posted
Lately, Elvis Crespo. My best friend from college was half-Ecuadorian and I used to listen to Elvis Crespo a lot then; lately just been feeling it.
Also, the T-Pain / Pitbull song. I know in my heart its not good...but I can't help but jam to it in my car.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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So as I mentioned a few months ago, I’ve been cycling through several Beatles albums while also taking breaks in between to listen to other things. As I mentioned, I listened to my two favorites albums, Rubber Soul and Help for quite awhile, and hear are some random thoughts on others. Of course, take any comments within the context of me being a huge Beatles fan, which is something I inherited from my parents.
I listened to Revolver for several weeks, and its an album I still like. I don’t like as much as the previous two albums, though it’s still a good listen. I’ve found over the years that “Eleanor Rigby” has just been too over-exposed for me on the radio and television shows and such that I end up skipping it more than listening to it. Being a big George fan, I like this two songs on the album “Love You To” and “I Want to Tell You”, but I know this is George just starting to show his stuff, and his best is still to come.
I jumped ahead then to Magical Mystery Tour, since I didn’t want to do them in order. Traditionally this album would get a pass from me in my listening for really no reason, so I really wanted to give it a listen. You know what? It’s quickly become one of my favorites. I have the release with all of the B-sides as well (I know its an EP based on the tv film, etc.). When listening to it like that, with the first 6 EP songs followed by the B-sides, it really kicks into high gear around the sixth song, “I am the Walrus”. I used to pass that song off as a bit of nonsense but it really grew on me in the “Across the Universe” film as done by Bono with the visual background to the scene. “Hello Goodbye” is next and that remains a powerhouse pop-song that is yet another example of why Paul is such a dynamic musical force. “Strawberry Fields are Forever” is another favorite which I interrupt as a Viet Nam song (caring little if that was the original intent). One song I still don’t love is “Penny Lane” for whatever reason, feeling its too poppy without the punch I like. Yet, I love, love, love “All You Need is Love” at the end, which I always have.
I then jumped back to SGT Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band, and my thoughts verge on the blasphemous. You know, its really not one of my favorites. I like it, don’t get me wrong, and don’t dislike it, but I kind of feel it’s a bit ‘meh’. It does contain one of absolute favorite songs, and a contender for favorite Beatle’s song, “A Day in the Life”, which I can listen to literally 20 times in a row and not get sick of (and talk about a song just holding up over time). But the rest of the album is a lot of ‘take it or leave it’ for me. I like “Lucy” and as I mentioned sometime earlier in the thread I enjoyed the Beatles version of “A Little Help from my Friends” more now than I used to (but still disagree with Prof and Dev, believing Joe Cocker still dominates that song as the quintessential performer of it). When I was younger, I feel like it I liked it a lot more than I do now.
Being surprised at this turn of tastes, I then jumped ahead to Abbey Road, which I believe is the last real recorded album chronologically, as the Let it Be album was recorded before Abbey but released after. And I’ve been listening to it for basically an entire month at this point. Because what really surprised me is just how damn much I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I always liked it but never really dove into it before as I did with some others. Its good enough to deserve bullet points:
- the album starts with a juggernaut of a song, “Come Together”. It’s perhaps the greatest Beatles song for working out, driving, getting into a gang fight, etc. You can just feel the edge to it in every chord.
- As I said, I’m a fan of George so his two best songs “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” are songs I absolutely love. George was my Mom’s favorite Beatle. To me, “Something” is one of the greatest love songs ever. Frank Sinatra does a magnificent version which I’ve always loved but George has the quintessential version. Like Frank says, it’s the greatest love song in the latter half of the 21st century. It is just so full of emotion and yet so unique.
- “Oh Darling!” is another favorite. It’s got that gritty sound they had at the end of their career and just so musically appealing in the background with the guitar. I’ve been singing it on and off for a month now, annoying my wife to no end. I listen to this song almost every day.
- “I want You (She’s so heavy)” is another song that is just a freaking monster. I really like it now after seeing it done so well in “Across the Universe”, where I can really dig the ominous portion of the song when it switches back and forth. Its really just a fantastic song that is two really good songs combined into one.
- And then at the end, the final series of songs just runs together so well it feels like its one long, groovy song to just take in all at once. From “Mean Mr. Mustard” to “Carry that Weight” I can almost get lost in the music, making me wish I was laying in the grass high on all kinds of drugs. “She Came Through the Bathroom Window” is in the middle there and it’s a great, great song.
I think Abbey Road has emerged as my other new favorite along with Help! Magical Mystery Tour (whatever you want to call it, album or whatever) is up there too, maybe not quite at Rubber Soul’s level but close.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
^ The first time I ever heard Abbey Road, I was blown away by "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"! It's such a peppy song with such a dark theme, that I couldn't help but love it!
And that last run of songs bleeding into each other is quite a fun ride! And don't overlook "Because", Des!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I shall listen to it on the ride home to give it my full attention!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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It's a great song, perhaps too easily skipped by me still reeling from the power of "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" and then relaxed by "Here Comes the Sun".
I do appreciate it's brevity like the last half of the album. (Maybe I should think of it as the first part of the album?)
Anyway, that's a good amount of over-analysis.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Been listening to Queens greatest hits. Since I have a vehicle with a CD player at the moment.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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Been listening to Metallica's Re-Load as I've recently been filling out my collection of their CD's. This one isn't really bad at all, though it lacks as many memorable songs as their best albums. It's definitely better than Load.
And "The Unforgiven II" is just a freaking TERRIFIC song! Would it be heresy to suggest it may be better than the original "Unforgiven" song it's a sequel to?
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Re-Load isn't bad at all, and IMO neither is Load, which has several great songs (like "Ronnie").
When Load and Re-Load came out I was totally the teenage fan who was devastated at the time. Metallica was my FAVORITE band in my youth. I eventually came to really dig Load a lot, though prob have never given Re-Load the same attention.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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