Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 83 - Bardo Pond - On The Ellipse

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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by Rob »

Cochemea - All My Relations: 7
I also heard it for MAA, but had forgotten what it sounded like and I recall not really getting into it at the time. I don't know why, because this is some jazz fusion that fuses with everything and the kitchen sink and still keeps everything accessible. A few songs make it is lose a bit of momentum, but mostly the pulse is very strong here.

On a side-note and with the risk of speaking beyond call, Spiritualized, perhaps you should save your lay-outs and text somewhere on your computer, as this is the second album that you pasted over an earlier post, making the backlog rather inaccessible for people who want to catch up.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by Brad »

40. Cochemea | All My Relations: 6.5
Decent album - I don't even remember it in MAA but that's not surprising. Rather short.

Thanks!
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spiritualized
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Comochea - All My Relations

Post by spiritualized »

Rob wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 6:42 pm On a side-note and with the risk of speaking beyond call, Spiritualized, perhaps you should save your lay-outs and text somewhere on your computer, as this is the second album that you pasted over an earlier post, making the backlog rather inaccessible for people who want to catch up.
You're quite correct indeed, but it really is about my tiredness level when I do this. And this has been a bad week !
I tried to see if archives were saving the old post with Henrik and Honorio, but to no avail.

It's now reposted.
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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by Rob »

spiritualized wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:37 pm
Rob wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 6:42 pm On a side-note and with the risk of speaking beyond call, Spiritualized, perhaps you should save your lay-outs and text somewhere on your computer, as this is the second album that you pasted over an earlier post, making the backlog rather inaccessible for people who want to catch up.
You're quite correct indeed, but it really is about my tiredness level when I do this. And this has been a bad week !
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you'll feel better soon.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by mileswide »

Cochemea - All My Relations 6.2 (my #81 for 2019)
My highlights: Asatoma, Maso Ye'eme, Mescalero
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by Honorio »

40. Cochemea - All My Relations (2019) 7/10

Sorry spiritualized for not being able to help with the erased post. Neither Henrik nor me know how to retrieve an erased or edited post. Maybe some computer genius among the AM users can give us a clue...
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by spiritualized »

Honorio wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 5:40 am 40. Cochemea - All My Relations (2019) 7/10

Sorry spiritualized for not being able to help with the erased post. Neither Henrik nor me know how to retrieve an erased or edited post. Maybe some computer genius among the AM users can give us a clue...
No worries Honorio,
I've re-typed it, almost as good as new
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by spiritualized »

40. Cochemea - All My Relations (2019) 6/10

Great as a soft, smooth, chilled lounge record.
Sadly, just as many of these records, it doesn't stick in memory for very long
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by spiritualized »

Another round for a Brad Nomination ?
This time, it's one of his favorite bands, as he has no less than seven albums/EPs from Belle & Sebastian in the Biggest Fan list. It was just a matter of time before they turned up.

Image

41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance (2015)
Nominated by Brad (#438)
Genre : Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Synthpop, Dance-Pop (# 1293 in the RYM Indie Pop chart)
Descriptors : male vocals, melodic, rhythmic, melancholic, warm, energetic, love, playful
Length : 12 tracks, 61:12

AM ranking : #bubbling
Artist Ranking : #132
RYM ranking : #1294 for 2015 #unranked overall (2219 ratings @ 2.95/ 5.0)
Metascore : 76
83.4k unique listeners and 1.6m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : The Party Line / Nobody's Empire / Allie




Biography from Allmusic

What began as a government-funded recording project by a group of shut-ins with no aspirations beyond getting a few songs recorded grew into one of the world's most lasting and beloved indie pop bands. Glasgow's Belle and Sebastian began inauspiciously in 1994 and quickly caught on worldwide with their lushly orchestrated chamber pop tunes built on unabashedly twee sentiments and melodies as delicate as they were captivating. The rushed, low-budget production of the group's 1996 debut, Tigermilk, didn't detract from the gentle power of the songs, and probably added to the charm of Belle and Sebastian's affable but slightly warped musical personality. The band quickly outgrew their humble beginnings in spite of themselves, turning in classic albums like If You're Feeling Sinister and The Boy with the Arab Strap one after another throughout the '90s, and continuing to evolve as the years went on with consistently strong albums like 2010's Write About Love and 2015's Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance.

Initially inspired by the instrumentation of '60s chamber pop as much as underground college rock favorites like Felt and Orange Juice, Belle and Sebastian formed around the bookish and sometimes salacious songwriting of Stuart Murdoch in 1994. Murdoch was hoping only to document some of the songs he had been writing while suffering a years-long bout of chronic fatigue syndrome. After a Scottish welfare program for unemployed musicians offered to fund the recording of an album on the strength of Murdoch's demos, he hastily assembled a makeshift band to track 1995's Tigermilk in just three days. For the project, he assembled a seven-piece band featuring himself on guitar and vocals, and choosing and recruiting members by instinct in a local all-night café in late 1995. He eventually found Sarah Martin (violin), Stevie Jackson (guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). All seven members were college students, and all agreed that the idea behind the group was to stay on a small scale, to keep it as a project and not let the band run their lives; they even assumed they would release two albums and break up.

In May 1996, the songs from Belle and Sebastian's hasty first sessions were released as their debut album Tigermilk on Electric Honey Records in a vinyl-only edition of 1,000 copies. Tigermilk unexpectedly became a sensation, earning terrific word of mouth throughout England. As a result, the band became slightly more than a school project -- it became an actual band. Not quite comfortable with this new level of publicity, the bandmembers were cagey about sharing their identities in the earliest days, submitting publicity photos featuring people that weren't in the group and preferring to perform in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafés, but also homes, church halls, and libraries. Second album If You're Feeling Sinister was released on the independent Jeepster label in November 1996. By the time the record was released in America on the EMI subsidiary the Enclave, it had earned considerable critical acclaim in the U.K. -- not only from music weeklies but from newspapers like The Sunday Times and magazines like The Face -- and a large cult following; by some accounts, Tigermilk was being sold for as much as 75 pounds. Over the course of 1997, word of mouth continued to grow in America, even as the band pulled out of an American tour because the Enclave went bankrupt and closed.

