Wednesday, July 31, 2024

2004 Deep Dive: Top 40 Songs

      OK, I'm doing 40 songs so this will be a long one. I love multiple songs from some of these albums, as well as many songs from albums that didn't make my Top 20. I don't know where Sound Mind is going after this post. I'm in a time squeeze and have nothing in particular to focus on. The Patreon group I'm in is doing a 1969 deep dive next, but that's probably a couple months away. I'm also a little burnt out on deep dives. I may try to circle back on revisiting some of my crappy old posts and re-imagine them. Time will tell. Peace.

1. Clubfoot - Kasabian

     This song is a banger and the bass is killer.

2. Ocean Breathes Salty - Modest Mouse

     Love the guitars on this and the lyrics are delightful. "For your sake I hope Heaven and Hell are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath".

3. Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud - Guided by Voices

     This is my personal theme song. It should be playing in the background like I'm a TV character. "This is not my day and nobody really cares anymore, anyhow. Nobody called again cuz they say that I'm to lazy to stay alive", 

4. Miracle Drug - AC Newman

     My favorite new discovery. 

5. Decent Days and Nights - The Futureheads

     My second favorite new discovery. "If the least you can do is show some restraint, then the most you can do is get carried away".

6. Criminal Piece - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

     Very scrappy and jangly. Kinda sounds like a Superchunk song.

7. Huffman Prairie Flying Field - Guided by Voices

     Gorgeous pop gem featuring a guest appearance by Tobin Sprout. "If that is what you want to hear, then that's what I will sell you". 

8. I.D. - Kasabian

     The trippy keyboard intro is brilliant. "No one else is here, but I can't get a sense of nothing".

9. Girls of Wild Strawberries - Guided by Voices

     Another beautiful pop gem. "Undelivered sermons to the sea". 

10. L.S.F. - Kasabian  

     The chorus is FIRE!

11. All Because of You - U2

     I love Bono's vocals in the chorus. I also love up-tempo, high energy U2. 

12. When the Fool Becomes a King - The Polyphonic Spree

     EPIC! "Love the life you choose". 

13. Float On - Modest Mouse

     The main guitar riff is fantastic. 

14. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

     It was the biggest rock song of 2004 for a reason. 

15. Slow Hands - Interpol

     This song is a straight-up jam. "You make me want to pick up a guitar".

16. Rebellion - Arcade Fire

     I love this song, but hate that it spawned a ton of shit bands. I wish more of their songs were like this.

17. Here Comes Everybody - Autolux

     The transition from the breathy vocals at the beginning to the bombastic chorus is sublime. "Sha-la-la". 

18. C'mon C'mon - The Von Bondies

     A garage revival classic. The album doesn't hold up but this song is still great. 

19. Vertigo - U2

     "Hello, hello, hola". 

20. 10 A.M. Automatic - The Black Keys

     Not a big fan of this band or album, but this track is very White Stripes adjacent. 

21. Pretty - Elliott Smith

     Gorgeous. It makes me wish John Lennon and George Harrison had started a band together after The Beatles broke up. It probably would have sounded like this.

22. American Idiot - Green Day

     This song is still a great jam. "One nation controlled by the media". 

23. Ride - The Vines

     Another album that doesn't hold up, but I still love this song.  

24. Mason City - The Fiery Furnaces

     I can't put into words what I love about this song. You'll have to listen to it. It's simple, yet complicated.

25. Woman's Prison - Loretta Lynn

     What a heartbreakingly, beautiful song. Legend!

26. C'mere - Interpol

     Interpol really knows how to get a great guitar sound. 

27. Wake Up - Arcade Fire

     See my comments for "Rebellion". 

28. Robots in the Garden - Autolux

     Fun, drum-driven, stop and start song. And there are fucking robots in the garden. 

29. Catherine Dupree - Will Johnson

     My favorite songwriter all stripped down. 

