*** Post-1979 Album Draft - Commentary Thread ***

[Mithrandir]

I'm going to send Mith a MixCD when this is all done.

I wonder if you would like a mixCD I sent you more or less than I would like a MixCD that you sent me ??

[DMT]

Why? I said i do like some rap music, Beasties being one, but most of it sounds alike to me.

Just curious who else besides Beastie Boys you're a fan of. Also, your first comment gave me the impression that your feelings on the rap genre were negative.

[johnnya24]

I wonder if you would like a mixCD I sent you more or less than I would like a MixCD that you sent me ??

Maybe you two should take it to the PM's?

[Mithrandir]

Just curious who else besides Beastie Boys you're a fan of. Also, your first comment gave me the impression that your feelings on the rap genre were negative.

Sorry i thought that you might have read my discussion with mjl? about my feelings for rap music.

I tend to enjoy some rap songs once in a great while..if the mood strikes..which is very rare..i prefer the ones that aren't about the "thug" life... The PM Dawn songs were ok.

The Beastie Boys just strike a chord in the small small rap section of my musical brain.

[DMT]

Sorry i thought that you might have read my discussion with mjl? about my feelings for rap music.

I tend to enjoy some rap songs once in a great while..if the mood strikes..which is very rare..i prefer the ones that aren't about the "thug" life... The PM Dawn songs were ok.

The Beastie Boys just strike a chord in the small small rap section of my musical brain.

You're not the first person I've heard/read say that they like the Beastie Boys but don't like rap music. Granted, the Beastie Boys transcend musical genres like most great artists, but I just find it odd that so many white people like the Beastie Boys while at the same time eschew rap in general. In no way am I implying you're being racist in your music tastes, but it's hard for me to see this as mere coincidence. I see a similarity with the way Living Colour never gained the popularity they deserved because they are Black, I think the Beastie Boys are more popular because they are White. There are plenty of other rap/hip-hop artists that transcend the genre, but I've met very few other white people who are fans, unless they are fans of the genre.

[mjl]

I agree somewhat, but it's also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy because people haven't heard many of the black rap artists who sounded as different as the Beastie Boys did back then. There are plenty of white people in the last decade who like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, and groups that don't sound like stereotypical rap, and there are plenty of white people now who might not consider themselves rap fans in general but like Kanye or Jay-Z. But in 1990, there were almost no rap groups that got Top-40 airplay and some of the Beasties stuff is a bit more radio-friendly; even relatively accessible stuff like Run-DMC didn't get much play on non-black-targeted radio stations outside of New York.

(I may be wrong on a lot of this of course, I'm not exactly a scholar of the subject.)

[Mithrandir]

You're not the first person I've heard/read say that they like the Beastie Boys but don't like rap music. Granted, the Beastie Boys transcend musical genres like most great artists, but I just find it odd that so many white people like the Beastie Boys while at the same time eschew rap in general. In no way am I implying you're being racist in your music tastes, but it's hard for me to see this as mere coincidence. I see a similarity with the way Living Colour never gained the popularity they deserved because they are Black, I think the Beastie Boys are more popular because they are White. There are plenty of other rap/hip-hop artists that transcend the genre, but I've met very few other white people who are fans, unless they are fans of the genre.

Oh i agree. For me it has less to do with their race, than their music. I just think they "sound" different from other rap groups. Is that because they are white? Does the fact that they are white mean they have a different style in their rap music than the black rap groups?

I love Hendrix and Chuck Berry and Fats Domino

[Mithrandir]

I agree somewhat, but it's also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy because people haven't heard many of the black rap artists who sounded as different as the Beastie Boys did back then. There are plenty of white people in the last decade who like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, and groups that don't sound like stereotypical rap, and there are plenty of white people now who might not consider themselves rap fans in general but like Kanye or Jay-Z. But in 1990, there were almost no rap groups that got Top-40 airplay and some of the Beasties stuff is a bit more radio-friendly; even relatively accessible stuff like Run-DMC didn't get much play on non-black-targeted radio stations outside of New York.

(I may be wrong on a lot of this of course, I'm not exactly a scholar of the subject.)

This is exactly what i was thinking.

[DMT]

Oh i agree. For me it has less to do with their race, than their music. I just think they "sound" different from other rap groups. Is that because they are white? Does the fact that they are white mean they have a different style in their rap music than the black rap groups?

