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

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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by Rob »

Selda - Selda: 8
Among the best entries yet. Also really one of those albums I would probably never have checked out if it didn't appear here. Selda has a powerful voice that really goes well with the traditional Turkish sounds. The added rock elements to the songs gives it even more of an edge. What I also appreciated is that despite the psychedelic rock it never really sounded western. It kept its Turkish roots firm, although it might be traditionalists might feel different.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by Schüttelbirne »

36. Selda | Selda: 7/10
Highlights: "Nasirli Eller", "Ince Ince", "Yaz Gazeteci"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by DaveC »

36. Selda - Selda (1976): 7.5/10

Favourite track: Meydan Sizindir
Least favourite track: None to mention really - a very consistent album.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by Honorio »

36. Selda - Selda (1976) 9/10

Excellent discovery, the best album of this game so far for me. Thank you very much, panam!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by mileswide »

Selda - Selda 7.5 (my #15 for 1976)
My highlights: Yaylalar, Mehmet Emmi, Gitme, İnce İnce
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by Brad »

6. Selda - Selda: 8.1

Finally!

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by spiritualized »

Brad wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:35 pm

Finally!
?? Why Brad ?
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by Brad »

spiritualized wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 12:43 pm
Brad wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:35 pm

Finally!
?? Why Brad ?
lol - it's been a while since this project's had something new that I want to sink my teeth into. I was happy to be able to give a good score!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 36. Selda - Selda

Post by spiritualized »

36. Selda - Selda (1976) 7/10

I'll join the consensus, albeit not as enthusiastically. It's a very good surprise as I never anticipated the mix between middle eastern culture and rock would gel as well as it does here.
The bass playing is very groovy, Selda does a very good job imprinting the Turkish heritage in her singing. Sometimes the guitar sounds a bit cheesy, but it was the middle of the 70s, so there's room for tolerance.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by spiritualized »

Second entry from Henry and we stay in the 70s, but this time back to the States with the Doobie Brothers
Image


37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute
Nominated by SL3 (#365)
Genre : Yacht Rock, Soft Rock Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop Rock (# 53 in the RYM Yacht Rock chart)
Descriptors : male vocals, melodic, nocturnal, longing, melancholic, breakup, love, bittersweet, passionate, lush, sentimental, eclectic, rhythmic, energetic, mellow
Length : 10 tracks, 36min:16sec

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #879
RYM ranking : #765 for 1978, #unranked overall (744 ratings @ 3.32/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
129.9kk unique listeners and 904.9k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : What a Fool Believes / Minute By Minute / Dependin' on You


Biography from Allmusic

As one of the most popular California pop/rock bands of the '70s, the Doobie Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a slick, soul-inflected pop band by the end of the decade. Along the way, the group racked up a string of gold and platinum albums in the U.S., along with a number of radio hits like "Listen to the Music," "Black Water," and "China Grove."

The roots of the Doobie Brothers lie in Pud, a short-lived California country-rock band in the vein of Moby Grape featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman. After Pud collapsed in 1969, the pair began jamming with bassist Dave Shogren and guitarist Patrick Simmons. Eventually, the quartet decided to form a group, naming themselves the Doobie Brothers after a slang term for marijuana. Soon, the Doobies earned a strong following throughout Southern California, especially among Hell's Angels, and they were signed to Warner Bros. in 1970. The band's eponymous debut was ignored upon its 1971 release. Following its release, Shogren was replaced by Tiran Porter and the group added a second drummer, Michael Hossack, for 1972's Toulouse Street. Driven by the singles "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright," Toulouse Street became the group's breakthrough. The Captain and Me (1973) was even more successful, spawning the Top Ten hits "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Keith Knudsen replaced Hossack as the group's second drummer for 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, which launched their first number one single, "Black Water," and featured heavy contributions from former Steely Dan member Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. Baxter officially joined the Doobie Brothers for 1975's Stampede. Prior to the album's spring release, Johnston was hospitalized with a stomach ailment and was replaced for the supporting tour by keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald, who had also worked with Steely Dan. Although it peaked at number four, Stampede wasn't as commercially successful as its three predecessors, and the group decided to let McDonald and Baxter, who were now official Doobies, revamp the band's light country-rock and boogie.

The new sound was showcased on 1976's Takin' It to the Streets, a collection of light funk and jazzy pop that resulted in a platinum album. Later that year, the group released the hits compilation The Best of the Doobies. In 1977, they released Livin' on the Fault Line, which was successful without producing any big hits. Johnston left the band after the album's release to pursue an unsuccessful solo career. Following his departure, the Doobies released their most successful album, Minute by Minute (1978), which spent five weeks at number one on the strength of the number one single "What a Fool Believes." Hartman and Baxter left the group after the album's supporting tour, leaving the Doobie Brothers as McDonald's backing band.