As the group's cult continued to build in 1997, Belle and Sebastian released three EPs -- Dog on Wheels (May), Lazy Line Painter Jane (July), and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (October). Each subsequent EP placed higher on the indie charts and received much critical acclaim. By the end of the year, the band finalized an American deal with Matador Records, issuing The Boy with the Arab Strap in September 1998. The following year saw the eagerly anticipated, wide re-release of Tigermilk, the album that started it all. Following completion of 2000's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Stuart David left Belle and Sebastian to focus full-time on his solo project, Looper. In 2001, the group released two EPs -- Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up to Us -- and recorded the soundtrack for Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Just before the soundtrack's release in spring 2002, Belle and Sebastian embarked on a comprehensive tour of the United States and Canada before returning to Europe for the summer festival season. Midway through the tour, Isobel Campbell left the band, citing the usual differences.

Another major change soon took place when Belle and Sebastian left Jeepster and Matador to sign with Rough Trade, with their next record, late-2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn (who also produced Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, and scores of others). The record spawned the brilliant "Step into My Office" and "I'm a Cuckoo" singles, the latter of which was the group's biggest U.K. hit, reaching number 14 in early 2004. After a long worldwide tour that found Belle and Sebastian reaching new levels of success, the band retired to Scotland and began preparing for the recording of their fifth album. The Life Pursuit was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer and was released in 2006 by Rough Trade in the U.K. The group were back with Matador in the U.S.

After a tour that included a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl, the band took a well-deserved break. Apart from the release of The BBC Sessions (by Matador and Jeepster) in 2008, no Belle and Sebastian records were released until 2010. During the hiatus, Murdoch spent time on his God Help the Girl project (which included much of the band as well), and Jackson and Kildea toured and recorded with the legendary Scottish indie pop group the Vaselines, who had re-formed in 2009. After spending the early part of 2010 recording with Tony Hoffer, the band released Write About Love on October 12, 2010.

Write About Love performed well -- it peaked at eight on the U.K. charts and at 15 on Billboard in the U.S. -- and after its release, Belle and Sebastian entered a quiet period. They re-emerged in 2013, touring the U.S. prior to the August release of The Third Eye Centre, a collection of B-sides and non-LP tracks released between 2006 and 2010. A few more shows followed in 2014, along with the release of Murdoch's film adaptation of God Help the Girl -- he turned the side project into a musical -- and the group announced they were beginning work on their ninth studio album. Preceded by the single "The Party Line," the Ben H. Allen-produced Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance appeared in January 2015.

Belle and Sebastian returned in December 2017 with How to Solve Our Human Problems, the first in a series of three EPs released in succession. All three How to Solve Our Human Problems EPs were released as a collected set in February 2018. In 2019, Belle and Sebastian revisited a handful of old songs as part of their soundtrack for the coming-of-age comedy Days of the Bagnold Summer. When the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the band's plans for touring and the recording of a new album, they used the unexpected time to work meticulously on a live album. Released in December 2020, the double live album What to Look for in Summer gathered the best of multi-tracked recordings of Belle and Sebastian's 2019 tour dates, with a set list equally weighted with fan favorites and more obscure songs.

A fan's review
Leviatitan - Jan 24 2015

Well, this new Belle and Sebastian (henceforth, B&S) is nowhere near as bad as many make it out to be. Sure, I don't especially like this fake electro-dance-pop sound I hear on "The Party Line" but then you have "Enter Sylvia Plath" which has great melodies that manage to make the song a standout even with its intrusive bounciness. I mean come on, an average B&S album is still miles ahead of 90% of modern pop music!

While many people associate pop music with bubblegum, sexual and vulgar imagery (which most often, it unfortunately is), you have some very good pop artists that create some pop music that thinks outside the box and escapes this terrible mainstream radio dance/rap/R&B pop focusing more on a chick's bust size and "honeybuns" than actual musical content...

All ranting aside, most of the album is rather great to me. Sure, we're past the 90s and we're probably never getting another The Boy With the Arab Strap (my personal B&S favorite and the first I heard from them) but hey, if we can get just another The Life Pursuit, I'll be a happy man. In the meantime, in the sea of shitty mainstream pop music, this is quite refreshing and fun, as always.

Highlights: "Nobody's Empire", "The Cat with the Cream", "Enter Sylvia Plath", "The Everlasting Muse", "Play for Today" and "Today (This Army's For Peace)"
If you like this, also listen to :
Anna själv tredje - Anna Järvinen (2011)
Zoo! - ネクライトーキー [Necry Talkie] (2020)
Sit Resist - Laura Stevenson and The Cans (2011)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Cochemea - All My Relations 6.529 (7) [Nicolas]
15. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
16. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
17. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
18. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
19. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
20. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
21. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
22. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
23. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
24. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.214 (7) [Zombeels]
25. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
26. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
27. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
28. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
29. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
30. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
31. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
32. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
33. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
34. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
35. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
36. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
37. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
38. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
39. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
40. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
Brad
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by Brad »

41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance: 8
Yes, I would consider B&S one of my favorite bands - currently #12, to be precise (just after The Clash). I'm intrigued by the low scores on this album, but I understand that often music fans react negatively to bands when their sound strays too far from that which had attracted them in the first place.

I think this is like my ninth favorite album of B&S, so it's not like I'm overly attached here. Listening to it in full now, it seems a bit long, with the songs containing too-similar sounding melodies throughout. Still, I like the sound. I like the melodies. No it's not "If You're Feeling Sinister", but it is a pretty solid (if more upbeat) effort in my opinion - even if it's an album I prefer in small bits rather than in one huge gulp. There's no super-standout tracks (in fact, only "Play For Today" shows up in my personal top tracks - and in the 3300's at that), but neither is there anything here that makes me want to hit the "next" button when it shows up on random.

