What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Desert Island Album Draft - 15th Anniversary Edition - 50 Rounds in the books, sign up now for KP's listening program (9 Viewers)

KarmaPolice said:
@Raging weasel - odd question, but how much do you like Ghost Reveries, and are there tracks on it you like better than others?

I am asking because I put Pale Communion on there so people wouldn't instaskip if it came up on the playlist.  However, if you like GR I would point you to other albums besides Pale Communion, if that makes sense.  
Click to expand...
I like it alot. The Grand Conjuration and the Ghost of Perdition are my favs but like them all. Haven't actually listened to Damnation in years.

 
Raging weasel said:
Are you laughing because you think I'm way off or kind of agree?
Click to expand...
Kind of agree, just thought it was a funny description.   

I agree that I think there would be a bit crossover of Tool fans and Opeth fans due to their musicianship.   To tie it back to Ghost Reveries, I could see if somebody could like a 12min Tool track off the 2 newest albums, they probably would get something out of song like Reverie/Harlequin Forest (again, the vocals might take an adjustment),  or something like Heart in Hand off the newest album.   

Hard to compare anything to the rhythm section of Tool, so for sure people would need to leave that expectation at the door.  Their last 4 albums have left the growls completely behind and have veered more to 100% prog territory, so fans of that might like those but not want venture much past that in years (besides maybe Damnation). 

 
Listened to Fiona Apple's debut Tidal off @Binky The Doormat's island along with her most recent album. 

Maybe I'm analyzed out but I'm struggling to form an opinion.  She's one of those artists for me where I don't care for her voice and I can't get past it no matter how good the songs and production are.  I preferred Fetch the Bolt Cutters because it seems more fully formed and less mannered.  Tidal was a remarkable work for a 19 year old but I just couldn't connect with her. 

 
MAC_32 said:
I've never considered listening to one second of Opeth for a variety of what I thought were legitimate reasons, but am now wondering if I made that don't listen decision based on complete info. So, sell me. Cause despite what my draft indicates I feel compelled to note that most of my catalog is not anywhere near as heavy as SoaD. I think them, Metallica, The Refused, and Rage represent the extremes of my music tastes. Just clarifying because of your 'listen to stuff like SoaD' comment. I really don't. There is very little like them anywhere in my library.
Click to expand...


MAC_32 said:
Up to this point in my life death metal has been a hard pass for me and not something I've ever considered re-assessing, but is Opeth actually anywhere near that subgenre. Based on what you have written I'm wondering if I just imagined that. But in this group's case will it even matter. That's a briefing on what's going on in my head right now and why I decided just to ask for a primer. I really don't know anything about them. 

My time & energy is going into the world of the aughts this week, but maybe this will take priority to others I wrote down later this summer. I need more info on them though.
Click to expand...
@MAC_32

Fair, and if you don't listen to metal too much, I am not going to try to sell you too hard.   Maybe I mistook you taking SoaD, etc as that representing a larger % of your listening.  

I was thinking about how to sell you, and about the only way that popped in my mind is that I can pretty much guarantee it's not what you are imagining in your head.  I really like AllMusic's description of the band, which is:

Influential and acclaimed Swedish prog-metal outfit that deftly mixes death metal crunch with ambitious instrumental flash.

Now, the "death metal" part of it IMO is just the vocals that they go back an forth on for about 1/2 their albums.  When I think of death metal, I picture an onslaught of growls and non-stop punishing music/double bass drums (like THIS ).  I was listening to their best known and rated album tonight, and if you take out the growling vocals, I am not sure if the music is even harder than Metallica - that's why I like that the description above calls them a prog-metal band first.    The vocals are interesting and maybe is a bit like me and the country music discussion.  I have gotten used to it, and when I put on that SoaD album, it got me thinking - why would Opeth's vocals irritate people more than this would?  Hence my comment about them.  

Anyway, if you do ever want to give them a try, I could give you suggestions or put together a mini playlist.  Otherwise, I'll drop it and not turn this into a KP loves Opeth thread.  

