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 clear metal influence, its music goes that much slower, lessening its intensity instead. The vocals are that bit more stripped down as well, with the real power coming as much from the larger choruses joining in instead. The music builds to being more celebrating in places, but the step down from metal does make it that much more accessible and listenable when you come across it like this. The six hundred ninety-third song: Touch Me I’m Sick - Mudhoney Following that, Touch me I'm Sick really brings the volume to the point where it becomes incredibly distorated. The repeating, simple chords and drum beat emphasize that further, while the screamed lyrics seem like they're needed just to get through them. It's a lot of energy and a lot of aggression, working to create that full atmosphere. The six hundred ninety-fourth song: Feed Me with Your Kiss - My Bloody Valentine Feed Me With Your Kiss loses its lyrics almost completely in its music, heavy guitars almost completely drowning out the lyrics. It's a bit too much for me - without the lyrics, this feels like a repeated chord that wears out its welcome quick enough, lacking the variation that's meant to sustain its four minutes. The six hundred ninety-fifth song: Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance has that classic hip hop build, with a build of energy, lyrics about life on the street, that quickly build into an R&B track for part of it, mixing both together with the samples and DJ stylings. It's a nice combination, not too innocent but also not going as grim in these. It's a pretty nice hip hop pop song that stands out for its own energy. The six hundred ninety-sixth song: Fast Car - Tracy Chapman Fast Car is a straight forward folk rock song. Its focused lyrics really sell this point, an appeal to leave, both discussing the life they want to escape (get out of the shelter) and the feeling of freedom when they travel. It's touching and really hits you with every aspect of it. Nothing is underperformed, but the music hits at just the right points. The six hundred ninety-seventh song: Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. And if the previous hip hop tracks weren't enough, we really start getting the gangsta rap in. This feels like a song declaring war on other gangs and others they don't like. It's aggressive and dark, the beat really becoming secondary to the lyrics. The rappers on this album come back in bigger places later, and that's the rap legacy that I feel we see rise in the next two decades.
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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 odd contrast - something that I somewhat associate with Australian culture anyway - and it pays off really well in this context, drawing you in while delivering its message. The six hundred eightieth song: Ye Ke Ye Ke - Mory Kante I've already mentioned that this year is the rise of house music and Ye Ke Ye Ke shows how it can embrace so much more. There's a driving beat in this song that underlies lyrics and a feeling that are from a more traditional African mold, creating a more traditional combination of sounds. It's addictive and I think I've heard the chorus sampled often enough - for a good reason. The six hundred eighty-first song: Just Like Heaven - The Cure If I have to pick a direction I'm happy rock and punk have gone into around this point in time, this is probably it. While with its new wave influences, it's mostly to add a bit of lightness to the sound. The subject of the song isn't too complex, but lyrically it is put together really well. It's a wonderful, happy love track that still stays far away from getting sappy. The six hundred eighty-second song: The One I Love - R.E.M. There's a real aggression in this track, a track describing a twisted love that has more to it. There's a definite role to it and it has that depth I feel R.E.M. can really bring to their music, with more ot interpret and look into than you might think at first glance. It's so well done, it sounds so good, it's a good accomplishment. The six hundred eighty-third song: Fairytale of New York - The Pogues After all that power, Fairytale of New York is a welcome comedown. The celtic sound works really well, the initial piano sound setting up the mood while the more abundant song that kicks off later keeps that tradition while having its larger, welcoming production. It's a celebration, one that sets its tone and runs it really well. The six hundred eighty-fourth song: Paradise City - Guns N’ Roses As another rock anthem, Paradise City hits all those moments so well, it's a joy and a party, a really good and memorable song that asks you to sing or shout along. It hits its beats and does it well. The six hundred eighty-fifth song: Never Let Me Down Again - Depeche Mode I can't say as much about this one - this is a decent new wave track, it hits the dance beats, I don't know whether I'd say it does a lot more than that. The six hundred eighty-sixth song: Faith - George Michael I have really been enjoying this. Faith isn't a very complicated track, but the sexual joy of it is amazing and there's something that just really engages you, a playful sound that carries further. The six hundred eighty-seventh song: Need You Tonight - INXS As another sensual dance song, the rockier sound here is a bit more explicit and dirtier. It's still a good sound that works well and gives some more depth to it. The call and response add to this, feeling like it's calling out more, as well as giving more internal thoughts. The six hundred eighty-eighth song: With or Without You - U2 The build in this track is part of what makes it such a good track to listen to. It starts simple, a guitar, Bono's quite simple vocals, which start low and dark and very slowly build to a larger sound. It's well set up and sequenced through the song, the anticipation as important as the eventual, temporary crescendo. It's one of those songs that's well thought out, a sentiment that defines the band as much, whether it's a love song or a larger topic.
