Albums You've Listened To Today, V.9

[Union 5-3992]

Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit 

[Chronos]

The Call -- Reconciled (1986)

 

Trivia: This was the 500th different album I've played so far this calendar year.

[Union 5-3992]

2 hours ago, Chronos said:

The Call -- Reconciled (1986)

 

Trivia: This was the 500th different album I've played so far this calendar year.

Albums that are new to you or just 500th different one period? I'm trying to hit at least 365 totally new ones this year.

[J2112YYZ]

47 minutes ago, Union 5-3992 said:

Albums that are new to you or just 500th different one period? I'm trying to hit at least 365 totally new ones this year.

 

That's way too much new music to listen to, process and form a valid opinion on. If you're constantly moving on to the next thing, you don't really allow yourself much of a chance in getting to know the bands/songs well.

Edited October 20, 2023 by J2112YYZ

[Chronos]

1 hour ago, Union 5-3992 said:

Albums that are new to you or just 500th different one period? I'm trying to hit at least 365 totally new ones this year.

500 period. But you got me wondering. I went back, and if I've counted correctly, 57 of those 500 were first listens. A good chunk of those first listens were from when I went exploring the entirety of the KISS catalog.

[TheAccountant]

Worked from home today so that meant it was time to open the moving box's and whatever vinyl came out got listened to.  First out:

 

Foreigner - Head Games

 

Decent album.  Best songs are the title track, "Dirty White Boy" & "Rev it on the Red Line".  The rest is nothing special.  Next out:

 

White Lion - Pride

 

Very good album.  Typical mid - late 1980's album, with some decent song writing, good vocals, decent drum work and very good (like very, very good) guitar work.  The songs "Wait", "Tell Me" & "When the Children Cry" all got airplay and they deserved to - all are still very enjoyable.  The song "Lady of the Valley" should have also gotten airplay - its also very good.  The song "Don't Give Up" was a bit of pleasant surprise for me.  Not really in the same category as the above mentioned tunes but it did have some interesting lyrics.

 

Must confess, perhaps I have a bit of a soft sport for this band - I saw them live in Glens Falls NY back in the late 1980's with Vixen and Ozzy.  Ozzy was excellent (no shock there) White Lion was excellent (I bought a White Lion t-shirt and still have it) and Vixen was much better than I had anticipated.  Very enjoyable show.

 

Any way, next out of the box:

 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damm the Torpedoes

 

This has the awesome "Refugee" (a stone cold classic), "Even The Losers" (if not a classic then its still awesome - but its a classic in my book) and "Here Comes My Girl" (very good).  Other than that I don't think the album has much.  "Don't Do Me Like That" does not do much for me.  "Louisiana Rain" is sort of ok.  Barely.  But the rest of the album is just filler.  Then again I think this is the only Tom Petty studio album I own.  Just not a big fan.  I did see him in concert once and I thought Jackson Browne who opened for him was much better.   Anyway, next out of the box:

 

Eddie Money - Eddie Money

 

This has "2 Tickets to Paradise" (excellent) & "Baby Hold On" (good but otherwise its filler (IMO).  Next out of the box:

 

Samy Hagar - 3 Lock Box

 

This has the very good "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" and the also very good (and overlooked) "Remember the Hero's" but otherwise I am not wild about the album.  Next out of the box:

 

Whitesnake - Slide it In

 

This album start out with the excellent title track, "Slow an Easy" and the even better "Love Aint No Stranger".  Then it sort of goes down hill.  Next out of the box:

 

Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

 

Excellent.  Is legendary and holds up after all these years.  Last out of the box:

 

 

Reo - Speedwagon - You Get What You Play For

 

Live Reo (a band I saw live a number of times and alway enjoyed - although the same is also true of Frampton).  Even thought its from the 1970's, so it does not include some of their bigger hits, still, what not to like?

 

So, album I enjoyed the most today?  Studio - Pride by White Lion.  Yes I liked it more than Damm the Torpedos.  Live?  Frampton

 

 

[Union 5-3992]

1 hour ago, J2112YYZ said:

 

That's way too much new music to listen to, process and form a valid opinion on. If you're constantly moving on to the next thing, you don't really allow yourself much of a chance in getting to know the bands/songs well.

 

As I'm ahead and on album 325, I completely agree. I have gone back to ones that initially struck me and returned to a few that were lukewarm to me. But I never really get to sit and digest many of them. Next year my plan is to hit around 1 a week and really get to know it. Like when I was younger and could only buy an album a month, I really I had to get to know each one, for better or worse.

 

Still, attempting to meet the goal of 365 has introduced me to a lot of music I otherwise would never hear. I'm a month ahead so I'll return to quite a few I don't remember well or thought was "just okay". 

