Reviewing the playlists in the "Shuffle Your Playlist" thread

[Trollheart]

The first playlist from

So let's see what he's been listening to, or what the gods of shuffle have created for him as a playlist.


The Birthday Party - "Yard"

Genre: Post-punk/No Wave/Noise Rock/Punk Blues/Experimental Rock
Source: 3rd album Prayers on Fire
Year: 1981
Nationality: Australian
Comments: I'm aware that The Birthday Party is the band which gave us the bad boy of rock darkness, Nick Cave, whom I love, however I'm the first to admit I don't like Nick's first three or four albums, and only got into him around The Good Son era. So I feel this may be too, ah, raw for me, but we'll see. Slow and doomy, with snarly guitar, you can certainly see the evolution of Nick Cave's music here, his voice more raw and ragged here than on his later solo stuff, but not bad at all. This could have been on The Firstborn is Dead or Your Funeral, My Trial. The talent was there for all to see; a rare vocalist and a fine songwriter who would go on to become a household name.
Rating:


Massive Attack - "One Love"

Genre: Trip-hop/UK Hip-hop/Soul/UK Street Soul/Dub
Source: Debut album Blue Lines
Year: 1991
Nationality: English
Comments: I've only heard the one MA album - Mezzanine - and I think I liked it but was not bowled over by it, if I remember. Is this a cover of the Marley standard? No. No, it's not. Have to say I find this stultifyingly boring. Not for me.
Rating:


Henry Butler - "Tee Na Na"

Genre: New Orleans Blues
Source: 6th album Blues After Sunset
Year: 1998
Nationality: American
Comments: I don't know what to tell you, man. The Big Y does not have it. I did listen to a version by someone called Ryan Foret, and it was a decent song, but what sort of spin Butler put on it I don't know. If you want to find a video I can listen to, let me know, otherwise I'm just marking it on the basis of the song itself. Sorry, best I can do.
Rating:


Manic Street Preachers - "Empty Souls"

Genre: Pop rock/Alternative Rock/Synthpop
Source: 7th album Lifeblood
Year: 2004
Nationality: Welsh
Comments: At least you've ensured we now have music from all four of the "British Isles" - we've had England, Scotland and Ireland, now we add Wales. This has some sort of sound of U2's "New Year's Day", at least to me. Maybe it's the piano line. Pretty good song though. Very catchy and sort of anthemic. Like it.
Rating:


The Fall - "Slang King"

Genre: Post-punk/Art Punk/Dance Punk/Neo-psychedelia/Krautrock
Source: 7th album The Wild and Frightening World of The Fall
Year: 1984
Nationality: English
Comments: Oh this will not be good. If there's such a thing as an unfan, that's me with The Fall. It's not even that I hate them, but I just do not get them. I can't get any enjoyment from what is apparently (and I must accept the general wisdom) music here, and that's just how it is. Hmm. This is certainly different, not what I expected. At least I can make it out as music. Keys remind me of the early work of the Cars. Still not going to ever make me a fan, but at least I can appreciate it as music for once. Nowhere near as bad as I had feared, which with The Fall is as close you're going to get as an endorsement from me!
Rating:


Merle Haggard - "Hungry Eyes"

Genre: Country/Bakersfield Sound
Source: 11th album A Portrait of Merle Haggard
Year: 1969
Nationality: American
Comments: If I remember my research on the history of country music, the Bakersfield Sound was created as a sort of negative reaction to the Nashville Sound, the sort of "country pop" seen as playing to the more commercial side of country, one that used orchestras and "safe" themes, whereas the Bakersfield sound (so called of course because it originated in Bakersfield, California) was a rawer, rougher, less apologetic version aimed away from radio airplay and general acceptance. You might, possibly, call it the punk rock of country? A nice simple country tune with some fine orchestration that doesn't take it over, and Haggard's presence is front and centre at all times. Sing it, cowboy!
Rating:

Gorgon City - "Real Life"

Genre: Deep House/Future House/Brazilian Bass/Dance-Pop
Source: 3rd album Escape
Year: 2018
Nationality: English
Comments: Pleasant enough dance tune. Not too much more I can say. I guess once you can dance to it, that's the most important thing. Good vocal, good beat. I don't really know about these things, but I don't hate this, is as much as I can really say.
Rating:


The Sound - "New Dark Age"

Genre: Post-punk/Gothic Rock
Source: 2nd album From the Lion's Mouth
Year: 1981
Nationality: English
Comments: Very powerful, hollow percussion against a chanting vocal, then takes off nicely on a sharp guitar and thumping bass. Like this. Sort of reminds me slightly of early Police.
Rating:


Miles Davis - "Agitation"

