(03-02-2009 04:16 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: [ -> ]Van Halen: 1984 and II
I just listened to Van Halen - Fair Warning last week. I'm not a huge VH fan, but that album rocks.
IDK.... I like 1 and II ...but Diver Down and Fair Warning to me.... just ...weren't "AS" good... decent cds...but just not at the level of I and II. I'd argue to a man that 1984 is their best work. I also like 5150, OU812, and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. I nev er listened to III (aka Gary Shereone's (sp?) attempt at being VH's lead singer.... nor did I like Balance, which was Sammy Hagars last effort.
Mean Street and One Foot out the Door were pretty good.... I just couldn't get into the other tunes as much. Mean Street is the standout tune on the disc IMO.
Mean Street and One Foot out the Door were pretty good.... I just couldn't get into the other tunes as much. Mean Street is the standout tune on the disc IMO.
I'm not a VH fan, but putting Fair Warning and Diver Down in the same category is a crime. Even to VH fans, Diver Down is considered the bottom of the barrel. It's the "we'll appease David Lee Roth this one time and let him get all this non-sense out of his system" album. Personally, I think Fair Warning is far above that record.
"Mean Streets" is by far my favorite tune on the record. It's just dirty and gritty. It's pretty fantastic. "Unchained" is second. There are a couple duds, but for the most part, the record rocks. Maybe you need to hear it on vinyl.
VH I has some great tunes, but the inclusion of "Jamie's Cryin" is an automatic disqualification for any sort of recognition. That crap belongs on Diver Down. VH II is kind of blah for me. I sort of like "Beautiful Girls," but other than that, you can keep it. DLR is an interesting figure. His influence helped create some of their greatest tunes and some of their worst (Jamie's Cryin', Dancin in the Streets, Dance the Night Away).
Mean Street and One Foot out the Door were pretty good.... I just couldn't get into the other tunes as much. Mean Street is the standout tune on the disc IMO.
I'm not a VH fan, but putting Fair Warning and Diver Down in the same category is a crime. Even to VH fans, Diver Down is considered the bottom of the barrel. It's the "we'll appease David Lee Roth this one time and let him get all this non-sense out of his system" album. Personally, I think Fair Warning is far above that record.
"Mean Streets" is by far my favorite tune on the record. It's just dirty and gritty. It's pretty fantastic. "Unchained" is second. There are a couple duds, but for the most part, the record rocks. Maybe you need to hear it on vinyl.
VH I has some great tunes, but the inclusion of "Jamie's Cryin" is an automatic disqualification for any sort of recognition. That crap belongs on Diver Down. VH II is kind of blah for me. I sort of like "Beautiful Girls," but other than that, you can keep it. DLR is an interesting figure. His influence helped create some of their greatest tunes and some of their worst (Jamie's Cryin', Dancin in the Streets, Dance the Night Away).
Hmmmm
Before I debate VH cds more in depth I will revisit my copy of Diver Down.
Me personally, liked 1 , II, 1984, 5150, OU812, and F.U.C.K.. TOTALLY hated Balance ...never heard III.
I do kind of agree on DLR though.... he is a magnetic frontman... who via his own ego and the VH brothers ruined a good thing at the time..... now when Sammy got into starting with 5150 I thought Sammy was a pretty vocalist for their music and I enjoy a lot of his songs he was in on with the band. But the aura of VH is still the original line up.
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (It was the $1.99 record on Amazon.com yesterday. I've been meaning to buy it anyway, so I couldn't pass it up)
(11-19-2008 09:42 AM)Artifice Wrote: [ -> ]The title track off of Blitzen Trapper's Furr is an absolute classic. It's nearly perfect. The rest of the album is a decent, if quirky listen.
I heard "Furr" for the first time today and it's fantastic. I knew someone had listened to this recently on here. So, I was going to ask for a quick review of the rest of the record, but there it is. Anyone else want to weigh in on this record?
(12-05-2008 06:00 PM)Lush Wrote: [ -> ]That Blitzen Trapper album is one of my favorites of the year. Black River Killer could be my song of the year. The whole album's fantastic. Surprising considering their debut was last year.
I guess there's my answer. I should have looked further.
(01-24-2009 09:49 PM)niuhuskie84 Wrote: [ -> ]Listening to my latest vinyl haul. Dusty Groove is going to be the end of me...
(12-05-2008 06:00 PM)Lush Wrote: [ -> ]That Blitzen Trapper album is one of my favorites of the year. Black River Killer could be my song of the year. The whole album's fantastic. Surprising considering their debut was last year.
I guess there's my answer. I should have looked further.
I really love the album. So many good songs. I change my mind on my favortie tune though, God & Suicide is it.
My recent musings
awesome awesome local (Cincinnati) band. These cats just played SXSW. Very folksy and experimental. The Cincinnati scene is hopefully going to be huge, so many great bands.
But the place is amazing, probably the best record store in Chicago (if not the country) for jazz, soul, hip hop, reggae, funk...anything along those lines (there are plenty of other stores to shop for indie rock..this ain't it). Definitely not cheap (although thats relative, since a lot of the stuff is considered "collectible"), but the selection is astounding. You can literally walk in blind-folded, pick a stack of records at random, and you would leave happy. I am not kidding, there is nothing in that store I would not want to own. Everything is impeccably organized by genre, and their website lists their entire in-store selection, along with a customized write-up of every album (its an encyclopedia in itself). Check it out. http://www.dustygroove.com/
So as you can imagine, I try to limit my visits, because I can be dangerous with a credit card...
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