 
Gave @Eephus 3rd round pick Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady a spin. Spoiler alert, it kicks ###. Actually, I'm kind of going to stick to the spoiler here since it's Monday and I'm having trouble articulating why I appreciate this album. whatever, here goes. I heard a song on the shuffle machine way back when this draft was ongoing and made a note to dive further. I'm pretty sure it was Harmony in my Head, which I've played probably a dozen thymes or more in the past 2 days. It's like just the right entry point for someone who kind of likes punk but is uninitiated. The way the guitars play off each other on the left and right frequency ...so good. but yeah, great entry point to the uninitiated would-be punk listener. That's kind of a good way to describe this band tbh. If a university had 2 entry level punk courses, I'd drop Ramones 101 for this one. Apparently half of the cuts on this are B-sides. I wouldn't have known and I wouldn't be able to  point them out other than to say I doubt they are Harmony, Why Can't I Touch it, somethings Gone Wrong. they all kick too much ###. The guitars really drew me in along with the singer's delivery. the first half of the album it caught me off guard how many references to love there were, but not a bad thing just an observation. Actually, love is great so probably a good thing there.

these are the notes I took for this album:

  • Song 1 sounds like the Hives dug these guys
  • Harmony in my Head...Yeah!
  • Oh ####! (That's the song title)
  • Autonomy...guitar kicks ###
  • Just/Lust...there's that punk guitar solo again
  • Why Can't I Touch it...6.5 mins and kick ###
  • Somethings Gone Wrong again...kick ###
Would I revisit the entire album? Maybe, not sure, but there are several song I think I will continue to listen to and add to playlists. the highs on this are crazy good. Harmony in my Head has been playing on repeat whilst I type this and there are a handful of others that I really like. so yeah.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Review - Eagles of Death Metal - Death by Sexy - Picked 27.34 by @MAC_32

I'm generally familiar with the band, and this was one of the albums I was looking forward to checking out.  The album was pretty much exactly what I was expecting, 40 minutes of solid garage/blues rock.  I only knew two of the songs, "Don't Speak" and "I Want You So Hard".

I'm struggling to really articulate the album.  I found it to be....fine.  There's nothing wrong with it, I enjoyed the listen, but nothing really grabbed me on it.  The songs were all sufficiently similar to one another such that I'm having difficulty really pulling out a favorite.  Overall 7/10.  Certainly good enough for a listen on occasion but doesn't leave me needing more.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Eephus, off topic but since you brought it up in this thread, did you enjoy "A Visit from the Goon Squad"?  That's a book that many people whose opinions I value have loved, and I've tried a couple of times and not been able to stick with it.  I feel like I need to give it another try.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've listened to Harmony in my Head so much my wife is now singing it. youtube comment kind of nails it: "Great guitars. vocals like a vintage lawn mower"

 
krista4 said:
@Eephus, off topic but since you brought it up in this thread, did you enjoy "A Visit from the Goon Squad"?  That's a book that many people whose opinions I value have loved, and I've tried a couple of times and not been able to stick with it.  I feel like I need to give it another try.
Click to expand...
I'm only three chapters in and I'm trying to figure out the structure.  So far it reads like a short story collection linked by Bennie.  The late 70s SF Punk Rock scenes brought back memories and I thought the author captured the voice of its teenage narrator beautifully.

I loved Egan's Manhattan Beach but as I recall that novel took its time to get going too.

ETA:  I would be further along but I've spent five hours watching hoary old WWII movies for the Movie Club.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Buffaloes said:
I've listened to Harmony in my Head so much my wife is now singing it. youtube comment kind of nails it: "Great guitars. vocals like a vintage lawn mower"
Click to expand...
The singer of that song is Steve Diggle who's the secondary less whiny singer in the band. 

The late Pete Shelley wrote and sang most of the band's songs.

 
Alright, @Bonzai - I will do this one, since I am still struggling with the other.  

THE BAND - THE BAND (1969)

I will take a page out of the Buffloes playbook, and say spoiler alert - I pretty much ####in' loved this album.   Looking at the songs before I started, I thought I knew a couple songs, and I commented that I liked Whispering Pines when it came up in shuffle a bit ago (but I think that was also the live version?).  What I loved about the experience over the last couple days, is while I really like the songs that I knew, there were more on here that I liked a lot more.   The first was Rag Mama Rag.  Really got into that, and played it 2x before moving on.  Then a little later came a perfect example of what I was talking about a few weeks ago about feeling like I am hearing music for the first time when I am rocking the new headphones.  That funky ### bass (that is the bass, right?)  hits about 10 secs in and I feel like I've never really heard that song before.  Then two songs later I get the bad ### opening of Jemima Surrender.  Pretty sure I listened to that song a few times before moving on.   By the time Look Out Cleveland/Jawbone rolled around, I am pretty sure I had the permanent "stink face" like my Lost in Vegas boys have when they are jamming on a tune ( LINK ).   That lasted all the way through the closer - daaaammmn that last 30sec or so of the album.    Pretty sure I have listened to this 4x in the last couple days.    Thanks to you and this draft for getting me on board with this (admittedly waaaayyy to late).  9.5/10

 
My short review of The Postal Service - Give Up - selected by @Steve Tasker

Of the six albums I'll review, this is the one where I already knew the most songs, being at least a little familiar with four of them.

