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

Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Brad »

55. Future - Pluto (2012): 4.5

Thanks!
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Honorio »

55. Future - Pluto (2012) 5/10
Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Brad »

56. Kim Wilde - Close (1988): 3.5

Thanks!
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Listyguy »

Close - 5/10

Pretty generic late 80s dance pop. Not good but I didn't really hate it.
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Schüttelbirne »

56. Kim Wilde | Close: 3/10
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7329
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Rob »

Kim Wilde - Close: 5
It's no secret that eighties pop isn't exactly my favorite kind of music, to put if mildly. Still, there are always exceptions and Kim Wilde is actually behind two of those: the cheery evergreen Kids in America and the surprisingly poetic Cambodia. These two songs are not on Close however. From this album I vaguely recognize one song: You Came. That was a minor hit in The Netherlands (she had a ton of those around here), so perhaps some oldie radio station's still play it? It's a fine song. Like a lot of this is fine. Nothing really stands out and it sounds too dated in an eighties way for me to embrace it.
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 21. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott?

Post by spiritualized »

bonnielaurel wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:37 pm
Inviting bonnielaurel to comment on her nomination !
User avatar
bonnielaurel
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1662
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:48 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by bonnielaurel »

Thanks. In the 90s and early 00s there were several new soul singers who combined old and new styles. Jill Scott was one of them. I think her debut album is still her best. Later she also made it as a TV actress. This was my review on RYM:

She was one of the exponents of nu soul, with an intimate jazzy style, close harmony, brass, strings and deep bass riffs. The album title makes clear that the lyrics are inspired by her personal life experiences. In Gettin' in the Way she's threatening a romantic rival. A Long Walk is about the first date with her future husband. Honey Molasses has the stickiness its title suggests. Her vocal style is subdued and close to natural speech. She combines the power of classic soul with a modern sound.

8/10

Kim Wilde - Close: also 8/10.
DaveC
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3477
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:04 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by DaveC »

55. Future - Pluto: 4.5/10

Favourite track: Neva End
Least favourite track: Tony Montana

56. Kim Wilde - Close: 5/10

Favourite track: Never Trust a Stranger
Least favourite track: Love in the Natural Way
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2521
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by mileswide »

Kim Wilde - Close 4.6 (my #33 for 1988)

My pick from the album: European Soul
All I got inside is vacancy!
User avatar
Moonbeam
Full of Fire
Posts: 2543
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Moonbeam »

Kim Wilde - Close: 6.6

I'm a big, big fan of early Kim Wilde. Her first 3 albums are amazing. Close is nowhere near as good, but it's still got its charm. "Four Letter Word" is my pick from this one, an intriguing venture into sophisti-pop balladry. I also am quite fond of "You'll Be the One Who'll Lose".
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Honorio »

56. Kim Wilde - Close (1988) 5/10
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by spiritualized »

Moonbeam wrote: Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:12 am Kim Wilde - Close: 6.6

I'm a big, big fan of early Kim Wilde. Her first 3 albums are amazing. Close is nowhere near as good, but it's still got its charm. "Four Letter Word" is my pick from this one, an intriguing venture into sophisti-pop balladry. I also am quite fond of "You'll Be the One Who'll Lose".
So pleased to see Moonbeam's views on some 80s pop ! Great to have you here and hope you are doing well.

We have our crossing paths on some music but sadly, this isn't one of them. There are a couple of songs here that I knew (You Came, certainly a popular single at the end of the 80s), but there are some cliché tricks in this pop world which I can't stand. Overproduced, the guitars which make a cameo appearance, overall this is a rather weak effort from the pop diva.

5/10
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by spiritualized »

Do you feel a wind of melancholy throughout this thread ?
Another 80s album for you this week, courtesy of SL3 !

Image


57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels (1989)
Nominated by SL3 (#136)
Genre : Art Pop Spoken Word, Soft Rock, Synthpop, Pop Rock, Sophisti-Pop (# 463 in the RYM Art Pop chart)
Descriptors : playful, female vocals, eclectic, sombre
Length : 10 tracks - 45:58

AM ranking : #bubbling under
Artist Ranking : #657
RYM ranking : #454 for 1989 #unranked overall (612 ratings @ 3.47/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
20.5k unique listeners and 197.4k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Strange Angels / Babydoll / Coolsville



Biography from Allmusic

After briefly entering the mainstream pop radar in 1981 with her lone hit "O Superman," musician, composer, performance artist, and technology buff Laurie Anderson has enjoyed a public visibility greater than virtually any other avant-garde figure of her era. Her infrequent forays into rock aside, Anderson nevertheless remained firmly grounded within the realm of performance art, her ambitious multimedia projects encompassing not only music but film, visual projections, dance, and -- most importantly -- spoken and written language, the cornerstone of all of her work. Her recorded catalog after Big Science (her debut long-player that included the oft-covered "O Superman") is wildly diverse. It offers combinations of (often electronically manipulated) spoken word, postmodern classical minimalism, vanguard rock, airy jazz, and ambient music. Using various combinations, Anderson has registered critically acclaimed albums such as the exotic Mister Heartbreak in 1984 (the same year as the massive five-album document of her live opus United States), and its politically poignant follow-up Home of the Brave two years later. Anderson relies on her own instrument creations, including the tape-bow violin, the Talking Stick, and voice filters. The latter was used extensively on 2010's Homeland. Five years later, Anderson released the award-winning documentary film and soundtrack Heart Of A Dog, about the life and transition of her beloved piano-playing pet Lolabelle, juxtaposed with meditations on mortality and her personal experiences in lower Manhattan after 9/11. In 2018, Anderson in collaboration with the Kronos Quartet, released Landfall, the score for her multi-media presentation on Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath (her own home was badly flooded).

A fan's review
drmanehattan Sep 22 2012

Really, really, really awesome album from Laurie Anderson. I wrote up a whole song and dance 'bout how much I love it here, not copy-pastin' it here because it ended up encompassing all her albums, but anyway.

Strange Angels.

It is "Laurie Anderson goes pop," or whatever the kidz are callin' it, yes, it's true. But that doesn't mean it's diminished in quality, everything here is the same calibre of work that you can always expect from Ms. Anderson, albeit dressed in a different package.

Around this time last year, there was a period where this album meant absolutely everything to me, just the development in the first track made my heart soar. I put it away for a while and I'm back now.

There are songs that are dark cool nights, songs that are sunny and a bit silly, and all in between. There is not a song on this album that I do not like. Anderson does her signature juxtaposition of poeticisms with colloquialisms, unexpected lyrical threads, songs that can make you think and make you dance.

For example, Monkey's Paw, the message is simple and bears repeating: "...but Nature's got rules, and Nature's got laws, and if you cross her, look out it's the Monkey's Paw," but the song itself is so much fun anyway... Many artists who write about similar subject matter to Anderson, these kind of "profound" realizations, seem to fall prey to their own instinct to dress it up in wordiness and sound like they're speaking from on high, but Laurie Anderson has never made this misstep. That is to say, you listen to her music as much for the message as you do to truly enjoy every bit of it. Tying this back to Monkey's Paw, now, the inclusion of "I want stereo FM installed in my teeth." Oh, you.