Genre: Post-bop/Modal Jazz/Cool Jazz
Source: 11th album E.S.P.
Year: 1965
Nationality: American
Comments: I guess I should be grateful that a jazz fan like you has only the one jazz track here, and more, that it's Miles, who has a better chance of speaking to me than, say, Coltrane or Mingus. Mind you, starting off with a fucking drum solo is not a good way to get me onside! I won't do my joke about drum solos, but you know the one. I hope this is more than just a seven-minute-plus bashing of skins. Agitation, indeed. Okay so now there's some peppy trumpet or some sort of horn (look, I'm not a jazz fan alright?) and piano, but it's not really getting any better for me. Yeah I just don't like what I suppose you'd call energetic jazz. If I'm going to be forced to listen to any at all, something a bit more laid back would sit better with me.
Rating:


Raekwon - "Casablanca"

Genre: East Coast Hip-hop/Hardcore Hip-hop/Gangsta Rap/Boom Bap
Source: 2nd album Immobilarity
Year: 1999
Nationality: American
Comments: There's that exploding sandwich again! Boom bap? Seriously? What the blue jumping... well, you know. Can't say I like the start, with the basic talking, and it doesn't really get any better after that. Not much to say really.
Rating:

So let's see how ya did on your first playlist out. Not too bad considering.

Overall rating:

[Trollheart]

The last playlist in, as it were, season one, we're back to the lady who loves her keys. And I must say, big thanks for the YT playlist. Saves me a lot of trouble, that does. Much appreciated. (Let's hope I can repay the favour, though as you know, I call 'em like I see 'em).



Kraftwerk – Radioland


Genre: Electronic/Progressive Electronic/Synthpop/Minimal Synth
Source: 5th album Radio-Activity (Radio-Aktivität, if you want to be pedantic)
Year: 1975
Nationality: German
Comments: Never been the biggest fan of Kraftwerk; find their music very cold and lifeless much of the time (I know that's how it's meant to be) and while some of their more uptempo stuff like "Autobahn" I can get into, this is really not the sort of thing I enjoy. Clever, sure, but enjoyable? Not for me I'm afraid. Bit of a dirge.
Rating:


Peter Baumann – Bicentennial Presentation


Genre: Berlin School/Progressive Electronic
Source: Debut album Romance '76
Year: 1976
Nationality: German
Comments: For one horrible moment I thought that was Peter Brotzmann! Lucky escape? Maybe. Mind you, I've heard this Berlin School on someone else's playlist (someone called Klaus Schultze?) and I didn't really like it, but we'll see how this goes. Well right away I like this better than his track, Schultze's I mean. More like what I would call electronic music, very Vangelis-like. Speaking of whom, I know.
Rating:

Vangelis – Spiral


Genre: Progressive Electronic/Progressive Rock/Ambient
Source: 10th album Spiral
Year: 1977
Nationality: Greek
Comments: oh look! Not only an artist I know but an album I have! I love this album, one of Vangelis's best, and I love this piece too. So evocative. I first got into Vangelis through the series Cosmos and was soon a fan. Into him before it was cool, as I'm sure you were. Pre-Blade Runner. Isn't "To the Unknown Man" on this too? I love that piece.
Rating:


Yellow Magic Orchestra – Rydeen


Genre: Synthpop/Electro-disco/Electro-pop/New Wave
Source: 3rd album Solid State Survivor
Year: 1979
Nationality: Japanese
Comments: More familiarity. I've definitely heard of YMO, not sure if I've heard anything from them. This is good: very upbeat and cheerful,
Rating:


Depressive Silence – Forest of Eternity


Genre: Dungeon Synth/Ambient
Source: Debut album II ?
Year: 1996
Nationality: German
Comments: Sounds like a BDSM band. Sorry, DBSM! Always get those two mixed up, with often hilarious results. "Ok I agree that the acoustics in a dungeon are going to be better, but what's the whip for? Um,  I think we've got our wires crossed here - NO I DON'T MEAN THAT!" Anyway, enough of my ramblings. With a name like "Forest of Eternity" you'd expect something melancholic, and so it is. Sort of reminds me of some French ABM band I think, albums was something about winter? Anyway it's very nice, quite cinematic in its way. I approve. Longest track by some way on Lexi's list, at over nine minutes. I ain't complaining.
Rating:


Delia Derbyshire – Ziwzih Ziwzih Oo-Oo-Oo


Genre: Electronic/Library Music/Tape Music/Jingles
Source:  album BBC Radiophonics Music
Year: 1968
Nationality: English
Comments: Ah Delia! The forerunner of all respected female musicians, who was so instrumental (sorry) with the sound effects on a little-known, obscure TV show about some guy flying through time in a box. How did they ever think that would catch on? She did it at a time when women were told to get the coffees and be quiet while the men spoke. You go, girl! Or something. As for the track, well, it's experimental, what ya gonna do? No doubt many men in suits tutted and frowned, but that wasn't going to stop her, now was it? Got to admire the innovation, even if it's not exactly what you'd call easy on the ear. Doctor what?
Rating:


