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

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Holden
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by Holden »

Didn’t have a chance to make any comments earlier, but Parachutes sounds SO much like Abbey Road Beatles. There are definitely worse bands to copy (and it’s definitely better than the thousands of Radiohead copycats that emerged after OK Computer), and overall I definitely enjoyed it!
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by FrankLotion »

I similarly fell behind due to the holidays so I'll try and catch up:

9. Rush - Fly By Night - 6/10

Very solid, I hadn't ever heard this one but I'm enjoying it now. Their signature prog sound definitely isn't here but I actually appreciate how relatively simple these tracks are versus the pretentious (but fantastic) bloat of something like 2112. In the end the band's incredible talent is still here and some great melodies throughout.

The only track I heard before this was Fly By Night which is still one of their all-time best songs for me. I don't really have any complaints for this album in general, I never really dislike Rush tracks all that often because there's always consistently great musicianship even when in this case the songwriting isn't as interesting as it would get by the end of the decade.

Favorite Tracks: Anthem, Beneath Between & Behind, By-Tor and the Snow Dog, Fly By Night
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by FrankLotion »

10. The Pretty Things - Parachute - 9/10

This is by far my favorite so far, I'm surprised I've never heard this band before because this is a gem!

Part way into Scene One while I wasn't paying close attention I thought I had accidently put on a remix of Run the Jewel 3's Talk to Me, so it was great to hear the original here, which is somehow even more foreboding.

The Abbey Road comparisons are definitely accurate (In the Square sounds just like Because on that album in a few places), Abbey Road has long been my #1 so this was bliss. This thing has some killer harmonies all over the place and a really dynamic tracklist that throws out a lot of ideas but never drags, I'd love more suggestions from Zombeels if there is anything else on his list like this!

In short, I loved it. I don't usually give 9's to anything outside my top 200 or so but I'll adjust my criteria to keep the ratings here meaningful and give a thumbs up to any albums that I particularly enjoy.

Favorite Tracks: Scene One, The Good Mr. Square, She Was Tall She Was High, The Letter, Cries From the Midnight Circus, Sickle Clowns, What's the Use, Parachute
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by Brad »

10. The Pretty Things - Parachute: 7.5
Really good album - on par with "S.F. Sorrow" for sure. The Pretty Things were probably ahead of their time.

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by Listyguy »

Parachute - 7/10

I listened to S.F. Sorrow yesterday to prepare for this, and while I was more impressed with that album than Parachute, Parachute is still pretty good. I prefer the psychedelic edge that its predecessor has, but the purer rock of this album is pretty nice on its own.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by mileswide »

Pretty Things - Parachute 5.1 (my #32 for 1970)

My highlights: Cold Stone, In the Square

This month's highlights ranked:
Cold Stone
In the Square
In the End
Best I Can
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by Schüttelbirne »

10. Pretty Things | Parachute: 5/10

Highlights: "Cries from the Midnight Circus", "Sickle Clowns"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by Honorio »

10. Pretty Things - Parachute (1970) 8/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 10. Pretty Things - Parachute

Post by spiritualized »

10. Pretty Things - Parachute (1970) 8/10

This one is definitely a grower. I've admired S.F. Sorrow's quality and their 4th album rates amongst my top 1000. (The) Pretty Things - the "The" being apparently optional - have gone under the radar amongst their peers and it's a shame. Their music is psychedelic but never eschews the melodies and hooks. This album firmly places itself next to the (then split) Beatles' finest whilst paving the way for psychedelic megastars Pink Floyd.

An excellent transition album, with a high replayable quality.
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by spiritualized »

The next entry smacks of nostalgia of 70s TV from prosecutorgodot !

A novelty release which cannot be found on Spotify, but you will find the episode on YouTube. I strongly suggest you watch it - it's not meant for background music !

