Thursday, March 28, 2024

Birds, Birds, Birds

 Yeah, I've always enjoyed birds.  From when we made feeders from milk cartons in first grade, on to today when I have several feeders in the backyard.  What can I say?


Anyway, lately, I discovered the "Sound ID" feature in Merlin Bird ID, and I've been logging birds heard in the back yard.  In 2x 5 minute sessions (at lunch time and after work), we heard:


  • American Crow
  • American Goldfinch
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • American Robin
  • Blue Jay
  • Carolina Chickadee
  • Carolina Wren
  • Dark-Eyed Junko
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Eastern Bluebird
  • Golden Crowned Kinglet
  • House Finch
  • House Sparrow
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Northern Flicker
  • Pine Siskin
  • Red Bellied Woodpecker
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • White Throated Sparrow

That's pretty cool, 19 different birds heard in my backyard in one day.  i have (not today) photographed all but 2 of those.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Week 13 (26 Mar – 1 April) Nature

 Week 13 (26 Mar – 1 April) Nature

Nature:  It’s everywhere and this week’s prompt is wide open.

 So there's this thing called Capture52, where they provide a prompt per week, and you're supposed to post a photo.  I've started it a couple of times but never made it very far.  I made it 9 weeks unitl I missed a week, and then another and then another...   But I'm back on the game, and will probably try and backfill for at least Week 10.


I just put up a birdhouse yesterday, and saw a Chickadee going in earlier....  But then this pair of Bluebirds were checking it out for a bit...   After they left, I opened it up, and it looks like the Chickadee has started a nest.  So it seems "ya snooze ya lose".  Or will the Bluebirds displace the Chickadee?  Drama, drama...




One Album A Day - 012

  One Album A Day - 012

 As I noted before, I've been working through the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, as presented though the 1001 album generator web site.  My goal is to present a week (or so) of reviews, once every week (or so).  

So here's the next few albums I listened to:

# - Year - Album - Artist - Rating - Global

100 - 1973 - Space Ritual - Hawkwind - 2 - 2.71
101 - 1989 - Disintegration - The Cure - 3 - 3.8
102 - 2012 - Channel Orange - Frank Ocean - 2 - 3.37
103 - 1982 - The Message - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - 3 3.28
104 - 1974 - Bad Company - Bad Company - 4 - 3.27
105 - 1968 - The White Album - Beatles - 4 - 4.18
106 - 1973 - Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock - 5 - 3.57
107 - 2000 - Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams  - 3 - 3.02
108 - 2000 - Chore of Enchantment - Giant Sand - 2 - 2.71
109 - 1995 - Garbage - Garbage - 4 - 3.35
110 - 2000 - The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem - 1 - 3.53
111 - 1980 - Kilimanjaro - The Teardrop Explodes - 3 - 2.93
112 - 1997 - Tellin’ Stories - The Charlatans - 4 - 2.96


And this posting's Reviews:

112 - Tellin’ Stories - The Charlatans - 4
Yet another Brit-pop album... I does seem like there's a lot of late 20th century UK bands (that I've never heard of) on this project. Whatever.

Looking at Wikipedia, it seems these guys' claim to fame is touring in support of Oasis. Although this album did hit #1 in UK (but apparently did not chart in US).

Whatever. This is my favorite (so far) of these, it doesn't sound like all the others. Good solid rock feel, the vocals aren't strained, the bass sounds good. The songs are pretty upbeat and catchy. I'll be listening to this again, I was thinking high 3, maybe round to 4. But the more I listened, the more I dug it. Easy 4

111 - Kilimanjaro - The Teardrop Explodes - 3
Generic 1980 Brit-pop. I guess it is pleasant.... enough. Really, it's fine... really. I mean, I feel like I ought to like this. And I don't dislike it. But it is nothing especially special.

I've never heard of The Teardrop Explodes, and I was still pretty musically savvy in 1980. I was doing the whole "college radio" thing back then, they clearly didn't make any splash in the US.

Anyway, easy 3.

110 - The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem - 1
Well, at least it's clear right off with what's in store, with the 25 second "announcement". Coarse and profane, misogynous, homophobic, violent, that's this album. In the song Marshall Mathers, he raps "I think I was put here to annoy the world".. well A for effort, if not execution. I'm not impressed, I'm not outraged either. It just seems so very trite. And long, at over 70 minutes.

That said, the song "Stan" has a pretty cool sound / groove. But the lyrics follow the ramblings of a pathetic fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend because Eminem didn't respond to fan letters fast enough. Cheerful, huh?

Most of the grooves are tolerable, better than a lot of the Hip Hop I've been fed through this project. But Hip Hop is supposedly about the lyrics, and the lyrics here are pretty much intolerable.

Note: Spotify only has 17 of the 19 songs from this album, but you know, I've had enough and won't dig up those other.

