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

[Blue J]

"...which I'll have to egg to"?

 

*get to

 

:eyeroll:

 

And yes, I will! I am in a writing-about-music mood.

[Segue Myles]

"...which I'll have to egg to"?

 

*get to

 

:eyeroll:

 

And yes, I will! I am in a writing-about-music mood.

 

Yay!

 

I look forward to it!

[Blue J]

There are certain artists and certain albums that just deserve a critical appraisal. I've been thinking about doing some writing about music- more than just some comments here or there about things that a lot of people are already familiar with anyway. So...I thought about this thread because I remembered it containing a lot of depth and detail on Segue's part, for the things he's chosen to write about here. And so what I'll be covering are not necessarily among my favourite albums by particular folks (though some of them will be, absolutely)...but things that I think just deserve to be heard, and that deserve to receive an earnest attempt at generating more interest in them.

 

And so, I shall begin...(in my next post here, and not this one, hahahaha)...

Edited March 24, 2016 by Blue J

[bluefox4000]

I'm no good at writing long essay type reviews, lol

 

i better at a thought here and there.

 

Mick

[Blue J]

Bjork- Biophilia (2011)

 

http://lamusicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bjork-biophilia-album-cover-art-hd-20111.jpg

 

Compared to the lite club and indie dance-pop territory that Bjork mined in her time with The Sugarcubes and her first two solo albums after that, there are quite a few of her works since then that require a more patient ear to listen to. Her concentration on vocals alone as an instrument in and of themselves, combined with an emphasis many times on strings or synths as sole accompaniment to vocals, tells us that we are not dealing with any kind of formula. There is a definite progression in her artistry, but that may be lost to the uninitiated. For those willing to explore her world(s), though, the reward can be really enlightening.

 

Such is the case, I think, with Biophilia. Even the songs that were released as singles are certainly unconventional- they aren't 'singles' at all, even though they may have been marketed as such.

 

The first of those was Crystalline, and honestly it's one of my favourites on the album. There isn't much of a discernible rhythm to it until around the three to three and a half minute mark- but when it does come in, it happens with a vengeance. Dark Matter and Hollow are two songs that are extremely quiet- this is not music to listen to when you're in your car- nor, in fact, with any other ambient noise at all. If your attention is on anything else but the sound that is there, in those songs, you're bound to miss them almost completely.

 

This is music that demands one's full attention to convey its message. And what that message exactly is seems wide open to interpretation. But with no other distraction, and a good pair of headphones, if you have fifty minutes or so and you're in the mood for something both subtle and exciting, whose sound really defies categorizing- Biophilia is an excellent choice.

 

There are a couple of albums in Bjork's catalog that I do like better and listen to more frequently than this one. But Biophilia just creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. This is a deep and beautiful record.

[Blue J]

I'm no good at writing long essay type reviews, lol

 

i better at a thought here and there.

 

Mick

 

Haha...I know what you mean, and really that's what we do most of the time here.

 

I've just had some albums in mind that I want to really write some things about. (And hey, Segue mentioned 'Self-Indulgent' right in the thread title here, right? I suppose that's what I'm being, too!).

[bluefox4000]

I could really torture Segue and do a Waits album a day. lol

 

Mick

[Blue J]

I could really torture Segue and do a Waits album a day. lol

 

Mick

 

Yeah, do it! It wouldn't be torture at all.

 

Not even for Segue, I don't think.

[Segue Myles]

I could really torture Segue and do a Waits album a day. lol

 

Mick

 

I honestly never tire of listening to you talk about Waits or Zappa. I just don't share the passion!

[Segue Myles]

I'm no good at writing long essay type reviews, lol

 

i better at a thought here and there.

 

Mick

 

Haha...I know what you mean, and really that's what we do most of the time here.

 

I've just had some albums in mind that I want to really write some things about. (And hey, Segue mentioned 'Self-Indulgent' right in the thread title here, right? I suppose that's what I'm being, too!).

