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And with that, we get to the end of #album-of-the-day in 2021.  It's the first year I've been in the channel and I've really enjoyed spending my time catching up from the very first album (which was actually back on 21st March 2020) to the present day.  I'm going to take a break from the blog posts for a bit - maybe I'll start up again at a later date, but who knows what the world will throw at us in 2022?!? To finish the year, I've done a bit of analysis of the selections from this year - some objective and some subjective so let's start with the facts first. Just the facts, man Number of albums picked : 246 Newest album : The Puzzle - Devin Townsend Oldest album : Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968 - a few months younger than me), although Verdi's Requiem was written in 1874, so is the oldest music present Most popular years : 2020 (22 albums), 2021/19 (13) % picks from this century : 72% Year from this century with the fewest picks - 2011 (just the ...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.12.14  : The Puzzle - Devin Townsend (2021 ) Released on December 3rd, this is the newest album on the list this year and it's one that Chris has been eagerly awaiting I can tell you.  Partly to hear it, but mostly to hear my opinion of it.  And he had to wait for it because I rudely decided that sorting out my heating was more important, but once that was all sorted, I settled down to listen to it in all its glory. So.  I got to the end.  And.  Well.  Hmmm.  I didn't hate it and there are some particularly fine sounds in places, but I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with it in its entirety.  It reminded me of two things - one from the old days, which was listening to the radio (particularly on AM at night) and deciding you needed to change the station and in turning the dial you got instantly hit with a million different languages and sounds.  The other thing it reminded me of...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.12.08  : Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett (2017 ) Almost right up my street, but not quite, I seem to recall. I listened to her first album and didn't mind it, but then never listened to it or anything else by her again.  I didn't mind this - a bit rough and ready in places, but not too unbearably.  It reminded me of Chrissie Hynde quite a bit. The channel gave it eight thumbs up, three hearts and a fair bit of love.  Wikipedia tells me that the album is " c haracterised by casual guitar-driven rock songs generally arranged in verse-chorus structures ".  Which sounds like another way of saying "it has songs on it".  Whatever it contains, it was generally well received by the critics and the public, with it getting to #9 in the UK and #22 in the US. "Customers also listened to" Goat Girl and Sorry, both of whom I've listened to recently and can't say either of them particularly remi...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.12.03  : Solace - Jakob (2006 ) I remember this being perfectably acceptable bleepy noises which I didn't manage to listen to until after the weekend because I'm just rude. Only just got round to listening to Jakob - it's some nicely put together sounds.  It would still be too distracting for me to work to though! The channel gave it one thumbs up, one heart, one positive comment and some praise for Steely Dan (which is never an acceptable state of affairs).  Wikipedia doesn't have an awful lot on the album but does tell me it was produced by David Holmes who has done some interesting stuff in his time.  But that's pretty much all it has to tell me really. "Customers also listened to" Paint The Sky Red, The Moth Gatherer and Tides From Nebula - cool names and no mistake.  I think this is fine though - I won't be rushing back to it, but I've got no problems if I bump into it again. 21.12.06  : Black Cof...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.30  : From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah - Nirvana (1996 ) I seem to recall I found this variable but really enjoyed the good bits - because that's what I always do with Nirvana. I'd not heard this, but suspected I'd like it well enough despite not being able to play it as loud as I'd like on account of having some work to do.  And yeah, that's pretty much where we were - except for the bits I hated, but that's what you get with Nirvana.  Part of me admires them for their general contrariness, but I can't help but think they overdid it at times.  Seeing them live would have been AWESOME though (as long as they weren't in one of those moods, obviously) The channel gave it six thumbs up, a bit of love and a bit of "other bootlegs are better".  Which is probably true, but I also bet other bootlegs are far, far worse.  