with it, but I found it rather forgettable and it just didn‘t work for me.
The songs are rather blandly written and rarely include anything that sticks out as interesting. The instrumentation also stays mostly typical boundaries; most worthy of being highlighted here are Les Pattinson on bass and Peter de Freitas on drums who do a really good job. The guitar work is also not exceptionally good.
Will Sergeant‘s vocals are not always ideal. He has this very pathos-heavy way of singing that does work occassionally but often just seems overblown. And the worst thing about the vocals is this: I know that the band is called Echo and the Bunnymen, but did they really feel the need to implement an echo on the vocals? Echos can work in certain vocal styles, specifically in sacral choral works, preferrably from the Middle Ages or Baroque, but this kind of artifically created echo that seeks to sound desolate, just seems insignificant and even distracting.
Now that I‘ve beat up on the album, I want to emphasize that I don‘t hate it. It‘s flawed, but there certainly exists a foundation. The cover is still pretty, though.
Highlight: „Show of Strength“
Bowie | Diamond Dogs (1974)
Above I‘ve started by calling the album cover pretty, so I might as well continue here, but the other way around. This album has one of the ugliest covers I‘ve ever seen. It‘s not really Bowie as a dog, which doesn‘t look too bad, but the two blue things behind him (are they also supposed to be dogs?). But here the music isn‘t as bad as the cover, although that would be hard to achieve.
Diamond Dogs is the result of when an artist wants to do a major thing, than abandons it but doesn‘t want the work he‘s already done to go unnoticed. So basically Bowie wanted to make a musical and had already written some songs for it, which you can certainly hear on the very show-tuney „Sweet Thing“, but it all didn‘t work out as he had wanted, so he put the rest on this album with others songs. The result is a mess that never seems like it actually knows where it‘s going, but is never interesting enough to warrant the journey.
Bowie does play most of the instruments himself, which is commendable but ultimately doesn‘t hide that the music itself is not very fascinating. In last year‘s ‚70s poll I was listed as „Not a fan“ for this album, because it‘s just so blah. There‘s nothing on here I really dislike, but it can‘t measure up to the work he previously did in the ‚70s and the work he would do later and it certainly can‘t stand for itself as anything more than a mediocre album. It‘s still better than Heaven Up Here, so I should vote for it, but I hope the album is kicked out soon and doesn‘t suddenly end up in the final round.
Highlights: „Sweet Thing“, „Rebel Rebel“, „1984“
Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm (1969)
I‘ve had this on my to-listen-list for 1969 (and yes I have mapped out what I‘m gonna listen to in October already), but I‘m not mad this game gave me the chance to check it out sooner. I certainly wasn‘t disappointed. This album is a great fusion of Spiritual Jazz and Free Jazz, both styles flowing flawlessly into each other and becoming one.
The two parts ofthe albums each contain a suite of different pieces that are distinct but flow into each other. The final piece of Part 1 for example takes up the theme of the beginning, but Cherry plays it alone on the flute.
For the most part, the band maintains an atmosphere, without long-winded solos (with the exception of Cherry‘s flute solo on Part 1), but with fierce intensity, each member playing not just for himself, but together with all the others. Looking for standouts here is hard, because everyone is at their best. Jacques Thollot‘s drums are keeping the tension high throughout and towards the end they are allowed to take center stage for a while. Karl Berger‘s vibraphone playing has a certain quality to it that can basically only exist in Spiritual Jazz (vibraphones normally sound different).
Cherry‘s composition turns around from piece to piece, and would seem fraught, were it not for the great teamwork of the band. Amazing album.
Highlights: „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 1“, „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2“ (Really though, deciding between these is not easy. Most people prefer the second part, but I think the first part is just as good, so I‘m totally betraying the concept of highlighting specific tracks by just highlighting both of them. This album certainly deserves it.)
Idles | Brutalism (2017)
I normally write these short texts directly after listening to the album to put down my direct reaction, but re-reading this entry I decided to re-write because I was being unnecessarily mean. As you may guess from that intro, I don‘t like this album and I‘ll just give the short version of the longer write-up without the polemics:
I led in with me disliking Brutalism as an architectural style and I stand by that: It‘s ugly and I don‘t care about its aesthetic at all. I also don‘t care for this band because I think their lyrics are rather vapid; their style is not fun, but neither is it protest. Each song seems to be built upon a single idea that is then expanded by varying it multiple times; the problem is that these ideas were never that original in the first place. I think that these songs are supposed to be angry or rage-filled (and least some of them) but they mostly come across as lazy.
