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The seven hundred seventh song: Wicked Game - Chris Isaak Although there's an emotional ballad in Wicked Game, it's one that I can't get on board with as much. The country twang feels unnecessary, but I don't get much more out of it regardless. The seven hundred eighth song: Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode The added pop energy of Personal Jesus really helps after the last track. The dark drum influences it a lot of as well, but there's just a lot of energy and feels really strong. The seven hundred ninth song: Soy Gitano - Camaron de la Isla The Spanish stylings of this track feel very traditional - even the sound feels like it's from an earlier time. It's quite good at what it is, but as much as I appreciate the diversity of music, I feel like there's more to explore than just this - there's not much here that I don't feel I've heard before. The seven hundred tenth song: I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses While a fine rock song, I Am the Resurrection's long outro doesn't really…
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The five hundred and eighty-first album: #581 Steve Earle - Guitar Town Guitar Town is an unapologetic country rock album, telling stories of hitting the road and small town life. There's not a lot of really in depth content that I could determine, which left me cold - there's not much to connect to here and the music doesn't really work for me either - the classic rock sound becomes too classic.
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The five hundred and eightieth album: #580 XTC - Skylarking The entirety of Skylarking feels a bit like a dream, a lazy weekend day with gray weather and a world that's slowly going on around you. It's both well thought and enigmatic in its energy, while sketching out the basics really quickly so you don't need all of them as much. It's theatrical, but that's the feeling that works well in this context and the album is more powerful for it as a result.
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The six hundred ninety-eighth song: Opel - Syd Barrett Six minutes of maudlin folk isn't a great place to start, and while bigger critics see merit in this, I found this track to have little more to offer. Syd Barrett's vocals don't feel strong enough to sustain the track or emotion and the guitar playing doesn't add enough to make it work. The six hundred ninety-ninth song: Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey That other side here is a nice, calm rock song, a work that doesn't get aggressive, but has that chill Sunday feeling the title invokes. It's so simple and straightforward, it works incredibly well. Yeah, it might be silent and grey, but there's some comfort in that too. The seven hundredth song: Orinoco Flow - Enya Enya still feels like a rare example of this type of new age pop to make it mainstream. I've always loved this sound and Enya is one of the best known with it. There's something magical about the travels described here, something otherworldly that encourages all of…
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The five hundred and seventy-ninth album: #579 Run-DMC - Raising Hell I've mentioned enjoying Run-DMC's music before and I think Raising Hell takes it another step in that direction. The rock background feels stronger - their collaboration with Aerosmith feels really natural between the other tracks - which really grabs me. Lyrically the music is a mixed bag - I think I've now had my fill of raps boasting about their rap skills - but at least it feels like there's more variation in some of them even as I end up enjoying the rhythms and sounds more without paying too much attention to the lyrics.
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The two hundred and tenth classical recording: #754 William Walton - Belshazzar's Feast This piece really felt like it just hit everything. The at times jubilant music sets the tone wherever it leads you, the vocals, whether jubilant or more oppressive, enforcing more of that whether supported by the music or standing on their own. It's a magnificent piece, big in most places but in a way that fits the narrative it aims for.
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The one hundred and twentieth book: #91 The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allen Poe After a holiday, I managed to come back to a short story to make for a quick turnaround while I get back to blogging. The Fall of the House of Usher is incredibly efficient, its speed a real step up from what we read before. We get a lot of background information and build up, but it also feels relevant and thematic, making the whole story that much snappier. It was really effective, the twist was one I knew from two centuries of it having happened, but it's all been done so well that it stays effective here.
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The five hundred and seventy-eighth album: #578 Paul Simon - Graceland Something feels a bit off about this album - while Paul Simon might have been inspired by African music, I'm not sure it always matches his own style as much as this album might want. It feels like it never quite manages to marry the two styles together.
