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Post by Kapitan on Aug 21, 2020 18:37:29 GMT
The "demo" is my favorite of the three!
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Post by kds on Aug 21, 2020 18:45:39 GMT
The "demo" is my favorite of the three! I think it's a good album, but from his run from 1973-84, it's probably my least favorite.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 21, 2020 18:49:35 GMT
I definitely rate it far, far above the first two. I can see arguments after that, though I personally love it maybe most of all of his albums.
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Post by kds on Aug 21, 2020 18:51:52 GMT
For me, it's almost a tie between Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. I might give the slight edge to Born to Run, because it's in the running for the best combination of opening / closing songs of any album.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 21, 2020 18:56:37 GMT
It is an absolutely spectacular album.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Aug 22, 2020 15:30:53 GMT
Too many to list, but here are a few: Tom Petty - I’m in mid-deep dive as we speak. Not chronologically, but I’m really enjoying him. Bruce Springsteen - was going through his catalogue chronologically and got as far as Born in the USA, which I was already familiar with, and then fell off the wagon. It’s time to get back on, methinks. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts you have regarding both of their catalogs - songs or albums you liked or disliked, which Petty albums you've checked out, expectations met/unmet, etc. With Tom Petty, I'll start by saying up until recently I was always biased toward his late 80s - mid 90s output, which is pretty clearly due to my being a teenager during those years. So albums like Full Moon Fever (my enduring favourite), Into the Great Wide Open, Wildflowers, as well as the Greatest Hits (Mary Jane's Last Dance blew my mind then, and it still blows my mind now) were all familiar to me and part of my standard listening repertoire. After having the now sacred pleasure of seeing him perform with the Heartbreakers in 2017, a couple of months before he died, I knew I was going to familiarize myself with the rest of his works eventually. But it took me a while to get going. So far I've listened to... The TP&HB's debut, which I found to be kind of a thrill! That opener (Rockin’ Around) is just perfect, the energy sustains itself as the album goes on. It feels like the super strong, super clear blueprint for everything that would come after. Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll is so fun. Honestly the whole album is a blast. And ending with American Girl is genius. It's like the cliffhanger that tells you there is so much more incredible music to come. I skipped the follow up and went to Damn the Torpedoes because of my affection for the song Refugee. Oddly I think because DTT contains a greater number of familiar songs it didn't thrill me as much as the debut, but that doesn't mean I didn't love it, it's a fantastic album, not a band song to be found. And it spawned a new favourite - What Are You Doin’ In My Life? Hard Promises - I thought this one was good, but not great. The Waiting is a classic song, but the rest of the album didn't quite deliver that same level of goodness. It was a little lacklustre I guess, just didn't rock as much. Nightwatchman threw me a bit. A Thing About You is much more in line with what I was expecting and I quite like that one. The closer, You Can Still Change Your Mind is rather dreamy, I like that one too. The big surprise was my affection for Southern Accents. I never see it discussed much as a classic TP&HB’s album, but I found it to be absolutely wonderful! I guess it automatically piqued the part of my brain that is drawn to “the boogie”. Lots of personality, a bit quirky, not your standard TP but a lot of interesting things happening. I'm sure these songs have their detractors but Ain't Nothin' To Me, Make It Better and Mary's New Car are so groovy, so funky, I just loved them immediately. Not sure where I'm headed next - maybe Long After Dark. Unless you have a recommendation in mind!
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Aug 22, 2020 16:00:26 GMT
With Springsteen, I was on that kick about a year and half ago, and it's been awhile since I've listened to those albums, but I do have a fondness for the E Street Band material. My two favourites would be The Wild, the Innocent and The E Street Shuffle, and Born to Run. Nebraska has some wonderful songs on it and it's lovely to hear mellow Bruce, but just not what I think of, when I think of what I love about Springsteen. I couldn't get into Asbury Park. The River is one that I need to revisit, for sure though. There are some great songs, but so many of them, and it left me feeling a bit like it was too much. Too much of a good thing? In early listenings, I think that can happen!
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 22, 2020 17:28:12 GMT
Last night I watched on YouTube a doc about the Turtles. I had very little background with them, basically just knowing "Happy Together" and Flo & Eddie's post-Turtles career with Frank Zappa in the early '70s.
I was surprised to find how much of the music I enjoyed. So I might dig a little further into their catalog (by which I mean beyond one or two songs, I guess!).