Following a year of auditions, the Doobies hired ex-Clover guitarist John McFee, session drummer Chet McCracken, and former Moby Grape saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus, and released One Step Closer (1980), a platinum album that produced the Top Ten hit "Real Love." During the tour for One Step Closer, McCracken was replaced by Andy Newmark. Early in 1982, the Doobie Brothers announced they were breaking up after a farewell tour, which was documented on the 1983 live album Farewell Tour. After the band's split, McDonald pursued a successful solo career, while Simmons released one unsuccessful solo record. In 1987, the Doobies reunited for a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which quickly became a brief reunion tour; McDonald declined to participate in the tour.

By 1989, the early-'70s lineup of Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter, and Hossack, augmented by percussionist and former Doobies roadie Bobby LaKind, had signed a contract with Capitol Records. Their reunion album, Cycles, went gold upon its summer release in 1989, spawning the Top Ten hit "The Doctor." Brotherhood followed two years later, but it failed to generate much interest. For the remainder of the '90s, the group toured the U.S., playing the oldies circuit and '70s revival concerts. By 1995, McDonald had joined the group again, and the following year saw the release of Rockin' Down the Highway. But the lineup had once again shifted by the turn of the new millennium. In 2000, the band -- Hossack, Johnston, Knudsen, McFee, and Simmons -- issued Sibling Rivalry, which featured touring members Guy Allison on keyboards, Marc Russo on saxophone, and Skylark on bass. The late-'70s incarnation of the band -- Simmons, Johnston, McFee, and Hossack (with Michael McDonald guesting on one track) -- reunited once again to put out World Gone Crazy in 2010. The band-assisted documentary Let the Music Play: The Story of the Doobie Brothers followed in 2012, the same year Hossack died of cancer.

In early 2014, the Doobie Brothers -- this time featuring McDonald, Johnston, Simmons, and McFee -- announced they were returning to the studio to record an album filled with country versions of their greatest hits, featuring such Nashville stars as Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown, Sara Evans, and Chris Young. Called Southbound, the album appeared in November, peaking at 16 on the Billboard charts. The Doobies continued to tour -- notably without McDonald -- in the years following Southbound. In 2015, Little Feat's Bill Payne took over the keyboardist slot previously occupied by Guy Allison, and they continued to tour amphitheaters and sheds throughout the U.S. By the end of the decade, they were specializing in shows spotlighting full performances of their Toulouse Street and The Captain and Me albums, all setting the stage for Michael McDonald rejoining the band in 2020 for a 50th Anniversary tour. Prior to these shows, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

A fan's review
JazzLoser Mar 20, 2021

Underrated, pretty heavily. It's not so hard to understand why, on the the surface at least, and I myself didn't realize the quality here until now. Naturally I enjoyed "What a Fool Believes", and who doesn't? Actually, don't answer that question...

After a while, I started to enjoy "Minute by Minute", and then "Dependin' on You", probably because I would often end up listening to them on the tail of "What a Fool Believes". That led to a thought:

"Hey, that's a pretty damn good three song run!"

Well, that little slippery slope ran its course and now I'm here to say it: Hey, this is a pretty damn good ten song run! As a matter of fact, the only song that doesn't really hook me is "Sweet Feelin", but it's pleasant enough. The instrumental "Steamer Lane Breakdown" doesn't quite fit on the album, but it's plenty up my alley. It's sort of like how the Dan did a cover of "East St. Louis Toodle-oo", paying their dues as jazz fans, except for the Doobies it's a country/bluegrass breakdown.

I could try to deconstruct the disdain for this sort of music, but what's the point? If people want to dislike as something, they will. The vast majority of listeners aren't going to try to expand their broader aesthetic preferences in order to enjoy Minute by Minute by The Doobie Brothers of all things. Well, I'll bite. I can't resist.

Some people (fans of the band's earlier output) probably dislike the slicker blue-eyed-soul approach that Michael McDonald brought to the band. Hoards will dislike this because their dads (grand-dads?) think it's cool. Yet more people, especially younger people, will dislike this because it sounds too "inoffensive"; not enough leather, no obvious connection to youth counterculture, "commercial", "clean", "slick", "jazzy" (god forbid), 70s synths and strings and sugary vocal harmonies... but you're all full of shit.

Like another reviewer states, the Doobies were on a collision course with Steely Dan to reach the zenith of this late 1970s hi-fi yacht rock style. The Dan won, no question, peaking with Aja. But this was a damn fine effort and in terms of sheer listenability I'd argue that Minute by Minute achieved a quality that most bands don't ever reach. The main qualm I have with this vs Steely Dan is that the lyrics can't come close. Steely Dan had the most cynical, varied, interesting, and intelligent lyrical content of most any band up to that point, and in comparison the lyrics on this album are standard pop fare (which nonetheless works well, especially on the one track everybody loves). But that just goes to show the power of the music itself, which is smooth, hooky, and memorable. McDonald's voice is excellent. Having Skunk Baxter on guitar is a big boost for any group.

