I just knew you'd have something to say about that one lol.
TDDS - 2020 Shelter-in-Place on a Desert Island Music Draft - BONUS 5
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
Big Brother & the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills - 1968
The way things are going, I'm not going to let this slip any further. You guys are mean...and I really want this album on my island.
1 Combination of the Two
2 I Need a Man to Love
3 Summertime
4 Piece of My Heart
5 Turtle Blues
6 Oh, Sweet Mary
7 Ball and Chain
8 Road Block
9 Flower in the Sun
10 Catch Me Daddy
11 Magic of Love
It's the 60s in Sacramento. Two hours away, the allure of SF calls to us. It's where things are happening all the time. Wondrous things. Magical things. There are comedy clubs like the Purple Onion and the Hungry Eye. There's Chinatown. There's Haight-Ashbury. And then there's the music.
What can I say about the music? It was like nothing we'd ever heard before. It spoke to us. It beckoned to us and drew us like moths to a flame. Between Winterland and the Fillmore, there was something going on every weekend. I won't drop any band names but suffice to say there were TONS of groups to savor and enjoy.
I can still remember seeing the poster for Big Brother and the Holding Company at Tower Records. We went on a whim, not really expecting too much. We all piled into the 1953 Chevy the one guy with a license had and headed across the causeway and into The City. I don't remember a lot of the details but even after all these years I still can recall the crowd when Joplin started to sing. There aren't words to adequately describe the feeling.
Janis Joplin rocked my world. The passion, the raw emotion, the "I don't give a ****" attitude. Seeing her in person is impossible to describe. The electricity in the air was spine-tingling. She owned the music, she owned our souls. I'd like to say I remember every moment, but age takes its toll. I'll never forget the feeling, however. Another artist taken much too soon...
Here's my favorite review from allmusic.com - "The debut album for Big Brother & the Holding Company was a long time coming, but once it arrived it showed why the record had been so anticipated, namely singer Janis Joplin. Led by the most fiery and unpredictable female vocalist anyone had ever heard, the group had already earned near legendary status the year before with their appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival, thus much of this album includes live records from various concerts recorded in the interim between Monterey and the record's release. These live moments are bristling with the intensity which had brought the band so much attention, but it is really the studio recordings which offer the best material from a songwriting standpoint. The live material can be rambling and the sound uneven. Subtlety was never the group's strong point, but the studio recordings feature the band, particularly Joplin, at a perfect cross section of raw emotion and restraint, resulting in fascinating recordings like Joplin's heart-stopping rendition of the standard "Summertime" or the psychedelic soul stomper "Piece of My Heart." Cheap Thrills is far from the best hard rock record of the late 1960s, but it is an important one from a historic perspective, and it features some of the key performances from a legendary performer."
R2D2
Bench
I love this album, and I am also a huge fan of Def Leppard.
(Edited to remove discussion of an artist not yet picked - Capt.)
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Padrino
All-Star
BADBADNOTGOOD - III (2014):
01 Triangle
02 Can't Leave the Night
03 Confessions
04 Kaleidoscope
05 Eyes Closed
06 Hedron
07 Differently, Still
08 Since You Asked Kindly
09 CS60
Genre(s): Jazz fusion, instrumental hip hop, electronica
For the next of my draft selections, I turn northward, to Canada. BADBADNOTGOOD are a trio of gifted young musicians hailing from Toronto. They make hip hop-inflected jazz fusion that absolutely delights my soul. If you're somebody for whom jazz has never quite clicked, or you're just wondering what jazz music can sound like on this side of the year 2000, then I highly recommend you give these fellas a chance.
