#210: The Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970)

Emily: I have been exposed to the Grateful Dead since I was a very small child. My aunt was and is a major Deadhead. She was too young to be a fan their first time around, during their Woodstock heyday and also when this album came out, but she was a neo-hippie in college during the early '80s. She loves tie-dye and folk festivals, has posters in her house of old concerts and dancing bear bumper stickers on her car, followed the Grateful Dead around for a few summers back in the day, and will still go see the (no-longer-Grateful) Dead with her college friends when they come through the area. She even danced onstage with Jerry Garcia, and told me that she has other stories from that time that she wouldn't tell me in front of my mom and grandma - can't wait to hear those. Yep, she's definitely the cool aunt. Her kids have absolutely rejected the Grateful Dead, after having it infused throughout all of their early childhoods - framed dancing bear pictures in their bedrooms and all. However, I have never really listened to them until today. I knew Truckin, but only because that was their family's candlelighting song at my bat mitzvah (and the only Grateful Dead song my mom could think of). So, I was glad to finally be exposed to the band my aunt has absolutely loved for more than half of her life. American Beauty is hippie music incarnate. It's folky, but also a little country and definitely made for epically long, drug-induced on-stage jams. This is the kind of music that inspires summers spent following a tour bus throughout the country, and now I (kinda) get why my aunt did it.
Favorite Tracks: Friend of the Devil; Truckin; Ripple

Zack: My first Grateful Dead exposure was due to two of my cross country teammates who were huge Dead Heads. I distinctly remember them going to a Grateful Dead tribute band concert, if that’s any indication. They caught my interest, so I snatched my dad’s copy of Terrapin Station one day and gave it a listen. Unimpressed. I like jam bands and all – HUGE Allman Brothers fan – but it just seemed to drone on and on. Perhaps that will happen with Live/Dead, but this studio album had that signature Dead sound while also being really tight sonically. The songs are all about standard length, but they compressed a lot into those few short minutes. You can see how it would work if certain sections were expanded into freestyling solos, especially the guitar work because Jerry Garcia seems to have kept it quite understated here. Overall, I thought this album was a great example of a band understanding that sometimes trying to capture the live experience in the studio isn’t the best way to go about it, and instead seeking to record the best studio album they could. The Dead hit the nail on the head with that goal and the product is one amazing album here. Sidenote: I’ve always thought the Grateful Dead was the greatest band name ever. That has to count for something.

Favorite Tracks: Candyman; Box of Rain; Truckin’

#209: Massive Attack - Protection (1994)

Zack: The electronic genre is probably the most hit-or-miss, narrowly edging out country. Some albums are just screechy and repetitive. Others are able to incorporate interesting sounds and rhythms in a way that moves past some of the limitations that prevent traditional rock listeners from embracing the genre. If there was ever an example, this would be it. Protection threw everything in the mix. There was hip-hop, R&B, a cover of Light My Fire, just about everything you could ask. But it was still undeniably an electronic album. It had a bit of that chillout vibe that I loved so much from Air a while back, but it was not as relaxed. Instead, it relied on its diverse sounds to power it through. It was a really solid album overall, and one that definitely helps get the taste of the more forgettable ones off the palette.

Favorite Tracks: Shy; Protection; Three

Emily: We've had a streak of a few subdued albums, all of which I may or may not remember come next month or so. However, while they're all fresh in my mind, I've noticed that they all take on the subdued, quiet sound in different ways - ambient post-punk, heartfelt folk, and here we have chillout, laid-back electronic. On the scale of electronic music from ambient to screech, Massive Attack fell more on the former side. Surprising, too, considering their punk-sounding name. There's a lot going on, but in an interesting way that can both stand out or blend into the background depending on the song - or even the moment. One song I couldn't ignore was the cover of Light My Fire. It was an unexpected, unique, and well-executed take on a classic song that is difficult to replicate or renew. I know we have more Massive Attack coming up, and I'm curious to see where they draw from next time.