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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 feel with just a slight difference of sound and some drums compared to the remainder of the track. It's quite simple, but it works well to provide you with this happy feeling that the chorus of 'Bamboleo, Bambolea' really brings in. The six hundred seventieth song: This Corrosion - The Sisters of Mercy As the second longest remaining song for the list, it's been a large batch I've been going through this time... This is a rock anthem, which at least suits me a bit better as a general music genre. It's properly big and epic, with a choir supporting it, and the build in it works so well. It really isn't as much of a chore to listen to, and it mostly feels like it flies by. The six hundred seventy-first song: Camaron - Pata Negra It's nice to get a mix of tracks and origins in this batch. As another track with a heavy flamenco influence, the direction this takes is more rock inspired. It's quite a classy track and there's a lot here to enjoy. The six hundred seventy-second song: Amandrai - Ali Farka Toure There's a sparseness to this song that creates a lonely feeling. The guitar is a heavy one, echoing in the recording, and the at times lamenting vocals give an idea of what's going on even when I don't get the lyrics completely. It's plain, but masterful. The six hundred seventy-third song: Push It - Salt-N-Pepa Back to the more commercial, known stuff, Push It is one of those known eighties hip hop tracks that are there for the dance floor, getting you excited and moving. Although enough feels dated (including a massive use of stereo) it's still as infectious as it was then. The six hundred seventy-fourth song: Bring the Noise - Public Enemy Bring the Noise brings the other side of it. While it's still there to have something to dance to, there's also more of a message to it, a defense of rap and their own styles while trying to push for more. It's still a lot of fun to listen to - nothing as dark as it can get - but with some more of a conscience. The six hundred seventy-fifth song: True Faith - New Order This is the point where I realised the spirit of new wave is still around - first in the batch it seems. True Faith really hits that full sound, with some interesting lyrics. It's a pretty neat sound and a good track. The six hundred seventy-sixth song: It’s a Sin - Pet Shop Boys As said before, I do have a fondness for the music of Pet Shop Boys and it's here too. A bit campy, there's a bit of a message while not entirely meaning to. It still feels rare to have a song criticising religion, even more on this specific topic, but it works. The music also has that characteristic feel of their songs and it feels executed as it should be, even a bit over the top where it needs to be. The six hundred seventy-seventh song: Pump Up the Volume - MARRS The rise of house music was clear earlier and this fusion between a dance track and hip hop works well, the musical complexity and beats integrated well when meshing into each other. The main line sticks in your head and the sound builds beautifully on it. It's odd in that experimental way that really makes it shine and gives a further chance to build.
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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 larger new cast to support the new case, but they're compelling from the start - Julie Hesmondhalgh in particular feels believable through all the stages of what must have been a very difficult role. It took us a long time to finish it - we only now got to the last season - but that's because it takes enough focus to finish it and get through it.
