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.
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.
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.
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 the whol experience more engaging and I just get unfocused and side tracked. Perhaps if you're into it, it could be interesting as a group, ut I don't feel it is something that will ever really work for me.
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
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 context of travel and exploration. The African-style chorus creates a power and energy that creates a dreamy atmosphere that really makes me wonder what Life in the Northern Town would be like - it's certainly more than the dreary place it's sometimes portrayed as.
The six hundred forty-sixth song: The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Aside from a strong new wave sound, The Whole of the Moon also creates an inspiring tribute in its lyrics. A lot of comparisons stand up to show someone who's ahead and doing better. I can follow the point of this track reflecting many people. Anyone who strives - and even sometimes fails - feels like they are covered here. And the music supports that - it swoops up and builds itself in a way that really suits it.
The six hundred forty-seventh song: Marlene on the Wall - Suzanne Vega
Although I've covered this album fairly recently, hearing this track separately makes it stand out more, a dedication of its own, it feels similarly inspirational as The Whole of the Moon, but this time with a specific person (or poster of her) in mind. It still creates this build and encouragement that hits that beat pretty well.
The six hundred forty-eighth song: How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
There's a joy in this song that's well portrayed by Whitney Houston, while she manages to also infuse it with some wistfulness and questioning that adds a layer to the track that may not have worked as well in here without her. It's a real joy of a track throughout.
The six hundred forty-ninth song: Manic Monday - Bangles
Manic Monday's lyrics are simple enough - just a bad Monday morning that most of us commuting know so well. I think it's that familiarity that makes it shine first of all - so much of it feels that familiar. Add to that some really good music that cheers you up enough and takes a bit of the edge out of that Monday - some empathy and a bit of help to get you through that.
The six hundred fiftieth song: Sun City - Artists United Against Apartheid
As one of the major supergroup songs, Sun City hasn't had the longevity of some of the other charity ones, but its message is as strong. The group of people involved is large, varied, and brings in an infectious energy that works so much better. It's an amazing track, whether you want to focus on the message or not.
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.
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.
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.
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.