Music! What are you listening to now?

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Great to see some love for The Go-Betweens here, one of the best groups ever, and surely one of the most underrated. I was lucky to see them live once back in 2005, a year before McLennan died. They mean so much to me.
Their best album of course is "Liberty Belle..." which contains also one of my most-loved songs, Spring Rain.

"Rockville" has its charms, but among R.E.M.'s IRS output it is one of the weaker songs. I adore especially "Murmur", "Fables..." and the perfect Chronic Town EP which features Wolves, Lower.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Great to see some love for The Go-Betweens here, one of the best groups ever, and surely one of the most underrated. I was lucky to see them live once back in 2005, a year before McLennan died. They mean so much to me.
Their best album of course is "Liberty Belle..." which contains also one of my most-loved songs, Spring Rain.

"Rockville" has its charms, but among R.E.M.'s IRS output it is one of the weaker songs. I adore especially "Murmur", "Fables..." and the perfect Chronic Town EP which features Wolves, Lower.

Must explore Go-Betweens a bit...

Not a fan of REM in general , but 'What's the frequency Kenneth' works for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luuqhAS0x6o

Good quality (stream wise).

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Xmas song.

Frank Zappa from his Joe's Garage '78 (from memory), 'A Little Green Rosetta'. Last number of the musical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crh9Kjr1fU4

Just about doable for a festive piece. Nice quality too.

Move 60s in if in a hurry.

 

[Rouetheday]

Susan Sleepwalking, by the Pooh Sticks

"The best thing about Susan Sleepwalking......she don't know what she's doing" Thanks for this. You've inspired me to pull out my cassette copy of 'Million Seller'. I'm always apprehensive about discovering a tape has disintegrated after years of sitting on a shelf, but this one was still in excellent condition. Sadly, the same can't be said for the only tape we had of our late grandfather's speaking voice. I wish you guys could have heard it; it was classic 'Big Daddy'- casually dropping the N-word and referring to my grandmother, jokingly ( I think), as a 'battleax'. Good times, good times...

 

[Rouetheday]

Great to see some love for The Go-Betweens here, one of the best groups ever, and surely one of the most underrated. I was lucky to see them live once back in 2005, a year before McLennan died. They mean so much to me.
Their best album of course is "Liberty Belle..." which contains also one of my most-loved songs, Spring Rain.

"Rockville" has its charms, but among R.E.M.'s IRS output it is one of the weaker songs. I adore especially "Murmur", "Fables..." and the perfect Chronic Town EP which features Wolves, Lower.

My favorite Go-Betweens albums are 'Tallulah' and 'The Friends of Rachel Worth'. I never got to see them live, but my sister and I saw Robert Forster play Joe's Pub in 2008. We were seated at the very front and after the band left the stage I swiped the playlist which had been taped on the floor in front of the bassist, Adele. I have it in a frame on top of my bookcase. During that same week in New York we also attended the Swell Season concert in Central Park and the Squeeze show (with openers James) at Radio City Music Hall. Oh, and we also saw the Broadway production of 'Spring Awakening'. Definitely one of the best vacations of my life.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

"Tallulah" is a strange (but good) album. It contains on one hand McLennans most cheesy songs, pure bubblegum pop - and on the other hand some of Forsters darkest stuff. Which of course reflects the state of the band at that time perfectly. To fit those two worlds into one album is quite brave.

"16 Lovers Lane" features John Willstead instead of Robert Vickers - this is enough to rate it below "Liberty Belle...". But there's a lot of outstanding songs on this album, sure.

 

[mortand]

"16 Lovers Lane" features John Willstead instead of Robert Vickers - this is enough to rate it below "Liberty Belle...". But there's a lot of outstanding songs on this album, sure.

There are actually 10 outstanding songs on that album. Ah, well, maybe eight - 'You Can't Say No Forever' and The Devil's Eye' are good songs, but outstanding is probably a stretch.

I never got to see The Go-Betweens live, unfortunately, I became a fan too late for that to happen. But like Rouetheday I was lucky to see Robert Forster on his 2008 tour. It was a pleasure. I got to shake his hand and exchange a couple of words with the gentleman, and he signed my copy of 'Liberty Belle'. Yes, my mild moment of starfukkery

Great to see all the Go-Betweens fans of the board come sneaking out, by the way.