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The six hundred eighty-ninth song: Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr. Freak Scene combines this heavily energetic music with slow, chill vocals that put you at rest even as the guitars are screeching. It's a nice little alternative rock song that doesn't demand too much, but gives a lot musically. The six hundred ninetieth song: Follow the Leader - Eric B. & Rakim As hip hop is still rising, we've had a lot of happier dance tracks. Here, however, we get the darker side, with a deep, oppressive beat and lyrics that sound more oppressive. There's a lot of talent in it and its grown up feeling really resonates that much more. The six hundred ninety-first song: Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies Inspired by Dinosaur Jr., The Pixies have similar slower vocals, with lyrics that match that slower delivery. The music moves along a lot faster and the combination jives well, a nice rock song that keeps moving along. The six hundred ninety-second song: Waiting Room - Fugazi Although this track has a…
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The one hundred and nineteenth book: #192 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle A book like this loses some of its power when you already know the stories. Sherlock Holmes is a known enough figure that a number of these stories have been adapted, for me most notably on TV and in podcast form, and so I knew what a bunch of the twists were. I'm not sure how it would have changed my enjoyment - some of the solutions aren't really ones you can work out from what you're given, especially no longer knowing the cultural context, but others feel fairer in that sense. It's well enough written and fun to follow along to, especially when it hits thestories I'm not as familiar with.
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The five hundred and seventy-seventh album: #577 Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses There's nothing really grabbing about this album. The folk rock feel of this album doesn't really elevate in a way that managed to appeal to me and on the whole it felt a bit dry. Oddly enough, this one is not for me.
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The two hundred and ninth classical recording: #797 Bela Bartok - Violin Concerto no. 2 The timing of this work's creation, in the run up to WWII, comes through in this work - there's a lot of energy in parts, as well as a lot of restlessness, while it also has its tragic sounds. At a time where it must have felt like the world was holding its breath waiting to see what would happen, there's a similar uncertainty in this work. It still brings a lot of energy to the table as well, but the different moods, as abstract as they are, still strike you.
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The two hundred and ninth TV show: #347 MTV Music Awards Wrapping up another big yearly event, the MTV Music Awards turned out to be the most interesting one. The performances are obviously more frequent and better than the other shows, interesting even if they're not your music. There is a more infectious energy to it that makes it a lot more watchable, including better acceptance speeches. I still wouldn't go out of my way to watch it, but this stayed entertaining enough.
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The five hundred and seventy-sixth album: #576 Slayer - Reign in Blood Slayer, through the length and intensity of this album, has stripped down metal music to its bare roots. It's an ongoing assault of guitar riffs and surrounding sounds, with anything else cut from the songs, and it becomes too much quite soon after. Even at half an hour for the total length, halfway through a lot of the album starts feeling similar, the dark lyrics become meaningless and a bit farcical and it just tries to do it too much. A song would be good, the full album is already too far over the top.
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The six hundred seventy-eighth song: Birthday - The Sugarcubes Since I only really know Bjork as a solo artist, hearing her with a rock band creates some stark contrasts. Her voice feels as odd and ethereal as it is in her solo work, but backed up by a proper rock sound with a deep base thrives on the contrast between the sounds rather than amplifying the oddness her songs have in another context. I really think it works, creating a contrast that really pulls everything to the front, and I just can't help but love this track. The six hundred seventy-ninth song: Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil Although this number feels very danceable, the lyrics of Beds Are Burning have that darker feel as well. Even without diving into the details of the lyrics, there's an anger in the song, and the reason why this was written makes it that much stronger. At the same time, the ongoing beat, at times slightly sensual delivery and ongoing sound means there's something happier in there as well. It's an…
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The five hundred and seventy-fifth album: #575 Sonic Youth - Evol Evol features a lot of punk rock, shifting between various shades of darkness but with some clear hard rock in there. Vocally it's not the most amazing and I haven't had any major standouts in its aggressive nature, but its mood sets itself pretty effectively regardless. It doesn't feel like it enters any high important lists, but still does what it wants to really well.
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The two hundred and eighth classical recording: #816 Aram Khachaturian - Violin Concerto There are some expert shifts in this piece between higher energy violin playing and some of the slower pieces. It never goes maudlin, but does have a nice balance of energies in its performance, helped by the switches between solo violin and full orchestra, the star getting regular support to make it all stand out. There's a joy and energy in it that's palpable and stays free flowing through and through.
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The five hundred and seventy-fourth album: #576 Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet This album feels like a collection of rock anthems. You Give Love a Bad Name and Like A Prayer are instantly recognisable and a lot of the other tracks are as jubilant and outgoing as that. As much as there's a message to these, for the most part it feels like a celebration, something to pump you up and really get you moving. There are some hints at depth, but in the end that's not as important here, it's just strong music.