Enigma – Light of Your Smile


Genre: Ambient/Downtempo
Source: Can't find it?
Year: 1998 (?)
Nationality: German
Comments: Like it says, I can't find this album/single/EP of which you speak. Enigma (assuming this is the right one, and I don't see any other real candidates, unless you mean a death metal band from the US!) had albums in 1996 and 2000, but none that I can see in 1998. Nor any singles either. Kind of sounds like some sort of Gregorian chant behind an electronic/synthy soundscape. I'm pretty sure I've heard of Enigma before, but where eludes me. Did they have some big hit single or something? Anyway this is interesting, and also good.
Rating:


Perrey & Kingsley – Baroque Hoedown


Genre: Space Age Pop/Moogsploitation/Electronic/Tape Music/Exotica
Source: Debut album The In Sound from Way out
Year: 1966
Nationality: American
Comments: Well it would have to be from the sixties with a title like that, wouldn't it? Hmm. Sounds like an Irish reel or jig or some damn thing, to be honest. Okay well it is a hoedown so I guess that's not too far from the truth. Take your partner by the - um, not by there! Anywhere but there! Now look what you've done! Interesting stuff, but interesting in a way that says once is enough really. I can kind of see this as a backdrop to a lot of animated animals dancing around a barnyard, which is cute, but not real, so there you go.
Rating:


Patrick O'Hearn – Forever the Optimist


Genre: New Age/Progressive Electronic
Source: 2nd album Between Two Worlds
Year: 1987
Nationality: American
Comments: A striding, sort of marching theme here, with a nice piano line running through it, meshed with some lush synth. Very pleasant.
Rating:


Tomita – Clair De Lune


Genre: Progressive Electronic/Moogsploitation/Impressionism/Romanticism
Source: 4th album (2nd with English title) Snowflakes are Dancing
Year: 1974
Nationality: Japanese
Comments: I know Tomita too. Had one album by him (Grand Canyon), once upon a time. This is an interesting interpretation of Debussy's classic, which I've always loved, and he does a good job with it, as you'd expect.
Rating:

Overall, both a very synth-heavy and Teutonic-leaning playlist, Lexi - almost 50% German acts. Some better than others, but let's see how you did as we close out the first season of shuffled playlists.

Overall rating: (I added half a star for the handy YT playlist you made for me)

[Trollheart]

Okay then, as we close out season one (what is it with you, Troll? Are you not taking your meds?) let's have some statistics!


No, I know you don't want them, but I do, and since you're not reading this anyway, what do you care? Besides, you're all figments of my imagination as I sit and drool and gibber maniacally in this rubber room, so what difference does it make?

[Saulaac]

There are some great entries in here (it's like the people's TOTP). When will I get the time to go through them all?

"The Sound" album has a good cover and it reminded me of my favourite track on that album "Contact the Fact". What a whopper. And there are surely other tracks on there. Cheers to SGR for introducing me to that band previously.

Keep on carrying on...

[Trollheart]

First off, of those who posted playlists,

3 or more TH
2 Lucem Ferre, DJ, Lexi, Lisna
1 Grindy, SGR, Saulaac, Degrassi, GD, ᑕᐧᔐᔫᓂᑯᒑᔥ

Only one posted three or more (guess who?) while four posted 2 each and six posted just the one. Here's the breakdown:

3 or more (4 in fact):
2:
1:

How did we do in terms of nationalities? Well, probably not too surprising since most of you are American or listen to American music (even me!) the old stars and stripes comes well out on top, almost three times as many as the next-highest, but there are some interesting results here, too. Here's how it breaks down:

American: 79
English or British: 27
Other: 18
German: 8
Australian: 7
French: 6
Italian: 4
Japanese: 5
Irish: 3
Spanish: 2
Canadian: 1

Who had the longest track, and who had the shortest? Well as far as the former goes, it would be pretty damn hard to beat Lisnaholic with his 18-minute jam of The Byrds' "Eight Miles (Very) High" on his second playlist. Runners-up are me, with Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "Anthem for No State", on my second playlist, clocking in at 14 minutes and change, and Lisna again with World's End Girlfriend's "100 years of Choke" not quite coming in at the century, but a very respectable 13 minutes. Shortest? That has to be Grindy's "All The Days I've Missed You" from Colin Stetson, on his only playlist, a mere 1 minute and 14 seconds. Runner up is Ceschi on Lucem's first playlist with "Heaven at Your Fingertips" just short of two minutes, and Suicide Commando's inaccurately-titled "Pleasure", on his second, a mere 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