Wikipedia has the unnecessary nonsense you'd expect - the only bit of interes...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.25  : Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds  (2004 ) I think my channel comment pretty much says it all here I've always pretty much avoided him because I find him a bit too serious.  I like people to take their music seriously, but I find that some people take things a bit too far and I've included him in that camp.    But I actually quite liked the album in places - particularly "There She Goes, My Beautiful World".  Some of it was quite Bowie-ish as well, but "The Lyre Of Orpheus" was a bit too much for me though.  I can see why he inspires the levels of fandom he does - there's a lot of meaning here to unpack if you have such an inclination. The channel gave it ten thumbs up, two hearts, a lot of lurve, some discussion as to how tricky it is to pick the best Nick Cave album and a new joiner.  Wikipedia has a fair bit on the album, but most of it is just say...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.22  : Shrines -  Purity Ring  (2012 ) Yup - know it, love it.  Some fine bleepy stuff with female vocals - right up my street. I love this album - think it should have got a lot more recognition at the time (although I see it got to #32 in the US, so it did OK over there I guess).  I saw them live slightly after this came out and it's safe to say I was far and away the least cool person in the room... The channel gave it two thumbs up and one new joiner.  And that was it.  Wikipedia has more than I was expecting on the album (135 milliPeppers) but all it really says is "they made it, people liked it" - except in the UK where it only got #100.  Shame on us. "Customers also listened to" Grimes, The Knife and a load of other people I've never heard of but I suspect I might like.  But Purity Ring are up there with the best of them, for me. 21.11.23  : Bring It On -  Gomez  (1998 ) On...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.17  : Brilliant Trees -  David Sylvian  (1984 ) One I own and like from back in the day (and the day was a long time ago now) - hadn't listened to it in ages though, so it was a pleasure to revisit. Yeah, I still like this.  No real clue why I got into it at the time (or the Japan stuff I liked) but I did!  Cheers. The channel gave it three thumbs up, one comment that it was "strangely listenable" and my attempt to drum up some interest by pointing out that someone who's now in Porcupine Tree was involved (the channel LOVE PT!).  Wikipedia has a reasonable amount on the album but, as you might expect, a lot of it is introspective bollocks.  The album was well received though, both critically and commercially with it getting to #4 in the UK. "Customers also listened to" Japan (nobody expected that), Scritti Politti and Prefab Sprout (two other enigmatic singers there - particularly Paddy McAloon these day...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.12  : Schlagenheim -  black midi  (2019 ) Our second visit with black midi on the list and it's fair to say they're just not my thing. i have a sneaking suspicion this might not be quite my cup of tea - so have a good weekend everyone... I realise there are plenty in the channel that disagree with me - they gave it eight thumbs up and one heart.  Wikipedia tells me the critics disagree with me as well, with it being nominated for the Mercury Prize and making several "best of 2019" lists.  It also got to #43 in the UK as well which seems like a decent effort for their first album and they've built a reasonable following since (if the channel is anything to go by, at least). "Customers also listened to" Black Country, New Road and Squid - neither of whom seem to be coming from quite the same place in terms of the sound they make, but they all share a certain left-field aesthetic.  But black midi just don...

Continuing my trip up #album-of-the-day... 21.11.09  : Face To Face -  Face To Face  (1996 ) So - I listened to this less than a month ago and I can remember absolutely nothing about it.  Am I or it to blame I wonder?  My channel comment was   If (and it's a big if) I'd been a teen in the 90s then I feel this would have been right up my street.  But it kinda passed me by then and whilst I didn't mind it, it just feels a bit too late for me to start on it now.  Now pass me my pipe and slippers - I'm just off for a nap. which suggests the reason for my mental blank (I'm old!).  I do vaguely remember it now - if I was so inclined I might revisit it.  But I'm not.  The channel gave it two thumbs up, one heart, some fine nostalgia and a long discussion about cover versions (and I stand by my contention that Christy Moore is the anti-Vanessa Carlton).  Wikipedia is positively comprehensive in its coverage - " Face to Face is the...