Reviews by deksametazon

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2024: #37 A Billboard charts #1 album (1st album)

I honestly have no idea why I believed a No1 album on the Billboard charts was going to be good, yet here we are.

This Doobie Brothers album is exactly what you expect: cock rock with the intent of starting the night with a girl you dig. Add a solo here and there for the boys, and you got yourself a record your dad will swear upon, and your local store will have in abundance for a buck.

Minute by Minute my brain becomes dizzier and dizzier listening to this.

A pretty benign album. Listenable in its entirety, but nothing really popping out other than "Voli te tvoja zver" which became a massive hit, and their only hit at that.

It doesn't have the evergreens like their previous albums, but it's still a very good album in the history of Yugoslavian hard rock. The opener "Ciganka" (Gypsy) and "Let Na Drugi Cvijet" (Flight to Another World) are standouts with Alens characteristic vocals and Zeles, sometimes overindulgent, guitar playing. The rest of the album also slaps, with some sensual ballads for the boys mixed with the hard rocking sexual riffages, but falls victim to being a bit samey at times. As is with most attempts to write an English lyric song, the song "Touch Me Little Girl" falls flat on its face, sadly. Nonetheless, a fine swan song from Alen, as after this album, he leaves Divlje Jagode to start a solo career, moving away from his heavy metal roots and into pop-folk territory.

So this is where the legacy of one of the greatest Bosnian rock bands started, and honestly not a bad start, but also not quite good.

First things first, if you're looking for some metal, skip this album, because here they were still a hard rocking band with some prog tinges here and there, but are far away from the sound they will be come to be known for today. As for the music, very uneven. Side A has bangers, particularly the s/t, "Krivo je More" and "Jedina Moja". "Bubi" is alright but is not on the level of these tracks mentioned. Side B falls short, with ballad-ish songs and some hard hitters a-la Deep Purple. Check it out, it's not that bad, but the best is yet to come.

Remove Poledo, and you have 30 minutes of some Neil Young-esque hard rock hidden behind a tricky wall of noise. Those first five songs are amazing, and it's hard to put one in front of the other because they all sound so memorable. Little Fury Things might be the most accessible, which is a great entry point towards the more jammy Sludgefeast, and The Lung, only to return to the very anthemic sound of Raisans.

J. Mascis' guitar tone is amazing. Again, very Young-esque, with not a lot of technical pizzazz, but a whole lot of emotion and feel when to play certain chords. Obviously some might find it ear grating, but his voice goes hand in hand with the atmosphere they created and the lyrics Mascis had written. Keep in mind, he was 22 when this album was released.

This is the type of noise rock I'm attracted to: fuzzy, with some great guitar licks all around, and memorable tracks without the filler disguised as a "droney atmosphere". Music comes around like a boomerang, as I've been listening to this album since late highschool, but somehow put it off in the last two, three years. Glad it came back just in time.

Demoni were founded by Toni Sabol, a keyboardist, in Čakovec (Croatia - ex Yugoslavia) in the sixties. This is their only album released in 1978. They are pretty much a straightforward hard rock suite that reminds me of more famous Yugoslavian bands like YU Grupa and Bijelo Dugme. Funny thing is that Toni doesn't even play on this album, and is instead replaced by Zoran Grujić, who also sang on this album and on the B side eerily reminds me of Željko Bebek. Like a lot.

Standout tracks: Uvertira, Zadnja Noć, the entire B side if you like Bijelo Dugme
Tracks to avoid: The entire B side if you hate Bijelo Dugme

I can understand 1% of the polish language, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying this album. The energy Ewa exudes breaks all the language barriers, and you don't have to be some musical expert to acknowledge that the orchestral backing is elite, to say the least. Truly an example of the "music is the universal language" schtick.

One of the most beautiful albums ever. This is peak Mac. Everything before it was immature, and everything past it was, well, weird, for better or worse. This just hits that perfect spot of being poignant, happy, sad, beautiful, transitional, and ugly. From the start and "My Old Man" to the end of "Watching Him Fade Away" we see Mac tackle a range of topics, from heartbreak, loss, feeling inadequate, etc. But he doesn't approach the tracks to just pour out his emotions and feelings, but he carefully weaves the "Yea, you fucked up, but I also fucked up, so let's put it aside and live life to the fullest because you only have one." emotion, which is why this album stands out from others in this era.