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Post by B.E. on Aug 22, 2020 18:16:28 GMT
With Tom Petty, I'll start by saying up until recently I was always biased toward his late 80s - mid 90s output, which is pretty clearly due to my being a teenager during those years. So albums like Full Moon Fever (my enduring favourite), Into the Great Wide Open, Wildflowers, as well as the Greatest Hits (Mary Jane's Last Dance blew my mind then, and it still blows my mind now) were all familiar to me and part of my standard listening repertoire. That was a strong period. You also had the Traveling Wilburys albums, too. It's cool that Tom Petty held off on a Greatest Hits comp as long as he did. As a result, it's a truly great compilation. It's pretty remarkable, too, that he was able to write a hit to order in "Mary Jane's Last Dance". One of his most popular songs. After having the now sacred pleasure of seeing him perform with the Heartbreakers in 2017, a couple of months before he died, I knew I was going to familiarize myself with the rest of his works eventually. I'm glad you were able to see him and that he made a great impression. I saw him twice and both shows were fantastic. The TP&HB's debut, which I found to be kind of a thrill! That opener (Rockin’ Around) is just perfect, the energy sustains itself as the album goes on. It feels like the super strong, super clear blueprint for everything that would come after. Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll is so fun. Honestly the whole album is a blast. And ending with American Girl is genius. It's like the cliffhanger that tells you there is so much more incredible music to come. Couldn't agree more. And not to just list every song, but I love the popular "Breakdown" and I think "Fooled Again" and especially "Hometown Blues" are hidden gems. I just love the attitude that Tom projects in so many of his songs - starting here and continuing throughout his career. I skipped the follow up and went to Damn the Torpedoes because of my affection for the song Refugee. Oddly I think because DTT contains a greater number of familiar songs it didn't thrill me as much as the debut, but that doesn't mean I didn't love it, it's a fantastic album, not a bad song to be found. And it spawned a new favourite - What Are You Doin’ In My Life? You won't be disappointed when you get around to You're Gonna Get It. Speaking of that attitude, look no further than the title track - I LOVE it! I might prefer the debut slightly but I think the follow up is just about as good. I think of the first two albums as companion pieces. They're kinda punk, aren't they? Damn The Torpedoes is fantastic, but I get where you're coming from. I feel like I take it for granted. It's also only got 9 songs (and half of them are so familiar). But, whenever I listen to it my jaw hits the floor. It's a classic. And, before I even read it, I knew you were gonna shout out "What Are You Doin' In My Life". It's another hidden gem. And it's SO fun! Hard Promises - I thought this one was good, but not great. The Waiting is a classic song, but the rest of the album didn't quite deliver that same level of goodness. It was a little lacklustre I guess, just didn't rock as much. Nightwatchman threw me a bit. A Thing About You is much more in line with what I was expecting and I quite like that one. The closer, You Can Still Change Your Mind is rather dreamy, I like that one too. Again, I think I understand where you're coming from. I think it's an understated album. One that improves with repeated listens. "The Waiting" definitely stands out, I think. "Nightwatchman" is kinda weird, but I've grown to like that. If you give it another listen pay close attention to the bass in the final third of the song - it's nifty as hell! Following it with "Something Big" was questionable. Another somewhat weird track, but I love his vocal performance. It's got a bit of a snarl goin', and it fits the seedy atmosphere of the song perfectly. I still don't know what exactly it's about, but I think the vocal performance makes it work. These aren't top-shelf Petty songs, though, of course. I think "Kings Road" is the type of song that might seem like a generic Petty rocker, but grows on you over time. "A Thing About You" is pretty remarkable, I think. The chorus is probably my least favorite part but it's got that punk vibe which reminds me of his earlier albums. What I love is the dynamic verses. How he alternates between singing softly (including harmonizing with himself in later verses) and leaping up with intensity. Then there's that cool start-stop section in the middle and a nice tag. Great attention to detail. Aside from songs like that, though, the album doesn't seem to rock quite as much as you'd expect - I definitely agree about that. But, I can't live without "Insider", so there's that. The big surprise was my affection for Southern Accents. I never see it discussed much as a classic TP&HB’s album, but I found it to be absolutely wonderful! I guess it automatically piqued the part of my brain that is drawn to “the boogie”. Lots of personality, a bit quirky, not your standard TP but a lot of interesting things happening. I'm sure these songs have their detractors but Ain't Nothin' To Me, Make It Better and Mary's New Car are so groovy, so funky, I just loved them immediately. Cool! Glad you dug it. I'm one of those people not talking about it, I think. The '80s production probably annoys me a little more than you, but I really do enjoy most of the album anyway. You're spot on - it's got personality, a bit of quirkiness. One of my least favorite Petty albums, but I still like it. Not sure where I'm headed next - maybe Long After Dark. Unless you have a recommendation in mind! I think you should listen to You're Gonna Get It and Long After Dark before moving on to any later albums. LAD is a personal favorite of mine. That probably has a lot to do with it being my most listened to album of senior year of high school. So, it's very nostalgic for me. That said, it ROCKS. More than Hard Promises. So, you might like it more. I also think it's sequenced better. I'll have more to say about it after hearing what you think. Happy listening!
