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So, as I talked about in the Now Playing Dos Thread, one of my New Year's resolutions was to listen to 100 'classic' albums that I'd never heard before. Many of the albums I've wanted to listen to I've thought were either too long, in a genre I mostly ignore, or were too embarrassing to admit I'd never listen to at all. So I had to fix that.
This wasn't supposed to be organized at all. I didn't have a list, and I was planning on picking out the albums as I went along. And that's what I started off doing - the first two albums I crossed off my list were Ege Bamyasi by Can and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane.
After some comments in the thread, other suggestions were made. These included me writing what I thought about each album, in the style of other threads that have attempted similar things, followed by everyone else writing their thoughts. I think this is a good idea. It was also recommended that I get a list. I think this was also a good idea. It took me a while to come up with a list, but I think I got one.
The list consists of 98 albums, each by a different artist, sourced from many different 'best of' lists. I wanted to cover a lot of different genres, decades, and countries/languages. This last part I came up a bit short on. If I'd done a bit more digging, I could've actually gotten albums from South America and Asia. I also wanted to try to get a mix of indie, popular/major label, and more experimental/avant-garde releases. Again, I came up a bit short on the last part, but if we get past 98, then I'm sure we could find more.
1. #1 Record by Big Star (1972) 2. 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989) 3. 69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields (1999) 4. A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets (2004) 5. All Eyez on Me by 2Pac (1996) 6. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted by Ice Cube (1990) 7. Amor Prohibido by Selena (1994) 8. Another Green World by Brian Eno (1975) 9. Appetite for Destruction by Guns N'Roses (1987) 10. Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade (2005) 11. Astral Weeks by Van Morrison (1968) 12. At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash (1968) 13. Baduizm by Erykah Badu (1997) 14. Bee Thousand by Guided by Voices (1994) 15. Betty Davis by Betty Davis (1973) 16. Big City by Merle Haggard (1981) 17. Black Saint & the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus (1963) 18. Blue by Joni MItchell (1971) 19. Butterfly by Mariah Carey (1997) 20. Chelsea Girl by Nico (1967) 21. Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn (1970) 22. Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton (1971) 23. CrazySexyCool by TLC (1994) 24. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement (1994) 25. Cut by The Slits (1979) 26. Damaged by Black Flag (1981) 27. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 28. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth (1988) 29. Diamond Life by Sade (1984) 30. Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers (1997) 31. The Doors by The Doors (1967) 32. Dusty in Memphis by Dusty Springfield (1969) 33. Either/Or by Elliot Smith (1997) 34. Electric Warrior by T. Rex (1971) 35. Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley (1956) 36. Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan (1999) 37. Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair (1993) 38. Frank by Amy Winehouse (2003) 39. Graceland by Paul Simon (1986) 40. Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg (1971) 41. Horses by Patti Smith (1975) 42. Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon Jennings (1973) 43. Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes (1969) 44. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush (1985) 45. I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One by Yo La Tengo (1997) 46. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin (1967) 47. In the Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra (1955) 48. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson (1989) 49. Joan Baez by Joan Baez (1960) 50. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon (1970) 51. Journey in Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane (1976) 52. Kill the Moonlight by Spoon (2002) 53. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis (1959) 54. Live at the Apollo by James Brown (1963) 55. Live at the Cheetah (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) by Fania All-Stars (1972) 56. Los Angeles by X (1980) 57. Maxinquaye by Tricky (1995) 58. Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite by Maxwell (1996) 59. Melody A.M. by Röyksopp (2001) 60. The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers (1976) 61. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles (1962) 62. Moon Safari by Air (1998) 63. Music Has the Right to Children by Boards of Canada (1998) 64. Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen (1982) 65. Neu! by Neu! (1972) 66. Nightclubbing by Grace Jones (1981) 67. The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden (1982) 68. Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies (1968) 69. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon (1995) 70. Orbital (Brown Album) by Orbital (1993) 71. Paid in Full by Eric B. & Rakim (1987) 72. Painkiller by Judas Priest (1990) 73. Pastel Blues by Nina Simone (1965) 74. Pink Moon by Nick Drake (1972) 75. Pirates Choice by Orchestra Baobab (1989) 76. Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill (1993) 77. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths (1986) 78. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits (1985) 79. Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z (1996) 80. Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson (1975) 81. Reign in Blood by Slayer (1986) 82. Repeater by Fugazi (1990) 83. The Score by Fugees (1996) 84. Screamadelica by Primal Scream (1991) 85. Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen (1967) 86. The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman (1959) 87. Spiderland by Slint (1991) 88. Supa Dupa Fly by Missy Elliott (1997) 89. Supreme Clientele by Ghostface Killah (2000) 90. Tapestry by Carole King (1971) 91. This Is Hardcore by Pulp (1998) 92. The Three E.P.'s by The Beta Band (1998) 93. Tri Repetae by Auterche (1995) 94. Violator by Depeche Mode (1990) 95. Vs. by Mission of Burma (1982) 96. Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes (1964) 97. You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. (1987) 98. Zombie by Fela Kuti (1976)
So here's how it works. The list is alphabetized, but each album is numbered. Either two or three times a week, I'm going to use a random number generator to pick an album at random for the list. I'll post what it is in the thread, along with some background and maybe what my preconceptions of it will be. I'll listen to it and then write my thoughts afterwards. Of course, everyone else should discuss, too. And then we'll move on to the next album, and so on and so forth. I'll probably select the first album tomorrow and we'll start from there.
