#345: Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

September 1984, Sire

1. "Psycho Killer" – 4:24

2. "Heaven" – 3:41

3. "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" – 2:09

4. "Found a Job" – 3:15

5. "Slippery People" – 4:00

6. "Burning Down the House" – 4:06

7. "Life During Wartime" – 5:51

8. "Making Flippy Floppy" – 4:40

9. "Swamp" – 4:30

10. "What a Day That Was" – 6:00

11. "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" – 4:57

12. "Once in a Lifetime"  – 5:25

13. "Genius of Love" (performed by Tom Tom Club) – 4:30

14. "Girlfriend Is Better" – 5:06

15. "Take Me to the River" – 5:32

16. "Crosseyed and Painless" – 6:11

RESULTS

Rate: 6/10

Best Song: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Worst Song: Swamp

Comments

I've always loved the Talking Heads, and when I saw that they finally had an Album on here, I was more than excited to cover it.

This Album was pulled from their concert movie of the same name. It starts with David Byrne coming out alone in an absurdly large suit. He introduces a drum machine, and plays a solo version of Psycho Killer. Each song after, another band member comes out, and by "Burning Down the House", everyone has arrived.

It's a really cool premise, and even Robert Ebert rated the film quite highly. I only watched a brief bit of the film, but decided to stick to the Album, as I'm critiquing the music itself.

So why did I give it such a lukewarm review? Well, I've never been too hot on live Albums. Secondly, I felt this album in particular, while full of a really cool energy, just dragged on directionless. New Wave doesn't translate very well live, and I just ended up rather tired by the 16th track. They did a fantastic set-list, and it was really cool to see them pull out my favorite Tom Tom Club song, but in the end, I would've much rather have listened to a cleaned up studio version. Good, but a little disappointing.

#346: De La Soul - 3 Feet High Rising

De La Soul - 3 Feet High Rising

March 3, 1989, Tommy Boy

1."Intro" - 1:41

2."The Magic Number" - 3:16

3."Change in Speak" - 2:33

4."Cool Breeze on the Rocks" - 0:48

5."Can U Keep a Secret" - 1:41

6."Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)" - 3:25

7."Ghetto Thang" - 3:36

8."Transmitting Live from Mars" - 1:12

9."Eye Know" - 4:13

10."Take It Off" - 1:53

11."A Little Bit of Soap" - 0:57

12."Tread Water" - 3:46

13."Potholes in My Lawn" - 3:50

14."Say No Go" - 4:20

15."Do as De La Does" - 2:12

16."Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend)" - 4:07

17."De La Orgee" - 1:14

18."Buddy" (featuring Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip) - 4:55

19."Description" - 1:32

20."Me Myself and I" - 3:50

21."This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.)" - 3:10

22."I Can Do Anything (Delacratic)" - 0:41

23."D.A.I.S.Y. Age" - 4:43

24."Plug Tunin'" (Original 12" version) - 3:43

RESULTS
Rate: 8.5
Best Song: Eye Know
Worst Song: De La Orgee

Results
So, I've decided to take a new stance on Skits in Albums. I''ve come to the conclusion that it's sort of a cop-out to place a skit as the "Worst Song", because quite frankly, they aren't songs.

This Album is known as the Album that actually started hip-hop skits. The Album;s theme revolves around a Game Show, and each artist coming in and answering the questions through the power of Rap, or whatever. Pretty dope.

It's a super vibey Album, and is reminiscent of walking down a New York Avenue on a Summer's day. Jazzy, boppy, and upbeat. I really enjoyed the first half of the Album, and keeping the upbeat theme was really pivotal for my tastes. However, I felt it slowly sunk and hit lower in the second half, though the content wasn't to bleak.

Overall, I'd have to say check it out. It's super fun, and really put in a cool perspective to De La Soul.

#347: Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
August 4, 1967, Tower

1."Astronomy Domine" - 4:17

2."Lucifer Sam"- 3:09
3."Matilda Mother"- 3:05
4."Flaming"- 2:46 
5."Pow R. Toc H." - 4:24 
6."Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" - 3:07 
7."Interstellar Overdrive" - 9:41 
8."The Gnome" - 2:14 
9."Chapter 24" - 3:53 
10."The Scarecrow"- 2:10 
11."Bike" - 3:21

RESULTS
Rate: 8/10
Best Song: Lucifer Sam
Worst Song: Interstellar Overdrive

Comments
Here's a Pink Floyd album that has completely flown under the radar. No idea it existed.