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Post by B.E. on Aug 22, 2020 18:35:39 GMT
The River is one that I need to revisit, for sure though. There are some great songs, but so many of them, and it left me feeling a bit like it was too much. Too much of a good thing? In early listenings, I think that can happen! Definitely. You know, I think I'll try to create a single album version of The River. Will probably be impossible, but its length can be daunting.
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Post by B.E. on Aug 22, 2020 18:41:28 GMT
Despite being a huge Bruce fan, I'd hesitate to call myself a fan of his first two albums. I really get interested with Born To Run, but it's the run of Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, Nebraska, and Born in the USA that I favor. Those aren't just my favorite Bruce albums, but some of my all-time favorite albums. Ranking them might not be possible. My interest remains high through 1992 (Tunnel Of Love, Human Touch, and Lucky Town), but after that it lessens (though far from disappears!).
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Aug 25, 2020 12:50:31 GMT
Yes! I knew I was forgetting something. It's so fully formed, no seeds being sown, just the full grown goods! Really looking forward to this! To be fair, because it wasn't love on first listen I haven't given it much of a chance. It could be a grower, it's been known to happen. So while it's not high on my priority list, I'm sure at some point I will go back to it and see if it feels any different. Thanks! You're Gonna Get It sounds like exactly the right TP album to listen to next
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 8, 2021 15:03:49 GMT
Old thread I'm using somewhat ironically...
I was listening to a recent KISS podcast that got off onto a Motley Crue tangent. This year is Motley's 40th anniversary, and like any modern band, that means a chance to sell fans a bunch of overpriced crap.
Among the overpriced crap available for anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand dollars (!) are plaques made to resemble platinum albums. On display are the covers of Too Fast For Love, Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain, Girls Girls Girls, Dr. Feelgood, Generation Swine, Saints of Los Angeles, Greate$t Hit$, and The Dirt soundtrack. The implication is that this is the band's discography.
But not only does it selectively include repackagings by using only those latter two I've listed as opposed to other options, the careful observer will notice that the studio albums aren't all represented. There are two omissions for which, upon a moment's reflection, the logic is obvious. It isn't anything to do with actually being a platinum album (which one could be forgiven for thinking). No, the missing albums are Motley Crue (1994) and New Tattoo (2000).
What do these albums have in common?
Replacement band members. John Corabi replaced Vince Neil on the the 1994 album, and Randy Castillo replaced Tommy Lee on the 2000 album.
The impression the band gives here is a bit of a whitewashing, as if those four guys were the band from 1981 onward, and this is the band's output. I don't like it...and not only because hundreds to thousands of dollars for fake platinum albums is a huge rip off. I don't like the implied rewriting of history to make a more band-friendly story.
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Post by kds on Feb 8, 2021 15:14:52 GMT
Old thread I'm using somewhat ironically...
I was listening to a recent KISS podcast that got off onto a Motley Crue tangent. This year is Motley's 40th anniversary, and like any modern band, that means a chance to sell fans a bunch of overpriced crap.
Among the overpriced crap available for anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand dollars (!) are plaques made to resemble platinum albums. On display are the covers of Too Fast For Love, Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain, Girls Girls Girls, Dr. Feelgood, Generation Swine, Saints of Los Angeles, Greate$t Hit$, and The Dirt soundtrack. The implication is that this is the band's discography.
But not only does it selectively include repackagings by using only those latter two I've listed as opposed to other options, the careful observer will notice that the studio albums aren't all represented. There are two omissions for which, upon a moment's reflection, the logic is obvious. It isn't anything to do with actually being a platinum album (which one could be forgiven for thinking). No, the missing albums are Motley Crue (1994) and New Tattoo (2000).
What do these albums have in common?
Replacement band members. John Corabi replaced Vince Neil on the the 1994 album, and Randy Castillo replaced Tommy Lee on the 2000 album.
The impression the band gives here is a bit of a whitewashing, as if those four guys were the band from 1981 onward, and this is the band's output. I don't like it...and not only because hundreds to thousands of dollars for fake platinum albums is a huge rip off. I don't like the implied rewriting of history to make a more band-friendly story.
I can't say that's too surprising. When the band reunited back in 2005, those two albums were the only ones not represented in the setlist. I actually think New Tattoo is pretty decent. And, while I'm not a fan of the self titled album, I think it's miles better than Generation Swine. But, I'm with you. I don't really believe in that sort of revisionist history. It's kind of the same with The Beach Boys and Summer in Paradise, the only album whose artwork was not represented in the C50 Tour Program, and their only full length LP not available on Spotify.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 8, 2021 15:31:06 GMT
I can absolutely respect a band's right to promote whatever of their work they want: if you're going to make a greatest hits comp and you hate an album or two, fine, skip 'em.
But if you're showing something that's obviously being presented as a full discography (whether explicitly saying so or not), I think you ought to be honest about it.
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