Classic Album Discussion Thread: The Kinks-Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Pt. 1 (1 Viewer)

[simey]

Nevermind/Nirvana - I like most of the album, but there are a few songs I skip through. Favorite song is Lithium.

Tapestry/Carole King - Great album that is one of my all-time favorites. I like every song on it. Favorite song changes all the time.

Thriller/Michael Jackson - I like some songs on his Off The Wall album better than any on Thriller, but recognize why Thriller is considered his best. Favorite song is Wanna Be Startin' Somethin.

IV/Led Zeppelin - I like a lot of songs on the album, but some get on my nerves. Favorite song is When the Levee Breaks. 

 

[rustycolts]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swhEa8vuP6U

I also had no clue about this.  Figures though the blues rule.

 

[timschochet]

The Clash- London Calling- 1979

London Calling

Brand New Cadillac

Jimmy Jazz

Hateful

Rudie Can’t Fail

Spanish Bombs

The Right Profile

Lost In the Supermarket

Clampdown

The Guns of Brixton

Wrong ‘Em Boyo

Death or Glory

Koka Kola

The Card Cheat

Lover’s Rock

Four Horsemen

I’m Not Down

Revolution Rock

Train In Vain

Even with all of the great rock albums we’ve already considered, this one might be as good or better than any of them. 19 songs, and not one is weak or filler IMO. Personal favorites include Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Death or Glory, The Card Cheat, and Train In Vain, But really I love every song and I never get sick of playing them. 

This here music smash up the nation

This here music cause a sensation

Tell your mama tell your papa everything gonna be alright 

 

[worrierking]

London Calling is the single most important album of my misspent youth.  I will never get tired of it.  Behind the rough exterior, the Clash were exceptionally musical.  The songs are good musically, even when you can't understand what Joe is snarling or if Mick is a little flat.  

Guns of Brixton, Death or Glory, I'm Not Down.  Great songs.

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Zep IV and Thriller have some great songs on them. I'd be fine with never hearing any of them ever again. Except "When The Levee Breaks."

The Battle of Evermore is really awesome and is for sure not overplayed

 

[rockaction]

Guns of Brixton. Great song.

I'll never forget an open mic in New Haven where a homeless guy with no teeth did Guns Of Brixton. Single most moving thing I've heard in my life. I was blown away, and that doesn't happen often.  

 

[Ghost Rider]

I remember hearing London Calling for the first time and thinking, "This is the album that is supposed to be so good?"  Overrated bland music that wasn't nearly as popular or impactful as some think.  It only has that reputation because music critics (who are mostly nimrods) talk it up like it is the greatest thing ever.  Major pass. 

Flame away. 

 

[timschochet]

I remember hearing London Calling for the first time and thinking, "This is the album that is supposed to be so good?"  Overrated bland music that wasn't nearly as popular or impactful as some think.  It only has that reputation because music critics (who are mostly nimrods) talk it up like it is the greatest thing ever.  Major pass. 

Flame away. 

For the record, my personal enjoyment of London Calling has nothing to do with its popularity (I can count on a single hand the times I’ve ever heard songs from it on the radio) or its influence (it veered far away from the punk rock of the Clash’s first two albums and had more of a reggae sound- I don’t think it was that influential on other bands but I don’t know.) 

I love the album because I love listening to the songs. What the critics think never meant anything to me. 

 

[Eephus]

London Calling has some weak tracks but that wasn't important at the time.  The scope and scale of the album, unprecedented for punk at the time, was significant and hinted at an enduring future for a type of music that had been viewed as a passing fad. 

Their record label had tagged The Clash as "the only band that matters" in promoting their previous album "Give 'Em Enough Rope".  This set a high bar for the follow-up but "London Calling" leaped over it and justified the hype.

 

[Eephus]

"London Calling" was produced by Guy Stevens who is another of the unsung heroes of Rock 'n Roll.
 

Take a deep breath and you could recount the Guy Stevens story in one sentence.