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The six hundred sixty-seventh song: Attencion Na SIDA - Franco As the longest song remaining on this list, I had a lot of time to drink this in. The African sound, with a Caribbean feel, adds some abundance, but a lot of it also feels somewhat subdued. The track is still very precise and restricted, which shows there's a bit more to this track. I didn't fall in love with it - this track gets too long for me and I don't love the vocals even as the lyrics seem interesting - but I can see its merit. The six hundred sixty-eighth song: Under the Milky Way - The Church Under the Milky Way is a pleasant, gentle track. There's no screeching guitars here, just a pleasant upbeat sound, supplemented by what sounds like, but aren't quite bag pipes. It's a nice alt rock song with enough depth to sustain a lot here. The six hundred sixty-ninth song: Bamboleo - Gipsy Kings As is sometimes the case, the fame of this song comes from its chorus, a jubilant sound that really brings up the celebratory…
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The five hundred and seventy-third album: #573 Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? Megadeth exemplifies thrash metal in a way that other bands so far haven't quite reached. While the songs are complex in places, the album just keeps going hard and fast, without a moment to breathe. It's no wonder it doesn't run for too long. The lyrics are as aggressive as you'd expect, with a few having a deeper meaning show through but on the whole feeling well read anyway. It feels a bit much for me regardless, but it does what it wants to do with real skill.
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The two hundred and seventh classical recording: #960 Michael Tippett - String Quartet no. 4 The more modern pieces can have their unsettling moments, as we're at a point where they break away from what's conventional.There's a lot of confusion that comes through in parts of this piece, an occasional sudden lack of focus with short notes that start to dominate your mood. This settles frequently enough, but it still catches you by surprise and creates this strange mood, together with a shrillness that never quite leaves.
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The two hundred and eighth TV show: #160 Hey Hey It's Saturday So this was a painful watch. I wouldn't say that Saturday night variety is always great, but I feel like we did watch better. Taken up mostly by rapid fire humour, the jokes and improv segments don't land well - probably because of distance and age for the most part. There could be something charming about the looseness, but here it feels a bit too much, a bit too often and a bit too egregious. This might be something you can be nostalgic for - I can think of similar shows, although ones that worked better - but looking at it now, there's not much in here that holds up.
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The two hundred and seventh TV show: #938 Broadchurch There's a great throughline in Broadchurch, with the case of the first season echoing through the second and third, first overtly as the court case places out, then in the third season through the background of several other characters. The first season sets up the characters well, with a personal connection that plays through the story. It's incredibly well done, with the perfect twists at several places in the story. It doesn't give you the closure or resolution you want in places, but in the end some of the less satisfying endings as a viewer are the ones that make sense and are the more interesting to watch for that reason. The resolution of season 2 in particular seems like that, but it makes too much sense and works out that well. And the performances really shine. Olivia Colman and David Tennant are, of course, excellent, and Jody Whitaker is obviously singled out fo how well she does as well. The third season brings in a…
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The two hundred and sixth TV show: #46 Golden Globe Awards To check off some specific entries, I'm watching some of the yearly one off shows to get them covered. The Golden Globes show is one that feels second to the big hitters of the Emmys and the Oscars, the awards not quite as prestigious. It does focus on both movie and tv, and just watching it means that it moves a lot faster than the Oscards tend to. Voted on by the press, it focuses on a different direction than those as well, which makes it a bit less predictable, which probably matters more on the night than it would be now. But it's not quite as much of a spectacle as it's a variety show that still focuses a lot more on the awards, which is fair enough - while maybe not as entertaining, it at least feels like the show is more focused.
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The five hundred and seventy-second album: #572 Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring I'm not sure whether artsy is the right word for this, but this is an album that feels concerned with its sound, with very instrumental vocals that sometimes feels more of a way to carry a tone than a sound on their own, supported by sparser arrangements that help build that feeling. There's a very deliberate art pop vibe that also lets the individual moments of the recording stand. It's mostly simple, artful but effective at its mood.