Image

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock(1978-79)
Nominated by ProsecutorGodot (#114)
Genre : Children's Music, Educational Music (unranked in the RYM Children's Music chart)
Length : 9 tracks, 27:13 mins

AM ranking : unranked
Artist Ranking : unranked
RYM ranking : #unranked for 1997 (album re-release), #unranked overall (10 ratings @ 3.73 / 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
565 unique listeners and 4062 scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Interplanet Janet / Electricity, Electricity
Article from Wikipedia

Schoolhouse Rock! is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming block on the U.S. television network ABC. The themes covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics. The series' original run lasted from 1973 to 1984; it was later revived with both old and new episodes airing from 1993 to 1996. Additional episodes were produced in 2009 for direct-to-video release.
The series was the idea of David McCall, an advertising executive of McCaffrey and McCall, who noticed his young son was struggling with learning multiplication tables, despite being able to memorize the lyrics of every single Rolling Stones song. McCall then hired musician Bob Dorough to write a song that would teach multiplication, which became "Three Is a Magic Number." Tom Yohe, an illustrator at McCaffrey and McCall, heard the song and created visuals to go along with it. Radford Stone, who was in charge of ABC, suggested they pitch it as a television series, which caught the attention of Michael Eisner, then vice president of ABC, and cartoon director Chuck Jones.

A fourth series, titled "Science Rock," followed in 1978 and 1979, and included a broad range of science-related topics. The premiere episode of this season, "A Victim of Gravity," parodied elements of the hit film Grease and featured a rare guest appearance from a pop band, with recently reunited doo-wop group The Tokens providing the vocals. In addition to episodes describing the human body's anatomical systems (the nervous, circulatory, skeletal and digestive systems each received an episode), episodes describing physical sciences such as astronomy, meteorology and electricity were also included, as was "The Energy Blues," an environmentalism-themed short.

Amazon review
james millets - Apr 26, 2013

I ordered this for school and I didnt realize it was a VHS tape. However, we still have VHS machines. We have not watched it yet.

commonsensemedia.org :

Because of this show generations of kids learned things like multiplication facts, electricity, parts of speech (verb, etc.) and how a bill becomes a law, all to catchy jingles. Kids who were regularly exposed to this became smarter all because of it. At the same time kids were entertained. This shows what happens when educational programming is produced by someone who understands both children's educational needs and their entertainment needs. The only shortcoming with this series is that American history is only shown from the perspective of European immigrants. Beyond that, this show is top-notch. Parents should seriously consider buying the DVD for their children.
If you like this, also listen to :
Absolutely Dedicated to the One I Love - Linda Ronstadt
Bananaphone - Raffi
Тае Зори - Вениамин


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


1. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.480 (10 votes) [Brad]
2. Pretty Things - Parachute : 7.075 (8) [Zombeels]
3. James - Laid : 6.842 (12) [Zombeels]
4. Hood - Cold House : 6.830 (12) [CupOfDreams]
5. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.681 (11) [Toni]
6. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.400 (12) [schaefer.tk]
7. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.225 (12) [Brad]
8. Cybotron - Enter : 6.145 (11) [Moonbeam]
9. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.014 (11) [Brad]
10. MUNA - About U : 5.345 (11) [votingbloc]
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Holden »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock
4/10
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Rob »

10. Pretty Things - Parachute: 8

Let me add to the praise. I did hear S.F. Sorrow once some years ago and remembered it as a mixed bag. Listening to it again I am more positive, but don't think it is completely consistent. Parachute may be less ambitious, but might be the better album nevertheless. Gone are much of the psychedelics of S.F. Sorrow, this reminds me more of a more progressive take on blues and garage rock. Turns out that the bands have roots in those genres and you can really hear it. This album is one of the more innovative takes on those genres, with variations in instruments that feel fresh even 50 years later. The tracks also flow into in one another with an ease I really appreciate, especially after S.F. Sorrow, which despite it's whole concept sometimes felt a bit sloppily put together.
The best album in this game so far. Could see it growing too.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Listyguy »