Kingpin mod deejay at the Scene Club in '64, Our Man In London for Sue Records, the legendary soul label, first house producer for Island Records where he signed and produced Free and Spooky Tooth as well as inventing Mott The Hoople, discov­erer of The Clash after a long time in hibernation and now finally producer of their new album 'London Calling', the man who got Chuck Berry out of jail in 1964, the man who supplied The Who with the compilation tape that gave them most of their early pre-original material repertoire, the man who introduced Keith Reid to Procol Harum and generated 'Whiter Shade Of Pale' only to fail to get them signed up and then had to stand by and watch them sell 90,000,000 copies for someone else, the man who smashed up every piece of furniture in a recording studio to get the performance he wanted out of the group he was recording, the man who Mick Jones of The Clash still thinks is responsible for getting him fired from his first real band, the man who heard Phil Spector rant about how it was him, Phil Spector, who first discovered The Beatles, the man who . . .

Here's a 1979 profile from a UK music magazine that frantically captures the spirit of the man, the myth and the legend.  "London Calling" was the final record Stevens produced.  He overdosed a year and a half later.

 

[Ghost Rider]

For the record, my personal enjoyment of London Calling has nothing to do with its popularity (I can count on a single hand the times I’ve ever heard songs from it on the radio) or its influence (it veered far away from the punk rock of the Clash’s first two albums and had more of a reggae sound- I don’t think it was that influential on other bands but I don’t know.) 

I love the album because I love listening to the songs. What the critics think never meant anything to me. 

Understand.  And hey, you like what you like; I get it.  After years of reading about how good it supposedly was, I was surprised at how good I thought it wasn't.  I should have known better than to trust music critics, who love to put it high on every "best album ever" list.  I am not saying popularity means everything (if it did, Nickelback would be considered great   ), or that an album has to chart high or have tons of singles on the pop charts, but with the exception of the title track, I have never heard any song from the album anywhere, yet critics talk like it is the greatest thing ever.  

Also, it it worth noting that I am not a fan of punk, and the few bands I really like who were at one time or another called punk (XTC, Talking Heads, etc.) did their best stuff once they veered away from their punk roots. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The Clash- London Calling- 1979

London Calling

Brand New Cadillac

Jimmy Jazz

Hateful

Rudie Can’t Fail

Spanish Bombs

The Right Profile

Lost In the Supermarket

Clampdown

The Guns of Brixton

Wrong ‘Em Boyo

Death or Glory

Koka Kola

The Card Cheat

Lover’s Rock

Four Horsemen

I’m Not Down

Revolution Rock

Train In Vain

Even with all of the great rock albums we’ve already considered, this one might be as good or better than any of them. 19 songs, and not one is weak or filler IMO. Personal favorites include Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Death or Glory, The Card Cheat, and Train In Vain, But really I love every song and I never get sick of playing them. 

This here music smash up the nation

This here music cause a sensation

Tell your mama tell your papa everything gonna be alright 

One of my Top 10 favorite records. Just so much fun to listen to this one.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Also, it it worth noting that I am not a fan of punk, and the few bands I really like who were at one time or another called punk (XTC, Talking Heads, etc.) did their best stuff once they veered away from their punk roots. 

This is the Clash veering away from punk. There’s very few songs on this record that would be classified as punk. It’s mostly ska, pop and rock. 

 

[Gr00vus]

I remember hearing London Calling for the first time and thinking, "This is the album that is supposed to be so good?"  Overrated bland music that wasn't nearly as popular or impactful as some think.  It only has that reputation because music critics (who are mostly nimrods) talk it up like it is the greatest thing ever.  Major pass. 

Flame away. 

I hear you. I've always thought the band and the album have been greatly overrated. They've got some really good songs, but the godlike status they've achieved isn't merited.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Another album that would have been better as a single album. Just choose your favorite ten songs.

 

[Eephus]

Another album that would have been better as a single album. Just choose your favorite ten songs.

It's 65 minutes long.  Many albums in the CD era were longer than London Calling.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

It's 65 minutes long.  Many albums in the CD era were longer than London Calling.

I always liked the limits of a 45 minute vinyl album. Put the best you got out there and save the rest.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I like a lot of the songs on London Calling individually, but it's like Exile On Main Street to me - too much of the same thing

 

[Brony]

This is the Clash veering away from punk. There’s very few songs on this record that would be classified as punk. It’s mostly ska, pop and rock. 

Love London Calling, but it has always bothered me that the iconic album cover art doesn't match the intensity of the album. The album cover would make more sense with Nirvana or Social Distortion 

 

[DocHolliday]

Never got the love for the Clash.  Boring stuff to me.  

 

[AAABatteries]

London Calling - I like the title track but the rest is just kind of average - don’t hate it but have no interest in listening to it.