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The six hundred fifty-ninth song: First We Take Manhattan - Jennifer Warnes While this is a fine pop song with some evocative lyrics, there's not that much content to it that really continues to interest me - nothing really came across as strong as I wish it would have. The six hundred sixtieth song: True Colors - Cyndi Lauper Listening to this song in isolation, there's something incredibly sensitive about this ballad - even the more jubilant parts are much more vulnerable and simple than later renditions of this song tend to have. There's a really special sound and feel to it, an emotion that elevates the song. The six hundred sixty-first song: Move Your Body - Marshall Jefferson Years earlier than I expected, this is the first house track that features on the list, a dance track with a heavily accelerated beat that really drives the beat. While I know it's also a style that I don't want too much of, listening to this sample alone is so good to listen to, and I can see how much it…
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The five hundred and seventy-first album: #571 Billy Bragg - Talking with the Taxman About Poetry This album's opening track, Greetings to the New Brunette, sets out the album's approach, as well as Bragg's general approach to the world quite well. It's filled with the political, subverting what might seem like a love song at first glance. The subsequent tracks have similar vibes, some more overt than others, but it feels like that point is always there. Aside from being smart in those ways, the music mixes its influences quite well. The punk sound he comes from, with his ideologies, has taken a folk bend in how it focuses on just his sound, the music supporting his voice and lyrics. It's incredibly powerful and motivating.
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The two hundred and sixth classical recording: #488 Jean Sibelius - Kullervo As a work describing the life of a hero, one of the major satisfying parts of this symphony - the music builds as the hero grows up, with the chorus of vocalists joining in as Kullervo starts on his journey. The five movements feel like they really reflect that journey, making for some satisfying storytelling that builds on the existing sound, ending with a chilling death lament.
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The five hundred and seventieth album: #570 Nanci Griffith - The Last of the True Believers There's a bit of a risk with this style of Americana. Nanci Griffith's country album really draws on a lot of elements that don't connect with me - whether they're throwbacks to an earlier time or a cultural reference that doesn't match with what I have experienced. I'm not that warm on country music in the first place, especially with the political connotations the genre has taken up in the current world, but it also doesn't hit my threshold of enjoyment. It's well done, but a good folk album would probably have worked better for me.
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The six hundred fifty-first song: Kerosene - Big Black This is just some heavy, noisy rock. The few lyrics they have are nihilistic, down and angry, and the music is just that throughout. It's not complicated, but it is an expression of a mood that works really well. The six hundred fifty-second song: Ay te dejo en San Antonio - Flaco Jimenez There's a jolly sound to the whole of this American-Spanish song, with a really infectious joy playing out. It doesn't feel too complex, but as a Latin simple pop song it just has that mood. The six hundred fifty-third song: Time of No Reply - Nick Drake This track is an odd one in where it's placed - an unreleased demo from over a decade earlier, put on a compilation album. There's a sad strength in this song, such a fully emotional track that hits those sad beats incredibly well, with little, but at least some hope in it. It's a time capsule of a mood and a moment, but it works well inside that. The six hundred fifty-fourth song: Wide Open Road…
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The five hundred and sixty-ninth album: #569 The The - Infected As a genre, post-punk is clearly quite a broad proposition and Infected doesn't let itself get pinned down as easily. The lyrics have a punk feeling to it, but the music is a lot gentler than that. There's a hint of new wave, but luckily the album stays quite concentrated which works well on its own. It's been a nice twist, not entirely what I expected but easy to listen to.
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The two hundred and fifth TV show: #1001 Better Call Saul Sometimes, a show just doesn't quite work for you. I enjoyed Breaking Bad, it was a good watch and the descent and build of characters really worked. Better Call Saul didn't reach that for me. I know there's a build up and it's meant to reach a point, but it's the journey that matters as well and in two seasons, Jimmy didn't move along. Chuck got worse and more frustrating to watch. The lawyer scenes just felt like they kept going in circles. Mike's there but so unconnected after a few episodes. We were watching because we had to, not because we wanted to. I wanted more than just being frustrated at how long it tried to delay us enjoying it.
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The two hundred and fifth classical recording: #69 Antonio Vivaldi - Stabat Mater As a sad lamentation, the single alto works perfectly to add that poignant feeling from the start. The orchestra ends up supporting this as well, with a restrained sound that manages to become rich enough at various points. The beauty in it is undeniable and the delicate feeling and sound work really well to sell the mood.
