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List #5


daslied

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Damien Rice - "O"

The most emotionally honest album to come out in years. Recorded in his house, there doesn't seem to be a lot of "fixing" or overdubbing, which gives it that Beatles quality. It just sounds like a guy playing in his room with some friends, which I think is sorely lacking today.

Highlights -

"Cold Water" - haunting and very stark with amazing dynamic shifts. The interplay of his and her (Lisa Hannigan) voices is beautiful, and the simple ascending cello line is perfect.

"The Blower's Daughter" - the whole reason I want to see the movie "Closer". A beautiful song, especially at the key change/female part. The lyrics are so very sweet, and then the last (very quiet) line "Til I find somebody new" hits you like a ton of bricks.

"Eskimo" - beautiful instrumentation, and the most forward-thinking song on the album. I'm speaking of the first 3:30 minute part (not "Prague" and "Silent Night", which fill up the other 12 minutes). The opera singer (in Finnish) is a little out there at first, but after another listen it really gets you. The melody is reminiscent of 100 other songs, but the way it's done here is breathtaking. And, after the huge buildup it goes right back to his voice and acoustic guitar for a quick ending. Incredible.

Stevie Wonder - "Fulfillngness' First Finale"

Really I'm picking this one based on the song "They Won't Go When I Go". I would comfortably pick any album of his between "Music Of My Mind" and "Songs In The Key Of Life, which as a 5-year pop music period is rivaled only by "Revolver" through "Abbey Road" in terms of innovation and creativity.

Aimee Mann - "Magnolia" soundtrack

Like Damien Rice you've heard her melodies somewhere before, but she is a master at song craft. She also has better in-between lyric guitar fills than anybody else I can think of. The opening line from "Deathly", 'Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again' is the basis for the movie. P.T. Anderson wrote the movie backwards from that line, which is pretty cool. "Save Me", "Deathly" , "Driving Sideways" and "Wise Up" are pop perfection.

Rufus Wainwright - "Rufus Wainwright"

One of the most original sounding albums of the last ten years. It goes from tin pan alley to chamber pop to folk seemlessly. Gifted of voice, piano ability, lyrics and humor, he is an amazing talent. Orchestrations by Van Dyke Parks (who also did "Pet Sounds") are a bonus.

Tom Waits - "Alice"

As good as "Closing Time" or "Small Change", "Alice" might be a more complete album than any other he's done. Nothing else I can think of fits the term "Rainy-day album" better. Beautiful ballads, creepy Waits standards and amazing lyrics throughout. How he isn't considered one of the greatest lyricists/poets ever I'll never know. "Flower's Grave" and the closing instrumental "Fawn" are two of the most beautiful things you'll ever hear.

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  • 35 years later...

"The Best of Wet Willie" - Wet Willie

A great band that is known but not highly known. They were part of the Southern Rock movement that occurred in the 1970's but were overshadowed by the likes of Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Marshall Tucker Band. They play a great version of Southern Rock leaning toward the blues side of the genre. Their music is pure and down to Earth and very easy to sing to (and listen to of course). They hale from Mobil, AL and bring forth a 6 piece band. I definitely recommend them to all fans of Southern Rock (especially Allman Brothers fans and Lynyrd Skynyrd fans).

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I am going to insist with the cure- "disintegration". Its probably their best album, with some of their biggest hits like "love song" and "lullaby". I just love the cure!

seeing as pink floyd were mentioned, Im going to say "animals", which might not be their best but it is the one that got me hooked to pink floyd, i especially love the fact that you cant really listen to individual songs but you have to listen to the whole thing.

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My vote goes to "Wish You Were Here." The title track is my absolute favorite Pink Floyd song. Plus, "Have a Cigar" has such a great line with "By the way, which one's Pink?" ::

I'm sure the die hard PF fans will make much more eloquent suggestions! ;)

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Thanks for including 'Winelight' on List #4 :thumbsup:

My suggestion for the next list goes to "Older" by George Michael.

"Older" - George Michael

It's gorgeous and romantic, ambitious and revelatory, featherlight and exquisitely listenable. Michael mixes acoustic quitars and synthesizers, high-tech drum tracks and old-school solos; he produced, wrte, arranged and mostly played everything himself. The album is dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim, and songs like "Move On" and "It Doesnt Really Matter" have the breezy, sultry sadness of Jobim's great '60s collaborations wit Frank Sinatra. Elsewhere Michael updates crooners like Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole: his voice glides with easy collaboration through heartachy ballads, flitting to falsetto when the sentiment moves on. The only mistake is "Star People", a snobbish dismissal of a peer group Michael doesnt deserve to distance himself from. Even "Free", the album's coda and a direct swipe to "Sony" (headphones labeled FONY were edited out of his new video, "FastLove"), comes off as vintage Michael. "Feels god to be free", he whispers with frivolous delight. And we know exactly what he means. Michael's freedom is our freedom. It is his gift to his audience.

