The one hundred and ninety-fourth classical recording: #891 Michael Tippett - Fantasia Concertante
This is a pretty impressive concerto, building on the one theme, and keeping in touch with a simpler approach that manages to build incredibly well It may not seem as intense, but it flows well and has that internal beauty to the music.
The five hundred and twenty-eighth album: #528 U2 - War
It's odd how this album feels removed from both sides of music we've been covering lately - the poppy, synthy music and the dark heavy metal. War feels grown up in a way that makes sense now, an album with a message, strong music, uncompromising and mostly gimmickless. It's just good music, a strong evolution from punk to a more centered rock album.
The five hundred and twenty-seventh album: #527 Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
This album alone is good to listen to - some good poppy tracks with the eighties synth feel that can hit you well in the right songs even if it can get overused on other tracks. The standout is of course the title track, which is already one of those songs that tends to get stuck in my head - there's just that sort of quality around it. What stands out in the album context is how at times it also feels different from other tracks - surrounded by some slower, more ethereal sounds (almost lulling you to sleep to continue the theme).
The one hundred and ninety-third classical recording: #36 Claudio Monteverdi - Combattimento
Combattimento is, it seems, the first opera - or musical theatre piece - that's on the list, and looking at the bits of staging I've seen it does feel like there's a vocal piece that has some performers separately performing as most of the piece is narrated. There are some other voices, but it feels like it's still settling in, going from a storyteller to a more involved performance. It still features the early string sounds, but the vocals are getting so much closer and it's interesting to see the development happen - almost in front of you as the piece evolves into more of a performance.
The five hundred and twenty-sixth album: #526 ZZ Top - Eliminator
A lot of the time, ZZ Top's eighth album feels like a throwback to an earlier era. With the rise of new wave and a poppier sound - something that has influenced some tracks - a lot of the hard rock tracks harken back to the decade prior, with a number of blues rock tracks really feeling like they could have been from the Rolling Stones. They're really good - If nothing else, they've honed their craft during that time - but it feels oddly out of place now. The long solos, clearly intended for more exciting reactions when performing live - do feel out of place now, but on the whole I can't fault the album.
The five hundred and twenty-fifth album: #525 Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine
In the post punk era, Echo & The Bunnymen's third album's psychedelic rock leans towards the gothic rock error at times, the at times bizarre sounds enhanced by a quite dark and mysterious sound. It doesn't go through the entire album, but it leans heavily on it at the end of the first side leading into the first. It's not quite as unsettling as it sounds, for the most part, but it differs per track how comfortable it gets. The sound design is great, though, and it works so well for the tracks.
The one hundred and ninety-second classical recording: #899 Pierre Boulez - Le Marteau Sans Maitre
The somewhat disconcordant nature of this piece never quite stops being unsettling - the more conventional parts lure you into this feeling of safety until it strikes with a stranger set of music again. The normal, albeit sparse parts are lovely to listen to, with the ethereal vocals adding to that feeling of disquiet that you have throughout, but there are moments that really jolt you awake. It's not unpleasant, but it makes me wonder how this plays in a big venue - there's something about the perceived intimacy of the solo listening experience that really elevates it for me here.
The five hundred and twenty-fourth album: #524 Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones
Having listened to a fair bit of Paul Simon by now, there aren't any real surprises on Hearts and Bones. It's a poppy folk rock album that has the good lyrics you expect from him. It's often sad and a bit longing rather than upbeat but I can't deny it's really lovely to listen to anyway.
The five hundred and twenty-third album: #523 Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
There's something infectious about all of the tracks on Lauper's albums. Whether it's the challenging optimism of Girls Just Want TO Have Fun or the calmer mood of All Through the Night, Lauper's style is really effective to communicate the feelings of each song and, with a lot of them being as upbeat as they are, the album is incredibly fun to listen to.
The one hundred and ninety-first classical recording: #57 Juan de Araujo - Dixit Dominus
This is a short choral piece, a psalm set to music with some amazing harmonies. It's been a great example of it, better than the early ones that put me off the genre early one, but here it really worked.