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The two hundred and fourth TV show: #126 Super Bowl I'm not a sports person. I've been to only a few live sporting events and don't really watch too many on TV - probably mostly Formula one when visitng family, with the occasional football match for the world cup or the like. Beyond that, it's just not something that appeals, and a four hour plus broadcast of an American football game is probably the worst of it. It's the surroundings that mostly interest me - the half time show, the special ads, all of that - but not necessarily the game itself or the massive analysis that surrounds it. Arguably, though, the massive commercialism that surrounds it is one of the things that makes the experience drag so much, something that seems like it is a feature of American television but seems that much more obvious here. The other is the fact that the play is so slow, being broken up in such small chunks that there's not much more happening. Theres no build up in the excitement that would make…
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The five hundred and sixty-eighth album: #568 Metallica - Master of Puppets Metallica's heavy metal seems to have first reached a peak here - something i can't directly compare - and there's a lot to this album for sure. The skill in the release is clear when they let it shine through, but they also have a lot of the heavy distortion that you get from these heavy metal tracks. It's skillful enough that it continues to draw you and its intensity never really lets up, even as it does get switched up enough to avoid overpowering you constant
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The six hundred forty-third song: Under Mi Sleng Teng - Wayne Smith As a reggae song with a more digital band, it mostly feels like it just drags the genre into the eighties with its sound. It doesn't really hit much more than that - it's okay as a reggae track, but it feels like its history is more important than the track itself appeals to me. The six hundred forty-fourth song: Cruiser’s Creek - The Fall As a deceptively dark punk track, there's a darkness in both lyrics and music that only vaguely shines through, overtaken by the party atmosphere it tries to reference. It still keeps you off base, and the punk vibe makes place for something deeper - pulling in two directions as one, in a way that creates a surprisingly layered sound. The six hundred forty-fifth song: Life in a Northern Town - The Dream Academy As much as the dreamy vocals of the song evoke a specific atmosphere, reminiscing on a past world, it's the chorus that really makes it shine and put those same lyrics in a…
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The one hundred and eighteenth book: #90 The Charterhouse of Parma - Stendhal Sometimes, reading these books just becomes a chore. While I never got to the point of giving up, I can't say the adventures of an Italian nobleman during and after the reign of Napoleon ever really grabbed me. Its stories feel too familiar, the characters not that likeable and I lost track several times. In hindsight, I'm not sure this was worth it.
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The five hundred and sixty-seventh album: #567 Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill There's something really appealing to Beastie Boys' sound, even as it has its points where some of the tracks blend together. Part of it feels like it's from the punk rock origins of the band, with the backing track feeling heavily punk influenced while the rap on top feels like it still has some part of that sentiment. It's mostly pretty happy and upbeat in its sound, which helps as well - juvenile at times, but it works with the sound that's present, and it's no wonder there are so many hit tracks on here to recognise. It feels as much part of a build to this version of hip hop as it sets where rock starts to develop to, with a larger fusion than before. And as an aside, the TV references in Time to Get Ill feel like they meshed really well with the TV project and everything I've been covering lately.
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The two hundred and fourth classical recording: #406 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Seasons With The Seasons, I felt I had to adjust my expectations a bit. Rather than this representing the twelve months of the year, with an emotional arc of sorts, the twelve pieces are more written to be one per month that don't necessarily reflect the seasons as you'd normally experience it - spring is a lot more melancholic, for example, and the work never gets as abundant as you otherwise might expect. As twelve pieces with some different inspirations, it works through that melancholic link that doesn't really fade away as much until August or September's piece. The title of 'The Hunt' is probably the greater indication of that month's tone.
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The five hundred and sixty-sixth album: #566 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock: The Album It feels like we've reached another stage of hip hop. Planet Rock, both the title track and album, feature heavy electronic music and really are a fusion of the two to the point where it feels hard to separate them. The rap sections still have the heavy focus on rhyming and elation, while the electronic sound builds on the likes of Kraftwerk, the funky disco sound still running through all of the tracks. It's a good listen, nothing too focused, but it really has that party atmosphere.
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The six hundred thirty-fifth song: Sally Maclennane - The Pogues I've covered the Pogues before as an album and this of course doesn't have much that's different - it's a good example of their Irish folk rock with a fair bit of excitement in it. It feels like a good drinking song and just listening to it works really well. The six hundred thirty-sixth song: Voices Carry - ‘Til Tuesday As a new wave song, it feels like Voices Carry hits the semi-love song, relationship investigation angle well. As with a lot of new wave songs, the form overshadows the content in places, but it works well outside of that. The six hundred thirty-seventh song: The Sun Always Shines on T.V. - A-ha THe drive of this song really tells its story in its build up, the ballad giving way for to something more poppy, with a more new wave vibe. It has a slightly unsettling vibe from the lyrics, but here too the music masks that a fair bit. The six hundred thirty-eighth song: Into the Groove - Madonna Here she…
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The five hundred and sixty-fifth album: #565 Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Blood and Chocolate Today it feels like Elvis Costello's aggressive singer-songwriter rock isn't hitting for me. The vocals feel a bit off putting and the sounds of the tracks blend together more than on previous albums. Lyrically, it also doesn't satisfy as much, it's a bit simpler, while not really messing with the vocals - the sleazy sound isn't meshing with me.