Ratings: Overall we have the following:
1 (Lisna playlist 1)
7 (Grindy, Saulaac, Lucem playlist 2, GD, me playlist 4, ᑕᐧᔐᔫᓂᑯᒑᔥ, SGR)
6 (Lexi playlist 1, DJ playlist 1, me playlist 1, 2 & 3, Degrassi Knoll, Lisna playlist 2)
1 (Lucem, playlist 1, DJ playlist 2)
1 (Lexi playlist 2)
0

So what does that prove? Not a damn thing. The ratings aren't worth a pair of foetid dingo's kidneys, as they're just the opinion of one highly suspect individual who keeps hanging around the forum and won't take the hints to go away. But they do show at least that on average, most of the playlists got a, well, average result (between three and three and a half stars) and that nobody got a perfect score, Lexi coming closest at four and a half. They also show that as usual I'm harsh but fair, as none of my own playlists got any more than three and a half, and three out of the four are right up there in the totally average scores with three. Don't say I ever play favourites, even myself.

Of course we couldn't forget genres, could we? What do you mean, we could forget the whole thing? Who said that? Guard! Guard! I'm hearing voices! No, really this time!

For ease of counting, Hip-hop will cover all styles, including Conscious, East or West Coast, Hardcore, Trap, Pop Rap etc. World Music (sorry Lisna) will cover all national/traditional folk music, ethnic music etc. Electronic will be restricted to cover instrumental electronic music, while any vocal version of such will go down as Pop. Any prog metal tracks will go under Heavy Metal, not Prog Rock, as if you care. Trance includes House, EDM and all that stuff.

Heavy Metal: 27
Hip-hop: 21
Pop: 16
Jazz : 10
Electronic: 8
Other: 7
Psychedelic/Neo-psychedelia: 6
Prog Rock: 6
Blues: 6
Singer-songwriter: 5
R&B: 5
AOR: 5
Adult Contemporary (aka shit): 4
Trance: 4
Industrial: 4
Post-punk: 4
World Music: 3
Country: 3
Ambient: 3
Indie: 2
Classical: 2
Reggae: 2
Experimental: 2
Post-Rock: 2
Soul: 2
Punk: 1
Film music: 1
Folk: 1

Rather surprised to see Metal take the top; quite expected that to be Hip-hop, but there it is. Jazz does well of course, just behind Pop. Obviously, these have been split up for convenience's sake, and some songs may rest more comfortably in other genres, but this is how I've separated them, as best I can.

Last thing I want to look at is the dates of songs. How many are very contemporary, from this or the last few years? How many are from this century, and how many from back in the previous? Let's see.

2024: 9
2023: 4
2020 - 2022: 13
2010 - 2019: 45
2000 - 2009: 25
1990s: 23
1980s: 9
1970s: 22
1960s: 10

Again it's something of a surprise to find so few songs from this and last year, with the bulk of them split between the early 2000s and 2019. Almost as many from the 1970s too.

Okay I'll leave it there. If anyone wants to kick off season two, you know what to do! Not here, of course; over in the other thread.

See ya some other time!

[Lisnaholic]

I don't know if it was your intention, but even forcing me to drop two tracks as you don't remember what they were, you're still giving me double-digit reviews to do here. That bloody "Weekender" has a 15-minute version, so don't expect me to listen to that,  as this is 13 and I've already done 18 minutes with the Byrds, to say nothing of our extended Egyptian friend!

^ HaHa ! Sorry you had such long songs to review, Trollheart. My apology comes with an excuse too: I posted the playlist before you announced the idea of reviewing them all.
Hats off to you for sticking with the project even when it meant listening to extended tracks that weren't of much interest to you - and thanks again for commenting on our music: isn't that what everyone on SCD secretly wants ? Some feedback and comments on our musical choices/opinions, etc.

Your comment on Weekender made me laugh: it is precisely its length that impressed me. On my first listen, while doing something else at the time, -'coz you know, I'm such a multi-tasker - anyway, when I realised, about halfway through, that the track was still going, that's when I stopped to really listen to it. So, yeah, I'm in favour of length, though perhaps I should phrase that differently to avoid misunderstandings.

Thanks again, Trolls: you have single-handedly enlivened the Music section for everyone. All those stats you compiled were interesting as well - and finally a shout out to Lucem, whose original "playlist" idea has prompted so much discussion.

[Trollheart]

Hey thanks Lisna! Nice to know my efforts are appreciated. I work by that time-honoured maxim: if everyone else won't do it, do it yourself! Or there's the other old military one, isn't there? I wouldn't ask my men to do anything I'm not prepared to do myself.