I was going to give this a 2 since some of the grooves are decent, but sheesh. The crap messaging knocks it down to 1/5. I have to wonder about what kind of person love this stuff.

109 - Garbage - Garbage - 4
Somebody was listening to a lot of Nirvana.... At least that was my first thought when I put this on. But it moves in different directions as we go along, and even that first song works.

My expectations were pretty low going in, another mid 90's album from a band I've never heard of. With a name like "Garbage". But I'm pleasantly surprised. This is rather good. Actually, quite good. Some of it it really good! The music is mostly upbeat, solid alt-rock. Lots of good bass, which is a big thing to me. The lyrics are a little angst-y, but not excessive. Nothing too complicated. Really good, clean sound.

Really, this is the kind of thing I came to this project for. I'll need to listen to this a few more times. 4/5

108 - Chore of Enchantment - Giant Sand - 2
Well... meh? This album didn't hook me. It didn't delight me. Nor did it offend me. Or challenge me. I didn't hate it, or like it. There must be some reason it is on the list, some reason why I "must" to listen to it before I die. But I can't discern it.

The vocalist generally sounds like he's half asleep. The playing is competent, but laid back. clean and clear, but nothing memorable. At best it hints at Velvet Underground, but without the edge, the spirit, the ... well the danger. Maybe Neil Young's "Tonight's The Night" without the raw emotion and angst.

My first thought was to give this a 3, because it is certainly competent. But it creates no real emotional response at all. The Allmusic review sums it up nicely: "Many of the songs tend to drift by without grabbing hold". And a reviewer at Sputnik Music said: "There’s just enough meat to keep the listener interested throughout the sixty minutes of Chore of Enchantment." No, there's not enough meat. Boring is a sin in music. That'll knock it down to a 2.

107 - Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams - 3
I'm not familiar with Ryan Adams, so I checked the reviews... it appears that Mr Adams is a reprehensible human being. Well, that's unfortunate. On the other hand, Rock Star and Reprehensible Human Being go together more often than I'd like to think. I'm not sure starts were better in my youth, but the lack of 24 hr news cycle and no social media provided a level of insulation, and maybe allowed a level of willful ignorance on fans' behalf.

Anyway, what about the music? I was pleased that this album from the year 2000 is not all synths, autotune and drum boxes, with no hint of rap or hip hop. The opening song has a rollicking feel, somewhat reminiscent of Dylan's "From A Buick 6". That's a nice start, but also the high point. It doesn't drop off much, at least. This is a pretty relaxed feeling album, with a very "natural" feel. Acoustic guitar, harmonica, a touch of banjo. Un-affected vocals. Very "real". Especially compared to other albums from 2000, like Britney Spears, Eminem, NSYNC.

Really, this is the type of sound that I generally like, and that's good. But it's just not especially memorable. Still, a lot better than I expected. Might've been pushing towards a 3.5, but gotta dock a bit for the personal "problems".

3/5

106 - Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock - 5
Proving that Funky can be Fun, Head Hunters is one of the great Jazz albums ever. Peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200 (in 1974), it had great crossover success, and is one of the top selling jazz albums of all time. Wikipedia says it was “Among the defining moments of the [then] emerging jazz fusion and jazz-funk movements…” That pretty well sums it up.

I own this album, am quite familiar with it. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone interested in classic Jazz, fusion or funk

It is an easy 4.5/5, in this case I’ll round up because of its significance.

5

105 - The White Album - Beatles - 4
The Beatles are probably the most important band in 75 years. Read the biography of almost any rock musician from the late 60’s through the early 80s and you’ll find out they were inspired to take up music by the Beatles. The Beatles released a dozen albums in just over 7 years in the UK, and 11 of them reached #1. Yellow Submarine “only” made it to #3. This was repackaged into 17 US releases, 14 of which hit #1 (with the other 3x hitting #2). They are iconic, they are pervasive. In the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, anybody who listened to music knew Beatles songs, even if they didn’t realize they were Beatles songs.

So, what about The White Album? This is the 9th UK release, coming on the heels of the perfect trio of “Rubber Soul”, “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper…”. The bar couldn’t be set higher. And this album comes close to meeting expectations, but falls a little short. A double album, with 30 songs clocking in at over 90 minutes. It’s certainly ambitious. And there’s no shortage of brilliant music. From harder songs like “Helter Skelter” and “Back in the USSR”, to some of the prettiest songs they did, like “Blackbird” and “I Will”. And everything in between. And there-in lies the problem.

This album is all over the place, and sometimes seem like the members are lurching 4 different directions from song to song. I’ve seen it referred to as having a “fragmentary style”. Strains within the band are well documented, and reportedly, only 14 of the 30 songs feature all four members performing. Revolution 9 brings Yoko Ono into the process, and should never have seen the light of day. In retrospect, this album showed that the Beatles were not going to last much longer.

