Anyways...,
Where was I?
Oh yes!
So For some reason I am breezing thorough this current issue of Vanity Fair. [I think that's because it's such a page turner. Really. You all should check it out. Even the Julia Roberts article is fair, for lack of a better word.]
So me being me I need something stat, before this mag comes to an end. Luckily for me, it's November, meaning a lot of magazines are all about the big year in review December issues. And that's what I just got. GQ's annual December Men of the Year issue.
Now unlike most people I read magazines like books. Literally. Every single word. Letters to the editor, style tips, notes on articles' photographers and authors... everything top to bottom. Even if I got the magazine because of a particular article, it just has to wait til I get to it.
And since I am not quite done with VF I decided to just skim through GQ's pages and of course stopped and read for a little bit when I got to the year end music review. [Surprise, Surprise]
Now I can be like everybody else [or myself previously] and post GQ's picks for the best albums of the year and rant and rave and wax poetic about all that, but not this time, for another list caught my eye, and it goes a little something like this:
THE DISAPPOINTMENTS
Surprisingly middling albums by perennial favorites
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P
Bjork - Volta
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Common - Finding Forever
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Now for me, three of those albums are not like the others. But for the most part, yeah what happened T.I.? I have yet to listen to that album past track 10. Real talk. And I paid for it on its new release Tuesday. And Volta's not a bad album, but the excitement I had for it going in far exceeded any excitement I have had for it since I bought it. In other words, it ain't getting played much.
And then I got to thinking. You know, I bought a lot of music this year, and they sure as hell ain't all been winners.
And then I made a list.
THE DISAPPOINTMENTS
Five - Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Boy with a coin did everything a new single should do. (1) It made me tap my feet (2) It reminded me that Iron and Wine had a new disc coming out AND (3) It made me excited for said release. And then I bought it. And then I finally gave it a full run through one day on my way to work. And then I got bored midway through. And worst of all, Boy With a Coin was buried deep in the album towards the end. -Sigh- Sucks, cause I really enjoyed me some Our Endless Numbered
Days.
Four - Bright Eyes - Cassadga
First off, let me say, this album is not, repeat NOT, bad. In fact, for the first five tracks or so, it is quite majestic and wonderful to listen to. From the sprawling opener that is Clairaudients (Kill of Be Killed) to the simple melodic baroque like swoon of Make a Plan to Love Me. And let's not forget about lead single Four Winds, which just so happens to be one of the best singles of the year. [If you don't know, now you know]And then midway through something funny happens. I just drop out. I don't know. Maybe I need a few more spins. I mean I like me some long players, and I'm Wide Awake It's Morning was quite the long player. Guess I was just expecting a little bit more of the same this time around.
Three - Prince - Planet Earth
A message to Prince from Tauwan Patterson Sunday, November 11, 2007:
"...Yes, rest on your laurels: Purple Rain, Sign O' the Times, 1999, etc., but don't alienate the people within that fan base that take their love and adoration for you beyond those albums. Those people who were excited as hell when you came back with Musicology, kept the party rolling with 3121, and even purchased the mediocre, seldom played [by me] Planet Earth. And let's not forget the many of us who found some diamonds in the rough with many of those post Sign O'the Times, 90's albums. We love you Prince. You of all people should know that. We don't need a Super Bowl performance to remind us of your musical prowess, we already knew, as I stated before that your name is Prince and you are funky. That's why we craft our websites, attend your shows, and defend you in countless conversations. It's what we do cause we WANT to do it...Act like you know..."
And act like a song or an album that's not a diss record directed towards fans [i.e. "P.F.U.N.K."] deserves to be just as funky and out of this world as your previous good shit.
I'm just saying.
Two - She Wants Revenge - This is Forever
Ooh I tried. Lord knows I tried. But I just can't do this one. And this is coming from someone who enjoys the first album [swagger jackin and all] and wanted so much more after seeing them open for the Moving Units a few years back. But I. Just. Can't. Do it. Each and every time. I get to track three of four and literally turn and look the other way. I even think it became one of the albums I found myself deleting to make room for more disk space on my comp not too long ago.
Nuff said.
And finally...
One - Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Don't Forget About Us
I have been listening to a lot of great albums lately. Not singles, ALBUMS.[though I have been enjoying me some bangin' singles] 2007 has been pretty good to this popular music fan thus far, and it's quite magnificent that I've managed to absorb and/or give repeated listens to so many albums without overlooking whatever else is hot, sitting in my music collection, or coming at me every Tuesday.
Wait!
I take that back.
You can also say that 2007 has been the year that some of my favorite artists have released new albums that I have purchased, and, since the date of said purchase, I have either let them pick up dust, or get little to no play for some strange reason.
These are their stories.
Nine Inch Nails. Year Zero.
iTunes Last Played: June 15, 2007
Previously...: Unlike most people The Fragile is my NIN record, and as of late I have been scrambling, yes scrambling to get With Teeth back in my life.
What happened?: Is the "schtick" [the beats, the lyrics, the theme of it all] getting old for me? Nothing really begged me to come back repeatedly. I ain't been this dissapointed with Trent since that one time in H&M where he seemed to think that those blue cargo shorts he had in his hand were a good idea.
Still love the Fragile. Still trying to get With Teeth. Still ain't played this since June 2007.
Sorry Trent.
No comments:
Post a Comment