Look on my review, ye Mighty, and despair! For I stand beside an underrated musical gem, ignored by most and scorned by fools. That's right, I'll say it: I demand a re-evaluation! Upon this mound I shall perish, should it come to that.
If you like this, also listen to :
If That's What It Takes - Michael McDonald(1982)
Tavito - Tavito (1979)
Rupert Holmes - Rupert Holmes(1975)


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

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
12. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
13. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (9) [Spiritualized]
14. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
15. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
16. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
17. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
18. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
19. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
20. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
21. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
22. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
23. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
24. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.078 (9) [Henry]
25. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
26. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
27. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.860 (10) [Live In Phoenix]
28. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
29. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
30. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
31. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.388 (8) [schaefer.tk]
32. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
33. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
34. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
35. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
36. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
[/b]
Last edited by spiritualized on Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:42 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Rob
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Rob »

Selda is a great #1! Who would have thought Turkish, female driven folk rock would rule all?

About the Doobie Brothers album, let's combine these two statistics Spiritualized shared from RYM:

#53 in the RYM Yacht Rock chart
#765 for 1978

This somehow give me the feeling RYM isn't much into Yacht rock ;)
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by spiritualized »

As a matter of fact, I find the concept of "yacht rock" highly amusing, but probably not something I will enjoy. I may be surprised though, this game has thrown a few curveballs.
Need to watch out though, Selda has the lowest number of votes, so this may be a case of a very temporary yellow jersey !
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Henry »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute gets a 9.2 from me as it was my 364th favorite album of all-time in my latest submittal.

Three highlighted songs on the album are:

What a Fool Believes (my 1062nd favorite of all-time)
Dependin' On You (my 1290th favorite of all-time)
Minute By Minute (1544)

Here to Love You is also pretty good (6415)
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Madzong »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute - 8
"On a mountain range, I'm Dr. Strange"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by spiritualized »

Henry wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:15 pm 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute gets a 9.2 from me as it was my 364th favorite album of all-time in my latest submittal.

Three highlighted songs on the album are:

What a Fool Believes (my 1062nd favorite of all-time)
Dependin' On You (my 1290th favorite of all-time)
Minute By Minute (1544)

Here to Love You is also pretty good (6415)
Sorry Henry, it is indeed your entry, not SL3
I’ll correct it
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Listyguy »

Minute by Minute - 6/10

Remarkably inoffensive, which I guess is the point of yacht rock, but it's certainly not something that I would be wanting more of in my life. The music isn't really bad though, so I couldn't go lower than a 6.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Brad »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute: 4.5
I was mildly excited to listen to this, having not intentionally put on a Doobies album in decades (if ever) - particularly after the rocking "Without You" turned up in the recent Shuffle game, and I recently made a reference to the solid, clean opening riff of "Without Love" in connection to an X song appearing on Biggest Fans.

I was disappointed. This album seems flat, uninspired and full of filler to me. Even the (imo) best song "What A Fool Believes" sounds limp compared to the version I keep in my head. These guys may truly be in the Mount Rushmore of Yacht Rock - a vague, cringy genre that seems to have grown in popularity since around the time "Glee" hit the airwaves. Doobies needed to take it to the streets a little more. I'll pass.

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by DaveC »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute: 4/10

Favourite track: What a Fool Believes
Least favourite track: Here To Love You
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Rob »

The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute: 5
It's just a bit dull. Rock that refuses to rock. I guess that's were the Yacht naming comes from: a clean and laidback sound for when you want to relax on a yacht. I guess this fits. What a Fool Believes is of course the big title here, but I don't even care all that much about that one. All is pleasant and inoffensive, but it almost refuses to be interesting. The word 'fool' is used a surprising amount here, by the way.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Schüttelbirne »

37. The Doobie Brothers | Minute by Minute: 5/10
Highlight: "Steamer Lane Breakdown"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Honorio »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) 8/10

Nostalgia. This album bring me back so many sweet memories, summer of 1979 listening to it at our yacht… :mrgreen:
Only joking of course. But this was one of the very first albums I bought as a teenager. It's no longer among my favourites but it has been a pleasure to revisit it so many decades after. A very good album released on the wake of Steely Dan's "Aja" with two ex-Dan members renewing the sound of the Doobie Brothers taking it to blue-eyed soul and, ahem, yacht rock.
Let me end with a humorous quote. "This album is so smooth the vinyl slipped right out of my hands and slid across the floor" (rocketfrogs for RYM).
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by mileswide »

The Doobie Brothers - Minute by Minute 3.6 (my #43 for 1979)
My highlights: 'What a Fool Believes' gets the closest lyrically but not even Aretha made the song into something I'd go out of my way to listen to
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Madzong »

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) 8/10
"On a mountain range, I'm Dr. Strange"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Rob »

Madzong wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 9:01 am 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) 8/10
You're trying to trick Spiritualized into giving this a higher average by voting twice? ;)
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by Madzong »

Rob wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 9:21 am
Madzong wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 9:01 am 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) 8/10
You're trying to trick Spiritualized into giving this a higher average by voting twice? ;)
Whoops! Sorry about that! Forgot that I already voted!!!