BUT (and a big but) it all works out and the wealth of high-spots outweigh the weak spots. I wish it were more cohesive, I wish that it were more concise. I wish that “Revolution 9” had been discarded. I wish I could go 4.5, but that’s not an option. And I can’t give 5 stars to an album that devotes 8+ minutes to Revolution 9.

So 4/5 it is.

104 - Bad Company - Bad Company - 4
Bad Company hit the scene in the summer of 1974. The summer before I started high school, a fine time. And the album made a huge splash, topping the Billboard album charts and selling 5x Platinum. And I had one of those 5 million sold, mine was on 8 track tape. Yes, this was the sound of that particular slice of the 70’s. It was all over the radio, and one of my heavy-rotation albums back then. annd still a staple of and almost every song from the album was a staple of Classic Rock today. And I still listen to it occasionally 50 years later.

That said, it’s not really “compelling”…. It’s not deep and meaningful. One of my favorites, but never my actual favorite. Just good, solid, mid-70s rock. It’s a notable coincidence that the first single (Can’t Get Enough) was on the charts at the same time as the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock And Roll (But I Like It)”. And sometimes that’s enough.

Bad Company would go on to release 4 more successful albums in the 70’s, but none were as good (or as successful) as this debut.

Solid 4.5/5, but rounds down to 4

103 - The Message - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - 3
Well, I saw this was another Hip Hop album, and my expectation were really low. But it’s also from 1982, so maybe there’s hope. I’ve heard of grandmaster flash, but didn’t have any associations.Fortunately, my expectations were misplaced.

The first song “She’s Fresh” really nails the funk, pegs the scale.

“Its Nasty” rips off (sorry, samples) the riff from Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love”, but build it into a better song.

“Scorpio” has a good groove, but I don’t dig the mechanical vocal effects…. Guess that was cutting edge in 1982 (yes I was there).

I’m not a huge fan of “It’s a Shame”, more beat box and scratching standard 80’s rap, not much groove, but harmless.

“Dreaming’” is an homage to Stevie Wonder, complete with a spoken dedication, and interlude. Frankly the “dreamin ‘bout you Stevie” stuff is kind of creepy.

“You Are” continues in the same vein as Dreamin’, sort of standard soulful slow dance song, with lots of synth strings. Nice piano, though. There’s a spoken part that reveals the “You” is Jesus Christ, which comes off as discordant in the context of what sounds like a seduction song.

“The Message” - oh yeah, I’ve heard this. A little too heavy on the programmed beat, and certainly more rap than funk. But it’s got some funky in there, and is an indication where the style can excel.

Overall? Not bad. Several pretty good songs, and several that were ok. “Dreamin’” and “You Are” are almost jarringly out of place, and pretty forgettable. That said I can see why this was popular.

very solid 3/5

102 - Channel Orange - Frank Ocean - 2
I’ve listened to more Hip Hop in the 100+ days of this project, than in the whole of my life previously. And I’m still not a fan.

This is not really bad, though. The soul aspect helps along. And the beats are more shuffling than pounding. But still too much fixed beat, too much mostly spoken vocals, not enough melody. Too much auto tune (anything more than none is too much). But there is some sense of these being actual songs, and that’s good.

I was feeling generous, was going to give a three, but the longer it went, the more I lost interest. I found myself checking “how much more” when it was just past 1/2 through… too often. By the time I was about 75% through, I was down to a 2. Sorry, just too much.

2/5

101 - Disintegration - The Cure - 3
I’ve never listened to the Cure (before this). My impression is based on their reputation as providing “introspective gothic rock” for this kids who dressed all in black and moaned about hating life. I watched their induction ceremony to the rock and roll hall of fame, which pretty much reinforced that. So let’s actually listen to an album and see what we think:

The sound is pretty lush, a “big room” feel. Lots of synth. The pacing is generally sluggish, the vocals are sort of strained, a tormented soul calling out. Modern English meets Dumptruck. Wikipedia called the band’s sound “dark and tormented”, and I guess that fits. But this album isn’t that harsh, and it rather works. Not the kind of thing that’ll end up in my collection, but I can certainly respect it. The hit Lovesong is pretty good, pulls the elements together nicely. A bit faster, a bit less mopey, the keyboards are brighter, and an accessible 3:29. A nice change from most of the album’s 5-9 minute songs.

Now this mix could be really irritating, but like many releases in the early days of CDs, it is excessively long, clocking over 70 minutes.

Overall, I’ll give this a 3/5, I’d go 3.5 if I could.

