In my last post, I promised to update every week. I lied: I’m updating whenever I feel like it.
Here’s some Twitter-length comments on 40 songs that came up on shuffle.
“Black Moon Overture” – Nokturnal Mortum – Goat Horns
Synth intro by Ukranian Nazi Pigfuckers. Like an opening sequence to a fantasy RPG that a Ukranian Nazi Pigfucker might play.
“Blood On Ice” – Bathory – Blood On Ice
Two epic heathen metal songs in a row? Quorthon’s vocals only sort-of-suck on this album. BOI > TotG. 4:10 mark rules.
“Weeper On The Shore” – Amorphis – Elegy
Least favorite track from this album. (Guitar solo + breakdown + Katatonia part) x 2, then another solo. Marillion keyboards.
“Crionics” – Slayer – Show No Mercy
Today the metal gods smile down upon me. SNM = first Iron Maiden LP plus balls. Saw Slayer at Ozzfest long ago. Made me sad.
“Celeste” – Donovan – Sunshine Superman
I have sung this song to about 80 different girls in my head. A masterpiece. (I own the Donovan autobiography. Don’t tell anyone.)
“?” – Outkast – Stankonia
This album is so sonically loaded that it puts Sgt. Pepper to shame. Brief track kinda reminds me of Olivia Tremor Control.
“A Last Straw” – Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom
Harry Nilsson and Pink Floyd go to the aquarium on acid. Reminder of how good the seventies were. Prog(ish) rock with soul?
“Music For The People” – Frijid Pink – (bonus track)
“They could’ve been the next Grand Funk Railroad. Okay, the next Guess Who. Okay, the next Norman Greenbaum.” This sucks.
“The Overload” – Talking Heads – Remain In Light
An album that’s been following me lately. In this song TH try to sound like Joy Division without ever having heard them (it’s true).
“Fu-Gee-La” – Fugees – The Score
This is almost Trip Hop, with the crackling LP and everything. Lauryn Hill raps like she’s always just about to run out of breath.
“Little Miss Queen Of Darkness” – The Kinks – Face To Face
White blues psychedelia. Would soon become hip British sound (Cream, Traffic, Zep), but Kinks were there first. Moved on.
“In Praise Of Bacchus” – Type O Negative – October Rust
Peter Steele is good at two things: singing about fire, and fucking. This song’s 2nd chorus is a perfect example of why I love TON.
“Variations On A Cocktail Dress” – The Dillinger Escape Plan – Calculating Infinity
“Yo, last night I made a noise ‘piece’ on my computer.” “Hidden tracks aren’t out of style yet are they?” “No?” “Let’s throw it on.”
“Sun” – Donovan – A Gift From A Flower To A Garden
Another Donovan song (and a favorite). Are mystical forces trying to tell me something? Also, flies’ wings don’t have oceans.
“Blue Monday” – New Order – (single)
How is one supposed to dance to four-on-the-floor? I just tried, and now know the answer: you stand there like Robocop and lip-sync.
“Times Of Trouble” – Temple Of The Dog – Temple Of The Dog
THE supergroup of the 90s? Cornell at the top of his game. Saw him live in 2007. Played “Slaves And Bulldozers.” Weighs ~85lbs.
“Can-Utiliy And The Coastliners” – Genesis – Foxtrot
Nursery Cryme to Foxtrot to Selling England… = one of the greatest album runs in history. Did I say “prog with soul”? THIS IS IT.
“This Place Is A Prison” – The Postal Service – Give Up
Heard the intro and got excited. Then I saw what it was. Pretty ladies love PS though, so having them is essential. It’s an okay song.
“Skit #1” – Kanye West – Late Registration
New rule from now on: every playlist must have thirty-second interruptions by Kanye. He really might be my favorite person in the world.
“Magic And Mayhem” – Amorphis – Tales From The Thousand Lakes
Another amazing Amorphis track. With all the dainty keyboards and 70s influences, they never forgot to BRING THE GROOVE.
“Zen” – Colour Haze – Los Sounds Des Krauts
CH prove that, yes, it IS possible to have a weed flashback. (Or is that “hash-back”?) Decade’s most consistent band? Possible.
“Goodbye And Hello” – Tim Buckley – Goodbye And Hello
Weird. I was gonna post this album as “Forgotten Gem #2.” This song is all about: a) theme variation and b) tension/release.
“Ah, Weir” – Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
Old Yeasayer Album. New Yeasayer Album = 7.5/10. More experimental Tears For Fears. Highlights: “The Children,” “I Remember.”
“I Am The Walrus” – The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
One night on psilocybin my friend and I decided to “illustrate” this song, as we saw it in our heads. I drew a fat, alcoholic ladybug on a leaf.
“Tell Me What You See” – The Beatles – Help!
The worst song on Help! BY FAR. Feels sort of lazy, but I suppose it has its charms. The tambourine is so underused these days…
“Carpet Crawlers” – Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Ah, more Gabriel. If you trim TLLDOB from 90 mins to 55, you have the greatest prog record of all time. (Sadly, I’ve done it.)
“Weltraumantra” – Colour Haze – Los Sounds Des Krauts
The Void is beginning and end itself. Unobstructed; shining, thrilling, blissful. Diamond consciousness. The All-Good Buddha.
“Ladytron” – Roxy Music – Roxy Music
Roxy having their most fun, doing their best to surprise the listener. Bryan Ferry had a love for film-noir (see: the opening, his heroines).
“Down The Highway” – Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Has anyone heard that new Dylan Christmas album? (And please tell me he covers “Frosty The Snowman.”) Anyone? Anyone?
“Onward” – Yes – Tormato
Bad song from an even worse album. The only interesting thing about Tormato is its use of the birotron, a super-rare proto-synthesizer.
“Havalina” – Pixies – Bossanova
Sometimes I think that Bossanova is my favorite Pixies album. Those times are: every time I’m listening to it. Arizona seems cool.
“A Short Story” – The Album Leaf – An Orchestrated Rise To Fall
Man, I ain’t listening to that whole thing. Skip.
“Scream Of The Butterfly” – Acid Bath – When The Kite String Pops
Every wonder what Alice In Chains would have sounded like had Layne been able to write songs during his worst heroin throes?
“Handle The Vibe” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art Of War WWI
Please tell me this rapping is studio-manipulated. (Just checked: it’s not. Jesus Christ.) I don’t even know why I have this.
“Under The Influence Of The Jesus And Mary Chain” – Sonic Youth – Master-Dik
Pointless track from one of the most pointless (and fun) SY releases. “Not at all,” Thurston? Or are you being funny again?
“To Wild Homes” – The New Pornographers – Mass Romantic
Sort of sounds like The Muppets, or The Feebles. Sunny music that doesn’t make me want to go all Heidi The Hippo on everyone.
“Depraved” – Emperor – Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire And Demise
Haven’t listened to this since 2002. I expected to say something about how this isn’t as bad as everyone says it is. I was wrong. It is.
“Fighting For Madge” – Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On
The only decent FM album from their blues period, just because it often breaks the whiteboy blues mold. Madge is a funny name.
“No, You Don’t” – Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
Reminds me of high school. Trent Reznor kinda sounds like a whining 3-year-old. Great pre-chorus, which only appears one time. Huh.
“In A Dream” – Tiamat – Clouds
I once played this for a non-metalhead; he couldn’t stop laughing at the vocals. My favorite is the spoken title in the chorus. Good song.
Look for more enlightening updates… sometime in the future.