Science Rock - 3/10

I definitely watched some of these Schoolhouse Rock videos when I was in school, but I don't remember if I ever saw the science one before. Either way, the ultimate goals of this isn't quality music, but educating children. The two worlds don't exactly coexist here, because I found the music to be pretty bad.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Schüttelbirne »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock: 7/10

Surprisingly good. Highlights: "Do the Circulation", "The Energy Blues" (!), "Interplanet Janet"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Honorio »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock (1997) 3/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Brad »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock: 3
Ah, nostalgia! I can understand the appeal to someone who perhaps grew up with this. The videos are entertaining (the last one, "Gravity" especially). However, based on music alone, I'm afraid it doesn't go too far with me. Still, I'd much rather listen to this than say, Shania Twain.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by mileswide »

Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rocks 4.3

I would've said 4.1 this morning but I'm starting to build up a tolerance to it. My score might fluctuate over the next few days depending on how much I humiliate myself by blurting out in public "IT'S CALLED THE NERVOUS SYSTEM!" :D

I can't say I'd give anything an 8, the least I'd award to a highlight, but The Energy Blues comes the nearest, maybe because it has somewhat of a history lesson in the middle? (always preferred history to science at school)
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by DaveC »

9. Rush - Fly By Night (1975): 5.5/10

Favourite track: By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Least favourite track: Rivendell

Where they learned that they were better suited to prog rock than blues rock.


10. Pretty Things - Parachute (1970): 6.5/10

Favourite track: Grass
Least favourite track: Cries from the Midnight Circus
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Rob »

Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock: 5

I guess this will be one of the most out-there entries for Biggest Fan? Not the type of thing you expect on any best-of list for sure, but that makes it all the more fun that it appears here. It's not a great album by any stretch, but it was better than expected. That has everything to do with the fact that as probably every kid have had to hear a lot of educational music at school. Not School of Rock, but it is easily comparable. And much of that is as bad as music gets, especially if you find yourself hearing it as an adult (this happens every now and then since I have nieces). Science Rock has songs that at least have word play, flow and a real sense of genre. That's more than I expect.

Still, the compliments can only go a limited way. It indeed works far better when watching the video, because without it I find many of the songs start to great rather quickly. And even with the video turned on Electricity is a bad song (and it doesn't even explain the science!). Besides, let's face it, who among us would normally chose to watch this video?
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Rob wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:10 pm And even with the video turned on Electricity is a bad song (and it doesn't even explain the science!).
I agree, "Electricity" is the worst one.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by spiritualized »

Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock: 3/10

I'm now far too wise (read old) to be enjoying this. Sadly or not, this shows how things have evolved for our kids. I don't think you would get one minute of attention for this in the age of smartphones/Ipads/YouTube
Fortunately, the format is a bit deceiving. We get here 25 mins of children science, when it should really be split into 5 minute bitesize.
As for the music, there are far too many words crammed in the songs for it to be noticeable.

Put it this way : after a weekend of being mindblown by Danny Carey's drumming on Tool's videos, this is a serious letdown. I know I would rather play the whole 12 mins of Pneuma to my kids at an early age than this :)

That said - the Energy Blues has a laudable message - in the age of post Trumpism, some people may learn something valuable - and Interplanet Janet is not bad.
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by spiritualized »

The beauty of this game ?
The variety of our forumers tastes: After kids science lessons, how about a bit of soul ?

