365 album challenge

[Phoebe]

Oooh I love your list, I definitely need to cover many titles there. I saw Alabama Shakes on some sort of live TV show and they were amazing.

[poorpete]

There was a point five songs into my first listen of "Faith" where I thought "am I going to know all of these songs?" But side two was totally new to me. I'm just over two weeks in and am onto the second 80s album that made use of males in jeans showing their butts to the camera. Is this the beginning or end of the trend?

[poorpete]

I feel I would have easily dismissed The Ramones debut album when it came out in 1976. Repetitive, at times poorly mixed, repetitive, at times poorly written, repetitive, baby baby make me loco. If they don't have a good chorus, I'm pretty much out, and oh I don't know why, and oh I don't know why.

[Phoebe]

I forget what number I'm on, but I went from that first Dusty Springfield onward to Dusty in Memphis, which has Son of a Preacher Man. Her singing is really nice and once in a while she gets an arrangement worthy of her artistry, but mostly not. I liked this album better than the other one, probably, or was simply in a better mood when I heard it. Yet I can't help wishing she had been given a whole different sort of backing music. Anyway, she's delightful.

Wanting a different but related sort of singing, I then went to Otis Redding's "Otis Blue", which has the astonishing "A Change is Gonna Come" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long to Stop Now", among other well-known songs like "Respect" and "Satisfaction". Otis Redding is delightful too. He has more ooomph in one word or phrase than a lot of singers can muster in an entire song.

I'm going on with "The Soul Album" and then maybe dip into Pete's list again. OK here's the current list:

1. Beck - Morning Phase **** 8. Elvis Country
2. God Lives Underwater - Empty **** 9. Roy Harper - Whatever Happened to Jugula
3. Beyonce - Beyonce **** 10. Wicked (the musical)
4. 21 Pilots - Vessel **** 11. Dusty Springfield - Brand New Me
5. 21 Pilots - Blurryface **** 12. Dusty in Memphis
6. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way **** 13. Otis Redding - Otis Blue
7. Duke Ellington - Sacred Concert (the original one) **** 14. Otis Redding - The Soul Album

[poorpete]

I listened to Otis a little bit in December, I think just to the "Sitting On a Dock..." album, so I'm going to add "Otis Blue" for next week.

I can't say how much Slate's podcast on Race, rock, and the 1960s got me into soul music. Came at the right point, when I needed destraction. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/pop_ ... ademy.html
They talk about Otis in an episode, but they talk a lot in this one about "A Change is Gonna Come," which, with "Family Affair" were songs that I never heard of until this episode, even though all signs point to both being huge hits.

I agree that one should listen to Dusty for her voice, but I do like the music that accompanies here too. Going to Memphis, going to Philly, I assume she didn't, but I wish she tried out all the soul sounds, go to Detroit, go to LA. Hey, she should have went to San Francisco and played in those sounds too. Anywho, I'm not her nor her manager in the early 1970s, ah well.

So, if I was a music exec in charge of rereleases. Here's two things I want done:
1. Release a great Benny Goodman live album that was a "record of the month" 6-side LP thingy in the 70s and hasn't been rereleased since. I've found nothing on it online, but it's a gem that's endlessly playable.
2. Rerelease "A Brand New Me" as "Dusty in Philly: A Brand New Me", remove the ugly yellow text and light blue background. Interview Gamble and Huff for the liner notes.

[Phoebe]

I liked the Otis Blue album better, though the other one I listened to was good too. I hope you enjoy it! I tried to listen to an album by "Nurse with Wound" and simply could not finish it, in part because it upset the dog. So... trying something else, we'll see.

[poorpete]

I would have reordered this Andrews Sisters best of. Nothing ruins the flow of a all-year-round album like Jingle Bells as track #4. Lot of these songs are like "check out this new dance it's called the insert new dance dance" which, other than maybe the one about the Twist, don't hold up.

I think The Pennsylvania Polka holds up, not for whatever dumb dance it is, but because it's so silly. It reminds me of "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", in romanticizing a dull rustbelt town, with the line "It Started in Scranton..." I mean, sign me up!

Anyways, Shuffle Off, minus the Buffalo part, is still romantic.