I also really can‘t stand Talbot‘s singing, it‘s utterly unpleasant and I suspect that‘s more due to his choice of style than due to his voice.
Harold Budd | The Pavilion of Dreams (1978)
Minimalism might be the best starting point for people looking to get into modern classical music. It has an hypnotic quality to it, but can express different moods depending on the instrumentation. So while Philip Glass‘s score for Koyaanisqatsi with its brass section is incredibly powerful and Terry Riley‘s Persian Surgery Dervishes shows the majestic sounds of the organ, this album does right by its title and creates a dreamy soundscape with the help of the harp, the celeste and soft-sounding percussion instruments like the marimba or the vibraphone. All of these instruments contribute to a unique feeling that is not easy to describe at all, but is soft and calm and quiet. But that‘s just the foundation because Budd adds another layer: In the first track „Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim“ it‘s Marion Brown‘s warm saxophone, the second track (which in itself is divided into two parts) has Lynda Richardson vocalize, „Madrigals of the Rose Angel“ features a chorus. These elements capture the attention of the listener and enrich the instrumental foundation. Utterly beautiful music.
Highlights: „Bimillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim“, „Madrigals of the Rose Angel“
Daniel Johnston | 1990 (1990)
The mixture of studio and live recordings gives this a certain feeling of simply being scraped together and that‘s probably true since Johnston wasn‘t very well at that time. Since the studio versions don‘t show huge difference to the live versions stylistically, it barely registers at all. I would definitely have liked to hear some of these songs in a better recording quality because a lot of voice depth seems to have been lost. Only „Funeral Home“ uses the live setting in a significant way (one of the reasons why it‘s one of the best tracks here).
Johnston‘s melodies are rather simple, but very catchy while the lyrics aren‘t nearly as depressing as I thought they would be. He uses Christian motifs but uses them in his own way to illuminate his own struggles. The rather simple nature of the album doesn‘t hurt it, because it seems very honest. The painting on the album cover is titled Hope, and I do get that feeling from the album.
Highlights: „Spirit World Rising“, „Lord Give Me Hope“, „Some Things Last a Long Time“, „Funeral Home“
Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices (1993)
Is this the week of ugly album covers? This one is not as bad as Diamond Dogs, but the cover is still so incredibly unappealing that it actually influences my preconceptions negatively. Well, influenced in the past tense would be a better description, because once I actually listened to it, I found it to be quite nice. It‘s neither reinventing the wheel, nor is it a particularly pretty wheel, but it rolls and doesn‘t wobble (my submission for Worst Metaphor of the Year).
The songs sound like pop songs that got a shoegaze/alt-rock treatment with guitar distortion and changes from quiet to loud, maybe best seen on „Shallow Thunder“ that at points seems like a ballad with an underlying gloomy distortion before exploding into the guitar-heavy chorus. The vocals sometimes seem a bit out of place, which is not necessarily a bad thing; here it gives the songs a certain unique tone.
At its best moments this is good alt-rock, but not all the tracks can hold this level of quality.
Highlights: „Lünasa“, „Ages“, „Bow Hitch-Hiker“, „Slave“
Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted (2004)
I spent too much time researching „Europakritische Informationen“, a political interest group Naked Lunch supported, to write something of value. So just something very short:
Ultimately it is a rather straightforward Indie Pop album that sounds a bit like The Notwist with stripped-back electronics. I‘m not really a fan of Oliver Welter‘s singing, though I can‘t tell you why. It has a rather relaxing atmosphere and a nice sound, but overall it leaves me unsatisfied too often.
I wrote this before looking up that basically every other person makes the Notwist comparison.
Highlights: „First Man on the Sun“, „In Your Room“, „Solitude“
7 | Echo and the Bunnymen | Heaven Up Here vs. 5 | Bowie | Diamond Dogs
1 | Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm vs. 8 | Idles | Brutalism
2 | Harold Budd | The Pavilion of Dreams vs. 3 | Daniel Johnston | 1990
4 | Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices vs. 6 | Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted
Favorite song of the week: Don Cherry | „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2“
The cover is really pretty (except for And and The which should be lower case). I like the atmosphere it presents. Unfortunately, the album itself isn‘t quite as good as its cover. It‘s not a bad album, and there‘s nothing majorly wrong with it, but I found it rather forgettable and it just didn‘t work for me.
