#397: Throbbing Gristle - D.o.A: The Third and Final Report (1978)

Zack: The fuck did I just listen to? This is one of the most confusing albums since Captain Beefheart. There was something about E Coli and a song called Wall of Sounds which was just a wall of sounds. Apparently, my least favorite song is actually a relatively normal song just sped up to 16 times its speed. I’m just so confused. Look, I didn’t like it. It honestly made me uncomfortable and a little anxious. If you’re the kind of person who likes feeling anxious, then seek help but also maybe seek out this album. Otherwise, I’d say hard pass.

Favorite Tracks: Hometime; Dead on Arrival; AB/7A

Emily: I listened to this album while home alone, and every few minutes I felt like I had to adjust the volume to make sure the neighbors couldn't hear what I was listening to. I also paused it a few times because I couldn't tell the difference between ambient city noise and some of these songs. I'm sure it has some artistic merit or other importance - otherwise why would it be on the list - but I just didn't get it, and I have no interest in figuring it out.

Favorite Tracks: Dead on Arrival; Weeping; AB/7A

#396: Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

Emily: Oasis songs are a staple of both alt-rock radio and mixtapes (or mix CDs) (or mix playlists? is that a thing?). Having never listened to this album in full before today, I nevertheless felt that most of the songs were familiar. The singles are played all the time on my favorite Philly radio station, even though at this point they're over 20 years old, so I know all the words by osmosis. And I definitely put Wonderwall on at least one mix CD in high school in order to "educate" a boyfriend about music - even though I only really liked that song and didn't care much about Oasis at all. So having made it this long without delving into a whole Oasis album, I don't really think I missed much. I will always love Wonderwall, and Champagne Supernova, Don't Look Back in Anger, and Some Might Say are very good/great Brit-pop-revival songs in their own right. I will continue to listen to those songs every time they come up on the radio, but that's really all of the Oasis I need.
Favorite Tracks: Wonderwall; Don't Look Back in Anger; Champagne Supernova

Zack: Sometime in high school, I decided I should try and get into Oasis. Wonderwall is an objectively perfect song, so I figured the rest of their catalogue was probably strong as well. So I checked a bunch of their CDs out from the library (seriously) and gave them a listen. One of them was (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. I found all of those CDs, this one included, consistently underwhelming. There would be a number of really strong songs – usually the singles – sandwiched between stuff that just smelled of filler. Like a few pieces of meat and cheese around just way too much lettuce. I gave them a fair number of listens, but I honestly have not listened to any full Oasis album since like freshman or sophomore year of college. Oasis albums are just kind of boring. My opinion has not fundamentally changed with the years either. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is just as I remember it. There are a handful of awesome songs – Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, and Don’t Look Back in Anger are the standouts in my opinion – with a bunch of fluff around them. Hell, even the rest of the singles, especially Roll with It, are pretty middling. What’s interesting is that my apathy toward Oasis isn’t necessarily a statement on Britpop in general either. I’m pretty fond of Blur and The Verve, for example. And this album was a big enough deal that I have no qualms about it being included here. I thought this album mattered enough to listen to it around the same time that I was getting super into Hendrix, the Who, and the Rolling Stones, and that probably means that it had a really powerful moment in the cultural sun. But, man. Oasis is just way overvalued and overrated. This album especially.

Favorite Tracks: Wonderwall; Champagne Supernova; Don’t Look Back in Anger