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Album Club - Week 2


EighteenSixty7
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Album Club Week 2 - What are your ratings?  

20 members have voted

  1. 1. Album 1

    • 5
      0
    • 4
      6
    • 3
      7
    • 2
      7
    • 1
      0
  2. 2. Album 2

    • 5
      10
    • 4
      4
    • 3
      3
    • 2
      3
    • 1
      0


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Album 1

917CUE8pjmL._SS500_.jpg

 

Album
The Shadow of their Suns by Wax Tailor


Tracklist
1. Fear of a Blind Planet
2. Never Forget
3. Just a Candle (feat. Mark Lanegan)
4. Everybody (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien & Mr. Lif)
5. On the Air
6. Misery (feat. Rosemary Standley)
7. Shining Underdog (feat. Boog Brown)
8. Deja vu (feat. Adeline)
9. Keep It Movin (feat. D Smoke)
10. Like This
11. Paint It Black (feat. Gil Scott-Heron)
12. Dusk to Dusk (feat. Yugen Blakrok)
13. The Light


Picked by

@fred quimby

"Started listening to Wax when I found him on one of those musical wormhole journeys you take
and a few of his tracks stood out. Choosing his latest release as a stepping on point
maybe for some to see if they like and then can go explore.

Love the laid back style (he is French after all) and have always had
affinity to tracks that use found sounds wisely.

I'll admit not all the tunes will get replayed a lot in the Quimby Cave
but a very good number will be long lasting friends, together with others in the back catalogue
"

Questions I'd like to ask -

What you reckon then?

Favorite Track?

Feel like you would listen again?

Might you go off and explore more (or send you on your own wormhole)?

Would watch at a festival?

 

 

Album 2

R-444072-1283900326.jpeg.jpg


Album
Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman


Tracklist
1. Talkin' Bout a Revolution
2. Fast Car
3. Across the Lines
4. Behind the Wall
5. Baby Can I Hold You
6. Mountains O' Things
7. She's Got Her Ticket
8. Why?
9. For My Lover
10. If Not Now...
11. For You


Picked by

@gigpusher

"I didn't grow up in a family of music lovers and this was the first kind of independent discovery
that wasn't totally pop. The first album that made me realise that music can be meaningful and
definitely influenced my politics. I sadly think it is as relevant today as the day it was made.
I know it has spawned some terrible covers but the originals are still fantastic.

I'd be interested to know how many people have heard it before. Are there any other albums that
people would say have influenced their politics as well. Are there any other albums that people
revisit all the time. I don't tend to be do backward listening but this album is one I
return to again and again and since 2016 I have probably listened to it more again"

 

----------


The Back Catalogue

Last Week

 

The Jukebox

 

Now That's What I Call eFest Album Club!

----------

 

Welcome to Week 2 of Album Club!

 

You'll see a couple a new addition in "The Back Catalogue" which will link you to the previous Week, a playlist with all previous tracks/albums (The Jukebox)  and a playlist with a selection of tracks from every album chosen (Now...). If you do have any favourite tracks as the weeks go by then state them in your posts and I'll add the most popular ones to that playlist 🙂

 

Week 3 will more than likely be up Monday 1st March due to work but if I can get it up next Friday night then I'll do my best!

 

Edited by EighteenSixty7
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2 top choices again!  Only heard the Mark Lanegan track from Wax Tailor, so the album will be a new one. Haven't listened to the Tracy Chapman album for aaaages GP! My housemate had it at uni and used to get played in the kitchen a lot, but these days all I can remember is Revolution and Fast Car. And had completely forgotten that Baby Can I Hold You was one of hers.

This is gonna be another good week 🙂

Edited by Quark
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1 minute ago, northernringo said:

Average scores after Week 1 (27 voters):

I'm All Ears by Let's Eat Grandma - 3.63

The Blackest Joy - Akua Naru - 2.70

Thank you 😄  I'd not worked them out yet and I do have a spreadsheet to go alongside all this with scores

 

2 albums I'm looking forward to listening to, I've never heard of Wax Tailor but reading up on the album and the tracklist gets me excited.

