The one hundred and fourty-second classical recording: #858 Arthur Honegger - Symphony no. 3, "Symphonie Liturgique"
The heavy handed start of this symphony stands in contrast to a lot of its following, delicate sounds - according to the composer a reflection of the Second World War that had just ended and his desire for peace after. It becomes lovely, sweet and dreamlike, making for a lovely piece in general.
The three hundred and ninety-fourth album: #394 Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
For a lot of the album, you will know what to expect - it's the Sex Pistols, their vibe and sound are well known and God Save The Queen is defining for both their sound and the direction of punk in general. Like the band's initial career, it comes it, is loud and brash, but leaves almost as soon as it arrives, leaving its mark.
The three hundred and ninety-third album: #393 Ian Dury - New Boots And Panties!!
Just as I thought I'd started to pin down this album, Billericay Dickie starts and we get a music hall song - complete with innuendos - that breaks the punk-leaning rock songs. It shows the depth of Dury's song writing though, complex and more layered with more of a feel of where the lyrics come from. Dury's vocals are often quite flat by comparison - intentionally, as some tracks make it clear he can mix it up, but it creates a focus on the lyrics that is underscored by the straightforward music that accompanies them in places. It's always clear he could do more - showing off in other places - but it feels like an intentional choice to keep the focus on each area as the song goes on. There's a lot of rock still, ups and downs, but it's an album that feels like it has more lurking underneath than most.
The one hundred and fourty-first classical recording: #136 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Idomeneo, re di Creta
I try to reserve operas for days where I have the time to fully listen to them, as the three and a half hours Idomeneo takes is something I need to set aside. It's worth it, even if, as with this one, I am not really attempting to follow along.
While the score has several of the big opera scene sounds, it also features a lot of the more delicate music you get from Mozart's work. It flies along, keeping its sound minimal and delicate, which helps enhance the performances.
The three hundred and ninety-second album: #392 Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
After yesterday's meander through styles, Lust For Life's titular track starts the album. Droning on, its punk is aggressive and droning, the drum riff dominating without fail. The following tracks move to and away from that, but it keeps having this stronger voice throughout. While Bowie's hand is still in it, his influence has diminished and it feels like the album features Iggy Pop's voice more, whichsuits his strengths and makes for a stronger collection of songs than The Idiot.
The three hundred and ninety-first album: #391 Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
I don't think there's a track on My Aim Is True that truly stuck with me. They are incredibly well written, with a variety and skill that makes the album really intriguing and fascinating to listen to. Each song needs some time to listen to and get and it never gets boring. It's just the case that it never quite works to really grab me further either, no real identity and nothing unique. It's a really good listen, I'd just struggle to find what to come back to.
The one hundred and fourtieth classical recording: #245 Franz Schubert - Piano Sonata in G Major, D894
Described as serene with dark moments - the latter something Schubert is known for, but kept restrained here - there's a world in this sonata that I, again, enjoy seeing conjured. There's a tenderness in the sonata that really got to me, floating through as I was listening to it.
The three hundred and ninetieth album: #390 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
A big, showy rock opera base album works perfectly for me - longer, deeper tracks trying to actually tell a story through them while also having the connections between them. Bat Out Of Hell pulls it off so well - the songs feel linked, but have their own identity and stand on their own. The build and resolution in the title track works well - a great example of how it works well and could do so on stage as easily as when you're listening on headphones during work.
The other, more sensitive side gets to work as well - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad standing as a good, sensitive ballad showing off Meat Loaf's abilities as well, layering in a sensitive side without losing his power in it. It comes, of course, before the powerful Paradise by the Dashboard Light. In my mind, it's still a master piece - written so well, but also performed to perfection by two performers who gel and knowing their sketch background, making sense in the way they build the story through. It's an amazing track, but also one that's reflected through the album, and even the lesser known tracks blend it all so well.
The three hundred and eighty-ninth album: #389 Television - Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon is a fairly gentle rock album that managed to fade into the background a bit. It has some really good songs in it, but there's no track that really stood out to me as something I'd care to listen to again and I wouldn't be able to pick them out again if I tried. I guess it strays slightly too far into a territory that doesn't suit me as much.
The three hundred and eighty-eighth album: #388 Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel I
While, probably due to his work on scoring Disney films, Phil Collins is the first person that comes to mind when I hear these prog rock and associated tracks, the Genesis successor that made it on the list is Peter Gabriel. It's for good reason - while it has the same sound in places, it feels more sophisticated, with a bigger mix of sounds - the jazz inspired of Waiting For the Big One leading into a longer track on one side, and the weird art rock from Moribund the Burgermeister on the other. It's the second type that really appeals to me, in a way that tells a different kind of story. The album stays interesting, straying at times into familiar territory, but it is always entertaining.