So, into the breach I went, and I tell ya, it was fun! I like doing things like this: it's why I resurrected the old "Trollheart Listens to Every Album on Wiki's List for [insert year here]" thread. Sometimes you really can widen the musical horizons a bit, sometimes you just get to slag off people's tastes, or tell totally unconnected stories or make comments that seemed funny to you at the time, but by the time you've posted them now, in the cold light of day and with careful consideration, seem hilarious.

Anyway, thanks again for the input and feel free to throw more longer tracks at me, though if possible no more guys playing the oud while sitting in front of the Sphinx and perusing Reader's Digest! 

[Saulaac]

^ HaHa ! Sorry you had such long songs to review, Trollheart. My apology comes with an excuse too: I posted the playlist before you announced the idea of reviewing them all.
Hats off to you for sticking with the project even when it meant listening to extended tracks that weren't of much interest to you - and thanks again for commenting on our music: isn't that what everyone on SCD secretly wants ? Some feedback and comments on our musical choices/opinions, etc.

Your comment on Weekender made me laugh: it is precisely its length that impressed me. On my first listen, while doing something else at the time, -'coz you know, I'm such a multi-tasker - anyway, when I realised, about halfway through, that the track was still going, that's when I stopped to really listen to it. So, yeah, I'm in favour of length, though perhaps I should phrase that differently to avoid misunderstandings.

Thanks again, Trolls: you have single-handedly enlivened the Music section for everyone. All those stats you compiled were interesting as well - and finally a shout out to Lucem, whose original "playlist" idea has prompted so much discussion.

Yes, great shout out to Lucem for starting this thread. I got more out of it than I expected. And TH did a wonderful job of accompanying it with his razor sharp, experienced and balanced critique of what was thrust before him. Good job guys.

[Trollheart]

H-h-hey now, what's thrust before me in the privacy of my own home is my business! 


Looking forward to season two: recap coming up soon, so stay tooned!

[Trollheart]

"Shuffle Your Playlist"...

DJ was a fan of the "brat" but also inflicted the virus known as Pentatonix upon us, while Grindy provided us the shortest song on the thread and also took a trip to Saturn looking at some Rotted Futures. Lucem had Heaven at his fingertips and his Bitch waitin' at home, while Saulaac went very jazzy but in his excitement forgot to not only note some of the albums but some of the songs in his playlist!

Motionless in White, our octosynthgirl was Making Them Suffer and Bleeding Through, while also attending the Berlin School and watching Snowflakes Dancing. Tragedy struck however for Lisnaholic when, after taking a trip back to 1971 to go to a Byrds concert, he got so caught up in an eighteen minute version of (rather appropriately) "Eight Miles High" that the cleaners had to remove him from the concert hall the next morning. Thoroughly disoriented, he was last seen in a black-and-white groaning "But where was Mister Tambourine Man? Tell me that!"

Resident Superbitch Femme Fatale Sexbomb Sexbomb Degrassi Not-Always-High was the only one with the guts to buck the trend as ever and present a highly artistic layout for her playlist, also dispensing with the ten-track format and dancing to her own drum. Having escaped from police custody and now on the lam, Lisnaholic caused Chaos in The Church, shouting "Arms aloft" at Joe Strummer, who didn't understand he was being robbed, and instead told him to "Go Straight to Hell boy!" Not discouraged, the wide-eyed kid from Freecloud set about robbing an oud off Hamza al Din (much to the Egyptian's surprise, who kept strumming as if it were still in his hands) before leaving town on Engine No. 9 in the company of World's End Girlfriend and a very Drunken Angel. Trollheart wandered in and out with various playlists nobody cared about, and got ignored as usual, while Lucem was now being sought by the law on charges of desecrating graves and, with one terrified witness testifying that he growled he would "GiveUDatHammer" and was a Widowmaker with Hollow Points, was last seen around the vicinity of the Garden of Evil. SWAT teams were dispatched.

GD had Eyes like Nightshade (likely under the influence of some narcotic) and his failed attempt to immolate himself when he warned "Don't Save Us From the Flames!" was greeted with Shivers, but in the end he just fell asleep on quite a Surrealistic Pillow and we expect him to be Awakening soon. Welcome to his Nightmare. Meanwhile, Sixteen Earls hung out and drank Moonshine in the Garden of Men, and a German electronic musician whined that nobody cared about Konrad Bayer. And nobody did.

Bowie wandered by, looking suspicious with a large shovel over his shoulder and requesting directions to the cemetery, and to everyone's considerable surprise DJ turned narc, quite the Anti-Hero when he offered to Point 'em Out" and declared it was Somebody Like You he had seen. Stand By Me? You Wish! Quite a Risk to take there, DJ!

SGR joined The Birthday Party with a Massive Attack. Hungry Eyes but ultimately Empty Souls, Agitation too but in the end, in Real Life it was all One Love. Lexi went into something of a Spiral as she fell into a Depressive Silence, but she's a Solid State Survivor even in the Forest of Eternity. Forever the Optimist, Between Two Worlds it was the Light of her Smile that soon had her back in Radioland.