Say what y'all want, this album should be crowned as one of the jewels of 10s indie, and Mac should be hailed as the one best and one of the most influential indie musicians out there. This album is to show for it.

If I was handed this after a show, I'd cherish it more. Probably. But as I've only heard it from the comfort of my home, with nothing to attach myself onto, this is just another demo album that wouldn't have seen the light of day if it wasn't for the power of internet.

Can't wait for the 100-hour demo album from this.

Let me tel you something: I have an intense bittersweet feeling towards this album. Bitter because of some extra-musical circumstances I tied to this album. Depression, loss, addiction, the whole mile, yadda yadda. But on the other hand, there's this beautiful sweetness to it that is very palpable in the sound of it, that also fills me up like a honey pot.

One word to sum it up: burnout. Sometime around the release of this album, Mac was tired of being this comical darling of the music industry that's supposed to be the face of the “chill” subculture of the internet that he created on 2 and Salad Days. This Old Dog started shedding this picture, which deemed him a used product not nearly as marketable to a new generation, which culminated in the final domino falling: him leaving Captured Tracks and starting to do music on his own accord and in his own way.

Thus, we arrive to Here Comes The Cowboy, the first album in his “off the grid“ saga.

I think this album is a perfect representation of what my generation became. Overexhausted to the point of lethargy. I think the whole mood this album sets is overshadowed by COVID, since in that period, everyone was exhausted, so the whole concluding thought that the young generations were in a state of being completely fried by social media and high expectations set by society, ourselves and the mutilated images of those around us was diluted, and the album never got the right shade of light shined on it.

Its content is not different to that of his previous album. You could argue it's more slowed and personal, which it is, but the idea is largely the same, with a lot more put under the scope. Songs like Preoccupied, On The Square, All of Our Yesterdays and Finally Alone perfectly depict that feeling of being burnt out with a dumbed down emotional reception.

I think it's one of the more underrated albums of all time, and I was shocked when I saw the reception of it. I loved it from the moment it got released, and I still do, even with its flawed throwaway songs, which you could make an argument were half-assed for an artistic flavor, but I think it was Mac's honest attempt at making a few throwback songs.

Purely on how much it means to me, it's probably a 5/5, but objectively it's a 4.

If you listened to One Wayne G, you knew this kind of album was coming. It's 12 songs of mellow sentimentality, reflecting on a time when everyone was a "friend."

Obviously, the songwriting shines here, and it's not because it's mostly that and a guitar, but because of its honesty. I enjoy his earlier jangly stuff, but I'm more of a fan when he's earnest about how he feels at the moment and about everything he's been through, like the story of isolation on "Terror" or how he talks about letting go of the past in "Home". And that's what this album is all about. It's an introspective drive down the coast of life.

At the end, this one is for the fans. It’s a far cry from his infectious heyday, but still a potent album for those who’ve followed his journey and know his story.

On one hand, I like that Mac decided to move on from the bedroom pop persona of his first few albums, but on the other hand, I feel like Mac is starting to float between the clouds of the music industry, not really having a direction. And I think that's hurting his career. I guess it's good study music.

I was wondering when the demo album would hit lol

It's an okay collection of songs. Most feel like they're outtakes from Guitar, with no real aim other than being a background vibe. A good one at that.

To say this is happy music is farfetched. I mean sure, the melodies are Mac-certified indie mellowness, but the lyrics are bitter and melancholic. Thank your lucky stars I still have a penchant for sad-sack shit!

It's a good, enjoyable collection of songs. I love the song "Without Me" and the beginning synth that remind me of those wedding bell songs, or how do you call it. Other than that, the first two songs "The Way You'd Love Her" and "Another One" are great, and showcase Mac's talent at creating neo-psychedelic gems.

Early Mac DeMarco is such a different beast compared to what he is today. But who isn't when they're 22, living on the spice of life. 2 is technically not the first time he burst onto the scene. Rather, it's his 2nd album if we count the Makeout Videotape debut being the first. Makes for a fitting album name.