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by Listyguy »

Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance - 6/10

I'm not going to hold it against the band that this isn't one of their best albums, because their best albums are amazing. I will, however, hold the length of this album (at least two songs too long) and the weird synth-disco stuff they try to pull off against them. "Nobody's Empire" is spectacular, though.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by spiritualized »

Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance -7 /10

I'm having a strange feeling on Belle & Sebastian. I do like their off-kilter indie pop but I really didn't like with Stuart Murdoch's voice. A bit too whiny to my taste.
I was not looking forward to listening to "Girls In Peacetime" but found it well produced (perhaps overproduced for B&S's standards), fine melodies and Murdoch's voice has quite improved.
As for the length of the album, I agree. It could easily do without "Play for Today"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by DaveC »

40. Cochemea - All My Relations: 6.5/10

Favourite track: Seyewailo
Least favourite track: Sonora

41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance: 7/10

Favourite track: The Everlasting Muse
Least favourite track: Perfect Couples
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by mileswide »

Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance 3.9 (my #28 for 2015)
My highlights: N/A (Enter Sylvia Plath would get my pick if I was forced
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by Rob »

Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance: 7

I only do round numbers for my ratings, but if I ever would give a 6,5 it would be to this one. This album has a major identity crisis, as if Belle and Sebastian wanted to leave their twee indie sound behind and embrace dance music, but didn't completely commit. So we get songs like The Everlasting Muse and the great Nobody's Empire that are good examples of the classic Belle and Sebastian style, but also Enter Sylvia Plath which sounds like an attempt at old disco. It makes it hard to consider this an album I would ever put on, because it doesn't quite fit the more relaxed, contemplative mood of one half nor the party feel of the other. Maybe if the song order was changed they could slowly build from the calm to swinging over the course of the album, which might have worked. As it is, we get a messy mixture of everything. Only Play for Today feels like it combines the best of both worlds.
Despite these criticisms the songs on themselves tend to be good to great. I don't care for The Power of Three or Enter Silvia Plath, but I don't think the album overstays its welcome otherwise.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance

Post by Honorio »

41. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (2015) 6/10
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by spiritualized »

In quick turnaround, Nicolas proposes one of his favourite, this time bubbling, albums soon after his Cochemea nomination

Image


42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave (2008)
Nominated by Nicolas (#546)
Genre : Contemporary Folk, Singer/SongwriterAmericana (# 221 in the RYM Contemporary Folk chart)
Descriptors : acoustic, poetic, passionate, raw, pastoral, autumn, melodic, male vocals, bittersweet, sparse
Length : 10 tracks, 30:26

AM ranking : #bubbling
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #133 for 2008 #8592 overall (2846 ratings @ 3.60/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
552.4k unique listeners and 7.7m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : The Gardener / I Won't Be Found / Pistol Dreams



Biography from Allmusic

Playing spare but tuneful indie folk enlivened by his sometimes craggy, always passionate vocals and poetic lyrics, the Tallest Man on Earth is the stage name of Swedish singer and songwriter Kristian Matsson. Debuting with a no-frills acoustic EP in 2006, the Tallest Man on Earth became a critical favorite with his first full-length album, 2008's Shallow Grave. As Matsson won an international audience, he began experimenting with more elaborate arrangements and production with 2012's There's No Leaving Now, which fused folk influences with indie rock.

Born in Dalarna, Sweden in 1983, Matsson first broke into music as a member of the group Montezumas, but in 2006, influenced by rootsy Swedish artists such as Thomas Denver Jonsson and Homesick Hank, he struck out on his own as the Tallest Man on Earth, releasing a self-titled five-song EP of elemental acoustic songs with just his guitar for accompaniment on the Swedish label Gravitation. The EP and the follow-up single, "Pistol Dreams," received positive reviews, and in 2008, Matsson released his first album as the Tallest Man on Earth, Shallow Grave, which was released in the United States by the boutique indie label Mexican Summer. Matsson toured extensively in support of Shallow Grave, including several dates opening for Bon Iver and John Vanderslice, and in 2010 he released his second album, The Wild Hunt, which was his first project for Dead Oceans Records.

Before 2010 was out, a five-song TMOE EP appeared, Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird, which marked Matsson's first recordings with an electric guitar. In 2012, he released There's No Leaving Now, which found him adding a few more layers to the album's production, and 2015's Dark Bird Is Home proved to be his most ambitious project to date, incorporating a full band on several cuts as well as electronic loops, horns, backing vocalists, and a spacious, atmospheric studio sound. In 2018, Matsson began releasing a cycle of new material with the collective working title When the Bird Sees the Solid Ground. With a more concise and intimate sound than Dark Bird Is Home and featuring a greater emphasis on acoustic guitar, Matsson initially released the tracks as a series of singles with accompanying videos in which he shared his thoughts about the songs. That effort arrived in 2019 with the title I Love You. It's a Fever Dream, which included single "The Running Styles of New York" and "I'm a Stranger Now."

A fan's review
sunriseoversea - Sep 02,2012

I thought I’d start my reviews with The Tallest Man On Earth’s ‘Shallow Grave’. The most recent album that I’ve fallen in love with. I first listened to this album a couple of months ago having been recommended it and I’ve not looked back since.

It starts strongly with probably my favourite song on the album; ‘I Won’t Be Found’, a song which makes me want to run around meadows, looking at the sky, and screaming ‘I’m free’ at the top of my lungs and it (the album) continues in a similarly fantastic vein, interspersed brilliantly with a couple of banjo tracks (Shallow Grave and The Blizzard’s Never Seen The Desert Sand) just to add a nice bit of variation. I particularly love the way The Tallest Man hasn’t crumbled to the temptation of having a backing band, as too many acoustic artists do nowadays. This means it keeps all it’s intimacy, which I much prefer to having a needless backing band to make it sound more ‘poppy’. Kristian and his guitar (or occasionally banjo) are all that’s required.

The Tallest Man On Earth inevitably gets compared to Dylan a lot, and this is unsurprising, but in my opinion a completely good thing (being a big Dylan fan). After all, he’s far from a carbon copy. Kristian’s voice, although similarly rough to Dylan’s, is certainly much more accessible, and although his lyrical vocab isn’t miles away from Dylan they are much more heavily influenced by nature, you’re far more likely to hear him singing about meadows and rivers than ‘the Queen of Hearts’ or such topics. In my eyes, what Kristian is doing is very original. There is no-one else who sounds like him around at the moment and I’m glad I discovered this great talent.

There’s not a song on this album I don’t like, it’s just fantastic, raw music, I’ve listened to it while running through fields, while lying by the canal and I’ve listened to it while hitch-hiking, and for those particular activities, it’s, for me at least, the absolute perfect companion. I know I’ll be listening to this album for many years to come, if not forever.