The songs are rather blandly written and rarely include anything that sticks out as interesting. The instrumentation also stays mostly typical boundaries; most worthy of being highlighted here are Les Pattinson on bass and Peter de Freitas on drums who do a really good job. The guitar work is also not exceptionally good.
Will Sergeant‘s vocals are not always ideal. He has this very pathos-heavy way of singing that does work occassionally but often just seems overblown. And the worst thing about the vocals is this: I know that the band is called Echo and the Bunnymen, but did they really feel the need to implement an echo on the vocals? Echos can work in certain vocal styles, specifically in sacral choral works, preferrably from the Middle Ages or Baroque, but this kind of artifically created echo that seeks to sound desolate, just seems insignificant and even distracting.
Now that I‘ve beat up on the album, I want to emphasize that I don‘t hate it. It‘s flawed, but there certainly exists a foundation. The cover is still pretty, though.
Highlight: „Show of Strength“
Bowie | Diamond Dogs (1974)
Above I‘ve started by calling the album cover pretty, so I might as well continue here, but the other way around. This album has one of the ugliest covers I‘ve ever seen. It‘s not really Bowie as a dog, which doesn‘t look too bad, but the two blue things behind him (are they also supposed to be dogs?). But here the music isn‘t as bad as the cover, although that would be hard to achieve.
Diamond Dogs is the result of when an artist wants to do a major thing, than abandons it but doesn‘t want the work he‘s already done to go unnoticed. So basically Bowie wanted to make a musical and had already written some songs for it, which you can certainly hear on the very show-tuney „Sweet Thing“, but it all didn‘t work out as he had wanted, so he put the rest on this album with others songs. The result is a mess that never seems like it actually knows where it‘s going, but is never interesting enough to warrant the journey.
Bowie does play most of the instruments himself, which is commendable but ultimately doesn‘t hide that the music itself is not very fascinating. In last year‘s ‚70s poll I was listed as „Not a fan“ for this album, because it‘s just so blah. There‘s nothing on here I really dislike, but it can‘t measure up to the work he previously did in the ‚70s and the work he would do later and it certainly can‘t stand for itself as anything more than a mediocre album. It‘s still better than Heaven Up Here, so I should vote for it, but I hope the album is kicked out soon and doesn‘t suddenly end up in the final round.
Highlights: „Sweet Thing“, „Rebel Rebel“, „1984“
Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm (1969)
I‘ve had this on my to-listen-list for 1969 (and yes I have mapped out what I‘m gonna listen to in October already), but I‘m not mad this game gave me the chance to check it out sooner. I certainly wasn‘t disappointed. This album is a great fusion of Spiritual Jazz and Free Jazz, both styles flowing flawlessly into each other and becoming one.
The two parts ofthe albums each contain a suite of different pieces that are distinct but flow into each other. The final piece of Part 1 for example takes up the theme of the beginning, but Cherry plays it alone on the flute.
For the most part, the band maintains an atmosphere, without long-winded solos (with the exception of Cherry‘s flute solo on Part 1), but with fierce intensity, each member playing not just for himself, but together with all the others. Looking for standouts here is hard, because everyone is at their best. Jacques Thollot‘s drums are keeping the tension high throughout and towards the end they are allowed to take center stage for a while. Karl Berger‘s vibraphone playing has a certain quality to it that can basically only exist in Spiritual Jazz (vibraphones normally sound different).
Cherry‘s composition turns around from piece to piece, and would seem fraught, were it not for the great teamwork of the band. Amazing album.
Highlights: „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 1“, „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2“ (Really though, deciding between these is not easy. Most people prefer the second part, but I think the first part is just as good, so I‘m totally betraying the concept of highlighting specific tracks by just highlighting both of them. This album certainly deserves it.)
Idles | Brutalism (2017)
I normally write these short texts directly after listening to the album to put down my direct reaction, but re-reading this entry I decided to re-write because I was being unnecessarily mean. As you may guess from that intro, I don‘t like this album and I‘ll just give the short version of the longer write-up without the polemics:
I led in with me disliking Brutalism as an architectural style and I stand by that: It‘s ugly and I don‘t care about its aesthetic at all. I also don‘t care for this band because I think their lyrics are rather vapid; their style is not fun, but neither is it protest. Each song seems to be built upon a single idea that is then expanded by varying it multiple times; the problem is that these ideas were never that original in the first place. I think that these songs are supposed to be angry or rage-filled (and least some of them) but they mostly come across as lazy.