2 is pioneer in the jangly renaissance of the 2010s. What's great about it is how it almost never is a nuisance and tries going above its capabilities. Almost every song is straightforward and short, with a structure that doesn't hide anything beneath the pop surface it is. Freaking Out The Neighborhood, Ode to Viceroy, My Kind of Woman are the top dogs which catapulted Mac's popularity, but songs like Dreaming, Robson Girl and The Stars Keep On Calling My Name are songs keep the album from falling apart.

I could probably nitpick something here, like Boe Zaah or Sherrill, but with a runtime of 31 and a half minutes, I feel like it's a disservice to bog down an album because of an instrumental that goes for less than two minutes, and another quick one that's a prelude to a cute love song. Overall thoughts: a great start to a career!

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2023: #1 An album over 60 minutes in length made by a woman (23rd album)

This just might be my worst choice this year. In general. Taking an hour to listen to this mess of an album.

I even liked some of her songs, but this album just feels as if the same song is recycled all through one hour. And it's not even a good song! Too many people worship this, and I'm quite saddened by it. There are so many albums that are better than this vaguely sexual, shallower-than-the-sink stinker.

A lazy effort, with musical moments I wish I understood why they were made. The songs are too long, the topics are more one-dimensional than a dot, and the production is abhorrently stomach-turning, courtesy of "renowned" and "forward thinking" producer Jack Antonoff. I had something more to say about this album, but truth be told, the review would steer itself in a direction that would bring me to the RYM courts if I continue. I would just like the ask you one thing: do you enjoy cliches? If the answer is yes, this is the album for you.

We as a society are fucked if we continue to let music like this be topping charts and topping the minds of young people.

The basic literature from live album-ology. The Dream Team of Deep Purple is killing it here. Everyone is at their peak and they're not afraid to show it. Lord at the beginning of Lazy, Blackmore on Smoke on The Water, Paice on The Mule, Gillan on "Child in Time" and Glover keeping everything intact with his prodding bass and mixing of the entire thing.

A pinnacle of a discography of an amazing band.

This is what every hard-rocking album should strive to be. A heavy album with some really thick instrumentation, searing vocals, and electrifying solos. Some may say "Smoke on The Water" is overplayed (maybe in America), but here in the back-alleys of Europe, it's beloved across all generations, and whenever it's played it quickly gathers a crowd of people from 15 to 95. And even if you don't like it, how can you not like "Highway Star" "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'"? You're either soulless or just lying to yourself.

The end of the 80s was a strange time in Yugoslavia in every sphere, including the artistic sphere. The New Wave era was fossilized, the period of raucous folk was on the horizon, and rock bands were playing in basement rock clubs, intoxicated with drugs and full to the brim with dark themes. This change did not escape the prominent Slovenian art-punker, Zoran Predin, who decided for his debut to collaborate with the great Arsen, who himself was in a form of creative stagnation, although unlike Zoran, Arsen had an opus behind him and an influence that few musicians can be proud of, while Zoran was fresh in his solo performance. Although fresh, Arsen saw a lot of potential in him, mostly because Zoran's foundations were not in Hendrix, Sex Pistols, Zeppelin, and others, but in great writers such as James Joyce and Jack Kerouac.

As for the album itself, you can feel Arsen much more than Lacni Franz. What's more, Lacni Franz is hardly felt at all, except maybe in a few parts of the songs such as "Naj Ti Poljub Narise Ustnice" and "Oteto iz Tmine". This is definitely not unexpected, because as the 80s progressed, Lacni Franz also moved away from their punk roots into some sophisticated pop/jazz waters. Arsen and Zoran take turns on vocal duties from song to song, with a duet at the end with a guest appearance by Bora Čorba. This approach works incredibly well for me because, to be honest with you, I don't know if I could handle changing vocals every 1-2 minutes. This way, when I want to listen to Zoran, I listen to Zoran, and when I want to listen to Arsen, then I listen to Arsen. The instrumental accompaniment is wonderful: a jazz/pop influence, mixed with new-wave threads. Perfect for those days when you want to relax with evening tea or morning coffee.

Great recommendations for the whole album, but especially for the first, third, fourth, seventh, and ninth tracks, which stand out above the rest for me. Unfortunately, the album is not yet available on streaming platforms (at least for me), so if anyone wants to listen, let me know in DM.