scaryblog

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time... #285 : Third/Sister Lovers - Big Star (1978 ) Big Star’s first two albums were crisp power-pop full of bright Sixties melodies. Their third album very much wasn’t. The band recorded it, their final LP, in 1974, but it didn’t get released until 1978, in part because singer Alex Chilton sounds like he’s having a nervous breakdown. It’s a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads such as “Take Care,” “Nighttime,” and “Blue Moon.” Even when they’re more optimistic, the songs almost seem to disintegrate as they unfold, finally collapsing into the sublime apocalypse of the album-closing “Kanga Roo.” Our third visit with Big Star, who I was previously unaware of but I'd enjoyed their melodic pop efforts.  But, as Rolling Stone says, "one of these things is not the same" - whilst it sounds reductive to say he's having a nervous breakdown, it does feel like it wouldn't have hur...

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time... #288 : The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1976 ) Jonathan Richman moved from Boston to New York as a teenager in hopes of sleeping on Lou Reed’s couch. That influence shows on the two-chord anthem “Roadrunner.” Recorded in 1972 but not released until 1976,  Lovers  turned the tough sounds of the Velvets into an ode to suburban romanticism. “Rock & roll was about stuff that was natural,” Richman said. “I wasn’t about drugs and space.” Songs like “Pablo Picasso,” “Girl Friend,” and “Dignified and Old” touched generations of punk and indie-rock innocents. Jonathan Richman is one of those names that pops up reasonably frequently in discussions of music around this period, but I must admit his output has passed me by, but that didn't stop me having a suspicion I wasn't exactly going to like it.  And having listened to it, I can confirm I exactly don't like it - and the reason for ...

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time... #291 : The Writing's On The Wall - Destiny's Child (1999 ) Looking back now, Destiny’s Child seem like the last gasp of the R&B vocal group, a tradition that was swept out of the mainstream in the 2000s. On this kinetic, shattering album, the group — especially a wunderkind named Beyoncé Knowles — took a more hands-on approach to writing and producing, helping to craft juddering club singles like “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Bug a Boo.” The ballad “Say My Name” quickly became a modern standard. I wouldn't describe myself as a huge DC fan, but I was aware of some of their slightly better known singles (there have been a few of them, after all) and I'd go as far as saying I generally liked them.  But I'd never experienced a full album of theirs, so was interested to see how it went.  However, before we get to the album, we have to talk about that intro.  I'm really not convi...

Oh look - there's another  list  in The Guardian I feel the need to scoff at - sorry, I mean write up so you can consider whether it might help you get through this difficult period.  This one is "56 tried and tested ways to beat lockdown boredom".  They are mostly tried and tested by "celebrities" or Guardian columnists, apparently - but it's safe to assume a fair proportion of them are also idiots, so obviously I name and shame them. 1. Draw your partner Go for it if you want to - what's the worst that can happen?  More boredom, rows and divorce, I guess - but at least you'll have something to remember them by. 2. Have a chutney-tasting competition Hmmm - I'm slightly concerned we've gone peak-Guardian too early here.  And surely they should have had "Have a chutney-making competition" first?!?  Shame on you, Mel Giedroyc. 3. Play online chess I do this, so I am unable to scoff - so I'll have to leave you to do so for me. 4. F...

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time... #294 : Weezer (The Blue Album) - Weezer (1994 ) When it came out, Weezer’s debut was regarded as a quirky power-pop album with a couple of hit singles. The song’s were so catchy that some indie rockers wondered if they were put together by a record company, Monkees-style. But Rivers Cuomo’s band became a major influence on a whole generation of young sad-sack punkers. “People see us now as this credible band, and they assume we always were credible,” says Cuomo. “But, man, we could not have been more hated on when we came out.” I liked "Buddy Holly" at the time and nearly bought this album several times back in the day - but somehow the planets never quite aligned and I never even got round to listening to it, so was interested to finally catch up with it.  And, I was really quite surprised by the outcome - I totally wasn't expecting to hate it as much as I did.  It reminds me of the ...

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time... #297 : So - Peter Gabriel (1986 ) Peter Gabriel got funky on the 1982 single “Shock the Monkey,” and it took him four years to follow up the hit. The similarly visceral “Sledgehammer” slammed  So  into the mainstream, and its hold on radio and MTV deepened with the upbeat “Big Time,” the gothic love ballad “In Your Eyes” (beautifully employed by filmmaker Cameron Crowe in  Say Anything ), and the inspirational “Don’t Give Up,” a duet with Kate Bush, who was shown locked in a five-minute embrace with Gabriel in the video. Yes, I'm slightly  aware of this album - if you went to uni in the late 80s then you'll have done well to avoid it.  It feels like if you're not going to like it, the main reason is likely to be overexposure to the "Sledgehammer" video (you're not allowed to not like "Don't Give Up" though - just don't go there).  Personally, I like the a...