#372: The Beau Brummels - Triangle (1967)

Zack: And now it’s time for a recurring segment here at our little blog: Why Are We Listening to This? This bit doesn’t necessarily imply an album is unredeemable, but that there is absolutely no way that it is in the top 1000 (and one) essential albums. Triangle is a good album. It’s a pleasant mix of country, folk, rock, and psychedelic music. But it doesn’t do any of those genres particularly well and I find it hard to believe that there aren’t albums who serve as better examples of genre blending. Some random guy from the Internet doesn’t even think it’s a top 40 album in its fucking year. The clearly credible besteveralbums.com has Triangle at a robust 238^th best album of 1967, and that’s the nicest number from that page I could mention. Looking at the lists of albums from that year, I am very, very willing to accept those as legitimate. The first album chronologically for the list came out in 1955, which means 60 years of music for an average of 17-ish albums per year. And yet somehow this one makes the cut? Sorry for invoking so much #data and #math, but this is pretty ridiculous. Once again, Triangle is a fine album. But it peaks at good, which quite frankly is not good enough.

Favorite Tracks: Magic Hollow; The Wolf of Velvet Fortune; Only Dreaming Now

Emily: I really don't have much to say about this album. Like Zack, I'm not sure why we were even listening to it. It's not a bad way to spend 28 minutes, but it's an aggressively mediocre album. 1967 was a great year for music - Sgt. Pepper, Are You Experienced?, and The Velvet Undergroun & Nico all came out that year, just to name a few. I'd rather spend my time with one of those classics than the Beau Brummels any day.

Favorite Tracks: Nine Pound Hammer; Triangle; And I've Seen Her

#371: The Crickets - The "Chirping" Crickets (1957)

Zack: It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these at this point, so please forgive me if I don’t quite remember what I’m supposed to do. If memory serves, I believe I normally say some random fact I looked up on Wikipedia, give a #hotmusictake, then make some terrible pun and call it a day. Starting with phase one, I think it’s relatively common knowledge that The Crickets were essentially just a Buddy Holly vehicle. But it’s actually a bit more ridiculous than that. By the time he was 19, Holly was already a blossoming rock star stemming from his tours opening for Elvis Freaking Presley (actual name, check the birth certificate). The Crickets were created because Holly’s manager figured that radio stations would be willing to play more Buddy Holly music if they got to say a different name each time. So, basically, The Crickets were a vehicle for the public to overdose of a guy who was just exiting his teenage years. Chirping Crickets has a lot of virtues, but I think my favorite was (we’re now in phase 2) that it was only 28 minutes long. As a culture, we need more 30-minute albums. Thirty-minute albums are never disappointing. It’s just too easy to produce 30 minutes of quality music. And the Crickets really nailed the 30-minute album formula here. Chirping Crickets isn’t particularly incredible, instead hovering right in that solid formative rock and roll zone where the music is solid but not particularly adrenaline inducing. But it’s very well contained, and ends up being something you can hop around to (conclude phase 3).

Favorite Tracks: That’ll Be the Day; Last Night; Oh, Boy!

Emily: How appropriate that we're reviewing this review on October 26, 2015 - Back to the Future Day! Today officially marks the day where all of the Back to the Future trilogy takes place in the "past." Though we don't have hoverboards yet, the Cubs could go to the World Series, so at least part of their predictions came true. I don't actually prefer the "future" part of Back to the Future 2 - the far superior movie is the first one, where Marty McFly goes back to the '50s to make sure that his parents get together so the timeline to his life stays intact. Along the way, he "introduces" rock and roll to the world (aka a high school dance) in 1955. The '50s were a simpler time, where a time-traveler from 1985 could show the musical world what they were missing. Never mind that, by that time, Buddy Holly was already opening for Elvis and was just a couple years away from becoming a rock and roll star in his own right. The Crickets were essentially a Buddy Holly star vehicle, and their debut album here showcases the new style of rock and roll he brought to soda shops and sock hops around the country. The songs are short and simple, switching between up-tempo dance songs and slower ballads with accompanying harmonies. This album may seem out of place in today's hoverboardless world, but it's definitely worth a listen for going Back in Time.

Favorite Tracks: Oh, Boy!; That'll Be the Day; It's Too Late

#370: MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (1969)

Zack: Now this is what I’m fucking talking about! Right away, this album called me a motherfucker, and I knew I was in good hands. MC5 had the balls to introduce themselves to the world with a live album, and I can’t imagine them doing it any other way. Multiple takes and editing are for suckers. Kick out the Jams is explosive from the very start to the very end. MC5 pack so much into 40 minutes that I wouldn’t be surprised if vinyl copies of this album count as a renewable energy source. You can hear everything that would happen in the punk movement over the next 10 years right hear: From Iggy and the Stooges debut only one year later up to The Sex Pistols. Kick out the James is a must-listen for sure for anyone who wants to understand that part of American and British music. On a final note, though, I want to call out Lester Bangs, a person I just learned existed, who was dubbed “America’s Greatest Rock Critic” by someone who is cited on Wikipedia. Apparently, Kick out the James was Bangs first ever review for Rolling Stone, and he called it a “ridiculous, overbearing, pretentious album.” I…but…that doesn’t even make sense. For starters, I honestly don’t think I could come up with a less pretentious album if you paid and/or threatened me. Second, who says ridiculous has to be a bad thing? And third, overbearing? Now who’s pretentious? In summation (yes, this is now a thesis), don’t listen to Lester Bangs. Listen to me. Listen to this album.

