What My Students Like! (High School Album Review Thread) • Page 3

Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997) - acoustic pop/rock
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn... (1999) - pop
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill - r&b
Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998) - trip-hop
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972) - folk
OutKast - ATLiens (1996) - hip hop
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992) - rock
The Roots - Things Fall Apart (1999) - hip hop

 

THIS IS IT WHAT

 

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967, folk
The Breeders - Pod, 1990, rock
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, 1972, rock
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme, 1965, jazz

 

Nothing to add here except that if I was a 16 year old in high school I'm pretty sure I would remember this assignment forever. This is so cool.

 

Love this assignment! I had my students do something similar in my public speaking class last quarter where I asked them to review their favorite record for the class as one of their weekly speeches. Turns out most of my class loved G Herbo. Here are some 2000s albums that I'd consider essential but still accessible to the average high schooler.

Gorillaz - Demon Days (Alternative / Hip-Hop, 2005)
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak (Hip-Hop, 2008)
The Postal Service - Give Up (Alternative / Pop, 2003)
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (Alt pop / International, 2008)
System of a Down - Toxicity (Metal, 2001)

 

Getting a little pushback in terms of lyrics/content of albums so I might need to rethink a bit of this. I can "suggest" that they check out the censored version of the albums and give a warning, I suppose.

 

Big hits at Junior Prom:
Kendrick Lamar - Element
Young M.a - Ooouuu
A Boogie - Timeless
Hit the Quan
Soulja Boy - Crank Dat?

 

Those reactions to Boys Don't Cry make me very sad

 

what demos are your kids?

 

American Football- American Football (LP1) (Emo/Alternative, 1999)

 

Awesome Idea! Might add more these were my first thoughts. Not sure if school appropriateness is an issue, just was looking along the lines of someone who likes music should hear these things.

Someone asked, but what are the demographics? Upper class, middle class, diverse, urban. It matters. I taught urban kids and tried to put on a Beatles song and they all crazily booed. They love some modern poppy rock songs but if it sounds old, no way so I kind of stuck to music with fun beats when playing stuff in class.

1950's
Elvis
Johnny Cash

1960's
The Temptations - Sing Smokey - 1965, pop
The Beatles - Please Please Me - 1963

1980's
Michael Jackson - Thriller - 1982

1991
Nirvana - Nevermind - 1991
Metallica - Black Album - 1991
Bush - Sixteen Stone 1994
Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up The Girl - 1998
Jewel - Pieces of You - 1995
Alanis Morrissette - Jagged Little Pill - 1995

2001
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American - 2001
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue - 2004?

 

Wonderful idea. Some albums off the top of my head.

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Electronic, 1992)
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (Pop, 1968)
Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt (Country, 1969)
The Clash - London Calling (Punk, 1979)
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (Hip-Hop, 2000)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion (Pop, 2015)
Talking Heads - Remain In Light (New Wave, 1980)
Panasonic - Osasto EP (Electronic, 1996)
Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (Indie Rock, 1997)
Burial - Untrue (Dubstep, 2007)
Daft Punk - Discovery (Electronic, 2001)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Jazz, 1959)
Converge - Jane Doe (Metalcore, 2001)
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (Folk, 1972)
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (Post-Rock, 2003)
Joy Division - Closer (Post-Punk, 1980)
Nas - Illmatic (Hip-Hop, 1994)
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Rock, 1975)
Slayer - Reign in Blood (Metal, 1986)
Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (Pop, 2006)

 

I teach in a relatively diverse class. Pretty equal mix of white, black and latino/latina. Most kids are middle/lower middle class

 

After reading those, this boy is, indeed, crying.

(My favorite was that "The beat is very annoying".)

 

Omg those reactions are amazing it's like the "teens react" videos on YouTube but less annoying because I don't have to hear/see them.

 

look, i love Frank, but lbr, as an artist it's not surprising he's a little too indulgent/vulnerable for kids to fuck with

 

You've got the wrong Boys Don't Cry... haha although you're point still stands. (We're talking about the Cure song)

 

god damn it i even remember almost saying that yesterday before going back and realizing it was the cure, before promptly forgetting it today

 

Haha I get it, I thought it was about Frank at first too (except he ended up changing it to Blonde, so he never actually released something called Boys Don't Cry).

 

Inspired by this (and listening to "God in Chicago" on loop) to do a "story song" lesson at the end of the year in my American lit class. Gotta think about songs to include

 

My favorite "story song" that isn't called "Jungleland" is probably "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream." Was my favorite Dylan song for a bit too before my all-out BOTT obsession set in about five years ago.

 

Good one, but not sure about analyzing it with a class. On the list for consideration though

 

Projects are due on Monday. Today I had a few present one of the albums they chose. I opened it up to allow them to pick other albums that they've never heard but might be interested in.
So far I've seen Gorillaz, Jimmy Eat World, TLC and Christina Aguilera

 

I didn't realize I was one of your students

 

Highlight was me playing Ascension feat. Vince Staples in class