Image


12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black (2017)
Nominated by antonius (#237)
Genre : Southern Soul, Deep Soul (#226 in the RYM Southern Soul chart)
Length : 10 tracks, 34 mins

AM ranking : unranked
Artist Ranking : unranked
RYM ranking : #618 for 2017, #unranked overall (186 ratings @ 3.36 / 5.0)
Metascore : 80
11.3k unique listeners and 72.9k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : If All I Was Was Black / Little Bit



Biography from Allmusic

There is no mistaking the deep grainy contralto of national treasure Mavis Staples. Whether it's a 1950s side with the Staple Singers, or a solo cut recorded over half-a-century later, Mavis' voice is instantly identifiable, likely to lift the spirit and inspire anyone within earshot. Mavis came up with her familial group. Led by father Roebuck "Pops" Staples, the Staple Singers balanced gospel and secular music like no one before or after them and in the process became civil rights activists. With eight Top 40 pop singles through 1975, including the chart-topping "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again" -- all of which were fronted by Mavis -- they earned the title of "God's greatest hitmakers." Outside the group, Mavis sporadically recorded solo albums from the tail-end of the '60s through the '90s. In the 2000s, she took full flight on her own with a spirited series of LPs highlighted by You Are Not Alone, which crowned Billboard's gospel chart and won the 2010 Grammy award for Best Americana Album. The singer's roll continued throughout the 2010s, as she was the subject of the celebratory documentary Mavis!, won a Grammy in the American Roots field for "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," and spent her 79th birthday in front of a rapt overseas audience as heard on the 2019 set Live in London. Further proof of Mavis' high regard and broad appeal is in her inductions. She is a member of the Rock & Roll, Blues, and Gospel Music halls of fame.

RYM review
GARFIELDACRES - Oct 2, 2017

Jeff tweedy is back on board here, his 3rd album with staples as writer/producer. The lyrics are angry and despairing about trumps america,delivered in a powerful way from an artist who spans the generations of black protest music like very few others.

However despite the almost resigned tone of the words,the music is kept uplifting and funky, less gospel influenced than her other records with tweedy. Staples is a singer of rare authority and she keeps the hope burning bright with these songs that things might change,that love and decency will win the day. In response Tweedy keeps it tight and sparse musically, accompanying mavis's touring band on electric guitar.

Its another wonderful record. Mavis's last 4 albums have set a real standard for the old guard artists in terms of quality and relevance. To think her career started as a little girl in the late 40s. Just an amazing woman.
If you like this, also listen to :
Livin' on a High Note - Mavis Staples
Unstoppable - Candi Staton
Encore - Anderson East


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


1. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.480 (10 votes) [Brad]
2. Pretty Things - Parachute : 7.110 (10) [Zombeels]
2. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.920 (10) [antonius]
3. James - Laid : 6.842 (12) [Zombeels]
4. Hood - Cold House : 6.830 (12) [CupOfDreams]
5. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.681 (11) [Toni]
6. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.400 (12) [schaefer.tk]
7. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.225 (12) [Brad]
8. Cybotron - Enter : 6.145 (11) [Moonbeam]
9. Rush - Fly By Night : 5.971 (12) [Brad]
10. MUNA - About U : 5.345 (11) [votingbloc]
11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.922 (9) [prosecutorgodot]
Last edited by spiritualized on Mon Jan 25, 2021 6:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Schüttelbirne »

12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black: 5/10
Highlight: "No Time for Crying"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Holden »

12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black (2017)
7/10
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Listyguy »

If All I Was Was Black - 7/10

There are some strong tracks on the album, but it's betrayed by a weak second half. Jeff Tweedy's involvement adds a layer of intrigue here as well.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 11. Schoolhouse Rocks! - Science Rock

Post by Sweepstakes Ron »

Rob wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:10 pmBesides, let's face it, who among us would normally chose to watch this video?
*enthusiastically raises hand* :greetings-waveyellow:
Splish splash, I was raking in the cash
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by FrankLotion »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock - 3/10

It's always tough for me to review stuff like this, it's not quite a novelty album but I never thought this was the most informative or entertaining series either...I remember watching some of these in school decades ago and I wasn't really a huge fan then either (though I do like the one about being a bill on Capitol Hill).

I don't know, it's not bad by any means but I find most of these songs pretty insipid so even watching the video on YouTube was an exercise in patience.

