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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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50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house 2.0 (4): 35-31

Going up in our lists with another fine selection of records this week. We ran into some of them already, like The Magnolia Electric Co and Tea for the Tillerman, which are shared by DOK and RKH. The lists of GvZ and RKH to the contrary barely have anything in common to this point, best illustrated by their number of albums from  the sixties: 13 versus… 1 (The Velvet Underground & Nico).

DOK:

31. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
32. Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
33. Jethro Tull – Thick As A Brick (1972)
34. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
35. Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

GvZ:

31. (26)  The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
32. (41)  Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (1968)
33. (31)  The Band – Music from Big Pink (1968)
34. (9)    The Beatles – Rubber Soul (1965)
35. (19)  The Move – Shazam (1970)

RKH:

31. (20)  Prince – Purple Rain (1984)
32. (34)  Santana – Abraxas (1970)
33. (10)  Lee Hazlewood – Cowboy in Sweden (1970)
34. (36)  Song:Ohia – The Magnolia Electric Co (2003)
35. (32)  Pixies – Doolittle (1989)

However, a similarity shows up this week, as both professors present one  of their top ten albums from last year, dropping into the lower regions. The Beatles’ Rubber Soul is one of them, together with DOK’s Sgt. Pepper being the first albums from the Fab Four. Another remarkable choice: the legendary Thick As A Brick, a personal favorite from the local record magnate. Has the 50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house recently become a victim of a powerful lobby?

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50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house (5): 30-26

Contributed by RKH
BLASPHEMY!

We’re halfway now in our trip to find out what albums are regarded fundamentally important before becoming an house-owner. And frankly, these lists from our two professors couldn’t be further apart at this point.

RKH:

26. DJ Shadow – Endtroducing….. (1996)
27. Patti Smith – Horses (1975)
28. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
29. Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead (1970)
30. Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)

GvZ:

26. The Byrds –  The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
27. Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
28. Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde (1966)
29. Traveling Wilburys – Vol.1 (1988)
30. Simon&Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Waters (1970)

Dr. RKH shows an almost insulting disregard for the sixties and appears to have some unexplainable fetish with the nineties this week. Granted, albums like OK Computer and Entroducing….. are hallmark albums who gave music a new direction; hell, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is even featured in the design of this website! But still, Dr. GvZ is deeply disappointed in his colleague, especially because he already admitted to -spoilers!- not including The Notorious Byrd Brothers in his list. He even spoke words of blasphemy.