30. The Day John Henry Died - Drive by Truckers

     I never got into these guys, but this song has a nice, classic rock feel. 

31, All They Ever Do Is Talk - Earlimart

     A brooding, Smashing Pumpkins adjacent track. 

32. Closets of Henry - Guided by Voices

     Jangly in the verse and a soaring chorus. Classic Bob. 

33. Coast to Coast - Elliott Smith 

     More of a rocker with Steven Drozd on drums.

34. Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn

     Nice mash up of Loretta and Jack White.

35. Tour Guide at the Winston Churchill Memorial - Guided by Voices

     Nice, mid-tempo song with a great vocal performance by Uncle Bob.

36. The Good Times Are Killing Me - Modest Mouse

     Wacky collaboration with The Flaming Lips. 

37. Shadows of Tomorrow - Madvillain

     This could change when I know the album better, but this one stood out.

38. A Long Day Continues/We Sound Amazed - The Polyphonic Spree

     Beautifully picks up where the first album left off. Quite Abbey Road-esque. 

39. Guinnesses - MF DOOM

     Love the grooves and flow. 

40. Winners and Losers - Social Distortion

     I need to check out more Social D. Really like this one. 




     

     

     

     

         

        

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

2004 Deep Dive: Part Four

      The Top 5 albums of 2004 means I'm about to reveal my Mt. Rushmore. If I had thought this out better  I would have done four albums at a time instead of 5 since I only did 20 this time. Oh well. I'm also about to reveal the final first-time listen of 2004 to make my top 20. Since I only did 20 albums for 2004, I will expand my top songs list to 30. Let's do this thing.

5. Madvillain - Madvillainy ( 4.5 Stars )

     Just missing my Mt. Rushmore is first-time listen, Madvillainy. This is one of those albums that's always on best albums lists and there's even a 33 1/3 book about it. I've meant to check it out for quite some time and this was finally the excuse I needed. Madvillain is MF DOOM, who was in my Top 20 with his album MM...FOOD, and Madlib. MF DOOM provides the lyrics and Madlib the production. Like MM...FOOD, I really enjoy the lyrics and flow, as well as the samples and mid century links. My favorites are "Shadows of Tomorrow" and "Figaro". Another standout track is "Eye", which features Stacy Epps on vocals. I'm still not well-versed in Hip Hop, but it seems I mostly like good flow, jazz influence or sci-fi production and cool samples. It's a start.

4. Guided by Voices - Half Smiles of the Decomposed ( 4.5 Stars )

     First up on my 2004 Mt. Rushmore is Guided by Voices. Sorry if you're sick of these guys after my recent deep dive, but this album is great. Half Smiles of the Decomposed is helmed, as always, by songwriting machine Robert Pollard, with the able assistance of current band members Doug Gillard and Kevin March. Also on this album are Nate Farley on rhythm guitar and Chris Slusarenko, of the band Eyelids, on bass. It features five of my all-time favorite Guided by Voices tunes, "Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud", "Girls of Wild Strawberries", "Closets of Henry", "Tour Guide at the Winston Churchill Memorial", and "Huffman Prairie Flying Field". The other nine tracks on this albums are great, too. Pollard temporarily retired the band after this album, but he would later reunite the "Classic Lineup" in the early 2010's and then the current lineup in 2017. 

3. U2 - How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ( 4.5 Stars )

     This album has a special place in my heart. During the winter of 2004-5, this CD lived in my wife's car and we listened to it on a loop driving back and forth to Lamaze classes before our daughter was born. She's now going into her sophomore year of university. I don't get the haters of U2, and this album in particular. It has a Rate Your Music score of 2.75. That's bonkers! These people must all be miserable bastards. "Vertigo" is a straight-up banger. "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is a gorgeous song that Bono wrote for his father. "Love and Peace or Else" has an irresistibly, languid vibe. "City of Blinding Lights" is one of Bono's best lyrics and The Edge is smokin'. My favorite track is "All Because of You". The whole band is firing on all cylinders. The chorus is soaring. It's easily a Top 5 U2 album, along with War, The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Suck it trolls!

2. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News ( 5.0 Stars )

     During 2004, when the only two songs that existed in the world were "Take Me Out" and "Float On", my wife was one of those who loved "Float On". Then I bought this CD and started listening to it and she hated the rest of it. This was probably a common occurrence. Luckily for me, it was right in my sweet spot. I know Isaac Brock's vocals are divisive, but I love how he veers from fragile to angry to sarcastically hilarious. They also have that weird, woozy guitar sound, like Built to Spill. And "Float On" is a tremendous song. It's remarkable that it was so popular. It didn't take much to sell me on this album, because they did a collaboration with The Flaming Lips (The Good Times Are Killing Me). Every song on Good News...Bad News is great. My favorite is "Ocean Breathes Salty". It has some of the best lyrics of the 2000's. "You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the after-life?" I think what put my wife over the edge was the back to back assault of "Bury Me With It" and "Dance Hall", which features Isaac at his most shouty. That's what clinched this as a 5 Star album for me. 

1. Kasabian - Kasabian ( 5.0 Stars )

     I instantly fell in love with Kasabian the first time I heard "Clubfoot". The hype for them in the British music magazines was off the chain and they lived up to it. The bass grooves on "Clubfoot" are intoxicating. I could hear that song a million times and it would still be as great as the first time. The single, "L.S.F" (Lost Souls Forever), is almost equally as brilliant. One of the highlights of a Kasabian live show is everyone singing along to the chorus, "Ah, oh come on. We got our backs to the wall. Get on and watch out, say, you're gonna kill us all". Another mind-blowing track is I.D.. It begins with an extended electronic intro, then the drums count in the rest of the band. The lyrics are great and it has a hypnotic groove that you lose control to. This is easily one of the Top 5 albums of the 2000's. Epic! Peace.



2004 Deep Dive: Part Three

      We're now into the Top 10 for 2004 and there are two more new listens in this 6-10 group. It's a fun assortment of albums with only one obvious selection. Let's get to it.

10. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose ( 4.0 Stars )

     I certainly wasn't expecting a Loretta Lynn album in my Top 10. I remember Van Lear Rose coming out to considerable critical acclaim, but never listened to it despite the involvement of Jack White. I probably viewed it as a cynical move on his part to reinvent a Country Music legend. As I listened to this for the first time, I vaguely remember hearing the track, "Portland, Oregon" back in the day. It turns out Jack White did a respectful job on Van Lear Rose. He judiciously adds some rock elements to an outstanding collection of traditional Country songs, most notably on "Have Mercy" and "Mrs. Leroy Brown". "Trouble on the Line" sounds like it arrived in a time machine from the 70's. The pedal steel on that track is beautiful. "Women's Prison" is a powerful song about a woman who kills her cheatin' man and ends up on Death Row. The last thing she hears is her mama cry. It's easily my favorite track on the album. It runs out with a great slide guitar performance by Jack White. I suppose in 2004 we all needed a reminder that Loretta Lynn was a national treasure. 

9. Earlimart - Treble and Tremble ( 4.5 Stars )

     This is another CD I was all about in 2004. I think I read a review of it in a music magazine and took a flyer on it. It's not surprising that Treble and Tremble is in my wheelhouse. It has a dreamy Sparklehorse vibe and was co-produced by Jim Fairchild of Grandaddy. Apparently, Earlimart's Aaron Espinoza was friends with Elliott Smith and this album was inspired by him. The single from this album was "Heaven Adores You". Probably a connection there. What I love most about Treble and Tremble is the vocals. They are a breathy combination of Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and Billy Corgan. One of my favorite tracks is "Tell the Truth", which has the lines: "Well I know I'm out of reach. And all these songs are out of key. But I guess you just don't know. You don't know shit about me". Good stuff.