Songs that also fit this mold are Babydoll and Beautiful Red Dress, one of which cheekily discusses the common issue of, well, a distracted brain, the other a girl-power anthem of sorts in a way that only Laurie Anderson could put it. (Also, it is worth mentioning that due to their musical style, these songs are irrevocably linked in my mind to Kate Bush's The Red Shoes, another all-time favorite released a little bit after this album).

The other group of songs focuses heavily on a recurring motif of stars ("kerjillions of stars," it must be said) / angels / night time and all the mysteries therein. The title track, Ramon, My Eyes. All are brilliant, all contain moments of beauty and moments of just glorious... fun. You know, "Oh-oh! My eyes! are looking all around!"

The final third is less united themewise but serve well in the sequence of the album. Coolsville is a personal favorite, which I remember hearing she wrote to accompany film of people going to work in Japan. The Day the Devil is an over-the-top brand of creepy. The Dream Before is the most understated track, very light musical arrangement and Anderson's voice hovering rather than forming a real melody.

And then we're back to Hiawatha, the sum of it all, the glorious glorious Hiawatha, the most exquisitely and achingly beautiful song ever written, one that I don't think even Anderson herself has topped. "And I said: Hello Operator, get me Memphis, Tennessee. And she said: I know who you're tryin to call, darlin', and he's not home he's been away, but you can hear him on the airwaves, he's howlin' at the moon, yeah this is your country station, and honey this next one's for you." Jesus. This song is a summary of the wonder of this album, it's the pearl of Laurie Anderson's work, it exemplifies everything I love about her and her music.

I obviously had a lot more to write about this album that I originally thought, but, hey, I'm always up for reflecting upon the endless greatness of Laurie Anderson's work. She's always good, but this and Bright Red are a world apart, truly her best, the shining example of how to craft something true. "So perfect! So ideal!"

Favorite tracks: Hiawatha, Babydoll, Coolsville, Strange Angels, My Eyes
If you like this, also listen to :
音楽図鑑 (Ongaku zukan) - Ryuichi Sakamoto (1984)
Secrets of the Beehive - David Sylvian (1987)
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say - The Durutti Column (1985)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)
Number - Artist - Album - Nominator - Grade - Votes - Popularity
1 - Toy Love - Toy Love EP - Brad - 7,629 - ( 12 ) - ??
2 - Selda - Selda - panam - 7,567 - ( 9 ) - 165.9k
3 - Salif Keita - Moffou - Gillingham - 7,450 - ( 10 ) - 372.3k
4 - Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home - Henry - 7,330 - ( 10 ) - 118.4k
5 - Tall Dwarfs - 3EPs - Spiritualized - 7,282 - ( 11 ) - 46.2k
6 - Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun - CupOfDreams - 7,236 - ( 11 ) - 1.8m
7 - Marva Whitney - It's My Thing - schaefer.tk - 6,933 - ( 9 ) - 121.9k
8 - Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black - antonius - 6,882 - ( 11 ) - 72.9k
9 - Pretty Things - Parachute - Zombeels - 6,842 - ( 12 ) - 450.3k
10 - Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds - Toni - 6,829 - ( 12 ) - 1.3m
11 - Cochemea - All My Relations - nicolas - 6,800 - ( 9 ) - 35.1k
12 - Hood - Cold House - CupOfDreams - 6,800 - ( 12 ) -
12 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party - LiveInPhoenix - 6,750 - ( 10 ) - 1.5m
14 - James - Laid - Zombeels - 6,725 - ( 12 ) - 1.7m
15 Courtney Marie Andrews - Painter's Hands and a Seventh Son - LiveInPhoenix - 6,725 - ( 10 ) - 17.5k
16 - The Band - Stage Fright - Henry - 6,658 - ( 12 ) - 340.5k
17 - The Elgins - Darling Baby - mileswide - 6,650 - ( 10 ) - 7.4k
18 - Four Tet - FabricLive.59 - Krurze - 6,609 - ( 11 ) - 128.9k
19 - Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák - DaveC - 6,606 - ( 8 ) - 35.2k
20 - Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp - VanillaFire100 - 6,605 - ( 10 ) - 131.8k
21 - Jay-Z - American Gangster - FrankLotion - 6,517 - ( 12 ) - 3.1m
22 - Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion - sonofsamiam - 6,509 - ( 11 ) - 10.7k
23 - The Impressions - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story - Carlos74 - 6,450 - ( 10 ) - 77.1k
24 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - schaefer.tk - 6,438 - ( 8 ) - 3.8m
25 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave - nicolas - 6,433 - ( 9 ) - 7.7m
26 - Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott ? Words and Sounds Vol 1 - bonnielaurel - 6,431 - ( 13 ) - 814.5k
27 - Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway - Zombeels - 6,410 - ( 10 ) - 2.2m
28 - KRS-One - KRS-One - schaefer.tk - 6,369 - ( 13 ) - 671.6k
29 - Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Ander - rumpdoll - 6,340 - ( 10 ) - 236.7k
30 - Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself - Spiritualized - 6,336 - ( 11 ) - 1.5m
31 - Tocotronic - K.O.O.K - rumpdoll - 6,328 - ( 9 ) - 931.9k
32 - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - DocBrown - 6,300 - ( 9 ) - 4k
33 - Bee Gees - Main Course - bonnielaurel - 6,288 - ( 12 ) - 298.1k
34 - Rush - Fly By Night - Brad - 6,242 - ( 13 ) - 2m
35 - Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance - Brad - 6,190 - ( 10 ) - 1.6m
36 - Anthony Braxton - For Alto - sonofsamiam - 6,183 - ( 12 ) - 52.4k
37 - Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn - SL3 - 6,177 - ( 11 ) - 319.7k
38 - Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off - Henry - 6,170 - ( 10 ) - 32.3k
39 - Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken - Brad - 6,142 - ( 12 ) - 32.1k
40 - Cybotron - Enter - Moonbeam - 6,050 - ( 12 ) - 39.8k
41 - Bluejuice - Company - M24 - 6,020 - ( 10 ) - 117.8k
42 - The Cult - Electric - whuntva - 6,013 - ( 12 ) - 1m
43 - Defunkt - Defunkt - antonius - 5,936 - ( 11 ) - 30k
44 - Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy - LiveInPhoenix - 5,717 - ( 12 ) - 7.9m
45 - Prince - For You - Moonbeam - 5,691 - ( 11 ) - 587.9k
46 - The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute - Henry - 5,573 - ( 11 ) - 904.9k
47 - Ásgeir - In The Silence - whuntva - 5,463 - ( 8 ) - 1.1m
48 - Peter Fox - Stadtaffe - schaefer.tk - 5,344 - ( 9 ) - 6.1m
49 - MUNA - About You - votingbloc - 5,164 - ( 11 ) - 1.2m
50 - Kim Wilde - Close - bonnielaurel - 5,070 - ( 10 ) - 220.3k
51 - The Choir - Chase The Kangaroo - Father2TheMan - 4,989 - ( 9 ) - 17.7k
52 - Three Days Grace - One-X - whuntva - 4,433 - ( 9 ) - 15.1m
53 - Future - Pluto - PlasticRam - 4,038 - ( 8 ) - 920.3k
54 - Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock - ProsecutorGodot - 3,942 - ( 12 ) - 4k
55 - Hayden James - Between Us - M24 - 3,891 - ( 11 ) - 397.3k
56 - Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel - Moonbeam - 3,844 - ( 9 ) - 3.6k
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by spiritualized »

