Segue Myle's Descent Into Self-Indulgence: My Top Ten Favourite Albums Of All Time (As Of 2014)

[Segue Myles]

Ok, so this is my review thread for my favourite albums of all time. I have limited this list to just one album per artist, as my taste is varied and I desire to have this list reflect that.

 

Also, it just so happens that my ten favourite albums are by ten different artists, so that goal worked out for me anyway regardless!

 

So, ten albums have to be mentioned first that missed out:

 

20. Beyonce- Dangerously In Love

19. Michael Jackson- Dangerous

18. Mineral- End Serenading

17. Paramore- Paramore

16. Various- Dreamgirls OST: Deluxe Version

15. ABBA- Voulez Vous

14. The Beatles- The Beatles

13. No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom

12. Buckingham Nicks- Buckingham Nicks

11. Alter Bridge- ABIII.5

 

So, here goes the self-indulgent thread of mine!

[len(songs)]

 

 

Oh, I see. You're writing it now :P

[Segue Myles]

10. The Juliana Theory- Love (Epic, 2003)

 

http://www.shopradiocast.com/product_images/n/894/juliana_theory__94739_zoom.jpg

 

Highest US Chart Position: No. 71

 

Okay, The Juliana Theory are a band that I will champion to my grave. They were not well known during their time together (having formed in the late 90's, they sadly disbanded in 2006, shortly after I discovered them), as many indie rock fans of the late 90's, early 00's, initially impressed by the bands demo's and first two albums, abandoned them in droves a short while later. Why? Because, having started out as a nineties emo band with hard rock pretensions, they soon found their feet as a tight unit, and thus started to take their music into more sophisticated realms.This notably began with the release of the harder edged EP Music From Another Room (Tooth And Nail Records, 2001), which was an experiment, or sorts, using notably heavier and more experimental leftovers from their earlier album writing sessions.

 

But I really do not care for the verdict of any majority considering TJT, as they are by far one of the most important bands of my life! Every album from the debut Understand This Is A Dream (Tooth And Nail Records, 1999) through to the criminally overlooked final masterpiece Deadbeat Sweethearbeat (Abacus Recordings, 2005) have a place in my heart. In fact, I could easily have placed any one of them on this list. But I can only think of one TJT album that really deserves to stand head and shoulder's above the rest: 2003's major label debut, and major commercial flop, Love. At this point in their career, The Juliana Theory decided to ditch much of what initially made them popular amongst the indie/emo crowd (back then a small tribe, at a time when much of this style of music was fun as well as emotive, rocking rather than unnecessarily brooding), for an ideal alternative: guitar heavy hard rock.

 

And this style suited them, for in many ways this progression was a natural evolution for the bands sound, as it cannot be denied that TJT's two previous full-lengths were awash with many splendid riffs and solo's, including one near ten-minute epic that came close to prog territory (You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight off of the fan-favourite Emotion Is Dead, Tooth And Nail Records, 2000), and the bands gigs were becoming increasingly more serious in tone. Some music fans of the time even went as far as to criticize the band, claiming that the music was fast becoming bogged down with more than a little bit of artistic pretension. Do I deny that this happened to them? Nope. But I do love them for it!

 

So, having made their name initially with music that quite often came close to sounding like something one might hear on an episode of The O.C., this change in direction lost them a lot of fans, as well as label support (I mean, what band in their right mind signs to a major label in these dark times for mainstream radio, only too completely reinvent their sound in a heavier direction? Only the sell-outs, or the very brave). In fact, despite the initial hype surrounding their signing to a major label, Love peaked at number 71, without any label promotion or even an official single release. The band later claimed a sense of pride and dissatisfaction for both this album, and their experience with Epic, stating that the album itself wasn't quite ready for release, and could have benefited from more time and fine-tuning in the studio, as well as moore support from the label who signed them.

 

And so it is I have made the claim to add this band, with this album, onto my TOP TEN list, ahead of quite a few more established, and recognised masterpieces.

 

Love opens with the heavy Bring It Low, which serves as a taster for the rest of the album. Crushing riffs, aggressive vocals, heavy bass-line: this is where fans of the band in 2003 must have decided they had put in the wrong disc, stopped the album, checked the label, only to be left dumb-founded, scratching their heads in confusion. Few were impressed it seems.

 

Well I love it! Thrashy, punky pop-rock: it is obvious that signing to Epic did little to affect their goal to become the next major rock band. Where many go soft, TJT go harder than a night in with Jennifer Lawrence. Vocalist Brett Detar is blessed with a strong rock voice, and he truly shows off his ability to master both the heavy and the light with aplomb, often sounding like two different men in the process. But do not get me wrong, he often sounds vitriolic, but Detar is first and foremost a serious singer, and in recent years he has completely severed ties with rock and released two very well received bluegrass country albums (as well as score two very successful horror movies, including the No. 1 box office smash The Devil Inside, but I am digressing).