8. Arcade Fire - Funeral ( 4.5 Stars )

     I know this was the consensus Best Album of 2004, but I have it at #8. Maybe it's because part of me blames them for all the horrible bands like The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons. That's probably not fair, but life's not fair. There's no denying, however, that Funeral is a phenomenal album. "Wake Up" is a sweeping, majestic indie rock anthem. The first time I heard of Arcade Fire was when I saw the music video for "Rebellion". It was mesmerizing. And it's a fantastic song. If the rest of the album was as powerful as these two songs it would be a 5 Star lock. But they aren't, so 4.5 it is.

7. The Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy ( 4.5 Stars )

     Together We're Heavy is the hilariously titled second album by The Polyphonic Spree. With over 20 members, their combined weight would have been well in excess of one ton. The implication is separately they were not heavy in a personal outlook sense. They were a band, lead by Tripping Daisy's Tim DeLaughter, who found community and joyous expression through music. Their albums had an unusual conceit where the song numbers continued to go up. like their music was one continuous journey. It's awesome that there was a time in music where a band like The Polyphonic Spree could even exist. Over the years, I've come to this band for enjoyment, solace, inspiration and a renewed faith in humanity. The opening track, "Section 11 (A Long Day Continues/We Sound Amazed)", is a larger than life, Beatlesesque quest for meaning that calls back to their first album. "Section 12 (Hold Me Now)" was the "hit" song. It's a spirited, uplifting track with full band instrumental bombast and a beautiful message. "Section 13 (Diamonds/Mild Devotion to Majesty) is a gorgeous song that features some tremendous theremin playing. Delaughter's usually fragile vocals are actually quite powerful on this track and the backing vocals are amazing. I could literally highlight every song on this album, but my favorite is probably "Section 19 (When the Fool Becomes a King)". It's a multi-part song that runs over ten minutes. After an opening fanfare section there's the fantastic "Hail to the sky", sing-along section. My favorite section follows when DeLaughter brings it down and has the line, "The best place is to find your home. The coolest is to find your way". The song closes out with the inspiring "Reach for the sun" movement. My one complaint about Together We're Heavy is that "Section 19" clearly should have been the album closer. There's nowhere for them to go after such a cathartic anthem. Honestly, if your soul hasn't been completely crushed by Neoliberal austerity, capitalism, mass shootings and forever wars listen to The Polyphonic Spree and recharge your Spirit. It's not a cult.

6. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder ( 4.5 Stars )

     This is my favorite new discovery of this dive. The Slow Wonder is the first solo album from A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers. It's not really much of a departure, but it's fantastic. Newman hits it out of the park with the opening track, "Miracle Drug". "He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand. In the other, a great lost novel that, I understand, was returned with a stamp that said, "Thank you for your interest, young man,". The third track, "On the Table" is a rollicking, high energy indie rocker. The following track, "Most of Us Prizefighters", is a moodier, Shins adjacent song, that's also quite good. "The Battle For Straight Time" is classic New Pornographers and features some sweet recorder playing by Newman. The only thing keeping The Slow Wonder from being 5 Stars is that it lags somewhat towards the end. It's still great though. Peace. 



     

Monday, July 22, 2024

2004 Deep Dive: Part Two

      Albums 11-15 feature a diverse group of artists. Two of them are first listens. One is my favorite songwriter. Let's go.

15. The Futureheads - The Futureheads ( 4.0 Stars )

     Yes, I just mentioned these guys in my Franz Ferdinand selection. They were a first listen and I'm not sure how I missed them back in 2004. They are Franz Ferdinand adjacent with their angular guitar sound and dance club rhythms, but The Futureheads are more sophisticated lyrically and in terms of song composition. Yet they are quite fun and exuberant, less aloof than FF. "Carnival Kids" and "Decent Days and Nights" are the best examples of this. And they had the stones to cover Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love". I could see this album getting to 4.5 Stars with more listens. I'm already questioning my current ranking. 

14. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill ( 4.0 Stars )

     For whatever reason, Elliott Smith is an artist that has fallen through the cracks for me. I bought this CD back in 2004 because Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips played on the fantastic opening track, "Coast to Coast". However, I only listened to it a couple times and never explored Elliott Smith's catalog. Maybe it's because I felt weird about jumping on after his suicide. This turned out to be a nice revisit. This time around, From a Basement on the Hill gave me a late period Beatles vibe, George Harrison in particular. It's almost eerie on a track like "Pretty (Ugly Before)" or the trippy "A Passing Feeling". Listening to this record it's apparent Smith was going through some tough times. There are countless allusions to suicide, drugs, failed relationships and being broke. Sadly, this is the recipe for great songwriting, like on the hauntingly beautiful song, "Twilight". I considered not including this album because it was recorded over a three year period before his death and was cobbled together posthumously, but it's a 2004 release and the end product is quite good. I really need to do an Elliott Smith dive. 

13. Will Johnson - Vultures Await ( 4.0 Stars )

     Followers of Sound Mind know my favorite songwriter is Will Johnson of Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. In general, his solo albums usually fall somewhere between the ramshackle bombast of Centro-matic and the slow-core beauty of South San Gabriel. Vultures Await is probably the best example of this generalization. The opening track, "Catherine Dupree", leans more into the SSG vibe. It's a haunting story song about a woman who burns down a university because of her useless degree. It is slow and sparse, just Will singing and playing a minimalist piano part. "Closing Down My House" is closer to the Centro-matic end of the spectrum. While the playing on Vultures Await is restrained, Will's lyrics and vocals are in top form. If these songs had a full band treatment this would probably be a 5 star album, even though it might lose some of its fragile beauty. 

12. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat ( 4.0 Stars )

     This was another first listen. I didn't really know what to expect, but I didn't expect this. The opening track, "Quay Cur", concerned me at first. It features the electronic bleeps and bloops that were prevalent at this time in indie rock. Also it's over ten minutes in length. And Eleanor Friedberger was singing like Bjork. About four minutes in, her brother Matthew comes in and completely changes the vibe of the song. Eleanor takes over again in her normal voice and Matthew comes back in occasionally with some jazzy bits. It turned out to be a great song. Once I got my bearings, I really enjoyed this album. It straddles the line of pretentious crap and inspired madness. I grew to like the electronics and the Brubeck-ian piano jazz and Eleanor's idiosyncratic vocals. My favorite song is "Mason City". Eleanor gives a beautiful, straight-forward vocal performance, accompanied by toned down electronics and piano and hand claps. Matthew provides a great guitar solo a couple minutes in and takes a vocal turn about halfway through the track. "Chief Inspector Blancheflower" is an interesting song. It's a story song about a hyperactive kid who grows up to be a cop...I think. It's long and confusing. The only thing keeping this from 4.5 stars is there are too many excessively long songs. I would love to hear this on a good sound system.

11. Interpol - Antics ( 4.0 Stars )

     While Antics is a step down from Turn on the Bright Lights it's still really good. I love their guitar sound. It's fantastic how he shifts from stop and start, staccato playing to insistent chord strumming. The rhythm section is stellar, as well. Antics features the classic Interpol tracks "Evil", "Slow Hands" and "C'mere". "C'mere" may well be my favorite Interpol song. It's the perfect amalgamation of everything I love about them. Even the vocals are great. Peace.



     

Saturday, July 20, 2024

2004 Deep Dive: Part One

      I'm officially calling it on this 2004 Deep Dive. It was a solid year for albums and there were many great songs. However, I'm only going to rank 20 albums for this dive. Twenty is where my 4-Star albums end and there really weren't any standout 3.5's that I wanted to discuss. There are seven new listens in my Top 20, so that's exciting. There are several others that I haven't listened to since 2004, so it was nice to go back and check them out again. I didn't post any Mt. Rushmores for the 2000's, so this will be a first. Two of them probably won't be much of a surprise. Alright, let's start this thing. 