 

[blutto]

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

Cheers

 

[blutto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw9MzDu7ak8

Cheers

 

[ferryman]

Friday night as ever = Neil Young night Mrs F out on the razzle, so full blast as well Added bonus, I get to play guitar downstairs

 

[Pazuzu]

1984: R.E.M. - Reckoning...IMO the greatest of their early indie records. Power pop, jangle pop, and, in 'Camera', one of their finest ballads. And '(Don't Go Back to) Rockville' of course.
(Don't Go Back to) Rockville

Reckoning was my introduction to R.E.M. and it remains my favorite of theirs. That said, my pick for 1984 has to be Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade. Whereas Reckoning seduces the listener with its charming and quaint sounds, Zen Arcade is a full on category 5 hurricane. Loud, aggressive and abrasive, It rips off your clothes, throws you on the bed, and has it's way with you... and you like it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Pat Benatar - Invincible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRujw2i5HNY

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Reckoning was my introduction to R.E.M. and it remains my favorite of theirs. That said, my pick for 1984 has to be Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade. Whereas Reckoning seduces the listener with its charming and quaint sounds, Zen Arcade is a full on category 5 hurricane. Loud, aggressive and abrasive, It rips off your clothes, throws you on the bed, and has it's way with you... and you like it.

I had to think really, really long and hard for 1984 between Purple Rain, Zen Arcade and Treasure. All would probably have been albums of the year in several other years.

 

[mortand]

I had Cocteau Twins' Treasure and This Mortal Coil's It'll End in Tears in mind (and albums from The Icicle Works, U2 and Violent Femmes) before sticking with Reckoning. I like Hüsker Dü and Zen Arcade, but I just prefer them in smaller doses, why it makes sense that my favorite is Metal Circus.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

1984 had loads of great albums, including "The Unforgettable Fire" (U2s best) and of course "Swoon", the fantastic debut of my avatar band.

 

[Tom T.]

Getting into Heartless B_a_s_t_a_r_d_s lately. Austin band.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Dipping into the album part of the 70's a bit. Here is Dr John's 'In The Right Place' from 1973. I'm struggling to find a bad cut on the work but then I'm a pretty big fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R44PkPUEDCM

Lovely backing on some of the numbers.

 

[Pazuzu]

I like Hüsker Dü and Zen Arcade, but I just prefer them in smaller doses, why it makes sense that my favorite is Metal Circus.

I was just listening to Metal Circus the other day whilst ironing clothes. Brilliant ep.

Currently listening Soundpool's Dichotomies in Dreamland. Pure shoegaze/dreampop bliss.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Pat Benatar - Invincible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRujw2i5HNY

Good voice on Pat. The music is very straight forward.
Solid stuff at festivals.

From early 80's, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5kisPBwZOM

Another very good female singer from the 80's was Ricky Lee Jones.

 

[Rouetheday]

I had to think really, really long and hard for 1984 between Purple Rain, Zen Arcade and Treasure. All would probably have been albums of the year in several other years.

Yeah, sorry, Purple Rain and Zen Arcade weren't even the best albums to come out of Minneapolis that year. That was The Replacements Let It Be and "I Will Dare" you to refute that claim. Of course, I know that any feeble argument you could make would leave me "Unsatisfied". Okay, I'll stop now.

 

[Pazuzu]

Yeah, sorry, Purple Rain and Zen Arcade weren't even the best albums to come out of Minneapolis that year. That was The Replacements Let It Be and "I Will Dare" you to refute that claim. Of course, I know that any feeble argument you could make would leave me "Unsatisfied". Okay, I'll stop now.

I grew up in the Twin Cities.... and man, what an embarrassment of riches! One problem, I was too young to get into bars to see these bands play at their peak. Although I did later see them perform as solo acts. which was pretty great.

BTW, there's a new documentary on Grant Hart. http://blog.thecurrent.org/2013/11/grant-hart-documentary-every-everything-lives-up-to-its-title/ Haven't seen it yet, but hope to soon.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yeah, sorry, Purple Rain and Zen Arcade weren't even the best albums to come out of Minneapolis that year. That was The Replacements Let It Be and "I Will Dare" you to refute that claim. Of course, I know that any feeble argument you could make would leave me "Unsatisfied". Okay, I'll stop now.

To be perfectly honest, while the Replacements were very good, I've never truly "got" them 100% and have never thought them better than Hüsker Dü.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Good voice on Pat. The music is very straight forward.
Solid stuff at festivals.

From early 80's, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5kisPBwZOM

I love Pat's voice, not sure whether I love it more than Ms Tina Turner's lung power, though. (Good riddance to Ike, btw.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJGoNeM3WzY

 

[Rouetheday]

To be perfectly honest, while the Replacements were very good, I've never truly "got" them 100% and have never thought them better than Hüsker Dü.

I remember reading the Village Voice's review of The Replacement's LP 'Tim' back in '85. The critic (Robert Christgau, maybe, not sure) opined that the only act in their league was Husker Du, but he preferred The 'Mats because of their sense of humour. ..........awkward pause............crickets chirping..........you do see what I'm driving at, right?

 

[movingtarget]

The Birthday Party-Prayers On Fire.