 

I figured if I didn't acknowledge that I was going OTT then someone would bash my thread and ruin it. So I mocked myself gently in the title!

 

But yeah...I wish more would try and go in depth about why and what they love.

 

I was honestly tiring yesterday of arguing about my idea of a classic versus the world at larges opinion. I always think music is personal. I want to know why YOU love something.

 

I couldn't care about the charts (which I still find interesting), or fan perception or even if it was a musical milestone.

 

Just as I don't need to be told to love a person or respect a person I cannot stand, I will not be told to love an album because "it's the done thing".

 

What I will do is listen and enjoy reading about anybody's passion for music! I even find delight in the Ghost thread! I enjoy the fact that so many bonded over it.

 

I also love to read people's negative thoughts as well, when they review or talk about it with rational words.

 

Hence mine and Mick's thread. It's always great to agree...but to converse and disagree is really good fun!

 

You also learn more about artists, which is fine.

 

Because of this forum, I discovered I actually really enjoy Bowie and respect Queen. Thank ReGor for that!

[bluefox4000]

I could really torture Segue and do a Waits album a day. lol

 

Mick

 

I honestly never tire of listening to you talk about Waits or Zappa. I just don't share the passion!

 

will If i do an Artist it'll be Waits.

 

he has has like 16-17 albums to Zappa's official 62, lol

 

Not to mention posthumous Zappa

 

Mick

[Segue Myles]

Bjork- Biophilia (2011)

 

http://lamusicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bjork-biophilia-album-cover-art-hd-20111.jpg

 

Compared to the lite club and indie dance-pop territory that Bjork mined in her time with The Sugarcubes and her first two solo albums after that, there are quite a few of her works since then that require a more patient ear to listen to. Her concentration on vocals alone as an instrument in and of themselves, combined with an emphasis many times on strings or synths as sole accompaniment to vocals, tells us that we are not dealing with any kind of formula. There is a definite progression in her artistry, but that may be lost to the uninitiated. For those willing to explore her world(s), though, the reward can be really enlightening.

 

Such is the case, I think, with Biophilia. Even the songs that were released as singles are certainly unconventional- they aren't 'singles' at all, even though they may have been marketed as such.

 

The first of those was Crystalline, and honestly it's one of my favourites on the album. There isn't much of a discernible rhythm to it until around the three to three and a half minute mark- but when it does come in, it happens with a vengeance. Dark Matter and Hollow are two songs that are extremely quiet- this is not music to listen to when you're in your car- nor, in fact, with any other ambient noise at all. If your attention is on anything else but the sound that is there, in those songs, you're bound to miss them almost completely.

 

This is music that demands one's full attention to convey its message. And what that message exactly is seems wide open to interpretation. But with no other distraction, and a good pair of headphones, if you have fifty minutes or so and you're in the mood for something both subtle and exciting, whose sound really defies categorizing- Biophilia is an excellent choice.

 

There are a couple of albums in Bjork's catalog that I do like better and listen to more frequently than this one. But Biophilia just creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. This is a deep and beautiful record.

 

Björk is an artist I have never had a chance to explore...

[Blue J]

If you want to start with something a little more easily digestible, I'd recommend Post (1995) as a starting point. And then Homogenic (1997) and then Vespertine (2001) if you're feeling a little more daring. Those would be good primers to work up to her more highly experimental work.

[Segue Myles]

If you want to start with something a little more easily digestible, I'd recommend Post (1995) as a starting point. And then Homogenic (1997) and then Vespertine (2001) if you're feeling a little more daring. Those would be good primers to work up to her more highly experimental work.

 

Totally feel like being a bad ass and going for Vespertine

[Segue Myles]

Vespertine sounds like an art house movie put to music...

 

I am getting jazz fusion vibes as well

[Blue J]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

[Stormtron]

Jumping in on the Bjork discussion because I love her. Post is my favorite, Vespertine second. I've found something to like in all of her albums, but I've gotta say the last one was a bit dull to me overall.

