What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

MY MORNING JACKET "Z" cd, 2005.

firstly,
thanks to Tiggi for turning me on to these guys just over twelve months ago, overall, probably the best recommendation i have recieved from a member here at MD... strange also, because Corey mentioned them at his cd shop just after the Tiggster did.
strange band IMO,
they seem to mix a lot of styles into each album, yet all of their albums are remarkably different from eachother...maybe it is dependant on which batch of Kentucky moonshine they are drinking or whose crop of homegrown they are smoking at a particular time???...i dunno?, maybe MH can solve the problem for us?
bits of reggae tinged rock similar to the Clash,prog rock,classical instruments,psychadelia,alt rock.....all combined with lovely harmonies here.
this album does,however, come across as a bit too messy and disorganised in its feel for me to rate this higher than it is, probably my least liked MMJ studio album
even though i do like the eccecticness of it.
allmusic rate this a very healthy 4.5/5 or 2.7 on the Music Head Rating System...either i am missing something or they are way off the mark, either way an interesting listen to say the least, and you cant knock these guys for trying something different, which they do with each album!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: lady low
best track: what a wonderful man

tracks:

1. wordless chorus **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tngOSBtDP0M vevo live
2. it beats 4 U **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707R2mXsZJY live
3. gideon **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWSraq2Z8l0 live
4. what a wonderful man ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCXyflIzRuA live
5. off the record **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPmMOL2KVpw live
6. into the woods **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNkBlm44lTQ audio
7. anytime **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ4NmRnximI vevo live
8. lady low *
9. knot comes loose **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN-BbGzLYxw audio
10.dondante *

3s=1
2s=7
1s=2

rating: 1.9

[CRAZY-HORSE]

ULTRAVOX "the collection" cassette tape/cd 1984.

originally got this on tape as a double tape set, the second tapre was a remix tape of all fourteen tracks, the cd does not have the remixes...thank God for that IMO,
never been a big fan of Ultravox or Midge Ure's album in general, but they did make some very good singles upto 1984.
was surprised actually when i put this one on whilst wrapping presents with Dani, didnt think she would like these guys but she was singing along to most of the songs.
i like little surprises lke that...simple but nice.
four love tracks, eight likes, and two dislikes here, giving this album a rating of 2.1, which IMO is quite low for a supposed "best of" album.
the album contains possibly my favourite track from the 1980s in the atmospheric,eerie,emotive classic "vienna"
just posting links for the four love tracks here, too early in the morning, too bloody windy sitting outside also, my notes for this keep on flying away, spending two thirds of my time either running after them or trying to light up cigarettes!...damn it! now my coffee's gone cold!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

vienna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9WdUgn0XkU&ob=av2e vevo video
dancing with tears in my eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuB3uY5K7Kg&ob=av2e vevo video
hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyLStCdfy-k&ob=av2e vevo video
love's great adventure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjASsSqfwVQ&ob=av2e vevo video

[Music Head]

Yea, hate that wind
How do you post sittin' outside?
what setup do you have?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

i just take my laptop outside under the back verandah but play my music from inside the house unless its on my ipod, not very often i use the cd drive in the laptop as i dont like the sound it gives out through the little inbuilt speakers. Dani's two dogs hang around me, the Labradour (banjo) usually whines for attention, but the Great Dane-Labradour cross(jet) just lays down on the cool concrete verandah floor..he's an old man, Banjo is a 2yo male.
the winds are pretty wild here on summers mornings, they are cold as they come off the desert(as deserts still get cold at night even in summer) which is only a couple of hundred miles away to the east. in the afternoon we get the hot winds off the desert, early evening we occasionally get the sea breeze from the west coast(20miles away) which brings a cool change, but by then the mosquitto's are out, so its a catch22 situation.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

OASIS "the masterplan" cd,1998.

this is a collection of b-sides and live tracks from backs of singles from their first three albums....
this album,IMO, is the second best Oasis album ever(after 'morning glory'), and reminds us just how great a band these guys really were before the cocaine drenched mess of Be Here Now and Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants dimmed their flame, from which they never fully recovered.
its interesting to see just how many little gems they had tucked away on the backs of singles..most other bands back in the day would have released these songs as fully fledged singles, but such was the quality of Noel Gallagher's writing that he could throw away these tracks.
absloutely nothing bad on here at all, unlike most of their studio albums. a couple of interesting tracks also, including a more than respectful cover of "i am the walrus",
a good little instrumental called "the swamp song" on which Paul Weller plays lead guitar and harmonica...the original title of this one was "the jam",a bit of a play on words as Weller was in The Jam, Weller didnt think that was a good idea,thus the name change.
also three great acoustic numbers here sung by Noel,shows his prowess as an up and coming writer.
fourteen tracks on here, three 'loves', eleven 'likes' gives an overall rating of 2.2. an essential oasis album to own IMO!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

best track: half the world away
worst track: stay young

selected tracks:

half the world away
Oasis - Half The World Away (Live) - YouTube live
talk tonight
Oasis - Talk Tonight (The White Room with Paul Weller) - YouTube live
the masterplan
Oasis - The Masterplan (Live at Wembley) - YouTube live
aquiesce
Oasis-Acquiesce-live maine road 96 - YouTube live
i am the walrus
Oasis - Jools Holland - 6th Dec 1994 - I Am The Walrus - YouTube live
the swamp song
Oasis - Swamp Song [Maine Road 1996] - YouTube live