Favorite Tracks: Motor City Is Burning; Kick out the Jams; I Want You Right Now

Emily: Occasionally, I find myself wishing that we decided to listen to the albums in chronological order. Now, of course I realize that we probably would've quit partway through the '50s if that were the case, but in some instances it would have been interesting to chart the course of a band or a genre as it evolved over the years and decades instead of piecing it all together like a puzzle. Kick Out the Jams is definitely one of the more important puzzle pieces in the patchwork of punk we've gone through so far, and I wish we could have listened to it sooner. It's from 1969, which is a bit too early to truly be considered punk, and it does have songs that stretch longer than 3 minutes, which the genre all but abandoned by the late '70s. However, every punk album for the rest of the decade seems to hearken back to what MC5 did here. The music is fast and powerful, the lyrics are controversial, and the attitude is sneering and ass-kicking. While these hallmarks of the genre evolved over the following years, MC5 seemed to be starting it all.

Favorite Tracks: Kick Out the Jams; Borderline; Motor City is Burning

#369: Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (2006)

Zack: I’ve thought a lot about who my favorite member of Wu-Tang is. I’ve gone through and given senior superlatives to pretty much all of them. And I’m sure I’ll delve more into some of them when we listen to albums by Raekwon, Method Man, and GZA, all of whom I have hot rap takes on. But Ghostface Killah takes the crown for me, and I don’t even think it’s particularly close. Tony Starks is the only one who can drop an album in 2015 and people’s ears perk up, for one thing. Seriously, I love Cuban Linx as much as the next guy, but I didn’t bother giving F.I.L.A. a chance because I can’t take any more disappointment from Raekwon. But Ghostface is still churning out concept albums about supervillains that are solid at worst. Hell, he’s already dropped two good albums this year and may still have a collaboration with MF Doom coming before 2015 is up. Even within Ghostface’s stellar catalogue, though, Fishscale is something special. Not many artists hit their stride on album five, but I firmly believe Starks did exactly that here. Iron Man is great, as is Supreme Clientele and The Pretty Toney Album. But Fishscale combines Ghostface’s incredible storytelling and unique (until Action Bronson anyway) delivery with some top-of-the-line, not-just-RZA-or-RZA-knockoff beats. The list of producers behind Fishscale reads like an All-Star team. J Dilla, Just Blaze, and Pete Rock pop as the big 3, but Doom’s work here can’t be overlooked. The result is polished, but not commercial. And Ghostface sounds like he’s out to get the most from each and every song. It’s funny to think about how different a place Starks was in here than when he was recording his verses for 36 Chambers, which just makes it even more impressive that he was able to come just as hard.

Favorite Tracks: Kilo; 9 Milli Bros.; Momma

Emily: Unlike Zack, I haven't put much (read: any) thought into my favorite member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Most of my interaction with Wu-Tang is through Zack's excitement about them or Buzzfeed articles filled with pictures of children wearing Wu-Tang shirts. Appropriately, though, I'm pretty sure I know the most about Ghostface Killah. Not about his music, of course, but about his reality "performance" on Vh1's Couples Therapy. Appearing alongside such distinguished figures as Jon Gosselin and Teen Mom (and porn star) Farrah Abraham, Ghostface and his girlfriend Kelsey (whose hair can only be described as a horse mohawk) participated on the show in order to work on their relationship (/get on TV). Among the fun facts revealed during the show were that Kelsey used to be a stripper (which Ghostface didn't like) and that Ghostface had another girlfriend who also ended up on the show in a group therapy session with Ghostface, Kelsey, and Dr. Jen. Really classy stuff. And I also don't really understand why Ghostface was on the show in the first place. Unlike the washed-up reality "stars" seeking to extend their 15 minutes of fame, Ghostface is a bona fide rapper and musician, and a prolific one to boot. Fishscale is his fifth studio album, and according to Wikipedia he's released seven since then. He's an acclaimed storyteller working with high-profile producers, and as much as I enjoy reality shows, I think Ghostface is much better served staying off TV and getting in the studio some more. And if that includes a Vh1 diss track, so much the better

Favorite Tracks: Momma; Kilo; Be Easy

#368: Bad Company - Bad Company (1974)

