July/August Albums

I appear to have been slacking a little on the albums front. I have just about kept up on the one a week, but that's definitely an average rather than a precise art! I apologise for the delay in July and August's entries- I was busy getting married (although admittedly this didn't take me two months so is a feeble excuse!)


July
55)       Fairport Convention ‘Liege and Lief’ (Rob) 1969
            Awesome folk rock. Good storytelling and lovely sound.
56)       The National ‘The National’ 2001 and ‘Trouble will find me’ (Lizzie) 2013.

I found the first (self-titled) album rather boring on a first listen, and not much better on a second. I therefore decided to listen to a newer album, which seems to have better critically reviewed, but I didn't find much more to interest me.

57)       Metallica ‘Metallica’ and ‘Ride the Lightning’ 1984 (Danny and Liam)

‘Metallica’ (aka the black album) is, quite frankly, an awesome awesome awesome album. I think I like my music to sound like there is a considerable amount of skill involved; which this does. It quite frankly makes me want to jump up and down yelling my head off. Love love love. Exactly the right pace (I’ve decided this is also quite important r.e. what music I do and do not like).

Also, though, it's flipping messed up.  (I watched 'Master of puppets live...' on youtube…)

"Ride the Lightning"; although I don’t like the individual tracks as much as those on the Black Album, it works well as a whole album. It's a bit too fast for my liking, but the guitar is awesome, on tracks 3-5 especially.

58)       Coheed and Cambria ‘The Second Stage Turbine Blade’ (Brodie) 2002

I’m not sure what I think of this. I’d call it generic indie-rock-pop. It reminds me of Fallout Boy and Paramore (but I think this is just my subconcscious expecting it to sound like them because of who recommended it!) I don't dislike it but there’s nothing special to make me like it, either.

59)       The Clash ‘London Calling’ 1979 (Catherine and Liz)

This is undeniably iconic, but I’mnot sure whether that is because it is anything special or because history has made it so. I prefer the vocals on ‘Lost in the Supermarket’ to many of the other tracks (a particular that I don’t like is ‘The Right Profile’)- I think it’s Mick Jones on the former rather than Joe Strummer who does most of them. My opinion definitely improved as the album went on, possibly because it's quite a varied album. It is difficult listening to such an iconic album because you expect it to blow you away, but after a first listen the jury was definitely out; on a second listen, I decided I really liked it. The songs got stuck in my brain!

60)       Sarah Blasko ‘I awake’ (Luke)
            I like this. A lot. Listening to it at work a lot.

August 

61)       Catatonia 'Way beyond Blue' (Liz C) 1996

Notwithstanding the dulcet tones of Cherys Matthews (mmmmmm) this was underwhelming. Not unpleasant, but even after listening again and trying to listen carefully, I was uninspired. I then also listened to 'International Velvet' as I knew a few of the songs, but I had much the same reaction. Sorry Liz!
62)       The cribs 'Men's Needs, Women's Needs' (Catherine) 2007

This isn't bad, at all. I'm fairly certain if I'd have heard it first when it was released, in 2004, it would have been something I'd have really enjoyed and I'd probably now love due of nostalgia. But because it's new to me now, I can't derive anything special out of it and I am not particularly motivated to come back to it now I've had my first couple of listens! 'Be Safe' is interesting; spoken word over music. 

63)       Nirvana 'MTV unplugged in New York' (Kieran) 1994               

There's something special about Kurt Cobain's voice. I only know a few of these songs in their original version, and it makes me want to listen to more Nirvana.... 

64)       Rodrigo y Gabriela ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ (Kieran) 2006

This is really fun, instrumental Mexican guitar excellence. Have listened to it several times!