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The two hundred and third classical recording: #669 Giacomo Puccini - Gianni Schicchi Operas always have a trickier task to judge purely as a recording. The Italian book here doesn't give me much of a story to go on, although a Wikipedia performance helps a lot to roughly keep track. The music gets harder to keep track of as a specific sound - while character leitmotifs appear, they can also be buried by the rest of the music, and setting the scene and the story means that parts of it can struggle to retain its identity. Here, the opera has a good footprint and while the score seems heavy, the voices really get a chance to shine with this. The humour doesn't always shine through in the music, this mostly coming from the lyrics instead. It's good, the piece works well, but in hindsight, it would have been better in context.
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The five hundred and sixty-fourth album: #564 Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 Cupid & Psyche 85 is a pretty light weight album, mostly formed of some upbeat pop tracks that mostly don't feel like they reach too deep. It fits in with the likes of Wham! that appeared around the same time, as well as some Beach Boys throwbacks. Even so, it feels like it misses some depth that other albums have given and while it's well crafted and fun to listen to, it's not the direction I want to see everything move to.
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The six hundred twenty-seventh song: How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths The darkness that The Smiths bring to their music is present here, a wailing guitar occasionally piercing through the dark bass line. It's evocative and mood setting, encapsulating your emotions completely. It's still a powerful piece, the full version's slow descent adding to that feeling. The six hundred twenty-eighth song: Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions Rattlesnakes is a throwback rock record, more evocative of the sixties than the eighties. It's a nice rock song like that, but it feels out of place compared to what surrounds it and misses that bit of punch that could really elevate it. The lyrics are intelligent, but not quite easy enough for me to follow along to. The six hundred twenty-ninth song: Im Nin’ Alu - Ofra Haza Based on a traditional poem, Im Nin' Alu opens with a sober sound. The pop music kicks in, reminiscent of other sounds from the region, but there's something quite hypnotic about…
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The five hundred and sixty-third album: #563 Dexys Midnight Runners - Don't Stand Me Down Don't Stand Me Down focuses on a few long tracks more than anything, supporting a progression through the music with definite stages to the song. There's a fair bit of spoken word included to set the stage in several tracks, which sets it apart together with the special mix of instruments - a heavy emphasis on saxophone, which makes the album feel closer to jazz, and a fair bit of violin. There's a heavy blues tint that follows from this, repackaged from a new wave era that feels like it creates a unique sound - regardless of whether that really hits or not.
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The two hundred and second classical recording: #328 Robert Schumann - Symphony no. 4 It's always great when something simpler can come through from a more complex work - although there is a lot of complexity to this piece, with a lot of beautiful surroundings, the core melody shines through really brightly and it's a treat between the movements, a layering that just works exquisitely well. There's this timeless, enduring quality to this piece that I just really loved.
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The two hundred and third TV show: #63 Mister Ed For better or worse, by now I'm at the point where I know what to expect from certain shows. I remember watching Mister Ed as a kid, so I had a decent idea of where it went, but it is mostly a standard comedy from the sixties, with a lot of the jokes and tropes you expect. It does play them off well - the jokes hit a bit betterthan others. Mister Ed, the titular horse, does stand out - he's well trained and you can see how much affection the remainder of the cast treats him with. Considering how some of these must have been quite tricky to pull off, the show feels surprisingly natural. It might not be a show to seek out, but considering what it sets out to do, for its age it's still quite remarkable.
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The five hundred and sixty-second album: #562 Simply Red - Picturebook Through its tracks, Picturebook floats between funk and blues, the music gaining and losing energy depending on the mood of the song. It works well, the lyrics of the tracks being well served by it, and there's some real feeling and emotion in the songs that feels like it would have gotten lost in the production in a lot of other cases. Hucknall's voice is quite specific, but it's well suited to these tracks. It might not feel like as much of a powerhouse album, but tracks like Holding Back The Years hit as much as a lot of other singer-songwriters accomplish.