Favorite Tracks: Gravity

12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black - 6/10

This is the first album I've actually listened to before! I think I appreciate this one a little bit more than when I first heard it but it's still been tough for me to really get into Mavis Staples' music. She has a good voice and Jeff Tweedy's production really compliments it well but I can't help but feel that her lyrics are pretty surface-level and her voice is kind of just serviceable (at least in comparison to her peers in R&B/Soul).

With that said, I appreciate the political sentiments she includes and overall this is a pretty easy listening so I like it well enough.

Favorite Tracks: If All I Was Was Black, Build a Bridge, Try Harder

Edit: I just noticed that Tweedy was actually sole writer on most of these tracks so I guess he's mostly to blame for the lyrics...
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by mileswide »

Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black 7.7 (my #15 for 2017)

My highlights: Who Told You That, Little Bit, All Over Again, Try Harder

Just short of being wholly excellent, it is transportive at times and firmly the BF album I've warmed most to so far.

The month's highlights ranked:
Who Told You That
Little Bit
Cold Stone
In the Square
All Over Again
In the End
Best I Can
Try Harder
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Brad »

12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black: 5.5

I preferred the second half, particularly Try Harder. Short album, ultimately doesn't entice me to listen again (though by no means unpleasant).

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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by antonius »

I've been following Mavis Staples' output since "We'll never turn back" in 2007, produced by Ry Cooder. Her next studio albums were collaborations with Jeff Tweedy. All off these albums have a gospel / soul style that I like a lot. Reminds me of the classic soul albums from the sixties and seventies.
On this particular album, all tracks were written by Jeff Tweedy, no covers. She was 78 years old when she sang on this album. I like it a lot when elder people record an album, it brings a lot of sincerity to the lyrics. (See Bob Dylan) You should all be listening, this is your grandmother speaking to you.
I like the uptempo songs best (Try harder, Who told you that, No Time For Crying) I also like it that there are no love songs on the album, so very unlike a classic sixties or seventies soul album, and yet it's a very loving and positive album. There is no stray track on it, very playable.

9/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Honorio »

12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black (2017) 7/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by Rob »

Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black: 7

The very definition of solid. Good writing and a great voice, along with a consistent quality of song make this a fine listen, even if it never lifts itself over existing formats. I was a bit skeptical of the fact that a white guy put words of black experience in an African Americans mouth, but the lyrics are generally universal and unspecific enough to make that work, even if it also means that it doesn't have the edge it could have had. Still, a worthy album.

However, this one made me check out an earlier album by Mavis Staples, 2007's We'll Never Turn Back and that is of a completely different order. With a far heavier and dirtier sound and more gritty vocals by Staples that is a powerhouse album. Highly recommended to check out.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by spiritualized »

I'm going with the flow on Mavis.
A very solid album indeed. A soul diva with blues-rock tunes provided by Jeff Tweedy.

It's groovy, tuneful and definitely much better than the 2016 attempt on Livin' on a High Note.
I really appreciate the fact that the songs are short and to the point.

8/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black

Post by DaveC »

11. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock(1978-79): 3/10

Favourite track: None
Least favourite track: Telegraph Line


12. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black (2017): 7/10

Favourite track: No Time For Crying
Least favourite track: Ain't No Doubt About It
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by spiritualized »

And a first in this game : not an album as such, more of a DJ Mix, by no less than Four Tet, most beloved by Krurze !