[poorpete]

Duke Ellington's "Sacred Concert": I like "In the Beginning" beginnings more than the later with its "lets chant the books" section. And with like eight applause breaks, not like something I'd put on a mix to play to friends. Then the singer infers The Beatles weren't around in the beginning. Hashtag not my creation story. Did like the really high trumpet 12 minutes in. How do you a judge a single song that has like five applause breaks. I do like "David Danced", even with the unseen tap solos, they work well with the song. I also, I think you hear the tapper's belt jingle, which is fun.

[poorpete]

George Michael, he was good! Damn me. Good lyricist, beautiful voice.

Songs that I dismissed as silly or not-my-style have really hit home this week. The Bo Diddley inspired "Faith", the Prince-ish "Father Figure", the epic karaoke sing-a-long heights of "One More Try". And the other tracks are pretty darn good too.

It's fun listening, trying to pick up on the hints of his sexual orientation. Also, all the religious imagery. Was thinking this was an 80s soul thing. "Father Figure" and "Faith" is dripping with sex and god, but so was a lot of Prince and, of course, Madonna made a career out of it. But really, soulful R&B got its start as gospel, so it really dates back to the 50s and Sam Cooke jumping between god song and love song, but dunno if they were sung at the same time until the 80s. I assume there are essays on this.

Also, love the bass on these songs.

[poorpete]

There's a point when you listen to an artist blind, where you get a mental image of them. Like in "Son of a Preacher Man", how Dusty was for decades an African American singer to me. Or how the irritating "Santa Baby" I assumed was sung by some bubbly 50s white teenybopper and how that changes when you find out it was Eartha Kitt. And the weirdness and relistening when their "true" appearance appears. I mean, I don't know what most of you look like, so I guess this a bit like that. Like thinking Zen was female for the first few months here. Does that matter? Should that change your perspective. My first inlinking is: no, this shouldn't matter.

But it does matter sometimes, when it comes to authenticity of culture. Dusty is less authentic to me now in the song "Son of a Preacher Man", but that has been tampered because I've come to adore dozens of her other songs.

That feeling of authenticity when I'm halfway through listening to "twenty one pilots" and wonder, is this guy British and if not, does that matter? Oh now he's singing in a Jamacan accent, now I gotta know what is he. From Ohio? Blah! Then again, Billie Joe Armstrong is in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame by making a career of being inauthentically British.

Then there's Alabama Shakes, who sing wonderfully soulful bluesy indie songs. Hmm, Alabama is in the south and this is soulful, I wonder if the lead singer is African American. I check. Nope. Oh. Well. It's still very good. Plus not many people still do do soulful blues rock anymore. But I'm stuck, and that's because in my head for the last five days, the lead singer has been male. But the lead singer is female. And now I'm listening to this album and it's different. It's different and is that okay?

There's no change in authenticity, but it's different. And I think I like it more. Is that okay?

Update: I think I'm wrong about her being white too, which, ha, whatever . Maybe I was shown the wrong picture when I searched google. Anyways, she's great, the songs are great. I think I'm going all-in on this band.

[Phoebe]

Not sure what number this is, but listened to Aretha Franklin's "Gospel Greats" album, and it's just what it says it is: gospel, and great.

[poorpete]

15. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
Southern rock? Shoegazing? White-Stripes blues rock? Strokes-like mic use? Soul and Heart and Sound and Color? Yes, please!
As for Brittany Howard. What a force! I'd analogize her to Tina Fey, as I know many other great female guitarists, but she feels like a stereotype destroyer, like Tina Fey was for "women aren't funny." She's undeniable.
Recommended: Highly!
Standout track: Hmm, today I'll pick "The Greatest"

16. Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington
As this was on YouTube, this was what I listened to at work. I listened a bunch to it, and it was almost always enjoyable. As noted elsewhere, this is a work of passion, and you can tell. We should talk about this, as it was a shared album, right? Also, the Youtube clips I could find were incomplete in comparison to what wikipedia and All Music list as its tracklisting. eg. I could not find a "In the Beginning God, II" anywhere on youtube.
Recommended: Yes
Standout track: "David Danced Before the Lord With All His Might" which answers if the blind can enjoy tap music, that answer being yyyup

17. Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin
Though some of the songs are less than great, there's enough great in here to make is essential. "Chain of Fools" is wonderful. I was introduced to "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Women" in Clarol shampoo commercials of the 90s and I learned to hate it. Carole King's performance in "Tapestry" made me reconsider it, but hearing it now, from Aretha, it's just undeniably amazing. Might be one of the greatest performances put to tape.
Recommened: Highly
Standout track: The super famous one