This album is a pretty straightforward introduction into Barrett's huge plunge into LSD. The psychedelic overtures of the Album are incredibly thick, and it appears as if there were two styles of songs: Songs that were either incredibly long and free-form, or short doo-wops about gnomes and bikes.

My personal favorite was the second track in, "Lucifer Sam". The opening guitar riff is just so pleasing to listen to, and it's a weird song about Syd's cat, so, yeah. Kind of hard to beat.

It seems everyone loves "Intersteller Overdrive", an almost 10 minute song that sounds like every generic psychedelic song on Earth. Everyone is just randomly playing their instruments off of each other, making this weird, awful jazzy sound, that simply does not appeal to me. I could make the same songs out of pots and pans.

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this Album. I think it fits right into the time period, and hits the right notes if some trippy , somewhat funny experience is what you're looking for, in terms of Pink Floyd.

Hiatus Update

Hey everyone,

The last few years I've been focused on other areas of my life, and I'm afraid, this blog has been left in the dust in terms of priorities.

In the time between my last post and now, I've grown up quite a bit, including graduating High School, attending University, and allowing that dirt-bag Tom Cruise to borrow my impressive yacht for the Summer, while I was away in Tahiti. However, not once has this personal project left my mind, and I've been itching to get back into it, and finish this puppy off once and for all.

Therefore, I'm happy to announce I will be returning to listen and review the infamous Rolling Stone "Greatest 500 Albums of All Time"!

Stay Tuned :)

-Jacob

#348: Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960

November 15, 1960, Chess

1. "I Got My Brand on You" - 4:24

2. "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" - 2:50

3. "Baby, Please Don't Go" - 2:52

4. "Soon Forgotten" - 4:08

5. "Tiger in Your Tank" - 4:12

6. "I Feel So Good" - 2:48

7. "Got My Mojo Working" - 4:08

8. "Got My Mojo Working, Part 2" - 2:38

9. "Goodbye Newport Blues" - 4:38

RESULTS

Rate: 8/10

Best Song: Goodbye Newport Blues

Worst Song: Tiger in Your Tank

Comments

Two things I've always felt I had a closed-off perception of are Blues, and Live Albums.

I generally dislike Live Albums. I think that the crowd blocks out the quality of the music, the band is achieving a different sound than what they want their audience to be used to, and it's a cheap, fast way to make money off of both the concert, and the concert album. It completely ruins the feeling of exclusivity to the people who attended the concert.

As for Blues, I do like Blues, I just feel like it drains itself out after awhile, much like a sponge. A few songs are fine, but a whole album can end up sounding disorganized, and reused.

So, I decided it would be best if I opened my mind to the idea of both. And you know what? I actually greatly enjoyed it. The Blues were tight, yet fun. The sound had a hard-hitting feel, while still managing to have an energetic rhythm to it. I would find myself tapping my foot to songs I've never heard of, and it generally made me want to listen to it a second time.

Also, this Album influenced Rolling Stones, Hendrix, AC/DC, and Zeppelin, so there's that.

#349: Jay-Z - The Black Album

Jay-Z - The Black Album

November 14, 2003, Roc-A-Fella

1. "Interlude" - 1:22

2. "December 4th" - 4:32

3. "What More Can I Say" - 4:55

4. "Encore" - 4:11

5. "Change Clothes" (feat. Pharrell) - 4:18

6. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" - 4:05

7. "Threat" - 4:05

8. "Moment of Clarity" - 4:24

9. "99 Problems" - 3:55

10. "Public Service Announcement (Interlude)" - 2:53

11. "Justify My Thug" - 4:05

12. "Lucifer" - 3:12

13. "Allure" - 4:52

14. "My 1st Song" - 4:45

RESULTS

Rate: 8/10

Best Song: 99 Problems

Worst Song: Dirt Off Your Shoulder

Comments

If you got music problems, I feel bad for you son

I got 499 problems but this Album ain't one.

This Album is pretty sick, not gonna lie. It's hard, it's heavy-hitting, and it's all around just kind of fun to listen to. Jay-Z has a pretty decent rap voice, and the beats are well selected. Jay-Z decided that every single song on this Album should have a diff producer, which definitely had an effect on some all the tracks. Fantastic songs like "Moment of Clarity" were produced by Eminem, while shitty songs like "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" were produced by Timbaland. You know your song is bad when the Skit is more fun to listen to than the song itself.