100 - Space Ritual - Hawkwind - 2
I would probably like this if I used or had ever used, hallucinogens. But I don't / didn't. I had some friends in college (late 70's) who had some Hawkwind, and they were into a lot of the harder "mind stimulants". That must be the key. Don't get me wrong, I like prog music: yes, ELP, Genesis... even Triumvirat, Crack The Sky and Nektar. Pink Floyd, ya know. But this compares to Yes like Yes compares to ABBA... It is pretty far out there.

This is an early 70's live album, but the quality seems poor even by those standards. Space Ritual is very muddy sounding, and the vocals sound very far away. The squeaks and whistles and "space sounds" are right up front, though. On the other hand, maybe that's on purpose? Musically it's not horrible, but the jams don't really have any direction, and the weird sounds rather bug me. Looking at Wikipedia, I see that Lemmy was the bass player here, before going on to Motorhead. I'm not sure what that means, but it is an interesting factoid.

I don't hate this, but a cleaner sound, and a bit more concise presentation would help a lot. And some of it is pretty decent. But a lot more isn't decent. As it is, clocking in at almost 90 minutes, this just seems like wretched excess.

Sorry, this is a 2, I struggled to make it a little past 1/2 way through.


Monday, March 25, 2024

The echo which man desires to hear...

 "How delighted I shall be to ramble for a while through bushes, woods, under trees, through grass and around rocks.  No one can love the countryside as much as I do. For surely woods trees and rocks produce the echo which man desires to hear."  - Beethoven







- - -

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Crows Are Hard



 I've been trying to document birds, both in our backyard, and around. And that includes crows, who have been hanging around lately. And it has been a challenge trying to get a halfway decent photo. An all black bird... ALL black. A bird that spends most of the time high in the branches. And they're not exactly pretty birds, either...  Nor do they have a pleasant call.

Anyway, I managed a couple shots recently. Now I can get back to the cute colorful birds that are usually around.



Thursday, March 21, 2024

Cardinal (Male)


 Cardinals are pretty plentiful, but that doesn't make them any less beautiful.

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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Monday, March 18, 2024

Panos!

 A couple of panoramas from the humble iPhone....  From Watershed Nature Center.  Fun to do, every once in a while.







Sunday, March 17, 2024

Week 10 (5 Mar - 11 Mar) Black and white portrait

 So there's this thing called Capture52, where they provide a prompt per week, and you're supposed to post a photo.  I've started it a couple of times but never made it very far.  So, let's try again.  9 weeks in, and still making it. that's better than 2023, almost matching 14 in 2022, so this matches last year!   


Well, another late posting, but this time it is because I failed.  I was travelling that week, and really didn't have an opportunity.  Plus, I'm not really a portrait person. But I made it 8 weeks, and hopefully can pick it back up.


I should post some b-and-w portraits I've taken through the years, but it'll take time to dig them up.




 



Saturday, March 16, 2024

One Album A Day - 011

 One Album A Day - 011

 As I noted before, I've been working through the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, as presented though the 1001 album generator web site.  My goal is to present a week (or so) of reviews, once every week (or so).  

So here's the next few albums I listened to:


# - Year - Album - Artist - Rating - Global
88 - 1979 - Reggatta De Blanc - The Police
 - 5 - 3.44
89 - 1969 - Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago
 - 4 - 3.19
90 - 1989 - Raw Like Sushi - Neneh Cherry
 - 3 - 2.71
91 - 1974 - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard Thompson
 - 4 - 3.04
92 - 2005 - Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes
 - 3 - 3.46
93 - 1998 - Ray Of Light - Madonna - 3
 - 2.96
94 - 1970 - Deep Purple In Rock
 - Deep Purple - 4 - 3.35
95 - 1990 - Fear Of A Black Planet
 - Public Enemy - 1 - 3.34
96 - 1978 - The Modern Dance
 - Pere Ubu - 3 - 2.54
97 - 1990 - Shake Your Money Maker
 - The Black Crowes - 4 - 3.29
98 - 1984 - A Walk Across The Rooftops
 - The Blue Nile - 3 - 2.87
99 - 2001 - Amnesiac
 - Radiohead - 3 - 3.44



And this posting's Reviews:

99 - Amnesiac - Radiohead - 3
I only knew the name Radiohead, was totally ignorant on the music.

Overall, pretty decent. Well done, good sound. Don’t love the singer but not too bad. I can see why lots of people like this. But it didn’t really “wow” me either. May grow on me if I listen again.   3.5, round down to 3

98 - A Walk Across The Rooftops - The Blue Nile - 3
Hmm…. A Scottish band from 1984 that I’ve never heard of. Could be interesting. Check reviews, average rating is 2.87…. Uh oh.

It’s ok, nothing special. But then again, I never really “got” the rhythm sound of the 80’s. And especially the UK synth-pop bands. The drums are way too treble-y / compressed, there's way to much of the synth sounds that dominated the era. The songs are kind of down beat.... But it works OK, for what it is. And what it is is not what I prefer.   3/5, it wasn’t boring.