Favorite Tracks: Light My Fire; Weather Storm; Spying Glass

#208: David Gray - White Ladder (1998)

Zack: The fact that this album is connected with Dave Matthews, even if it was just rereleased on his label, hurts me so deeply. It is just so fantastic. It’s definitely folksy, but there are just enough hints of rock and pop influences that it stands out as something special. That special something may just be because I recognized one of the songs from an episode of Scrubs, but I think there is something deeper going on. The rest of the album is equally awe inspiring. It’s the kind of music that works for almost any occasion. I could drive to this. I could write to this (I’m actually relistening to it while I write this, so I can verify that it does work). I could cook a delicious feast to this. I could cut open a tauntaun to this. I could work in a hospital and get into whacky hijinks to this. It can enhance anything, regardless of your mood or activity.

Favorite Tracks: Please Forgive Me; Sail Away; My Oh My

Emily: My progress of listening to this album was a journey. Once again, I was on a bus, but this time heading home. I had woken up to catch said bus at 5:30, drifted in and out of sleep for about 2 hours, and eventually sat up groggy and thought that it was a great time to work on blogging. Fun fact: it wasn't. In my hungry, half-asleep, stuck-in-a-bus-seat state, I was unprepared for an understated folk album. For the first few songs, I could not get into it. I thought it was slow, uncreative, and just mediocre. Once I made it about halfway through, though, I really started to enjoy White Ladder. Maybe it was because I had eaten some pretzels, maybe the caffeine from my rest-stop coffee had started to kick in, or maybe the second half was simply better than the first. What seemed boring in the early tracks became simple and sweet, allowing the vocals to shine through with a bit of rock edge. Whatever it was that changed my perspective, I need to give the modern folk sounds of David Gray another chance - perhaps the whole album really is as good as the second half alone.

Favorite Tracks: Nightblindness; Sail Away; White Ladder

#207: Cocteau Twins - Treasure (1984)

Emily: This album really fit with the surroundings in which I listened to it, a phenomenon that doesn't always happen. I was on a bus driving down the PA Turnpike with its seemingly endless parade of trees. Treasure's calm ambiance fit the environment outside my windows quite nicely - and suitably drowned out the muted dubstep seeping out of my seatmate's headphones. At its best points, this album seemed like the music of a dark ballet. It's beautiful, but with some sinister undertones that set it apart. Each track is named after a person, which leads me to wonder if the sinisterness is directed at them. Alas, I had no Wikipedia on the bus, so I remained content with the black ballet of these lovers/friends/enemies/strangers dancing in my head.
Favorite Tracks: Beatrix; Persephone; Cicely

Zack: Seriously this is bullshit. Another album by a band known for their “signature ethereality,” but at least this time there was like 4 days in between when I made that playlist and when I listened to it. Anyway, this album is kind of hilariously dated. It may not have synths, but everything else about it is perfectly in line with 1984. The production values alone sound almost 30 years old, which isn’t always a bad thing but in this instance was pretty distracting. The music itself was alright. Pretty ambient, a hint of all those bands that we listen to that sound exactly the same but different enough that I didn’t really mind it. I’m even vaguely looking forward to listening to the next Cocteau Twins album.

Favorite Tracks: Persephone; Beatrix; Donimo

#206: Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)