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I'd like to suggest Alice Cooper's "Killers".

I just recently got it on cd, after not hearing it for years. I wore out the album when I was young.

I'll tell you, it's wonderful when you haven't heard something for years, and old music is new again.

The album was released in 1971, and it still stands up musically, and lyrically. It's centerpiece, 'Halo of Flies' runs 8:21, and is a great thrill ride, musically.

Classic cuts 'Under My Wheels' , 'Be My Lover', and 'Desperado' are all pure, vintage Alice Cooper.

'You Drive Me Nervous' and 'Yeah, Yeah,Yeah' are back to back a^$ kickers, with the haunting 'Dead Babies' and 'Killer' rounding out the album

Underrated guitarists Glen Bxton and Michael Bruce provide a crunchy, raw sound throughout.

Michael Bruce also wrote or co-wrote every cut on the album, with Alice co-writing on 5 of the 8 tracks.

I highly recommend this cd as a starting point for anyone who only knows 'the hits' of Alice Cooper. If you want to explore, this is where to begin.

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Carole and I thank you for including "Tapestry". :bow:

London Calling

The Clash

1979

Everyone seems to have a different opinion as to what defines ?punk? but almost everyone points to the Clash when discussing it. London Calling was the seminal double album that put them on the map. They used the lyrics to describe their social and political views and they used the music to experiment in different genres. The title track starts out with ?London calling to the faraway towns/ Now that war is declared-and battle come down/ London calling to the underworld/ Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls?? and you have an idea of the punk disillusionment to come. The genius of the Clash is the way they combine the hard hitting lyrics of ?The Guns of Brixton? with the almost laid back feel of the reggae beats. Even a seemingly silly little tune like ?Lost in the Supermarket? has such lyrics like ?I wasn't born so much as I fell out/ Nobody seemed to notice me/ We had a hedge back home in the suburbs/ Over which I never could see? And then to close the album, completely out of left field, you have a top 40 pop hit like ?Train in Vain?.

London Calling is a spectacular album full of thought provoking lyrics, musical diversity, and even a few numbers to shake your rump to while considering the downfall of civilization. Not bad, huh?

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Led Zeppelin I.

Eric Clapton Chronicles.

AC/DC - High Voltage.

Metallica - The Black Album.

Smashing Pumpkins - Melonchollie and the infinite sadness.

Nirvana - Best Of.

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz.

Rage againstthe machine - The Battle of Los Angelas.

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Hagnesta Hill - Kent

Track Listings

1. King Is Dead

2. Revolt III

3. Music Non Stop

4. Kevlar Soul

5. Stop Me June (Little Ego)

6. Heavenly Junkies

7. Stay With Me

8. Quiet Heart

9. Just Like Money

10. Rollercoaster

11. Protection

12. Cowboys

13. Whistle Song

This is one of the best and most beautiful albums I own.

These guys are Swedish and release alot of their albums in both English and Swedish and they are brilliant in either language! Joakim Berg's vocals are haunting and beautiful and so drenched with feeling you cannot escape their passionate touch. Music to dance to, music to fall asleep to, music to show the world your love and devotion, the lyrics are emotion-filled and leave a lasting impression.

Even if you don't understand the language, you can hear the feelings breaking through, and if you buy it in English - they will become lovesongs that won't escape your memory. It's full of Nordic atmosphere and presence.

Tracks like whistle song, kevlar soul, quiet heart and protection are more emotion driven love songs, whilst just likemoney, music non stop and revolt III are guitar filled rock/pop.

Worth every cent and then some :thumbsup:

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:googly:

Either Hagnesta Hill or Isola :headphones:

isola.gif

Thing about Isola is that it is Kent's biggest-selling album here in the US and one of their singles, "If You Were Here," got video and radio airplay back in 1998. This was their first English recording (with Hagnesta Hill being the other one that was recorded in both languages). It would be awesome to re-surface this little Swedish gem :headphones:

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I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, and if I have, sorry. This is my review for the awesome blues album "Irish Tour" by Rory Gallagher.

Rory Gallagher was one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. But in my opinion, his studio albums never really captured how great he was. They have less of a drunken party atmosphere, and the songs are pretty short compared to these. They just aren't as powerful. This album really rocks hard.

Now to discuss the tracks

The album starts off with a hard rocking blues song called "Cradle Rock." It was originally on the "Tattoo" album, but this one has much more power and energy. It sets the tone for the album with it's power and length.

