Thursday, April 8, 2010
Why I don't post at 1:00 in the morning normally...
So, if Michael Jackson needed to pee, did he say he "needed to go to the little boy's room" just to see what reaction he'd get?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Decade-End Humble Opinions, Part 3
Okay, I didn't get to this as quickly as I intended, but a New Years' trip to Vegas and the subsequent catchup from that trip slowed me down. But, since January hasn't yet (by a few hours) finished a full week yet, I feel okay bringing you the last of my trio of decade-end lists. I won't lie to you, this one was the hardest for me to do, so here we go:
STIWMDSSEHHIWGTABOFOTD, album list:
7) Missundaztood - Pink: Yeah, I was kind of surprised when this one ended up here, too. I am not the biggest fan of straight-out pop music, or of albums that are the ones "everybody likes". But my elitist and non-conformist tendencies were flushed out of this one around 2002-2003, when "Get This Party Started" and "Just Like A Pill" made me buy this album. The manic energy and anguish Pink seems to channel into this album made it by far the best one she's done. "Lonely Girl", featuring Linda Perry, is one that never hit the radio I would recommend.
6) American IV: The Man Comes Around: I will admit that this album being the last released during the lifetime of music icon Johnny Cash likely influences my opinion. However, just as everyone was so impressed with The Wind by Warren Zevon as he recorded it after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, which "last" album are you going to listen to today. Even without the haunting video of world-weary Johnny and June dominating your mind as you listen to "Hurt", you're still gonna chuckle with "Sam Hall", enjoy the Fiona Apple-backed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and smile at the closing tune of "We'll Meet Again".
5) The Marshall Mathers LP - I didn't make a point of watching any Grammy moment of the last ten years except one: the duet of Elton John and Eminem on "Stan". Granted, I felt Dido got cheated of a big moment, but it was a moment of import. White-boy rapping is no longer marginalized with Em as the latest clown with generally harmless, if occasionally misogynistic, lyrics like most of the The Slim Slady LP. Yes, "The Real Slim Shady" draws in the fans of the first albums, but if they did stay to listen, "The Way I Am" and other tracks gave you a more mature view of the man, and made you understand why Dr. Dre wanted to produce him in the first place. "Remember Me" is a track worth listening to as well.
4) Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins: Yeah, fine, Natalie, they changed my life (Garden State reference, there). If you read my list from Part 1 focusing on singles, you'll know I hold a high opinion of Pink Bullets. However, even without that song, I think the album would be on the fringe of making this list. The layered lyrics behind the alternately jangly and folkie musical structure create a style that is very addictive. "Saint Simon" and the track that gives the album its title, "Young Pilgrims", are also worth a listen or three.
3) Elephant - The White Stripes: What an upset it would have been to those of you who know me if nothing by this band had made the Top 7, eh? Dream on. I hate that I'm picking the most critically-acclaimed album as my album of choice, but it really is the best. "Seven Nation Army" has also been discussed in Part 1 of my decade-end ramblings, but "The Hardest Button To Button" was one of the garage-rock standards of the time, "Ball and Biscuit" is a nice blues-rock homage, and "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" is the song off of this most of you haven't heard, and need to.
2) American Idiot - Green Day: When did the punk funsters ever give any notice that they knew what politics and concept albums were, let alone put them together into one of the best albums of any decade, let alone the last decade? St. Jimmy's view of contemporary society are not pleasant ones, and may be overly melancholy, but the dramatic musical accompaniment helps the songs stand on their own. Five years later, now that "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is not on the radio every five minutes, this is a very likable album. "Are We The Waiting" is my recommendation for this album outside the radio hits.
1) The Shepherd's Dog - Iron & Wine: I didn't know until just a couple of weeks ago that Sam Beam (the artist behind the stage name) got a BA from VCU, but I did know that he used to be a professor and that several people have compared his music to that of Nick Drake, so that might have something to do with this rank. Or it could just be that this album is just that good. It has me from the first licks of "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" and keeps me all the way through the last bit of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth". The music captivates, and the vocals are world-weary and haunting. "House By The Sea" and "Wolves" are other songs off of this album that I consider high points. Give me some credit for picking something not mainstream, and go listen to this, will ya?
