quote:

Originally posted by mejis:
Joanna Newsom makes me convulse every time I hear her.

Solid! Ok, that's the last one.

quote:

Originally posted by Musicalifragilistic:
Haha, you've got me pegged. I subscribed to Rollingstone for about 4 or 5 years, before I knew how bad they sucked. I used to think Peter Travers was the most "right on" movie critic of all time. No more RS for me, not for about 5 years now.

I still subscribe to RS only because I got a subscription deal for like $5 a year. They still have some good interviews every now and then, and I do like Peter Travers as a film critic.

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:

quote:

Originally posted by mejis:
Joanna Newsom makes me convulse every time I hear her.

Solid! Ok, that's the last one.

Hey PRG, you said you bash J. Newsom all over this place, but I looked and I couldn't find anything. I'm curious why you don't like it. Do you think the music's bad? Do you dislike it because of the "it's cool to like it" attitude? Have you listened to it with good speakers/headphones? You already said that female singers in bands are sexy. Well, Joanna Newsom makes the harp sexy. You don't dig?

Anyway, I'm curious to see why a Jedi like you would dislike it.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
I still subscribe to RS only because I got a subscription deal for like $5 a year. They still have some good interviews every now and then, and I do like Peter Travers as a film critic.

I find I have a similar taste in movies as Travers, but I find he's been going for cheesy catch phrases to help a movie advertise. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I'm sure you could name a few EG75. Things like "Scooby Doo? More like Scooby Poo"...gets under my skin a bit. He's like that weird film critic with the afro and the nerdy glasses...can't remember his name.

But hey, he does have good taste for the most part.

"chellos"

There isn't any 'h' in 'cello'. Just saying.

Do mind:
Arctic Monkeys. (Soooo overrated!)
Razorshi- I mean, Razorlight. (First album sucked donkey nads - I don't think album #2's going to be any different).
Jet. (See Pfork review).
Primal Scream. (Yeesh, after the critical bashing that it received, Q still put it on their list instead of Joanna Newsom, who they gave the same score (3 stars)?)

Don't mind:
TV On The Radio.
Joanna Newsom. (Hell yeah to both of them!)

quote:

Yeah, I used to subscribe to Maxim magazine as well, when it first came out...man I was lame...probably still am, and I'll only realise it in two or three years, looking back. Maybe I am doomed to be lame all of my life, only realising a couple years, after the fact, that I was oh so wrong. Live and learn, I guess.

A bit different than Rolling Stone I would say. I don't buy maxim for the writer's.

quote:

Originally posted by Musicalifragilistic:
Hey PRG, you said you bash J. Newsom all over this place, but I looked and I couldn't find anything. I'm curious why you don't like it. Do you think the music's bad? Do you dislike it because of the "it's cool to like it" attitude? Have you listened to it with good speakers/headphones? You already said that female singers in bands are sexy. Well, Joanna Newsom makes the harp sexy. You don't dig?

Anyway, I'm curious to see why a Jedi like you would dislike it.

Sorry, m., but he asked. Musical...., I guess it's been longer than I thought, but here it is in a nutshell. I cut and pasted it to save time.

quote:

And the thing is, it really isn't as much her voice on this one. I thought Milk Eyed Mender was completely unlistenable because of her voice. And while the voice is still hard for me, like I said before, with Ys, I actually enjoy some of the orchestration and arrangement of some of the songs, but the lyrics are ridiculous. After listening to the album a few times I actually read the lyrics to see just what the hell she was talking about. I don't like her poetry. I just don't feel like she makes any choices and so the words ramble on and on. I tend appreciate a storyteller who can communicate the idea of a story in fewer, rather than more words, especially when we're talking about song lyircs and poetry. I think we tend to elevate a musicians poetic musing when it takes the form of a song because it seems "deep" in the face of the relative simplicity of most song lyrics. As if putting music in the background somehow changes what the words are saying. Again, this is my personal opinion. To those who love it, good for you.

Now to address some of what you asked. First off, I'm not too cool to like anything, and truthfully, I don't get a "it's cool to like it" vibe from it. True, a lot of people like it, but a fair amount don't, and it really hasn't started popping up at many #1's. I have listened to the entire album exactly seven times, all but a couple of them on good systems/headphones, and I'll admit, I actually like the orchestration more than I did in the beginning, and I quite appreciate her harp playing, but her asinine lyrics get worse each time I hear them. I think that if I could just sit and listen to her play her harp, I'd love it. And I said that women who front rock bands are sexy. Again, if you like her, great, I have nothing against that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PaddyG,

Very politely put, PRG. From your earlier posts, I would have expected something far more scathing.

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:
Now to address some of what you asked. First off, I'm not too cool to like anything, and truthfully, I don't get a "it's cool to like it" vibe from it. True, a lot of people like it, but a fair amount don't, and it really hasn't started popping up at many #1's. I have listened to the entire album exactly seven times, all but a couple of them on good systems/headphones, and I'll admit, I actually like the orchestration more than I did in the beginning, and I quite appreciate her harp playing, but her asinine lyrics get worse each time I hear them. I think that if I could just sit and listen to her play her harp, I'd love it. And I said that women who front rock bands are sexy. Again, if you like her, great, I have nothing against that.