[Lisnaholic]

When TH started reviewing everyone's playlists, I thought that the polite thing would be for somebody else to review his playlist for him, although I missed the chance to get in first. Still, if you like the idea of someone listening to and commenting on your playlist, here it is, Trolls, spoilered so as not to disturb the flow of this thread:

Spoiler

(My apologies for just copying and pasting your images.)


Vile Temptress - Booze Control
My Comment: Although I can't measure it against Iron Maiden, for me it has a definite "heard it all before" vibe to it. Still, it's rocking, some nice guitar interludes, and the vocals weren't as bad as I expected.
Rating: (= 0.5 more than TH's rating)


Dear Dream - Gilbert O'Sullivan
My Comment:The positives: old-timey piano and lyrics that you can catch every word of. These, however are swamped by the negatives, most notably the chirpy, self-satisfied tone that comes across all through the song, the done-to-death stuff about dreams coming true, and the total nose drive for me, when the chorus chimes in , more-or-less 3/4 of the way through. G O'S was occasionally tolerable as a lone, confessional singer-songwriter, but that pop chorus really highlights what a feeble song he has written in this case.
Rating: (same as TH's)


Some Kind of Friend - Barry Manilow
My Comment: It's all relative, isn't it? After the previous G O'S song, this comes across as a hard-hitting powerhouse of a song! I feel that our man Barry has a better grasp of pop clichés (or more accurately, chooses better clichés to emulate), so this has a slick, professional sound that pushes along well enough, even though the lyrics are uninteresting and the song quickly becomes repetitive. Here's my revenge on TH for complaining about song length: this song goes on for a mind-numbing 4 mins       
Rating: (= TH's + 1)


Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Comments: I used to so love this album, hearing this track takes me straight back to the time and place when I was 18 yrs old. Still, I´m not that big on musical nostalgia, and even though this song is an old friend, the lyrics are pretty bad imo ("making love with his ego" being the low point for me). Nice guitar though, and DB's arch, camp voice at its best.
Rating: (= TH's minus 1.5)


Santa Fe - Jon Bon Jovi
Comments: First time that I've listened to a song by this guy, and sorry, TH, but I wasn't very impressed. From the onset of that slow persistent beat, I felt a kind of inevitability about how the song would go, with the soaring vocals, etc, etc. The nicest bit was the interlude with strings at about 3:30 mins in, but nothing else about this power ballad distinguished it from a million other power ballads, imo.
Rating: (= TH's minus 3)


No Ordinary Man - Kasey Chambers
My Comment:First song from TH which overlaps with the kind of stuff I explore myself. I really like the uncluttered sound, the strummed guitar  and KC's voice is good, but I didn't like all the Jesus stuff in the lyrics. By accident, I played the title track (Dragonfly) of the album first, and liked it a lot more, so this is an album I might check out in the future. 
Rating: (TH's minus 0.5)


Tears in My Eyes - Uriah Heep
My Comment: I can't improve on TH's description of "straight-ahead hard rock", although the song takes a welcome change of tempo at 1:30 mins, and becomes interesting from then on, so altogether better than I expected.
Rating: (= TH's +1)


Tulleries - Voyager IV
My Comment:The jazzy piano is very welcome after some of the previous songs, then as an extra bonus a synth comes in halfway through, before the music dials back to some delicious piano playing. I really liked this, and am not worried that it's a cover of something that has been covered by others already. Will be checking out this album: thanks, TH    
Rating: (= TH's +2.5)


Refuse the Line - Randy Edelman
My Comment: Sweeping orchestral effects are just a musical turn-off for me, so, of all the playlist, this track is the one I found hardest to sit through. Plus, I'm guessing that there's some subtext of glorifying military endeavor going on, which I don't like. Didn't Ennio Morricone demonstrate how a pared-down music was evocative of the Old West ?! This full-on orchestration is like, stylistically, going back to some dreary old 1950s Hollywood notion of The Wild West. 
Rating: (=TH's minus 4)



Blind Me - For All We Know
My Comment: As TH mentions, a nice "chugging building guitar", though I didn't like the vocals so much: I can't call them weak, but they were too smooth, too unassuming for my tastes. I was looking forward to the "bright piano" that you mention - it was nice, all ten notes of it! In the recording studio, I would've said, "Get those guys to stop singing, and let's 'ave some more pi-anah!" 
Rating: (TH's minus 1)



Overall rating from me: :2.9stars: (=TH's minus 0.6)

[close]

[Trollheart]

When TH started reviewing everyone's playlists, I thought that the polite thing would be for somebody else to review his playlist for him, although I missed the chance to get in first. Still, if you like the idea of someone listening to and commenting on your playlist, here it is, Trolls, spoilered so as not to disturb the flow of this thread:

(My apologies for just copying and pasting your images.)