Should have checked above really…

I like the album but not THAT much! ;)
"On a mountain range, I'm Dr. Strange"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute

Post by spiritualized »

mmmm. Yeah.
Yacht Rock, Soft Rock, Inoffensive and lack of risk taking mean that it won't generally wash with me.
It's probably the first time I'm listening to What a Fool Believes...and yet it has 146m plays on Spotify. Listening to the album did not make me want to dive further into the Doobie Brothers.
It's non eventful, does not get my attention going, as a matter of fact, very few soft rock albums are titillating my ears nowadays.

37. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute (1978) 3/10
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by spiritualized »

A newcomer for number 38 (DocBrown) with Neko Case, and it features on AM's top 3000 albums.
Image

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Nominated by DocBrown (#212)
Genre : Alt-Country, Singer/Songwriter Americana (# 314 in the RYM Alt-Country chart)
Descriptors : female vocals
Length : 15 tracks, 74:00

AM ranking : #2211
Artist Ranking : #502
RYM ranking : #363 for 2009, #unranked overall (1582 ratings @ 3.47/ 5.0)
Metascore : 79
129.8k unique listeners and 4.4m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : This Tornado Loves You/People Got A Lotta Nerve / Magpie to the Morning


Biography from Allmusic

Singer/songwriter Neko Case won a large and loyal audience for her smoky, sophisticated vocals and the downcast beauty of her music. A fiercely independent creative mind who left home when she was 15, Case cut her musical teeth playing in punk rock bands in the Pacific Northwest, but her career began in earnest while she was studying art in Vancouver in the '90s. She played with the band Maow and the Weasles, and then launched a country-influenced solo project with her backing band the Boyfriends. The debut album from Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, The Virginian, arrived in 1997, followed by 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby. Released in 2002, the critically celebrated Blacklisted found her dipping into more atmospheric and personal musical territory with less obvious country influences. While dividing her time between her solo career and working with the New Pornographers and the Corn Sisters, Case was starting to approach mainstream recognition, and she signed to the respected indie label Anti- Records, who issued 2006's ambitious indie rock exercise Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. After a pair of well-crafted solo efforts, Case took time out to record a collaborative album with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs that was released in 2016, but she returned as a headliner with 2018's Hell-On.

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Case moved around often as a child, spending the largest part of her youth in Tacoma, Washington. She left her parents at age 15, and three years later she started playing drums for several bands on the Northwest's punk rock scene. Case moved to Vancouver in 1994 to enter art school, and simultaneously joined the punk group Maow, which released a record on the Mint label. She also played with roots rockers the Weasles and eventually formed her own backing band, the Boyfriends, which initially featured alumni of the Softies, Zumpano, and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.

Case released her solo debut, The Virginian, in 1997, delving wholeheartedly into traditional country via a mix of covers and originals. She went on to perform with Carolyn Mark in the old-timey side project the Corn Sisters and began a long-running affiliation with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers. Case completed her studies in 1998, and with her student visa expired, she returned to Washington and began work on her second solo album. The lovely, melancholy Furnace Room Lullaby was released on Bloodshot Records in 2000 and won high praise for its dark compositions, all of which were written or co-written by Case.

Case subsequently relocated to Chicago, home of a thriving alt-country scene, and released the home-recorded Canadian Amp EP in 2001. Its moody, late-night ambience carried over to 2002's Blacklisted, a darker yet more eclectic affair. Blacklisted garnered Case her strongest reviews yet, making many year-end critics' polls and landing her a tour slot opening for Nick Cave. In 2004, Case signed with Anti Records in the United States and released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, which was recorded during several dates with Canadian surf-country band the Sadies. She then returned to the studio to work on another studio album, a move that required her to take a break from the New Pornographers (with whom she had recorded and intermittently toured with since the band's inception).

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood followed in 2006 and fared moderately well on the Billboard charts, peaking at number 54 and introducing a wider audience to Case's dark, country-noir style. The concert recording Live from Austin, TX was released one year later, capturing a 2003 performance for Austin City Limits, and Case contributed vocals to the New Pornographers' Challengers before returning to her adopted hometown of Tucson, Arizona. Recording sessions for a new album took place in that home environment, as well as Brooklyn, Toronto, and Case's newly purchased farm in Vermont (where songs were tracked in a barn). The resulting album, Middle Cyclone, was released several months later in March 2009. The year 2010 saw the release of Together, the New Pornographers' fifth long-player, followed by Case's fifth solo outing, The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You, in 2013. In 2015, Case took a look back at her solo career to date with the box set Truckdriver Gladiator Mule, which collected all her solo releases from 1997 to 2013.

In 2016, Case released a collaborative project with fellow Canadian country-pop vocalist k.d. lang and celebrated singer and songwriter Laura Veirs. Titled case/lang/veirs, the album featured material written together by the trio; the singers joined forces for a joint concert tour in support of the release. In 2018, Case released her first solo album in five years, Hell-On, which she also produced. Her case/lang/veirs colleagues Laura Veirs and k.d. lang made guest appearances on the album, as well as Beth Ditto, Kelly Hogan, Mark Lanegan, Joey Burns, and John Convertino.