I also really can‘t stand Talbot‘s singing, it‘s utterly unpleasant and I suspect that‘s more due to his choice of style than due to his voice.
Harold Budd | The Pavilion of Dreams (1978)
Minimalism might be the best starting point for people looking to get into modern classical music. It has an hypnotic quality to it, but can express different moods depending on the instrumentation. So while Philip Glass‘s score for Koyaanisqatsi with its brass section is incredibly powerful and Terry Riley‘s Persian Surgery Dervishes shows the majestic sounds of the organ, this album does right by its title and creates a dreamy soundscape with the help of the harp, the celeste and soft-sounding percussion instruments like the marimba or the vibraphone. All of these instruments contribute to a unique feeling that is not easy to describe at all, but is soft and calm and quiet. But that‘s just the foundation because Budd adds another layer: In the first track „Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim“ it‘s Marion Brown‘s warm saxophone, the second track (which in itself is divided into two parts) has Lynda Richardson vocalize, „Madrigals of the Rose Angel“ features a chorus. These elements capture the attention of the listener and enrich the instrumental foundation. Utterly beautiful music.
Highlights: „Bimillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim“, „Madrigals of the Rose Angel“
Daniel Johnston | 1990 (1990)
The mixture of studio and live recordings gives this a certain feeling of simply being scraped together and that‘s probably true since Johnston wasn‘t very well at that time. Since the studio versions don‘t show huge difference to the live versions stylistically, it barely registers at all. I would definitely have liked to hear some of these songs in a better recording quality because a lot of voice depth seems to have been lost. Only „Funeral Home“ uses the live setting in a significant way (one of the reasons why it‘s one of the best tracks here).
Johnston‘s melodies are rather simple, but very catchy while the lyrics aren‘t nearly as depressing as I thought they would be. He uses Christian motifs but uses them in his own way to illuminate his own struggles. The rather simple nature of the album doesn‘t hurt it, because it seems very honest. The painting on the album cover is titled Hope, and I do get that feeling from the album.
Highlights: „Spirit World Rising“, „Lord Give Me Hope“, „Some Things Last a Long Time“, „Funeral Home“
Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices (1993)
Is this the week of ugly album covers? This one is not as bad as Diamond Dogs, but the cover is still so incredibly unappealing that it actually influences my preconceptions negatively. Well, influenced in the past tense would be a better description, because once I actually listened to it, I found it to be quite nice. It‘s neither reinventing the wheel, nor is it a particularly pretty wheel, but it rolls and doesn‘t wobble (my submission for Worst Metaphor of the Year).
The songs sound like pop songs that got a shoegaze/alt-rock treatment with guitar distortion and changes from quiet to loud, maybe best seen on „Shallow Thunder“ that at points seems like a ballad with an underlying gloomy distortion before exploding into the guitar-heavy chorus. The vocals sometimes seem a bit out of place, which is not necessarily a bad thing; here it gives the songs a certain unique tone.
At its best moments this is good alt-rock, but not all the tracks can hold this level of quality.
Highlights: „Lünasa“, „Ages“, „Bow Hitch-Hiker“, „Slave“
Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted (2004)
I spent too much time researching „Europakritische Informationen“, a political interest group Naked Lunch supported, to write something of value. So just something very short:
Ultimately it is a rather straightforward Indie Pop album that sounds a bit like The Notwist with stripped-back electronics. I‘m not really a fan of Oliver Welter‘s singing, though I can‘t tell you why. It has a rather relaxing atmosphere and a nice sound, but overall it leaves me unsatisfied too often.
I wrote this before looking up that basically every other person makes the Notwist comparison.
Highlights: „First Man on the Sun“, „In Your Room“, „Solitude“
7 | Echo and the Bunnymen | Heaven Up Here vs. 5 | Bowie | Diamond Dogs
1 | Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm vs. 8 | Idles | Brutalism
2 | Harold Budd | The Pavilion of Dreams vs. 3 | Daniel Johnston | 1990
4 | Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices vs. 6 | Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted
Favorite song of the week: Don Cherry | „Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2“
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
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Rdwdbob
- Keep On Movin'
- Posts: 1622
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:06 am
- Location: Healdsburg, CA
- Contact:
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Idles - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Naked Lunch - Songs For The Exhausted
2. Idles - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Naked Lunch - Songs For The Exhausted
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2.Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3.Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs.Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
2.
3.
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs.