Song Picks: I Won’t Be Found, Shallow Grave, The Gardener.
If you like this, also listen to :
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes (2005)
Rakkaus - Jarkko Martikainen (2006)
Are You a Dreamer? - Denison Witmer (2005)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Cochemea - All My Relations 6.525 (8) [Nicolas][/size]
15. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
16. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance 6.414 (7) [Brad]
17. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
18. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
19. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
20. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
21. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
22. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
23. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
24. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
25. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.214 (7) [Zombeels]
26. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
27. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
28. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
29. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
30. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
31. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
32. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
33. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
34. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
35. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
36. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
37. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
38. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
39. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
40. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
41. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by Listyguy »

Shallow Grave - 7/10

Everybody's favorite Bob Dylan impersonator had already found his sound for his debut album. I've never found a Tallest Man on Earth album that I love, but they all manage to be pretty good. This album falls into that pattern as well. A few of the songs are spectacular ("This Wind" most notable among them), and none are bad.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by Rob »

The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave: 7
It must be tough for any artist to be constantly compared with Bob Dylan, but in the case of The Tallest Man on Earth, how could you not? Not just the nasal voice, but his way of playing are extremely Dylanesque. There is always the focus on lyrics, although Matsson is not as playful as Dylan and seems to have a things for natural, even pastoral themes. The upside is that as a Dylan fan I can at the very least enjoy this. It might perhaps take more listens to really feel it deeply, but there is laid-back grace and offbeat beauty to songs like The Gardener I find easy to love.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by Brad »

42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave (2008): 6.1
Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by Honorio »

42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave (2008) 7/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by mileswide »

The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave 5.3 (my #29 for 2008, a mere place behind Chinese Democracy)

My highlights: None again. The Gardener isn't bad- in fact, little here is, just nothing's outstanding
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by DaveC »

42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave: 7.5/10

Favourite track: The Gardener
Least favourite track: The Blizzard's Never Seen the Desert Sands
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 42 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

Post by spiritualized »

42. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave: 5/10

I really didn't connect with this, but then Dylanesque folk very rarely does. As Rob mentions, it must be very hard for the artist to be constantly reminded he sounds like his obvious influence. I don't know if the aim was to do just that and Matsson is happy with reproducing his mentor. But it doesn't work for me. I don't dislike it musically, I have some difficulties with his voice, but it's not an album I will come back to. I listened to his 2012 album as well, found the exact same conclusion.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by spiritualized »

Another helping of hip-hop ? Yes please, courtesy of Schaefer.TK's 3rd nomination in this game. Hugely popular on RYM, it fails to make an appearance on Acclaimed Music.

Image

43. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note (2003)
Nominated by Schaefer.Tk (#581)
Genre : Instrumental Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, West Coast Hip Hop Jazz, Plunderphonics (# 21 in the RYM Instrumental Hip-Hop chart)
Descriptors : atmospheric, sampling, instrumental, rhythmic, mellow, hypnotic, urban, melodic, calm, repetitive
Length : 16 tracks, 56:58 mins

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #77 for 2003 #4153 overall (5047 ratings @ 3.69/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
295.8k unique listeners and 3.8m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Slim's Return / Mystic Bounce / Distant Land



Biography from Allmusic

Describing himself as "a DJ first, producer second, and MC last," Madlib is the primary alias of Otis Jackson, Jr., who has become one of the most celebrated, prolific, and eclectic artists in hip-hop since emerging on the scene in the early '90s. Also known as Quasimoto, Beat Konducta, and Yesterdays New Quintet, among his dozens of handles, the unique sound and feel of Madlib's work -- created primarily without computers, using old-school recording and sampling gear -- has made him a valued collaborator with a number of leading hip-hop performers, and a widely praised figure in the underground rap community. There are many highly regarded albums in the vast Madlib discography. These include the Lootpack's Soundpieces: Da Antidote! (1999), Quasimoto's The Unseen (2000), Jaylib's Champion Sound (2003), and Madvillain's Madvillainy (2004), as well as Piñata (2014) and Bandana (2019), his two LPs with Freddie Gibbs. Some of his additional collaborations include the Jahari Massamba Unit (his duo with Karriem Riggins), who released Pardon My French in 2020, and his full-length with Four Tet, 2021's Sound Ancestors.

Otis Jackson, Jr. was born in Oxnard, California on October 24, 1973. His father, Otis Jackson, Sr., was a working jazz and blues musician, while his mother, Sinesca, was a guitarist and songwriter, and his uncle was noted jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. Young Otis first became interested in the workings of a recording studio while watching his father at work, and soaked up a wealth of musical influences while growing up, developing a keen interest in hip-hop along the way.

In 1990, Jackson adopted the stage name Madlib when he joined the trio Lootpack with his friends DJ Romes and Wildchild. When rapper King Tee heard the group, Lootpack were invited to make their recording debut as guests on the album 21 & Over by Tee's crew Tha Alkaholiks; Madlib was also credited as a producer on one track. Lootpack had a hard time scoring a record deal, and it wasn't until 1995 that they released their first record on their own -- the Psyche Move EP -- on Crate Digga's Palace, a label bankrolled by Madlib's father. In time, Lootpack would cross paths with DJ and producer Peanut Butter Wolf, who signed the trio to his Stones Throw Records label. It was the beginning of a long relationship between Madlib and Stones Throw, which would release much of his future body of work.

By the time Lootpack released their first album, 1999's Soundpieces: Da Antidote!, Madlib was already moving on to other projects; he had produced records for Declaime and O.G.C., remixed material for Peanut Butter Wolf's Definition of Ill 12", and debuted his Quasimoto persona, in which he delivered weed-laced verses in an artificially high, distorted voice over spacious beats and cool, often jazz-influenced breaks. After a handful of singles, the first Quasimoto album, The Unseen, appeared in 2000; the record received critical praise upon its release and gained a following as an underground rap cult classic.

In 2001, Madlib unveiled another project, a jazz ensemble called Yesterdays New Quintet, with the EP Elle's Theme. While the YNQ material was credited to a quintet of musicians, with Madlib joined by Monk Hughes, Joe McDuphrey, Malik Flavors, and Ahmad Miller, Madlib in fact performed all the music on their releases himself, showing off his skills on keyboards and percussion as well as producing and sampling. (This would not prevent Madlib from letting his fictive bandmates explore their musical personalities on several "solo" singles and EPs.) The YNQ recordings led to a unique project, the 2003 album Shades of Blue, in which Madlib was given free rein to sample and remix material from the archives of Blue Note Records. Shades of Blue was the first full-length album credited to Madlib, though he'd used the headline for a number of singles and EPs.

