Reviews by x-minor_miracle-x

THE THREE TYPES OF JAZZ REVIEWS ON THIS SITE

1. I don't know anything about jazz but I hate this.

2. I don't know anything about jazz but I kinda like this.

3. I know everything about jazz and I'm going to preach to the rest of you losers.

#215

Heard Before?
Yup. Every few years I suddenly need to listen to all of Gram Parsons.

Notes:
- i love weepy ballads and i love Emmylou. so as soon as "Hearts on Fire" starts, the spell is cast. plus vibraphone!
- imagine writing "Love Hurts". what a carefully composed song, and this version is my favorite.
- i love every note of every pedal steel part on this album.
- yet on the whole I find this album uneven, even though the songs are all solid and the performances masterful. I would think "Gilded Palace" or "GP" would be better picks for this list.
- the faux-live medley is a neat idea, but suffers in context. it would be better as a whole album, or even a whole side.
- all the uptempo numbers are to me less... convincing than the ballads, and not as exciting as his more rock-oriented work.
- but then it ends with my absolute favorite song he ever recorded.

Verdict:
Now I'm gonna need to wear my cowboy clothes for the next week.

Listen Again?
Of course. And I've already listened to everything else of his today.

Heard Before?
Nope. Entirely new to me. Let me guess - British New Wave?

Notes:
- i thought the first track was a joke. j was wrong.
- nifty organ solo on "Breaking Down". get it? it's a breakdown!
- the rest is unmemorable formulaic power pop with tuneless vocals and stupid lyrics. not exactly what this list needs more of.
- occasionally it reminded me of much better albums by Wreckless Eric and Ian Dury, but with all the cleverness and surprises drained out
- certainly sounds self-produced. not in a daring, adventurous way.

Verdict:
Blah. "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Listen Again?
Why?

Heard Before?
Yes! But not until recently did I hear the whole thing.

Notes:
- funk lyricism is not a thing. almost a contradiction in terms. be warned, interstellar voyagers.
- that's not to say that the vocals aren't necessary and exciting, but it does mean that my favorite tracks are the ones with the least actual words.
- for a group devoted to excess, this is remarkably restrained. hear me out - there's a dozen or more people with chops to spare, but they rarely if ever all play at once. there are plenty of quiet slow-burn parts.
- love how the drums are mixed. super dry with the hihat way out front keeps it propulsive.
- the extra percussion on "Supergroov...." is golden. finger cymbals! ratchet! woodblock! thrilling and somehow funny.
- multiple keyboards! love how the electric piano and the synth play off each other.

Verdict:
If real life parties were like this, I would go to more of them. Tear the roof off, indeed.

Listen Again?
Most certainly. Next I've queued up "Maggot Brain".

Heard Before?
Not in years, but I've gone through a PJ phase more than once.

Notes:
- first listen was fairly uneventful. the tracks i remembered ("Good Fortune", "You Said Something", "We Float") jumped out, but a lot felt like filler.
- production is part of the problem: the mix is all vocals and rhythm guitar, with all the nifty extra touches buried. even the piano on the piano-led numbers is oddly quiet.
- on second listen I got a better feel for the songwriting and was as impressed as I've ever been with her.
- the decision to cede lead vocals to Thom Yorke is a real momentum killer, like throwing a wet blanket onto the album. yuck.
- thankfully it bounces back with two of the most engaging tracks, and the whole second side is then terrific.

Verdict:
This really seems like her fourth or fifth best album. Still exciting and vital, but not innovative or definitive.

Listen Again?
Unlikely. But good to revisit. And this time around I really dug "Kamikaze".

Heard Before?
Maybe? I've indulged in way too much second rate electronica over the years. Plus I still mix up William Orbit, Orbital and the Orb.

Notes:
- these drums should stay in the 90s where they belong.
- fun for a game of "name that famous synth preset".
- some interesting builds and transitions, but just as many awkward ones. that and the horribly dated cheeseball sounds keep it from rewarding close listening.
- 1993 was a banner year for electronic music. It's sad that this utterly undistinguished album is someone's introduction.

Verdict:
Ideal soundtrack for buying very expensive shoes. Or for packing up gear and sweeping the floor after a rave.

Listen Again?
There's no point and I wouldn't even notice.

#210

Heard Before?
Yup, although I was very late to the party.