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LunarPiper
- Different Class
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Wed May 06, 2020 12:28 am
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices
2. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices
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Bang Jan
- Full of Fire
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:15 pm
- Location: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
2 | Echo & The Bunnymen | Heaven Up Here
4 | David Bowie | Diamond Dogs
1 | Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm
6 | IDLES | Brutalism
5 | Harold Budd | The Pavilion Of Dreams
3 | Daniel Johnston | 1990
8 | Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices
7 | Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted
Favourite song of the week: Daniel Johnston | Some Things Last a Long Time
4 | David Bowie | Diamond Dogs
1 | Don Cherry | Eternal Rhythm
6 | IDLES | Brutalism
5 | Harold Budd | The Pavilion Of Dreams
3 | Daniel Johnston | 1990
8 | Rollerskate Skinny | Shoulder Voices
7 | Naked Lunch | Songs for the Exhausted
Favourite song of the week: Daniel Johnston | Some Things Last a Long Time
"The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body."
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
My picks:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Two good albums from bands with terrible names. I ended up purchasing Naked Lunch's CD off eBay for a couple bucks (came from Germany in a week; meanwhile, waiting for magazines from 2 hours away that are 3 weeks+ overdue via USPS [rant]) - if it wins, I'd be happy to pass along to someone else in the U.S. who can't hear it otherwise.
Thanks!
Edit (3/20) - I don't like doing this, but I had to change the winner of the last match-up. With further listening through the week, it's become obvious that Rollerskate Skinny is the right pick for me.
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Two good albums from bands with terrible names. I ended up purchasing Naked Lunch's CD off eBay for a couple bucks (came from Germany in a week; meanwhile, waiting for magazines from 2 hours away that are 3 weeks+ overdue via USPS [rant]) - if it wins, I'd be happy to pass along to someone else in the U.S. who can't hear it otherwise.
Thanks!
Edit (3/20) - I don't like doing this, but I had to change the winner of the last match-up. With further listening through the week, it's become obvious that Rollerskate Skinny is the right pick for me.
Last edited by Brad on Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
4 artists I'd never heard anything by, with plenty across the 8 albums to treat the ears- nicely played, fellow nominators!
1. Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here v. 4. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm v. 6. IDLES - Brutalism
7. Harold Budd - The Pavilion of Dreams v. 3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
5. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices v. 8. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Standouts: Turquoise Days | Rebel Rebel | Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2 | 1049 Gotho | Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim | Careless Soul | God | Bella
1. Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here v. 4. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm v. 6. IDLES - Brutalism
7. Harold Budd - The Pavilion of Dreams v. 3. Daniel Johnston - 1990
5. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices v. 8. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Standouts: Turquoise Days | Rebel Rebel | Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2 | 1049 Gotho | Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim | Careless Soul | God | Bella
All I got inside is vacancy!
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Glad to see someone enjoyed this song! I don't know if you noticed in the All Time Songs List Thread, but the format examples include what I predict to be my #1 and #2 of all time, and this is my #2!
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Still hoping to listen to 1990 and Songs For The Exhausted.
Diamond Dogs 86 - Heaven Up Here 84
Eternal Rhythm 77 - Brutalism 74
Diamond Dogs 86 - Heaven Up Here 84
Eternal Rhythm 77 - Brutalism 74
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Nope, I didn't clock that or maybe I did subconsciously! But Danny Nedelko is a cert for the 2nd half of my AT list...I really need to catch up with reading everyone's ballots- the songs and the albums polls were what drew me to this glorious site in the first place
All I got inside is vacancy!
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990 i don't know why I like this album, this album has something "special"!
4. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
2. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990 i don't know why I like this album, this album has something "special"!
4. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
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Honorio
- Higher Ground
- Posts: 4527
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
- Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Beforehand I though my #1 was going to be the underated "Diamond Dogs" (Bowie at his most apocalyptic), but when I listened to the first sax notes of Marion Brown on "Bismillahi 'Rrahman 'Rrahim" I knew I was going to change my mind. Harold Budd's "The Pavillion of Dreams," the last release of Brian Eno's short-lived Obscure Records, is a cornerstone of ambient. Other highlights are the majestic post-punk of Echo & he Bunnymen, the fragile lo-fi of Daniel Johnston and the expansive free-jazz of Don Cherry.
3. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here (1981) vs. 2. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs (1974)
5. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm (1969) vs. 6. IDLES - Brutalism (2017)
1. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams (1978) vs. 4. Daniel Johnston - 1990 (1990)
8. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices (1993) vs. 7. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted (2004)
Favourite song from every album:
All My Colours | Rebel Rebel | Eternal Rhythm, Pt. 2 | Mother | Bismillahi 'Rrahman 'Rrahim | True Love Will Find You in the End | Violence to Violence | Stay
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Kingoftonga
- Rust Never Sleeps
- Posts: 759
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:50 pm
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Winners in red:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Two great albums, but ultimately I prefer to the grotesque excesses of Bowie's glam period to Echo and the Bunnymen.
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
I suspect I'll never understand the acclaim for IDLES, and I'm sure it's a problem with me and not with them. It seems as though the lyrics are what draw a lot of people into them? I'm not a huge lyrics person, and I find the actual music here to be dull and monotonous.
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
"Some Things Last A Long Time" is a masterpiece, but Johnston just doesn't sustain that level of songwriting across an entire album's worth of material.
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Abstain...I couldn't find the full Naked Lunch album, although I like the two songs I could hear better than most of Shoulder Voices.
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Two great albums, but ultimately I prefer to the grotesque excesses of Bowie's glam period to Echo and the Bunnymen.
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
I suspect I'll never understand the acclaim for IDLES, and I'm sure it's a problem with me and not with them. It seems as though the lyrics are what draw a lot of people into them? I'm not a huge lyrics person, and I find the actual music here to be dull and monotonous.
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
"Some Things Last A Long Time" is a masterpiece, but Johnston just doesn't sustain that level of songwriting across an entire album's worth of material.
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
Abstain...I couldn't find the full Naked Lunch album, although I like the two songs I could hear better than most of Shoulder Voices.
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Rob
- Die Mensch Maschine
- Posts: 7420
- Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
- Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Six great albums this week and two I thought were weak. Sadly these two meet up. But if you look at my order below you see that every pair is similar in quality.
8. Naked Lunch – Songs for the Exhausted
Hard to review, as this is one of those ‘one ear in, one ear out’ type of albums for me. It’s a pleasantly calm record that never even threatens to capture my attention or transport me. The lyrics, music and singing are all fine, but even writing this minutes after listening I have a hard time recollecting anything specific about it. I think they French-kissed somewhere.
7. Rollerskate Skinny – Shoulder Voices
This one wins from Naked Lunch for virtue of being more interesting, but that doesn’t mean I particularly like it. It seems that in 48 minutes this band tries out almost every form of alternative rock imaginable, so we get psychedelic rock, grunge, noise, punk, shoegaze, dream pop and probable some other genres too, sometimes in the same song. It doesn’t cohere in the slightest and it doesn’t make for a compelling listen either. It feels like the musicians didn’t know what they wanted.
6. David Bowie – Diamond Dogs
I have to agree with Schüttelbirne on the awful cover art. The music is good though. Better than I remembered actually as this is the only seventies Bowie album I never heard a second time after running through them all a few years ago. I just remembered this as ‘The One with Rebel Rebel’. That’s not entirely deserved as this is filled with catchy and entertaining glam work-outs. Maybe it isn’t as balls-to-the-walls amazing as Ziggy Stardust, but how many albums are?
5. Echo & the Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here
The sound of this album is close to their previous Crocodiles, which appeared in Moderately Acclaimed two years ago, but it is much better. On this album the band really rocks. Post-punk tends to be a genre I always like, but rarely love, but this is one of the better records in the genre I heard. With it’s big drums and big bass it really sounds like an epic. Nonetheless, I do have to agree with Schüttelbirne that this band’s album cover are always better and do not reflect their sound.
4. Idles – Brutalism
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate Joe Talbot as a vocalist. For me he is an ideal punk singer, as I just love the way she shouts and snaps his way through these songs. This was only my first time listening to Brutalism and the humor and can-do mentality that typified their subsequent albums are largely absent. It largely deals with more direct anger. The band would remain loud, but here they sound at their most aggressive and that is always welcome in punk.
3. Don Cherry – Eternal Rhythm
So this is what Neneh Cherry’s stepdad sounds like. I think this is also the first jazz album I heard with a prominent flute, played by Cherry himself, as well as by Bernt Rosengren. If the credits are to be believed many flutes of different kinds have been used. This is mostly tough and inaccessible avant-gardist, free jazz, but it is interesting how every time the flute appears it just automatically sooths and softens the sound. It really makes this album stand out, among just being awesome all around.