 

At times, Love comes close to being metal (see Repeating, Repeating or Trance), but Love is also home to three of my very favourite soft rock numbers: Everything, Jewel To Sparkle and White Days. In my honest opinion, with these three songs the songwriting, melodies and playing come close to matching Hey Jude or Let It Be era Beatles, and they serve the album well, slowing the album down just when it all seems to be getting a little overwhelming.

 

Does every song on this album deserve my endless praising? Not quite. Although several of my favourite songs of the last 15 years can be found on Love, it does have a couple of rather pedestrian rockers: As It Stands, DTM, and the rather pointless remake of Into The Dark, at that point the bands most well know song, having already been released on previous album Emotion Is Dead. They come very close to being considered filler material. But time has been kind to these songs, as today I find them an important part of the whole Love experience, and perfectly enjoyable in their own right.

 

So that brings me to the title of this album: Love. Surely an album with with such a bold and specific name as "Love" should be a soppy affair? Well no, it isn't. Lyrically, every song on this album develops the various aspects on the subject of love: sexual obsession ("You're a jewel to sparkle, around my neck", good job the girl isn't ugly), frustration ("I'm burning the candle at both ends, will this end? Repeating, repeating, I'm burnt out on everything"), and as a reason for living (erm, "Love is a reason for living, a reason for trying, a reason to cry"). Am I making the claim that Love deserves respect for being some sort of great lyrical masterwork? No. This isn't Fleetwood Mac. And to be honest with you, some songs suffer from trite, almost whiny lyrics. But this is all OK, as for whatever reason I can cope with it, as this is overall a damn fine rock album.

 

A great one even, and warts and all, I love Love to death!

 

So there we go, my review for album #10: The Juliana Theory's overlooked, underpraised and overall triumphant Love.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Segue Myles

[Segue Myles]

"White Days"- from Love, Epic Records, 2003

 

Edited November 2, 2014 by Segue Myles

[Narps]

[Blue J]

Where many go soft, TJT go harder than a night in with Jennifer Lawrence.

 

:P

 

Kudos also for proper utilization of the word 'aplomb'.

[Segue Myles]

9. Jimmy Eat World- Clarity (Capitol Records, 1999)

 

http://united-metal.ru/uploads/posts/2012-12/1355160454_clarity3.jpg

 

Highest US Chart Position: NA

 

Lacuna Coil are my favourite band. They have been since 2005, without let up. But can I be sure of this?

 

I sound a little silly asking myself that question in my very own review for what I consider to be one of the best albums ever released. So why do I ask? Because, if I remember correctly, in 2010 I was absolutely obsessed with everything and anything related to Jimmy Eat World. Far more than I was any other band that year, for a while I couldn't really find it in myself to take any other band seriously. And Clarity is to blame.

 

Elaborate, textured, complex pop rock (some say "emo" but I find that tag somewhat redundant), Clarity was initially a commercial flop, a flop that saw JEW being released from their record contract and left to fend for themselves. However, as many on this site may be aware, two years later Jimmy Eat World came back firing on all cylinders with the pop-rock leviathan Bleed American (Geffen Records, 2001), and yet that album could never have been what it is had it not been for Clarity (more on this later).

 

At first listen, Clarity sounds lazy. By that I don't mean poorly written, or badly executed, or run of the mill ho-hum. I mean it sounds lazy because it is slow, meditative, sentimental, haunting. Anyone who has read Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix will be familiar with my next comparison: Luna Lovegood. The free-spirited, slightly crazy, ponderous girl who walks through life dreamily happy even in the face of persecution, Clarity sounds like this girl with eyes glazed over like a deer in the headlights. As with "Loony" Lovegood, a part of you at first wishes that JEW would make their point clear, decisive, and logical, but like "Loony" Lovegood the music floats around the listener, swirling its magic like an alt-rock Sandman. So pleasant and pretty is Clarity that even when it gets heavy it still sounds like a pleasant dream!

 

Have I made my point clear? Clarity is a dreamer's dream of an album. Shut your eyes, and you can see the world through the eyes of your subconscious. And I mean this, not to sound pretentious, but to enhance your understanding that listening to Clarity is to dream with your mind awake. I feel these songs, I understand these songs, I am completely confused by these songs. "Can you still feel the butterflies? Can you still hear the last goodnight? Close my eyes and believe wherever you are, an angel for me." Okay then... :outtahere:

 

But the song these lyrics come from may as well be the title for my review: For Me This Is Heaven. And every note of Clarity is heavenly.