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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 could drive you on. The six hundred sixty-second song: Rise - Public Image Ltd As a post punk song, Rise is okay. It's an okay rock song, with some good, more insightful lyrics, but I also feel there are large parts that don't manage to hit what they could be hitting at this point. The six hundred sixty-third song: Love Can’t Turn Around - Farley “Jackmaster” Funk And here we immediately get our second house track. It doesn't feel as successful as Move Your Body - the music doesn't feel like it has quite the same drive - but it still feels like it's a good step towards the better genre. The six hundred sixty-fourth song: Dear God - XTC There's an amazing blend of music and vocals in this track. There's a power in the questions the music asks, but it also has music that hits both something heavenly, it hits the feelings of anger and the child's intro and outro lyrics really build well on that. It's a lovely sound. The six hundred sixty-fifth song: Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely - Husker Du This is clearly a simpler punk track, with a good beat and some simple lyrics. It works quite well for the sound, setting up something straight forward but good and effective. The six hundred sixty-sixth song: Kiss - Prince & The Revolution We finish with a Prince classic, with a good soul track that is interchanged with Prince's thin, high vocals that draw your focus and attention. It's build expertly, as you'd expect, and it's both strong and evocative. There's something fun and light about it and it's just so much fun to listen to through to the end.
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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 - The Triffids It feels like Wide Open Road meets a midpoint for this point in time - it's got some of the bigger, wider sounds than pure folk rock, but it doesn't stray into the larger parts of new wave that can overwhelm a song. The bigger sound here mostly supports the feeling of the wide open road, the big spaces that exist, but support the harmonies and more minimal sounds from the track that still all manage to find their place here. The six hundred fifty-fifth song: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths Speaking of the youthly disconnection from earlier, there's a disconnect from family in this as well, a song about not feeling at home as well as wanting to stay with their partner. There's a lot more depth to it than that, and it creates this feeling so well that deals with this depression and need to change your life. The six hundred fifty-sixth song: Some Candy Talking - The Jesus and Mary Chain While feeling like another dark song, there's a lot more of that coming in from the band's native sound while the lyrics sit there on their own. It's not the most accessible track, but there's something in its mood that works quite well to set you up to listen to without dragging it down too much. The six hundred fifty-seventh song: No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys I've recently covered this album and this track still works well on its own. The track is as infectious as ever and while there's nothing too complex in its lyrics, it's a good fun track to put on and listen to, with its metal influence, still good guitar line and perhaps also its more modern adjustments. The six hundred fifty-eighth song: Raining Blood - Slayer The intro of the song, before the rain hits, is a powerful run of lyrics and a wall of noise that feels exhausting on its own already. It gives way to some more variety in its music, but it's hard to deny the specific energy Slayer brings to this - and how rare it's seemed so far. I've grown up with metal, and this hits all the parts that I have enjoyed about it before, with all of its insanity included.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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 finally appears - the rise of Madonna has started in my chronological listening order. The first track I'm covering is a straight up dance track, no frills and relatively innocent. It's addictive though and hard to resist - it hits all its beats so well that it's a good song regardless of where she would go later. The six hundred thirty-ning song: Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) - Kate Bush And then what almost feels like the other side of female vocalists. I've covered the album here already, but the song itself really does stand out. The vocals work perfectly - Kate Bush's lonely main vocals sharp and fresh, piercing through the dreamy music and softer additional layers. It is still a gorgeous song. The six hundred fortieth song: West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys Although not normally my musical genre, I've always enjoyed Pet Shop Boys - possibly since the video for Go West dominated and formed at least one aesthetic that got settled in my brain. West End Girls obviously predates that, but the synth sound of it is still so attractive and engaging that this just hits every spot for me. This is just a gorgeous track The six hundred forty-first song: She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult After these few tracks, this feels like a simpler rock song. It sells itself quite well and is an enjoyable enough track, but not with as much to help itself stand out. The six hundred forty-second song: Close to Me - The Cure Even as there's a fair bit to this song, it's nice to have a song here that isn't as overblown as most new wave tracks - there is a simplicity to it that is pretty engaging and really draws you in. it's a good, friendly pop song that I can really enjoy.