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Fabulous. I've been listening to the Wax Tailor one a lot anyway. Will perhaps bore you all with some more of my thoughts on Tracy Chapman's album as well as when I got the message from @EighteenSixty7it was the day of my brother's funeral and I wasn't entirely with it. Glad I picked an older classic though. I think they'll be a good mix. 

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26 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Fabulous. I've been listening to the Wax Tailor one a lot anyway. Will perhaps bore you all with some more of my thoughts on Tracy Chapman's album as well as when I got the message from @EighteenSixty7it was the day of my brother's funeral and I wasn't entirely with it. Glad I picked an older classic though. I think they'll be a good mix. 

Sorry to hear about your brother.

I found it hard to choose really and nearly went older but decided against it. You are right that is is a good mix.

Tracy Chapman - That does take me back. Have not listened in a long time so will be enjoying that

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Finished Album 1

What you reckon then?

Really enjoyed the album, really nice chilled vibe from it which was good to work to. 

Favorite Track?

Never Forget

Feel like you would listen again?

Yeah, in a certain mood I would go back to it

Might you go off and explore more (or send you on your own wormhole)?

As above, might listen to some other Wax Tailor material when working

Would watch at a festival?

100%

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Finished Album 2

What you reckon then?

Heard it numerous times before but love it every time

Favorite Track?

Talkin' Bout a Revolution

Feel like you would listen again?

Yes, a lot.

Might you go off and explore more (or send you on your own wormhole)?

Despite loving the album, I am yet to actually listen to all of Tracy Chapman's other albums so yes, this is something I need to do!

Would watch at a festival?

There are few people I'd like to see more

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That Tracey Chapman album is just incredible isn’t it. One of the best, most engaging voices of the 20th century coupled with near perfect song writing.

i have of course heard this many times over, and the best compliment I can give it (or any record) is that after 33 years it sounds as good on the last listen as it did on the first 5/5

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I'm really enjoying this thread, thanks! Here's my take on week two's albums

Wax Tailor - The Shadow of their Suns

What do you reckon then?

At the start i thought, 'yes, this i might enjoy' , but as 'ok' as it was i just seemed to listen with it on in the background without it really taking hold of my attention. I liked it in the way i enjoyed PBA ( Public service broadcasting ) on the West Holts a few years back. Agreed it does span rap, which PBA didn't, and i enjoyed that, but did seem to 'all over the place' imo.

Favorite track

Fear of a blind planet / Keep it movin

Feel like you would listen again?

Not really, it didn't really pull me in.

Might you go off and explore more ( or send you on your own wormhole)?

it didn't really capture me enough to want me to delve any further into anything else by him.

Would you watch at a festival?

 I would watch him playing on the West Holts, much like PBA, get bored half was through, and walk off. Much like me listening to it.

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman

What do you reckon then?

This album is a classic, i think at the time literally everyone listened to it. Classic tracks i really love Obvs ' talkin' bout a revolution', 'fast car', 'Baby can i hold you', 'For my lover'. Her voice is amazing , a female version of Daruis Rucker. it was great to listen to this again, Sunday morning music!

Favorite track

I have a real soft spot for ' Baby can i hold you', a special meaning to me at that time.

It's been covered the fuck over the years, but for me there is only one version of this song.

Feel like you would listen again?

Oh yes! There is so much music about that i would have to say that with these classic albums you don't really remember how great they were. Other styles of music and newer artists take hold during your life and you wander off forgetting them.

Might you go off and explore more ( or send you on your own wormhole)?

I must admit that i never really listened to any other of Tracy's stuff, i might just do that, if i can find the time! 

Would you watch at a festival?

If she ever showed up i'd be there in a shot. It' not going to happen, but who knows.

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What you reckon then? Mostly Harmless 2/5

The kind of music you’d hear early evening on the sun deck at a city centre wine bar in June. Easy on the ears but not particularly engaging.

