The one hundred and fourty-sixth classical recording: #856 Aaron Copland - Symphony no. 3
This symphony focuses on a fanfare melody, one used quite tenderly for a fair bit of it, but that it builds up to these big, booming pieces. There's something quite stirring when they come in, but it's the small, gentle parts where it feels the sound really works and gets a chance to explore itself. It's a lovely interpretation - entering my head as describing things in a forest, the quiet glade, chases happening and some playfulness, and it gives that sense of building quite well to its triumphant end.
The one hundredth book: #078 Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner - James Hogg
It was interesting to see a different structure in this novel. It's a classic twist these days - tell the story from two perspectives, first the clear then the inner thoughts of another player to show what's really going on. In this case, we first hear the sotry of a nobleman's firstborn and favourite son, up to his murder and the chase of his murderer, his half brother. It's a straight forward tale, quite interesting and well written. It's the other half, though, where we see through the half brother's eyes (supposedly from his various memoirs) as he explains how the religious sect he's raised in said he'll go to heaven regardless of his actions, becoming a justified sinner. It makes it an interesting psychological novel at this point, never really engendering sympathy in its protagonist, but adding so much more to the exploration of this character and where it leads. It really felt like a step up in storytelling that I hope to see more often.
The four hundred and eighth album: #408 Magazine - Real Life
Between yesterday's album and today's, I think it's become more clear that the best post punk comes when an album does more than just that. In the case of Magazine, the accessibility of new wave does a lot to appeal to my interests, a lighter touch that makes the songs a lot more digestible. That's not to say it's gone completely soft, but it doesn't push as much as it did before and there are more interesting tracks in here, with the second side especially building up to a happier atmosphere.
The four hundred and seventh album: #407 Public Image Ltd - Public Image
John Lydon's next venture after the Sex Pistols led off which their self-styled album (also subtitled First Issue) and it continues exactly as you'd expect - a post punk cacophony with some tantalizingly offensive seeming lyrics and some simple love songs. It's all still pretty much coming with similar sounds, which are fine but not amazing in any real way, and then brings in Fodderstompf which is probably one of the bigger wastes of time we've had on these albums. This might be notable from music history, but it has little that appeals to me.
The one hundred and fourty-fifth classical recording: #372 Camille Saint-Saens - Piano Concerto no 2
Varied and engaging, there is a lot going on in this recording - allowing the piano to shine, but giving it so much more context as time goes on. It's an abstract piece, but what we've heard so far works well.
The four hundred and sixth album: #406 The Residents - Duck Stab/Buster and Glen
From the first track, Constantinople, I knew I was in for something different with the Residents, in a way that I really like. The art rock label can apply to a lot of different styles, but here it's a collection of strange songs, all feeling different, but all intriguing to listen to, often relying on electronic sounds and manipulation. There's no clear viewpoint, there's a lot of different sounds, but the tracks are short enough that it never wears thin - there's always something new going on. There are times where the album is trying to be deliberately off-putting, but even then the subversion is enough to see how the Residents are looking to spin the song and it keeps pulling you through regardless. This is the only album from the Residents on the list, but I want to try more, even if this is one of their more accessible albums.
The four hundred and fifth album: #405 Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers
As someone who's not familiar with the work of Big Star, this album's history reads as a bit puzzling. A rock band split up and some of them release an album of pop songs that's marketed using the same name. If nothing else, just reading the "rock band" byline and getting a number of power pop ballads and similar songs took some adjusting before I fully got it.
The music itself is fine. It's the typical big production pop that we've heard, including violins in places, and it's well done at that. There's no stand out track or anything that I really loved and I don't feel like there's much of an identity in the work, but it works well for what the album wants to do.Some good pop that I'd happily hear mixed in with other songs, but not one that I'd expect to seek out myself.
The one hundred and eighty-second TV show: #37 Perry Mason
While a lot of shows on this list are shows I just want to watch, just as many are to experience the history of TV and where things lead. Perry Mason is an early procedural, with a heavy bent, and one of the first hour long weekly shows on American TV - it seems like this was the year where they really started. At 40 episodes a week, that all seemed pretty intense as well. It's interesting to see how a number of traditions started, sometimes even out of necessity - starting off with some time without the regulars, instead showing the time before and after the crime, is something we see to set pu the show now, but was actually intended to give Raymond Burr some time off where otherwise he'd be in 98% of the episode.
The show is well written and feels well researched, but it also is of its time. The main thing where you notice is the pacing. There are some really interesting scenes, but there are some slow, unengaging sections in between that really seem to drag the show. The denoument happening in the courtroom is interesting enough, but it takes a while to get there and makes for another slower section of the slow. I'm not saying we need to end in an action filled chase, but it feels like other, later shows based on similar premises bring it some more things to keep your attention. It's why this was more of an interesting curiosity to watch, an insight into the TV shows of 65 years ago as the medium was developing, rather than something I could watch the full run of.
The four hundred and fourth album: #404 The Adverts - Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts
I've been more critical of punk bands than I expected to be - the variation is much greater than I was expecting for a genre that was rapidly succeeded by others and referenced in music mostly as something that was built on. There is a heavy focus on riling up people - going against the establishment, shocking people and making their points, and with its shorter length and punchiness it feels like it really pulls it off. Sure, it's theatrical and over the top, but to me, that's what becomes part of the same charm.
The four hundred and third album: #403 Joe Ely - Honky Tonk Masquerade
I'm still not a fan of country music - lyrically I rarely care, the music ends up just that bit too slow and the steel guiatar just sets me off in the worst way possible. There are times where an album comes along and works, but it's in spite of the genre most of the time. This album doesn't do anything different. While Joe Ely has a good voice in places, it doesn't add anything for me, and the straight up country tracks, some of which are covers I've heard before, don't win me over this time.
The ninety-ninth book: #1017 The Monastery - Sir Walter Scott
I try to make not finishing a book a rare thing, but I couldn't quite get there for this, and some device switching meant I wasn't interested in trying to transfer my slow progress. The Monastery is a throwback, describing a semi-mythical medieval time that was, in some ways, really well researched (in the "I want to show off everything I know" way that can get annoying) but also romanticizing in a way that gets tedious for me to listen to. I'm playing Pentiment at the moment, with similar levels of research, but its focus on the 'lower' classes in addition to the more revered nobles and religious leaders makes it more interesting and accessible, and feel more real than I think The Monastery ever entirely gets. There's not much for me to grasp, and starting and finishing with epistles as The Monastery does didn't help me place the story. I can see where it can be revered, but it's not a type that appeals to me.