Weekly Album Review

iamanengine

Edit: Going to put the latest review in this post each week so people don't have to go looking for it.

Hello All

I'm thinking about doing a weekly album review. Has this been done before? I looked and didn't find anything. But yeah i thought it would be a fun idea and maybe share some good albums. For examples i'd be doing stuff like The Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elliott Smith, Sunset Rubdown, The Pixies well there just the first random bands that came to my head.

Anyone think this would be a good idea? I could do one album a week starting say next week because I've mocks going on at the moment.

Also i'm only a little 17 year old so don't abuse me too much, don't hurt my fragile little mind haha Anyway if anyone thinks it's a good idea i'll have at it, if not i might do it anyway.

Thanks boardies.

Album Review Week 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel, Aeroplane Over The Sea

Where to even start with this gem of an album. When it first came out it didn't really become a huge success, however as time took hold it later turned into a landmark for lo-fi music. When it first came out Rolling Stone Magazine said it was thin-blooded, woolgathering stuff, they later changed there tune about 10 years later to give it a 4.5/5. Mangums lyrics are extremely cryptic and it's easy to become lost but the songs are classics.
40 minutes long it really is a beautiful little piece of work with no weak track although 2 songs The Fool and an untitled track are instrumental. You still have classics like the upbeat opening track the King of Carrot Flowers, it's a great opener and instantly catches on

There are some crazy lyrics,communist daughter springs to mind with lyrics like "semen stains the mountain tops"
I'll admit at first i wasn't won over, Oh Comely didn't win me over for a long time. 8 minutes long i never really stayed with it for the full thing. But i stress you give it a chance it's a really powerful track really builds up well.

My personal favourite is Holland 1945, again loved it on my first listen really drags you in from the start.
Filled with crazy abstract lyrics but nevertheless still fantastic.

Just simple guitar with some trumpets thrown in.

If you liked any of these songs may i highly recommend Jeffs live album live at jittery joes, its a masterpiece and where i get my username from! (from their song "Engine") I'd also recommend checking out On Avery Island, that was there first album, not as good but you can see the potential which developed into Aeroplane Over the Sea.

Anyway, if that was any good let me know, if it was rubbish also let me know, i don't want it to just sound like this is an amazing album go listen to it now or anything like that.

Anyway suggestions for next week? Or maybe we should do a vote or something? If it catches on we could do something like that or i could give a list of albums and you can choose, if not i'll just scrap it. Thanks.

Oh and feel free to review or share an album yourself!!

InTheTrees

Great idea.

Anything that gets the word out about new stuff to listen to is a good idea.

Halloween Jack

Be up for doing one at some stage

lordgoat

Already a thread on it, maybe get in on this.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056515721

Jim_Kiy

Do one see the reaction.
If you are gonna review very well known albums e.g Beatles/Pixies you might not be especially thanked for it.
Neutral Milk hotel for example might be a good one to start with!

iamanengine

There doesn't seem to be anything going on over there, or at least stompbox hasn't posted anything, if it's o.k. i'll run with this for a while and see how it goes..also album suggestions welcome or anything if i know/can get my hands on the album, i mostly just want to introduce people to knew bands either unheard of or they just never gave a chance e.g. which i didn't give a chance for a loong time, so yes even if it is a very well known band people may never have bothered with them but at least i can give some perspective. I think for the for week i'm going to do Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. The legendary Jeff Mangum needs to be heard!! OR Dragonslayer by Sunset Rubdown,epic album,thoughts?

lordgoat

Sure go for it, but i prefer stompbox's method, rather than someone going 'i'm going to tell you how great this album is'

Aside:
People who get peoples names wrong really piss me off.

iamanengine

Am, i'm sorry? What did I get wrong?

I see i spelt Mangum as Magnum, i surely should be shunned for such a grave mistake

Obviously i wasn't going to just say...this album is amazing listen to it, i haven't reviewed an album yet so you can't just assume what i'm going to do.

Aside : People who get unnecessarily pissed off for no reason really pisses me off, thanks

mosstin

InTheTrees wrote: »

Great idea.

Anything that gets the word out about new stuff to listen to is a good idea.

OP mentioned Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Pixies and The Beatles. If you haven't heard of those, you're either;
(a) deaf
(b) my Dad.

Dad?

iamanengine

I'm 17 so i assume not, but if that is at all possible then......son? I don't seem the harm in talking about some old classic albums, there's not much good stuff being brought out these days in my opinion and just wanted to discuss some of the albums i genuinely love with people who feel the same way or are recently discovering it for the first time, yeah i know there all really famous but doesn't mean everyone knows about there albums.

If this is a bad idea then i won't bother, why i asked for opinions first

lordgoat

iamanengine wrote: »

Am, i'm sorry? What did I get wrong?

I see i spelt Mangum as Magnum, i surely should be shunned for such a grave mistake

Obviously i wasn't going to just say...this album is amazing listen to it, i haven't reviewed an album yet so you can't just assume what i'm going to do.

Aside : People who get unnecessarily pissed off for no reason really pisses me off, thanks

My point is that you are inflicting your choice of album on anyone reading the thread. Stompboxs method gives people a method of voting for it. Had you bothered to read his thread you might have figured that out.

You also seem to be getting very upset over my gripes. Chill. Although spelling the legendary artists who's album you're about to review incorrectly really doesn't look good imo.

mosstin wrote: »

OP mentioned Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Pixies and The Beatles. If you haven't heard of those, you're either;
(a) deaf
(b) my Dad.

Dad?

hehe that was my immediate reaction too!

iamanengine

That was a mistake i accidentally spelled mangum magnum, an easy mistake surely! Also it was just an idea i had obviously it can be hashed out until the end product is formulated. And i did say any suggestions people had I would review, or at least i think i did.

