The two hundred and forty-sixth TV show: #51 Bonanza
While I'm not bonanas for Bonanza, I have to say that it has held up better than the other than other westerns of the era. The stories are more nuanced, whether it's making you feel sorry and understand the bad guys rather than making them simple criminals, or having some conflicts between main characters that don't resolve as easily. It still feels very episodic, but it felt especially in the second season episodes that I watched that the show had developed something quite a bit more nuanced and in depth. The show is long enough that I can't watch all of it and there are plenty of places where the show is of its time, but there's something here to see.
The two hundred and fifty-first classical recording: #497 Antonin Dvorak - Symphony no. 9
The opening movement of this symphony is so grand, soaring and energetic that it sets up an attention grabbing sound. It follows this with a smaller, more intimate second movement that plays on nostalgia, coming down with a gentler, more pastoral sound after those bursts of energy. The build up to the finale is slow, notable for its many intricacies of its sounds, leading up to a strong, if less exuberant finale than its opening. The arc works brilliantly though, setting up and slowing it down at the right speeds.
The six hundred and ninety-eighth album: #698 Pearl Jam - Ten
I'm not sure Pearl Jam's music is in any way groundbreaking for this period, but the grunge sound feels perfected on their debut album, an artistic expression of a sound that can often feel loose and simpler. There's a lot of longing and pain in the album, but it's expressed in such an exquisite way that it's incredibly listenable.
The six hundred and ninety-seventh album: #697 A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
While coming from a same position as Ice T's album a week ago, this album feels like it works better. The clear lyrics make their points a lot better, the glorification isn't there all the time in favour of a more nuanced approach and critique. The music, focused on enhancing the lyrics, help as well - while not hiding in the background, there's a lot of thought put into when it steps up instead of throwing all sorts of samples at it constantly. The combination is one that works, balanced well enough to bring its message across.
The two hundred and forty-fifth TV show: #609 Perfect Strangers
It's been some time since I've been to a family reunion, and I wasn't of the age to worry about family relationships at that point. Now, I feel like it's being said and I can keep my distance. On the other hand, the reunion of this extended family has a lot more to go on - even if the secrets are at times bad, at times mundane, the show keeps it all believable. Sure, there's some real characters in there, some feeling a bit exaggerated, but other than differences in class, it feels familiar. The various mysteries are presented in an engaging way, with the timeline jumping around in a way that's easy to follow, feeling like they have satisfactory explanations without going too far. It's three long episodes, but they flew by - absolutely worth it.
The six hundred and ninety-sixth album: #696 Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black
As another hip hop album hits, this plays with the gangster rap feeling while focusing far more on the social issues rather than just the overdone violence glorification that happened in some others like it that we've covered. It's a decent sound, working at the right level, without feeling unnecessarily over the top.
The two hundred and fiftieth classical recording: #651 Ernest Bloch - Schelomo
There's a darkness to this piece that I've found quite appealing. Whether it's in the large, slow and building sounds or the smaller, quieter sections that sound sadder, there's an emotional weight to it that works quite well. I enjoyed it quite a bit, hitting those emotions without being overbearing with it at any point.
The six hundred and ninety-fifth album: #695 Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
This is a straight forward grunge album, with a lot of shouted lyrics, a lot of noise and different sounds that it's kept simple. It's fine at what it does, but it's hard to get more out of that, proper hits-the-spot music.
The six hundred and ninety-fourth album: #694 Ice T - O.G.: Original Gangster
There's something about this album that doesn't feel quite real - cosplaying as being a tough gangster, more than what is real. It's that feeling you get from a fourteen year old claiming he knows karate and can totally kill you with a look. I'm sure that a bunch of this is taken from his experiences and those around it, but there's so much that it feels like bravado more than reality, and the depth that would sell it on me is completely missing. It doesn't sustain the full 24 tracks.
The six hundred and ninety-third album: #693 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers aren't a band I expect a lot of deep thoughts or heavy themes from. Instead, it's a punky attitude that thrives on its own sound and blunt lyrics, leaning into the sex, drugs and rock and roll vibes. There are some lovely ballads between the harder songs, but it's that high energy performance that works as often. In the end, as much as it is joked about, their style is one that works for me, whether it's the high energy Give It Away or the more raw Under The Bridge.