[mtthwibrahim]

imo "Be Her Now" is the only salvageable thing Oasis ever did, but you guys know me and the crap I spout

anyways, pulled out an old; "The Moon and Antarctica" by Modest Mouse. God, I love this band so much

[CRAZY-HORSE]

you think so?
i still cant stand it after all theses years, along with Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants.

i remember waiting in line outside the record shop for two hours to get Be Here Now when it was released...

BTW...what do you think is so great about it?

i havent heard a lot of Modest Mouse but i have liked what i have heard and seen of them on TV

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GRIZZLY BEAR "veckatimest" cd,2009.

another let down recommendation by Corey, that makes it around three duds this year from him. lets hope 2012 is better in terms of his choices for me!
anyway, these guys got rave reviews for this album when released, placed in almost every end of year "best of" lists all over the world,Grammy nominations etc etc...
but none of that means nothing if you dont like it, and i most certainly do not like it!
lots of experimental sounds here mixed with harmonies, guess the harmonies come pretty close to Fleet Foxes in parts, but they are not enough to save this one from the do not like rating.
MH warned me about these guys as he got one of their albums after featuring on end of year best of lists and was also disapointed with them.
maybe overtime this may grow on me as a 'background' album but certainly not as one to sit and listen to.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: southern point
best track: while you wait for the others

tracks:

1. southern point *
2. two weeks **
Grizzly Bear Two Weeks, new song live - YouTube live
3. all we ask **
4. fine for now *
5. cheer leader *
6. dory **
Grizzly Bear - Dory - YouTube audio
7. ready,able **
8. about face **
Grizzly Bear - About Face - YouTube audio
9. hold still *
10.while you wait for the others **
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others - Jools Holland - YouTube live
11.i live with you **
12.foreground *

3s=0
2s=7
1s=5

rating: 1.6

[mtthwibrahim]

I don't know what I've always liked about, it just had this thing I was drawn to. And there's denying how awesome "My Big Mouth" and "Magic Pie" are

you think so?
i still cant stand it after all theses years, along with Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants.

i remember waiting in line outside the record shop for two hours to get Be Here Now when it was released...

BTW...what do you think is so great about it?

i havent heard a lot of Modest Mouse but i have liked what i have heard and seen of them on TV

[CRAZY-HORSE]

THE CHURCH "almost yesterday 1981-1990" cd,1995.

a very underrated and underappreciated Aussie band....who have been largely ignored here at home also over the last thirty years.
very little chart success, which is a shame as these guys are good musicians and writers, and still, t this day are releasing albums...they have made eighteen studio albums since 1981, allmusic rate them very high though...giving 13 of their albums in what we would call the "love" range,the other five all make the pass mark as good albums also...a pretty good achievement by anyones standards...i myself, only own three of their albums and this compilation set....MH also has owned several albums by these guys from Down Under.
guess their music and lyircal style is pretty similar to Lloyd Cole & The Commotions for want of a comparrison act.
not much wrong here, just a steady stream of well made songs worthy of any music collectors collection including the only cover version these guys have ever recorded...Simon & Garfunkels "i am a rock"

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: shadow cabinet
best track: under the milky way

tracks:

1. unguarded moment***
The Church - Unguarded Moment - YouTube live
2. for a moment we're strangers**
3. tear it all away**
4. life speeds up**
5. almost with you***
The Church - Almost with you - YouTube live
6. when you were mine**
7. i am a rock**
The Church - Sing Songs EP - I Am A Rock - YouTube audio
8. electric lash**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9IRwVyQAc0 video
9. into my hands**
10.comfort in opal**
11.shadow cabinet*
12.tantilized***
The Church Tantalized - ARIA Hall of Fame 2010 - YouTube live
13.myrrh***
The Church - Myrrh (Live 1986) - YouTube live
14.under the milky way***
The Church Live 1988 - Under the Milky Way - YouTube live
15.reptile**
The Church Reptile (Live) - YouTube live
16.metropolis***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvtwd2kYZvY video
17.texas moon***
The church Texas Moon - YouTube audio

3s=7
2s=9
1s=1

rating: 2.3