Zack: When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the idea of releasing a song off an album under a band name that were all the same thing. Like, you know how artists will often have an eponymous album? I wanted to do that, but also have a single on said album that was titled the same as the album and the band. I don’t know why I wanted to do that so badly. Maybe because I am oddly obsessive about weird stuff (probably that). Maybe it’s because it’s a super cool idea (definitely not that). Or maybe it’s because I was really supposed to be in Bad Company, since they apparently thought it would be cool to do that exact thing. I certainly think it’s cool, but now I need to write a review about the album by the band that features the song titled Bad Company and at any time I could be referring to one level and the reader will have no idea which if I’m not explicit. Which means my dream was discerned, not deferred, but now deters. This is simultaneously some deep and inexplicably shallow shit. Anyway, Bad Company (the album) is better than I thought it would be. It has a bit of a Led Zeppelin-lite vibe to it. At some stages it has a hard rock vibe to it, and not the kind that borders on cheesy. At other times it slips into a nice ballad stage that, once again, avoids being cheesy. I’d never really been particularly interested in Bad Company, but I wish I’d picked them up in like the 10^th grade. I think I would have loved this album then, instead of just mildly appreciating it like I do now.

Favorite Tracks: Bad Company; Don’t Let Me Down; Seagull

Emily: We've been on a roll of a whole bunch of British bands that were big in their home countries but barely made a blip overseas. Sometimes they're quite good, but frequently they're just not that interesting and we had better stuff going on over here in America anyway. Bad Company is kind of one of those bands, and I think they fall into the second category. The band did have some success in the U.S., but moreso in the U.K. And while their self-titled debut is a solid rock effort, it's really not all that unique. It sounded like generic '70s classic rock - certainly not the worst thing to listen to, but a whole slew of bands definitely did it better and left a greater impact.

Favorite Tracks: Ready for Love; Movin' On; The Way I Choose

#367: Ash - 1977 (1996)

Emily: Despite what it's name implies, 1977 is not actually from 1977. The album, from 1996, draws its name from the year in which three main events that shaped Ash took place: the birth of two of its members, the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (among other early punk albums, and the release of Star Wars. Now, I don't necessarily understand where Star Wars comes in here, but the punk influence is clear. Its sound is straight out of a basement punk club, with a bit of '90s alternative and grunge thrown in there. The resulting album is energetic and exciting, and, aside from the end track of just members vomiting (seriously guys, why?), I'll definitely be throwing it into my listening mix from here on out.
Favorite Tracks: Lose Control; I'd Give You Anything; Girl from Mars

Zack: Ash is one of those mid-90s British bands that were huge elsewhere. I have a mixed history with those bands, since I sort of find them to be the most boring and forgettable version of 90s alternative rock. But Ash actually lean pretty far toward punk, which is awesome. It keeps the album from having any real lulls, since at even its most basic 1977 is still high-energy. I wasn’t really wowed by any part of the concept or the execution, but I still have a hard time finding anything negative to say. 1977 is, from start-to-finish, an incredible solid album that is totally worth a listen.

Favorite Tracks: Innocent Smile; Gone the Dream; Darkside Lightside (if you ignore the last 13 minutes completely)

#366: The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues (1988)

Zack: Like (I’m guessing) the vast majority of people in the world, I had never heard of The Waterboys before their music was thrust upon me. How that was allowed to happen, I have no idea. I went in to this album with absolutely no expectations, and by the time the second song started I was already texting people about how amazing it is. Seriously, who should I blame for not telling me about either this album specifically or this band generally? Is it my parents? My peers? Obama? Someone tell me and I will be ready to protest them. Fisherman’s Blues is sort of this amalgamation of Wilco, Arcade Fire, U2, and Van Morrison. Interestingly, I made that comparison before I noticed that they even covered a Van Morrison song on this album (and actually killed that too, which is pretty impressive in its own right). On the song We Will Not Be Lovers, they incorporate a badass fiddle that sounds so cool that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the singular reason that both Yellowcard and Mumford and Sons were allowed to exist. Admittedly, the album does fade a bit down the stretch. But the places where it hits, it runs full force into awesome that I could easily write about it for a few thousand words. Instead, I think I’ll just say that I intend to delve much, much further into The Waterboys catalogue and I highly recommend everyone else on the planet does the same.

Favorite Tracks: We Will Not Be Lovers; Fisherman’s Blues; Sweet Thing

Emily: When Zack first listened to Fisherman's Blues a few months ago (yeah I'm a bit behind), he texted me excitedly as he made his way through the hour-long album. Each new song brought about a different influence, a different genre, a different sound, but they all combined into something totally unique and awesome. By the time I finally got around to listening to it, the specifics of Zack's praise had faded from my memory, but I was excited to listen to the album nevertheless. Unfortunately, that excitement probably raised my expectations too high. While I was (perhaps wrongfully) expecting a transformative genre-spanning folk wonder, what I got was a very good, unique modern folk album. A solid entry, with clear influences on the folk-rock of later years, but disappointing. The lesson? Maybe I shouldn't wait so long to catch up with Zack on these albums.

Favorite Tracks: We Will Not Be Lovers; World Party; Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?