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The six hundred nineteenth song: The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen Aside from being a decent rock song, the lyrics of this song hit the most. They are evocative and expansive, with a lot of analogies that hit quite well. It just works so well giving you that darker experience, as contemplative as it can be. The six hundred twentieth song: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive And then there's the joy of You Spin Me Round. It's upbeat, fun and just as synthy as you'd expect at this point. It just sells it all so well, it's delightful. The six hundred twenty-first song: The Boys of Summer - Don Henley I think there are some sounds that I've come to associate with a previous generation, and The Boys of Summer is that. Not too hard rock, synthy, sound effects, this is so emblematically eighties that it's hard to hear much else in it. It's incredibly expressive, even as I'm not sure how much would have actually reached the audience. The six hundred twenty-second song…
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The five hundred and sixty-first album: #561 New Order - Low Life There's just nothing to suggest that out of the ashes of Joy Division we got New Order, going from dark gothic rock to a synth-heavy pop album. The bass still features prominently enough to stand out, but it's not all depressing either at this point. There are exceptions - the second side opener Elegia is a lot darker - but even that has a synthier backing that keeps the brighter tone of the album. Fundamentally, though, it sticks to the more upbeat sound even when there's that bit of darkness.
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The two hundred and first classical recording: #559 Claude Debussy - La Mer It's been a while since I've been in a position to listen to a classical piece. It's one that gives feeling of water, calmer at first, more animated in the second movement and a bit darker later. It plays with that gentler feeling though, with a stormy crescendo that doesn't last as long as most. It's lovingly constrained, with that right build up at the end that doesn't overdo it, but limits itself really nicely.
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The two hundred and second TV show: #322 Police Squad It's easy to understand why Police Squad didn't last - the humour feels so ahead of its time, it's dense even by today's standards, with the gags coming fast and hard. There are recurring gags - probably the best the 'freeze frame' at the end of each episodes, which has the actors stop mid-action regardless of what they're doing. There's a massive number of non sequiturs, some of which feel like they're a lot of effort for just a single joke. It's a delight to watch, but I also wondered if it was good this didn't last for ages - I can't see how you'd keep this pace going for this much longer. What's there, though, is its own perfection and absolutely worth a watch, one of the best comedies from the time.
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The two hundred and first TV show: #504 The Day Today It's been nice to get a short show in. I've been looking forward to The Day Today as a satirical news show, one that clearly stayed around for a short enough time to not wear out its welcome, even as Alan Partridge, in particular, stuck around. Some of the jokes are clearly referencing the time, but a lot of the satire managed to carry over really well. It's been a lot of fun to watch these shows even as we managed to race through it - out of enjoyment, mostly. It's been worth waiting for.
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The five hundred and sixtieth album: #560 The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy Avoiding use of the synthesizer and other excesses of their contemporaries, Psychocandy doesn't sound stripped down. It brings in the noise distortion that featured in the earliest rock albums, with songs that feel in the same vein, even if the lyrics aren't as innocent. Instead, it takes that punk edge and adds it in. The vocals feel a lot more classic though, a place where you'd expect some harmonies if they were a band to go there as well. Unfortunately it does wear out its welcome after a while, with the repeated distortion becoming obnoxious as often as it's welcome.
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The six hundred eleventh song: Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood Theme aside, the high energy of this song combines with the chaos of its explosions makes for an exciting run with a straightforward enough message, but a sound that makes you sit up and pay attention The six hundred twelfth song: Runaway - Bon Jovi Runaway is a pretty strong rock track. It doesn't give the depth that I think I fancy at the moment, or any of the extra things that could have helped elevate it, but it hits the beats it needs to. The six hundred thirteenth song: Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen As I think I addressed in the album writeup, this song is a deceptively strong piece of songwriting, an anthem that condemns rather than celebrates and helps build a feeling of contempt for the jingoistic types that would otherwise celebrate it. It's really been worth a listen again. The six hundred fourteenth song: World Destruction - Time Zone I don't think I ever heard of this song, but it hits so well…
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The five hundred and fifty-ninth album: #558 Tom Waits - Rain Dogs Tom Waits' folk music feels somewhat singular. Avoiding the production common of its time, it feels more hand crafted and deliberate, all supporting his gruff vocals. He feels like a great storyteller and creates a picture with the music. Even so, the music isn't accidental or purely supporting, there's a lot that builds here and works well. It's a touching album and you just can't avoid the sound.