SL3 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:03 pm
And calling out SL3 for his views on this album !
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by Listyguy »

Strange Angels - 6/10

The music is decent enough, but it's not leaving much of an impression on me.
Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by Brad »

57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels (1989): 6.25

Thanks!
SL3
Different Class
Posts: 355
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:31 am
Location: Perth, Australia

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by SL3 »

spiritualized wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:41 am
SL3 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:03 pm
And calling out SL3 for his views on this album !
SL3 answering! And I'm a her...not that you'd guess from my username :)

So back in 1990 I went to see Laurie Anderson live for the first time not really knowing what I was getting into & expecting to hear her play O Superman. Instead she totally blew my mind. The whole show was a multimedia performance piece called "Empty Places" - and she did the whole thing solo with just keyboard & violin (& a stack of effects) & with a huge backdrop screen of slides and films which she interacted with as she went. I didn't know one song she played but they were all linked together with instrumental pieces and monologues which throughout the show were so witty, moving, insightful and really made you think. The whole thing was captivating.

Strange Angels is the album with the songs from the show so I have a soft spot for it. It is probably her most accessible, or at least most conventional album. I like that it is superficially quite poppy but still quirky Laurie Anderson at its heart. Full of strong songs & great lyrics.

If you're interested in Laurie Anderson but prefer something a little more off the wall check out the live album The Ugly One With The Jewels.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1UiRzrRD ... -Zhz1wgbZA

Edit: I forgot to add a rank - Strange Angels gets a 9.
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by Schüttelbirne »

57. Laurie Anderson | Strange Angels: 6/10

Almost a 7 but when in doubt I choose the lower ranking. I actually enjoy this quite a bit, even if it isn't as captivating as Big Science nor as atmospheric as Landfall.
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7329
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by Rob »

Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels: 8
I love this game, but it was about time we got a winner again. Luckily, this lesser-known Laurie Anderson record is a small hidden gem. During the first song I thought we were going to hear her version of a pop album. Weird pop in the mold of early Kate Bush perhaps, but pop still. It is true that this is perhaps more accessible that your average Laurie Anderson, but in the end it feels rarely as radio material. There something in the song that is very theatrical. I am aware that as SL3 points out that Laurie Anderson is as much a multimedia artist and performer as a musician and you can almost hear on some songs that they need to be seen as much as heard. Perhaps there are videos of performances from this time on YouTube. I didn't check, because these stimulated my own imagination. Things like Babydoll or Hiawatha feel like a slightly surrealist plays completely captured in musical form and performed by one actor only. This gives these songs an unusual structure and feel, but also an oddly relatable character. Like a good story told, but not through the usual singer/singwriter modus. This is art pop, where the art part is taken as far as it can go while still remaining pop.
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2521
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by mileswide »

Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels 4.2 (my #27 for 1989)

My highlight: The Day the Devil

The past month's highlights ranked:
Common Ground for a Wallflower
Lullaby Kid
A sargá kör
The Day the Devil
A Seventh Son
Painter's Hands
I'm Trippin'
Legyözhetetlen
All I got inside is vacancy!
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels

Post by Honorio »

57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels (1989) 7/10
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by spiritualized »

First of all, sorry for the delay. I have been remodeling (well destroying, THEN remodeling) my kitchen whilst on a leave to start my new job, and days aren't long enough. I will rate this album later, as a result

Second of all, thanks to SL3 for HER input, hopefully you can join in the rating of all this wonderful and varied selection this game is providing.
SL3 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:03 pm SL3 answering
Moving on with Gillingham's second nomination, can s(he) do better than the first one with Salif Keita, holding a firm 3rd position in this game ?

Image

58. Graveyard - Graveyard (2007)
Nominated by Gillingham (#412)
Genre : Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock (# 273 in the RYM Hard Rock chart)
Descriptors : energetic, psychedelic, male vocals
Length : 9 tracks - 39:43

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #131 for 2007 #7769 overall (920 ratings @ 3.64/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
64.4k unique listeners and 1.5m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Satan's Finest / Evil Ways / Thin Line



and calling out Gillingham for their views on this album :music-listening:
Gillingham wrote: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:41 am
Biography from Allmusic

A throwback rock band much in the vein of Witchcraft or Priestess, Gothenburg, Sweden's Graveyard formed in late 2006. Original members Joakim Nilsson (guitar and vocals), Truls Mörck (guitar and vocals), Rikard Edlund (bass), and Axel Sjöberg (drums) were moved by the legacy of giants such as Cream and Black Sabbath, and quickly recorded their first demo. Soon thereafter, the band scored a dual distribution deal with both Tee Pee Records and Transubstans. Their debut album, simply titled Graveyard, was released in early 2008, after which Sjöberg was replaced by guitarist Jonatan Larocca-Ramm. After touring with groups like Witchcraft, Clutch, and CKY, the band came back with a second album, the Nuclear Blast-issued Hisingen Blues, in 2011. The following year saw the release of Lights Out, with Innocence & Decadence arriving in 2015. In September 2016, the band announced their breakup.