18. The Best of The Andrew Sisters
Coming in knowing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, which is an all time great song, but not knowing much else, but knowing they were inspired by The Boswell Sisters, made me optimistic. They have the same love of skatting and close harmonies and the benefit of coming around ten years later where there was considerably better production values. Still, after a week, there's not much I can add. I do love their appreciation of South American and Caribbean music. There are some gems in here. Still irritated at the tracklisting (put Jingle Bells last or not at all, gdmnit!). Some songs feel, I hesitate to say this, a bit dated! Just for the use of slang that, well, look, there's a song called "Beat Me Daddy," which is great when they aren't saying "beat me up daddy," which, okay, she's talking about hearing a great band play, but still. Then too many 'lets do this dance' songs.
Rocommended: Sure.
Standout new track: The super famous one

19. Faith by George Michael
I sorta feel bad not giving him a second chance until now. But I've always been (and still kinda) a prude, and at times to hipstery to hear with clear ears. So didn't notice how he's Freddy Mercury with a slightly-less-talented band and more obsessed with sex. But, as I said earlier, he can craft a great song, and there is absolutely no dud on this album. They are all single-worthy songs, so it kinda make sense four(!!) of them went to #1. With luck, more would have. I really have appreciated giving one more try to "One More Try" which I need to sing the next time I'm at karaoke. And "Kissing a Fool" is a sweet final track.
Recommended: Highly!
Standout new track: One More Try

20. The Ramones
Track-by-track: Great, Shit, Great, Great, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Great, Good, Shit, Good, Good, Good. That midpart was tough. It's never fun to skip a song only for the next song to start the exact same way as the song you're skipping. I like their attitude but not their obsession with beating up people. I don't like their bad lyrics, except when I do. It's weird that this album is given reviews like it's a masterpiece. Other then the fact that it was made for nothing, was ignored but became and underground success, and deserves to have been, and how punk rock it is, and how influential it was, but it's certainly no masterpiece. I think. I. Maybe someday I will understand why "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" or "Beat the Brat" deserves any praise. Oh I don't know why.
Recommended: Half of it, definitely. Half of it, no way.
Standout Track: Judy is a Punk, still.

21. Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim
I listened to the London cast recording. I liked it. Songs are often beautiful and unlike any musical I've heard so far. I'd love to see it performed. I felt that the music didn't, or couldn't, give the full experience. I mean, this is the story about a painting. So much that is discussed is visual. "More red, little more red, blue, blue, blue, blue..." a sample phrase. And lots of yelling of "light!" and "order!" and "design!" must be more potent when watching the lights and order and design. As for the singers, I feel Jenna Russell's Dot steals the show, er album. Gotta see the show.
Standout track: Color and Light
Recommended: Sure. Sure Sure Sure.

After three weeks:
Positive: listening to a lot of great music, catching up on favorite artists, knocking out some classic albums, listening to albums and genres I've generally stayed away from.
Negative: feel some albums, even with usually 3+ listens, I am not giving enough to. Some albums age like wine. And for the albums I think are great, I don't want to let them go so quickly. I want to keep listening, right now, to these great albums, but I have to keep moving.

Next week:
22. Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead (I've heard all their other albums, was once a really big fan)
23. Otis Blue by Otis Redding (heard "Dock", Phoebe approved)
24. Live at Carnegie Hall by Judy Garland
25. Sweeney Todd by Sondheim (Mrs Darks approved)
26. This is Acting by Sia (Facebook friend reccomended)
27. A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgil Simpson (Grammy nominated for best album this year)
28. Enter the Wu-Tang by Wu-Tang Clan

[Phoebe]

Oooh I like your lists. I am finding lots of good stuff in there even if I don't listen to the whole albums. I'm still way behind anyway due to the inability to stay even close to within one place for an hour! However, I'm on to #16 which is Duran Duran ~ Duran Duran, an album I've listened to before but haven't listened to in the entirety since I was very young. I wanted to revisit to see how it all sounds nowadays, and because it's just so much fun and this is a time when a girl can use some fun music! We used to play this over and over on a cassette tape in the basement at my best friend's house. We would dress up in all kinds of crazy leftover dance-recital clothing they owned and just dance and dance and dance like crazy fools. I remember having some deep uncertainties about the lyrical content of some of the songs, which I was not old enough to grasp fully. "Careless Memories" is just as good as I remember it being and then about 100x more, even better in hindsight. 12 year old me had such good taste sometimes.