Tight Album, Loose Lips.

#350: The Yardbirds - Roger the Engineer (a.k.a. Over Under Sideways Down)

The Yardbirds - Roger the Engineer (a.k.a. Over Under Sideways Down)

July 15, 1966, Epic

1. "Lost Woman" - 3:16

2. "Over Under Sideways Down" (Rechanneled) - 2:24

3. "The Nazz Are Blue" - 3:04

4. "I Can't Make Your Way" - 2:26

5. "Rack My Mind" - 3:15

6. "Farewell" - 1:29

7. "Hot House of Omagararshid" - 2:39

8. "Jeff's Boogie" (Rechanneled) - 2:25

9. "He's Always There" - 2:15

10. "Turn into Earth" - 3:06

11. "What Do You Want" - 3:22

12. "Ever Since the World Began" - 2:09

RESULTS

Rate: 6/10

Best Song: Rack My Mind

Worst Song: Hot House of Omagararshid

Comments

It's...The Yardbirds!

Yeah, it's just another generic Yardbirds album pre-Clapton. Nothing special about it, not too sure why it's on this list. Not to say it's a bad album, it's just...again?

Psychedelic, Bluesy, and already done.

#351: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps

July 2, 1979, Reprise

1. "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" - 3:45

2. "Thrasher" - 5:38

3. "Ride My Llama" - 2:29

4. "Pocahontas" - 3:22

5. "Sail Away"- 3:46

6. "Powderfinger" - 5:30

7. "Welfare Mothers"  - 3:48

8. "Sedan Delivery" - 4:40

9. "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" - 5:18

RESULTS

Rate: 7/10

Best Song: My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)

Worst Song: Welfare Mothers

Comments

The first of Neil Not-So-Young's Album's on this list, this little Album is pretty cozy to sit down and listen to, but eventually degrades into the same sound over and over, which can be very bland to listen to. Young's lyrics hit pretty deep, affecting a young Kurt Cobain, who took lyrics from "My My, Hey Hey" and put it into his suicide note. Apparently, this hit Young pretty hard. Tough shit, I guess.

#352: Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

May 13, 1985, Warner Bros.

1. "So Far Away"- 5:12

2. "Money for Nothing" - 8:26

3. "Walk of Life" - 4:12

4. "Your Latest Trick" - 6:33

5. "Why Worry" - 8:31

6. "Ride Across the River" - 6:58

7. "The Man's Too Strong" - 4:40

8. "One World" - 3:40

9. "Brothers in Arms" - 7:00

RESULTS

Rate: 7.5/10

Best Song: Money for Nothing

Worst Song: Your Latest Trick

Comments

A very light rock, this Yacht Rock collection is pretty smooth, not hard to listen to, and kinda relaxing. Dire Straits pull of a smoother rock, that still is acceptably complex in how it is performed. I mean, the guitar in this bad boy is just off the hook.

The impressive clash of instruments makes up for a pretty solid soundtrack, but other than that, there's nothing overally great. The filler songs are long and drawn out, and the hidden gems in the Album are really the only thing to listen for. Other than that, groovy Album.

#353: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

November 22, 2010, Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella

1. Dark Fantasy - 4:40

2. Gorgeous (ft. Kid Cudi & Raekwon) - 5:57

3. Power - 4:52

4. All Of the Lights (Interlude) - 1:02

5. All Of the Lights - 4:59

6. Monster (ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver) - 6:18

7. So Appalled (ft. Jay-Z, Pusha T, Cyhi Da Prynce, Swizz Beatz & RZA) - 6:38

8. Devil In A New Dress (ft. Rick Ross) - 5:52

9. Runaway (ft. Pusha T) - 9:08

10. Hell Of A Life - 5:27

11. Blame Game (ft. John Legend) - 7:49

12. Lost In The World (ft. Bon Iver) - 4:16

13. Who Will Survive In America - 1:36

RESULTS

Rate: 8/10

Best Song: Hell of a Life

Worst Song: All of the Lights (Interlude)

Comments

I actually like Kanye, act and all. I don't know what gets me about egotistical people, but they make me laugh and I just love them.

Music's fine, only time Nicki Minaj will make this list though. Lots of features, makes the music less personal. Oh well, I enjoyed it.