In 2003, he also reunited with his former Lootpack partner Wildchild to record the album Secondary Protocol, and teamed up with fellow producer J Dilla for the first of a series of collaborative recordings released under the banner Jaylib. In 2004, Madlib launched yet another collaboration as he and MC MF Doom got together to record under the name Madvillain; the album, Madvillainy, was an enormous critical success, and remains a career highlight for both artists. Also in 2004, Madlib released Theme for a Broken Soul, a surprising venture into broken beat/house music under the name DJ Rels. He also issued a second Quasimoto album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas, in 2005. Despite this busy schedule, Madlib was also booking more work as a producer, handling sessions with De La Soul, Dudley Perkins, A.G., and Prince Po. He'd go on to produce material for Mos Def, Guilty Simpson, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady, and Erykah Badu, and remixed tracks by Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys, and TV on the Radio.

In 2005, Madlib introduced his latest alter ego, the Beat Konducta, on the LP Vol. 1: Movie Scenes; it was the first release in a series of albums dominated by short, sample-based instrumental pieces, often built around elements from soundtracks and Indian film scores. The first two volumes appeared in 2005 and 2006, followed by Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 of Beat Konducta in India in 2007, and finally the fifth and sixth volumes (dedicated to the late J Dilla) in 2008, released on CD as Vols. 5-6: A Tribute To... in 2009. An unrelated Beat Konducta album, WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip, appeared on BBE Records/Rapster in 2008 as part of their Beat Generation series; the album contained Madlib instrumentals as well as tracks featuring guest MCs including Guilty Simpson, Murs, and Defari.

In 2010, Madlib announced a particularly ambitious project -- a series of albums using the blanket title Madlib Medicine Show, which would feature both new mixes and unreleased recordings from Madlib's archives. Madlib intended to release one Medicine Show album per month for an entire year; the first installment was Medicine Show No. 1: Before the Verdict, and Madlib was not only good to his pledge, releasing Medicine Show No. 12: Raw Medicine in early 2012, but he even tossed in an extra album to round out the project, Medicine Show No. 13: Black Tape. The series also led to the creation of his own label, Madlib Invazion, which was the home to most of his subsequent releases (although he did issue a few other recordings on Stones Throw, such as Yessir Whatever, a 2013 collection of rare/unreleased Quasimoto material, and the soundtrack to the 2014 Stones Throw documentary Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton). Other releases on Madlib Invazion included two volumes of Rock Konducta (instrumentals constructed using prog and Krautrock samples) in 2013, and several singles and EPs with Gary, Indiana-based rapper Freddie Gibbs. The duo's long-awaited full-length, Piñata, appeared in 2014 to critical acclaim.

Madlib began collaborating with MED and Blu, releasing two EPs (The Burgundy and The Buzz) in 2013, followed by the 2015 full-length Bad Neighbor, all released on MED's Bang Ya Head label. That same year, Madlib and Future Islands vocalist Samuel T. Herring (who raps under the name Hemlock Ernst) formed a side project called Trouble Knows Me, and released a self-titled EP on Madlib Invazion. In 2016, he produced "No More Parties in L.A.," the preview single for Kanye West's album The Life of Pablo. The following year, he issued an album of the Bad Neighbor instrumentals. The Turn Up, an additional EP with MED and Blu, appeared toward the end of 2017. Bandana, the second album by the Madlib-Gibbs duo, was released by major-label RCA in 2019. The Professionals, the self-titled debut by Madlib's duo with his brother Oh No, appeared in early 2020. Madlib and Karriem Riggins formed the Jahari Massamba Unit, and their full-length debut, Pardon My French, arrived later in the year. Sound Ancestors, a Madlib album edited, arranged, and mastered by Four Tet, was released in 2021.

A fan's review
whosonsecond - Mar 22,2021

Perhaps Madlib's finest ode to classic jazz but revamping it with added technology, sampling, and hip hop elements. Listening to any of Madlib's music, it is apparent how much he loves jazz and soul, but it is incredibly inventive. While people sometimes slander hip hop artists for abusing technology, Madlib's additions feel incredibly authentic. In addition, hip hop has always rewarded creativity and mixing the old with the new, which Madlib achieves with every track. Also, he gives the Blue Note musicians center stage rather than adding too much of his own flare, honestly making it more enjoyable for me.

The sampling is excellent throughout, leading to each track sounding like a complete song even at its messiest. Also, Madlib has an immaculate understanding of how each instrument should function and reflects that in the music. The rhythm sections give such a solid backbone to the tracks and the horns are so colorful. Also, the MF DOOM skit took me by absolute surprise but was such a fun Easter egg.
If you like this, also listen to :
Static Traveller - C-Mon & Kypski (2004)
Deadringer - RJD2 (2002)
Center of Attention - Pete Rock & InI(2003)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Cochemea - All My Relations 6.525 (8) [Nicolas]
15. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
16. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave 6.414 (7) [nicolas]
17. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance 6.414 (7) [Brad]
18. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
19. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
20. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
21. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.214 (7) [Zombeels]
22. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
23. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
24. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
25. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
26. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
27. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
28. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
29. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
30. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
31. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
32. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
33. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
34. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
35. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
36. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
37. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
38. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
39. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
40. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
41. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
42. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]

Fun fact : The Tallest Man on Earth and Belle and Sebastian (from last week's round) have EXACTLY the same average over the 7 voters. We need some more voters to separate them !
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by Listyguy »

Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - 6/10

This album was part of this year's Moderately Acclaimed tournament, so I had heard it before today. It's an interesting concept and there's some alright music here, but overall I'm not all that into it.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by Schüttelbirne »

Catching up and breaking the tie:

41. Belle and Sebastian | Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance: 4/10
Highlights: "The Cat with the Cream", "The Everlasting Muse"

42. The Tallest Man on Earth | Shallow Grave: 7/10
Highlights: "Honey Won't You Let Me In", "Where Do My Bluebird Fly", "The Blizzard's Never Seen the Desert Sands"