20. MF DOOM - MM...FOOD ( 4.0 Stars )

     During these deep dives, I've been trying to expose myself to more hip hop and I have discovered some stuff that's in my wheelhouse. It's mostly jazz or sci-fi influenced hip hop, but it's a start. MF DOOM is the first of two quite similar hip hop albums to make my list for 2004. What I like about MM...FOOD is the humor and the mid century audio links and samples. MF DOOM has the type of smooth, clever, non-stop flow that I really appreciate. It's hilarious that he did a concept album about food with fantastic song titles like "Beef rap", "Hoe Cakes", "Potholderz" and "Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate". "Guinnesses" (feat. Angelika and 4ize) is my favorite track. The flow and laid back vibe are phenomenal. Obviously, this was a first listen and it was quite fun.

19. Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll ( 4.0 Stars )

     This was also a first listen, even though I was familiar with the album opener, "Reach For the Sky". Social D is one of those groups that I like, in general, but I don't have anything by them in my collection. I mostly know them for "Ball and Chain" and their excellent cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". So, not knowing the context of this album in their discography, I gave it 4 stars based on enjoying it quite a bit. During this dive, I listened to the Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers 2004 release and was disappointed it didn't sound more like his previous band, The Refreshments. At several points, this Social D record sounds more like the album I wish the Roger Clyne album had been. Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is a downhill rocker. It keeps getting better as it goes. The standout track for me is "Winners and Losers". Mike Ness' vocals are a bit of an acquired taste, but the guitar tones on this record are great.

18. Autolux - Future Perfect ( 4.0 Stars )

     I was all about this album in 2004, but I hadn't listened to it much in the past 20 years. While it didn't hold up quite as well over the years, it's still really good and has a couple standout tracks, "Here Comes Everybody" and "Robots in the Garden". Future Perfect is shoegaze adjacent, but the vocals are a little more forward and breathy. The guitars are plenty fuzzed out and the drumming is bombastic. I will be talking about the songs in my top songs post, so I won't spoil it here. If you've never heard this album I highly recommend checking it out.

17. Green Day - American Idiot ( 4.0 Stars )

     American Idiot. The last great Green Day album. Like Dookie, I forgot how good the deep cuts are on this concept album. I still love the title track. I gave American Idiot 4 stars because I've grown to hate the two hit singles, "When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". They are grossly overplayed and it almost kept me from considering this record for my top 20. If the deep cuts weren't so good, I probably would have. 

16. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand ( 4.0 Stars )

     2004 was the year of "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand and "Float On" by Modest Mouse. More about the latter later. 2004 was also a big year for bands with angular guitars and dance rhythms. I'm looking at you too Futureheads. While Franz Ferdinand are more my wife's thing, this is a really good debut album. despite the song "Dark of the Matinee", which I can't abide. I actually saw them around this time with my oldest daughter. They were on a bill with Good Charlotte, The Used, Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday. She wanted to see Good Charlotte. I wanted to see FF and Jimmy Eat World. It was Jimmy Eat World's cover of "Game of Pricks" that was my gateway to Guided by Voices. More about them later, as well. Peace.



Sunday, July 7, 2024

Kasabian: Happenings ( 2024 )

     There was a time that I would have been counting down the days to a new Kasabian release. Their new album, Happenings, was released Friday and I had completely forgotten it was coming out. If I wasn't a member of a discord group that updates new albums every week I still wouldn't know Happenings existed. So, pleasant surprise for me. I've listened a few times, and my initial reaction is I like it better than 2022's The Alchemist's Euphoria, but it's not at the level of Kasabian's prior work. I have it rated at 3-stars. 