A fan's review
hudbannon May 04, 2014

"Middle Cyclone" is Neko Case's best album, though I seem to be in the minority in thinking that. Perhaps the half-hour nature track of chirps and ribbits that closes the album is souring some.

Less twangy than her earlier albums, "Middle Cyclone" is both more tuneful and more daring, and Case sings magnificently. Check out opener "This Tornado Loves You," its lyrics apparently meant to be taken literally, and the chimey and catchy "People Got a Lot of Nerve." Elsewhere, "Magpie to the Morning" is simple and lovely, and other ramp up the atmosphere and complexity and lose little.

Throughout, Case's clear-as-a-bell voice goes from powerhouse to pretty without missing a beat. Amazing.

This is the album I'd give to the Neko Case neophyte to blow him or her away.
If you like this, also listen to :
New Seasons - The Sadies (2007)
The Devil You Know - Todd Snider (2006)
Benji - Sun Kil Moon(2014)


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

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
12. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
13. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (9) [Spiritualized]
14. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
15. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
16. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
17. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
18. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
19. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
20. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
21. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
22. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
23. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
24. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.078 (9) [Henry]
25. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
26. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
27. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.860 (10) [Live In Phoenix]
28. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
29. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
30. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
31. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
31. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.388 (8) [schaefer.tk]
32. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
33. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
34. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
35. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
36. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
Brad
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Brad »

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone: 6.8
I like this album - it's long, but well-produced and pleasant to listen to. My favorite of her solo work (though I prefer the more high-charged New Pornographers). More importantly, anyone hear from DocBrown recently? Hope he's doing well - he is missed here.

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Listyguy »

Middle Cyclone - 6/10
The 30 minutes of ambient farm noise were very unnecessary here. Five minutes could have accomplished the same thing with much less space. It's not even that bad, it's just way too long. I won't pretend it didn't bring down my rating though. The 14 songs the precede it are a pretty good group though, highlighted by "People Got a Lotta Nerve."
Brad wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:34 pmMore importantly, anyone hear from DocBrown recently? Hope he's doing well - he is missed here.
It seems that he's deleted his RYM profile as well, retiring from the forums perhaps?
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by DocBrown »

Alive and well, Brad, thanks for asking :D
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Brad »

DocBrown wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:41 pm Alive and well, Brad, thanks for asking :D
:D
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Schüttelbirne »

38. Neko Case | Middle Cyclone: 4/10
Highlight: "Fever"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by mileswide »

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone 5.9 (my #18 for 2009)
My highlights: Don't Forget Me, Fever, This Tornado Loves You

This month's highlights ranked:
Don't Forget Me
Yaylalar
Mehmet Emmi
Fever
Gitme
This Tornado Loves You
İnce İnce
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Honorio »

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (2009) 8/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by DaveC »

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone: 5.5/10

Favourite track: Prison Girls
Least favourite track: Marais La Nuit
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Safetycat »

I almost caught up then went on holiday for two weeks...

31. Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy (2008) - 6
Sometimes a good album, often just average. It's fine, certainly not the worst thing ever that it was supposed to be in 2008.

32. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe (2008) - 5
I actually know Peter Fox, and even like some of his stuff! Alles neu was on the music channel a bit when I went through Europe with my dad in 2008, and the song and music video were striking enough that I remembered it. Never listened through the album before and wasn't surprised to find that it was pretty average in the end.

33. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself (1996) - 8
Fun lovin' is right! This was overall a really strong and, well, fun record!

34. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off (1999) - 7
Solid, enjoyable, great listen.

35. Three Days Grace - One-X (2006) - 6
Not as bad as I expected, like it's a bit too edgy and self-serious but also pretty well done.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by spiritualized »

38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone: 6/10

I like Neko Case, but much more in the "New Pornographers" environment.
This is too alt-country, too subdued but pretty good nonetheless.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 38. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Post by Rob »

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone: 8

First the elephant in the room: Marais la Nuit, the 31 minute closer consisting of animal farm sounds. The first time I heard the album I listened to the whole track. The second time I just ended the album after Red Tide. I'm not sure what the point of it is. I don't think I would have cared for it in any context, but it definitely doesn't fit on a melodious record like this. The question becomes, do I take this track into account with the rating. In the end I decided I won't. If it was in the middle of the album i might have found it problematic, but as a standalone closer I can ignore it easily.

The fourteen tracks that precede it are pretty great. My knowledge on Neko Case does not run super deep, but what I've heard I have loved without fail. I even seem to be in the minority here who'd rather listen to her solo stuff than The New Pornographers. There is something about the way her songs come together in the melodies that grips me without fail. She really has a good ear for a tune and a voice that can soar over them. She also matches her memorable and slightly irreverent lyrics very well to the music. She is basically a top song-writer still waiting to be really acknowledged as such.