Notes:
- I'm a born contrairian, so as soon as I hear challenging vocals and unconventional musicality my ears perk up.
- love all the saxophone work, the keyboards, the extra noises, and the longer, more abstract songs.
- "Thriller" especially captures a perfectly odd creepshow groove.
- as surprising as it must have sounded at the time (and it obviously still alienates the unadventurous), there's careful structure here - to me it never feels weird-for-weird's-sake.
- "Dance Party" lives up to the title. Let's bust a move!

Verdict:
A burst of absurdist prankster fun with lunatic vocals.

Listen Again?
Not soon, but I do have a Pere Ubu playlist that gets regular attention.

#209

Heard Before?
No! I think of myself as a casual tropicalia fan, and I know "Mas Que Nada" and "Pais Tropical", but all these songs are new to me.

Notes:
- great use of cuica (among other instruments)! percussion heaven! on this list, any break from standard drum kit is welcome.
- i would prefer it if the production were a little more dry and punchy, but it's not distracting.
- at the risk of exaggerating, these are some of the most consistently exciting (if somewhat crowded) arrangements I've ever heard. a constantly mutating, often unpredictable mix of instruments, with passionate lead and joyous backing vocals.
- the horns! the synth! the whistles!
- i could easily write a whole essay about the song structure here. balance, economy, variety, hooks - it's got everything.
- on my third listen, I'm still running into surprises. seriously under Jorge Ben's spell. all the complexity and subtlety of so much of the music i love, but without the glum-faced pretention. i understand there are serious and important lyrical themes here, but they are delivered with fervent feeling and surrounded by danceable jams. powerful.
- when in doubt, more cuica!

Verdict:
Wow. Blown away. Easily the first truly wonderful surprise I've had from this project.

Listen Again?
Certainly, plus I've got more Jorge Ben Jor queued up right now.

Heard Before?
No! At this point in a little wary of stuff I haven't heard, but at least this isn't 90s britpop.

Notes:
- finally some accordion! a seriously underrepresented instrument on this list. plus the pedal steel work is fantastic!
- lyrics are cheeseball country, occasionally amusing enough. no real tearjerkers.
- production is bright and clear, arrangements are nicely varied, performances are lively and engaging.
- wonderful breadth of songwriting and genre choices. loved the bridge on "Jericho".
- every song the right length, and just the right number of them.
- "Boxcars" has an odd kind of magic to it and "West Texas Waltz" is the silliest thing I've heard in a while.

Verdict:
Not life changing, but wild West Texas fun. Put on yer dancin boots.

Listen Again?
Three times today is enough but I'll be trying out more Joe Ely soon.

Heard Before?
Of course. After the dull odds n sods of Amnesiac and the interminable slog of Hail to the Thief, this was such a relief.

Notes:
- still my favorite Radiohead, even though I stopped listening to them years ago.
- focused arrangements, tricky but accessible songs, crisp production.
- love all the understated synth parts.
- most interesting and best recorded drum parts on any Radiohead album.
- even Thom is relatively restrained here, without being completely soporific (see Moon Shaped Pool).
- the kind of album that invites you to lean in and pay attention.

Verdict:
Imagine Radiohead but less self-indulgence, more songwriting.

Listen Again?
I'm in no hurry, but probably.

Heard Before?
Not at all. Which should excite me, but this list has taught me to be leery.

Notes:
- I'm at a total loss trying to figure out what is supposed to be interesting about this album.

Verdict:
If this was British food instead of British music, it would be a can of mushy peas.

Listen Again?
Ha!

Heard Before?
Yup.

Notes:
- waaaaaay too long, although i truly enjoyed the pointlessly long final track.
- essentially every song is a battle rap posse cut over dusty golden beats. a wonderful thing, but exhausting over time.
- varied voices, competent but predictable flows, mildly cheesy rhymes.

Verdict:
Reactionary hip-hop? Rap for beginnners? Or just refried golden age? Very fun in small doses, but their allergy to innovation can be off-putting.

Listen Again?
Fun to revisit after twenty years, but I won't be spinning it again. A similar but much more rewarding release from the same year is Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious.

Heard Before:
Many times. I was a big Sonic Youth fan for a while.

Notes:
- this list NEEDS a two-albums-per-artist limit. and in this case, Sonic Youth has only one essential album, and this isn't it.
- Kim Gordon is cooler than the rest of the band combined.
- I'm always amazed at how simple and even quaint the drums are. He's not an attention seeker, unlike a certain someone else.
- Most of their albums are poorly produced, with bad bass tone, no separation and too much compression. Ditto here.
- Always a treat for me when a band has multiple songwriters and vocalists.