Favorite Track? Keep it Moving, the tracks seemed to get relatively stronger as the album payed out.

Feel like you would listen again? I wouldn’t not listen, but I wouldn’t seek it out.

Might you go off and explore more (or send you on your own wormhole)? No

Would watch at a festival? In the right frame of mind at the right time, but it would be by accident.

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Another interesting week.

Wax Tailor - The Shadow Of Their Suns

What you reckon then?  So first up it wasn't what I expected, as I'd only heard the Mark Lanegan track and that feels pretty different from the rest of the album.  First listen it felt a bit...confused. Like it didn't hang together as an album particularly well, if that makes sense. In places it felt like it was going down an Avalanches' Frontier Psychiatrist road, then at other times it felt more like a Gorillaz album. The odd little samples and snippets definitely make it interesting. After a few listens it's grown on me. First listen would have been a 2, but after a couple it's an annoyingly MOTR 3.

Favourite Track?  Everybody

Feel like you would listen again?  I probably will, out of curiosity as much as anything else.

Might you go off and explore more (or send you on your own wormhole)?  Sort of, but of the collaborators rather than WT.  It has reminded me that I've always been meaning to check out Mark Lanegan's back catalogue, and I do like Del The Funky Homosapien's style of hip-hop so that's something I might look into a bit more; it's not generally my cuppa, but I've got a soft spot for ATCQ and De La Soul and Del's got a similar sound.

Would watch at a festival?  Probably not, at least not something I'd seek out. If I was sat somewhere with nowhere else to go and he came on I wouldn't deliberately make a run for it, although it's a style where I have no idea how well it would translate to a live show.

 

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman

Haven't listened to it for years, but for the life of me I have no idea why as it's a fantastic album.  I had to force myself not to sing along with the singles and actually listen to them instead, and they're still just so good.  I don't know if it's intentional but Revolutions starts off on such a positive note, but that then gradually fades over the course of the album.  Love the way you can hear different influences through the album, bits of reggae and a kind of Latin American sound working their way in with the classic singer-songwriter style.

I love the way it's clearly a protest album, but without smacking you in the face or clearly taking the view of one specific sub-section.  Songs for the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. And then Behind The Wall comes in and it's just heartbreaking. It was also really interesting to listen to this straight after the Akua Naru album and get two very different kinds of social commentary albums 35 years apart.

Solid 4 for me.  Doesn't quite hit the heights of a 5/5 perfect album as I think it drops off a little at the end, but bugger me it's great. A couple of years ago she wouldn't have been something I'd have gone for at a festival, but after seeing Suzanne Vega a couple of years ago I can definitely get on board with something like this.

EDIT: just spotted @gigpusher's questions. If there was an album that really influenced my politics it would be the Levellers live album from '96. Was my first introduction to them, and really combined political, environmental and social justice issues.  It took me many years (more than I'm comfortable with in hindsight) to start developing any kind of active social conscience, but this is something that's been a constant alongside the rest of their back catalogue.

As far as albums I revisit, there are loads. I'm quite a backward listener anyway (insert gag here) so it's not that unusual for me.  Assuming you mean "older" albums rather than stuff that's been released in the last few years?  The entire Levellers back catalogue gets visits from me all the time, particularly Weapon Called The Word and Levelling The Land.  Adore by Smashing Pumpkins is my favourite album of all time, and gets played fairly regularly.  And I've gone through a phase recently of listening to ON by Echobelly and Everybody Else Is Doing It... by The Cranberries. One thing I have realised is that I've done this less as streaming has taken over from my CD collection, so I'm consciously revisiting albums this year.

Edited by Quark
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Someone posted this picture in a music group I am in on Facebook and it made me think and was part of my reason for choosing the Tracy Chapman album. I have wide and varied tastes in music and there may be some albums that I like the music better or that I appreciate the musical prowess of more but no album is more responsible for making me me than this album. 