Before this the underappreciated Hell-On was the only album (outside New Pornographers) by her I had heard in full (though I heard it many times). Great to have it appear here, even if it deserved more votes on our album poll.
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by spiritualized »

Repost ! Erased this by mistake

Image



39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway
Nominated by Zombeels (#216)
Genre : Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indietronica, Noise Pop (# 238 in the RYM Indie Rock chart)
Descriptors : melancholic, bittersweet, pastoral, atmospheric, futuristic, lo-fi, melodic, male vocals, alienation, warm
Length : 11 tracks, 55:45

AM ranking : #bubbling
Artist Ranking : #755
RYM ranking : #238 for 1997 #9936 overall (2688 ratings @ 3.59/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
209.8k unique listeners and 2.2m scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : A.M. 180 / Summer Here Kids / Nonphenomenal Lineage




Biography from Allmusic

Rising from indie obscurity in the mid-'90s, West Coast combo Grandaddy earned international acclaim with the exploratory space pop of their breakout albums Under the Western Freeway (1997) and Sophtware Slump (2000). Under the leadership of frontman Jason Lytle, the group maintained their success throughout the first part of the 2000s, then disbanded in 2006 as Lytle pursued several solo projects. In 2012, Grandaddy reunited for a series of tours, eventually easing their way back into the studio to record their 2017 comeback album Last Place.

Grandaddy were formed in 1992 in Modesto, California by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch. Although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early recordings like 1994's Complex Party Come Along Theories, the addition of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden in 1995 expanded the band's sound exponentially, fueling such subsequent efforts as the unreleased Don't Sock the Tryer and the 1996 EP A Pretty Mess by This One Band. Originally issued on indie label Will Records, 1997's acclaimed full-length Under the Western Freeway proved to be Grandaddy's creative breakthrough, and the following year the album was reissued on major-label V2, with "Summer Here Kids" earning Single of the Week honors in the pages of the NME.

The Broken Down Comforter Collection, a compilation of singles tracks, preceded the 1999 Signal to Snow Ratio EP, which heralded a movement toward the vintage electronic textures further in evidence on 2000's superb Sophtware Slump. In 2002, the group released another odds-n-sods collection, Concrete Dunes, which paved the way for a busy 2003. That spring, Grandaddy released the Floating Debris EP as well as their fourth full-length, Sumday, and spent the rest of the year touring, making appearances at festivals such as Glastonbury. In 2005, they resurfaced with the Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla EP, and a full-length album (Just Like the Fambly Cat) followed in 2006. The latter release was essentially a solo project for frontman Jason Lytle, however, as the group disbanded during the recording process.

Lytle subsequently relocated from California to Montana. He reemerged in 2009 with his first proper solo release, Yours Truly, The Commuter, on Anti-. After releasing an album of improvised piano pieces titled Merry X-Mas 2009 at the end of the year, Lytle's next move was to form Admiral Radley with former Grandaddy bandmate Burtch, plus Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray of Earlimart. Their first album, I Heart California, was released on Espinoza's the Ship label in July of 2010. Lytle next returned to his own songs and began recording his second album. Meanwhile, he was recruited by Fairchild to put Grandaddy back together for some 2012 festival appearances. The group played the U.K.'s End of the Road Festival, San Francisco's Outside Lands, and Paris' Rock en Seine Festival, as well as some warmup dates. Plans for an album were kicked around, but before that could happen, Lytle released Dept. of Disappearance in October of 2012, again for Anti-.

In the summer of 2016, during another reunion tour that featured an old-school lineup of Burtch, Dryden, Fairchild, and Garcia alongside Lytle, it was confirmed that Grandaddy's fifth studio record was indeed in the pipeline. The band signed to Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton's 30th Century Records label and released Last Place in March of 2017. Despite getting the band back together for live shows, the album was written and performed by Lytle only, with just a bit of drumming from Burtch. Bassist Kevin Garcia died following a stroke in May 2017; he was 41 years old. Following his death, Grandaddy canceled all remaining tour dates and stayed dormant until the release of the song "Bison on the Plains" in late 2018. In 2020, the group celebrated the 20th anniversary of their landmark album, The Sophtware Slump, with a deluxe four-LP reissue that included a new reworking of the entire album played by Lytle on solo piano.

A fan's review
thebestmark - Feb12 2021

Under the Western Freeway is about simple pleasures buried underneath a technobabbling culture, in which the musical aesthetic feels more Radioshack than tech bro/app dev. That anachronistic flavor only makes it more timeless - in a world of ever-escalating hardware updates and forced obsolescence, most of us are stuck with the generic brands anyway.

Critics' comparisons at the time between Grandaddy and Radiohead don't hold up to scrutiny, as the only similarities between these bands appear to be fuzz, anxiety and a general sense of disaffection. Under the Western Freeway's so much warmer than The Bends or OK Computer. The backdrop is the same, but the focus is on the shared experience of shelter from the storm, and not an inwards collapse.
If you like this, also listen to :


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

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
15. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
16. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
17. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
18. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
19. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
20. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
21. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
22. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
23. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
24. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
25. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.083 (6) [Zombeels]
26. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
27. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
28. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
29. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
30. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
31. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
32. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
33. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
34. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
35. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
36. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
37. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
38. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
39. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
Last edited by spiritualized on Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by Listyguy »