Hey thanks for that Lisna. I must admit, I had no idea you were one of those hardened cowpokes who herd wild proboscises to market! Wow. Those "nose drives" can be tough, indeed. Hat's off to you man.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

Knocked out your spoilers so I could respond.

Vile Temptress - Booze Control
My Comment: Although I can't measure it against Iron Maiden, for me it has a definite "heard it all before" vibe to it. Still, it's rocking, some nice guitar interludes, and the vocals weren't as bad as I expected.
Rating: (= 0.5 more than TH's rating)

Yeah it's bog standard metal-by-the-numbers, nothing to see here, move along, move along.

Dear Dream - Gilbert O'Sullivan
My Comment:The positives: old-timey piano and lyrics that you can catch every word of. These, however are swamped by the negatives, most notably the chirpy, self-satisfied tone that comes across all through the song, the done-to-death stuff about dreams coming true, and the total nose drive for me, when the chorus chimes in , more-or-less 3/4 of the way through. G O'S was occasionally tolerable as a lone, confessional singer-songwriter, but that pop chorus really highlights what a feeble song he has written in this case.
Rating: (same as TH's)

I do, as I say, carry the weight of my sister's adoration (even now) of Gilbert, and, given that we're talking late 1960s/early 1970s here, for an Irish artist to be in the charts was really quite unusual. U2 were a long way off, and even Lizzy were being claimed as a British band! But yeah, while I like songs like "Get Down", "Clair", "Alone Again (Naturally)" and many more, this is, to use a technical term, shit. It just makes you want to barf up your breakfast, doesn't it? And I agree, Gilbert's nasally voice can get on the nerves just a teeny bit. Sue would kill me! 

Some Kind of Friend - Barry Manilow
My Comment: It's all relative, isn't it? After the previous G O'S song, this comes across as a hard-hitting powerhouse of a song! I feel that our man Barry has a better grasp of pop clichés (or more accurately, chooses better clichés to emulate), so this has a slick, professional sound that pushes along well enough, even though the lyrics are uninteresting and the song quickly becomes repetitive. Here's my revenge on TH for complaining about song length: this song goes on for a mind-numbing 4 mins     
Rating: (= TH's + 1)

Like Gilbert, I can take the "standards", the hits, but God when Baz goes all Vegas and tries to rock out he just falls down badly, and this is for me an example of that. I guess if you're comparing like to like, he wins over Gilbert by a nose. Sorry.

Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Comments: I used to so love this album, hearing this track takes me straight back to the time and place when I was 18 yrs old. Still, I´m not that big on musical nostalgia, and even though this song is an old friend, the lyrics are pretty bad imo ("making love with his ego" being the low point for me). Nice guitar though, and DB's arch, camp voice at its best.
Rating: (= TH's minus 1.5)

Well, for anyone to do other than worship Ziggy, all I can say is I hope the wild ears and the feared man-eating eyebrows get you on the next nose drive! To quote a certain hawkish alumnus, unassailable.

Santa Fe - Jon Bon Jovi
Comments: First time that I've listened to a song by this guy, and sorry, TH, but I wasn't very impressed. From the onset of that slow persistent beat, I felt a kind of inevitability about how the song would go, with the soaring vocals, etc, etc. The nicest bit was the interlude with strings at about 3:30 mins in, but nothing else about this power ballad distinguished it from a million other power ballads, imo.
Rating: (= TH's minus 3)

Honestly, I'm not at all surprised - or offended - by your dismissal of JBJ. I know people hate him, and I'd be the first to admit that much of his, and his band's music sounds quite similar and formulaic. But I like it, and for me this is one of the better tracks on this album (not an endorsement? Whatever do you mean??)

No Ordinary Man - Kasey Chambers
My Comment:First song from TH which overlaps with the kind of stuff I explore myself. I really like the uncluttered sound, the strummed guitar  and KC's voice is good, but I didn't like all the Jesus stuff in the lyrics. By accident, I played the title track (Dragonfly) of the album first, and liked it a lot more, so this is an album I might check out in the future. 
Rating: (TH's minus 0.5)

Ah I love it when they bring Our Lord and Saviour (TM) into it! Gives it real heart, and what's a country song without the Son of Man? But yeah, great album. You might also check out Sunny Sweeney's output, very impressed with that.

Tears in My Eyes - Uriah Heep
My Comment: I can't improve on TH's description of "straight-ahead hard rock", although the song takes a welcome change of tempo at 1:30 mins, and becomes interesting from then on, so altogether better than I expected.
Rating: (= TH's +1)

Nothing to add here.