43. Madlib | Shades of Blue: 6/10
Highlight: "Song for My Father"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by Brad »

43. Madlib | Shades of Blue: 6

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by Honorio »

43. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note (2003) 6/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by spiritualized »

43. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note (2003) 7/10 - I find this quite pleasant, as I always thought that jazz and hip-hop were an excellent matchup. Madlib insists a bit much on self promotion on this album, which, considering his talent and background, isn't really necessary.
Mellowed hip hop with jazz undertones ticks my boxes.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by Rob »

Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note: 8
I was the one who brought this album to Moderately Acclaimed. It wasn't on my All Time list last year simply because I hadn't heard it yet. I discovered in while preparing my write-up for Madvillainy at the start of the year.
I loved this immediately. I'm not the biggest hip-hop head of the world, but I do usually like the genre when it gets mixed with jazz. This is just a great example. Perhaps the immediately strong reaction has softened somewhat due to a lack of tunes that really stick in the mind, but the overall sound is just so very appealing. And a few tracks do manage to stick out, like Mystic Bounce, Funky Blue Note and the sublime Stepping Into Tomorrow.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 43 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note

Post by mileswide »

Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note 5.5 (my #16 for 2003)
My highlights: Please Set Me at Ease (feat. MED), Stepping into Tomorrow

This month's highlights ranked:
Please Set Me at Ease
Asatoma
Stepping into Tomorrow
Maso Ye'eme
Mescalero
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by spiritualized »

Live In Phoenix doesn't have that many "Biggest Fan" albums and yet here's another one ! (one of five Oingo Boingo albums where he was the single nominator). This album shows the sometimes very wide gap between AM and RYM.

Image

44. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985)
Nominated by Live in Phoenix (#101)
Genre : New Wave Synthpop, Zolo (# 39 in the RYM New Wave chart)
Descriptors : playful, death, male vocals, Halloween, energetic, party, melodic, quirky
Length : 9 tracks, 41:45

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #44 for 1985 #2978 overall (1680 ratings @ 3.77/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
179.6k unique listeners and 1.5m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Dead Man's Party / Stay / Weird Science



Biography from Allmusic

Although Oingo Boingo was often compared to Devo throughout their career (due to both bands' affinity for quirky new wave, goofy stage acts, and most obviously, peculiar yet intriguing band names), Oingo Boingo never obtained the mainstream success that Devo did. But the band did manage to obtain a large and devoted fan base, especially in their hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Oingo Boingo started not as a traditional group per se, as they were originally put together in the '70s by movie director Richard Elfman, who needed music for a whacked-out, John Waters-esque flick he was working on, called Forbidden Zone. Enlisting his younger brother Danny Elfman (vocals, guitar), Steve Bartek (guitar), and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez (drums), the group originally went by the name Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo before shortening it to Oingo Boingo. Tired of sitting around and waiting for the movie's completion, the group began playing out in the L.A. area, where they built a substantial following with the punk/new wave set (as their lineup would often multiply for performances). But Oingo Boingo had a step or two ahead of the local bands, both musically and visually, as Danny Elfman had spent several years in France working with a theater group and studying orchestra, which reflected in Oingo Boingo's hodgepodge of styles.

The soundtrack to Forbidden Zone was finally issued in 1980, which proved to be a wild, musical roller coaster ride and gave Oingo Boingo their first appearance on record. But by the time a four-track release, 10 Inch EP, was issued the same year (on IRS Records), the group had focused their sound and approach drastically. A recording contract with A&M Records followed shortly thereafter, resulting in some of the early '80s finest new wave releases, 1981's Only a Lad (whose title track received plenty of airplay on the influential L.A. rock radio station KROQ), 1982's Nothing to Fear, and 1983's Good for Your Soul, the latter of which spawned a popular early MTV video hit for "Nothing Bad Ever Happens." Like their live shows, Oingo Boingo's recordings featured a hefty amount of additional members lending a hand, but despite it all, Danny Elfman remained the group's leader and focal point (Elfman even found the time to issue a solo album, So Lo, in 1984). A switch to MCA immediately paid off for the group, as they scored the biggest hit of their career with 1985's Dead Man's Party (eventually earning gold certification in the U.S.), made a cameo appearance in the hit Rodney Dangerfield comedy Back to School, and scored a moderate hit with the theme song to John Hughes' teen comedy Weird Science. But despite their commercial success, Oingo Boingo was unable to sustain it, as such further releases as 1987's Boi-ngo, 1988's Boingo Alive, 1990's Dark at the End of the Tunnel, and 1994's Boingo failed to storm the charts, yet managed to retain the group's cult following.

But during the mid- to late '80s, Elfman struck up a friendship with director Tim Burton and began contributing music to Burton-directed movies on a regular basis, first with the major comedy hit Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and then later Beetlejuice, Big Top Pee Wee, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, and the remake of Planet of the Apes, among others. In return, Elfman became one of Hollywood's most in-demand film composers, providing music for countless films and TV programs (receiving Grammy, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Oscar nominations for his work). With Elfman primarily focusing on film composing by this point, Oingo Boingo was laid to rest in 1995 after a farewell performance at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheatre, which was issued a year later as a CD and video, appropriately titled Farewell. A pair of Oingo Boingo collections surfaced during the '90s, 1992's Best O' Boingo and 1999's double-disc Anthology, as were a pair of anthologies of Elfman's film scores: 1990's Music for a Darkened Theater, Vol. 1: Film & Television Music and 1996's Music for a Darkened Theater, Vol. 2: Film & Television Music.