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13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 (2011)
Nominated by Krurze (#15)
Genre : UK Garage, 2-Step, UK Funky, Dubstep, Minimal Techno, Future Garage (#unranked in the RYM UK Garage chart)
Length : 27 tracks, 75:24 mins

AM ranking : unranked
Artist Ranking : #570
RYM ranking : #14 for 2011, #394 overall (290 ratings @ 3.48 / 5.0)
Metascore : 79
7424 unique listeners and 128.9k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Four Tet - Locked / Burial - Street Halo

Not available on usual streaming platforms, but I found a YT playlist below:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... b5mJuoHMJ0

Biography from Allmusic

Perhaps the definitive indie electronic artist, Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) is a British DJ and producer whose experimental yet highly accessible recordings, which blend organic and electronic sounds, have earned widespread acclaim from critics and fans of electronic music as well as indie rock. Hebden's work as Four Tet has been influenced by a wide range of genres, including spiritual jazz, Krautrock, folk music, and hip-hop. His compositions are generally abstract yet melodically and tonally rich, and they often combine glitchy electronics with acoustic instrumentation. While most of his earlier work, including 2003's heavily praised Rounds, was generally downtempo or midtempo, he's embraced dance music more thoroughly since the late 2000s, particularly genres such as U.K. garage and house. Albums such as 2013's Beautiful Rewind reflected the influence of pirate radio culture, and some of his singles, particularly 2019's "Only Human," have become inescapable club and festival hits. Indicative of Hebden's eclectic nature, he has collaborated with artists ranging from jazz drummer Steve Reid to Radiohead's Thom Yorke, and has produced albums by improv collective Sunburned Hand of the Man and Syrian dabke singer Omar Souleyman, among others.

RYM review
diction - Feb 7, 2013

Four Tet deserves props for this one, for the sole reason that he went and dug up some late 90s UK Garage and put them on his mix right here. That particular style is perhaps the most influential in electronic music today as it evolved into 2-step and dubstep and all its related genres owe it back to these producers. And none of it is really well known, so it's great to see a DJ giving them the proper exposure. Not that the mix consists only of these singles, but most everything here is somehow related to UK Garage, and they really feel like the centerpiece of the mix. I think this one succeeds as being as much interesting as it is entertaining, definitely loads of good tunes here and plus you get to hear the roots of modern electronic music. Cool stuff.
If you like this, also listen to :
Knockin' Boots - Julio Bashmore
Exhale - Volor Flex
Potential - The Range


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


1. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.480 (10 votes) [Brad]
2. Pretty Things - Parachute : 7.110 (10) [Zombeels]
3. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.920 (10) [antonius]
4. James - Laid : 6.842 (12) [Zombeels]
5. Hood - Cold House : 6.830 (12) [CupOfDreams]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.681 (11) [Toni]
7. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.400 (12) [schaefer.tk]
8. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.225 (12) [Brad]
9. Cybotron - Enter : 6.145 (11) [Moonbeam]
10. Rush - Fly By Night : 5.971 (12) [Brad]
11. MUNA - About U : 5.345 (11) [votingbloc]
12. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.922 (9) [prosecutorgodot]
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Krurze »

This mix was my introduction to Four Tet. I think I randomly saw the cover art somewhere and became intrigued instantly. I then went on allmusic and listened to these small sound snipppets and decided to buy the CD. That was at a time when I first really got into electronic music and this mix definitely helped me find some more out-there stuff and define my taste.

This mix is designed as a kind of homage to a typical club set, all with the weird ambient-y intro and interludes and snippets of undecipherable dancefloor chatter thrown in. As a real club set it would probably be a little too intricate, but it captures the vibe of a night out pretty well. Still, this is better suited for night driving in a city than actual partying, as someone on RYM also mentioned.

Most of the mix has a distinctive UK garage flavour, but there's also some more experimental stuff and some thumping deep techno. There are obvious highlights, such as Burial's Street Halo and Four Tet's own Locked, but I also really like 101112 and Pyramid which show Four Tet at his most impulsive. And the moment when Higher Power drops with full force seemingly out of nowhere has always been a defining moment to me. I just hadn't been exposed to that brand of techno before, and today René Pawlowitz alias WK7 alias Shed alias Head High alias Wax is one of my favourite producers.

