You were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day...
21.02.08 : Take Off Your Pants And Jacket - Blink 182 (2001)
I have heard of Blink 182 (I'm not a monster, you know) so I was expecting something fun, tight but disposable - and there's nothing wrong with that. And yeah, it's all perfectly fine - but the problem I have with Blink 182 is that they have "All The Small Things" in their repertoire and it's hard to know what they can do to top that. And there was nothing here that made me change my mind on that - generally quite enjoyable, but personally very inessential. I like the simple but recognisable album cover though.
The channel gave this thirteen thumbs up (that might be a record), two jeans and two coats (we're supposed to be taking them off, not putting them on). And I think it's fair to say it was popular with some of the older members, taking them back to a time when they were slightly younger than they are now. Wikipedia has a huge amount on the album (254 milliPeppers) - I must admit I haven't read it all (I've not got all day you know!). I was amused that the band didn't have a name for the album and the guitar tech came up with the solution and as a thank you they offered him the grand total of $500 - he sued and got $10k, which seems reasonable given that the album sold 14 million copies. Apparently recording the album wasn't the happiest time with the band all arguing amongst themselves over everything but the results were reasonably well received critically and very well commercially - #1 in the US and #4 in the UK.
"Customers also listened to" Good Charlotte and Sum 41 - we're not venturing too far off the highway there, are we? This is a fine example of the genre for me though - it's just that the genre isn't something I need too many fine examples of in my life.
21.02.09 : Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975)
And another one I've heard before - only an eight day gap this time.
The channel gave this nine thumbs up and five hearts - another popular choice. It also attracted a new joiner, a discussion about the best Floyd album (DSOTM for me) and a discussion about albums with long tracks on.
There was also a discussion about the lack of Floyd so far which amused me because I was only thinking the other day about artists which hadn't appeared on the list so far. I came up with The Rolling Stones, U2 (they're coming), REM (they're on their way as well), Dylan (but I won't be picking him), Michael Jackson (highest selling artist not featured so far - but can you separate the man from the music?), Led Zep (also coming later) and Springsteen.
I mention the Wikipedia entry in the previous write-up, but it's worth pointing out that it's 289 milliPeppers long, which just shows how relatively massive the Blink 182 entry is, because all the Floyd Wikipedia entries have legions of experts to contribute to them and tend to go into an EXCRUCIATING level of detail.
21.02.10 : Good Woman - The Staves (2021)
Not only have I heard of The Staves - I've seen them live on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Glasto and it was exactly the sort of sound that was needed. I have, of course, never made any effort to investigate them any further though, so I was looking forward to listening to this. And yeah, I enjoyed it - it had a bit more substance to it than I was expecting (I remember them as being harmonies and not a lot more). They're very much a British HAIM on this album - and there's nothing wrong with that as a verdict.
The channel gave this seven thumbs up and a few positive comments. Wikipedia has a bit on the album - not quite as much as either of the previous entries though. The critical reception was generally favourable although there's a definite whiff of "this ain't their best". The commercial reception was OK as well - #14 in the UK.
"Customers also listened to" a load of people I've never heard of, which surprised me because this sound is right up my street. And I liked this album, although I'm tempted to check out their earlier stuff since the critics seemed to prefer it (and I enjoyed the sounds they were making when I saw them live).
So, 46 years separating the 3 albums is certainly one of the bigger timespans we've had - and they're a very mixed bunch, so difficult to compare. I can't give it to Blink 182 because I don't need to listen to that again - although I'd be tempted to check out their "best of" to see if anything approaches "All The Small Things" for me. So do I go for the classic album which I don't overly rate, but it does have a couple of great tracks on or the album which is right up my street and there's a chance of me listening to again? A tie methinks, with the lyrics going to one of the all-time great Floyd tracks.
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