Tulleries - Voyager IV
My Comment:The jazzy piano is very welcome after some of the previous songs, then as an extra bonus a synth comes in halfway through, before the music dials back to some delicious piano playing. I really liked this, and am not worried that it's a cover of something that has been covered by others already. Will be checking out this album: thanks, TH  
Rating: (= TH's +2.5)

Bolded: oh Lisna you philistine! It's from the classical work by Mussorgsky, "Pictures at an Exhibition" (also, I think, covered by Emerson, Lake and someone else whose name escapes me)!

Refuse the Line - Randy Edelman
My Comment: Sweeping orchestral effects are just a musical turn-off for me, so, of all the playlist, this track is the one I found hardest to sit through. Plus, I'm guessing that there's some subtext of glorifying military endeavor going on, which I don't like. Didn't Ennio Morricone demonstrate how a pared-down music was evocative of the Old West ?! This full-on orchestration is like, stylistically, going back to some dreary old 1950s Hollywood notion of The Wild West. 
Rating: (=TH's minus 4)

Meh, you either like "sweeping epic orchestral music" or you don't. I does.

Blind Me - For All We Know
My Comment: As TH mentions, a nice "chugging building guitar", though I didn't like the vocals so much: I can't call them weak, but they were too smooth, too unassuming for my tastes. I was looking forward to the "bright piano" that you mention - it was nice, all ten notes of it! In the recording studio, I would've said, "Get those guys to stop singing, and let's 'ave some more pi-anah!" 
Rating: (TH's minus 1)

Yeah I thought it was good.

Overall rating from me: :2.9stars: (=TH's minus 0.6)[/spoiler]

Thanks for taking the time, especially after your ill-fated journey back to the 1970s! Hope you managed to square everything with the cops.

[Lisnaholic]

Thanks for your responses, TH, and for being so good-natured about my criticisms. Also, congrats on spotting that typo: I'm now wondering myself what a Nose Drive might be: is it a charity event involving sponsored sneezing, or perhaps a government campaign to promote rhinoplasty ?

I'll check out the artist you recommend, Sunny Sweeney, and perhaps Uriah Heep too. I had friends who used to enthuse about UH, and also ELP's Pictures at an Exhibition. I didn't have much interest in either band (although I liked ELP's first album). Maybe I'll discover something I overlooked in the past - or will have better luck with Voyager IV.

News to me that Gilbert O'Sullivan is Irish : I thought he was prob from the Home Counties, especially when my brother he saw him one night drinking in a pub about 25 miles outside London. I'm sure your sister Sue would've made better use of the opportunity to speak to the great man himself - I'm afraid my brother' reaction was more on the indifference/contempt spectrum.

[Trollheart]

Ah yeah, sure isn't he as Oirish as meself? Born on the east coast, down there in Waterford, but as you say he spent his adult life in the UK, emigrating at 21 with his family. Fun fact: his name - as you probably worked out - is not Gilbert; he was born Raymond but took the name as a sort of nom de muse (?) based on the famous comic opera duo. Hey, it worked didn't it?

Now you have raised a sore point. All those poor defenceless noses being driven across state lines to be sold to wealthy women who need cosmetic surgery! The horrors they endure! The hardships. Nobody thinks about them. I tell you, it smells bad to me. Not to be sneezed at, and certainly a practice that should be blocked. Justice? Equality? They don't get a sniff! The worst thing is when some of them try to break loose and escape - nothing like a running nose - and the way they risk catching a chill by hiding in huge bales of straw to evade the drovers: no it's not funny - hay fever is a real problem for them.

And then there's the religious persecution element of this vile trade. Did you know that most wild noses don't believe in any god? They're all agnostrils, and they suffer for it. Pulled, twisted, tweaked and rubbed, picked on just because they're different. But tell this to anyone and all you'll get are snorts of derision. No wonder so many of them flu in the Great Migration of 2018! Their great leader, Conk the Mighty, crying "Come with me, fellow slaves! Follow your nose!" Unfortunately, bigotry and xenophobia prevented them from getting across the border. Oh you must remember the news stories! Those hateful signs? "America keep your noses out of our country!" Shocking. I heard most of them had to take menial jobs working in Hooters. Disgraceful.

[QuantumSync]

Dear Sir Trollheart,

I create a whole new playlist everyday on YouTube Music, and never miss.
I'm replying to this thread because I have been using Gaelic for the title names. I use computer code sometimes but then just the brain sometimes just settles for plain "October 26th, 2024" or something simple. Other days I'll title it something wild too.

Here is today's, I'll be jamming to all these today/tonight and move over the ones I want to bring to 'October 27th, 2024" and leave behind the ones I am finished listening to. I delete the daily playlists as I go, but keep the day before up and maybe a couple days sometimes.
An 26ú Deireadh Fómhair 2024