You've churned through a ton of "essential" stuff. What is the least essential thing you've listened to? What's the album that you're like "well that was a thing and I'll never feel the need put it in my ears again"?
So far, and we are 480-something albums in, the bottom of my list, which are albums I am not likely to listen again are:
482: Neu!
481: Harmonia - Musik von Harmonia
480: Popol Vu - In Den Garten Pharoas
479: Agitation Free - Malesch
478: Joni Mitchell - Blue
Majority near the bottom are just things that don’t appeal to my personal taste. A lot of it is the minimalist stuff because I don’t connect with a lot of it, though there are some by Can and Brian Eno that I really liked. But the leash on that kind of music is quite short for me. I also determined I just don’t like Joni Mitchell’s music, which isn’t to say it’s bad, but there are just some artists that don’t do it for me. Bands in that realm I knew I couldn’t hang with going into this were The Eagles and Bon Jovi, but add to that list now Joni Mitchell and probably Queen (I find I like them for like 15 minutes and then it turns like bad milk).
That's a fair assessment of Queen. One I'd probably agree with.
To continue the interview, Joni Mitchell is a pretty bold inclusion in the bottom of the barrel. Are there any other controversial opinions lurking near the bottom? What's the most commonly-considered-good record that you were surprised to find you didn't like? And on the other end of the spectrum, what's the artist you had always kind of avoided that you were surprised to like?
Stevie Wonder I expected to like more than I did. Not really at the bottom but nothing so far other than Innervisions touches the top half of the albums listened here.
In terms of surprises near the top, the sheer amount of jazz in the top 100 thus far is a big surprise. I figured I would like it but it would quickly fall into the middle once I got cooking, not the case. I had once tried to listen to Bitches Brew years ago and quickly lost patience with it. Hearing it in this context it is top 5, absolutely mind blowing.
I didn’t know really what I was going to get with Tom Waits. That I have 2 of his albums already near the top is a big shocker for me.
Edit: album that is considered classic that I didn’t like - Elvis Presley’s self titled debut. I didn’t outright despise it, but I think it is more historical marker than great album.
Looking forward, we have a few ‘75 albums to go but ‘76 is coming up fast. Let me know what I am missing:
The Doobie Brothers - Takin’ It to the Streets (Yavht rock arrives in earnest!)
Bob Dylan - Desire
Tom Waits - Small Change
Warren Zevon
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Jerry Garcia - Reflections
The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
Aerosmith - Rocks
Rush - 2112
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
Boston
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record
Miles Davis - Pangea
Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle
Rod Stewart - A Night on the Town
Jeff Beck - Wired
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Muddy Waters - Hard Again
Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
Billy Joel - Turnstiles
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Rastaman Vibrations
Max Romeo & the Upsetters - War in Babylon
David Bowie - Station to Station
The Runaways
The Modern Lovers
The Ramones
The Clash
Rainbow - Rising
AC/DC - High Voltage
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
KISS - Destroyer
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees
Seals and Crofts - Get Closer
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets
After two excellent albums, this third album finds Aerosmith really finding their voice on top of what had already made them great in the 70s. You can still hear remnants of The Stones, but this sounds even more their own, focusing on a harder rock sound. Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion are both rock music institutions on their own, but even the deeper cuts here are great - Adam’s Apple, No More No More, and Round and Round are every bit as good, and the title track and Uncle Salty are also noteworthy, even if this is one sleazy record. This is their best to this point.
I am not sure whether it’s subtle, but there is a shift towards a more danceable glam pop on this album as opposed to the prior albums glam rock. It’s not a huge distinction, guitars are still there but they soar a bit less and fall more to the background. In that vein, the classics that bookend the album, the title track and Fame, seem to embrace the second half sound of the 70s (frankly he is probably the creative force making the second half of the 70s what they were). It also foreshadows disco while still having its hooks in Bowie’s expanding catalogue.
I am not sure whether it’s subtle, but there is a shift towards a more danceable glam pop on this album as opposed to the prior albums glam rock. It’s not a huge distinction, guitars are still there but they soar a bit less and fall more to the background. In that vein, the classics that bookend the album, the title track and Fame, seem to embrace the second half sound of the 70s (frankly he is probably the creative force making the second half of the 70s what they were). It also foreshadows disco while still having its hooks in Bowie’s expanding catalogue.