97 - Shake Your Money Maker - The Black Crowes - 4
I’ve owned this album since it was current (1990). I really liked it when it came out, and still enjoy / appreciate it. It really throws back to the blues-rock of the late 70’s, which I grew up on. Maybe reminiscent of Bad Company meets Grand Funk, with a big hat tip to the 70’s Stones and a few hints of Zeppelin. This got a lot of play on Mainstream Rock radio, that would’ve been how I discovered it. I was in my early 30’s, with a wife and 2 young kids and my job that had me on the road a lot; this was like comfort food for me.

33 years later it still gets played, but I wouldn’t call it essential. The high points are very high: Twice as Hard, Jealous Again, Hard To Handle (great Otis Redding cover), She Talks To Angels (one of the saddest songs of its time), Stare It Cold…. The rest is very solid.

There’s nothing too dramatic here, just good old fashioned straight ahead rock and roll. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.   4/5


96 - The Modern Dance - Pere Ubu - 3
I know of Pere Ubu from back in the day, and I have the 1976 single “Final Solution” on a compilation album. But this album will be new to me. I’m pretty interested to listen to this. I “warmed up” by playing the aforementioned Final Solution, which I like (rated 3/5 stars on my iTunes). So on to the album.

I like the overall sound here, a little “unpolished”, good driving rhythms. Not a huge fan of the vocal stylings, but reminiscent of Television. And some of the more experimental passages aren’t my favorite. But this isn’t boring, it’s different, and there’s several high points that take me right back to 1978. Really, this is the kind of album I came to this project to hear. That said, this is certainly niche, and not something I expect to purchase.   Solid 3/5 for being ambitious, and interesting.

95 - Fear Of A Black Planet - Public Enemy - 1
Hip Hop is my lowest rated genre, barely beating Electronica…. It is just not my thing. I’ve had on other Public Enemy album, it rated 1/5 for me.

I don’t like the lack of any sort of melody, nothing approaching a “hook”. No discernible verse-chorus type structure. I just don’t like the scratches and squeals and samples and such.

This seems to be a very well respected album, with Platinum sales, and 4x songs that were atop 11 on the Rap charts. It ranked #300 on Rolling Stone’s greatest albums list. It was certainly successful. It’s well put together. I can see where the messages resonate with a lot of people. It’s just not a style of music that I like. Similar to I don’t like Opera.

All that said, I like this one a little better than the previous one (It takes a nation…). I but I didn’t make it all the way through the 63 minutes, so I guess it’s still a 1/5

94 - Deep Purple In Rock - Deep Purple - 4
Deep Purple is an interesting beast. With 4 distinct configurations over their initial run, designated Mark I, Mark II, Mark III and Mark IV. Over those 4 configurations they released 10 studio albums in 8 years, plus 3 live albums. I've often thought their constant changes really held them back from even bigger success than they had. Smoke On The Water is one of the best known songs in rock, and Machine Head is a brilliant album. The double live Made In Japan is universally considered among the top live albums ever. All of which were the Mark II band.

In Rock is the configuration that broke the band into the stratosphere, and defined the sound that they would be instantly recognizable. This album rocks with Ritchie Blackmore's guitar, and Jon Lord's organ, which are 2 of the really defining keys to Deep Purple's sound. The album starts hard with Speed Kind and really doesn't let up. Really solid 70's hard rock, one of the bands that kicked off the entire heavy metal genre.

All of the Mark II albums are very good, but only Machine Head is essential. Well, Machine Head and Made In Japan. And In Rock isn't far behind those benchmarks.

Aside: This album is not available on Spotify, only 2 songs. And I only owned 2 songs (via an anthology collection). But it is on Youtube, which worked fine.   Solid 4/5

93 - Ray Of Light - Madonna - 3
Not expecting a lot here, last Madona album to come up here didn't really wow me.

I was a little surprised just how far down she is in the mix here, I thought she was a spotlight voice. Then again, I think I had a similar comment on the last Madonna album here (Music). The sound is overall lush, certainly well produced from a music standpoint... but the vocals are too far away. Overall, I like this a little better than Music. But it's really nothing special. And LONG. If these were 3-4 minute songs, it would be better. But each songs repeats for 5-6 minutes, which is simply monotonous.

Since it exceeded my (low) expectations, I'll go 3/5

92 - Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes - 3
White Stripes are one of those bands that everyone gushed about during the early 2000's. But I know more about their image than their music. The whole Red/White/Black thing... Were they siblings? Spouses? Both!?!?! And Jack White being touted as the greatest guitarist of the millennia. The only song I could identify as their was 7 Nation Army, which is one of the most overplayed bits in ages.