Though I'm linking to album cuts in all the tracklists I post during this draft, sometimes it's also nice to see the performers themselves working it out in a "live" capacity:
01 Triangle
02 Can't Leave the Night
03 Confessions
04 Kaleidoscope
05 Eyes Closed
06 Hedron
07 Differently, Still
08 Since You Asked Kindly
09 CS60
Genre(s): Jazz fusion, instrumental hip hop, electronica
For the next of my draft selections, I turn northward, to Canada. BADBADNOTGOOD are a trio of gifted young musicians hailing from Toronto. They make hip hop-inflected jazz fusion that absolutely delights my soul. If you're somebody for whom jazz has never quite clicked, or you're just wondering what jazz music can sound like on this side of the year 2000, then I highly recommend you give these fellas a chance.
Though I'm linking to album cuts in all the tracklists I post during this draft, sometimes it's also nice to see the performers themselves working it out in a "live" capacity:
We grew up pretty much in the same era so I see some of our music taste being the same. My sister influenced my music to a great extent and she went and seen many of the bands from the time.
I glad you picked big brother and the holding company as it definitely would of been one of my choices.
Besides collecting records I also have some original posters from the time. I have a great one with big brother headlining it at the Avalon Ballroom. The designs on those posters reflected the movement of that era of music. When I pick up another original poster I will try to get the album of whoever is on it if I don’t already have it.
Oh by the way I am totally jealous that you were able to see some of those performers that became legendary not only because of their music but their untimely passing as so many did back then.
whitechocolate
Bench
Hopes and Fears - Art Bears (1978)
https://www.discogs.com/Art-Bears-Hopes-And-Fears/release/423998
https://www.discogs.com/Art-Bears-Hopes-And-Fears/release/423998
Chris Cutler on drums, Fred Frith on guitar, and Dagmar Krause's vocals are a perfect combination. Even though Fred Frith is one of my favorite guitar players and the biggest influence on my personal playing style, it's Dagmar Krause's singing that I like most about this band. She has a distinct voice, great lyrics, and a beautifully dissonant approach to melody. Hopes and Fears stands out from the rest of the band's output with a more sinister sound, and is my favorite of theirs.
Tracklist
01 - On Suicide
02 - The Divinding Line
03 - Joan
04 - Maze
05 - In Two Minds
06 - Terrain
07 - The Tube
08 - The Dance
09 - Pirate Song
10 - Labrynth (Daedalus, Lamenting)
11 - Riddle
12 - Moeris, Dancing
13 - Piers
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My favorite part about the replies to my anecdote has been all the people going, "Man, you're tripping, Pearl Jam is totally one of the three best bands to come out of Seattle!" Conspicuously absent from the responses has been anybody defending the "more memorable than Prince" part.
Well because that part is wrong, Slim. That person's an idiot.
Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
(https://www.allmusic.com/album/fulfillingness-first-finale-mw0000196743)
01. Smile Please
02. Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
03. Too Shy to Say
04. Boogie On Raggae Woman
05. Creepin'
06. You Haven't Done Nothin'
07. It Ain't No Use
08. They Won't Go When I Go
09. Bird of Beauty
10. Please Don't Go
This album usually gets overlooked in comparison to the albums Stevie Wonder released immediately before and after it which is a shame cause by any standard it's marvelous. When I picked this album up I didn't know anything about that, I just heard Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away, Too Shy to Say, and Boogie On Raggae Woman and knew I needed to have this album in my life. Low and behold every single track is a highlight. Stevie is the true definition of a prodigy -- he wrote all the songs, played nearly all of the instruments here (minus some notable guest spots and one track cut with studio musicians), and brings them to life with his own inimitable vocal style all at the age of 23 (the same age Bruce was when he recorded my last album pick, coincidentally). He even sings an entire verse in Portuguese on his ode to Carnaval Bird of Beauty!