Speaking of number of songs, did a quick check at first to make sure I wasn't inadvertently listening to twice as much as I needed to - OK, ten songs on this album; I think I'm good.

Despite knowing a few more of the songs here, I discovered some real gems on this record that I wasn't already familiar with.  Since I'm not a big electronic music person and there is a heavy electronic component, to me and for my taste, this record is very hit-and-miss.  The songs I like, I really like.  The ones I don't are not stuff I want to sit through again.  That said, there are many more hits than misses, and I think this is a cohesive record that, if you liked the style of music (esp. the electronic stuff) more than I do, you would definitely want high on your list.  It's beautifully put together and I do like the new-wavey-feel.  I'll be adding some of the individual tracks to my personal playlists and am glad that I had an opportunity to re-hear some and to hear others for the first time.

My favorites:  Such Great Heights (one I knew but had forgotten - I think this song is so good that it's almost unfair to other bands); Nothing Better; This Place Is a Prison; Brand New Colony (another I knew but was reminded how fabulous it was)

Others worth mentioning, for better or worse:  We Will Become Silhouettes, great song but didn't make my favorites list because I like The Shins' cover better.  Sleeping In - this song is musically great but the lyrics are impossibly, awfully bad.

Let's see what Tasker chose:  Such Great Heights; Nothing Better  Yes!!!  My first bulls-eye!  :hifive:  

Random number generator has given me Hinds - I Don't Run as my next listen.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
KarmaPolice said:
Alright, @Bonzai - I will do this one, since I am still struggling with the other.  

THE BAND - THE BAND (1969)

I will take a page out of the Buffloes playbook, and say spoiler alert - I pretty much ####in' loved this album.   Looking at the songs before I started, I thought I knew a couple songs, and I commented that I liked Whispering Pines when it came up in shuffle a bit ago (but I think that was also the live version?).  What I loved about the experience over the last couple days, is while I really like the songs that I knew, there were more on here that I liked a lot more.
Click to expand...
Have you ever see The Last Waltz?

 
Maybe not quite as funny now without hearing her cadence and way of saying things, but on the way to daycare I was listening to The Band, and Look Out Cleveland came up first because that is where I was in the album form the 2nd or 3rd listen and I turned it up because I thought she would dig it, because, well, she digs most things I throw at her.  

Me:  this is a really good song, right honey?

Her:  No

Me:  silent, sort of surprised

Her:  The reason for that is (I start cracking up at this point, just because of the way she says this.  She's 5 FFS),  I don't like storms, I don't like thunder, so I don't like that song.  

I turned it to Up On Cripple Creek, and after about 1 min I hear - that's better daddy, and she and her stuffed bunny were "dancing" in the car seat. 

 
KarmaPolice said:
@MAC_32

Fair, and if you don't listen to metal too much, I am not going to try to sell you too hard.   Maybe I mistook you taking SoaD, etc as that representing a larger % of your listening.  

I was thinking about how to sell you, and about the only way that popped in my mind is that I can pretty much guarantee it's not what you are imagining in your head.  I really like AllMusic's description of the band, which is:

Influential and acclaimed Swedish prog-metal outfit that deftly mixes death metal crunch with ambitious instrumental flash.

Now, the "death metal" part of it IMO is just the vocals that they go back an forth on for about 1/2 their albums.  When I think of death metal, I picture an onslaught of growls and non-stop punishing music/double bass drums (like THIS ).  I was listening to their best known and rated album tonight, and if you take out the growling vocals, I am not sure if the music is even harder than Metallica - that's why I like that the description above calls them a prog-metal band first.    The vocals are interesting and maybe is a bit like me and the country music discussion.  I have gotten used to it, and when I put on that SoaD album, it got me thinking - why would Opeth's vocals irritate people more than this would?  Hence my comment about them.  