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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 the poppier traditional sound that isn't far off from a Bollywood arrangement. With the lyrics in Hebrew, the text isn't easily accessible to me, but it makes the sounds even more hypnotic, building on that feeling that lures you in. The six hundred thirtieth song: Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution And then there's the better known, more accessible purple rain, the weirdly evocative title invoking its own thoughts and images. It's strong in its repetition, with the lyrics and music merging well. It's long, and not the most intense, but it's powerful enough in what it does. The six hundred thirty-first song: State of Shock - The Jacksons featuring Mick Jagger As a collaboration of some music greats, this seems to be missing something for me. There's something missing in how the songs build and a connection that's missing - the back and forth doesn't feel as magical as you'd hope from this. I was hoping for something better. The six hundred thirty-second song: Private Dancer - Tina Turner I mentioned how good Tina Turner sounded on the album by the same name, and this song is still one of the highlights, a soulful ballad that feels like it has a an edge and the wisdom of age in it that is otherwise missing. It's still as good to listen to here. The six hundred thirty-third song: Freedom - Wham! Freedom is a poppy love song that's uncomplicated in its sound, not looking for a deeper meaning but just staying what it is. It's happy and fun and just a good song. The six hundred thirty-fourth song: I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus I don't think this is the strongest rock song - a garage throwback that does the pop rock genre quite well, but doesn't have a track here that I really managed to connect with.
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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: Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions Rock You Like a Hurricane is a strong metal anthem. It positions itself well, it makes its statement and bowls you over with its force. It's strong, wild, and all you need from it. The six hundred twenty-third song: Plateau - Meat Puppets Plateau is a shorter, simpler rock song. It feels like it hits its beats, still a sad track, but the contemplation works. The six hundred twenty-fourth song: Tenderness - General Public There's something sweet in the lyrics of this. It shows a softer side in a world where that still felt rare, a need for tenderness that may not have lasted. It's an incredibly sweet and loving new wave track that worked better than I thought for me. The six hundred twenty-fifth song: Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - Scritti Politti There's a lot mixed into this track here. There's a feel of Michael Jackson in here, with some Beach Boys harmonies, a funky track that has poppy lyrics to go along with it. It jumps and stays difficult to pin down. It works for me, but I'm not entirely sure how. The six hundred twenty-sixth song: I Will Dare - The Replacements There's a simplicity to a lot of this song that works well. The pop rock sound is nice and accessible and does the trick, while giving me more to go with. It's simple, but it works.
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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. The rap and rock fusion feels a bit ahead of its time, but the rebellious spirit from both hits fits the time period, a counter balance to power that matches the lyrics of Born in the U.S.A. It's powerful and works so well here. The six hundred fifteenth song: Immigres/Bitim Rew - Youssou N’Dour The African sound heard here is joyful. While it feels like the list puts these on here to have diversity, it means that we get the best, and this is an incredibly strong and enjoyable song. The six hundred sixteenth song: It’s My Life - Talk Talk Another synthy anthem, It's My Life is an oddly feel good track with what feels like an ode to individualism that again suits the eighties. It's a nice dance track, even if the lyrics make it feel like it needs a little bit more of an edge. The six hundred seventeenth song: Smooth Operator - Sade I wasn't expecting some British bossa nova today, but the smooth jazz track works really well. It's a really good sound that feels like it fits with a fairly standard but strong love song. The six hundred eighteenth song: I Feel for You - Chaka Khan The funky R&B sound of I Feel for You is enhanced by the rap vocals, to the point where they really feel like the star of the show. As a song though, this works well, and the extended chorus helps a lot having it sound that good throughout.