Under The Western Freeway - 6/10

The second straight week the album ends with cricket noises! However, unlike Neko Case's album, my rating here wasn't affected by that, since it's way shorter. However, I can't say that I was in love with the "regular" music that preceded the chirping. Grandaddy in general isn't a group that I've ever been able to get into really, so it's not a big surprise to me that this album keeps with that trend.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by Schüttelbirne »

39. Grandaddy | Under the Western Freeway: 5/10
Highlight: "Laughing Stock"
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by mileswide »

Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway 5.5 (my #22 for 1997)
My highlights: Laughing Stock, Go Progress Chrome

This month's highlights ranked:
Don't Forget Me
Yaylalar
Laughing Stock
Mehmet Emmi
Fever
Gitme
This Tornado Loves You
Go Progress Chrome
İnce İnce
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by Rob »

Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway: 6

When I saw this was the album of the week I anticipated this to be among the highest rated one on the forum. Instead, the ratings up until now are rather middling. Having listened to it myself I have to kind of agree. It's far from bad, but it also feels somewhat thin and never quite as beautiful or atmospheric as I would want. Their follow up, The Software Slump really has a lot more feeling to it. Under the Western Freeway works as pleasant light space pop with admittedly some nice poetry here and there, but there is little meat on this one.
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by Honorio »

39. Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway (1997) 7/10
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by Brad »

39. Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway: 7.1

Thanks!
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Re: Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Post by spiritualized »

39. Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway: 7/10.
I had to downgrade my RYM grade, as the album turns out to be a bit less exciting than when I originally bought it.
There are some great tracks in there (AM 180, Summer Here Kids) + there is a whiff of Pavement on this album, and I believe that, at the time, Grandaddy was hailed as a potential filler for the void left by Pavement in the quirky alt-rock genre. They went another route with the Sophtware Slump but succeeded greatly in that direction.
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Biggest Fan - The Album Edition - 40. Cochemea - All My Relations

Post by spiritualized »

And we welcome Nicolas to our great nominator list ! Typically esoteric, we turn to Spiritual Jazz.


Image


40. Cochemea - All My Relations (2019)
Nominated by Nicolas (#558)
Genre : Spiritual Jazz, Jazz Fusion (# 298 in the RYM Spiritual Jazz chart)
Descriptors : atmospheric, melodic, warm, acoustic, tribal, meditative, spiritual, male vocals, improvisation
Length : 10 tracks, 35:02

AM ranking : #unranked
Artist Ranking : #unranked
RYM ranking : #897 for 2019 #unranked overall (194 ratings @ 3.26/ 5.0)
Metascore : N/A
5896 unique listeners and 35.1k scrobbles on last.fm

Choice cuts : Mitote / All My Relations / Song of Happiness



Biography from Allmusic

Best known for his work with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, New York-based multi-instrumentalist and arranger Cochemea Gastelum established himself as an integral member of Brooklyn's rising Afrobeat and soul scene in the mid-2000s. A regular collaborator with key ensembles like Antibalas and the Budos Band, Cochemea became known as a versatile player and go-to sessionman for a wide variety of acts including Amy Winehouse, Public Enemy, Lady Gaga, Archie Shepp, and Aaron Neville. Following his genre-bending 2010 debut as a bandleader, The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow, he was a central part of the Dap-Kings' Grammy-nominated 2014 LP, Give the People What They Want, and later returned to solo work with 2019's All My Relations, a jazz/world fusion album exploring his indigenous roots, as well as its 2021 companion piece, Vol. 2: Baca Sewa.

Born and raised in Southern California, Gastelum studied music from a young age, briefly attending Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to San Diego where he joined the avant punk band Creedle. He spent the remainder of the '90s playing sax for Robert Walter's 20th Congress, then moved to New York in 2002 where he quickly became enmeshed in Brooklyn's burgeoning Afrobeat and soul scene. Within a few years, Gastelum had become a regular in several bands on the Daptone label, touring with Antibalas, the Budos Band, and most notably, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, for whom he'd picked up the baritone sax. He also enjoyed plenty of work as a session musician, recording for high-profile producers like Quincy Jones, Mark Ronson, and Rick Rubin.

Although known primarily as a saxophonist, Gastelum had developed over the years into a strong multi-instrumentalist and arranger, and exercised these skills on his 2010 debut solo album, The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow. Leading a large band through an eclectic range of Latin, funk, soul, Afrobeat, and jazz, he stretched out instrumentally on sax, flute, bass clarinet, keyboards, vibraphone, and drums. The following year he was a featured soloist on the Broadway production of the Fela Kuti musical Fela! and later performed with the group in Lagos, Nigeria. The next several years were spent maintaining his full-time position backing Sharon Jones as a member of the Dap-Kings and doing both live and studio work for a variety of acts including David Byrne, Beck, the Roots, Archie Shepp, and Paul Simon. Gastelum was an integral part of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' Grammy-nominated 2014 album Give the People What They Want, which included his own song "You'll Be Lonely." During the Dap-Kings' last year of touring before Sharon Jones' 2016 death from cancer, Gastelum began to develop his next solo project with the help of bandmate Gabriel Roth. Released in 2019 and credited simply as Cochemea, the deeply personal All My Relations was a striking percussion-driven exploration of his indigenous Yaqui and Mescalero Apache Indian roots mixed with improvisational jazz and funk. The album was a major critical success, and Cochemea returned to its style and themes on his next project, 2021's Vol.2: Baca Sewa. The title was drawn from his family's indigenous name prior to Spanish colonization, and includes vocals and percussion from the Baca Sewa Singers, featuring several generations of his distant relatives.