(https://www.allmusic.com/album/fulfillingness-first-finale-mw0000196743)
01. Smile Please
02. Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
03. Too Shy to Say
04. Boogie On Raggae Woman
05. Creepin'
06. You Haven't Done Nothin'
07. It Ain't No Use
08. They Won't Go When I Go
09. Bird of Beauty
10. Please Don't Go
What I really love about this album is how simple and direct the sentiments are. There's no hiding behind vague poetry or symbolism here, it's always perfectly clear what Stevie wants to say. Heaven is 10 Zillion Years Away besides being a brilliant melodic pop tune makes for a compelling theological argument. With Too Shy to Say ("I want to be more than a friend/Until the end of an endless end") Boogie On Raggae Woman ("I'd like to see you in the raw under the stars above") Creepin ("When I sleep at night, baby/I feel those moments of ecstasy/When you sleep at night, baby/I wonder do I creep into your dreams") and It Ain't No Use (" As I look back I'm really trying to see/Just what it was that made us spark/'Cause the fire's out, it leaves no doubt/The flame's not burning in our hearts") he tells the whole story of a love affair in 4 songs. You Haven't Done Nothin might be the grooviest political song ever recorded. On the hauntingly sparse They Won't Go When I Go he mournfully contemplates the afterlife. Smile Please and Please Don't Go speak for themselves.
If left alone I have a tendency to dwell on the negative and retreat into my own worries and irrational fears. When you have self-esteem issues and struggle with social anxiety and depression the natural inclination is to obfuscate your true intent with intellectualism and abstraction. As an adult I've learned to forgive myself for my very human imperfections and Stevie Wonder's music reminds me that it's okay to open up and share who I am with other people. This music gets quite melancholy in places, but it always wraps up with hope for the future -- extending a hand into the darkness and pulling me back into the light. If ever I need to be reminded that there are brighter days ahead (which is quite often these days) this album always does the trick!
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The Beatles - Revolver
So it's no secret where my loyalty lies when it comes to the Beach Boys vs. the Beatles and heck they aren't even really my favorite of this Big 4. But this album was my proper introduction to the band (I had seen the Sgt. Pepper's movie about a year prior, owned the soundtrack and since I wasn't a Beatles fan first, I don't even hate it *dodging the eggs I imagine being thrown at me for this admission*).
Mr. Maxson, my first music teacher, introduced me proper with a trio of Beatles songs that we sang in his 4th grade music class. Two of which, "Yellow Submarine" and "Got to Get You Into My Life" are on this album. My mom bought it for me right as I expressed interest and also gave me one of her books about John Lennon.
I won't deny the greatness of Sgt. Pepper but to me this is the Beatles album to have. A bit more accessible but still experimental, with the closer "Tomorrow Never Knows" being the most out there. Not a trace of their boy band roots to be found. And the aforementioned "Got to Get You Into My Life" may be my favorite individual Beatles track, with the opener "Taxman" also pretty high on the list (it's also a good reminder to folks that the Beatles DID love their money and weren't quite the altruistic band many of their acolytes have morphed them into). Later in life I really came to appreciate "And Your Bird Can Sing" as another favorite, with the jangly guitar riff driving the song being a blast to play in the Rock Band Beatles game.
And with that I have secured what are widely regarded to be two of the top 5 rock albums of all time. And I've also finalized what the hell my goals are in this draft: minor spoiler, I am reserving the final third for albums that were not released the first time we did this in 2008 and envisioning that while I don't have those albums in my shelter, they are committed to memory, so I guess I'm officially declaring my intent to G3 myself.
Original track listing (US received a wonky one that was on my original vinyl copy but this is the proper recognized order that was eventually restored in our country for the CD release)
Side One
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here, There and Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said
Side Two
8. Good Day Sunshine
9. And Your Bird Can Sing
10. For No One
11. Doctor Robert
12. I Want to Tell You
13. Got to Get You into My Life
14. Tomorrow Never Knows
Can we talk about Mr. Maxson's class and "Got to Get You Into My Life" for a second? There was a massive song at this moment that was very clearly about a girl and equated her to pharmaceuticals (I hope that is vague enough? Apologies). Mr. Maxson had us sing it once or twice, until some parents complained that it glorified the use of narcotics. Nobody complained about the Beatles and this is a song where it seems pretty clear the converse is true. Of course we did not realize it as ~9 year olds. But think about how many songs about girls are really about drugs and vice versa. This was my first. And it's only about pot. I'll be moving onto much harder stuff later. Musically, that is.
