[evollove]

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

Joni Mitchell
Ladies Of The Canyon
Blue
For The Roses
Court And Spark

That's just the conventional wisdom.

Conventional wisdom doesn't care for HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS? The second half is ever so slightly weaker than the first, but it's overall one of my favs. But what do I know? Everyone else must be right.

What's most interesting about Joni, Kate and possibly PJ is that not only are they capable of releasing a string of strong records, but they reinvent themselves along the way. I mean, it's one thing to make three or four good ones in a row. It's another to stretch artistically and veer off into new directions while still producing worthy records. Brave and astonishing, really.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by evollove

Conventional wisdom doesn't care for HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS? The second half is ever so slightly weaker than the first, but it's overall one of my favs. But what do I know? Everyone else must be right.

No, fuck 'em, they're wrong. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns is one of my very favorites — it just completely melts me away (which is a good thing, you follow). Also, I'm not positive about this but I don't think anyone had done something like "The Jungle Line" in "pop" music before her. When I heard Björk's "Earth Intruders" I immediately thought, "The Jungle Line!" (and I dug it, even though I'm not crazy about The Icelandic One). At the time I didn't know she had previously covered "The Boho Dance"... also from Summer Lawns, whaddayaknow.

ANYWAY, yes evollove, the mooks who write this shit's history in a conveniently tidy fashion close Joni's peak-era with Court And Spark, because afterwards she got all, like, pretentiously jazzy and poetic and shit. Morons.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/10hhqf

Originally Posted by evollove

What's most interesting about Joni, Kate and possibly PJ is that not only are they capable of releasing a string of strong records, but they reinvent themselves along the way. I mean, it's one thing to make three or four good ones in a row. It's another to stretch artistically and veer off into new directions while still producing worthy records. Brave and astonishing, really.

Agreed, except for the "possibly" — that's a "definitely" on Harvey.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by evollove

What's most interesting about Joni, Kate and possibly PJ is that not only are they capable of releasing a string of strong records, but they reinvent themselves along the way. I mean, it's one thing to make three or four good ones in a row. It's another to stretch artistically and veer off into new directions while still producing worthy records. Brave and astonishing, really.

Mmhmm. This is one of the most important parts of the equation to me. It's why I prefer Sonic Youth to Fugazi. It's why I see Kanye West as being utterly without rival in the genre of hip-hop. It's why I love and respect the Flaming Lips so much. Even though some of their experiments don't really pan out, they never stop trying new things.

In PJ's discography, there are, like, a minimum of three different PJ's. The Flaming Lips probably shouldn't even be talked about using any umbrella terms to define their sound. Sonic Youth covered so many different styles and sounds that it's truly difficult to describe them to someone who's never heard them. Are they punk? Rock? Noise? Pop? No wave? Improvisational/jam? Sound collagists? Indie rock? Art-punk? Ambient? Yes and no to all of the above.

This is something that goes back to the Beatles, and later Bowie (quite possibly to an even greater degree).

Making album after album of the same old shit is all fine and good, especially if it's done well. But it's got nothing on the kind of systematic world conquering that music's most adventurous artists engage in.

In other words, I love Guided by Voices. Always will. But I don't feel the need to keep more than 2 of their albums on my iPod. Conversely, I wouldn't be able to to last long without direct exposure to the entire catalogue of artists sy, Beatles, Bowie, Lips, Kanye, PJ...

[evollove]

^ I hear where you're coming from, but I think I'm talking about the sort of artistic break from the past that risks alienating the old audience. In fact Kate's breakthrough THE DREAMING got a lukewarm critical reception and poor sales, and people who loved BLUE bailed pretty quickly on poor Joni. Gotta love chicks with balls.

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

https://www.sendspace.com/file/10hhqf

Ha! I'm so happy you have too much free time.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by Severian

It's why I see Kanye West as being utterly without rival in the genre of hip-hop.

Dude, no, look, let's keep the conversation sane. That douchebag doesn't have two decent consecutive SONGS.

[The Soup Nazi]

So why haven't you sons of guns mentioned these?