As I previously mentioned I am the only member of my family who is nuts about music. Neither of my parents were big music lovers. We didn't have lots of music always playing. I have 2 older brothers (12 and 10 years older) 1 older sister 4 years older and 1 younger sister and they all liked music but were all quite mainstream and never really obsessive about music like I was (and indeed still am) My brothers in particular introduced me to The Beatles and bit of Bob Dylan, my Dad liked a bit of Buddy Holly and Simon and Garfunkel. If I had my way my mother would have been charged with crimes against music one of her favourite songs was Bobby Goldsboro Honey  which was widely lauded as one of the worst songs ever made. This meant that my musical journey has primarily been my own and that meant that my early tastes were very pop (what was on the radio or Top of the Pops) We didn't have loads of albums. Most music was copied tapes from friends etc. 

I also grew up in a very dysfunctional family. Both my parents were addicts (father alcoholic, mother problem drinker and prescription drug addict)  I remember being really upset in 1989 when the Best International Female Brit winner was announced and it wasn't Kylie Minogue (ironically I really can't stand her voice anymore now that it's cool to like her) but at the time Neighbours was the coolest thing in my world and I was deep in a Stock Aiken and Waterman hole. I remember saying to my sister who even is Tracy Chapman? What a ridiculous miscarriage of justice (Please remember I was only 11 years old!!) My sister just off handedly mentioned actually someone had recorded that album onto a tape for her and she thought it was ok. I decided to listen to it (probably determined to rubbish it and prove how Kylie had been robbed) but instead it changed my life forever. 

I hadn't heard songs that directly related to my life experience so completely before then and wow it felt amazing to know that I was not alone. I grew up in a town in Ireland where nobody talked about their problems. Everyone pretended their lives were perfect and I knew my home life was so far from perfect. This album made me realise that other people didn't have perfect home lives and even more importantly that just because you didn't have a perfect home life didn't mean that you couldn't escape it at some point. 

It also gave me the perspective of realising that however bad my life was that there were others that had it so much worse and sometimes that was just on the basis of the colour of their skin. I must have worn that tape out I played it so much and it sustained me for many years particularly after my father commit suicide when I was 16 and my mother ramped her emotional abuse to the max! I do credit it with saving my life. I moved to Wales to go to University at 17 which was as fast as humanly possible with the Irish education system and I never returned to my family home for more than a visit and even then I never slept under that roof again preferring to stay with friends. 

That album changed the way I thought about the world. It made me interested in politics. It made me fiercely angry about the injustice and inequity in the world. It made me care about anyone who was othered and made to feel less than. It made me an ally to those people. For a few years I didn't really play it any more. I suppose it made me sad to remember especially as I worried about my siblings who were still at home who hadn't been as wilful as me, as determined to escape but slowly I started listening to it again and since 2016 in particular when I've needed to vent my anger and frustration at the political direction that the world seemed to be taking Tracy Chapman has been there like an ever reliable friend. In wake of Black lives matters etc I sometimes am actually saddened that all these years later that it is still so relevant. I love every song on it and my favourites constantly change. 

When my brother died  the week before last a childhood friend called me. She was my very best friend growing up but we've only been in Facebook contact for year so it was quite a nice touch for her to reach out and we got talking and for once I was open with her about my childhood and I had a kind of breakthrough moment of realising that my parents flaws and failures were no longer mine to own. I no longer had to be ashamed of things I was not at fault for. What was amazing is that she knew it was bad (although not quite how bad it was) and yet we had never mentioned it before in our lives.  It's why reading the comments on things like Marcus Rashford's campaign on child poverty makes my blood boil. No child should suffer for the mistakes of their parents. They deserve more support not less. 

Amazingly I have never really listened to any other Tracy Chapman material (that I must rectify) and I have never seen her live. I would go see her in a heartbeat. I think when someone has saved your life the least you owe them is the price of a gig ticket. Sorry this is such an essay and if anyone has actually stuck it to the end. Well done. I'll do a much briefer thoughts on Wax Tailor when I get a chance 😄 

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