Anyway, on to the music:
Overall, this is fine. Pretty good even. Not my favorite, but certainly solid.
Probably the closest I have in collection to this is Them Crooked Vultures.
The highpoint was "The Denial Twist", because I'm quite familiar with Weird Al's parody "CNR". You know how it is. or you should.

Anyway, yeah it's good. Certainly NOT boring. I'd probably go 3.5 if I could. But this one'll round down to 3   3/5

91 - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard Thompson - 4
I'm not sure what I expected here, but not what I got. Richard and Linda Thompson are one of those highly respected groups / performers that I've never heard. I mean, this made the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums (albeit at #479), one of 2x R&L Thompson albums on that list.

Anyway, I quite like this album. It is very much English Folk, somewhat reminiscent of Steeleye Span. With what I think is a renaissance type mood. I've listened to this twice today, and I'mm sure I'll listen to this again, and I expect it to grow on me. For now it's 4/5

90 - Raw Like Sushi - Neneh Cherry - 3
Just 3 days ago, I was complaining that over 10% of my “assignments” here were Electronica, and how it is my second worst rated genre. I didn’t note then that the only genre ranked below Electronic is Hip Hop. So here we go, an album tagged both Electronica and Hip Hop. Groan. But also tagged Pop. Well let’s give it a shot….

I like this a lot more than some of the other Electronica or hip hop albums I’ve been served here. There’s songs that remind me of Madonna, and of the Spice Girls…. Maybe Paula Abdul. These are actual songs, with melody and such. Certainly dance music, but retaining the basic concepts of being music.

Overall, it’s ok, better than any of the other Electronica albums I’ve listened to. It gets a little repetitive, especially when the bonus tracks roll along. But really decent overall.
3/5

89 - Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago - 4
The debut album from Chicago is notable in a lot of ways. It is an auspicious debut, reaching #17 on the US album charts, and selling double platinum. It includes several really great songs including 2x top 10 singles (Beginnings and Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?) and another top 25 (Questions 67 &68). This was a new sound, horns like this kid had never heard (in pop music). Killer guitar, shifting soundscapes.an impressive start.

It's also a bit audacious. How many bands release a double album as a debut? And there's the rub. 32 minutes of this album are outstanding; really really great. But the album runs 76+ minutes, and a good bit of that is not compelling. I wish they had been more concise, maybe cutting a song or two (looking at you, Freeform Guitar and Poem 58). I just wish the whole thing was a bit more concise. It could've been stunning, instead it's just really good. This is early Chicago, before Tery Kath (guitar) died, and before soft rock stardom took over. 

Full disclosure, I own this album.   All in all 4/5

88 - Reggatta De Blanc - The Police - 5
The Police exploded onto the music scene during my freshman year of college, and dominated the airwaves over 5 albums in just under 5 years. I have all their albums on vinyl, all bought when current. They brought a different sound, new and exciting. People would stop by my dorm and ask “what is that?” When it was playing in those first couple of weeks. Of course, soon everybody knew. Looking back through the lens of 45 years, it is easy to forget just how unique this sound was at the time. The Police were one of the drivers bringing New Wave to the masses at the end of the 70’s.

It is interesting that Regatta de Blanc is the first Police album to show up here. It is actually the lowest charting (US) of the 5 releases, only making it to #25. It is a really solid album, but doesn’t have as many standout songs as their other records, but doesn’t have any real low points. It is probably my 2nd favorite of the 5 releases, only a hair below the debut. They really lean into the “White Reggae” thing here, as evidenced by the album title, but still includes a couple of straight rockers, “It’s alright for you” and “no time this time” which are both excellent.

It’s a great album that has stood the test of time. Hugely successful, influential…. 5/5

Edge Of Spring - Missouri Botanical Garden

Nice early season visit to Missouri Botanical Garden yesterday, March 15th.  A little grey, a little cool-ish, and a lot of "not-quite-yet" on the foliage.  But it was a really nice day.  It could be interesting to start a project to go back periodically and try to recreate these 3 photos are the garden grow...

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Wide angle:  Focal length = 10mm, which is 15mm equivalent

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"Normal" angle:  Focal length = 42.5mm, which is 63.75mm equivalent
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And a pano from my phone, cropped to 16x9 aspect ratio
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Friday, March 08, 2024

Week 09 (26 Feb - 4 Mar) Macro/Up close

  So there's this thing called Capture52, where they provide a prompt per week, and you're supposed to post a photo.  I've started it a couple of times but never made it very far.  So, let's try again.  9 weeks in, and still making it. that's better than 2023, almost matching 14 in 2022, so this matches last year! 

Posting late here, but it was on-time to 365project and the FB Group....

Week 09 (26 Feb - 4 Mar) Macro/Up close Choose your subject and get up close.

This was as close as I could get w/o a macro lens...




