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50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house 7.0 (1)

Como véis, todas las hojas son marrones y el cielo está gris, ¡entonces los profesores de música han abierto las puertas de la tesorería! Discutirán allí las siguientes cinco semanas sobre los mejores discos de todos los tiempos, qué fiesta.

Bueno para el cartero, bueno para el estafador, bueno para el lechero, pueden permitirse orgía, ¿pero dondé está DOK? Oh, el Donaldo… ¡está comiendo las albóndigas todos los dias! Sin pánico, todavía quedan tres profesores y… oh, el moco se ha apelmazado contra mis pantalones, ¡se ha convertido en cristal!

Pero bueno, ¿quién detendrá la lluvia y cuáles serán los nuevos números uno? Bob Dylan, Los Beatlos, quizas Radiohead? Oh que elecciones tan difíciles… estoy atrapado en un fuego cruzado que no entiendo. Pero hay una cosa que sé con seguridad chica: si la nieve entierra mi barrio, y si mis padres están llorando, entonces cavaré un túnel desde mi ventana hasta al tuyo… ¡Toma una antorcha y sígueme!

GF
#  Artist Album Year 2017
50 Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning 2005 *
49 Arcade Fire Funeral 2004 22
48 Joy Division Unknown Pleasures 1979 *
47 Tom Waits Closing Time 1973 27
46 David Bowie The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust 1972 31
45 The Cure Pornography 1982 *
44 The Doors The Doors 1967 *
43 Richard and Linda Thompson Shoot Out the Lights 1982 48
42 Shearwater Palo Santo 2006 *
41 Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo’s Factory 1970 *
GvZ
#  Artist Album Year 2017
50 The Mama’s & the Papas If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears 1966 50
49 Tame Impala Innerspeaker 2010 *
48 The Rolling Stones Beggar’s Banquet 1968 *
47 Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson 1971 31
46 Talk Talk Spirit of Eden 1988 *
45 Fruit Bats Echolocation 2001 *
44 John Cale Fear 1974 35
43 Spirit Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus 1970 40
42 Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy 1973 48
41 The Kinks Face to Face 1966 32
RKH
#  Artist Album Year 2016
50 Boards of Canada Music Has the Right to Children 1998 *
49 Lambchop How I Quit Smoking 1996 32
48 The Beta Band The Three E.P.’s 1998 *
47 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 *
46 R.E.M. Murmur 1983 *
45 Love Forever Changes 1967 *
44 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 40
43 Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town 1978 46
42 Pixies Doolittle 1989 30
41 Guided By Voices Bee Thousand 1994 25
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50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house 6.0 (1)

Bought. Here we go:

DOK
#  Artist Album Year 2016
50 Grateful Dead American Beauty 1970 *
49 The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers 1968 *
48 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City 2013 *
47 Beck Odelay 1996 *
46 Queens of the Stone Age Rated R 2000 *
45 George Harrison All Things Must Pass 1970 44
44 Wilco The Whole Love 2011 *
43 Tame Impala Currents 2015 *
42 Eagles Hotel Callifornia 1976 *
41 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin 1969 *
GF
#  Artist Album Year 2014
50 Townes Van Zandt The Late Great Townes Van Zandt 1972 13
49 Björk Homogenic 1997 *
48 Richard and Linda Thompson Shoot Out the Lights 1982 50
47 Tindersticks Waiting for the Moon 2003 *
46 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy I See a Darkness 1999 22
45 Lee Hazlewood  Cowboy in Sweden 1970 16
44 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 *
43 Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker 2016 *
42 Eagles Hotel California 1976 11
41 Joy Division Closer 1980 *
GvZ
#  Artist Album Year 2016
50 The Mamas & the Papas If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears 1966 *
49 The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers 1968 39
48 Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy 1973 *
47 The Mountain Goats The Sunset Tree 2005 44
46 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine 1992 32
45 The Pentangle Basket of Light 1969 *
44 Paul Simon Graceland 1986 35
43 The Olivia Tremor Control Dusk at Cubist Castle 1996 *
42 The New Pornographers Twin Cinema 2005 40
41 Bob Dylan Bringing it All Back Home  1965 *
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Shuffle of the week #46