 

Many, many bands over the years have cited Jimmy Eat World as a source of musical inspiration, and like many of the greatest works of art, it found a home in the hearts of many listeners only after suffering an initial period of public indifference. Dropped from Capitol Records, JEW immediately started to prepare for their next venture: the fantastic, massively successful Bleed American. What is magical about BA is how the band successfully smoothed out the rough edges that make Clarity so gorgeous to form a collection of slick, radio ready anthems that maintained a similar sense of this album's beauty and grace. The reason they could do this is because JEW yearned to prove that they could write a hit record in their own style, and being at that point completely independent from any legal ties they were free to write the music they wanted. Once completed, Bleed American was reportedly shopped around, and in the process it attracted several record labels interest. So whilst the new music was indeed more commercially viable, it was still written with heart and soul, not with mere mind and pen.

 

But I am not reviewing Bleed American, which for me is only the bands third finest offering. Rather, I am reviewing Clarity, which I personally believe is an album that every music fan should have in their collection.

 

I cannot really put into words what this album sounds like, as to me nothing else out there sounds quite like this, so I hope you give the sample song below a chance! I cannot imagine that there are many fans of both Rush and Jimmy Eat World, as these two bands are as far apart musically as sunset is from sunrise. But Clarity does have that special something that very few albums have: Genuine Class. And considering Rush have many albums worthy of being honoured as such, perhaps these two bands aren't so different from each other after all!

Edited November 2, 2014 by Segue Myles

[Segue Myles]

"For Me This Is Heaven"- from Clarity, Capitol Records, 1999

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E23PJbQbnE

[treeduck]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

[Segue Myles]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

[Mr. Not]

Spoiler alert:

 

http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q618/msmith901/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-06-07_194157_zpsf86625e2.jpg

[Segue Myles]

Spoiler alert:

 

http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q618/msmith901/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-06-07_194157_zpsf86625e2.jpg

 

I will say this only once: Myles is predictable, but only on his terms.

[treeduck]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

Buddy? Are you American? I thought you were some kind of alien or something...

[Segue Myles]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

Buddy? Are you American? I thought you were some kind of alien or something...

 

British/South African

[The Analog Cub]

Oh this oughta be great!

[treeduck]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

Buddy? Are you American? I thought you were some kind of alien or something...

 

British/South African

Oh you're from England, like me. :D-13:

[Ancient Ways]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

Buddy? Are you American? I thought you were some kind of alien or something...

 

British/South African

Oh you're from England, like me. :D-13:

If an American equated Britain/South Africa with England I believe a mob with royal pitchforks would form. Tsssssk

[Segue Myles]

8. Yes- Tales From Topographic Oceans (Atlantic Records, 1973)

 

http://hdwallpapersfactory.com/wallpaper/roger_dean_tales_from_topographic_ocean_desktop_1920x1200_hd-wallpaper-136551.jpg

 

Highest US Chart Position: No. 6

Highest UK Chart Position: No. 1

 

Who doesn't like to take a risk? A risk that may provoke outrage, amusement, or personal embarrassment at a further point in time? The thrill of doing something new for the first time appeals to even the less adventurous spirit. And so I come to the most important part of this review.

 

Myself.

 

Yes, I am saying that you should forget about Yes for the moment and think solely of me right now as I make the bold statement that of all the albums in the world, Tales From Topographic Oceans is close to being my all time favourite. And I have heard many in my short life so far. Why am I being so self-centred? Because right now I am certain that, if this list can really only have one album per band, half a year from now this may very well have been eclipsed by another Yes album altogether, which will without a doubt make all this hyperbolic praise appear quite embarrassing.

 

So why am I going so overboard with this review? The short answer is simple: I am excited. Now for the longer answer: right now I am going through what can only be called one of the most thrilling musical journeys I have been on so far: the journey into the Roger Dean painted scenery of Yes' world. And I was introduced to it by none other than this masterful exercise in self-indulgence (note: I used the word "masterful" as an indication that I have finished talking about all things ME).

 

It also cannot be denied that this album has stirred up a world of controversy since its initial release in 1973, and I choose to not turn a blind eye to this fact. After having trolled my way around the web looking for information on this gigantic work of art, I come across negative reviews over and over and over again: "Over ambitious", "Bloated", "Longer than a Segue Myles^tm review". But what do I hear? Four epic songs full of wild invention, addictive melodies, and beautifully chaotic arrangements. As the music plays, I can hear the ambition of five great minds colliding in a unified goal to create new worlds, to uncover deeper secrets, to create a higher level of artistic grandeur... only to then divide and lose momentum like Ancient Greece upon the death of Alexander The Great as soon as the music starts to reach its peak. Rick Wakeman left after this album. This fact does not surprise me. Only mad genius could have made this album. And mad genius rarely maintains bonds of friendship.