I didn't really care for this album when I first heard it but now I really do like it. I am glad that many people feel so strong about it that they feel the need to defend it and PRG is entitled to his/her opinion--especially when he states it without being malicious towards people that do like it. When I listen to it, I get that "Well the voice is not great, but the music is just so dang good that......well.....maybe her voice isn't that bad and actually sounds nice in some parts" feeling. I am not sure if that makes any sense.

But to keep relevance towards the intended topic--I wouldn't mind her album at a number one spot.

quote:

When I listen to it, I get that "Well the voice is not great, but the music is just so dang good that......well.....maybe her voice isn't that bad and actually sounds nice in some parts" feeling. I am not sure if that makes any sense.

You make complete sense. True, she doesn't have the "greatest" voice, but after listening to the album, it's hard for me to think of another voice that would better suit the "music." It is, in its own unexpected way, perfectly fitting.

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:
After listening to the album a few times I actually read the lyrics to see just what the hell she was talking about. I don't like her poetry. I just don't feel like she makes any choices and so the words ramble on and on. I tend appreciate a storyteller who can communicate the idea of a story in fewer, rather than more words, especially when we're talking about song lyircs and poetry.

That's a good point PRG, and yes, I agree with you there. You also gave me a good thread topic. In most cases, for me, lyrics are secondary to the actual music. Not to say I don't appreciate well written lyrics, but honestly it would take some pretty awful lyrics (maybe My Humps lyrics) to make me dislike this album. I love the way her voice works with the music, and there are some passages I find myself singing along with but her words, in this case, really aren't that important to me.

Don't get me wrong, if this album had "the best lyrics in the world", it woud enhance it for me. I just don't put too much weight behind the words and therefore it doesn't bother me very much.

Also, she's only 24 so I wouldn't be surprised if she improves upon her lyrics or changes directions with her style of writing.

By the way, I wasn't throwing the "what, you're too cool to like it?" sarcastic line at you. I was thinking along the lines of you making a concious effort to not invest in the hype (if that makes sense). It's very true that some people like something for what they've read or heard about it rather than judging it on its own. It's like an automatic defence or reasoning behind liking it, making it easily justifiable. I have to admit I've been guilty of it in the past, so I try to avoid reviews or metascores until I've actually heard something for myself.

Its pointless to say, "You shouldn't trash people's opinion on music!" But the only reason we are on this board in the first place is, ostensibly, to do just that. Only we're gentle and diplomatic about it. In fact, we're more interested than why other people like this other stuff than proclaiming simply what it is we like.

Besides, its not like we'd be MAD at these number ones, its just we'd MIND it. Meaning we'd give it mind.

WOULD MIND: Arctic Monkeys

That's it.

quote:

Originally posted by Yay!:


WOULD MIND: Arctic Monkeys

That's it.

I was recently reminded how much I like this album. Haters be damned.

Boo on you, Scene Kid McGee!

He's not literally damning you. He just personally enjoys thinking about your sorry ass fryin'. Second that! Oops, there I go!

Actually nobody will be damned, but look at it this way, we're all gonna die. We're all gonna end up together at some point. God Bless ya, Yay!

quote:

Originally posted by Yay!:
Besides, its not like we'd be MAD at these number ones, its just we'd MIND it. Meaning we'd give it mind.

WOULD MIND: Arctic Monkeys

That's it.

Good point. Also, Arctic Monkeys is highly overrated. It is a very decent album that is not going to age well that people seem to be loving for whatever reason. To each their own, but I just don't see why it is number one on so many lists--let alone on so many lists period.

Rolling Stone... Fergie... Things that I DO mind...

OK I can't hold it in any longer. Fergie being #1 on the RS "hot list" this year really grinds my gears. I mean here you have a perfect opportunity to do a photo spread of the hottest girl on the planet (without being criticized for purposely being gratuitous... it is the hot list after all) and they pick Fergie?! Come on!

#1 hottie I would NOT mind seeing on the cover of RS Hot List Issue:
Scarlett Johansson

but back on topic...

#1 album I WOULD mind:
Bob Dylan
not because its a bad album but because putting Modern Times at the top of your list is a very "safe" choice.

2006 has been a year of taking chances for better (Return to Cookie Mountain) or worse (Brandon Flowers' Bruce Springsteen imitation) and being truly unique (Gnarls Barkley anyone?).

#1 album I would NOT mind:
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations



i'm just saying it would be cool.

quote:

Originally posted by Jack:
#1 album I would NOT mind:
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations



i'm just saying it would be cool.

I wholeheartedly agree with you.

I know this is completely off-topic, but others are ragging on Peter Travers, so I thought I'd join in.

I lost all respect for the man a few years ago, when I read his review for Star Wars, Ep. 1. I've been trying to find this on the internet, but I think all copies of it have been destroyed for obvious reasons. In this review, he actually says that Jar-Jar Binks was one of the greatest movie characters of all time. Does anybody else remember seeing that?

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:

quote:

Originally posted by Jack:
#1 album I would NOT mind:
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations



i'm just saying it would be cool.

I wholeheartedly agree with you.

I'm with these guys, honestly. It's a really fun, kind of silly, but great rock record.