Wednesday, March 06, 2024

One Album A Day - 010

 One Album A Day - 010

 As I noted before, I've been working through the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, as presented though the 1001 album generator web site.  My goal is to present a week (or so) of reviews, once every week (or so).  

So here's the next few albums I listened to:

# - Year - Album - Artist - Rating - Global
78 - 199 - Nevermind - Nirvana - 4 - 4.4
79 - 1977 - New Boots And Panties - Ian Dury - 4 - 2.78
80 - 2000 - Parachutes - Coldplay - 3 - 3.45
81 - 1971 - Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones - 5 - 3.88
82 - 1970 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - 4 - 3.76
83 - 1986 - Graceland - Paul Simon - 5 - 3.75
84 - 1999 - The Contino Sessions - Death In Vegas - 2 - 2.91
85 - 2014 - Lost In The Dream - The War On Drugs - 3 - 3.41
86 - 1978 - Shalimar - Rahul Dev Burman - 3 - 2.63
87 - 2007 - Cross - Justice - 1 - 3.31



And this posting's Reviews:

78 - Nevermind - Nirvana - 4
Nevermind was a watershed album, a new sound that captured everyone’s attention. I know (now) it wasn’t Nirvana’s first album, nor were they the first grunge band. But they were were the first to explode, and this is the album that broke out. I was in my early 30’s when this came out, and I was mightily impressed. I can imagine the impact it would’ve had on me if I had been 17. The first five songs are outstanding, and the rest are very solid. That said, this is not an album that I listen to very often. It is overall dark, and unhappy. It starts to wear the further along it gets. Kinda of like the Sex Pistols, which came out when I WAS 17. I’d play side one of that album at top volume before heading out with the guys, but rarely side 2 (back in the vinyl days, kids). And it just doesn’t get that much play these days. Part of me says this deserves a 5 for the first 1/2 cultural significance, Weird Al did a spoof of Teen Spirit after all. But I settle to 4, because the 2nd half drags, and it’s simply not something that gets played (by me) very often. 4/4

79 - New Boots And Panties - Ian Dury - 4
I miss 1977. A year that saw the release of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Pink Floyd’s Animals, Styx’s Grande illusion, Meatloaf’s Bat Out Of Hell, Steely Dan’s Aja, Foreigner’s debut…But also the debut albums from The Sex Pistols, The Jam, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. And even Ian Dury. Point is, it was a wide open time, open to a wide range of music. And I liked it all. I own (and have long owned) almost every album mention above, except Ian Dury. I have singles of Sex and Drugs and Rick and Roll, and of Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick. Fun, a little bit whacky, decidedly original. Not boring. But, before today, I’d not heard the whole album. So let’s get to it: This album was everything I hoped for. Fun, a little bit whacky, decidedly original. Not boring. It built nicely, peaking with the latter songs. I’m going to want to listen to this again, spend some more time with this one. 4/5

80 - Parachutes - Coldplay - 3
I know the name Coldplay, but I don't think I've heard anything by them. At least not knowingly. It is a lot more "pleasant" than I expected, Pretty melodic, has that sort of guitar sound that i equate with a lot of Christian Contemporary music. kind of a pulsing, doubling the beat kind of thing. With a decidedly mid-tempo beat. The vocals are a little high-pitched, but clear and not strained. The overall sound is clean and clear. It's all fine. Just fine. As in only fine. Somewhat "backgroundy"... Nothing to especially like, or dislike. It was intersting to read the reviews here, seems that Coldplay inspires a lot of VERY postitive and VERY negative reactions. I guess it cultural, where you may have been (personal space) in 2000. Looking at them without that lens, I can't really generate a lot of emotional response one way or the other. Solid 3/5.

81 - 1971 - Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones - 5
Sticky Fingers was the first Sones studio release of the 70’s, coming out in Spring 1971. This was a staple of “Album Oriented” radio, and was a notable part of the soundtrack of my teens. “Brown Sugar”, Bitch” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” are top notch, with “Wild Horses” as a solid change of pace (though not as good as “Angie”). One of the first Rolling Stones albums I owned. An Iconic album from an iconic band, with some iconic songs; complete with an iconic album cover. What’s not to like? Well…. Like a lot of Stones records, the highs are VERY high, but there’s a fair bit of middling songs, and a couple that are not so good. For me at least, the last 1/3 of the album isn’t compelling, while the first 1/2 is outstanding. And like a lot of Stones records, often the lyrics aren’t politically correct. Especially by current standards, but even back in the day. At least they were consistent, and unapologetic. The only questing is if those couple of average songs can drag this down from 5 to 4. After a fresh listen, I’m settling on 5.