     I've previously posted about the turmoil within Kasabian over the past several years, so I won't rehash that here. Suffice it to say the band has moved in a different direction on their last two albums with new frontman Sergio Pizzorno. While their new sound ,which is more electronic, is fine, I prefer their earlier menacing, brash, laddish rock style. Either way, Kasabian excels as a live band. Apart from their 2004 self-titled debut, Kasabian has had a difficult time capturing their live energy in the studio. I've seen the band live with Sergio and their original frontman, Tom Meighan, and both shows were amazing. In fact, the show with Meighan is the best concert I've ever seen. Kasabian has a handful of songs that are fun, audience participation moments during live shows that involve dropping the beat. On Happenings, there is a track called "Call" which is written expressly to be one of those songs, but it doesn't translate in the studio. It lacks live energy. 
     
     My lack of interest in this album was partly due to the advanced single, "Algorithms", which is light weight. However, there are a few strong tracks on Happenings, especially "G.O.A.T.". It's the most melodic song on the album and features the best lyrics. It even runs out with a solid guitar solo. "How Far Will You Go" is a quick hitting banger. The album opener,"Darkest Lullaby", is a throwback to the For Crying Out Loud album. "Passengers" is another strong track that is more rock-centric. "Hell of It" has a synth section that sounds like Manchester Prog band HENGE, so that's kind of fun. Overall, Happenings is a good album that fails to live up to the highs of earlier Kasabian records. 

     The timing of this release coincides with my 2004 Deep Dive, which will prominently feature the Kasabian debut album. It's crazy that it has been 20 years since I first heard "Clubfoot". I'm not making much headway on that dive, but I'll try to keep posting on a regular basis in the meantime. Peace.



     
 

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Guided by Voices: Deep Dive Wrap Up

      It's the moment you've all been waiting for. I'm going to wrap up this Guided by Voices current lineup deep dive. It's been an amazing journey through 16 albums and 254 songs. If you've been following along you probably have a good idea where this is going. I'm going to rank the albums and then give you a playlist of the Top 20 songs from this dive, in no particular order. If you'd like a larger playlist add the other tracks I've singled out in my posts. They're great too. Just a reminder, I'm not including the compilation album, Warp and Woof, or any side projects like Cub Scout Bowling Pins or Cash Rivers. I will also share my favorite lyric from each song. This is going to be a long one. Peace.

1, Space Gun - 5 Stars

2. Welshpool Frillies - 4.5 Stars

3. Nowhere To Go But Up - 4.5 Stars

4. Styles We Paid For - 4.5 Stars

5. Crystal Nun Cathedral - 4.0 Stars

6. It's Not Them... - 4.0 Stars

7. August By Cake - 4.0 Stars

8. Mirrored Aztec - 4.0 Stars

9. Sweating the Plague - 4.0 Stars

10. Strut of Kings - 3.5 Stars

11. Zeppelin Over China - 3.5 Stars

12. How Do You Spell Heaven? - 3.5 Stars

13. Tremblers and Goggles By Rank - 3.5 Stars

14. Surrender Your Poppy Field - 3.0 Stars

15. Earth Man Blues - 3.0 Stars

16. La La Land - 3.0 Stars


1. GREY SPLAT MATTERS from Space Gun

     "Sleepy heavy eyelids you believe your sockets. Take them out slowly and just let them dry."

2. TO KEEP AN AREA from Mirrored Aztec

     "But you stumble on broken ladders and it's easier to turn back and go home."

3. MR. CHILD from Styles We Paid For

     "Roll with the punches and remain as a child."

4. ALEX BELL from Tremblers and Goggles By Rank

     "Babies can see, but they can't conceive how it feels when you lose it all."

     "I see you around every time there's a ghost in town."

5. BETTER ODDS from Welshpool Frillies

     "You caused an earthquake, yeah, I felt it."

6. LOCAL MASTER AIRPLANE from Nowhere To Go But Up

     "Ten billion clocks in on the beat."