Roxy Music
Roxy Music
For Your Pleasure
Stranded
Country Life

Brian Eno
Here Come The Warm Jets
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Another Green World
Before And After Science

OK, so there's Discreet Music and Evening Star and Cluster & Eno between them, but you know, this is his, um, "song albums" tetralogy.

Talking Heads
Talking Heads: 77
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Fear Of Music
Remain In Light

Hüsker Dü
Everything Falls Apart
Zen Arcade
New Day Rising
Flip Your Wig

Actually, you could replace Everything Falls Apart with Metal Circus. When an EP is THAT good, why not!

R.E.M.
Chronic Town
Murmur
Reckoning
Fables Of The Reconstruction

See above for EP policy.

The Replacements
Hootenanny
Let It Be
Tim
Pleased To Meet Me

Spoon
Gimme Fiction
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Transference
They Want My Soul


Y'know what, forget four in a row; let's try three. YOU try to make three pièces de résistance in a row. It ain't easy, degenerates!

The Stooges/Iggy & The Stooges
The Stooges
Fun House
Raw Power

Richard & Linda Thompson
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Hokey Pokey
Pour Down Like Silver

Wire
Pink Flag
Chairs Missing
154

Bob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited
Blonde On Blonde

Well, there is a fourth one here: The Basement Tapes Complete, which is beyond an album — it's the motherfucking motherload.

Can
Tago Mago
Ege Bamyasi
Future Days

Public Image, Ltd.
Public Image: First Issue
Metal Box
Flowers Of Romance

[Severian]

I agree with almost all of those too.

Started to get into Hüsker Dü last time I posted, but I had a "really? This is what I'm doing right now?" moment and bailed.

I'd say Spoon's streak extends from A Series of Sneaks straight through to Transference. Maybe even They Want My Soul. That band just makes shit happen. They never fail to surprise me. I never got too heavily into They Want my Soul, but I have a feeling that once I revisit it, I'll love it and forget why I ever had doubts about it.

I have had a luke warm reaction to every Spoon album since Gimme Fiction. Thought, "huh? well this is nothing special" at first... then slowly succumbed to the album until I preferred it to those early classics.

[evollove]

Funny. REM, Talking and PIL occurred to me, and then it occurred to me that I was just listing favorite bands.

BTW, I really don't like 77, barring three or four songs. In my secret world I consider More Songs the first real album. But I'd include Speaking.

And I'd push the REM catalog much further.

Embarrassed I forgot about the Wire trilogy. The rapid growth of that band still makes my head spin.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by evollove

Embarrassed I forgot about the Wire trilogy.

Now I'm embarrassed that I forgot about:

Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur
You're Living All Over Me
Bug

Low
The Curtain Hits The Cast
Secret Name
Things We Lost In The Fire
Trust

Expand that all you want, peoples.

No Age
Weirdo Rippers
Nouns
Everything In Between
An Object

The Smiths
The Smiths
Meat Is Murder
The Queen Is Dead
Strangeways, Here We Come

Bill Callahan
Woke On A Whaleheart
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Apocalypse
Dream River

And that's to say nothing about the, what, 12 albums as Smog? Damn!

Kraftwerk
Autobahn
Radio-Activity
Trans-Europe Express

Neu!
Neu!
Neu! 2
Neu! '75

Pere Ubu
The Modern Dance
Dub Housing
New Picnic Time

My Bloody Valentine
Isn't Anything
Loveless
m b v

Nirvana
Bleach
Nevermind
In Utero

John Cale
Paris 1919
Fear
Slow Dazzle
Helen Of Troy

Randy Newman
Randy Newman
12 Songs
Sail Away
Good Old Boys

Neil Young (Have we not mentioned Neil Young? What the fuck!)
Time Fades Away
On The Beach
Tonight's The Night

Mmmmm, the DOOM... Plenty more records could join his list, of course.

[The Soup Nazi]

Oh crap!

Nick Drake
Five Leaves Left
Bryter Layter
Pink Moon

Man, there's quite a bit of good stuff out there after all...