The Essential Track: Fame
Up Next: Steely Dan - Katie Lied
i love this album, especially "right" "win" and "fascination"
On this album, I was impressed with the way that Steely Dan went full jazz rock and seemed to mostly abandon any sense that they were anything else. I don’t know that this was ever a problem the past few albums, though Pretzel Logic did work hard at finding the pop and jazz balance. The songs here do at times feel on the verge of becoming a little antiseptic, or at least the soul of the song is imbedded in the instrumentation and at times the vocals almost get in the way of the fantastic studio arrangements, but it’s just enough to avoid those trappings. Black Friday is the known entity here and it’s a great track, but my money’s on Chain Lightning here - what a track!? Doctor Wu, Everyone’s Gone to the Movies, Your Gold Teeth II all contribute to a really strong second half of this album. This one delivers what it’s supposed to, though it does give the sense the best is yet to come.
On this album, I was impressed with the way that Steely Dan went full jazz rock and seemed to mostly abandon any sense that they were anything else. I don’t know that this was ever a problem the past few albums, though Pretzel Logic did work hard at finding the pop and jazz balance. The songs here do at times feel on the verge of becoming a little antiseptic, or at least the soul of the song is imbedded in the instrumentation and at times the vocals almost get in the way of the fantastic studio arrangements, but it’s just enough to avoid those trappings. Black Friday is the known entity here and it’s a great track, but my money’s on Chain Lightning here - what a track!? Doctor Wu, Everyone’s Gone to the Movies, Your Gold Teeth II all contribute to a really strong second half of this album. This one delivers what it’s supposed to, though it does give the sense the best is yet to come.
The Essential Track: Chain Lightning
Up Next: The Doobie Brothers - Stampede
I really thought you’d pick Good Teeth II or Dr Wu. Instead, you go for the Hitler song.
Let me tell you, Homer Simpson is cock of nothing!
- C. Montgomery Burns
On this album, I was impressed with the way that Steely Dan went full jazz rock and seemed to mostly abandon any sense that they were anything else. I don’t know that this was ever a problem the past few albums, though Pretzel Logic did work hard at finding the pop and jazz balance. The songs here do at times feel on the verge of becoming a little antiseptic, or at least the soul of the song is imbedded in the instrumentation and at times the vocals almost get in the way of the fantastic studio arrangements, but it’s just enough to avoid those trappings. Black Friday is the known entity here and it’s a great track, but my money’s on Chain Lightning here - what a track!? Doctor Wu, Everyone’s Gone to the Movies, Your Gold Teeth II all contribute to a really strong second half of this album. This one delivers what it’s supposed to, though it does give the sense the best is yet to come.
The Essential Track: Chain Lightning
Up Next: The Doobie Brothers - Stampede
I really thought you’d pick Good Teeth II or Dr Wu. Instead, you go for the Hitler song.
I guess I can still surprise. I did list both those among the highlights though.
On this album, I was impressed with the way that Steely Dan went full jazz rock and seemed to mostly abandon any sense that they were anything else. I don’t know that this was ever a problem the past few albums, though Pretzel Logic did work hard at finding the pop and jazz balance. The songs here do at times feel on the verge of becoming a little antiseptic, or at least the soul of the song is imbedded in the instrumentation and at times the vocals almost get in the way of the fantastic studio arrangements, but it’s just enough to avoid those trappings. Black Friday is the known entity here and it’s a great track, but my money’s on Chain Lightning here - what a track!? Doctor Wu, Everyone’s Gone to the Movies, Your Gold Teeth II all contribute to a really strong second half of this album. This one delivers what it’s supposed to, though it does give the sense the best is yet to come.
The Essential Track: Chain Lightning
Up Next: The Doobie Brothers - Stampede
I really thought you’d pick Good Teeth II or Dr Wu. Instead, you go for the Hitler song.
I guess I can still surprise. I did list both those among the highlights though.
I know.
Let me tell you, Homer Simpson is cock of nothing!
- C. Montgomery Burns