So it's no secret where my loyalty lies when it comes to the Beach Boys vs. the Beatles and heck they aren't even really my favorite of this Big 4. But this album was my proper introduction to the band (I had seen the Sgt. Pepper's movie about a year prior, owned the soundtrack and since I wasn't a Beatles fan first, I don't even hate it *dodging the eggs I imagine being thrown at me for this admission*).
Mr. Maxson, my first music teacher, introduced me proper with a trio of Beatles songs that we sang in his 4th grade music class. Two of which, "Yellow Submarine" and "Got to Get You Into My Life" are on this album. My mom bought it for me right as I expressed interest and also gave me one of her books about John Lennon.
I won't deny the greatness of Sgt. Pepper but to me this is the Beatles album to have. A bit more accessible but still experimental, with the closer "Tomorrow Never Knows" being the most out there. Not a trace of their boy band roots to be found. And the aforementioned "Got to Get You Into My Life" may be my favorite individual Beatles track, with the opener "Taxman" also pretty high on the list (it's also a good reminder to folks that the Beatles DID love their money and weren't quite the altruistic band many of their acolytes have morphed them into). Later in life I really came to appreciate "And Your Bird Can Sing" as another favorite, with the jangly guitar riff driving the song being a blast to play in the Rock Band Beatles game.
And with that I have secured what are widely regarded to be two of the top 5 rock albums of all time. And I've also finalized what the hell my goals are in this draft: minor spoiler, I am reserving the final third for albums that were not released the first time we did this in 2008 and envisioning that while I don't have those albums in my shelter, they are committed to memory, so I guess I'm officially declaring my intent to G3 myself.
Original track listing (US received a wonky one that was on my original vinyl copy but this is the proper recognized order that was eventually restored in our country for the CD release)
Side One
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here, There and Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said
Side Two
8. Good Day Sunshine
9. And Your Bird Can Sing
10. For No One
11. Doctor Robert
12. I Want to Tell You
13. Got to Get You into My Life
14. Tomorrow Never Knows
Can we talk about Mr. Maxson's class and "Got to Get You Into My Life" for a second? There was a massive song at this moment that was very clearly about a girl and equated her to pharmaceuticals (I hope that is vague enough? Apologies). Mr. Maxson had us sing it once or twice, until some parents complained that it glorified the use of narcotics. Nobody complained about the Beatles and this is a song where it seems pretty clear the converse is true. Of course we did not realize it as ~9 year olds. But think about how many songs about girls are really about drugs and vice versa. This was my first. And it's only about pot. I'll be moving onto much harder stuff later. Musically, that is.
^^^imagine typing all that out and getting stuck in a window swap adding links to videos right before submitting. Thank you to the board software for saving drafts!!! I will never complain about finding unwanted remnants of a post I thought better of at the bottom of a thread again 
The Beatles - Revolver
So it's no secret where my loyalty lies when it comes to the Beach Boys vs. the Beatles and heck they aren't even really my favorite of this Big 4. But this album was my proper introduction to the band (I had seen the Sgt. Pepper's movie about a year prior, owned the soundtrack and since I wasn't a Beatles fan first, I don't even hate it *dodging the eggs I imagine being thrown at me for this admission*).
Mr. Maxson, my first music teacher, introduced me proper with a trio of Beatles songs that we sang in his 4th grade music class. Two of which, "Yellow Submarine" and "Got to Get You Into My Life" are on this album. My mom bought it for me right as I expressed interest and also gave me one of her books about John Lennon.