1. Tindersticks – Cherry Blossoms (Tindersticks II, 1995) [singlepic id=70 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Strings-piano duet from Tindersticks’ (Nottingham) second self-titled album. Lost the band out of sight for a few years but listening this record again a few times proved that I have to regret that, especially the strings on several tracks (recorded at Abbey Road) are intriguing. Imagine that the lyrics were sung in German and it would be the perfect soundtrack for a Stasi movie.

2. Guided By Voices – Exit Flagger (Propeller, 1992) [singlepic id=365 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Dayton’s finest featuring sound wizard Robert Pollard as its only captain, whose characterizing voice kicks in after a classic guitar intro. Propeller was GBV’s fifth album, and the first one that gained them some nationwide attention. Ironically, only 500 copies of it were originally released, all with different, handmade artwork. Another artisanal credit: the intro of the opening track was reenacted by the band itself during the recording sessions.

3. The Troggs – From Home (From Nowhere, 1966) [singlepic id=368 w=80 h=50 float=left]

The Troggs? ‘Wild Thing’, right? Yes, their cover of Chip Taylor’ song will always remain the first thing that crosses into people’s minds when asked after this band (if anything at all comes up, that is). Is there more to say? Yes, The Troggs were a classic mid-sixties British (Andover) four piece band that had eleven other songs on this debut album of which at least eight are to be classified somewhere in between ‘worth listening’ and ‘great song’. However, although much cited as an influence for later garage bands, they have more in common with early Beach Boys and Lennon-McCartney compositions.

4. Pink Floyd – On the Turning Away (A Momentary Lapse of Reason, 1987) [singlepic id=128 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Roger Waters left Floyd in 1985 after using it as a vehicle for his personal trilogy Animals, The Wall and The Final Cut. Gilmour and Mason asked Richard Wright to rejoin the band and together they proved (with this album) what Waters probably believed to be impossible: that Pink Floyd without Waters would still be a more successful act than Waters on his own. One of the better songs on the album, including typical Gilmour solos and biting backing vocals.

5. Vampire Weekend – Walcott (Vampire Weekend, 2008) [singlepic id=160 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Probably the best song on this terrific debut album. Affirming what was stated last time.

 

6. The Byrds – Tribal Gathering (The Notorious Byrd Brothers, 1968) [singlepic id=367 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Great Crosby song, that could as well have been appeared on his later projects Crosby, Stills & Nash or Déjà Vu. Not surprisingly, these projects were started right after this album, as he was already fired at the release of it, giving the horse the opportunity to feature the cover of one of rock’s greatest albums. Melody and experimentation dance with each other, while Gary Usher’s production completely wiped the underlying tensions (drummer Michael Clarke also left the band and former member Gene Clark made a temporary comeback of three weeks).

7. Tame Impala – The Bold Arrow of Time (Innerspeaker, 2010) [singlepic id=97 w=80 h=50 float=left]

From the debut of this Australian (Perth) band, if you want to call it a band because it’s a one man project. Kevin Parker recorded the vocals and most of the instrumentation on this album, that sounds like 13th Floor Elevators walking into a 2010 studio.

8. Lambchop – Popeye (OH (Ohio), 2008) [singlepic id=184 w=80 h=50 float=left]

American equivalent of today’s opener, with a song from their tenth album. Eventually sounds like a hit sensitive song featuring a catchy ‘lalala’ chorus, but halfway it suddenly transforms into an Afghan Whigs track, somehow cleverly combined with a southern touch. Interesting.

9. Creedence Clearwater Revival – It Came Out of the Sky (Wily and the Poor Boys, 1969) [singlepic id=5 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Although John Fogerty could also offer you a serious jam when he wanted to (only think of ‘Susie Q’), it was especially after the fog above the psychedelic San Francisco was cleared that CCR claimed most of its fame. A roots sound started to dominate the American rock scene, led by this band and The Band.