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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 straightforward, but as a song that works. The six hundred sixth song: Every Breath You Take - The Police There's something sinister about this song - something that feels like it builds more in the modern world where there are so many more ways to do so. It's sweet and alluring and even that feels like it could be a commentary - even if initially the influence might not have totally been there. Even so, it's still as impressive now. The six hundred seventh song: 99 Luftballons - Nena This song's happy, optimistic sounding title - the release of 99 balloons - belies an underlying theme that you don't really get without hearing the German version. It's about a nuclear apocalypse, caused by the sight of these balloons, and it almost feels like the song is also creating the party before that happens. Considering the events of the 80s, when this was set, luckily it didn't go that way, but the ominous feeling really sticks there. The six hundred eighth song: Zungguzungguguzungguzeng - Yellowman The reggae track here has evolved a bit, but it feels like it still builds on the similar base. It is fine, decently rock inspired but not jumping to give me a lot more that I would enjoy. The six hundred ninth song: Blue Monday - New Order I wasn't expecting this yet - the build up from disco and synth pop to the dance music that dominated the clubs from the nineties wasn't something I thought I'd hear until later in the decade. This, however, feels like it could often fit in the club music that follows, the choral vocals set it apart too. I've enjoyed it a lot, as it really sets itself apart and gets you going. The six hundred tenth song: The Trooper - Iron Maiden We end with an aggressive metal tribute to soldiers and fighters, the song driving relentlessly forward. It's a hardcore metal track, perhaps a bit too much for me but it hits the notes it wants.
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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 it from looking cheap and instead it keeps it compelling when you'd normally expect kids television from this era to be less compelling. It keeps the adults in mine, and it's good it doesn't talk down.
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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 different sounds and emotions with the story it's trying to tell in the arc the songs go through.
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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 undertones of it. Here, though, it's also nice, simple bluesy rock song. The five hundred ninety-ninth song: Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood There's a real polish to this song, a real contrast to the raucousness that sexual tracks were often dealt with in this era. It's a good, strong track, its memorable line and riff supported by noises that build to their own crescendo, not leaving that much to the imagination. It's still strong and it works with everything it tries to do. The six hundredth song: Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil Simple, with a bit of extra production, the song's focus on its maudlin feeling vocals works well for its mood and set up. The six hundred first song: Everything Counts - Depeche Mode As a more subdued synth pop album, Everything Counts puts its message front and centre, a clear commentary on greed and capitalism and a track that builds on that feeling. It's not a simple track, but contains a more introspective feeling than what new wave usually brings. The six hundred second song: Dear Prudence - Siouxsie & the Banshees The ethereal sound of this track adds a different undertone to the song, elevating a love song in a way I struggle to find a place. It's psychedelic rock, out there a fair bit, with a real feeling of floating through the story.
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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 overall mostly just a neat track that doesn't outstay its welcome but just continues to feel good. The five hundred ninetieth song: Great Southern Land - Icehouse Without knowing for sure, it feels like the music of Great Southern Land invokes that feeling of being lost, a large place you get lost in. The lyrics invoke an admiration for the country, a talk about Australia that works nicely to invoke a more unsettling mood about the country that feels like it suits the story they want to tell about the land. The five hundred ninety-first song: Party Fears II - The Associates The high, almost operatic vocals of Party Fears II creates the real unsettling background to this track's building hysteria. It starts as a nice simple pop sound, but several times builds with the lyrics to an anxious crescendo that feeds the scaredness of the lyrics. It makes it not entirely easy to listen to, but the mood it does evoke gets set up incredibly well. The five hundred ninety-second song: Situation - Yazoo We follow up with another synthy track, another that I had not heard of before. The track has that upbeat new wave sound, but becomes more threatening with its chorus, repeating 'move out' with a more menacing, darker voice. Quite what it's challenging, I'm not sure, but it's a worthwhile one to hear here. The five hundred ninety-third song: Rock The Casbah - The Clash The sound of Rock the Casbah is one you'd expect from the Clash, a slightly slurred vocal that belies the lyrics, which are smarter and a bit more political about that, addressing some semi-fictional bans on rock music that come to a head in the song. It's a good idea, and the shouted chorus really helps to enforce that defiant party atmosphere. The five hundred ninety-fourth song: Buffalo Gals - Malcom Mclaren Only as this track started did I realize that I had missed out on some hip hop appearing in the list at this point. I'm sure that won't be as common on later batches of songs, but here it still feels like the sound is being built up in here. The track has its rap sounds and a lot of scratching, the latter of which feels a lot less common these days, but it also has the musical interludes and synth sounds that feel like they disappear later. Add to that the tamer lyrics - referencing square dancing a lot - and I really feel like I'm mostly getting an insight into the rap of the contemporary era.
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