2. Daniel Johnston – 1990
There is little music out there that sounds as unpolished as this; not just because of the poor recording quality, but equally because of Johnston’s completely untechnical singing, which makes Bob Dylan at his most unrestrained sound like Marvin Gaye in comparison. It might take some getting used to, but it works beautifully. The strange childlike writing of adult existentialist themes mixed with unvarnished sincerity is both haunting and heartwarming. Incomparable.
Bonus anecdote: When I was listening to this the first time I really wanted to open my window to let some air in. I thought that the music was quiet enough so nobody outside would be able to hear it over the bustle of the street. Of course, almost on que Mr. Johnston decided to shout SATAN like a complete madman. Now I will never dare to open my windows while playing unknown music anymore.
1. Harold Budd – The Pavillion of Dreams (My nomination)
This is an album I discovered when Harold Budd died last December. It is one of those records I instantaneously loved and I know this will be a go-to album for me when I need something ambient and soothing. The songs here are the best kind of ambient: noticeable, but not forceful. It’s probably the roots in the classical minimalism that gives it an extra beauty over much of the genre. It also is at once a nighttime and a very warm album, quite a rare combination. It earns it’s title.
I actually thought this was going to be the ace of my nominations this year, but I underestimated the appeal of Daniel Johnston. I can’t fault 1990 for doing well, but I feel I lose my strongest competitor immediately. Hopefully one of my remaining three nominations will pull a ‘Beths’ this year (as referring to my nomination for Future Me Hates Me last year; which went on to do unexpectedly well).
A simple overview of my votes:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
A reversal of last week, where I voted for everything on the right side.
8. Naked Lunch – Songs for the Exhausted
Hard to review, as this is one of those ‘one ear in, one ear out’ type of albums for me. It’s a pleasantly calm record that never even threatens to capture my attention or transport me. The lyrics, music and singing are all fine, but even writing this minutes after listening I have a hard time recollecting anything specific about it. I think they French-kissed somewhere.
7. Rollerskate Skinny – Shoulder Voices
This one wins from Naked Lunch for virtue of being more interesting, but that doesn’t mean I particularly like it. It seems that in 48 minutes this band tries out almost every form of alternative rock imaginable, so we get psychedelic rock, grunge, noise, punk, shoegaze, dream pop and probable some other genres too, sometimes in the same song. It doesn’t cohere in the slightest and it doesn’t make for a compelling listen either. It feels like the musicians didn’t know what they wanted.
6. David Bowie – Diamond Dogs
I have to agree with Schüttelbirne on the awful cover art. The music is good though. Better than I remembered actually as this is the only seventies Bowie album I never heard a second time after running through them all a few years ago. I just remembered this as ‘The One with Rebel Rebel’. That’s not entirely deserved as this is filled with catchy and entertaining glam work-outs. Maybe it isn’t as balls-to-the-walls amazing as Ziggy Stardust, but how many albums are?
5. Echo & the Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here
The sound of this album is close to their previous Crocodiles, which appeared in Moderately Acclaimed two years ago, but it is much better. On this album the band really rocks. Post-punk tends to be a genre I always like, but rarely love, but this is one of the better records in the genre I heard. With it’s big drums and big bass it really sounds like an epic. Nonetheless, I do have to agree with Schüttelbirne that this band’s album cover are always better and do not reflect their sound.
4. Idles – Brutalism
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate Joe Talbot as a vocalist. For me he is an ideal punk singer, as I just love the way she shouts and snaps his way through these songs. This was only my first time listening to Brutalism and the humor and can-do mentality that typified their subsequent albums are largely absent. It largely deals with more direct anger. The band would remain loud, but here they sound at their most aggressive and that is always welcome in punk.
3. Don Cherry – Eternal Rhythm
So this is what Neneh Cherry’s stepdad sounds like. I think this is also the first jazz album I heard with a prominent flute, played by Cherry himself, as well as by Bernt Rosengren. If the credits are to be believed many flutes of different kinds have been used. This is mostly tough and inaccessible avant-gardist, free jazz, but it is interesting how every time the flute appears it just automatically sooths and softens the sound. It really makes this album stand out, among just being awesome all around.
2. Daniel Johnston – 1990
There is little music out there that sounds as unpolished as this; not just because of the poor recording quality, but equally because of Johnston’s completely untechnical singing, which makes Bob Dylan at his most unrestrained sound like Marvin Gaye in comparison. It might take some getting used to, but it works beautifully. The strange childlike writing of adult existentialist themes mixed with unvarnished sincerity is both haunting and heartwarming. Incomparable.