Verdict:
If you already love Sonic Youth, this fits the bill perfectly. Otherwise it's just a lesser, but interesting, work by a pioneering group.

Listen Again?
Probably not. I've heard enough of them. And also they were mean to Nardwuar! Unforgivable.

Heard Before?
Nope. But I can just imagine.

Notes:
- practical but unwelcome relationship advice on the first track.
- muddy production, rote arrangements, insipid songs, limp vocals and flaccid performances.
- some post-ironic cheese value on "To A Flame", but I would rather listen to Bread.
- at least the David Crosby solo album was memorably and amusingly terrible. this is ugh.

Verdict:
Like when tribute acts try to slip originals into their set. Ouch.

Listen Again?
You can't make me.

Heard Before?
Every poser at my middle school had this and the Offspring on repeat.

Notes:
- if this were the only pop punk album ever (or even of 1994) it would be remarkable, and a fun memory of misspent youth.
- but of course it isn't, and offers nothing that hundreds (perhaps thousands) of other albums don't do better.

Verdict:
Catchy as hell, derivative as shit. No one needs to hear this again, unless they are a twelve year old normie in nowheresville who just bought their first skateboard.

Listen Again?
Avoiding it would be the best option.

Heard Before?
Of course. Many times.

Notes:
- like so many things on this list, so influential that it's hard to imagine the original context.
- strangled, yelping vocals, herky-jerky rhythms, counter-intuitive melodies, pristine pop structures, stinging guitar tones, zingy keyboards - what's not to love?
- anchored by seemingly simple drum parts, clear production and plenty of hooks, it's awfully accessible for an album full of fan- and industry trolling.
- love every use of backing vocals on this album. really drives home the try-hardy strangeness.

Verdict:
Protest music for dorks and ground zero for Devo. They had many great ideas in the years to come, but this is their only essential full album.

Listen Again?
Oh yeah.

Heard Before?
It was the Pitchfork Sunday review a few years ago, otherwise I wouldn't know it.

Notes:
- vocals and lyrics don't really do anything for me. for music in a similar vein, i would rather hear Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
- the horns and auxiliary percussion make my day. big smile.
- this means the songs i like best ("Lemon Firebrigade", "Baked Beans") have big instrumental sections.
- dry, crisp production suits the breezy yet fussy performances.
- i find the overall effect greater than the sum of its parts. this is summer fun personified.

Verdict:
Lightweight new wave. Great for smirking while dancing.

Listen Again?
Worth a revisit every few years.

Heard Before?
Yup!

Notes:
- so thrilling to hear this music in a broader context with deep cuts. most of the times I've ever heard it is in mixed compilations or as lazy scene setting in movies.
- songwriting is basic and obvious. so what?
- i like to imagine the point of these lyrics being an examination of toxic relationships to avoid rather than an endorsement. it helps.
- stellar vocal performance that leaps out of the speakers and pairs well with the plasticky sounding saxophones.
- like most recordings before widespread multitracking, the rest of the band is mashed at the back of the mix (literally at the back of the room), all snare and cymbals with hints of piano and bass. often a liability, here it emphasizes the wild abandon of the vocal and sax melodies.

Verdict:
Another great 50s performer that's been reduced in the popular imagination to just a few hits.

Listen Again?
It's a lot of Little Richard all at once, but just possibly.

Heard Before?
I had someone's discarded vinyl copy. Listened a couple of times and gave away.

Notes:
- competent strum-and-hum. I'm sure these lyrics could be good but i can't be bothered to pay attention.
- very few live albums justify themselves versus studio albums. this is not one of them. throwing in a random mishmash of overdubs and studio tracks doesn't help either.

Verdict:
Utterly inessential, undercooked songs that apparently mean something to the balding-but-still-have-long-hair dude set.

Listen Again?
Heck no.

Heard Before?
Yes. I got the CD because of the textured packaging.

Notes:
- what if we played the general midi orchestra hit until it became completely meaningless?
- best kick drum sound. did not mind them using it in every song.
- didn't listen to the lyrics. every time i hear PSB his voice irritates me and then i begin to like it.
- arrangements are shockingly crowded, with every sound happening all the time. part of the charm?
- the beat-switches on "Yesterday When I Went Mad" are fun.
- my too-cool-for-everything teen started dancing to this.

Verdict:
Suitable only for the post-ironic. Which might be me. Hard to tell.

Listen Again?
I can imagine wanting to hear "Go West" again. Not so much anything else, but then again...