I love Hendrix and Chuck Berry and Fats Domino

They certainly crafted their own style and the commercial radio stations were obviously targeting their audiences based on demographics. And I know you like artists of all races so as I said it wasn't meant to be an accusation. I've appreciated that I haven't had to worry much in this draft about getting snaked on my favorite hip-hop albums.

[BuckyBuckner]

Sound Affects - The Jam (1980) - never listened to them

I think you would love them. I mean that seriously.

Grand Prix - Teenage Fanclub (1995) - not bad

One of my favorite albums that has been picked so far. Give it more of a listen, I think you'd like it a lot. There is a lot of catchy pop hooks on this.

[johnnya24]

Sound Affects - The Jam (1980) - never listened to them

I think you would love them. I mean that seriously.

The Jam were the biggest band in the UK for maybe 5 years ... bigger than The Clash or The Police. I think they held the record for most consecutive number 1's back when that actually meant something.

I guess the mod-revivalist thing was a bit too English?

[swampdragon]

everyone check out this link - and scroll slowly so that you can guess before the names pop up

http://djrioblog.com/2013/11/26/new-...world-gone-by/

[Lucky]

Recent picks comments, after listening to what I'm not familiar with:

14.04 Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years--It's Tom Waits…Tom FUCKING Waits.
14.05 - X - Wild Gift--I might get into them, but I dunno…sounded weird.
14.06 Debut - Bjork--Was on my short list, but at the bottom. I can't believe I won't be taking Bjork this draft.
14.07 Harvest Moon -- Neil Young--Everyone knows the title track? Uh no…and I couldn't make it to the minute mark of the song or any other.
14.08 - Amorica - The Black Crowes--Apparently, I'm not a Black Crowes fan…at all.
14.09 Scary Monsters - David Bowie--Never got into David Bowie…and this album is no exception
14.10 The Full-Custom Sounds of The Reverend Horton Heat - Reverend Horton Heat--Thank you ElD…my ears were starting to bleed. Love the Rev.
14.11 Life's Too Good - The Sugarcubes--Own it…Love it. Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow is a hidden fave of mine. The posted song, Delicious Demon, is no better than the 6th best song on the album…for me.
14.12 - A Kind of Magic - Queen--A sort of soundtrack to Highlander, one of those movies worshipped by my friends in HS. Good stuff within.
14.13 Hormonally Yours - Shakespeares Sister--Meh…middle of the pack at best in this bunch. I swear there was a song of theirs I really liked…but don't know what it is anymore.
14.14 The Colour and the Shape - Foo Fighters--Not a Foo Fighters fan, exactly, but I think this is the album to own…especially since I do. Monkey Wrench a great song and video.
14.15 Gaucho - Steely Dan--Gosh…what a shock pick from Lucky! BLECH!
15.02 The Lonesome Jubilee - John Cougar Mellencamp--JCM was big in the 80s…I like the pick though I would probably never own it.

3 albums I own, 1 I wish i did, 1 Tom Waits, and a whole bunch of stuff that ranges for meh to BLECH!

A brief and halfhearted defense of Gaucho...Steely Dan was one of the best of the 70s, and for all intents, this album closed out the decade for them. It was released in 1980, but the recording had begun over a year prior. It's not the best Steely Dan, but it is the best available, and a pretty good album. Like most everything they recorded, it was smart, both musically and lyrically.

I'm amazed when I look at the people they brought in for this recording. Here's a partial list:


Walter Becker - bass, guitar
Donald Fagen - organ, synthesizer, keyboards, electric piano, vocals
Anthony Jackson - bass
Chuck Rainey - bass
Joe Sample - electric piano
Larry Carlton - guitar
Rick Derringer - guitar
Mark Knopfler - lead guitar on "Time out of Mind"
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone, vocals
Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
David Sanborn - alto saxophone, vocals
Steve Gadd - percussion, drums
Jeff Porcaro - percussion, drums
Michael McDonald - vocals, background vocals
Valerie Simpson - vocals, background vocals

[johnnya24]

everyone check out this link - and scroll slowly so that you can guess before the names pop up

http://djrioblog.com/2013/11/26/new-...world-gone-by/

Depeche Mode have clearly been drinking the same elixir as Bjork.

[DMT]

Would it be inappropriate for me to post a link to my online inventory of records for sale? Stephen has purchased quite a few and I believe one of two other drafters have mentioned having a vinyl collection. Anyways, here it is for those who might be interested and don't forget to ask about the RJ discount.

http://www.discogs.com/seller/jaymalf