[Segue Myles]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

 

Vespertine is beautiful

 

Her voice is a gift

[Blue J]

Jumping in on the Bjork discussion because I love her. Post is my favorite, Vespertine second. I've found something to like in all of her albums, but I've gotta say the last one was a bit dull to me overall.

 

Her most recent one is more subdued, definitely- but it's a break-up album. She and her longtime partner had recently split after more than a decade together. Still a very important work in her catalog, though.

 

Very cool, though- I didn't know you were a fan. She is one of those who I heard a lot of for a handful of years in the '90s, but that was it- and then didn't fully discover until very recently.

[Blue J]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

 

Vespertine is beautiful

 

Her voice is a gift

 

Glad you like- and yes, her voice is startlingly good! It's one of those where I think I'm familiar with the timbre, and her unique sort of phrasing...and then every once in awhile, she lets out these wails and throaty growls that really, really grab my attention.

[Segue Myles]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

 

Vespertine is beautiful

 

Her voice is a gift

 

Glad you like- and yes, her voice is startlingly good! It's one of those where I think I'm familiar with the timbre, and her unique sort of phrasing...and then every once in awhile, she lets out these wails and throaty growls that really, really grab my attention.

 

She reminds me of Lisa Gerrard and oddly...Mike Patton.

[Stormtron]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

 

Vespertine is beautiful

 

Her voice is a gift

 

Glad you like- and yes, her voice is startlingly good! It's one of those where I think I'm familiar with the timbre, and her unique sort of phrasing...and then every once in awhile, she lets out these wails and throaty growls that really, really grab my attention.

 

When she lets it go in Pagan Poetry...goosebumps every time!

[Blue J]

Ray LaMontagne- Till the Sun Turns Black (2006)

 

 

Of the three albums where Ray enlisted Ethan Johns as producer, this is the one that works the best, in my opinion. But it's also a matter of the songwriting. The way the lyrics and the sounds come together on this album is just breathtaking.

 

Sonically, I've always thought of this album as a very interesting blend of folk, baroque, and soul. The opening song, Be Here Now, is a combination of a string section, acoustic guitar, and piano, with no percussion- but it builds and builds, and crescendos, just as powerfully as any guitar/bass/drums combination in rock.

 

So many songs here feature lyrics that are just a feast of images. From the second song, Empty:

 

Lay your blouse across the chair

And let fall the flowers from your hair

And kiss me with that country mouth so plain

Outside, the rain is tapping on the leaves

To me it sounds like they're applauding us

And the quiet love we've made

Will I always feel this way?

So empty, so estranged

 

From Lesson Learned:

 

Was it you who told me once

(Now looking back, it seems so real)

That all our mistakes are merely grist for the mill?

So why is it now, after I've had my fill,

That you steal from me the sorrow that I've earned?

Shall we call this a lesson learned?

 

From the title track:

 

Can you see the wise man

Simply living, loving quietly

Every breath he takes, eternity

Till the sun turns black

 

Ray is also one whose voice is something to behold. Incredibly gritty and soulful at times, and at others, a blissfully sweet whisper. Think of Bob Dylan, Stephen Stills, and Joe Cocker...that just about covers the range and various styles of his voice...and hearing him play guitar is what made me want to start playing, myself (which I did, just about four years ago).

 

This is a desert island album for me. Absolutely indispensable.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Blue J

[Segue Myles]

I like Ray.

 

I do have to confess that I thought he was a one hit wonder

[Blue J]

I had a feeling you might jump right into the deep end! (That's a good thing, by the way).

 

My absolute favourite of her more modern albums- and by modern I mean 21st century, as opposed to her earlier ones (which sold many more copies)- is Volta, from 2007.

 

Vespertine is beautiful

 

Her voice is a gift

 

Glad you like- and yes, her voice is startlingly good! It's one of those where I think I'm familiar with the timbre, and her unique sort of phrasing...and then every once in awhile, she lets out these wails and throaty growls that really, really grab my attention.

 

When she lets it go in Pagan Poetry...goosebumps every time!

 

:goodone: