Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Radio & Music >

So, is it any good?

Page: (1)2

09:41 / 28.04.02

Basically, what the subject topic says: I want you to tell me whether or not a certain CD is any good, preferably before I buy it, so that I don't have to spend money on crap.

The thread can, of course, be opened out to other people's queries too...

Right, three albums which caught my eye yesterday were:

the new Craig Armstrong one, As If To Nothing
FC Kahuna's Machine Says Yes
and Come Get It I Got It, the new David Homes mix CD.

Are they any good?

Others will be added soon; but if you've got an opinion on any of these, bung it down here.

11:20 / 28.04.02

Come get it I got it: I like it. Many people I know like it; some really hate it. It's got a lot of interesting tracks on it, it's pretty funky, and it's a lot more interesting than many compilations - it's also a bit more interesting than stuff like the Mastercuts range, you know? Yeah. I'd recommend it. But I don't know it backwards yet, so I'll have ot listen some more.

11:54 / 28.04.02

Come Get It I Got It is very good. A bit wanky (making a mix album just so he can throw in some rough demos of tracks by his new "band" The Free Association- and yes, it's a fucking awful name), but then the cover of Purple Haze on there rules with an iron fist, and Sixto Rodriquez's Sugarman is marvelous.

Just go get, alright?

Matthew Fluxington

11:55 / 28.04.02

I haven't heard the rest of Craig Armstrong's new record, but I do know the new, orchestral version of U2's "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" that's on it - it's absolutely beautiful, I love it. I have no particular interest in hearing the rest of the record though, if that gives you any idea...

12:24 / 28.04.02

I just bought the Craig Armstrong cd and I think it's quite good actually-better than his previous one ("The Space Between Us") AND it has a fantastic collaboration with Photek (YES!) on it called "Hymn 2".

Very cool stuff!

13:02 / 28.04.02

Ok, so I'm thinking about getting Patti Smith - Easter and Slint - Tweez .. how much they worth? (artistically speaking, that is)

13:45 / 28.04.02

everyone needs a copy of tweez. it's beautiful.

14:02 / 28.04.02

right-o. consider it done.

17:17 / 28.04.02

riz, if you like 'horses' then i'd imagine you'd also like 'easter'. i cna't decide which one i like best, sometimes.

08:23 / 29.04.02

Rizla, everyone needs to own Easter, it's fucking fantastic. Go, buy it now.

08:26 / 29.04.02

What about:

Melt Banana - 'Speak Squeak Peak' (or something like that)

Now, I'm only questioning this because it looks like a pre-Charlie one, and I'd heard that some of that stuff was a bit duff. Anyone?

09:06 / 29.04.02

That's the one Melt Banana album I don't own, so I don't really know.. regarding their early stuff, 'Cactuses Come In Flocks' was recorded partially in 1992 and partially in '94, and it's absolutely fantastic (if you can deal with something like 40 songs in 30 minutes).

My two suggestions have gained praise from the mightiest of musical minds, so, wow, should get them I guess..

07:31 / 30.04.02

OK, so can someone recomend me the best records by the following people of whom I know practically nada:

Brainiac, the afore-mentioned Patti Smith, Shellac, PJ Harvey, Pavement, Smog, Mercury Rev, the also-afore-mentioned Slint and The Flaming Lips (well the best non- Transmissions... , Hit To Death or Soft Bulliten one, at any rate).

And that's not a request for mix tapes, so don't even accuse me of freeloading. Um... this time. My crippiling sense of guilt is crippling enough as it is.

uncle retrospective

08:15 / 30.04.02

Glint,

For PJ, I recomend Rid of me if your looking for some Steve Albini Produced evil shoutiness, To bring me your love if your not.
Mercury Rev All is dream. It's very quite (and john barryesque in places) but really good, Deserters songs is also very good.
Pavement, Crooked rain, crooked rain. It's their easiest album to get into and is the best by miles. (Others may not agree though..)
I only have Spiderland by Slint but it's good. Just not my bag anymore.

Anyone heard the new Six by Seven Album?

08:20 / 30.04.02

Glint, my tuppeny bit:

Shellac - "At Action Park" Though I'm a big Albini fan, I've never got off on Shellac LPs that much, so maybe I'm not the best judge. My fave Shellac tracks are on the singles "Uranus" and "The Rude Gesture"

P J Harvey - "Dry" and "Rid of Me" "Rid of Me" is more rock than Dry (approaching Jesus Lizard levels of rock), and side two is one of the greatest album sides ever ever. "Dry" has no duff tracks and features the classic singles Dress and Sheela-na-gig.

Pavement - For Pavement at their most lo-fi and Fall sounding, you want "Slanted and Enchanted" (sort of a half-summer, half winter album). For smashing tunes and Sunday evening melancholy you want "Brighten the Corners" (autumn). For an odd mix of both (plus spookiness) try "Wowee Zowie" (a summer album). The best Pavement album for spring, and the one with an anthemic bent is "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain".

Flaming Lips - "Clouds Taste Metallic" Fantastic, big sounding weird pop with lots of TUNES and funny noises. It's the one between "Transmissions..." and "Soft Bulletin".

Mercury Rev - "Yerself is Steam" Their first one. Tunes on side one give similar soaring rush to that achieved by the best stuff on My Bloody Valentines "Loveless". Side two is an excellent one for listening to whilst dozing (preferably on a summer afternoon; this is another great summer record). I also like their second album "Boces", although it does go on a bit in places.

08:40 / 30.04.02

this is the brainiac album i have. did i put stuff by them on one of your tapes, glint?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:57 / 30.04.02

Patti Smith's "Easter" should be owned by EVERYONE. (I actually thought it was... obviously my "Easter" police haven't been doing their fucking job).
Shellac- "1000 Hurts". Just for the bit where he says "cuz they were squirrels... REAL squirrels... and there were THOUSANDS!" (The boy Albini still has yet to top Big Black's "Songs About Fucking", though.)

09:18 / 30.04.02

Wow. Reponse. Thank you.

And Kooky... I don't belive you did, but then I can't find anything in my room to cehck, and I'm not even in my room. I'm avoiding work at school. Is it starting to show?

10:22 / 30.04.02

You've gotta get Yerself Is Steam, it's like, the best psychedelic guitar freakout thing EEEVVVEEERRR .. it's amazing, I love it to death, it's got, like, a million guitar overdubs or something.. it rules.

My favourite Shellac creation is 1000 Hurts, but then I would say that as I don't have any of their other records.

Horses seems to get the talked up as the best Patti Smith album, and I'd agree, it's fantastic, like a cross-breed of PJ Harvey and William Burroughs. But then, I haven't heard the highly praised Easter yet, so maybe that one's better..

Pavement - I ditto Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. It's the only album I've ever been physically addicted to, in that for a couple of weeks I had to play it all the way through before getting out of bed. It's that good. Though Wowwee Zowee and Slanted & Enchanted are both close seconds. For some reason, all three of these albums are quite heard to find in the Uk.. I copied two of them off a friend..

uncle retrospective

10:55 / 30.04.02

Just beware of Yerself is Steam. It can make your ears bleed in a really bad way if your not in the mood for it.

11:25 / 30.04.02

Okay, what about Mum, eh? Never heard of 'em, but they have an interesting looking single in the New Releases rack at Virgin. Appears to be either a 3.5 inch CD or a minidisc in a tiny wee soft case done up to look like a book.

Any good?

11:40 / 30.04.02

Just beware of Yerself is Steam. It can make your ears bleed in a really bad way if your not in the mood for it.

NO! It's good in every mood! ALL THE TIME! FOREVER!

I bought that Mum mini-cd yesterday, just because it looked weird and 'the green grass of tunnel' is a great title for anything (yes, I was on another of my regular 'single frenzy's).
It's lovely pastoral european electronica kind of gubbins with weird, surreal lyrics sung in a hushed female voice. A bit like Boards of Canada meets Bjork, only weirder, and all the better for it.

Matthew Fluxington

11:40 / 30.04.02

Glint, if you have to get one Pavement LP, get Wowee Zowee. It is the best album ever made. Slanted & Enchanted is a close second. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, Terror Twilight, and Brighten The Corners are all wonderful and perfect albums, but are somewhat less necessary than WZ and S+E. Avoid Westing (By Musket and Sextant) until after you have those five and the Watery Domestic EP.

But I swear to God, WZ is the best one. Anyone who tells you that CRCR is the best one is probably a casual fan, and you know the catalog better than that.