10. The Bees – No Trophy (Sunshine Hit Me, 2002) [singlepic id=366 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Must have been over five years since I heard this. British band from the Isle of Wight, led by Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher. Sounds Caribean, but is also perfectly served on a European summer morning underneath a tree.

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Shuffle of the week #7

This is an ode to the shuffle. How better to get a good insight in your digitized album collection than by a classic shuffle? Finally discover the albums you never got into, finally throw the ones away you will never get into and worship those classics that never grow old again. The Shuffle of this week:

[singlepic id=91 w=80 h=50 float=left]1.    Arctic Monkeys – When the Sun Goes Down (Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, 2006)
If the shuffle is trying to give hints the past couple of times, than it wants me to start listening to the Arctic Monkeys again for some reason. It’s been a while, but I’m gonna listen to this album the next couple of weeks (update: never underestimate a good debut album, this still is a great one).

2.    Wilco – Poor Places (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002) [singlepic id=98 w=80 h=50 float=left]
Penultimate track of the album I basically don’t know good enough (update: fan!), while I did  play the life out of their last album (The Whole Love) last year. For me this is one of those rare contemporary bands that keeps improving itself throughout their career and explores new directions.

3.    Arcade Fire – My Body Is A Cage (Neon Bible, 2007) [singlepic id=90 w=80 h=50 float=left]
The shuffle keeps floating through the recent past with the third track from the zeroes in a row. A band that made a great impression with its debut, but of which I actually can’t say whether they continued in the same way. I realize at this actual moment that a lot of recent albums are catching dust in my virtual record cabinet.

4.    Tame Impala – Solitude Is Bliss (Innerspeaker, 2010) [singlepic id=97 w=80 h=50 float=left]
On the other side, new recent albums are still added from time to time. This one for example, from a band that released its second album last year. However, for me personally, this debut album was one of the albums of that year, since I discovered it with a two-year delay thanks to DJ Grinder. At its best when cycling through a sunny city.

5.    Beirut – In the Mausoleum (The Flying Cup Club, 2007) [singlepic id=92 w=80 h=50 float=left]
The shuffle really makes a survey of the past ten years, not missing out this wonderful song from Beirut.

 

6.    Pink Floyd – See Saw (A Saucerful of Secrets, 1968) [singlepic id=95 w=80 h=50 float=left]
Finally we jump into the rich past of music history with this mysterious track from an even more mysterious album. I’m listening to this album some couple of weeks now, and it has really become one of my favorite Floyd albums. It incited me to make a poll about this, so please share your opinion.

7.    Grizzly Bear – Southern Point (Veckatimest, 2009) [singlepic id=93 w=80 h=50 float=left]
And back to our musical overview of the past ten years with this track from the third album of this Brooklyn-based band. It’s the opening track, and also one of the best with some nice instrumental parts.

 

8. Ray Charles – One Mint Julep (single, 1961) [singlepic id=96 w=80 h=50 float=left]
At first I thought Booker T. and the MG’s were kicking in again, but it turned out to be mister Charles. This is the version that finally claimed some fame for this song, in a swinging instrumental way. Original song by Rudy Toombs.

9. Meat Puppets – Violet Eyes (Too High to Die, 1994) [singlepic id=94 w=80 h=50 float=left]
Abrupt transition than when we suddenly land into the grunge of the Meat Puppets. Also the opening track of the album.

 

10. Yim Yames – Long, Long, Long (Tribute To, 2009) [singlepic id=99 w=80 h=50 float=left]
And the shuffle closes in a beautiful way with this cover from Jim James, the lead singer of My Morning Jacket, of this White Album track from George Harrison. This album, which is an entire tribute to this former Beatle, is hardly recommended by yours truly. If you’re not acquainted with it, only imagine this guy singing songs like ‘My Sweet Lord’ en ‘Love You  To’.