 

[Epic Problem]

I remember hearing London Calling for the first time and thinking, "This is the album that is supposed to be so good?"  Overrated bland music that wasn't nearly as popular or impactful as some think.  It only has that reputation because music critics (who are mostly nimrods) talk it up like it is the greatest thing ever.  Major pass. 

Flame away. 

There’s a great album in there. Two of them? No F’ing way

 

[jamny]

I listened to London Calling a few times in the past. Never really cared much for it. It's been a while so maybe I'll give it another shot.

 

[Eephus]

To listen to London Calling in 1999 or 2009 is different than hearing it when it first came out in 1979.  That's obviously true for any music but The Clash's music is tied to its moment more than most of the records in this thread. 

I love The Clash but I acknowledge their music isn't as timeless as some other acts.  That doesn't diminish it as a classic in my eyes.  I guess you had to be there.

 

[Ron Swanson]

I'll never forget an open mic in New Haven where a homeless guy with no teeth did Guns Of Brixton. Single most moving thing I've heard in my life. I was blown away, and that doesn't happen often.  

Shane MacGowan?

 

[zamboni]

I guess there are more people besides myself that never got the relentlesss love for The Clash, and especially this album. Like Nirvana, I have a lot of respect for them in how they influenced a whole assortment of fans and musicians alike, and were politically astute.

In terms of the music, however, I don’t find LC all that special. Some really good material here, but much filler too. If you are looking for musicianship from that era/genre, Television’s Marquee Moon dances circles around LC.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Since this thread has been expanded to cover 80's classic albums, I'd love to see the following featured: 

Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Genesis - Duke
XTC - Skylarking
The Police - Synchronicity
Paul Simon - Graceland
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance

 

[zamboni]

Would be also good to discuss an album whose cover features the band surrounded by some zoo animals, but it’s Tim’s thread.

 

[rockaction]

Would be also good to discuss an album whose cover features the band surrounded by some zoo animals, but it’s Tim’s thread.

Hmmm...What exactly did you have in mind?  

 

[timschochet]

Radiohead- OK Computer (1997)

Paranoid

Airbag

Subterannean Homesick Alien

Exit Music (For a Film) 

Let Down

Karma Police

Fitter Happier

Electioneering

Climbing up the Walls

No Surprises 

Lucky

The Tourist

i generally come to the party late. In this case ai was REALLY late; I started listening to Radiohead for the first time two years ago. I immediately fell in love with “Fake Plastic Trees” from their album before this one, and “Karma Police”, two anthems I felt worthy of the best of Pink Floyd, which was the first band I thought of. 

A deeper listen to this album both attracted and repelled me in spots, but it certainly kept me interest at all times. Lyrically it reminded me of early Bowie, and just as sad- “Let Down” is pretty damn depressing. Or maybe not. Most of the time I have no idea what this guy is singing about. 

But I like it. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

At least Radiohead was melodic - unlike the grunge bands - but they don't do much for me. Coldplay with a better critical rep.

 

[rockaction]

Airbag, Paranoid Android, Let Down. All awesome songs I still listen to twenty years later. Just got the OKNOTOK version of the vinyl, which has a lot of their unreleased tracks, some of which are gems. 

 

[DocHolliday]

Radiohead is another band that I don't get.  That is not a popular opinion around these parts so I apologize for my poor taste in music.  

 

[Ghost Rider]

I didn't get into Radiohead until the mid 00's, but when I did, it was thanks to OK Computer.  I don't think it's their best album - that honor goes to In Rainbows - but it's their most iconic, and is a classic for obvious reasons.  Terrific record. 

 

[zamboni]

I’m also late to the Radiohead party and starting to appreciate them a bit more, but doubt I’ll ever be a true fan.

Certainly have come a long way since performing “Creep” on MTV’s Spring Break

 

[Epic Problem]

At least Radiohead was melodic - unlike the grunge bands - but they don't do much for me. Coldplay with a better critical rep.

Terrible take. Even Coldplay knows they're not in the same ballpark as Radiohead. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

I was too late to the game on The Clash, I think.  I like the album more now and will pop it in once in awhile, but that was after a buildup of seeing it listed as one of the best punk albums ever.  I was never a huge fan of punk, but I was listening to a bit at the time I tried London Calling, and the contrast made it sound like a Brit-pop album to me, so it took me awhile to want to go back to it again.  It might be an album and band that grows on me more now, but first reaction wasn't good.  