On average, I rate even my favourite albums lower than my favourite songs, just because it's oviously much harder to keep me invested for an hour or more than for three minutes. Maybe it's because of this that I tend to like 'organic' albums that feel more like one long track where I can get really lost in the mood. A good DJ mix usually fits that bill, so for me this is one of these albums. For the sake of the game, let's give it a 10.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Holden »

The Four Tet album is on Amazon Music, if anyone else uses that.
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by spiritualized »

Krurze wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:58 pm This mix was my introduction to Four Tet. I think I randomly saw the cover art somewhere and became intrigued instantly. I then went on allmusic and listened to these small sound snipppets and decided to buy the CD. That was at a time when I first really got into electronic music and this mix definitely helped me find some more out-there stuff and define my taste.

This mix is designed as a kind of homage to a typical club set, all with the weird ambient-y intro and interludes and snippets of undecipherable dancefloor chatter thrown in. As a real club set it would probably be a little too intricate, but it captures the vibe of a night out pretty well. Still, this is better suited for night driving in a city than actual partying, as someone on RYM also mentioned.

Most of the mix has a distinctive UK garage flavour, but there's also some more experimental stuff and some thumping deep techno. There are obvious highlights, such as Burial's Street Halo and Four Tet's own Locked, but I also really like 101112 and Pyramid which show Four Tet at his most impulsive. And the moment when Higher Power drops with full force seemingly out of nowhere has always been a defining moment to me. I just hadn't been exposed to that brand of techno before, and today René Pawlowitz alias WK7 alias Shed alias Head High alias Wax is one of my favourite producers.

On average, I rate even my favourite albums lower than my favourite songs, just because it's oviously much harder to keep me invested for an hour or more than for three minutes. Maybe it's because of this that I tend to like 'organic' albums that feel more like one long track where I can get really lost in the mood. A good DJ mix usually fits that bill, so for me this is one of these albums. For the sake of the game, let's give it a 10.
Thanks Krurze for your input ! I find it so much more valuable when real fans of the album put it in context !
I think this one will be pretty divisive. It delves into electronic music genres which are not necessarily easy on the ear, and knowing the propensity of this forum to prefer classic rock, it'll be a tough ask. But curious minds should pay careful attention :)
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Listyguy »

spiritualized wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:33 pm Not available on usual streaming platforms, but I found a YT playlist below:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... b5mJuoHMJ0
Most of the videos in that playlist aren't available in the United States, I was able to find the album here though: https://mp3music.ru/four-tet/fabriclive-59-four-tet
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Listyguy »

FabricLive.59 - 5/10

I'm not much of a fan of house/techno/dubstep, and the length doesn't really do the "album" any favors either.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by DaveC »

13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 (2011): 6.5/10

I quite like UK Garage & DubStep, but there is a sameness that works against an album of this length. Nothing to complain about, but only occasional highlights.

Favourite track: Burial - Street Halo
Least favourite track: Youngstar - Pulse X
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Honorio »

13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 (2011) 6/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Schüttelbirne »

13. Four Tet | FabricLive.59: 5/10
Highlight: "Locked"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Brad »

13. Four Tet | FabricLive.59: 6
This started as a solid 7 but gradually dropped over time as the excitement faded; by the end I was ready to move on. Still, this is the type of album/mix you can pretty much slap on at any point in the duration and it will feel good for at least a little while. I imagine it's pretty mood-dependent!

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by mileswide »

Four Tet - Fabriclive 59 7.2 (my #17 for 2011)

My highlights: Hobson's Choice (For da Man Dem), Street Halo, 101112, Sais (Dub), Pyramid, Angie's Fucked, Sieso

The month's highlights ranked
Who Told You That
Little Bit
Hobson's Choice
Street Halo
Cold Stone
In the Square
101112
All Over Again
Sais
In the End
Pyramid
Best I Can
Try Harder
Angie's Fucked
Sieso
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by Rob »

Four Tet | FabricLive.59: 7

Glad I listened to this twice, as this is a case where it really made a difference. The first time I thought it was okay, but overlong and repetitive. The second time many of these tracks clicked. Especially the second half has some impressive songs.
Last edited by Rob on Mon Feb 01, 2021 3:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59

Post by spiritualized »

Four Tet | FabricLive.59: 7

Same as Rob - this deserves several listens and headphones.
I'm not a huge fan of UK Garage and I find those tracks a bit cumbersome and I run the risk of losing interest. Fortunately, Kieran Hebden has variety in mind and caters for those of us who enjoy changes in tempo and style.
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 14. Defunkt - Defunkt

Post by spiritualized »

The second entry from Antonius, soon after Mavis Staples, this time a bubbler.