[Severian]

I wonder what's up with No Age these days.

[Mortte Jousimo]

Some more:

Stooges:
Stooges
Fun House
Raw Power
Metallic K.O.

Can:
Soundtracks
Tago Mago
Ege Bamayasi
Future Days

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds:
From Her to Eternity
Firstborn is dead
Your Funeral
Tender Prey

Tom Waits:
Swordfish
Rain Dogs
Franks
Big Time

Dr. John:
Gris Gris
Babylon
Remedies
Sun, Moon & Herbs

Bauhaus:
in the Flatfield
Mask
Press the Eject
Sky´s Gone Out

[Rob Instigator]

Polvo
Cor-Crane Secret
Today's Active Lifestyles
Exploded Drawing
Shapes

Pavement
Westing by Musket & Sextant ( I COUNT IT! IT IS MY FAVE!!!!)
Slanted & Enchanted
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Wowee Zowee

Phish
Junta
Lawnboy
Picture of Nectar
Rift

Metallica
Kill Em All
Ride The Lightning
Master of Puppets
And Justice for All

[evollove]

XTC

Drums and Wires
Black Sea
English Settlement

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

Polvo

Pavement
Westing by Musket & Sextant ( I COUNT IT! IT IS MY FAVE!!!!)
Slanted & Enchanted
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Wowee Zowee

Of course you count it! You're a good man, and thorough. And it's a badass album straight through. Approve!

Phish
Junta
Lawnboy
Picture of Nectar
Rift

Wait, you're a Phish fan? Thank the lord! I assumed (probably quite fairly) that I would be the only one on SYG.

Now, personally I loathe Picture of Nectar. To me it sounds like a Red Hot Chili Peppers record. Really, it just doesn't fit sonically with the rest of their canon.

But I agree with the rest. I haven't listened to them in ages, but I can't say I don't love the band when they're at their best.

[Rob Instigator]

I thought i was the only one too.....

I get snipers aimin at me when I pop out Phish (or TMBG also....)

[LifeDistortion]

Tori Amos

Little Earthquakes
Under the Pink
Boys For Pele
From the Choirgirl Hotel

Beastie Boys

License To Ill
Paul's Boutique
Check Your Head
Ill Communication

Radiohead

The Bends
Ok Computer
Kid A
Amnesiac

[Drjohnrock]

The Fall:

Dragnet
Grotesque
Slates
Hex Enduction Hour

Creedence Clearwater Revival:

Willie And The Poor Boys
Green River
Cosmo's Factory
Pendulum

Elvis Costello:

My Aim Is True
This Year's Model
Armed Forces
Get Happy!

The Cure:

Three Imaginary Boys/Boys Don't Cry
Seventeen Seconds
Faith
Pornogarphy

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I thought i was the only one too.....

I get snipers aimin at me when I pop out Phish (or TMBG also....)

Sometimes even Phish fans throw shade my way when I confess that Round Room, the Siket Disc and Joy are some of my favorite records by the band.

But I'm not a "Phish Phan" ... I'm not a stereotypical fan. I steer clear of shows and I actually kind of steer clear of fans as well. But when they're hot they're hot, and I think "Rift" is one of the best tracks of the early '90s. That song has tremendous power.

[Mortte Jousimo]

Originally Posted by Drjohnrock

Creedence Clearwater Revival:

Willie And The Poor Boys
Green River
Cosmo's Factory
Pendulum

The Cure:

Three Imaginary Boys/Boys Don't Cry
Seventeen Seconds
Faith
Pornogarphy

YES! Creedence could of course be:
CCR
Bayou Country
Green River
Willie

few more:
Allman Brothers Band:
First
Idlewild South
Fillmore East
Eat a Peach

Ventures:
Ventures in Space
Fabulous Ventures
Walk Don´t run volume 2
The Ventures Knock Me out!

Hendrix:
Are You Experienced
Axis
Electric
Band Of Gypsys

Wigwam:
Fairyport
Being
Live Music From the Twilight Zone
Nuclear Nightclub