Zack: Let me start by saying that I was torn on this album going in. As a person who likes to write bitter, sarcastic things, this seemed to provide such an opportunity. But, as a person with functioning ears, this seemed like an experience detrimental to my overall health. While I am unable to say with absolute certainty until I see the finished product, I have reason to believe that it was not worth it. After all, what could I possibly say that would not be but a mere echo of the hundred, maybe thousands, of music critics who have previously listened to this piece of……..art(?) and tried to vent their feelings. Let me start with passing on the information that a chocolate starfish is a certain orifice located towards the rear end of a human being. Mr. Durst refers to himself as a chocolate starfish at one point, and that is where the self-awareness ends. Most of the tracks are insecure rants about how people be talking shit behind their backs. He does not clarify who these people are or what they’re saying, but I have reason to believe that Mr. Durst has mistaken printed words for “behind his back,” a fact that I attribute to anyone who finds the concept of “hot dog flavored water” to be funny probably has questionable literacy. From there we descend into a cavern of douchery, one that includes a reference to Christina Aguilera. Which just reminded me of Eminem calling him out on that in The Real Slim Shady (Eminem would later write a diss track called Girls where he said “I'm peggin Fred with the bottle of dye that he bleached his head with!" Proving once again that Eminem is always willing to fight the battles that I don’t have the mic skills to fight). The darkest recesses of this cavern are incomprehensible depths of douchebaggery, but they seem to lie somewhere between that infamous Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ song and when he apologizes for a reference to a joint by saying that he doesn’t smoke, just likes the smell. Then we have a song that has Xzibit in it, which serves as a beautiful respite from this hellish torture. Wasn’t there something in the Geneva Conventions about this, or was it clarified in Additional Protocol I? Damnit, Obama, get the Senate to ratify already so no one has to tolerate this type of mistreatment again! Look it up. Anyway, what I think makes the terrible levels of suckitude here worse is that I’m dangerously close to his target audience. I genuinely like Linkn Park and even listen to Korn on the occasion. Plus, I’m only moderately embarrassed to admit that. The whole “screamy rap rock/metal” is something I have a history of enjoying. But this just proves that if anything can be done well, than it can also be done hilariously poorly. It also raises several questions. First and foremost, was the motivation for Xhibit, Scott Weiland, Method Man, Red Man, and DMX to appear on this album solely financial or was it pity? Were hostages taken? Were they just hoping that by appearing here they might prevent a few listeners from deciding that suicide wasn’t the answer to their jammed repeat buttons on their compact disc players (it was 2000, after all)? Why did they think it important to include a 10 minute outro track that was almost entirely a dude awkwardly laughing at virtually nothing (“Did you call him DJ Lethal when you were kids….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!)? Was a creature this terrible brought to this world through alchemy? What made Fred Durst think it was okay to just add one new line to the remixed version of a song and otherwise just say the same thing over a new beat? Are the members of Limp Bizkit really just America’s most subtle satirists? If not, why the fuck was this on the list in the first place?

Favorite Tracks: Rollin’ (Urban Assault Vehicle) (the non-Durst parts only); Getcha Groove On (the non-Durst parts only); Take a Look Around

Emily: About 2 songs into this album, I texted Zack something along the lines of "WHY LIST, WHY?" I have no idea why this album is here, and it spurred such random and angry musings in me that I can only write this review in list form as I listen to it. So, here goes:

1) Fred Durst, stop trying to make "chocolate starfish" happen. It's not going to happen. (Seriously, even what it refers to is just nasty)

2) Why do I know so many of these songs, at least in passing? Goddamn radio

3) Some of this must be a joke. A few lyrics are passable for Weird Al.

4) And now he's trying to be serious on The One. And by serious, I mean slowing it down a little and talking about wanting someone to stay.

5) Thank god this rap-metal thing didn't take off. The early 2000s - my formative music-listening years -would've sucked so hard.

6) Unless your name is Eminem, white men should not be rapping.

7) Rather, if your name is Fred Durst you shouldn't be rapping.

8) Xzibit? What are you doing here? Why aren't you pimping rides?

9) I feel forced to pay attention to these lyrics but they're so damn bad I have nothing to say.

10) Just because you say fuck every other word doesn't make you badass, Mr. Durst.

11) Close to the end I started tuning out. Oops.

12) This is a really long album. Unnecessarily long.

13) And all of the songs are really repetitive. They don't sound like each other, but within each song there's so much line and chorus repetition it gets annoying. Many of the songs break the 4 or 5 minute mark, and could be much shorter if they didn't repeat the same phrases a billion times.

14) Now someone is barking. What the actual fuck?

15) The last song is just a guy talking. Is it Fred Durst? I have no fucking clue. But there's no beat or anything. Just a guy dicking around and making fun of Limp Bizkit. This is just unnecessary.

16) And now taking Limp Bizkit too seriously. This sucks man.

17) And it's just laughing now. I'm convinced: this album is a cruel sick joke with which Limp Bizkit just wanted to fuck with the American listening public. Considering how many albums were sold, they might have succeeded.

The last hour or so has been extremely unpleasant. I hope I never have to experience such shittiness again from this list - and considering what I've just heard, I doubt I will.