Bonus anecdote: When I was listening to this the first time I really wanted to open my window to let some air in. I thought that the music was quiet enough so nobody outside would be able to hear it over the bustle of the street. Of course, almost on que Mr. Johnston decided to shout SATAN like a complete madman. Now I will never dare to open my windows while playing unknown music anymore.
1. Harold Budd – The Pavillion of Dreams (My nomination)
This is an album I discovered when Harold Budd died last December. It is one of those records I instantaneously loved and I know this will be a go-to album for me when I need something ambient and soothing. The songs here are the best kind of ambient: noticeable, but not forceful. It’s probably the roots in the classical minimalism that gives it an extra beauty over much of the genre. It also is at once a nighttime and a very warm album, quite a rare combination. It earns it’s title.
I actually thought this was going to be the ace of my nominations this year, but I underestimated the appeal of Daniel Johnston. I can’t fault 1990 for doing well, but I feel I lose my strongest competitor immediately. Hopefully one of my remaining three nominations will pull a ‘Beths’ this year (as referring to my nomination for Future Me Hates Me last year; which went on to do unexpectedly well).
A simple overview of my votes:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
A reversal of last week, where I voted for everything on the right side.
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Just over 18 hours left to vote!
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm
Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams
(Couldn't vote in the final matchup, since I couldn't find the complete Naked Lunch album, either.)
Favorite album I didn't vote for: Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm
Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams
(Couldn't vote in the final matchup, since I couldn't find the complete Naked Lunch album, either.)
Favorite album I didn't vote for: Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
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Bang Jan
- Full of Fire
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:15 pm
- Location: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Bang Jan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:16 pm Here's a YouTube playlist for Songs For The Exhausted.
And here's a list of countries the YT link does and doesn't work in. If the YT link doesn't work in your country, use a VPN.
"The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body."
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
3. Heaven Up Here < 2. Diamond Dogs
7. Eternal Rhythm < 1. Brutalism
6. The Pavilion Of Dreams < 5. 1990
8. Shoulder Voices < 4. Songs for the Exhausted
Listened to Idles finally this Summer and fell in love
7. Eternal Rhythm < 1. Brutalism
6. The Pavilion Of Dreams < 5. 1990
8. Shoulder Voices < 4. Songs for the Exhausted
Listened to Idles finally this Summer and fell in love
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
I'm going to pass for the match-up of my own pick. I really liked The Pavilion of Dreams, great album !
If it was up against Welcome to my World, Daniel Johnston's "best of", I'd go with Daniel easily but here the choice is pretty tricky. 1990 is a collection of great songs, but it lacks the most playful and hectic sides of his music, I miss a "Walking the Cow", "Casper the Friendly Ghost" or "Chord Organ Blues" in there.
If it was up against Welcome to my World, Daniel Johnston's "best of", I'd go with Daniel easily but here the choice is pretty tricky. 1990 is a collection of great songs, but it lacks the most playful and hectic sides of his music, I miss a "Walking the Cow", "Casper the Friendly Ghost" or "Chord Organ Blues" in there.
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
16 total voters this week (a mild downward trend):
Bang Jan
Brad
DaveC
Holden
Honorio
jaimeW
Jirin
Kingoftonga
Listyguy
LunarPiper
mileswide
Rdwdbob
Rob
Romain
Safetycat
Schüttelbirne
Winners:
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs over Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here 11-5
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm over IDLES - Brutalism 9-7
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990 over Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams 9-6
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices over Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted 7-6
Round 1.4 up soon!
Bang Jan
Brad
DaveC
Holden
Honorio
jaimeW
Jirin
Kingoftonga
Listyguy
LunarPiper
mileswide
Rdwdbob
Rob
Romain
Safetycat
Schüttelbirne
Winners:
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs over Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here 11-5
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm over IDLES - Brutalism 9-7
3. Daniel Johnston - 1990 over Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams 9-6
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices over Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted 7-6
Round 1.4 up soon!
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
Darn! Two of my nominations out. I was hoping Brutalism could pull ahead, but I knew Heaven Up Here was doomed when it was up against a Bowie album.
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 1.3
I'll have to remember, the deadline here is tuesday not wednesday ...
just for completion:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
But Rollerskate Skinny was a nice discovery so i can live with my nomination being out
just for completion:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here vs. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm vs. IDLES - Brutalism
3. Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams vs. Daniel Johnston - 1990
4. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices vs. Naked Lunch - Songs for the Exhausted
But Rollerskate Skinny was a nice discovery so i can live with my nomination being out