A fan's review
gpph - Feb 21,2013

Every song is killer, rhythms and melodies hitting home instantly. And despite his reputation, Danny Elfman is earnest about what’s on his mind: “No One Lives Forever.” But as time runs out on this great party album, his ecstatic energy becomes uncontainable. “Quit complaining, brother!” he shouts with a wink and a grin between the strangest dance moves you’ve ever seen. The album’s like spending a week in his shoes, as he wanders and his mood swings from song to song. (“Fool’s Paradise” has one of the most cynical lines I’ve ever heard: "If it gets us through the night / with all our consciences still intact / it's just a fool's paradise.") But even though he sings a lot about the things getting him down, he realizes that life is precious, and that’s where all his amazing energy and happiness come from. The goofy graveyard-spooky-ghosts-and-shit conceit isn’t always super funny, and some snobs might call it dumb. He’s campy ‘cause that’s what he likes--that mock-sinister, graveyard sound. But the skeletons on the cover are partying, and how could they not with songs so infectious?
If you like this, also listen to :
Waiting - Fun Boy Three (1983)
Call of the West - Wall of Voodoo (1982)
Don't Stand Me Down - Dexys Midnight Runners (1985)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Cochemea - All My Relations 6.525 (8) [Nicolas]
15. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
16. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave 6.488 (8) [nicolas]
17. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
18. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
19. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note : 6.357 (7) [schaefer.tk]
20. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
21. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.214 (7) [Zombeels]
22. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
23. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
24. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
25. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
26. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
27. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
28. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
29. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance 6.113 (8) [Brad]
30. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
31. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
32. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
33. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
34. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
35. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
36. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
38. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
39. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
40. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
41. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
42. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
43. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Live in Phoenix »

There’s a line from a ‘90s review by music critic Ann Powers of a singer-songwriter (Ron Sexsmith) that said the flourishes in the arrangements for certain songs would seem to weigh them down, but he’s “letting his sense of drama loose and enjoying the fact that art gets at reality through artifice.” There are few if any musical eras where “art gets at reality through artifice” would apply better than new wave ‘80s music, and few musical acts would fit that line better than Oingo Boingo. The band, and the era, were pretty much all cartoonish fun, malevolence, and anxiety.

Believe it or not, Dead Man’s Party shows the band dialing it down slightly. Previous albums from the early ‘80s wouldn’t have had relatively straight songs like “Just Another Day” or “Stay.” But Oingo Boingo don’t really “do” dialing down -- I saw them in concert, not familiar with this album, but expecting them to play some kind of “Dead Man’s Party” song, and at one point I thought they played it, only to realize, "Oh, that’s a DIFFERENT dead party song from the album."

I saw them in 1994, with 311 of all people opening for them. At most (forgetting, easily, a 1990 attempt at normality), Oingo Boingo could mellow out to being a melodramatic act minus the new wave. Danny Elfman had long ago taken his aesthetic and strong sense of melody to Hollywood making TV and film music, which had gone from a moonlighting act to his main gig. The band broke up before long, and the ‘90s became much more of a 311 kind of decade. They haven’t exactly been back in fashion, any more than new wave has – but a lot of old music styles have never gotten to have another day in the sun. But there’s still maybe one month a year (coming up) where lines like “NO ONE NO ONE NO ONE NO ONE NO ONE LIVES FOREVER!” and “It's my creation! IT’S MY CREATION!” resonate in their own ridiculous way as much as a boatload of precious singer-songwriter lyrics.

Favorite tracks: Weird Science, Stay
Rating: 10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Listyguy »

Dead Man's Party - 7/10

The overall sound is pretty nice, and there's a few highlights (the title track in particular comes to mind), but like so many new wave albums it also gets a bit too weird for me at times (such as "Just Another Day"). This didn't affect my rating, but I also have a hard time separating Danny Elfman from his film scoring.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Brad »

44. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985): 5
I have a hard time relating to Oingo Boingo - they have some moments I like, but overall I feel like I'm trying too hard to like them, and it has just never worked out. Hard to find a more '80's-sounding album than this.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Schüttelbirne »

44. Oingo Boingo | Dead Man's Party: 7/10
Highlights: "Dead Man's Party", "Help Me", "No One Lives Forever"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by DaveC »

43. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note: 7/10

Favourite track: Stepping into Tomorrow
Least favourite track: Intro/Interludes/Break - They are there for a reason, but I wish they weren't.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by DaveC »

44. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party: 6
Talking Heads 'Little Creatures' was released the same year and would get 9.5 from me. Impossible for me to evaluate this as if I don't love Talking Heads. Do I rate this for reverence to the masters or according to how far short it falls? "This is not a sitcom" indeed, but it's not a bad album.

Favourite track: Heard Somebody Cry
Least favourite track: Weird Science
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by mileswide »

Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party 6.0 (my #19 for 1985)
My highlights: Help Me, Fool's Paradise

The past month's highlights ranked:
Please Set Me at Ease
Asatoma
Stepping into Tomorrow
Help Me
Maso Ye'eme
Fool's Paradise
Mescalero
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Safetycat »

Right, back to trying to catch up here again:

36. Selda - Selda (1976) - 7

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) - 5

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (2009) - 8

39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway (1997) - 6

40. Cochemea - All My Relations (2019) - 9
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Honorio »

44. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985) 5/10
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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by Rob »

Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party: 6
It's not bad by any means and it has its moments. Maybe in the right mood I could really get into it. But Dead Man's Party suffers from the problems I have with a lot of new wave music: all the knowing winking, irony, nonsense in combination with a plastic sheen almost make creativity in something insufferable. I guess the artifice that Live in Phoenix rightly calls attention to is actually an obstacle for me, even if it is not so in all genres. The problem, I think, is that too much self-consciousness can eventually get the reality out after all.
Stay is a great song though.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by spiritualized »

Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party: 6,5

Not worth a 7, which is good, but not 6, which is decent.
I quite enjoyed the album, very 80s indeed, very new wave, but with something else which defines them differently to all the other acts of the time. It has a quirkiness, an willingness to stray out of the new wave conventions, in spite of Danny Elfman's voice sounding VERY similar to Dexy's Kevin Rowland at times. My, he has moved on from his new wave years later on, hasn't he ?
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 44 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Post by spiritualized »

A first time nomination for Gillingham with an album from Mali

Image

45. Salif Keita - Moffou (2002)
Nominated by Gillingham (#420)
Genre : Mande Music (# 26 in the RYM Mande Music chart)
Descriptors : melodic, happy, uplifting, warm, soothing, male vocals
Length : 10 tracks, 59:16

AM ranking : #1950
Artist Ranking : #853
RYM ranking : #285 for 2002 #9789 overall (313 ratings @ 3.62/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
63.8k unique listeners and 372.3k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Yamore / Madan / Souvent