* for the ones I REALLY love... *Another Green World *Astral Weeks *At Folsom Prison Baduizm Coal Miner's Daughter Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain *Dark Side of The Moon (how have you managed not hearing this, lol?) Daydream Nation Diamond Life *Dig Your Own Hole Electric Warrior *Horses *Hounds of Love *Kind of Blue Maxinquaye *The Modern Lovers *Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Music Has The Right To Children *Neu! Nightclubbing Orbital (brown) *Paid In Full *Pink Moon Reasonable Doubt Reign In Blood *Repeater *Screamadelica *Songs of Leonard Cohen *Shape of Jazz To Come *Spiderland *Tri Repetae *Violator
Not to say the rest here isn't great, but those are my favorites... hope you dig them!
True Story: I was a fan of Elliott Smith before I heard Either/Or. That record convinced me to pack my shit and move to Portland. Be very careful with that album.
Anyway, without further ado, here's the background on album #1:
26.Damaged by Black Flag
Background on Black Flag: Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013.
Black Flag's sound mixed the raw simplicity of the Ramones with atonal guitar solos and, in later years, frequent tempo shifts. The lyrics were written mostly by Ginn, and like other punk bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Black Flag voiced an anti-authoritarian and nonconformist message, in songs punctuated with descriptions of social isolation, neurosis, poverty, and paranoia. These themes were explored further when Henry Rollins joined the band as lead singer in 1981. Most of the band's material was released on Ginn's independent record label SST Records.
Over the course of the 1980s, Black Flag's sound, as well as their notoriety, evolved in ways that both embraced and alienated much of their early audience. As well as being central to the creation of hardcore punk, they were innovators in the first wave of American West Coast punk rock and are considered a key influence on punk subculture in the United States and abroad. Along with being among the earliest punk rock groups to incorporate elements and the influence of heavy metal melodies and rhythm, there were often overt freestyles, free jazz, breakbeat and contemporary classical elements in their sound, especially in Ginn's guitar playing, and the band interspersed records and performances with instrumentals throughout their career. They also played longer, slower, and more complex songs at a time when other bands in their milieu performed a raw, fast, three-chord format. As a result, their extensive discography is more stylistically varied than many of their punk rock contemporaries.
Black Flag was and remains well-respected within the punk subculture, primarily for their tireless promotion of an autonomous DIY punk ethic and aesthetic. They are often regarded as pioneers in the movement of underground do-it-yourself record labels that flourished among 1980s punk rock bands. Through constant touring throughout the United States and Canada, and occasionally Europe, Black Flag established a dedicated cult following.
Background on Damaged: Damaged is Black Flag's first studio album, released in 1981. Originally, the band had made at least two cancelled attempts to record a full-length album after the release of its first extended play Nervous Breakdown, with singers Keith Morris, Ron Reyes, and Dez Cadena. Some of the Reyes sessions became the Jealous Again EP, while selections from two of many Cadena sessions became the Six Pack EP and the "Louie Louie"/"Damaged I" single. Other session outtakes would later comprise the Everything Went Black double album.
At the time of the recording, Cadena had moved to rhythm guitar (a position he had initially intended to take when Reyes was still in the band) and 20-year-old Washington, DC expatriate Henry Rollins had become the band's new lead singer weeks before the sessions occurred. Unlike Reyes, who had never sung in a studio before, and Cadena, who had not even sung at all before joining the band, Rollins already had one recording credit to his name with the short-lived DC hardcore punk band State of Alert, who recorded No Policy, an EP released earlier that year on Dischord Records.
The band recorded their backing tracks without Rollins, who overdubbed vocals with band members Greg Ginn (guitar) and Chuck Dukowski (bass) coaching him afterward. The most complicated vocal tracks ended up being Dukowski's "What I See", which was supposed to have an improvised speech in the song's bridge but ended up having one written out by Dukowski when Rollins could not come up with anything that he was satisfied with, and "T.V. Party", which featured backing vocals from the entire band. Drummer Robo was wearing bracelets on his left wrist that rattled when he played; the rattling, whenever he would hit his snare drum, especially when he hit downbeats on it, became part of the sound.
The version of "Rise Above" on the album was recorded at an earlier session with Rollins and was intended purely for a single release. Another version was recorded during the album sessions but the band abandoned it & decided to include the single version instead. The closing track, "Damaged I", is technically Rollins' first writing credit with the band. In his book Get in the Van, Rollins reports that he used to improvise the lyrics every night when the song was performed live. Two takes of the vocal were done, and the first was used.
While the album did not gain much attention from the general press on its original release, the album retrospectively has been given critical acclaim and has been cited as one of the most important hardcore punk albums ever released. It has been recognized as a punk classic and one of the most influential punk records ever made by appearing on a number of "best of" lists by punk fans and critics alike. In 2003, the album was ranked number 340 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Pitchfork also ranked it number 25 on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.