Anyway, if you do ever want to give them a try, I could give you suggestions or put together a mini playlist.  Otherwise, I'll drop it and not turn this into a KP loves Opeth thread.  
Click to expand...
Maybe give me one song and I'll give it the heart. That will serve as a reminder to circle back to it later this summer. I'm at least interested enough to give them a shot. Not sure about the occult cookie monster though.  :lol:

To expand on one particular subject, I think the problem with most growling in metal is it doesn't add to the song. It just blends in. Kinda like the first few seconds of that thing you linked. It's just noise. It isn't music. 

With SoaD I think the manner in which they use growls enhances their music. It doesn't distract from it. Kinda like how their overall sound developed, especially later in their career. They became more selective with their thrash arrangements and how it blended with their vocals. In both cases it's deliberate and with a purpose, and not just formulaic quiet/loud either. Question! probably being the best example of it as it hits every level on the spectrum at different times over lapping with one another - growls, acoustics, screams, melody, thrash, all seamlessly flowing between multiple different time signatures. It's...perfect. 

 
I also listened to @Eephus 11th round selection Bad Brains - I Against I during my workout today. This review is going to be pretty truncated, but some quick thoughts...

I had an old Long Beach Dub All Stars cd which was basically the 2 surviving members of Sublime playing with a bunch of other artists. HR from Bad Brains sang on a track that was intro'd by Kirk Loder and it was a reggae cut so I assumed Bad Brains was a punk/reggae kind of band. These guys went way harder than I expected which turned out pretty good for a quick in-and-out workout (not as fun as it sounds). It's hard for me to really classify this band's music other than old skate videos meets Dave Mustain meets Serj from SoaD for a song meets Diamond Dave for an-oh-so brief last song of the album howl moment meets the lead singer of Primus for a cup of coffee meets...I dunno. These guys kind of kick ### too tbh. A handful of songs really reminded me of a cooler Megadeath (no shade @ megadeath or its fans). but then a handful were something else altogether. This album is pretty raw. These songs are in and out, no frills similar to Buzzcocks. 31 minutes and it doesn't really let up.

Standout tracks: I Against I , Secret 77, She's Calling You, Sacred Love

Would I revisit? I'm listening to it again now and yeah I think I could fit it into the rotation no problem. Eephus Isle has been good to this guy. If I ever get kicked off my own island I might paddle over and slum it on Eephus Isle. so far no misses.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
krista4 said:
Is she already familiar with The Postal Service record?  Probably so, but I bet she'd like that based on this description.
Click to expand...
yes, she is a fan of Death Cab and from what she's heard digs Postal Service. I think the 2 of us have only a surface-level understanding of Postal service so maybe we will throw it on some night

 
47.17 Ryan Adams - Prisoner (2017)

Tracklist
1    Do You Still Love Me?
2    Prisoner    
3    Doomsday    
4    Haunted House    
5    Shiver And Shake    
6    To Be Without You
7    Anything I Say To You Now    
8    Breakdown    
9    Outbound Train    
10    Broken Anyway    
11    Tightrope    
12    We Disappear

 
MAC_32 said:
Maybe give me one song and I'll give it the heart. That will serve as a reminder to circle back to it later this summer. I'm at least interested enough to give them a shot. Not sure about the occult cookie monster though.  :lol:

To expand on one particular subject, I think the problem with most growling in metal is it doesn't add to the song. It just blends in. Kinda like the first few seconds of that thing you linked. It's just noise. It isn't music. 

With SoaD I think the manner in which they use growls enhances their music. It doesn't distract from it. Kinda like how their overall sound developed, especially later in their career. They became more selective with their thrash arrangements and how it blended with their vocals. In both cases it's deliberate and with a purpose, and not just formulaic quiet/loud either. Question! probably being the best example of it as it hits every level on the spectrum at different times over lapping with one another - growls, acoustics, screams, melody, thrash, all seamlessly flowing between multiple different time signatures. It's...perfect. 
Click to expand...
@MAC_32

I hear where you are coming from and after hearing it more, IMO the Opeth blend of growl/normal adds to the music and isn't what that link I just provided is.   So I am going to do one better than you asked for, I will give you 2 songs of theirs - one mid career and one late career  AKA one with the mix and one where they abandoned the growls altogether.   If you like both, we can go one way, if you only like the non-growl, we can go another.  If you like neither, then so be it - thanks for giving a listen.  I just ask to stick it out for the whole song.  