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I was too late to the game on The Clash, I think.  I like the album more now and will pop it in once in awhile, but that was after a buildup of seeing it listed as one of the best punk albums ever.  I was never a huge fan of punk, but I was listening to a bit at the time I tried London Calling, and the contrast made it sound like a Brit-pop album to me, so it took me awhile to want to go back to it again.  It might be an album and band that grows on me more now, but first reaction wasn't good.  

The Clash was never punk (neither were The Ramones, but that's a different story). They always held back and weren't nearly as nihilistic as gonzos like The Pistols

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Terrible take. Even Coldplay knows they're not in the same ballpark as Radiohead. 

I don't like them. I don't really care what Coldplay thinks.

 

[Slapdash]

Radiohead- OK Computer (1997)

Paranoid

Airbag

Subterannean Homesick Alien

Exit Music (For a Film) 

Let Down

Karma Police

Fitter Happier

Electioneering

Climbing up the Walls

No Surprises 

Lucky

The Tourist

i generally come to the party late. In this case ai was REALLY late; I started listening to Radiohead for the first time two years ago. I immediately fell in love with “Fake Plastic Trees” from their album before this one, and “Karma Police”, two anthems I felt worthy of the best of Pink Floyd, which was the first band I thought of. 

A deeper listen to this album both attracted and repelled me in spots, but it certainly kept me interest at all times. Lyrically it reminded me of early Bowie, and just as sad- “Let Down” is pretty damn depressing. Or maybe not. Most of the time I have no idea what this guy is singing about. 

But I like it. 

So many great songs in this one

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The Clash was never punk (neither were The Ramones, but that's a different story). They always held back and weren't nearly as nihilistic as gonzos like The Pistols

The Ramones sound to me like a 60 pop band (think early British Invasion) that can’t play their instruments well or sing. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

O.K. Computer is another Top 10 album for me. I listen to it constantly for the last 20 years. However outside of it and the Bends, I’m not a fan of the rest of their music. They got a little too “weird” for me starting with Kid A. I appreciate them wanting to change but it’s not for me.

I viewed O.K. Computer as a semi-concept album and the magesty and granduer of the music just sucks me in from the opening seconds until the end - outside of Electineering of course.

When the record first came out, I was still young and single so weekends were spent partying with a group of friends, and one insisted on playing this CD over protests of the rest that were into more classic rock. I was win over quickly. To me they were like a modern Pink Floyd anyway and that’s how I’d sell other friends on them.

Love Love Love this one. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

The Ramones sound to me like a 60 pop band (think early British Invasion) that can’t play their instruments well or sing. 

They wanted to be the Beach Boys, but they didn't have Brian Wilson.

I actually like them better now than I used to. Took me about 3 decades to figure them out.

Unlike Radiohead, who became the only band I thought was more pretentious than Yes.

 

[Nigel]

The Ramones sound to me like a 60 pop band (think early British Invasion) that can’t play their instruments well or sing. 

Not a band I can listen to a lot of, but when I hear one of their songs they’re one of those bands that takes me back to a very specific, feel-good spot in my life. So I love them for that.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

They wanted to be the Beach Boys, but they didn't have Brian Wilson.

I actually like them better now than I used to. Took me about 3 decades to figure them out.

Unlike Radiohead, who became the only band I thought was more pretentious than Yes.

For the record despite my description of the Ramones I do like them. Nothing Earth shattering to me, but they are a fun band.

 

[Nipsey]

Karma Police

https://clyp.it/wuil1wfq

 

[Nipsey]

OK Computer probably the greatest album of all-time imo. Genuine empathy for those who don't get Radiohead.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Not a band I can listen to a lot of, but when I hear one of their songs they’re one of those bands that takes me back to a very specific, feel-good spot in my life. So I love them for that.

Ramones have a special place somewhere in the history of rock and roll. I'm just not sure where that place is.

 

[shuke]

OKC definitely top 10 all time for me.  

 

[timschochet]

Miles Davis- Kind Of Blue- 1959

So What

Freddie Freeloader

Blue in Green

All Blues

Flamenco Sketches

The names of the musicians on this record are legendary: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly. Jazz royalty. This album is generally regarded as the greatest jazz album ever, which is saying something. People who discuss jazz tend to start here.