My preconceptions: Most of what I know about Black Flag comes from reading (and only finishing about half, unfortunately) of Michael Azerrad's Our Band Could Be Your Life. Most of what I know about Damaged comes from listening to maybe 3 or 4 songs from Dirty Projectors' Rise Above, their 2007 album that serves as Dave Longstreth's 'reinterpretation' of Damaged from memory. Really, this isn't that surprising. Most of my exposure to any punk music at all growing up was through the kids I knew in my town's extremely local pop punk scene. I went to at least one of the all-ages shows one kid held in his family's living room, realized it wasn't really for me, and then didn't think much about punk music at all until I started getting more into indie rock years later.
As such, it's probably no surprise that my favorite punk band is Sleater-Kinney, and even then, my favorite album by them is their only one that safely couldn't be called punk at all (The Woods). In the years since, I've listened to many of the punk classics (like Milo Goes to College, Zen Arcade, Pink Flag, the Stooges/Ramones' discographies, etc.), but Damaged, and maybe by proxy a lot of the earlier hardcore releases, have remained elusive. So I'm excited to dive in!
"Rise Above" - Maybe it's just Spotify, but the mix on this sounds really low on the bass? And the vocals seem really high compared to what I was expecting? I love and am surprised by how hooky this is. Also, side note, Genius is really convenient for looking at all the lyrics to each song on an album.
"Spray Paint" - This is more what I was expecting from this album compared to "Rise Above". Faster, dirtier, more '''hardcore'''.
"Six Pack" - My first thought? "Oh, this is kind of like a punk version of that JEFF the Brotherhood song that's somehow less loud". This song seems kind of sad, in a way? ("I was born with a bottle in mouth/Now I've got six so I'll never run out" and "Spent the rest on beer so who's to blame") Maybe it's just supposed to be funny. But if it is, it's kind of a dark joke. Ok, "I need to get fucked" was funny.
"What I See" - Okay, yeah, this is getting dark fast. This is the first song I've really heard the bass on, and technically it seems very impressive. I'm thinking about Black Flag's work ethic here, and maybe how the more intricate guitar/drum/bass playing could contrast with someone like the Ramones (not a knock on the Ramones, I like them a lot!).
"TV Party" - This is where this band's sense of humor is really coming through. The handclaps are a nice touch - kind of reminds me of Electric Six's "Gay Bar". Interesting that this is the longest song on the album. Mildly disappointed that Dirty Projectors didn't cover this one.
"Thirsty and Miserable" - Another song that seems more sad than funny (if that's the intent), but I liked that brief guitar solo.
"Police Story" - Henry Rollins called this song "one of the greatest songs ever written" (thanks, Genius!). I haven't finished this album yet, but I don't know if I'd call it the best song on Damaged so far (I think that still goes to "Rise Above"). But important? I could see that.
"Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" - This is the first song I'm really noticing that bracelet effect on the drums. And going back and forth between the two tempos is interesting. But, again, the lyrical hooks are all over the place on this album, which is not what I was expecting. But I really should have been, in retrospect.
"Depression" - This sounds more like what anxiety feels like.
"Room 13" - I guess more what I was expecting originally from this album was maybe something like a more overtly political Milo Goes to College, where all the songs are like 30 seconds long and have a lot more screaming. Not that this song isn't fast, but it's slower than "Depression", and in general I'm surprised by the stylistic and lyrical diversity (as much as it exists) on this album.
"Damaged II" - I just noticed that there's been that burst of feedback that's started out a lot of these songs. Huh.
"No More" - I love those ominous chords at the beginning and the gradual speedup.
"Padded Cell" - Is that supposed to be a reference to CNN in the chorus?
"Life of Pain" - Lyrically, this seems like a good antidote to the sort of "I don't care and no one cares about me" attitude of some the last songs. Also liked the intro/outro to this song.
"Damaged I" - Henry Rollins kind of sounds like a scary David Byrne on this song. It's an interesting choice to end the album on the weirdest and slowest song, but that's the whole point, isn't it? The lyrics almost make this seem a bit improvisational even if the music doesn't, which is kind of cool.
First impressions: There's a lot going on here. I feel like I understand more now why this band was so tumultuous. It's clear that a lot of the band members were facing pretty strong personal issues. But I also understand more about how their work ethic and diverse inspirations informed their music. Most of the songs on the album defied my expectations of what Black Flag, and by extension hardcore punk, are supposed to be. I was surprised how the album was packed with hooks, . In the end, I think I liked the first half better than the second half largely because I think it has the stronger (and, to be fair, more popular) songs (like "Rise Above", "TV Party", "What I See", "Police Story"). But the second half had lots of memorable individual moments, especially musically (particularly on songs like "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", "No More", and "Life of Pain"). I think this is a document of what hardcore punk can be - fast, political, and pissed off while still stylistically diverse, with lots of interesting compositions.
This will be fun to follow. Some on your list are among my favs ... and I am not sure how you avoided them. But, avoid no more. Your selections from the late 80's are the soundtrack of my college years (especially "3 Feet High & Rising" and "Appetite").