A fan's review
hashbrowns Aug 20, 2019

Right from the opening track, All My Relations makes its hook decidedly clear: percussion. There is a wonderful range of percussion driving every track, seemingly based around a mix of Afro-Cuban bongos and congas with Indian tablas and dhols. While I was drawn to this album due Cochemea's connection to The Dap-King's, this strong percussive element makes the flavor of funk found here uniquely swampy, and it definitely steals the show from Cochemea's saxophone. It's true that there is an essence of spiritual jazz throughout as well, most present on tracks like Asatoma and in the ample wah-wah effect on Cochemea's sax on many others, and one can tell that this album is a deeply personal exploration of Cochemea's spirital and ancestral connections. The only small faults I can pick are the incomplete nature of the shortest tracks, as well as the overly smooth (for my tastes) closing track Song of Happiness. This is an exceptional release and one of my favourite jazz albums of 2019.
If you like this, also listen to :
When Angels Fall - Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet (2019)
Astral Progressions - Josef Leimberg (2016)
We Are Sent Here by History - Shabaka and the Ancestors (2020)


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

1. Selda - Selda : 7.638 (8 votes) [panam]
2. Toy Love - Toy Love EP : 7.629 (12 votes) [Brad]
3. Tall Dwarfs - The 3EPs 7.282 (11) [Spiritualized]
4. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun : 7.260 (10) [CupOfDreams]
5. Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black : 6.882 (11) [antonius]
6. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds : 6.829 (12) [Toni]
7. Pretty Things - Parachute : 6.827 (12) [Zombeels]
8. Hood - Cold House : 6.800 (12) [CupOfDreams]
9. James - Laid : 6.725 (12) [Zombeels]
10. The Band - Stage Fright 6.718 (11) [Henry]
11. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself 6.522 (10) [Spiritualized]
12. The Elgins - Darling Baby : 6.650 (10) [mileswide]
13. Four Tet - FabricLive.59 : 6.609 (11) [Krurze]
14. Jay-Z - American Gangster 6.518 (11) [FrankLotion]
15. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? 6.383 (12) [bonnielaurel]
16. KRS-One - KRS-One : 6.369 (13) [schaefer.tk]
17. Herbert Grönemeyer - Bleibt Alles Anders : 6.340 (10) [rumpdoll]
18. Bee Gees - Main Course : 6.268 (11) [bonnielaurel]
19. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion: 6.260 (10) [sonofsamiam]
20. The Cult - Electric 6.240 (10) [whuntva]
21. Rush - Fly By Night : 6.221 (12) [Brad]
22. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn : 6.177 (11) [SL3]
23. Robert Cray - Take Your Shoes Off 6.170 (10) [Henry]
24. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken : 6.142 (12) [Brad]
25. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway : 6.083 (6) [Zombeels]
26. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone : 6.027 (7) [DocBrown]
27. Bluejuice - Company 6.020 (10) [M24]
28. Anthony Braxton - For Alto : 5.927 (11) [sonofsamiam]
29. Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy 5.873 (11) [Live In Phoenix]
30. Cybotron - Enter : 5.827 (11) [Moonbeam]
31. Defunkt - Defunkt : 5.780 (10) [antonius]
32. Prince - For You : 5.660 (10) [Moonbeam]
33. The Doobie Brothers - Minute By Minute 5.630 (10) [Henry]
34. Peter Fox - Stadtaffe : 5.344 (9) [schaefer.tk]
35. MUNA - About U : 5.164 (11) [votingbloc]
36. Three Days Grace - One-X 4.238 (8) [whuntva]
37. Hayden James - Between Us 3.891 (11) [M24]
38. Sharon Redd - Love How You Feel : 3.844 (9) [Moonbeam]
39. Schoolhouse Rock! - Science Rock : 3.664 (11) [prosecutorgodot]
DaveC
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3477
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:04 am

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

Post by DaveC »

39. Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway: 7/10

Favourite track: A.M. 180
Least favourite track: Poisoned at Hartsy Thai Food
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Schüttelbirne
Into the Groove
Posts: 2377
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:50 am

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

Post by Schüttelbirne »

40. Cochemea | All My Relations: 6/10
Highlights: "Maso Ye'eme", "Seyewailo"

I remember this from MAA 2019, but I don't like it as much as I did then.
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Listyguy
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3010
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:34 pm

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

Post by Listyguy »

All My Relations - 7/10

The well of influences that this album draws from is wide and deep, and it only works to enhance the sound of the album. It's never really overwhelming, either; it's a well-balanced sound.
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