What are you listening to?

[hypehat]

Harry Nilsson - A Little Touch Of Schmilsson in The Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Zsjphc3RI

I love all these old songs, and Gordon Jenkins arranges them so they all flow together with little snippets inbetween - kind of like the Tin Pan Alley concept album!

Besides that, Band on the Run and Ram have been getting a lot of play, as well as just loads of Nilsson. Nilsson Sings Newman might be the greatest album ever made.

[the captain]

Prince's 20Ten atm. Good call on Nilsson Sings Newman, too. I don't call it the best album ever made, but it's really fantastic.

[hypehat]

Perhaps a little too much hyperbole on my part, but there is literally one thing wrong with it (the harpsichord on Cowboy is a little too shrill). I also can't think of another album i can play multiple times in a row, whatever that counts for. I mean, the entire thing is perfect at what it's doing.

Hows that Prince? I can't keep up with what he's releasing nowadays....  last thing i got was the decidedly average Planet Earth

[the captain]

I mean, the entire thing is perfect at what it's doing.

Absolutely true. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous album. And when I said I don't agree it isn't the best album, I meant just that literally, without sarcasm or cynicism implied: it's in the conversation for me pretty quickly after "best" album. Maybe in the 5th to 10th range. I love it.[/quote]

Hows that Prince? I can't keep up with what he's releasing nowadays....  last thing i got was the decidedly average Planet Earth

I think of Prince in this regard similarly to an Elvis Costello, Frank Zappa, Paul McCartney, Eels, Fiery Furnaces, etc. He puts out a lot of music and it's the listener's problem to work it out from there (as opposed to releasing many truly great, no-filler albums). And this is right in line with that kind of thinking. There are three or four songs on there that I flat-out love, a couple I flat-out hate, and some stuff in the middle. The closer is truly bizarre, with the brilliant/idiotic line that I can only hope is a joke [and in that it's a hidden track, I assume it is]: "From the heart of Minnesota, here come the purple Yoda."

[hypehat]

Haha, what an incredible line! So he's getting weirder on this one then? Planet Earth was SO bland, it depressed me. And I don't even know where to start with all this Lotus Flower stuff he did last year.... is it worth picking up?

Artists with huge back catalogues can be the most rewarding - I mean, look at the BB's. I'm currently starting to delve into Macca's 70's albums and am being pleasantly surprised with whatever £2 vinyl i can find at my local charity shops. my latest acqusition, Venus And Mars, is good, if slightly lightweight.

I'm guessing you're into your Nilsson then, Luther? Any other favourites?

[the captain]

Prince: you can find the songs that are worthwhile without buying the album. Macca: Don't miss Red Rose Speedway, as it's under-appreciated. Nilsson: Earlier the better.

[Curtis Leon]

Mono version of Their Satanic Majesties Request. Which I think is at least 10 times better than the ham fisted stereo mix.

[rab2591]

Bob Dylan's 'Oh Mercy' album. One of his best.

[the captain]

Bob Dylan's 'Oh Mercy' album. One of his best.

In the past year I've finally begun to be able to tolerate this album, but in terms of "one of his best," that only works for me if you finish the sentence with something like "half of his output" or "15-20 albums."

[rab2591]

Bob Dylan's 'Oh Mercy' album. One of his best.

In the past year I've finally begun to be able to tolerate this album, but in terms of "one of his best," that only works for me if you finish the sentence with something like "half of his output" or "15-20 albums."

To each his own. I love the production on the album, and songs like 'Shooting Star' and 'What Good Am I' are some of his best, imo. Granted, 'Disease of Conceit' is one of the worst Bob Dylan songs I've ever heard, so you may have a point 

[Mike's Beard]

Anyone here into a group from the sixties called "13th Floor Elevators".?A friend recommended them recently and I must say their second album is probably my all time favourite psychedelic record now.

[Dunderhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xruN5wQK9s
Circulatory System, BB of the 21st century

[the captain]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xruN5wQK9s
Circulatory System, BB of the 21st century

I think that's excessive praise. They're not even the Olivia Tremor Control of the 21st century...and they almost literally ARE the Olivia Tremor Control of the 21st century, give or take one Bill Doss. But they do have their moments.

[phirnis]

Carpenters - Love Songs

PIL - Flowers of Romance

Merzbow - Japanese Birds Vol. 3

[hypehat]

Anyone here into a group from the sixties called "13th Floor Elevators".?A friend recommended them recently and I must say their second album is probably my all time favourite psychedelic record now.

I do love me some Elevators! Have you heard the new Roky Erickson album? A sweet collection of songs, backed up not too intrusively by Okkerill River

Right now, I am listening to 'Precise Modern Lovers Order', a live album by The Modern Lovers, and worrying about the mental state of Jonathan Richman.

[Mike's Beard]

I've gone in CD buying overdrive recently. In the last few weeks I have got

Moby Grape - Debut

Sagittarius - Present Tense

Hank Williams - As "Luke the Drifter"

Millennium - Begin

Terry Melcher - Debut

Rising Sons - Collection

Willie Nelson  -Red Headed Stranger

Electric Prunes - Underground

All on heavy rotation.

[Dunderhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xruN5wQK9s
Circulatory System, BB of the 21st century

I think that's excessive praise. They're not even the Olivia Tremor Control of the 21st century...and they almost literally ARE the Olivia Tremor Control of the 21st century, give or take one Bill Doss. But they do have their moments.

The s/t is just so incredible it's like a majestic dream symphony. I like OTC a lot but neither OTC album has very good flow, and there are several tracks on each I'm not fond of. I also just outright dislike Will's sound collages, I'm so glad he moved beyond them on the s/t. It's not for everyone I guess but the s/t is an album I get totally lost in, I've loved it since the day it came out. It's my favorite album of the 21st century.

[the captain]

I was surprised how many reviews I came across with similar sentiments. To me, it was just more of the same, and I wasn't that thrilled with the OTC stuff to begin with. I don't see it as advancement or improvement at all. But I'm admittedly a pop-song guy, so I find little or no joy in little purportedly experimental or scenic interludes at all.

[Dunderhead]

I was surprised how many reviews I came across with similar sentiments. To me, it was just more of the same, and I wasn't that thrilled with the OTC stuff to begin with. I don't see it as advancement or improvement at all. But I'm admittedly a pop-song guy, so I find little or no joy in little purportedly experimental or scenic interludes at all.

No worries. I just love big sounding things, like Wagner, black metal, the Flaming Lips. I guess that's why I love Brian's production so much, I've always thought the Beatles production sounded really thin (no offense to them, The Beatles are great in their own way) and just get a big kick out of how lush and open it is, like a whole universe of music. The Circulatory System lp is just great like that.

Now I'm listening to this though, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2T2KmZdifE&feature=related
Something I think we can both agree on.

[Mike's Beard]

I'm listening to the first disk on that massive Creedance Clearwater Revival box for the first time, when they went under the names The Blue Velvets and later The Golliwogs and it's fascinating to hear over the course of 25 tracks them transform from utter garbage to the band that set the world on fire.

[the captain]

Jonathan Richman's "I, Jonathan."

[hypehat]

Dude, I love Jonathan Richman. He is a goldmine on youtube, in case you didn't know.... check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r5NkEkaXHQ

[the captain]

Stax-Volt Singles box set.

[the captain]

Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping.

[hypehat]

Les Paul boxset my friend lent me - good god, him and Mary Ford were fantastic! Just sticking it on shuffle and drowning in awesome guitars and harmonies.

Check it - An idiots guide to overdubbing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2FeKf7UUcQ