 

In short, I can tell that this album is not, as a whole, as cohesive or as perfect as Relayer (Atlantic Records, 1974) or Fragile (Atlantic Records, 1971). In fact, of the four songs, only one of them (The Revealing Science Of God) comes close to perfectly matching the shimmering brilliance of The Gates Of Delirium, but that doesn't matter to me. This is prog's answer to Miles Davis' sublime Bitches Brew (Columbia Records, 1970), another flawed masterwork that divides opinion like few other albums. In its undeniable imperfection rises a brilliance like a phoenix from the ashes: it cannot escape completely from the clutches of harm, (a phoenix must die, this album isn't faultless), but in its flaws lies an unmistakable perfection that transcends the fine line between the human and the godly in all of us. Like a loved one, we can only imagine what improvements we could make to them, but ultimately, when push comes to shove, we would never choose to change them (not if it is TRUE love).

 

The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) holds the record for being the one and only song to ever convert me to a band completely within only the first few seconds of it playing. "Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources". As soon as I heard these words, sung in that wonderful, otherworldly way that only Jon Anderson can, I was ready to break down and cry. By the end of the song, around twenty minutes later, I was emotionally drained, and yet ready to play it all over again (and I did!).

 

And amazingly, the rest of the album lives up to this first track, with Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil) and The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun) coming close to bettering it! I have never studied this albums lyrics, but I don't feel that I need to. Tales makes a certain kind of sense to me. No, I cannot explain it in whole or in part, so don't even try to ask that of me. But none of this matters: I just love this album, and at the end of the day, as much as I would love to join in and agree that this album is a self-indulgent monstrosity, I cannot deny for one second that this is EXACTLY the reason why I fell in love with it so much in the first place. Tales moves me. Yes won me over with this album, pure and simple.

 

Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources

Edited November 2, 2014 by Segue Myles

[len(songs)]

By the way, nice sig :ebert:

[Segue Myles]

"The Revealing Science Of God"- from Tales From Topographic Oceans, Atlantic Records, 1973

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAgp3TdtrW4

[bathory]

insane

[RushBoingo]

Ok, so this is my review thread for my favourite albums of all time. I have limited this list to just one album per artist, as my taste is varied and I desire to have this list reflect that.

 

Also, it just so happens that my ten favourite albums are by ten different artists, so that goal worked out for me anyway regardless!

 

So, ten albums have to be mentioned first that missed out:

 

20. Beyonce- Dangerously In Love

19. Michael Jackson- Dangerous

18. Mineral- End Serenading

17. Paramore- Paramore

16. Various- Dreamgirls OST: Deluxe Version

15. ABBA- Voulez Vous

14. The Beatles- The Beatles

13. No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom

12. Buckingham Nicks- Buckingham Nicks

11. Alter Bridge- ABIII.5

 

So, here goes the self-indulgent thread of mine!

Nice, I really love Paramore's self titled release. Good mix of stuff on that. I have also been meaning to get to Tragic Kingdom for sometime now.

[treeduck]

What no TOTO or Bruce Springsteen?? Say it ain't so?

 

 

I still have eight more reviews buddy! Give it time...

Buddy? Are you American? I thought you were some kind of alien or something...

 

British/South African

Oh you're from England, like me. :D-13:

If an American equated Britain/South Africa with England I believe a mob with royal pitchforks would form. Tsssssk

[Segue Myles]

Ok, so this is my review thread for my favourite albums of all time. I have limited this list to just one album per artist, as my taste is varied and I desire to have this list reflect that.

 

Also, it just so happens that my ten favourite albums are by ten different artists, so that goal worked out for me anyway regardless!

 

So, ten albums have to be mentioned first that missed out:

 

20. Beyonce- Dangerously In Love

19. Michael Jackson- Dangerous

18. Mineral- End Serenading

17. Paramore- Paramore

16. Various- Dreamgirls OST: Deluxe Version

15. ABBA- Voulez Vous

14. The Beatles- The Beatles

13. No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom

12. Buckingham Nicks- Buckingham Nicks

11. Alter Bridge- ABIII.5

 

So, here goes the self-indulgent thread of mine!

Nice, I really love Paramore's self titled release. Good mix of stuff on that. I have also been meaning to get to Tragic Kingdom for sometime now.

 

No Doubt are a very special band to me, I love their creativity, look and especially sound. I think Gwen is a real artist, and a quirky performer. I could have put any ND album on this list, as I am a big fan of all of them!

 

As for Paramore, their self-titled album took me by complete surprise last year, and I genuinely think it is as close to perfect as pop rock can possibly get!

[H. P. L.]

Which album of The Beatles is called The Beatles? Oh wait, you mean the White Album?