And, as usual, my close-but-no-cigar candidates, in no particular order:
Once soundtrack
Hot Fuss - The Killers
Icky Thump - The White Stripes
Heroes To Zeros - The Beta Band
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
A Cold Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack
O - Damien Rice
Love and Theft - Bob Dylan
STIWMDSSEHHIWGTABOFOTD, album list:
7) Missundaztood - Pink: Yeah, I was kind of surprised when this one ended up here, too. I am not the biggest fan of straight-out pop music, or of albums that are the ones "everybody likes". But my elitist and non-conformist tendencies were flushed out of this one around 2002-2003, when "Get This Party Started" and "Just Like A Pill" made me buy this album. The manic energy and anguish Pink seems to channel into this album made it by far the best one she's done. "Lonely Girl", featuring Linda Perry, is one that never hit the radio I would recommend.
6) American IV: The Man Comes Around: I will admit that this album being the last released during the lifetime of music icon Johnny Cash likely influences my opinion. However, just as everyone was so impressed with The Wind by Warren Zevon as he recorded it after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, which "last" album are you going to listen to today. Even without the haunting video of world-weary Johnny and June dominating your mind as you listen to "Hurt", you're still gonna chuckle with "Sam Hall", enjoy the Fiona Apple-backed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and smile at the closing tune of "We'll Meet Again".
5) The Marshall Mathers LP - I didn't make a point of watching any Grammy moment of the last ten years except one: the duet of Elton John and Eminem on "Stan". Granted, I felt Dido got cheated of a big moment, but it was a moment of import. White-boy rapping is no longer marginalized with Em as the latest clown with generally harmless, if occasionally misogynistic, lyrics like most of the The Slim Slady LP. Yes, "The Real Slim Shady" draws in the fans of the first albums, but if they did stay to listen, "The Way I Am" and other tracks gave you a more mature view of the man, and made you understand why Dr. Dre wanted to produce him in the first place. "Remember Me" is a track worth listening to as well.
4) Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins: Yeah, fine, Natalie, they changed my life (Garden State reference, there). If you read my list from Part 1 focusing on singles, you'll know I hold a high opinion of Pink Bullets. However, even without that song, I think the album would be on the fringe of making this list. The layered lyrics behind the alternately jangly and folkie musical structure create a style that is very addictive. "Saint Simon" and the track that gives the album its title, "Young Pilgrims", are also worth a listen or three.
3) Elephant - The White Stripes: What an upset it would have been to those of you who know me if nothing by this band had made the Top 7, eh? Dream on. I hate that I'm picking the most critically-acclaimed album as my album of choice, but it really is the best. "Seven Nation Army" has also been discussed in Part 1 of my decade-end ramblings, but "The Hardest Button To Button" was one of the garage-rock standards of the time, "Ball and Biscuit" is a nice blues-rock homage, and "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" is the song off of this most of you haven't heard, and need to.
2) American Idiot - Green Day: When did the punk funsters ever give any notice that they knew what politics and concept albums were, let alone put them together into one of the best albums of any decade, let alone the last decade? St. Jimmy's view of contemporary society are not pleasant ones, and may be overly melancholy, but the dramatic musical accompaniment helps the songs stand on their own. Five years later, now that "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is not on the radio every five minutes, this is a very likable album. "Are We The Waiting" is my recommendation for this album outside the radio hits.
1) The Shepherd's Dog - Iron & Wine: I didn't know until just a couple of weeks ago that Sam Beam (the artist behind the stage name) got a BA from VCU, but I did know that he used to be a professor and that several people have compared his music to that of Nick Drake, so that might have something to do with this rank. Or it could just be that this album is just that good. It has me from the first licks of "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" and keeps me all the way through the last bit of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth". The music captivates, and the vocals are world-weary and haunting. "House By The Sea" and "Wolves" are other songs off of this album that I consider high points. Give me some credit for picking something not mainstream, and go listen to this, will ya?
And, as usual, my close-but-no-cigar candidates, in no particular order:
Once soundtrack
Hot Fuss - The Killers
Icky Thump - The White Stripes
Heroes To Zeros - The Beta Band
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
A Cold Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack
O - Damien Rice
Love and Theft - Bob Dylan
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