1.  The Funeral Portrait off the album Blackwater Park.    Taking a slight risk here, but #### it.  Bleak is probably their "most famous" song and it's on the same album, but this one of my faves and it rocks a bit harder.  More tempo changes, etc..  It think it's more representative of their harder side.  

2.  Cusp of Eternity off the album Pale Communion   This is one of the songs I put on the play list.   This pretty representative of what they became in the last 4 albums.  

 
Eephus said:
@Bonzai

Margot's frontman Richard Edwards released a new album last week.  Like his other solo albums I've heard, it's a relatively quiet affair with mostly piano ballads sung in his hushed falsetto. 

Monkey is the standout track on first listen
Click to expand...
Haven't heard his full albums, but I heard Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' on a playlist a while back and really really dug it (mentioned it at the tail end of a draft at the time, when I jumped in and took some leftovers).

 
Abrantes said:
Haven't heard his full albums, but I heard Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' on a playlist a while back and really really dug it (mentioned it at the tail end of a draft at the time, when I jumped in and took some leftovers).
Click to expand...
Edwards is very prolific.  He put out eight albums plus multiple demo collections under the Margot and the Nuclear So and So's moniker and I think his new album is his third or fourth solo project.

 
KarmaPolice said:
Alright, @Bonzai - I will do this one, since I am still struggling with the other.  

THE BAND - THE BAND (1969)

I will take a page out of the Buffloes playbook, and say spoiler alert - I pretty much ####in' loved this album.   Looking at the songs before I started, I thought I knew a couple songs, and I commented that I liked Whispering Pines when it came up in shuffle a bit ago (but I think that was also the live version?).  What I loved about the experience over the last couple days, is while I really like the songs that I knew, there were more on here that I liked a lot more.   The first was Rag Mama Rag.  Really got into that, and played it 2x before moving on.  Then a little later came a perfect example of what I was talking about a few weeks ago about feeling like I am hearing music for the first time when I am rocking the new headphones.  That funky ### bass (that is the bass, right?)  hits about 10 secs in and I feel like I've never really heard that song before.  Then two songs later I get the bad ### opening of Jemima Surrender.  Pretty sure I listened to that song a few times before moving on.   By the time Look Out Cleveland/Jawbone rolled around, I am pretty sure I had the permanent "stink face" like my Lost in Vegas boys have when they are jamming on a tune ( LINK ).   That lasted all the way through the closer - daaaammmn that last 30sec or so of the album.    Pretty sure I have listened to this 4x in the last couple days.    Thanks to you and this draft for getting me on board with this (admittedly waaaayyy to late).  9.5/10
Click to expand...
:excited:

For some reason I thought this would be too rootsy for you. Like Eephus said, check out The Last Waltz stat.  

I know that exact stink face you're talking about.  :lol:   Those guys are a hoot.

 
Making breakfast listening to Elis & Tom from @Abrantes. This is a really relaxing album, love the vibe. It’s a good Bossa Nova companion album to the  Getz/Gilberto  mI drafted which feels more like an evening album. 

 
KarmaPolice said:
The plan is to listen to more of The Band, and watch Last Waltz very soon. 
Click to expand...
Here is a little glimpse. I love that song. I love the horns in it, and Levon singing lead. The song just swings. Usually the camera isn't that close up to Levon, but it is in this song, and you can see the smoke from his lungs coming out when he sings. Mavis Staples said that when they participated in The Last Waltz, Scorcese gave them all a break, and Levon was messing around on his drums, and Pops came up to talk with him, and noticed he had two cigarettes in his mouth at once. Pops said something to him about smoking two at once, and Levon said you gotta try this one, and one was a joint. Pops declined, and Mavis said he laughed about that for years after. 🚬

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

John Maddens Lunchbox
Desert Island Song Draft - Alphabet thievery afoot - Thievery abounds, XTC and Queen popular. Starting Round 25. Chaos coming
37 38 39
Replies
2K
Views
32K
northern exposure
northern exposure
Eephus
Pick a Pair/Half Decade Album Draft - Bonus Rounds Thu & Fri - Pick three if you want
52 53 54
Replies
3K
Views
46K
rockaction
rockaction
Eephus
The Return of the Desert Island Jukebox Draft - Drop in a quarter
92 93 94
Replies
5K
Views
105K
Pip's Invitation
Pip's Invitation

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 10 (members: 0, guests: 10)
Top