(July 2016) I have completed episode 92 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: BIG STAR. Power pop perfection!
Favorite album: #1 Record
Favorite song: Try Again
Compared to expectations: same
Category: Episodes
91. The Yardbirds
(July 2016) I have completed episode 91 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to an artist’s full discography. This edition: THE YARDBIRDS. Known best as the launching pad for Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, they also had several hits (you would recognize more than you think). They helped build the bridge from R&B to psychadelic, but their constant lineup changes limited their ability to establish a signature sound.
Favourite album: Yardbirds (Roger the Engineer)
Favourite song: Heart Full of Soul
Compared to expectations: same
90. Neil Young
(July 2016) I have completed episode 90 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to an artist’s full discography. This edition: NEIL YOUNG. Always a huge fan, this review deepened my appreciation. Restlessly prolific (36 studio albums in 46 years), he has ranged from noise rock, folk, country, rockabilly, blues and synth pop. The one constant is that he always pursued what he wanted, not afraid to stick it to the record companies, big corporations and politicians. While there are plenty of forgettable releases, I find him at his best when he is quiet and intimate (Sugar Mountain, Comes a Time, Silver and Gold) or loud and gritty (Cinnamon Girl, Rust Never Sleeps, Greendale).
Favorite album: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Favorite song: Down By the River
Favorite period: 1969-75
Worst period: 1980-88
Worst album: Trans
Goes best with: Crazy Horse
Compared to expectations: ↑
89. Philip Glass
(July 2016) I have completed phase 89 of my “opus project” in which I listen to the complete works of an artist. This episode: PHILIP GLASS, perhaps the greatest living composer. I am drawn to his early/mid minimalist work, although there is much to offer in the variety in his compositions, including in classic forms, vocal works, and film scores. I would be curious to see a scan of a person’s brain waves when he listens to Glass, because I sense it elicits a different emotional response than other forms of music; I can’t describe it.
Favorite album: Dancepieces
Favorite “song”: In the Upper Room Dance IX
Favorite Symphony: #3
Favorite opera: Akhenaten
Favorite soundtrack: Koyaanisqatsi
Favorite piece of severe minimalism: Music in Twelve Parts (his masterpiece, I would argue)
Compared to expectations: same
88. Television
(June 2016) I have completed episode 88 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: TELEVISION. Glam proto-punk, or something like that. Give ’em a spin!
Favorite album: Marquee Moon
Favorite song: Marquee Moon
Compared to expectations: same
87. Cake
I have completed episode 87 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: CAKE. Sacramento’s finest rock and droll!
Favorite album: Fashion Nugget
Favorite song: The Distance
Compared to expectations: same
86. Spin̈al Tap
(June 2016) I have completed episode 86 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: SPINAL TAP. None more black.
Favourite album: Intravenus de Milo
Favourite song: Stonehenge
Favourite drummer: John “Stumpy” Pepys
Compared to expectations: same
85. The Cars
(May 2016) I have completed episode 85 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: THE CARS. I rediscovered that their first couple of albums are so fun and hook-filled; almost all the songs on the first recording were radio hits. Their outputs fades as they move into the 1980s and the synths and echo drums take over.
Favorite album: The Cars
Favorite song: Just What I Needed
Worst album: Door to Door
Return to form: their 2011 reunion album Move Like This
Compared to expectations: same
84. Cream
(May 2016) I have completed episode 84 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s complete discography. This edition: CREAM. The first supergroup refined blues rock and set the stage for hard rock and jam bands. And Eric Clapton.
Favourite album: Disraeli Gears
Favourite song: White Room
Special sauce: Jack Bruce
Compared to expectations: ↑
83. The Bangles
(April 2016) I have completed episode 83 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s complete discography. This edition: THE BANGLES. Don’t laugh. Strip away the 80s veneer, you find some catchy songs inspired by their power pop and garage band idols. (The silly Walk Like an Egyptian is an exception not the rule.)
Favorite album: All Over the Place
Favorite song: Hero Takes a Fall
Compared to expectations: same
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