7. SONG AND DANCE from Nowhere To Go But Up

     "Should have seen rock and roll had nowhere left to go."

8. SERENE KING from Strut of Kings

     "When I get around town, people in surround sound."

9. 5 DEGREES ON THE INSIDE from August by Cake

     "5 degrees on the inside, baby that's cold."

10. MAN CALLED BLUNDER from Surrender Your Poppy Field

     "Everywhere that he goes he finds a loser's game and he plays."

11. NEVER MIND THE LIST from Crystal Nun Cathedral

     "Make a fist when you pray."

12. SEE MY FIELD from Space Gun

     "Go on - be a spectator. See my field. I discovered lightning in a jar."

13. MY FUTURE IN BARCELONA from Zeppelin Over China

     "Moving units, testing time, saving nothing, make it rhyme."

     "Excruciatingly slow. Excruciating me so."

14. MEET THE STAR from Welshpool Frillies

     "Gone the fear. Soon to release his thundering brain children out from their crease."

15. THE BATMAN SEES THE BALL from Earth Man Blues

     "Reality is based only on what their screens display, that's all."

16. HIGH IN THE RAIN from It's Not Them

     "I'm taking this time for staying behind and writing my notepaper play."

17. COUSIN JACKIE from La La Land

     "Climb the mountain to the valley. Drive the highway to the alley."

18. ROMEO SURGEON from Welshpool Frillies

     "Alleys and aisles of mystery. Anesthetic permafrost, aisle three."

19. RADIOACTIVE PIGEONS from Welshpool Frillies

     "May you always know yourself."

20. FICTIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DREAM from Strut of Kings

     "Programming fever dreams with the fools."



      

     







Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Guided by Voices: Strut of Kings ( 2024 )

      Well, we have finally reached the end of this odyssey through the catalog of the current lineup of Guided by Voices. Strut of Kings is the only scheduled release for 2024, and came out last Friday. I have to admit, I haven't been able to pick up a copy yet. I'm waiting to hear from Record Den to see if they received a copy yet. If they did I will pick it up later today. I have listened to it several times on YouTube, so I will press ahead and wrap up this deep dive. After the first listen, I was a little disappointed and felt it was a low 3.5 stars. Having listened to it several more times, I'm coming around a bit and it's probably up to a high 3.5 stars. There are a couple catchy tracks, but it's mostly prog influenced. 

     The highlights are the ear worm tracks, "Serene King" and "Fictional Environment Dream". "Serene King", in particular, has been stuck in my head since it was released as an advanced single. It's infectious as Hell and finds Robert Pollard at the peak of his pop skills. The lyrics are fantastic. I love the pre-chorus that leads into the simple chorus: "Everywhere I go people want to know who I am so I tell them I am the Serene King. In a half-asleep dream. Waltz across a battlefield. Oh, my name is Serene (4x)". "Fictional Environment Dream" is a classic, jangly Guided by Voices pop song, even though it clocks in at about four minutes. Doug Gillard really carries this one. In contrast, they may have written the world's shortest Prog epic with the 2:51 "Olympus Cock in Radiana". This track is a distant cousin to an older song, "Don't Stop Now", which was about a real-life, vicious rooster called Big Daddy. It's the de facto title track since it includes the line "strut of kings". It's definitely the most brilliantly concise prog song in their catalog. It's great that Pollard now has a band that can pull off something like this. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is a collection of 3-star songs. There's nothing horrible, but also nothing else that's memorable. I'm leaning towards it being the highest ranked 3.5 album, though. 

     My next post will be a final album ranking of this discography and a playlist of essential tracks. This was a fun exercise and it has me fired up for the Grog Shop show on the 20th. I looked at their recent setlists, and they are playing many of the standout songs from these albums, such as, the two tracks I mentioned from Strut of Kings", "Song and Dance", "Mr. Child", "Alex Bell", "Romeo Surgeon", and "To Keep an Area". It's gonna be a blast. Peace.