A fan's review
MetroidVania Dec 15 2012

Graveyard have gained in popularity recently, after the release of their last two excellent albums, but way in back in 2007 they were pretty unknown, despite releasing a superb retro hard rock debut. Mixing the doom/stoner sound of Sabbath with the workingman's blues rock of bands like Led Zeppelin & Free, they manage to create a gravelly, blue-collar sound, coupled with their choice of trying to make the album sound as though it were made in the 1970's, just for authenticity. True enough, as I said when looking at Blackwater Park's Dirt Box, sometimes the best modern hard/stoner rock sounds like it could have been made in rock's golden age, and stuff like "Evil Ways", "Lost In Confusion" & "Satan's Finest" could just have easily come from 30 years ago. Riffs are fuzzed-out but hard and crunchy, Jeff Beck-style, and the vocals are filled with bluesy anguish and fervour, making this a really hard-hitting release. Although, some slowed down, soulful grooves like "Blue Soul", show a modern stoner influence mixed in with the old. They'd improve on this one with later releases, but this is still a brilliant hard rock release, well worth seeking out, especially as the band are starting to hit their stride. Excellent.
If you like this, also listen to :
Blues for the Dead - Lonely Kamel (2010)
Donde nacen los vientos - Hielo Negro (2005)
Electric Fungus - Brain Police (2004)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)
Number - Artist - Album - Nominator - Grade - Votes - Popularity
1 - Toy Love - Toy Love EP - Brad - 7,629 - ( 12 ) - ??
2 - Selda - Selda - panam - 7,567 - ( 9 ) - 165.9k
3 - Salif Keita - Moffou - Gillingham - 7,450 - ( 10 ) - 372.3k
4 - Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home - Henry - 7,330 - ( 10 ) - 118.4k
5 - Tall Dwarfs - 3EPs - Spiritualized - 7,282 - ( 11 ) - 46.2k
6 - Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun - CupOfDreams - 7,236 - ( 11 ) - 1.8m
7 - Marva Whitney - It's My Thing - schaefer.tk - 6,933 - ( 9 ) - 121.9k
8 - Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black - antonius - 6,882 - ( 11 ) - 72.9k
9 - Pretty Things - Parachute - Zombeels - 6,842 - ( 12 ) - 450.3k
10 - Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds - Toni - 6,829 - ( 12 ) - 1.3m
11 - Cochemea - All My Relations - nicolas - 6,800 - ( 9 ) - 35.1k
12 - Hood - Cold House - CupOfDreams - 6,800 - ( 12 ) -
12 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party - LiveInPhoenix - 6,750 - ( 10 ) - 1.5m
14 - James - Laid - Zombeels - 6,725 - ( 12 ) - 1.7m
15 Courtney Marie Andrews - Painter's Hands and a Seventh Son - LiveInPhoenix - 6,725 - ( 10 ) - 17.5k
16 - The Band - Stage Fright - Henry - 6,658 - ( 12 ) - 340.5k
17 - The Elgins - Darling Baby - mileswide - 6,650 - ( 10 ) - 7.4k
18 - Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels - SL3 - 6,636 - ( 7 ) - 197.4k
19 - Four Tet - FabricLive.59 - Krurze - 6,609 - ( 11 ) - 128.9k
20 - Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák - DaveC - 6,606 - ( 8 ) - 35.2k
21 - Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp - VanillaFire100 - 6,605 - ( 10 ) - 131.8k
22 - Jay-Z - American Gangster - FrankLotion - 6,517 - ( 12 ) - 3.1m
23 - Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion - sonofsamiam - 6,509 - ( 11 ) - 10.7k
24 - The Impressions - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story - Carlos74 - 6,450 - ( 10 ) - 77.1k
25 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - schaefer.tk - 6,438 - ( 8 ) - 3.8m
26 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave - nicolas - 6,433 - ( 9 ) - 7.7m
27 - Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott ? Words and Sounds Vol 1 - bonnielaurel - 6,431 - ( 13 ) - 814.5k
28 - Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway - Zombeels - 6,410 - ( 10 ) - 2.2m
29 - KRS-One - KRS-One - schaefer.tk - 6,369 - ( 13 ) - 671.6k
30 - Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Ander - rumpdoll - 6,340 - ( 10 ) - 236.7k
31 - Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself - Spiritualized - 6,336 - ( 11 ) - 1.5m
32 - Tocotronic - K.O.O.K - rumpdoll - 6,328 - ( 9 ) - 931.9k
33 - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - DocBrown - 6,300 - ( 9 ) - 4k
34 - Bee Gees - Main Course - bonnielaurel - 6,288 - ( 12 ) - 298.1k
35 - Rush - Fly By Night - Brad - 6,242 - ( 13 ) - 2m
36 - Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance - Brad - 6,190 - ( 10 ) - 1.6m
37 - Anthony Braxton - For Alto - sonofsamiam - 6,183 - ( 12 ) - 52.4k
38 - Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn - SL3 - 6,177 - ( 11 ) - 319.7k
39 - Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off - Henry - 6,170 - ( 10 ) - 32.3k
40 - Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken - Brad - 6,142 - ( 12 ) - 32.1k
41 - Cybotron - Enter - Moonbeam - 6,050 - ( 12 ) - 39.8k
42 - Bluejuice - Company - M24 - 6,020 - ( 10 ) - 117.8k
43 - The Cult - Electric - whuntva - 6,013 - ( 12 ) - 1m
44 - Defunkt - Defunkt - antonius - 5,936 - ( 11 ) - 30k
45 - Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy - LiveInPhoenix - 5,717 - ( 12 ) - 7.9m
46 - Prince - For You - Moonbeam - 5,691 - ( 11 ) - 587.9k
47 - The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute - Henry - 5,573 - ( 11 ) - 904.9k
48 - Ásgeir - In The Silence - whuntva - 5,463 - ( 8 ) - 1.1m
49 - Peter Fox - Stadtaffe - schaefer.tk - 5,344 - ( 9 ) - 6.1m
50 - MUNA - About You - votingbloc - 5,164 - ( 11 ) - 1.2m
51 - Kim Wilde - Close - bonnielaurel - 5,070 - ( 10 ) - 220.3k
52 - The Choir - Chase The Kangaroo - Father2TheMan - 4,989 - ( 9 ) - 17.7k
53 - Three Days Grace - One-X - whuntva - 4,433 - ( 9 ) - 15.1m
54 - Future - Pluto - PlasticRam - 4,038 - ( 8 ) - 920.3k
55 - Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock - ProsecutorGodot - 3,942 - ( 12 ) - 4k
56 - Hayden James - Between Us - M24 - 3,891 - ( 11 ) - 397.3k
57 - Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel - Moonbeam - 3,844 - ( 9 ) - 3.6k
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by spiritualized »

57. Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels (1989) 5/10

I could easily see this as part of a wider sensory experience. But on its own and despite Anderson's great voice on occasions, it didn't impress on me that much. A bit too smooth, like a well polished surface.
Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Brad »

58. Graveyard - Graveyard (2007): 7

These guys sound like everything from Vanilla Fudge to Soundgarden. Give me "Heavy Psych" and "Stoner Rock" as descriptors and I'm in.

Thanks!
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Listyguy »

Graveyard - 7/10

This is firmly good, but I don't think it's great. There are some strong songs, and I do like to stoner and blues vibe of the band.
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7329
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Rob »

Graveyard - Graveyard: 7
Keeping the 7 ratings unanimous, because this is basically a very 7 album. It doesn't do anything new, but you can't say that it doesn't do what it does very well. And I happen to like what it does. This is an old school hard rock album that could have been made in the seventies. Perhaps it would have become a big classic in the genre if it had. Now it's just another welcome addition to a genre that hasn't received much love in the new century.
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by spiritualized »

Graveyard - Graveyard: 9/10

This is a very strong 9 for me, in line with their sophomore album, Hisingen Blues, which ranks in my top 1000 and is another contender in this game.
It's heavy, melodic, influenced by Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and I can hear Soundgarden in the singer's voice. They don't eschew tunes for heaviness or style, the songs on this debut are catchy as hell.

One of the best album of this game for me !
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Schüttelbirne »

58. Graveyard | Graveyard: 5/10
User avatar
Safetycat
Feeling Good
Posts: 1060
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:18 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Safetycat »

I let this poll slide while I had other fish to fry. Back into it now:

Ásgeir - In the Silence (2013) - 7
I thought this was a strong entry. Ásgeirn has a very good voice/range, and the lyrics have been translated well enough that its not distracting. The sound is kind of similar to a lot of 'rock' from the 2010's (thinking Imagine Dragons), but done well and with enough variation that it breaks past the negative aspects of that sound. Only issue for me is that it can drag at points.
Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Brad »

Schüttelbirne wrote: Sat Dec 11, 2021 10:31 am 58. Graveyard | Graveyard: 5/10
love how Schüttelbirne brings it right back to a solid "7" overall!
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Honorio »

Continuing with the trend...
58. Graveyard - Graveyard (2007) 7/10
User avatar
Safetycat
Feeling Good
Posts: 1060
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:18 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 58. Graveyard - Graveyard

Post by Safetycat »

Solaris - Marsbéli krónikák (1984) - 6

A bit too cold and flute-heavy to be the sort of prog I really enjoy, but it was a fun time nevertheless.
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by spiritualized »

This is bonnielaurel's fourth contribution and we move to Africa (Algeria, initially) with an album from Tinariwen.
Fun fact - four albums from Tinariwen received a single nomination, from four different nominators !
Let's see how this one fares.