More about the Duke Ellington stuff later - I have to give that some thought.

[poorpete]

Nice. I had a friend obsessed with Duran Duran in college. All I've heard album-wise is Seven and the Ragged Tiger, I'll check it out.

From listening to everything once through.
Radiohead - I was unimpressed on first listen, other than the great opener, but on second listen enjoyed more.
Otis Blue - Great voice, classic covers, see if the rarer songs catch me on a few more tries
Judy - holy crap is that audience rapturous. Reminds me of Beatlemania, but the screams are at a much lower register.
Sia - Alive (specifically the last minute) and Space Between are great, but best for me is Sweet Design, which I don't know why they haven't released as a single, except that maybe there's an over-saturation of butt songs? I'm a prude, and hate the songs referenced within the song, but damn if it's not fun and catchy!
Sturgil Simpson - woah, country that's not afraid to step in experimentation and add soul and indie rock. I'm excited to listen again.
Enter the Wu Tang - This goes out to all those who do drive-bys? If I gave Beyonce a hard time, so gotta be hard on these too. Otherwise, musics are good, raps are good, enjoy their goofiness, though dunno if it's intentional or not.
Sweeney Todd - That Todd be grumpy!

[poorpete]

Finishing up this week.

Judy live at Carnegie:

More thoughts tomorrow, but here's a take. I liked “San Francisco." She later plays “Chicago” (ending her concert with it, which really seems to disappoint the Carnegie crowd, there's no good NYC songs, Judy?). Had me thinking, these city songs are just remakes of “New York New York” but was very wrong, as NYNY is a song from the 70s first sung by her daughter Liza. Still. Seems an easy way to make a buck: write a song about a big city with lots of local references in it.

Saint Louis, how you welcomed us,
Saint Louie, how you first kissed me in March,
How we quivered up on that silver arch!
Gateway ooh wee,
on the banks of Mississippi,
St. Louie you’re home!

One million dollars, please.

[poorpete]

22. Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

Radiohead was my favorite band for many years. OK Computer was my obsession, then I went back and heard The Bends, and then that became my obsession. Kid A I liked but I don’t think it’s the best album of this century like some claim. Amnesiac also good, experimental, enveloping experience. Then I went all-in again with Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows. King of Limbs began, and this album continues, a string of very well done but unmemmorable-to-me songs. I mean the first and last songs are classic, but I remember not much of what’s in between, and that’s after four listens. Nothing to hate. Definitely depressing, definitely well made, definitely well sung by Thom, definitely well orchestrated by Johnny.
Standout track: True Love Waits
Standout new-to-me track: Identikit

23. Otis Blue by Otis Redding

The first half is pure joy. Gotta gotta gotta love it. Second half, really feels like “Otis sings karaoke” which is all well and good, as you got Otis singing it, and I like his takes, but they don’t feel like his own. They feel like just covers. Covers done well elsewhere.
Standout track: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
Standout new-to-me track: Ole Man Trouble

24. Live at Carnegie Hall by Judy Garland

My favorite of hers are when the orchestra takes a back seat to the jazz songs. Or just as long as it has a drummer, like in the unforgettable “The Man Who Got Away,” which is probably the highlight of the album. She does her famous song very well, she knows how to milk every little piece of that song, but still prefer her original -- it’s more potent done by a dirt-farming sixteen-year-old.
The Judymania that envelops the audience is pretty awesome. I don’t know if I like it better than the screaming Beatlemania girls because their roars are at a lower register, or because they tend to keep their hysterics to the beginning and end of songs.
“San Francisco” is a very good song. She later plays “Chicago” (ending her concert with it, which really seems to disappoint the Carnegie crowd, you couldn’t do George M Cohan, Judy?). Had me thinking, these city songs are just remakes of “New York New York” but was very wrong, as NYNY is a song from the 70s first sung by her daughter Liza. Still. Seems an easy way to make a buck: write a song about a big city with lots of local references in it. “Saint Louis, how you welcomed us, Saint Louie, how you first kissed me in March, how we quivered up on that silver arch! Gateway wooh wee, on the banks of Mississippi, St. Louie you’re home!” One million dollars, please.
Standout track: The Man that Got Away
Standout new-to-me track: Just You, Just Me