Biography from Allmusic

One of the African continent's best-loved artists, Malian afro-pop singer/songwriter Salif Keita found initial success in the 1970s as a member of both the Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs before moving to Paris and launching a high-profile solo career in the mid-'80s. Culturally rejected as a child for being an albino, Keita's talent and determination eventually led him to become known as the "Golden Voice of Africa." Albums like 1987's Soro, 1990's Amen, and 2002's Moffou were critical and commercial successes that combined Western sounds of jazz, funk, and pop with West African traditions and saw Keita working with collaborators as diverse as Joe Zawinul, Carlos Santana, Toumani Diabaté, and Cesária Évora. Keita remained a creative force in the studio, returning with late-career highlights like 2010's La Différence and 2018's Un Autre Blanc, after which he announced his retirement from recording. Born to royal lineage, with ancestral roots going back to Soundjata Keita, the founder of the Malian Empire in 1240, Keita suffered a difficult childhood; he was ostracized by his community for his albinism and disowned by his father when he chose to pursue a career as a musician. Following his dreams, he moved to the capitol city of Bamako in 1967, where he spent a period working as a street musician and playing in nightclubs with one of his brothers. Within two years, he was invited to join the Rail Band. A popular, government-sponsored group that played regularly at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare, the Rail Band featured influential Malian guitar player Kante Manfila. Keita's soulful singing soon brought the band to a much higher plateau. In 1973, Keita and several members of the Rail Band relocated to Abidjian, the capitol of Cote d'Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). Naming their new project Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, the group continued to attract attention with their lively fusion of Cuban, Zairean, and Malian influences through the early '80s.

Following Les Ambassadeurs' breakup, Keita was encouraged to pursue a solo career and moved to Paris in 1984. Settling in the city's Montreuil section, he found a thriving community of more than 15,000 transplanted Malians. Predictions of success proved true with the release of Keita's debut solo album, Soro, in 1987. Produced by Ibrahima Sylla, the album combined African, jazz, funk, Europop, and R&B influences. His Grammy-nominated 1990 release, Amen, further appealed to Western audiences and included collaborations with Joe Zawinul, Carlos Santana, and Wayne Shorter. Keita continued his recording career with several releases throughout the '90s for the Mango, Melodie, and Sonodisc labels, including the Mansa of Mali anthology, before moving to Blue Note for Papa in 1999 and eventually Universal Jazz France, where he debuted with Moffou in 2002. Moffou was considered some of Keita's finest work to date, and he received another Grammy nomination for the album. Keita then returned to Bamako, Mali, in order to record his next full-length effort, M'Bemba, which came out in 2006.

Then in his early sixties, Keita returned to the studio for 2010's La Différence, taking an earthier, more acoustic-based approach and earning a Best World Music award from France's Victoires de la Musique. Two years later, he collaborated with Gotan Project producer Philippe Cohen Solal, veering in the opposite direction with Talé, which set his distinctive style to contemporary dance beats. Announcing his retirement from recording, Keita claimed that 2018's Un Autre Blanc would be the final album of his career.

A fan's review
libertybelle - Apr 27 2009

Different. Mesmerizing. Makes me want tyo go to Mali and check out this cat. He's got the beat, that's for sure. And a voice like you wouldn't believe. Just out of this world.
If you like this, also listen to :
Köte - Idrissa Soumaoro (2003)
Call of the West - Wall of Voodoo (1982)
Boulevard de l'Indépendance - Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra (2006)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)

1. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
2. Selda - Selda : 7.567 (9 votes) [panam]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
8. Cochemea - All My Relations 6.800 (9) [Nicolas]
10. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
11. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
12. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
13. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
14. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
15. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
16. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party 6.500 (9) [LiveInPhoenix]
17. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave 6.488 (8) [nicolas]
18. Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note : 6.438 (8) [schaefer.tk]
19. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
20. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
21. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
22. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.214 (8) [Zombeels]
23. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (8) [DocBrown]
24. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
25. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
26. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
27. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
28. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
29. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
30. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
31. Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance 6.113 (8) [Brad]
32. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
33. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
34. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
35. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
36. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
37. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
38. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.573 (11) [Henry]
38. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
39. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
40. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
41. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
42. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
43. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
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Listyguy
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 45. Salif Keita - Moffou

Post by Listyguy »

Moffou - 8/10

My previous exposure to Salif Keita was through the more highly acclaimed Soro, which I didn't enjoy as much because of how synthesizer-heavy it was. This album, by contrast, is more guitar-heavy (though Soro did have plenty of solid guitar work as well) but also allows the traditional styles to bleed through. And I loved it.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 45. Salif Keita - Moffou

Post by Rob »

45. Salif Keita - Moffou (2002): 8
Definitely one of this games highlights up til now. Some have decried the pop sheen that takes away of the authenticity of the traditional type of music. Perhaps, but I think the production goes well with the soft and appealing voice of Salif Keita. It is an album that just feels inviting and oozes an appealing warmth and friendliness (regardless of the meaning of the lyrics; of which I have no clue). It makes the hour that this album takes go by with greatest of ease. The opening and closing tracks are also long, but are so well done that it feels like they could and perhaps should go on indefinitely. I want to make a special mention of the background vocals which sometimes can be tacky in this type of music, but are used really well here.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 45. Salif Keita - Moffou

Post by Honorio »

45. Salif Keita - Moffou (2002) 9/10
My second 9/10 on this game (after Selda's debut). Not on my all-time list (it's only 250 albums) but very high on my 00s album list. I particularly love "Yamore," the opening song, a duet with Cesária Évora.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 45. Salif Keita - Moffou

Post by Brad »

45. Salif Keita - Moffou (2002): 6.9
This is a great album. Vocals are superb, musicianship is amazing. Production might actually be too good.
To be frank, though... most of the time, the music simply doesn't (excuse the term) "resonate" with me. There are moments I'd like to revisit, but just not enough to rank this higher. I know it's me, but there it is.

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 45. Salif Keita - Moffou

Post by mileswide »

Salif Keita - Moffou

I'm gonna hedge my bets and give this 3 scores:

With the Madan Remix (which is set to join its host album in the Biggest Fan cadre thanks to my vote) 7.5
Sans remix: 6.7
Average: 7.1

If in doubt, pick the average rating, Spirtualized!

My highlights: Madan (Remix), Madan, Here, Koukou
All I got inside is vacancy!
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