I won't deny the greatness of Sgt. Pepper but to me this is the Beatles album to have. A bit more accessible but still experimental, with the closer "Tomorrow Never Knows" being the most out there. Not a trace of their boy band roots to be found. And the aforementioned "Got to Get You Into My Life" may be my favorite individual Beatles track, with the opener "Taxman" also pretty high on the list (it's also a good reminder to folks that the Beatles DID love their money and weren't quite the altruistic band many of their acolytes have morphed them into). Later in life I really came to appreciate "And Your Bird Can Sing" as another favorite, with the jangly guitar riff driving the song being a blast to play in the Rock Band Beatles game.
And with that I have secured what are widely regarded to be two of the top 5 rock albums of all time. And I've also finalized what the hell my goals are in this draft: minor spoiler, I am reserving the final third for albums that were not released the first time we did this in 2008 and envisioning that while I don't have those albums in my shelter, they are committed to memory, so I guess I'm officially declaring my intent to G3 myself.
Original track listing (US received a wonky one that was on my original vinyl copy but this is the proper recognized order that was eventually restored in our country for the CD release)
Side One
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here, There and Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said
Side Two
8. Good Day Sunshine
9. And Your Bird Can Sing
10. For No One
11. Doctor Robert
12. I Want to Tell You
13. Got to Get You into My Life
14. Tomorrow Never Knows
Can we talk about Mr. Maxson's class and "Got to Get You Into My Life" for a second? There was a massive song at this moment that was very clearly about a girl and equated her to pharmaceuticals (I hope that is vague enough? Apologies). Mr. Maxson had us sing it once or twice, until some parents complained that it glorified the use of narcotics. Nobody complained about the Beatles and this is a song where it seems pretty clear the converse is true. Of course we did not realize it as ~9 year olds. But think about how many songs about girls are really about drugs and vice versa. This was my first. And it's only about pot. I'll be moving onto much harder stuff later. Musically, that is.
Great pick! When I think of the Beatles albums I truly enjoy 3 of the 4 that have now been mentioned. If someone asked me which one I liked off the top of my head revolver would come out.
Eleanor Rigby ranks right up at the top of my favorite Beatles songs.
I'm assuming it's the other one I briefly considered. Which was my son's first Beatles record (or at least the one he showed up to my house with).
And yeah, Eleanor Rigby is another great one. I was listening to it as I typed it up and don't know why I didn't mention it but glad you did.
Padrino
All-Star
Well, there's no accounting for taste, but Pearl Jam are most certainly not as "memorable" as Prince. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to name an artist operating within any musical genre who is more memorable than Prince. You don't even have to look at the man's output. His eccentric personality alone would have been enough to earn him such a label.
As for Pearl Jam, they've written some great songs, and they have a handful of stone cold classic cuts, but I'm not even sure I'd say that they're one of the ten best bands to come out of Seattle. They've managed to remain the Pacific Northwest's most popular band. They're an important chapter in grunge's history, and an institution of modern alternative rock (a term that doesn't have much meaning anymore, as the "alternative" in the descriptor has pretty much meant "mainstream" for the last two decades), but I would have no problem whatsoever placing a dozen bands above them amongst the "best" of Seattle.
I really wouldn't either, but the mainstream collective vs. my personal taste, which the latter half of this draft will reveal don't really overlap.
Oh no, between the two of us, we've done it!
Padrino
All-Star
Nice write-up! Stellar album.
Yeah I love Pearl Jam, they're my second favorite Seattle band of that era and my favorite is the one who hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet... but come on. Eddie Veddar's got a great voice and Mike McCready can solo his ass off but this man:
...it don't get much more memorable than that. Also...
Also...
Grungy. Crunchy. Dirty.
A masterpiece. This may satiate my Seattle sound for now...
IMO, AIC's music evoked quite a variety of emotions in me. A lot of it had to do with the way their music and lyrics tended to blend into one giant feeling. And, being a kid of the 90s, it fed into my general feeling of angst and disillusionment.