Image

59. Tinariwen - Tassili (2011)
Nominated by bonnielaurel (#456)
Genre : Tishoumaren (# 14 in the RYM Tishoumaren chart)
Descriptors : male vocals, warm, desert, mellow, tribal, hypnotic, calm, rhythmic, melodic
Length : 12 tracks - 53:54 mins

AM ranking : #bubbling
Artist Ranking : #1439
RYM ranking : #333 for 2011 #unranked overall (437 ratings @ 3.47/ 5.0)
Metascore : 80/100
39.4k unique listeners and 494.2k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Tenere Taqqim Tossam / Asuf D Alwa / Tameyawt



and calling out bonnielaurel for her
bonnielaurel wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:26 pm
views on this album :music-listening:

Biography from Last.fm

Tinariwen (Tamasheq language: ⵜⵏⵔⵓⵏ, plural of ténéré "desert") is a band of Tuareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band's fifth album Tassili, released in 2011, won the Award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Formed in 1982, in strikingly unusual circumstances for a musical ensemble, Tinariwen blend ancient musical traditions with radical contemporary politics. Despite severe natural and man-made hardships, young Kel Tamashek exiles continued performing the traditional music of their Tuareg forebears in the southern Sahara while simultaneously fighting against the government of Mali.

Forced to seek an alternative to starvation and repression in drought-stricken Mali, many of these young nomads hoped to attain a better life by striking up what proved to be an uneasy alliance with Libya. The hoped-for aid in their struggle with the Mali government failed to materialize, but in the meantime some of the rebels had evolved a form of music that kept alive the music of their forefathers while simultaneously communicating radical political messages. This music is known as tishoumaren, music of the ishumar (the unemployed). Usually performed by groups of 30 and more instrumentalists and singers, tishoumaren acknowledges contemporary western music, especially rock, as well as other music forms prevalent in the Middle East, while never losing touch with the original ancient form. In some instances, players not only adapt traditional forms but also substitute modern instruments for the traditional lutes, flutes and one-string violins. The electric guitar in particular has become popular, even though circumstances demand the availability of portable generators.

The name chosen by this band, Tinariwen, means empty places, thus maintaining a further link to the vast desert regions of the southern Sahara. The musicians include Said Ag Ayad, Alhassane Ag Touhami, Eyadou Ag Leche, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Abdallah Ag Lamida, Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and Bassa Walet Abdoumou.

The music itself is spare and haunting, an aural reflection of those same open spaces. The lyrics of their songs, perhaps more accurately termed sung poetry, carry outspoken political thought that draws attention not only to repression in Mali, but also to the enforced exile of many and the continuing struggle for self-determination of the Tuareg nomads. Song structures are many and varied and include elemental call-and-response patterns as well as (to western ears) discordant notes that call to mind the blue notes favoured by western blues and jazz players overlaid upon a solid four-beat rhythmic foundation that is itself uncommon to the region although compatible with much western popular music.

Tinariwen's first recordings were to cassette, sales and even possession of which carried harsh penalties in Mali and Algeria. In the early 00s, availability of albums encouraged more widespread awareness of the music and its underlying political messages.

A fan's review
doctorg Dec 14 2019

Good Tinariwen album here. What I want to point out is the good sound on my vinyl, quite a bit better than "Aman Iman", for instance. Treble is extended and midrange is refined. For me, this good sound, along with the "unplugged" acoustic guitars and other instruments, allows more of the atmosphere of the desert to come through, even though the recordings include some dubiously appropriate collaborations that detract to my ear. I understand that the producers wanted to point out the delta blues connection of the Black Atlantic, but frankly it sounds forced and programmatic to mix in a bit of African American and other singing/instrumentation with Tinariwen's Tishoumaren. It is not that I am against hybridity, or in favour of authentic "purity", but it just doesn't work for me. Nevertheless, despite this significant weakness, the recording does allow something of the Sahara to make its presence felt. Perhaps it is just my imagination, but I can smell the Sahel wind, the camels, the burning acacia twigs heating the coffee. That atmosphere, along with the communal music making, is vital to the poignant brooding spirituality of this music.
If you like this, also listen to :
Yamedan - TisDass '(2015)
Bismilla - Terakaft (2007)
Agadez - Bombino (2011)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)
Number - Artist - Album - Nominator - Grade - Votes - Popularity
1 - Toy Love - Toy Love EP - Brad - 7,629 - ( 12 ) - ??
2 - Selda - Selda - panam - 7,567 - ( 9 ) - 165.9k
3 - Salif Keita - Moffou - Gillingham - 7,450 - ( 10 ) - 372.3k
4 - Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home - Henry - 7,330 - ( 10 ) - 118.4k
5 - Tall Dwarfs - 3EPs - Spiritualized - 7,282 - ( 11 ) - 46.2k
6 - Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun - CupOfDreams - 7,236 - ( 11 ) - 1.8m
7 - Graveyard - Graveyard - Gillingham - 7,000 - ( 5 ) - 1.5m
8 - Marva Whitney - It's My Thing - schaefer.tk - 6,933 - ( 9 ) - 121.9k
9 - Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black - antonius - 6,882 - ( 11 ) - 72.9k
10 - Pretty Things - Parachute - Zombeels - 6,842 - ( 12 ) - 450.3k
11 - Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds - Toni - 6,829 - ( 12 ) - 1.3m
12 - Cochemea - All My Relations - nicolas - 6,800 - ( 9 ) - 35.1k
13 - Hood - Cold House - CupOfDreams - 6,800 - ( 12 ) -
14 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party - LiveInPhoenix - 6,750 - ( 10 ) - 1.5m
15 James - Laid - Zombeels - 6,725 - ( 12 ) - 1.7m
16 - Courtney Marie Andrews - Painter's Hands and a Seventh Son - LiveInPhoenix - 6,725 - ( 10 ) - 17.5k
17 - The Band - Stage Fright - Henry - 6,658 - ( 12 ) - 340.5k
18 - The Elgins - Darling Baby - mileswide - 6,650 - ( 10 ) - 7.4k
19 - Four Tet - FabricLive.59 - Krurze - 6,609 - ( 11 ) - 128.9k
20 - Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp - VanillaFire100 - 6,605 - ( 10 ) - 131.8k
21 - Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák - DaveC - 6,539 - ( 9 ) - 35.2k
22 - Jay-Z - American Gangster - FrankLotion - 6,517 - ( 12 ) - 3.1m
23 - Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion - sonofsamiam - 6,509 - ( 11 ) - 10.7k
24 - The Impressions - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story - Carlos74 - 6,450 - ( 10 ) - 77.1k
25 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - schaefer.tk - 6,438 - ( 8 ) - 3.8m
26 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave - nicolas - 6,433 - ( 9 ) - 7.7m
27 - Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels - SL3 - 6,431 - ( 8 ) - 197.4k
28 - Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott ? Words and Sounds Vol 1 - bonnielaurel - 6,431 - ( 13 ) - 814.5k
29 - Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway - Zombeels - 6,410 - ( 10 ) - 2.2m
30 - KRS-One - KRS-One - schaefer.tk - 6,369 - ( 13 ) - 671.6k
31 - Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Ander - rumpdoll - 6,340 - ( 10 ) - 236.7k
32 - Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself - Spiritualized - 6,336 - ( 11 ) - 1.5m
33 - Tocotronic - K.O.O.K - rumpdoll - 6,328 - ( 9 ) - 931.9k
34 - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - DocBrown - 6,300 - ( 9 ) - 4k
35 - Bee Gees - Main Course - bonnielaurel - 6,288 - ( 12 ) - 298.1k
36 - Rush - Fly By Night - Brad - 6,242 - ( 13 ) - 2m
37 - Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance - Brad - 6,190 - ( 10 ) - 1.6m
38 - Anthony Braxton - For Alto - sonofsamiam - 6,183 - ( 12 ) - 52.4k
39 - Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn - SL3 - 6,177 - ( 11 ) - 319.7k
40 - Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off - Henry - 6,170 - ( 10 ) - 32.3k
41 - Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken - Brad - 6,142 - ( 12 ) - 32.1k
42 - Cybotron - Enter - Moonbeam - 6,050 - ( 12 ) - 39.8k
43 - Bluejuice - Company - M24 - 6,020 - ( 10 ) - 117.8k
44 - The Cult - Electric - whuntva - 6,013 - ( 12 ) - 1m
45 - Defunkt - Defunkt - antonius - 5,936 - ( 11 ) - 30k
46 - Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy - LiveInPhoenix - 5,717 - ( 12 ) - 7.9m
47 - Prince - For You - Moonbeam - 5,691 - ( 11 ) - 587.9k
48 - Ásgeir - In The Silence - whuntva - 5,633 - ( 9 ) - 1.1m
49 - The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute - Henry - 5,573 - ( 11 ) - 904.9k
50 - Peter Fox - Stadtaffe - schaefer.tk - 5,344 - ( 9 ) - 6.1m
51 - MUNA - About You - votingbloc - 5,164 - ( 11 ) - 1.2m
52 - Kim Wilde - Close - bonnielaurel - 5,070 - ( 10 ) - 220.3k
53 - The Choir - Chase The Kangaroo - Father2TheMan - 4,989 - ( 9 ) - 17.7k
54 - Three Days Grace - One-X - whuntva - 4,433 - ( 9 ) - 15.1m
55 - Future - Pluto - PlasticRam - 4,038 - ( 8 ) - 920.3k
56 - Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock - ProsecutorGodot - 3,942 - ( 12 ) - 4k
57 - Hayden James - Between Us - M24 - 3,891 - ( 11 ) - 397.3k
58 - Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel - Moonbeam - 3,844 - ( 9 ) - 3.6k
User avatar
bonnielaurel
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1662
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:48 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by bonnielaurel »

