3.3.13

On March 3rd I listened to Jane’s Addiction Ritual De Lo Habitual, Beck Odelay, and My Bloody Valentine MBV.

I think somewhere during the last 15 years Ritual De Lo Habitual got over shadowed by Nothing’s Shocking. Quite an accomplishment, Jane’s sophomore effort became known for only two songs, “Stop,” and “Been Caught Stealin’.” They are great songs, but almost cartoon caricatures of what the band is really about.

“No One’s Leaving,” “Ain’t No Right,” and “Classic Girl” are as strong as anything the band has done, but virtually forgotten by assholes like me who have really only listened to the studio version of “Whores” and a few things from Nothing’s Shocking in the past few years.

“Classic Girl,” sounds like sitting on the beach on a gorgeous day and watching a beautiful woman play in the surf. She runs from the water, jumps on you and you don’t care that she’s getting you all wet. Her long hair sticks to your face and drops of water slide down your neck as she moves closer to give you a playful kiss. Closed mouth at first, but as more and more water transfers from her to you, her mouth opens a little more with each kiss. As she lies on top of you the sun glimmers in your eyes and she appears to you only as a silhouette. You can make out her smile and hear her laughing. Her cold nose presses against your face as she kisses you again and again. Your hands running along the goose bumps on her soaking wet skin… I’m sorry. I got lost in a thought.

This was the album that cemented Beck as a bona fide hit maker. For some reason “Loser” had a one-hit-wonder stink stuck to it, but the Grammy award winning “Where It’s At” put all that biznatch to rest.

Thanks to The Dust Brother, Odelay is a 90’s classic with plenty of singles; “Devil’s Haircut,” “New Pollution,” “Jack-Ass,” and plenty of Beck’s signature weirdness.

(Editor’s Note – I wrote this right after I listened to MBV the first time.)

Boring, total waste of time!

If you like droning songs that go nowhere, then this is the album for you. 

If you like inaudible singing, then this is the album for you. 

If you like songs that stitch together 4 seconds of music for seven or eight minutes, then this is the album for you.

I can’t wait until December to see how many dickwipes put this album on their year-end “Best Of” lists! Someday, Satan will make you listen to this album in hell for all eternity! I’ll be two caves over suffering through “Summer Breeze” infinitely, and chugging down my hell bucket of every beer I spilled or didn't finish on Earth. “Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”

(Editor’s Note – Here’s what I thought after a second listen.)

I put MBV on while I was reading and while I wasn't actually paying attention to it, I thought it was a somewhat pleasant album.

Tomorrow I will listen to Blur The Great Escape, Soundgarden Badmotorfinger, and Atoms For Peace Amok. 

Here's the full March Playlist!

2.14.13

On February 14th I listened to Barry White Can’t Get Enough, My Bloody Valentine Loveless, and Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Thanks to The Simpsons anytime I hear Barry White I say out loud, “I love the sexy slither of a lady snake.” Whacking Day indeed!

I can’t believe when I was in college I would throw on albums from The Smiths when I was going to be getting laid. Why the F wasn’t on throwing on Barry White records?

I love Barry White and Can’t Get Enough is exactly what you think it would sound like. I pretty much only knew the title track and “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything.” Even with its disco sheen, Barry lifts this album up to the heavens! And it’s a short album too! Only 31 minutes of music but hours and hours of love… making. I dunno.

Now here is an album that I should love! It’s got my name written all over it. A 1991 Alternative classic from an Irish band released while I was working in college radio and it’s not too far removed to what I was really in to at the time! I kinda liked “Only Shallow,” the records opener, then but I wasn't into much else and believe me I have given this album plenty of chances. Not to mention all the My Bloody Valentine superfans I know that have urged me to go back and listen to this or that track.

Did you ever hear of convenience stores using high pitched frequencies to keep teenagers from loitering by their front doors? I feel like who ever came up with that idea was listening to Loveless.

Maybe now that I’m older and can’t hear the high ends as much this record isn't as grating as I once thought it was cause I did find some nice moments and/or grooves in “I Only Said,” “Come In Alone,” and “Sometimes.” Actually the second half of the record is pretty nice, just aurally sloppy.

When I’m listening to this album, in my imagination I’m standing in front of a giant mixing board turning everything down a pube and saying to myself, “oh, that’s nice.” I understand that is the appeal of My Bloody Valentine, but why can’t it all sound as clean as “Soon,” the album’s closer, does?

Another artist taken from us too soon, I remember when Marvin Gaye was shot and killed in 1984 and being bummed about it. Not so much because I was a big fan of his at the time, but because it was such a sad story. To be shot by your father. 

Let’s Get It On is the same length as Can’t Get Enough, just 31 minutes. Subtle and sweet at times, this album also gets down and dirty, especially with the overtly sexified “You Sure Love To Ball.” I have no memory of this song, but I could see myself reading the name on an album jacket when I was a little kid and thinking, “somebody likes to play basketball.”

Outside of “Let’s Get It On,” “Come Get To This,” and “Keep Gettin’ It On” were my favorites.

P.S. It pisses me off when “Let’s Get It On,” is used in TV commercials!