[Union 5-3992]

1 hour ago, Chronos said:

500 period. But you got me wondering. I went back, and if I've counted correctly, 57 of those 500 were first listens. A good chunk of those first listens were from when I went exploring the entirety of the KISS catalog.

That's basically one a week which is still much more manageable. You're still listening to much more new stuff than most people. How are you tracking your progress? Last.fm?

[Entre_Perpetuo]

46 minutes ago, Union 5-3992 said:

That's basically one a week which is still much more manageable. You're still listening to much more new stuff than most people. How are you tracking your progress? Last.fm?

I’m doing a one a week challenge this year as well, strictly new releases. It’s my way of keeping up with new music now that I’m not necessarily going to be exposed to it in my social circles.

[custom55]

Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

 

 

At first listen, it's pretty good.

 

 

[Chronos]

9 hours ago, Union 5-3992 said:

That's basically one a week which is still much more manageable. You're still listening to much more new stuff than most people. How are you tracking your progress? Last.fm?

 

No. A good old-fashioned spreadsheet.

[Chronos]

[Union 5-3992]

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

 

The modern vocal style is a bit jarring, but  once you get used to that, there's a lot to like here.

[Chronos]

[Super25Smasher]

4 hours ago, Chronos said:

 

No. A good old-fashioned spreadsheet.

I use Google docs and last.fm. I should definitely make a spreadsheet.

[J2112YYZ]

4 hours ago, Union 5-3992 said:

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

 

The modern vocal style is a bit jarring, but  once you get used to that, there's a lot to like here.

 

Mick sounds the same to me.

[Union 5-3992]

10 minutes ago, J2112YYZ said:

 

Mick sounds the same to me.

 

Andrew Watt has a certain style you can also hear on the last Iggy Pop album. That and some pitch correction.

[treeduck]

[Segue Myles]

Within Temptation- Bleed Out

 

Not the sound of the band I fell for...and yet this album is a wonderful surprise. I knew most of the songs as singles, but I didn't expect the album to flow so well.

 

This is harder than I ever thought they'd be. I applaud them

[Rick N. Backer]

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds.  I like it, but I like every Stones album when I'm listening to it.   Nice to have some new Stones music. 

 

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street.  The 10 bonus tracks are better than anything on Hackney Diamonds.

[treeduck]

[J2112YYZ]

52 minutes ago, Segue Myles said:

Within Temptation- Bleed Out

 

Not the sound of the band I fell for...and yet this album is a wonderful surprise. I knew most of the songs as singles, but I didn't expect the album to flow so well.

 

This is harder than I ever thought they'd be. I applaud them

 

One thing I noticed with this album is that they released it on an independent label and it has a darker vibe than the previous two albums. Makes me wonder if the more accessible sound and the collabs they had on them weren't the bands idea.

 

Of the singles released, The Purge was really the only song I liked a lot and revisited with any sort of regularity. All the other songs I thought were fine but nothing too good. But you're right, hearing them together on the album they sound so much better. Certain songs aren't meant to be singles and are meant to be enjoyed during the album listening experience. I think this album proves that to be true because I have a much different reaction to the songs when hearing the whole album than I did as singles.

[bluefox4000]

Judas priest-Firepower (10/10)

 

I quite like the new priest song but the new album has a high bar to jump over.  this album kicked my ass when it came out.

 

Still does.

 

THIS SHOULDN'T ROCK THIS HARD AT THIS STAGE!!!!

 

Mick

[Chronos]

 

 

[Segue Myles]

12 hours ago, J2112YYZ said:

 

One thing I noticed with this album is that they released it on an independent label and it has a darker vibe than the previous two albums. Makes me wonder if the more accessible sound and the collabs they had on them weren't the bands idea.

 

Of the singles released, The Purge was really the only song I liked a lot and revisited with any sort of regularity. All the other songs I thought were fine but nothing too good. But you're right, hearing them together on the album they sound so much better. Certain songs aren't meant to be singles and are meant to be enjoyed during the album listening experience. I think this album proves that to be true because I have a much different reaction to the songs when hearing the whole album than I did as singles.

Exactly how I feel. I thought they were losing my interest, and yet as an album, the very same songs I didn't like much I now really love.

 

The title track is brilliant, I loved that song quite quickly upon its release.

 

As for the guest appearances, Sharon has said numerous times they wrote songs with collaborations in mind. So that was definitely their choice.

 

However, I really loved Resist. Whilst I actually enjoy all the songs, I find Hydra these days as an album to suffer a little. All the colabs make it feel disjointed and too much like a compilation. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Segue Myles