82 - 1970 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - 4
Another iconic album that has been in my collection for many years. The debut album from Black Sabbath, an album many credit with creating Heavy Metal (TM). Unquestionably iconic. That said, this is not my favorite Sabbath album, and I never owned it on vinyl. I think they were still developing as an entity at this point, and their next 4 albums are objectively better. But that just means “really good” instead of “outstanding”. Overall, it’s just not as “tight”, as their latter albums, which is supported by the reports the whole thing was recorded in a single 12 hr session, with virtually no overdubs. Evil Woman is the only cover version in the Sabbath catalog, and it strikes me as an A&R man’s addition is search of a hit. I’ve often wondered how much better this could’ve been with a bit more care in the process, a bit more faith from the record company. But this is the first, the one that defined (not redefined) heavy music. And there’s a several great songs. This is a solid album, groundbreaking. But I’ll still prefer Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, or even Vol. 4. All of which I owned on vinyl since the 70’s. Another solid 4/5

83 - Graceland - Paul Simon - 5
Paul Simon’s Graceland is one of those albums that I consider to be “important”. It had been 3 years since Simon’s last album, which had only reached #35 on the US charts, and 6 years since his last top 40 hit. Simon had just turned 45, he was recently divorced, and his star seemed to be fading. He’s quoted as saying he was “in a tailspin”. In response, he did something completely different. He was given a bootleg cassette of music from South Africa, and ended up going to South Africa to create an album with local musicians. And what an album! Graceland features a sound that was heavily influenced by the South African music scene, and has a sound and feel that stretched into new areas. The influence varies from light to heavy, but is always present. The result is Simon’s most successful album. Multi platinum around the world, Top 10 in at least a dozen countries. And deservedly so. The songs range from brilliant to very good. It opened the door for wider recognition and discussions about the political situation in South Africa, it exposed countless people to new types of music. It’s filled with memorable songs, and the total is greater than the sum of the parts. 5/5

84 - 1999 - The Contino Sessions - Death In Vegas - 2
I dunno, maybe I’d dig this electronica stuff if I (still?) did drugs. Or if I had done (at some point) the “right” drugs. But I don’t, or I didn’t, so I just don’t get it. This is better than some of the electronica this project has served up, but it is still, at best, background music. It’s got some decent grooves, but nothing happens with them…. Except repetition. My main reaction to this album is BORED. Each song, after a minute or so, just merges into the overall background. Actually, background isn’t the right word, it implies a certain not-intrusive feel. This is not quiet music. Again, I imagine this being the sound of a dark club with flashing lights and lots of folk doing drugs that didn’t exist when I was in my 20s. And even when I was younger, I wasn’t into that kind of scene. The best analogy to my days would be to say this is More Iron Butterfly than Pink Floyd. You know: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, the cool little 3 minute song that’s really a 17+ minute exploration of… …. Well, something mind altered. Not that I would know… That said, Alsha, with Iggy Pop vocals (more spoken than sung) rises above it. It could be a pretty decent 3:30 song, but it drones on for almost 6 minutes, and loses its edge. Really just not my thing. I’ll give it 2 stars for the almost cool Iggy Pop song. I didn’t give up on the listen, but I wasn’t sad when it was done. 2/5

85 - Lost In The Dream - The War On Drugs - 3
I probably shouldn’t have read some reviews before listening, but I did. “Underwhelming”, “I’ve never understood the hype”, ultimately one dimensional”, “fairly uninspiring”…. Uh oh. Especially worrisome we’re several comments about the drumming being the same across the album. The problem with that is that once it is mentioned, you can’t help but notice. And once you notice, it is hard to ignore. Like quite a few albums I’d heard through this project, it’s not bad. But neither is it especially good. Certainly not “must hear”. Solidly in the OK but no interest in hearing again. A good bit of this is downright lethargic. And most of the songs go on and on without adding anything. Over 1/2 the songs are 6+ minutes (we’ll 5:55+), all would be better if truncated by at least a minute. I’m not against longer songs, just longer songs with no reason. And the band name is just more evidence that all the good band names were gone by the year 2000. 3/5, but barely.

86 - Shalimar - Rahul Dev Burman - 3
OK, this will be interesting, I've only had a slight exposure to anything Bollywood. On the other hand, I do have several movie soundtracks in my collection, and cam appreciate the form. This is actually pretty good stuff. A little out of my "zone", a little weird and certainly different. But it's fun, and a little funky, and not boring. My only real complaint is that it's not especially well produced. In particular, the vocals aren't crips and clear. Overall, 3/5 with props for being interesting. 3/5

87 - Cross - Justice - 1
This is my 87th day doing this project, and the 9th Electronica album I’ve been assigned. More than 1 in 10 rate. Coming in to this listen, Electronica is my second worst rated genre, at 1.88 average. After this rating is added, that’ll drop to 1.78. I just hope I don’t get subjected to any/many more. Sorry, this just isn’t my thing. And this specific Electronica offering is probably my least favorite of the Electronica albums I’ve had to endure. 1/5