(September 2013) Completed phase 9 of my “opus project,” wherein I listed to the entire discography of a band from start to finish. This episode: Soundgarden.
Favorite album: Superunknown
Favorite song: Head Down
Tuning: Dropped D
Special sauce: Kim Thayal
Compared to expectations: same
(August 2013) Completed phase 8 of my “opus project,” wherein I listed to a band’s entire catalogue in chronological order. This episode: Fountains of Wayne.
Favorite album: Fountains of Wayne
Favorite song: Barbara H
Low point: Sky Full of Holes.
Best line: “lead us not into Penn Station”
Little Red light: not blinking
Special sauce: Adam Schlesinger
Compared to expectations: same
(July 2013) Completed phase 7 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of a band in sequence. This phase: the Velvet Underground
Favorite album: The Velvet Underground and Nico
Favorite Song: Sister Ray
Little gems: quiet songs like Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, and I’m Sticking With You
Special moment: when Nico pronounces ‘clown’ as ‘clonn’
Special sauce: Lou Reed
Compared to expectations: same
(July 2013) Completed phase 6 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of a band in sequence. This phase: Fresh Red
Favorite album: The Null Hypothesis
Favorite Song: Eh Flec De Huhr
Hidden Gem: Chinese lyrics
Special sauce: Jim Allison
Compared to expectations: same
(July 2013) Completed phase 5 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of a band in sequence. This phase: Pink Floyd
Favourite period: Syd/psychedelic
Favourite album: Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Best Album: Dark Side of the Moon.
Favourite song (early): Interstellar Overdrive
Favourite song (late): Comfortably Numb
Low points: anything after The Wall
Note: I’m completely saturated by Dark Side and the Wall, but the former has stood up over time; the latter not as well.
Special sauce: Syd Barrett
Compared to expectations: same
(June 2013) I have completed phase 4 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of a band from beginning to end. This phase: The Police.
Favorite album: Ghost in the Machine
Favorite song: Invisible Sun
Best song: Don’t Stand So Close To Me.
Least favorite album: Synchronicity
Least favorite song: Wrapped Around Your Finger
Special treat: songs by Andy Summers
Special sauce: Andy Summers
Compared to expectations: same
I have completed phase 3 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of an artist from start to finish: The Rolling Stones (this was a long one).
Favourite period: the big four albums (BB, LiB, SF, EoMS), plus a special affinity for their psychedelic songs
Favourite album: Beggars Banquet (68)
Favourite song: Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?
Lowest points: Black and Blue (76), Undercover (83)
Discovered gems: Between the Buttons (67), A Bigger Bang (05)
Special sauce: Keith Richards
Compared to expectations: same
(May 2013) Completed chapter 2 of my “Opus Project,” where I listen to a band’s entire discography from beginning to end. This chapter: The Who. Best album: no clear winner, maybe The Who Sell Out; many of their best songs were singles. My favorite is the early mod period.
Favourite album: The Who Sell Out
Favourite song: Pictures of Lily
Special sauce: John Entwistle
Compared to expectations: same
(Feb 2013) Just finished listening to the Led Zeppelin oevre in series. While many songs have reached their saturation point with me, I tried to listen as if I were hearing them for the first time in the 1970s. Still freakin’ awesome.
Favourite album: Houses of the Holy
Favourite song: Kashmir
Special sauce: Jimmy Page
Compared to expectations: same
Opus Project 