February is Music Writer Exercise Month #MWE • Page 65

I always say that Kurt Cobain would love this album. I have no evidence to back it up, but it’s just so raw. Second favorite Wax

 

Thundercat - The Golden Age of Apocalypse

Just on the right side of out there for me. He’s considered one of the best for a reason. Having only heard the more recent albums, it’s fun to hear the threads coming together

 

This is only the second one I've heard. Figured I should bone up on the back catalog in anticipation of her new record. Where should I go next?

 

Also, yesterday was busy and I didn't have time to post!

 

Out In The Storm, where she again does something completely different extremely well. “Recite Remorse” is an all timer in her catalog.

 

The Gap Band - The Gap Band IV

Absolutely massive record. Hit after hit after hit after hit. I have no clue how I could’ve gone this long without this popping up on my radar. An instant must listen. I have no clue what else to say other than “this is the best” over and over again

 

I love that Gloria Record album. The opening tracks, Start Here leading into Good Morning Providence always puts me in a good mood.

I’m a day off already, so listened to Last Splash by The Breeders. I like Pixies a good deal, so not sure why I’d never listened to anything by The Breeders, but knew I’d probably love it.

It’s all very straightforward 3 minute pop rock songs, done in that distinctive 90s alternative production. The songwriting is really strong, and I love the guitar tones. Just really fun, throw it on at any point and have a good time, rock music.

Will definitely be back for more soon.

 

I have always wanted to like her but always inevitably find her a little....plastic? There's just something artificial in her version of the soul shouter to me.

 

There was “controversy” about her in the UK that despite being British she’d sing, and even speak, in an American accent, which rubbed people up the wrong way.

 

Today is Love Deluxe by Sade, and I really liked this. There’s some trip hop, Massive Attack / Portishead beats here, with Sade’s beautiful voice.

It’s all done at a low tempo, without any big singles or choruses, but cultivates such a great vibe throughout. Lovely stuff here.

 

I figured I'd drop off on the weekends. I have time to listen and jot down some notes in my phone, but never time to post anything. Here's Saturday and Sunday. I'll post today's a bit later...

Billy Joel - Storm Front - I swapped this in for Sixpence None the Richer because I wasn't feeling that one at all and Joel was on the mind because of the new song. In the grand scheme, this is probably my least favorite of his that I've heard (still have to listen to River of Dreams), but I don't really have any gripes with it. I've always thought that "We Didn’t Start The Fire" was a jam and probably hit that generation so hard. The way he sings "JFK blown away, what else do I have to say" still gives me goosebumps. "The Downeastern Alexa" is very cool. I really like how it’s carried by his vocals with sparse instrumentation for most of it. And finally, "And So It Goes" is a gorgeous closer and probably the best song on the album. I feel like that melody is an old hymn or very, very close to one, but I couldn't place it.

Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station - Well, holy shit. I honestly cannot believe that I've never really listened to this band. Where was this when I was smoking weed all the time? I’ve been a long time fan of American Beauty, but for whatever reason I just never went digging around the rest of their catalogue. “Estimated Prophet” hooked me immediately. Awesome guitar work. Awesome vocals. Awesome song. Favorite on the album. "Dancin In the Streets" didn’t grab me as much, but I was all the way back in with the rest of the album. The bass line on “Samson and Delilah;” everything about “Sunrise,” particularly when they go all in about half way through the song. "Terrapin Station Medley" is maybe a touch long for me, but overall: Love it, love it, love it. Where do I go from here?

 

Yeah, I don't disagree. I don't like to throw away the "industry plant" term, because that's usually bullshit, but something about this one definitely felt a little manufactured to me.

 

From a man known to be kind cynical and guarded in his music, “And So It Goes” is breathtakingly open-hearted.

I don’t doubt her sincere commitment to the genre. She seemed to stick with it. She just couldn’t deliver it in a way that convinced me

 

Did not dig the Labradford album. Realized I had listened to Oval before and really do like this.

 

Peter Murphy - Deep
Another one where I'm not sure how it wound up on my 2Listen playlist, but I really dug it. Never a huge Bauhaus guy (didn't even realize that he was the singer until I looked him up while listening). "Crystal Wrists" was probably the standout, but I enjoyed it all.

 

U2 - War

Full disclosure: I'm not really a fan of U2. I keep trying different albums because it seems like so many albums I love will have a review where someone says something about the influence of U2 or compares the band to U2 in one way or another, so I go listen to another U2 album to see what I'm missing. Why don't I like a band that on paper I should love?

Last year I listened to All That You Can't Leave Behind and that was probably the closest I’ve come to "getting it" with one song I legitimately love ("Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of") and a couple others that are pretty good. War might actually be the best I’ve heard overall at this point. The relevance of the opening lines of the album aren’t lost on me. Oh, how I wish I could look away. There are quite a few songs I do like on here and I seemed to like it more the more I listened, but there's nothing I loved as much as "Stuck in a Moment." We’ll see how much I come back to it, though.

"New Years Day" is probably the only song I knew going into it and was my favorite on my initial listen. "The Refugee" is such a great 80s song. “40” is great to close it out and ultimately gave "New Years Day" a run for its money.

All caught up now

 

It really is a fantastic song. I've gone back to it multiple times since finishing the album.

Also, I listened to Otis Blue and Dictionary of Soul, both great, but the latter is on a whole different level. I loved the way the trumpet (pretty sure it's a trumpet, could be a sax, I guess) takes "our" place in "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa." And "Tennessee Waltz" punched me right in the gut. The way he sings in nearly got me choked up when I first heard it. Just a phenomenal album.

 

The Sam Cooke and Otis Redding versions of Tennessee Waltz are such a great example of how a singer can entirely change the emotion of a song.

Cooke’s version is swinging and wistful, a reminiscing of youth and young love, but it’s all about the glorious Tennessee Waltz, which he remembers.

Otis’ version is the exact opposite, mournful with a real sense of loss there, having his sweetheart stolen from him.

 

Listening to Cooke's version now. This is awesome. I like this almost as much as Redding's! I have to listen to more from Cooke, I think the only other song I've heard from him is "You Send Me," because I loved Redding's version so much. If I hit any walls with any of the albums on my list, I'll sub in an album from Sam Cooke.

 

I’m sure I’ve typed this before on this site but the most beautiful thing with Sam is you can throw on Live at the Copa and hear one of the most charmingly smooth singers in the world at his best, and then throw on Live at the Harlem Square Club and hear the most gutbucket growl on vinyl. He really contained multitudes

 

The live albums that Chris recommended above are brilliant, but if you do fancy a studio album, Ain’t That Good News is a masterpiece.