1. "Them Bones"
2. "Dam That River"
3. "Rain When I Die"
4. "Down in a Hole"
5. "Sickman"
6. "Rooster"
7. "Junkhead"
8. "Dirt"
9. "God Smack"
10. "Intro (Dream Sequence)/Iron Gland" (sometimes unlisted or listed as "Untitled")
11. "Hate to Feel"
12. "Angry Chair"
13. "Would?"
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At MoPop in Seattle they had a really great Prince exhibit for a stretch. I will see if I can dig up pics. They also had a Pearl Jam one running around the same time, which had replaced the Star Trek exhibit, I am not sure if that is permanent or not. I got a nice pic of one of the guitars from the 4th band that had 9x Rock stickers all over it, which amused me because I fashioned 93 Rock stickers into some sophomoric humor on my strat, and they remain on it to this day 30 years later.
edit: Oh cool, we can say Alice in Chains now. It was Jerry's guitar.
edit: Oh cool, we can say Alice in Chains now. It was Jerry's guitar.
Prefer a different AiC album but Would? may be their greatest single song.
I think I know that album. As a whole movement, I may agree with you. But as far as big guns go, Dirt has quite a few.
Not sure I have any intention of revisiting Seattle during this draft but I'd definitely consider picking the Singles soundtrack were it eligible as it contains possibly my favorite single AIC and PJ songs plus some other stuff I really like. And those others dip on and off of spotify for whatever reason to my utter and total frustration.
Really dated and crap movie though.
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Löwenherz
Starter
... to be honest, I'm not that angry actually. I just don't forsee another scenario where I could use that clip otherwise.
Love that album. Listened to it in full yesterday thinking I could pick it up in another few rounds. Monkeys.
Löwenherz
Starter
RIP Prince AND Charlie Murphy.
Janelle Monáe made me appreciate Prince more than I ever had before.
That and imagining him as Ruby Rhod in The Fifth Element. Can't see Eddie Vedder pulling that off.
I swear that I didn't plan this. I swear that I'm not, like, just going down a list I found on the internet...
BUT...
Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
One of the most revered albums of the "New Jack Swing" era. While you guys were playing Nirvana and Pearl Jam at your parties, this is what we were dancing to. Arguably the biggest hit from the album, "End of the Road," was not on the original release, but rather the 1992 re-release. That was never my jam, though, so I'm content to stick with the original. Besides, my favorite song from the album, "Under Pressure," was not released as a single, anyway. I bought this on tape, a couple weeks after it came out, and happily added the CD to my collection, years later. Cooleyhighharmony peaked at Number Three on the US charts, and was certified 9x platinum by the RIAA.
Track Listing (links provided to songs released as singles):
Source: Wikipedia
BUT...
Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
One of the most revered albums of the "New Jack Swing" era. While you guys were playing Nirvana and Pearl Jam at your parties, this is what we were dancing to. Arguably the biggest hit from the album, "End of the Road," was not on the original release, but rather the 1992 re-release. That was never my jam, though, so I'm content to stick with the original. Besides, my favorite song from the album, "Under Pressure," was not released as a single, anyway. I bought this on tape, a couple weeks after it came out, and happily added the CD to my collection, years later. Cooleyhighharmony peaked at Number Three on the US charts, and was certified 9x platinum by the RIAA.
Track Listing (links provided to songs released as singles):
- "Please Don't Go"
- "Lonely Heart"
- "This Is My Heart"
- "Uhh Ahh"
- "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
- "Motownphilly"
- "Under Pressure"
- "Sympin'"
- "Little Things"
- "Your Love"
Source: Wikipedia
Not to go too much on a tangent - we've thought about FERPA: our lawyers think we're good. We're not posting any images or videos online; all recordings are stored via our secure learning management system. Google G.Suite and Zoom are both FERPA compliant, FWIW.
Also, if my RHCP pick caught you off-guard, get ready for another "curve ball," in the fifth round.
Here's a hint: 1991 may be involved again.
Here's a hint: 1991 may be involved again.
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