Also i am chill, was just giving back what was got

InTheTrees

I want reviews of music i havent heard before.

Thats why i read reviews. to see whether I'm going to spend my cash on something.

SO reviewing new releases is essential.

:rolleyes:

SilverScreen

These threads have been done very well on other music forums and it's a shame very few here are willing to do one. I've done a couple of them myself on another forum and got a good reaction. They are a great source for discovering new albums you haven't heard before and always a pleasure to read.

Your thread might also get more exposure here in the Alternative & Indie thread rather than the Album Review thread.

iamanengine

Well in my opinion there aren't that many albums coming out that are that great and there are tonnes of albums from back in the day that are completely mind-blowing that you may not have heard of but fair point. I dunno, there's you or others couldn't do a review on an album you enjoy doesn't just have to be me. Don't necessarily have to be new for you not to have heard of them

iamanengine

Zero1986 wrote: »

These threads have been done very well on other music forums and it's a shame very few here are willing to do one. I've done a couple of them myself on another forum and got a good reaction. They are a great source for discovering new albums you haven't heard before and always a pleasure to read.

Your thread might also get more exposure here in the Alternative & Indie thread rather than the Album Review thread.

Thank you some positive reactions that's exactly why i wanted to start one, even if it is just my opinion and me telling other people what I think is good, doesn't mean they won't love the album! Just a thought anyway

SilverScreen

iamanengine wrote: »

Well in my opinion there aren't that many albums coming out that are that great and there are tonnes of albums from back in the day that are completely mind-blowing that you may not have heard of but fair point. I dunno, there's you or others couldn't do a review on an album you enjoy doesn't just have to be me. Don't necessarily have to be new for you not to have heard of them

I don't really feel the need to review new releases because tons of magazines and websites are doing that anyway. It's way more interesting to review overlooked albums from ten, twenty, thirty years ago or more.

iamanengine

Hadn't thought of that but even reinforces my point. Yeah the albums are old, yeah a lot of you will have heard of them but a lot of people won't have. For example red hot chili peppers, not half as many people know about their earlier stuff like freaky styley or mothers milk, even blood sugar sex majik which is 1 of my favourite albums of all time! Lordgoat i probably got overly thick at your comment but i had just assumed it was generally a good idea and would be smooth sailing. So heres what i propose, i'll review albums i think are really good, if you want to review albums then go for it or suggest one to me. Anyway, let me know what ye think, be grand

Miguel_Sanchez

Not saying you can't do it here but there is a Music Review forum too:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=586

iamanengine

Album Review Week 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel, Aeroplane Over The Sea

Where to even start with this gem of an album. When it first came out it didn't really become a huge success, however as time took hold it later turned into a landmark for lo-fi music. When it first came out Rolling Stone Magazine said it was thin-blooded, woolgathering stuff, they later changed there tune about 10 years later to give it a 4.5/5. Mangums lyrics are extremely cryptic and it's easy to become lost but the songs are classics.
40 minutes long it really is a beautiful little piece of work with no weak track although 2 songs The Fool and an untitled track are instrumental. You still have classics like the upbeat opening track the King of Carrot Flowers, it's a great opener and instantly catches on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LULmbLlPvVk

There are some crazy lyrics,communist daughter springs to mind with lyrics like "semen stains the mountain tops"
I'll admit at first i wasn't won over, Oh Comely didn't win me over for a long time. 8 minutes long i never really stayed with it for the full thing. But i stress you give it a chance it's a really powerful track really builds up well.

My personal favourite is Holland 1945, again loved it on my first listen really drags you in from the start.
Filled with crazy abstract lyrics but nevertheless still fantastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCjpbjCH5L0 Just simple guitar with some trumpets thrown in.

If you liked any of these songs may i highly recommend Jeffs live album live at jittery joes, its a masterpiece and where i get my username from! (from their song "Engine") I'd also recommend checking out On Avery Island, that was there first album, not as good but you can see the potential which developed into Aeroplane Over the Sea.

Anyway, if that was any good let me know, if it was rubbish also let me know, i don't want it to just sound like this is an amazing album go listen to it now or anything like that.

Anyway suggestions for next week? Or maybe we should do a vote or something? If it catches on we could do something like that or i could give a list of albums and you can choose, if not i'll just scrap it. Thanks.

Oh and feel free to review or share an album yourself!!

iamanengine

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Not saying you can't do it here but there is a Music Review forum too:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=586

I don't mind if you want to move it or anything but i suppose it's fine here otherwise.

Miguel_Sanchez

iamanengine wrote: »

I don't mind if you want to move it or anything but i suppose it's fine here otherwise.

No it's grand. I just wanted to let people know.

iamanengine

Hmm i just had a look through it there, does't seem to get that much traffic? Shame really.

mosstin

iamanengine wrote: »

Well in my opinion there aren't that many albums coming out that are that great and there are tonnes of albums from back in the day that are completely mind-blowing that you may not have heard of but fair point. I dunno, there's you or others couldn't do a review on an album you enjoy doesn't just have to be me. Don't necessarily have to be new for you not to have heard of them

Jesus wept. The year ahead promises to be epic. Already there's been wonderful music from Lambchop, Tindersticks, Sharon Van Etten, Mark Lanegan and it's not the end of February yet. Still to come are albums from Spiritualized, The Shins, Cat Power, Dirty Projectors, Magnetic Fields and The xx. Seriously, whilst your intentions are admirable, most folk on here are only too well aware of the bands you've alluded to. Perhaps you'd like to share your opinions on some of the new music mentioned above if you care to check them out.