The next song is "I Wonder Who." It's a slow blues song written by Muddy Waters. It is also around 8 minutes long. Great guitar work on the song.

"Tattoo'd Lady" is the next song on the album. It was a live favorite, partly because it was something different than any other Rory Gallagher song. It is fast, and not very bluesy.

"Too Much Alcohol" was originally written by JB Hutto, and is the 4th song on the album. It is a standard sounding blues song that captures the essence of a Rory Gallagher performance. The song shows closeness between the audience and Rory. It is all about alcohol. It is as blues as can be. It is a great song.

"As the Crow Flies" features Rory playing more Americanized music. It is blues mixed with country. The guitar sound sounds very much like the roots of American music. It is a crunchy acoustic sound. A good song, where Rory gets to show another musical side to him.

"A Million Miles Away" is one of Rory's most famous tunes. It is a long, slow, sad song. It has amazing guitar work, especially in the beginning.

"Walk on Hot Coals" is the best song on the album. It has an amazingly energetic and powerful intro. It is a fast rocker. Just by listening to it, you really feel like you are in a Rory Gallagher concert.

The other two songs on the album both have great slide riffs, though I am forgetting the names at the moment

"Irish Tour '74" is an essential album for any Rory Gallagher fan. It shows the many sides of Rory, and captures much more than the studio ever could. It's also essential for blues fans. It features some great blues playing from one of the greatest blues artists of all time. It is also essential for rock fans. If a rock fan is interested in becoming a blues fan, this is a great transition, since it combines blues and rock really good. It is also essential for guitarists, because it features unique and impressive guitar playing.

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Audioslave- Self Titled

Audioslave is an amazing, amazing band it takes the hard rockin' quality of Rage Against the Machine, and blends perfectly with the amazing voice of Chris Cornell, formally of Soundgarden. Every single track on Audioslave's freshman album is completely worth listening to, be it because of a kickin' beat kicked out by the drums and bass, or Cornell's soaring voice, or his equally soaring lyrics, and then of course there's the fact that Tom Morrelo is the guitarist for this amazing quartet, he does things with his guitar that I have never heard a recording artist do, it is musical beauty.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication.

This is, IMO, one of the finest albums of the 90s, it was recorded after the chili's had a bit of a break after recording the lackluster 'One Hot Minute' album, no one really considered RHCP a really important band at that time, for they hadn't really done anything since the Nirvana/RHCP tour. But then they started Californication, an album that will go on to spawn a couple #1 tracks, and sell millions of copies, and redefine the Pepper's place in the musical world. What makes Californication a truly amazing album is that it reunited the Chili's with Blood Sugar Sex Magick guitarist John Frusciante, who's guitar style really shined throughout the entire Californication album, he let the world know that guitar solos can be slow and mellow, and still kick major amounts of butt (like on the hit track 'Scar Tissue') The Chilis wrote about topics that had never been discussed by them before, like materialism in 'Californication' or Depression/despair in Otherside(which has one of the coolest videos of all time IMO) and then they stay to their roots as well, with funk rap tracks like 'Around the World' and 'Purple Stain'

This is a fine, fine, fine album. :thumbsup:

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one more suggestion id like to make

grandaddy "sophtware slump"

grandaddy have replaced radiohead in recent years for me. their songs sound upbeat and happy but if you pay attention to the lyrics, they are quite sad. this album has the general theme of technology, the digital age and loneliness. my favourite track is "miner at the dial-a-view", which they have called a song about "digital loneliness" (im pretty sure i posted this in songfacts but the update hasnt appeared yet). it has a very lonely feeling, which ive found quite comforting "i dream at night of going home someday, somewhere so far away". other songs worth mentioning are "he's simple, he's dumb, he's the pilot", "the crystal lake" and "jed the humanoid".

basically one of my favourite albums...

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I suggest Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear.

Marillion's debut album (and their best, IMO) features some great lyrics by Fish (the title track, and especially Chelsea Monday) and amazingly beautiful music. Essentially all tracks are classics, there are no "fillers" which is quite rare, especially for a debut album (admittedly, the original release includes only 6 tracks and runs at about 46 minutes). From the soft opening lines of "Script...", to the last 3 minutes of "Forgotten Sons" which feature a phenomenal guitar by Steve Rothery, the music, lyrics and performance are perfect. One of the best rock albums of the 80's.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great suggestions, I had a tough time deciding. Maybe we'll have to expand the list to 10 albums.

And the winners are....

The Best of Wet Willie - Wet Willie

Isola - Kent

Irish Tour - Rory Gallagher

O - Damien Rice

Audioslave - Audioslave

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