A handy run-through of songs I gave you on Pavement LPs:

S+E: Trigger Cut, Here, Conduit For Sale!, Summer Babe, In The Mouth A Desert, Perfume-V

CRCR: Silent Kid, Cut Your Hair, Unfair, Gold Soundz, Range Life, Fillmore Jive

WZ: Rattled By La Rush, Grounded, Kennel D, AT&T, Grave Architecture, We Dance, Half A Canyon

BTC: Stereo, Shady Lane, Date W/ IKEA, Blue Hawaiian, Transport is Arranged

TT: Spit on a Stranger, The Hexx, U R A Lite, Major Leagues, Billie

Westing: Box Elder, Debris Slide, Angel Carver Blues/Mellow Jazz Docent, Forklift

As for the Flaming Lips, I say get Clouds Taste Metallic, cos it's their best record, it's joyous and loud and noisy, I love it to bits and pieces.

12:24 / 30.04.02

Thanks Riz. Does it come with a special invisible adaptor to make it full CD size, cos I, um, couldn't see one.

Btw Glint, if you have to get just one LP, get "This Nation's Saving Grace" by The Fall. It *is* the best album ever made.

Matthew Fluxington

12:43 / 30.04.02

Hmm. I can't argue against the quality of This Nation's Saving Grace, but I will say that I think that Hex Enduction Hour is the best Fall LP by my reckoning, and that A-Sides is probably the best introductory record in their catalog...

18:28 / 30.04.02

Thank you Flux, as, um... I appear to ahve analysed the original piece of paper you send me for English Language. work, and the stupid fucking bitch never gave it back to me...

sigh

19:13 / 30.04.02

Oh, and is Ryan Adams' Gold any good? Do I get lynched for even asking that here? I get the feeling I should be wanting to gouge his eyes out, I've never heard hi and get wildly fluctuating reports of quality from various sources, all of whom I trust, bar one., who teachers me psychology.

Matthew Fluxington

19:38 / 30.04.02

There is absolutely nothing polite to say about Ryan Adams. I think that there are literally billions of better ways to spend your money than on Ryan Adams records, Glint.

21:34 / 30.04.02

So he's... Well, U2 then, really...

Is it physically possible for you to actually get worked up over apart from the Gilmore Girls? You didn't even seem vitiolic over piss-poor Pavement covers.

Where's yr punkish ire?!

Fengs for the Memory

08:10 / 01.05.02

I really feel the need to mention Spine of god by Monster Magnet and Welcome to sky valley by Kyuss. Two of the finest rock albums you will ever hear, heavy of good god yes.

14:56 / 03.05.02

I'd be grateful for a super-fast answer to this one:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - current single. IS IT ANY GOOD? A description would be nice too, ta.

15:03 / 03.05.02

It's more 'cool' than it is 'good'. Um .. a bit lo-fi, a bit punk, a bit Jon Spencer, a bit Blondie, (inevitably) a bit Strokes, a little bit Peaches.. one of those records that, if it was made in Bradford, it would merely be alright. But because it's made in NY it's really cool..

(Thanks to Flux, who allowed me to own copy of it ages ago, and thus show off to all my hip friends - 'oh, yeah, I got that song on a CDR from New York months ago').

Matthew Fluxington

15:05 / 03.05.02

Hey, Flyboy just mentioned the other day how much he loved the Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP - he described as sounding a bit like "Peaches sodomizing the Strokes" or some such, and though that's a bit sensational, it's not far off. I've had the EP for a while now, it's mostly good for the lead off song "Bang" which sounds a bit like JSBX at their best, but with a Peaches-like singer shouting about penis size ("the bigger the better!") and how "as a fuck son, you SUCKED". The other really great song is "Mystery Girl", which is a really solid sassy rock song, I like it a whole lot. The other three songs are okay, but nothing really fabulous.

I recommend it.

15:14 / 03.05.02

Hey there, fuckface! Just going back a couple of posts to The Fall, definitely go for Hex Enduction Hour over This Nation's Saving Grace. However, I'd suggest getting either Early Fall 1977-1979 or Palace of Swords Reversed before the A-Sides collection if you want to hear the real reasons why Mark E. Smith used to be a genius.

15:18 / 03.05.02

And still is .. didyou hear that limited edition single they put out a few months ago? It's absolutely mad .. the best Fall song I've ever heard.
But of course, being awkward buggers, they only made 300 copies or something, so we'll all just have to hope John Peel plays it again..

Page: (1)2