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14. Defunkt - Defunkt (1980)
Nominated by antonius (#216)
Genre : Jazz-Funk, No Wave (#258 in the RYM Jazz-Funk chart)
Length : 8 tracks, 38:26 mins

AM ranking : bubbling under
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #462 for 1980, #unranked overall (208 ratings @ 3.48 / 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
5534 unique listeners and 30k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Defunkt / Make Them Dance



Biography from Allmusic

Led by trombonist Joseph Bowie -- the son of a St. Louis-based music teacher, the brother of big band arranger Byron Bowie, and late trumpet player of the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Lester Bowie -- Defunkt created some of the most adventurous sounds of the last quarter of the 20th century. Formed in 1978, Defunkt initially took a danceable approach to jazz. Although their first three albums -- Defunkt, Razor's Edge, and Thermonuclear Sweat -- made them leaders of New York's radical underground music scene, their inability to achieve commercial expectations led them to disband in 1983, with Bowie retreating to the island of St. Croix. Reorganized after Bowie's return to New York in 1986, Defunkt recorded an additional six albums, including A Blues Tribute: Jimi Hendrix & Muddy Waters and In America, between 1988-1993. Beginning in 1996, Bowie sought a way to combine the big band jazz of the 1930s and '40s and the dance rhythms and grooves of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Expanding Defunkt with the addition of more horn players and background vocalists, Bowie introduced the Defunkt Big Band with a six-week stint at the Knitting Factory in New York.

RYM review
ILY - Aug 21, 2007

Defunkt comes off as a more polished version of The Contortions' punk-funk, as if the no-wave band was replaced by a professional jazz-funk band. But this doesn't diminish "Make Them Dance", "In The Good Times", "Defunkt" etc from being spazz-funk dancefloor anthems. In the end though, as track after track follows exactly the same recipe, the album gets tiring. The real highlight is "We All Dance Together", where apart from the usual funk we get a sinister chorus and a chaotic instrumentation.
If you like this, also listen to :
Mystic Voyage - Roy Ayers Ubiquity
Spin - Spin
Rise - Herb Alpert


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


1. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.480 (10 votes) [Brad]
2. Pretty Things - Parachute : 7.110 (10) [Zombeels]
3. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.920 (10) [antonius]
4. James - Laid : 6.842 (12) [Zombeels]
5. Hood - Cold House : 6.830 (12) [CupOfDreams]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.681 (11) [Toni]
7. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.670 (10) [Krurze]
8. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.400 (12) [schaefer.tk]
9. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.225 (12) [Brad]
10. Cybotron - Enter : 6.145 (11) [Moonbeam]
11. Rush - Fly By Night : 5.971 (12) [Brad]
12. MUNA - About U : 5.345 (11) [votingbloc]
13. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.922 (9) [prosecutorgodot]
Last edited by spiritualized on Thu Feb 04, 2021 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 14. Defunkt - Defunkt

Post by Listyguy »

Defunky - 7/10

The highlight of this album is its funk. The songwriting has its moments too, "Make Them Dance" is a very catchy song, for example. But the funk is what makes the album compelling. I'm not really sure that the comparison to the Contortions is merited though. The Contortions used saxophones as a vehicle to create more noise, whereas Defunkt is using them for style.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 14. Defunkt - Defunkt

Post by Honorio »

14. Defunkt - Defunkt (1980) 7/10
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