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The six hundred third song: It’s Like That - Run-DMC While rap has been coming up before, it feels like this is another step up - the political bent is still there, but there's a call and response that feels stronger and a harder sound in the music. It's an impressive build, partially one of production, but it feels like it's more real even as it breaks into the mainstream without compromising. The six hundred fourth song: Rock of Ages - Def Leppard Yeah, as a nineties kid I was wondering if I started the wrong song at first. The aggressive rock works well there, with its anthem quality in places. It's a big and bad rock song and I really like it. The six hundred fifth song: Gimme All Your Lovin’ - ZZ Top Gimme All You Lovin' feels like one of those classical hard rock songs - a good riff, lyrics that aren't too complicated. It gives a standard love song feel backed by a slightly more aggressive sound - even if it's far more upbeat than that might imply. It's simple and…
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The two hundredth TV show: #250 Children of the Stones Moving some other shows in and out gave us the chance for a random TV show, and I was quite lucky this one came out. Officially a childrens sci-fi show, a lot of it feels more complex than that (possibly teenager focused, I suppose) that works for the entire family. As an extended Christmas horror, this would have worked as well, and on the whole the show presents an interesting mystery with some clear paranormal elements, but keeping it quite human in some of its connections. It's good to see a father and son pairing where they actually get along and mostly believe each other. It feels more mature than the 'kids show' would imply as well, and there are a lot of moving elements that take more time to follow, with the mental submission side having its own challenges. The creepy soundtrack really helps with this too, creating an unsettling vibe at every stage. Sure, the show is seventies at times, but its contemporary setting keeps…
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The five hundred and fifty-eighth album: #557 Kate Bush - Hounds of Love With a partner who's a massive fan of Kate Bush, I've heard a lot already and have a lot of affinity for her work. The first side of the album pays that off - Running Up That Hill is a deserved classic (long before Stranger Things made it cool) and Cloudbusting is just so amazingly memorable. There's a lot of depth in those tracks that really resonates. The other side are their collection of tracks for a concept album, immediately starting with a more wistful sound that sets up more of a story than entirely having those feelings in the moment. Under Ice really builds on that, feeling like panic throughout. Waking the Witch, too, reaches that discomfort - although here from its discordant, deliberately fragmented nature. The Irish music it builds up to is as interesting as it invokes a link to nature in its lyrics that builds on a folksy feeling. It moves a lot between the emotions, but it manages to combine the…
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The five hundred ninety-fifth song: A New England - Billy Bragg Brief and simple, A New England hits its relationship commentary, makes its point and gets out. It's good, and it does exactly what it wants to. The five hundred ninety-sixth song: Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes Blister in the Sun feels like a straight forward, basic punk song with meaning that even according to the writer aren't too meaningful. It hits its beats and sounds good doing it, but I'm not sure it felt that notable to me either. The five hundred ninety-seventh song: Let’s Dance - David Bowie Going back through Bowie's catalogue, after having hit the albums before, really highlights some of the biggest tracks. Let's Dance is instantly recognisable and its hook gets into you straight away. It's just a joy to listen to. The five hundred ninety-eighth song: This Charming Man - The Smiths This track feels so much more upbeat than the later album we covered yesterday, which partially makes you look at the…
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The five hundred and fifty-seventh album: #558 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder Morrissey's vocals on Meat Is Murder are slow and dark, in a way that belies the energy of the underlying music. It challenges you, the lyrics quite confronting of its day and even taking on more current issues. It's a listening album - you need to sit there and take it in to really get what it's all about, but it's more than just the vocals. The music itself is a good punk and rock mixture that betrays a lot more care about the sound.
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The five hundred eighty-seventh song: Thriller - Michael Jackson Thriller is one of Michael Jackson's tracks I know the best, but it's hard to separate where exactly that fame comes from. The music video is a production in its own right, memorable as its own short movie. Even so, the sound of the track is as good, memorable and engaging with Vincent Price's vocals just adding to that creepiness. The five hundred eighty-eighth song: Shock the Monkey - Peter Gabriel Shock the Monkey is tamer after the sound of Thriller, but the straight forward pop track is still good, a simple track that's quite nice with the mood it sets, still slightly off putting as it goes on. The five hundred eighty-ninth song: Save It for Later - The Beat As a ska influenced new wave song, Save It for Later is fairly straightforward as a listener, with a hook that's simple enough to understand and builds just enough to satisfy, but not so much that it doesn't remain, essentially, the same track throughout. It's…