25. Sweeney Todd by Sondheim

In which “By the Sea” plays and I eventually learn the the “I Wish” style of song in musical theater. On third listen, finally getting the humor, especially for “The Worst Pies in London” which is an excellent character introduction. Sweeney, our grumpy antihero, goes through all five stages of insanity. Stage one: crazy, stage two: wacko, stage three: murderer, stage four: mass murderer, stage five: acceptance. Just kidding, he’ll never accept.
Standout track: Worst Pies in London

26. This is Acting by Sia

Talked about this before. I’m picking so many songs that the prude in me would only listen to alone with headphones or at a club (note: i’ve been to maybe one club).
Standout track: Sweet Design

27. A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgil Simpson

Hey hey, it’s the Dap Kings, ready to make any music better! A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is one of those “once-a-decade revist a genre” albums. If you hate a genre of music, once a decade, you must visit an album, just to make sure. For those who hate hip hop, you have to listen to “Hamilton.” If you are still not a fan after, then you get a decade reprieve. I feel this one is that for country-haters. As someone who is not a fan of pickup-truck-commercial vocals or modern pop-country, this album excited me. It was wonderful to hear horns in a country song, to hear discord in a country song, to hear Nirvana in a country song. Add the “I’m a new dad” lyrics, and it feels this album was made to convince me to listen to country more.
Standout track: Keep it Between the Lines

28. Enter the Wu-Tang by Wu-Tang Clan

I love rap posses, and this is a huge one. They are also lots of fun. I love their obsession with old-school Kung-fu movies, which is gangsta and nerdy at the same time. I’m not as much a fan of their skits, especially the one where they’d improvise ways to torture someone.
Standout track: Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthing ta F’ Wit

Currently debating if I'm going to continue with a weekly schedule, or go Monthly. I worry it might be overwelhming but it already is, but getting to listen to 31 albums over 31 days may would let me stay with albums I like longer. Though maybe it's all a wash in the end.

[poorpete]

So I decided to go for the all-February playlist, so I can let some of these albums sit longer with me, theoretically. I'm open to cut some out to make room for something you like.

So, for the next 31 days (starting yesterday), here's my album list:

Original Ragtime - Scott Joplin
The Genius of Ray Charles - Ray Charles
Aja - Steely Dan
Duran Duran - Duran Duran
Last Splash - The Breeders
Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars
25 - Adele

Fragile - Yes
Moon Safari - Air
Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - Skrillex
Give the People What they Want - Sharon Jones
Lazeretto - Jack White
Red - Taylor Swift

20th Century Masters - Billie Holiday
Getz/Gilberto - Jao Gilberto and Stan Getz
Me Against the World - 2Pac
River: The Joni Letters - Herbie Hancock
Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
x - Ed Sheeran
Views - Drake

The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart
The Essential - Nina Simone
Surf's Up - The Beach Boys
Hotel California - Eagles
Brand New Man - Brooks & Dunn
Brown Sugar - D'angelo
Reflector - Arcade Fire

Original Broadway Cast Recording - Kinky Boots
Metallica - Metallica
Toto IV - Toto

[Phoebe]

Love it - I will pick up some of those and substitute where I'm already familiar with the music.

17. Blackstar, David Bowie - I enjoyed this a lot. It bears repeat listens, is pleasant on the ear even when it sounds intentionally jarring, and is complex and interesting. Found myself going back to Lazarus and Dollar Days, which are slower pieces, but the title track is awesome and really all of them are worthy. Somehow he made music that is both straightforward/familiar and totally novel sounding. Lazarus has pretty crazy lyrics when you consider he knew he was dying and that he is now deceased.

18. Bocanada, Gustavo Cerati - I have no idea what this is but I stumbled across it and liked it. The guy (who is also now deceased, unfortunately) is Argentinian and apparently he and his band were a big deal. I don't even know how to classify this, seriously. I guess you'd say all the songs are guitar and vocals driven, but in totally different ways. Some are more like rock with unexpected sampling and experimental sounds, weird drum noises, etc. - others are almost like folk/country but atypically so. The fact that I have no idea how to describe it is a good thing, imo. It's different, interesting, fun - all to the good.

[poorpete]

Was ready to kick out Toto and put in Cerati, but he only has a live album on Amazon Prime, which I'm sticking to, for now, for ease.

I've listened to Blackstar once, so it's in "wish I can listen to again" limbo for me, as far as this challenge is concerned.

[poorpete]

From Cerati, Amazon recommended Natalia Lafourcade, started listening to her latest, and I'm hooked.

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B017JNK ... d4d1-a0d4d

If easy, when you come across an album you like, can you share the link to it?