Favorite Tracks: My Way; The One; Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)

#205: Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (1999)

Zack: I’m calling bullshit. For Christmas, I made a bunch of playlists for my brother and gave them to him on a flash drive (along with some other music). One of them was called “Ethereal Whinings.” One day after I make that playlist, boom, I’m listening to this. Literally the second sentence on their Wikipedia page says that they are “known for their ethereal sound.” One day. That’s how close I was to having rooted that playlist in the only thing it was missing: Icelandic post-rock. I knew all along that there was a problem but I didn’t know how oddly specific it was. Wyatt, if you’re reading, I have failed you. Anyway, this album is banging. It’s so lush and interesting. I can’t even understand any of the words and I could not manage to care any less. Everything about it is so vibrant but with a touch of spacey. I guess I would characterize it sort of as a cross between Air and Flaming Lips, but I’m not sure if that really does all the orchestration justice. Look, it’s an incredible album, one you should absolutely check out.

Favorite Tracks: Ágætis byrjun; Hjartað hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm); Olsen Olsen

Emily: Unfortunately, by the time I finished this album it was around 1 AM and I was getting sleepy, so I don't feel that I fully experienced this album. I say experienced because that's what Sigur Ros truly does - they create a cohesive sonic/musical experience rather than just a collection of nice-sounding songs. Although subtle in its ambient qualities, Ágætis byrjun is beautifully done. The band combines different instruments with sound effects and distortion to create an enveloping sound that can seamlessly blend into the background one second and demand your attention the next. Never mind that it's all in Icelandic; the music is too pretty and unique for the lyrics to matter much. It's an album that I will definitely add to my homework/relaxing/general listening repetorie - and I'll re-listen at a time when I'm less sleepy.

Favorite Tracks: Ágætis byrjun; Hjartað hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm); Staralfur

#204: Nenah Cherry - Raw Like Sushi (1989)

Emily: Zack listened to this album a few days before I did, and he absolutely hated it (as you'll see before). Not wanting his opinions to unduly influence my interpretation of the album - I was the one who selected that we listen to it now, after all - I have not yet read his review, and will not until mine is complete. With that in mind, I didn't hate this album. It wasn't my favorite, but it was okay. Nenah Cherry isn't exactly the strongest of lyricists - she tends to rely on cliches and plays on words, strategies that work when used sparingly but become grating when they're the focus of your entire album. A few of the songs jumped around a lot between different beats and vocal styles, from R&B singing to rapping to spoken word. Sometimes it worked, oftentimes it was just distracting. I did enjoy the late-80's hip-hop beats behind the vocals, since I'm almost always a fan of music I can dance to (or just bob my head back and forth as I listen to it in my room).  Now, without further adieu, I will end here with my favorite tracks so together we can find out why Zack holds so much animosity towards this album - though I do recommend listening to come to your own opinion first.
Favorite Tracks: Buffalo Stance; Inna City Mama; Kisses on the Wind

Zack: I know I complain a lot about the excluded hip-hop albums. I really would like to avoid that here, but why the fuck am I listening to this? Not only is this album not particularly influential, but it also is just terrible. I mean, there is almost no redeeming quality to this album. Part of that is because it is horrendously dated. I’m pretty sure that if they had even tried to release this album one year later, they would have been apprehended by the proper authorities for failing to recognize the change in decade. Yes, it is that 80’s, but I don’t love it. The other problem is that the lyrical content is so mind-numbingly focused on male-female relations that it moves past the brain and becomes physically painful. It quickly escalates from “girl power” to “personal account of relationship history” to “evidence that penis envy is actually a thing.” I don’t like to throw such a blanket and seemingly sexist accusation out there, but she flips between accusing men of being dogs and screaming at women for trying to take her man with such violence that it’s disorienting. Wait; is your man a piece of shit not worthy of your trust or a golden God that you need to prevent any prowling shrews from tempting? The answer sometimes seems to vary minute to minute. Even in The Next Generation, a song about how important children are, she can’t resist saying men need to learn to keep their dicks in their pants, then saying that they should take them out and use them better than ever. At least that is my interpretation, based off the exact literal words she says. What the fuck? I don’t even know. In Outre Risque Locomotive, the second-to-last song, she even admits that she’s obsessed with men, but I couldn’t make out if it was an apology. If not, then I demand one because I’m really upset that this even exists.

Favorite (?) Track: Love Ghetto; So Here I Come; Inna City Mama