Tinariwen - Tassili

Mali has other famous musicians, but in this case they belong to the Sahara people. They're Tuareg musicians from northern Mali. Tassili n'Ajjer is a sandstone plateau in southern Algeria, where they recorded this album. On this album they use mostly vocals, acoustic guitars, percussion and handclaps. Each song has one mode and one repeated bass note. Imidiwan Ma Tennam contains responsorial singing and interludes with variations of a tone pattern. Asuf D Alwa switches between unison and solo singing. The fourth track uses a brass section. This music has firm roots in North African tradition, but Western musicians and modern recording techniques are also involved.

9/10
Last edited by bonnielaurel on Wed Dec 15, 2021 2:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Moonbeam
Full of Fire
Posts: 2543
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by Moonbeam »

spiritualized wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:29 pm
Moonbeam wrote: Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:12 am Kim Wilde - Close: 6.6

I'm a big, big fan of early Kim Wilde. Her first 3 albums are amazing. Close is nowhere near as good, but it's still got its charm. "Four Letter Word" is my pick from this one, an intriguing venture into sophisti-pop balladry. I also am quite fond of "You'll Be the One Who'll Lose".
So pleased to see Moonbeam's views on some 80s pop ! Great to have you here and hope you are doing well.

We have our crossing paths on some music but sadly, this isn't one of them. There are a couple of songs here that I knew (You Came, certainly a popular single at the end of the 80s), but there are some cliché tricks in this pop world which I can't stand. Overproduced, the guitars which make a cameo appearance, overall this is a rather weak effort from the pop diva.

5/10
I know a lot of 80s pop isn’t your scene, but I’d strongly recommend her first three albums. Close is a pretty safe album but her first 3 are full of adventure and even have some weird moments.
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by Schüttelbirne »

69. Tinariwen | Tassili: 6/10
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by Listyguy »

Tassili - 7/10

I rarely turn my nose up at guitar-based music, and I'm following that pattern here. I really liked the marriage of traditional African music with the more Western guitar styles of the album.
Brad
Higher Ground
Posts: 4712
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by Brad »

59. Tinariwen - Tassili (2011): 8

Thanks!
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7329
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by Rob »

Tinariwen - Tassili: 8
The only album I heard before by Tinariwen is the great Elwan from 2017, which is more uptempo and hard-egded than Tassili, while still remaining those desert vibes. Tassili on the other hand is rock music at it's most relaxed (which doesn't quite turn it into soft rock). The meandering acoustic guitar and gentle vocals make for a sound that is very welcoming when those desert days become too hot to move. On songs like Ya Messinagh the laid-back grooves even seem to be become transcendent for a while.
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by Honorio »

59. Tinariwen - Tassili (2011) 8/10
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 59. Tinariwen - Tassili

Post by spiritualized »

This album crossed my ears before thanks to these forums. And just like many of you, it struck a chord. The very talented mix between African and Western sounds works very well. It's a very enriching listen, taking the listener to different dimensions of world music.

8/10
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 56. Kim Wilde - Close

Post by spiritualized »

Moonbeam wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:33 pm
spiritualized wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:29 pm
Moonbeam wrote: Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:12 am Kim Wilde - Close: 6.6

I'm a big, big fan of early Kim Wilde. Her first 3 albums are amazing. Close is nowhere near as good, but it's still got its charm. "Four Letter Word" is my pick from this one, an intriguing venture into sophisti-pop balladry. I also am quite fond of "You'll Be the One Who'll Lose".
So pleased to see Moonbeam's views on some 80s pop ! Great to have you here and hope you are doing well.

We have our crossing paths on some music but sadly, this isn't one of them. There are a couple of songs here that I knew (You Came, certainly a popular single at the end of the 80s), but there are some cliché tricks in this pop world which I can't stand. Overproduced, the guitars which make a cameo appearance, overall this is a rather weak effort from the pop diva.

5/10
I know a lot of 80s pop isn’t your scene, but I’d strongly recommend her first three albums. Close is a pretty safe album but her first 3 are full of adventure and even have some weird moments.
Added to my pile of albums to listen to ! Thanks mate,
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by spiritualized »

And we have a NEW NUMBER ONE - raving grading from our forumers for Tassili. Let's see if it holds up if more votes come in.

In the meantime, a third nomination from sonofsamiam : and a real challenge to find online.
So I got you a little YT video.

Image

60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples (1978)
Nominated by sonofsamiam (#385)
Genre : Avant-Garde Jazz (# 1058 in the RYM Avant-Garde Jazz chart)
Descriptors : N/A
Length : 3 tracks - 74 min 53s

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #872for 1978 #unranked overall (58 ratings @ 3.40/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
45 unique listeners and 191 scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : all !
and calling out sonofsamiam for his
sonofsamiam wrote: Mon Sep 27, 2021 3:55 pm
views on this album :music-listening:

Biography from Last.fm

Roscoe Mitchell (b. August 3, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American composer, jazz multi-instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb — if idiosyncratic — saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past thirty years. He continues "to be a major figure." He has even been called a "super musician" and the New York Times has mentioned that he "qualifies as an iconoclast."

For more than 35 years Roscoe Mitchell's innovation as an improviser, composer, and solo performer has placed him at the forefront of modern music. He is a founding member of the Creative Arts Collective of East Lansing, Michigan, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. He is the recipient of many honors and awards including the Outstanding Service to Jazz Education Award from the National Association of Jazz Educators; the Certificate of Appreciation from the St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Experiences Program; the Certificate of Appreciation for the Art Ensemble of Chicago from the Smithsonian Institution; the Jazz Masters Award from Arts Midwest; and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Image Award. He has conducted numerous workshops and has held numerous artist-in-resident positions throughout the world, and has taught at the Creative Music Studio, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians' School of Music, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Illinois, and the California Institute of the Arts.

Mitchell grew up in the Chicago, Illinois area where he played saxophone and clarinet at around age twelve. His family was always involved in music with many different styles playing in the house when he was a child as well as having a secular music background. His brother, Norman, in particular was the one who introduced Mitchell to jazz. While attending Inglewood High School in Chicago, he furthered his study of the clarinet. In the 1950s, he joined the United States Army, during which time he was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany and played in a band with fellow saxophonists Albert Ayler and Rubin Cooper, the latter of which Mitchell commented "took me under his wing and taught me a lot of stuff." He also studied under the first clarinetist of the Heidelberg Symphony while in Germany. Mitchell returned to the United States in the early 1960s, relocated to the Chicago area, and performed in a band with Wilson Junior College undergraduates Malachi Favors (bass), Joseph Jarman, Henry Threadgill, and Anthony Braxton (all saxophonists). Mitchell also studied with Muhal Richard Abrams and played in his band, the Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band, starting in 1961.

In 1965, Mitchell was one of the first members of the non-profit organization Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) along with Jodie Christian (piano), Steve McCall (drums), and Phil Cohran (composer). The following year Mitchell, Lester Bowie (trumpet), Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (tenor saxophone), Malachi Favors, Lester Lashley (trombone), and Alvin Fielder (drums), recorded their first studio album, Sound. The album was "a departure from the more extroverted work of the New York-based free jazz players" due in part to the band recording with "unorthodox devices" such as toys and bicycle horns.

The group went through changes again in 1967 and 1969, both in name (changing first to the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble, then the Art Ensemble, and finally the Art Ensemble of Chicago) and the players (inclusion of Phillip Wilson on drums for short span before he joined Paul Butterfield's band). This group and its incarnations would be regarded as becoming "possibly the most highly acclaimed jazz band" in the 1970s and 1980s. The group lived and performed in Europe from 1969 to 1971, though they arrived without any percussionist after Wilson left. To fill the void, Mitchell commented that they "evolved into doing percussion ourselves." The band did eventually get a percussionist, Don Moye, who Mitchell had played with before and was living in Europe at that time. For performances, the band often wore brilliant African costumes and painted their faces.

Mitchell and the others returned to the States in 1971. After having been back in Chicago for three years, Mitchell then established the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) in 1974 that had a similar musical aesthetic to the AACM. The group was based in East Lansing, Michigan and frequently used the facilities at Michigan State University. Mitchell also formed the Sound Ensemble in the early 1970s, an "outgrowth of the CAC" in his words, that consisted mainly of Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Jaribu Shahid, Tani Tabbal, and Spencer Barefield.

In the 1990s, Mitchell started to experiment in classical music with such composers/artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Thomas Buckner, and Borah Bergman, the latter two of which formed a popular trio with Mitchell called Trio Space. Buckner was also part of another group with Mitchell and Gerald Oshita called Space in the late 1990s. He then conceived the Note Factory in 1992 with various old and new collaborators as another evolution of the Sound Ensemble.

He currently lives in the area of Madison, Wisconsin and has been performing with a re-assembled Art Ensemble of Chicago. In 1999, the band was hit hard with the death of Bowie, but Mitchell fought off the urge to recast his position in the group, stating simply "You can't do that" in an interview with Allaboutjazz.com editor-in-chief Fred Jung. The band continued on despite the loss.

Mitchell has made a point of working with younger musicians in various ensembles and combinations, many of whom weren't yet born when the first Art Ensemble recordings were made. Mainly from Chicago, these players include trumpeter Corey Wilkes, bassist Karl E. H. Seigfried, and drummer Isaiah Spencer.

In 2007, Mitchell was named Darius Milhaud Chair of Composition at Mills College in Oakland, California.

Mitchell has taught at various institutions throughout the United States, including the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the California Institute of the Arts. He currently teaches at Mills College in Oakland, California.

Awards

* The International Jazz Critics Poll
* Down Beat Magazine
o "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition"
o Best Jazz Group (Established) - Art Ensemble of Chicago
o Record of the Year – Nonaah
* Jazz Personality of the Year, City of Madison, Wisconsin
* "Madison Music Legend" ("Madison" magazine)
* Certificate of Appreciation (St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Experiences Program)
* Honorary Citizen of Atlanta, Georgia
* Outstanding Service to Jazz Education Award (National Association of Jazz Educators)
* Certificate of Appreciation, Art Ensemble of Chicago (Smithsonian Institution)
* National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Image Award

Grants

* National Endowment for the Arts
* Arts Midwest Jazz Masters
* John Cage Award for Music-Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, Inc.
* Michigan State University matching grant
* Minnesota Composer's Forum
* Meet the Composer, Cultural Series Grant, Center for International Performance and Exhibition, Chicago IL
* Comnicut Foundation
* Wisconsin Arts Board
* Institut de Recherche at Coordination Acoustique Musique, Paris, France
* Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Project Grant, Madison Committee for the Arts
* Madison Festival of the Lakes Grant.

A fan's review
gavin Jul 01 2016

There exists a video of L-R-G on YouTube (no, I'm not going to post it for you. I'm not your mother, you lazy fuck.). The three musicians are lined up in a lecture hall surrounded by their instruments. Each take turns picking up an instrument, pausing, and blasting out a note or two. They then place the instrument on the ground and the next one goes. It is a 40 minute piece, and loses a bit without the visuals. I find it hypnotic and fascinating, but I have autism. Your results may vary.
If you like this, also listen to :
Dark of Light - Norman Connors (1973)
Lawrence of Newark - Larry Young (1973)
The Outside Within - Chico Freeman (1981)


A reminder of the current standings (remember, you can vote or change your vote anytime)
Number - Artist - Album - Nominator - Grade - Votes - Popularity
1 - Tinariwen - Tassili - bonnielaurel - 7,714 - ( 7 ) - 494.2k
2 - Toy Love - Toy Love EP - Brad - 7,629 - ( 12 ) - ??
3 - Selda - Selda - panam - 7,567 - ( 9 ) - 165.9k
4 - Salif Keita - Moffou - Gillingham - 7,450 - ( 10 ) - 372.3k
5 - Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home - Henry - 7,330 - ( 10 ) - 118.4k
6 - Tall Dwarfs - 3EPs - Spiritualized - 7,282 - ( 11 ) - 46.2k
7 - Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun - CupOfDreams - 7,236 - ( 11 ) - 1.8m
8 - Graveyard - Graveyard - Gillingham - 7,000 - ( 5 ) - 1.5m
9 - Marva Whitney - It's My Thing - schaefer.tk - 6,933 - ( 9 ) - 121.9k
10 - Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black - antonius - 6,882 - ( 11 ) - 72.9k
11 - Pretty Things - Parachute - Zombeels - 6,842 - ( 12 ) - 450.3k
12 - Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds - Toni - 6,829 - ( 12 ) - 1.3m
13 - Cochemea - All My Relations - nicolas - 6,800 - ( 9 ) - 35.1k
14 - Hood - Cold House - CupOfDreams - 6,800 - ( 12 ) -
15 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party - LiveInPhoenix - 6,750 - ( 10 ) - 1.5m
16 James - Laid - Zombeels - 6,725 - ( 12 ) - 1.7m
17 - Courtney Marie Andrews - Painter's Hands and a Seventh Son - LiveInPhoenix - 6,725 - ( 10 ) - 17.5k
18 - The Band - Stage Fright - Henry - 6,658 - ( 12 ) - 340.5k
19 - The Elgins - Darling Baby - mileswide - 6,650 - ( 10 ) - 7.4k
20 - Four Tet - FabricLive.59 - Krurze - 6,609 - ( 11 ) - 128.9k
21 - Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp - VanillaFire100 - 6,605 - ( 10 ) - 131.8k
22 - Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák - DaveC - 6,539 - ( 9 ) - 35.2k
23 - Jay-Z - American Gangster - FrankLotion - 6,517 - ( 12 ) - 3.1m
24 - Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion - sonofsamiam - 6,509 - ( 11 ) - 10.7k
25 - The Impressions - The Young Mods' Forgotten Story - Carlos74 - 6,450 - ( 10 ) - 77.1k
26 - Madlib - Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - schaefer.tk - 6,438 - ( 8 ) - 3.8m
27 - The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave - nicolas - 6,433 - ( 9 ) - 7.7m
28 - Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels - SL3 - 6,431 - ( 8 ) - 197.4k
29 - Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott ? Words and Sounds Vol 1 - bonnielaurel - 6,431 - ( 13 ) - 814.5k
30 - Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway - Zombeels - 6,410 - ( 10 ) - 2.2m
31 - KRS-One - KRS-One - schaefer.tk - 6,369 - ( 13 ) - 671.6k
32 - Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Ander - rumpdoll - 6,340 - ( 10 ) - 236.7k
33 - Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself - Spiritualized - 6,336 - ( 11 ) - 1.5m
34 - Tocotronic - K.O.O.K - rumpdoll - 6,328 - ( 9 ) - 931.9k
35 - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - DocBrown - 6,300 - ( 9 ) - 4k
36 - Bee Gees - Main Course - bonnielaurel - 6,288 - ( 12 ) - 298.1k
37 - Rush - Fly By Night - Brad - 6,242 - ( 13 ) - 2m
38 - Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance - Brad - 6,190 - ( 10 ) - 1.6m
39 - Anthony Braxton - For Alto - sonofsamiam - 6,183 - ( 12 ) - 52.4k
40 - Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn - SL3 - 6,177 - ( 11 ) - 319.7k
41 - Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off - Henry - 6,170 - ( 10 ) - 32.3k
42 - Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken - Brad - 6,142 - ( 12 ) - 32.1k
43 - Cybotron - Enter - Moonbeam - 6,050 - ( 12 ) - 39.8k
44 - Bluejuice - Company - M24 - 6,020 - ( 10 ) - 117.8k
45 - The Cult - Electric - whuntva - 6,013 - ( 12 ) - 1m
46 - Defunkt - Defunkt - antonius - 5,936 - ( 11 ) - 30k
47 - Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy - LiveInPhoenix - 5,717 - ( 12 ) - 7.9m
48 - Prince - For You - Moonbeam - 5,691 - ( 11 ) - 587.9k
49 - Ásgeir - In The Silence - whuntva - 5,633 - ( 9 ) - 1.1m
50 - The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute - Henry - 5,573 - ( 11 ) - 904.9k
51 - Peter Fox - Stadtaffe - schaefer.tk - 5,344 - ( 9 ) - 6.1m
52 - MUNA - About You - votingbloc - 5,164 - ( 11 ) - 1.2m
53 - Kim Wilde - Close - bonnielaurel - 5,070 - ( 10 ) - 220.3k
54 - The Choir - Chase The Kangaroo - Father2TheMan - 4,989 - ( 9 ) - 17.7k
55 - Three Days Grace - One-X - whuntva - 4,433 - ( 9 ) - 15.1m
56 - Future - Pluto - PlasticRam - 4,038 - ( 8 ) - 920.3k
57 - Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock - ProsecutorGodot - 3,942 - ( 12 ) - 4k
58 - Hayden James - Between Us - M24 - 3,891 - ( 11 ) - 397.3k
59 - Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel - Moonbeam - 3,844 - ( 9 ) - 3.6k
User avatar
Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by Listyguy »

L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples - 7/10

This is a fine album, but it might be a little bit too weird for my tastes. The percussive finale, "S II Examples," is a clear standout though.
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by spiritualized »

I will echo Listyguy - I really fail to comprehend free / avant-garde jazz.
Weird is just the beginning of it - the review on RYM says it all - the video on YT where each artist plays a little bit of each instrument in succession for a few seconds, then moves on to a different one is simply....well...weird.

That said, it doesn't reach the noise level of Anthony Braxton's album in this game. This is sparse, not unpleasant and far less challenging to the ear, so something with a bit of a replay value.

5/10
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2521
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by mileswide »

Graveyard - Graveyard 4.5 (my #33 for 2007)
My pick: Satan's Finest

Tinariwen - Tassli 6.0 (my #24 for 2011)
My highlights: (Tili)Aden Osamnet, El Huria Telitwar, Imidiwan Ma Tennam
All I got inside is vacancy!
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by Honorio »

60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples (1978) 6/10
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2521
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by mileswide »

Merry Twixtmas everyone!

Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G/The Maze/S II Examples 7.3 (my #35 for 1978)

My highlights: The Maze, L-R-G Part II

This month's highlights ranked:
The Maze
(Tili)Aden Osamnet
El Huria Telitwar
L-R-G Part II
Imidiwan Ma Tennam
All I got inside is vacancy!
User avatar
Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition 60. Roscoe Mitchell - L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples

Post by Schüttelbirne »

60. Roscoe Mitchell | L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples: 7/10

"The Maze" is the standout track here. So much percussion:

Image

The solo soprano sax piece "S II Examples" is very atmospheric and pleasant even.

L-R-G is fine being a piece for 16 wind instruments by only three people, but it's not among my favorite Mitchell tracks.
Post Reply

Return to “Music, Music, Music...”