I’m having a hard time wording this. Seriously, I can hardly put a sentence together today.
Glorious Noise recently published "Max Heath’s intense examination of the music and lyrics in Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic album, In the Aeroplane over the Sea."
I’ll admit I didn’t read the whole thing, but I was intrigued, so I picked up the CD.
I think it’s absolutely brilliant. Catchy, smart, seems like something that I should have already know about. Like the way I know about albums like Reckoning, Zen Arcade, Daydream Nation, Nevermind, OK Computer, The Soft Bulletin, and so many more.
I want to learn about other albums that have sort of been added to your mental "must own" or "must hear occasionally for the rest of my life" lists. Maybe things you’ve heard over the past 10 years or so.
There’s no need for the obvious, like the ones I listed above. Although maybe not everyone loves those records, pretty much anyone who would care to, has already heard those. Same goes for albums like The Grand Illusion, Sgt Pepper, and High Infidelity.
Personally, I’d like to learn about some other "New Classics" (thank you AMC) things I might have missed. 69 Lovesongs? Maybe that’s too obvious. Maybe not though. White Chocolate Space Egg? Something from The Tindersticks? Neil Finn? Hell I don’t know.
On the other hand, the release date shouldn’t really matter. If you recently added something like Chad & Jeremy’s "The Ark" to you list, I’d like to know about that as well. Just try to list the cream of the crop, the stuff that might be in that one crate of records your kids allow you to haul to the nursing home with you.
Well, you probably get the general idea. So, what’s on your list? What might we have missed?
Few "new classic" records
Few "new classic" records have had the immediate impact on me like Guided By Voices’ "Alien Lanes" did at first listen. Any of their triumvirate of "Propeller", "Bee Thousand", and "AL" fit the ‘must have’ category for me
And Tree, I am SOOO with you on ‘In an Aeroplane…’ That one went right to the cortex after the first couple of strums of "King of Carrot Flowers". "Two Headed Boy" gives me the good kind of willies.
this is easy
the Vision Quest soundtrack…Tree, I hadda.
Good question
I am not sure if this was missed by anyone, but Time and Tide by Split Enz is one I always come back to.
at the risk of being shunned
I know Herb and Paddle have mentioned this one before, but I found Bark Psychosis Codename:dustsucker to be heroin for the ears. of course I think you need to be in the right state of mind and headphones don’t hurt either. Actually, I think Herb and Paddle rave about a different album, but this is the one I have.
I don’t know if it could be considered a new classic, in the way I understand Tree’s original question, but it completely enthralled me.
oh yeah…I’m only taking the replacements to the nursing home! heheh
Must haves
Tree, this was a great thread idea that started doing the dead man’s float way too early. These are a few must haves that I think you might like to investigate:
NEW:
The Skygreen Leopards, Disciples of California — This is like the Clean meets the Chills meets the Monkees meets American Beauty. I’ve listened to this thing over and over. They have some serious jangle going on. Beneath that there’s smart lyrics and good stories — one about how Jesus was Californian. He used to roam the beaches, but now he’s a homeless man bumming around downtown.
Flying Canyon — Flying Canyon — A Skygreen Leopards spin off. It’s like Sebadoh III meets 1968-era Gordon Lightfoot. Morose and touching. Slow as syrup. Downer shit at times. But great fucking folk rock all around.
OLD:
Spirit — Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus — Here’s my one old entry. Holy fuck. Has anyone here spent serious time with this record? Brilliant. It takes Love into a new dimension. Page and Plant were obviously toking to this chestnut. This sounds like mid ’70s classic rock, but it’s from the late ’60s, so it’s caked in tar-black resin. But here’s the thing. Despite the singer’s name, Randy California, these guys really ain’t hippies. They’re too tight, too on edge. Plus, the production is some tweaked shit for the time. Obviously, Royal Trux have also jammed this sucker. I wouldn’t be surprised if dudes like Joe Baiza were into this band.
John Phillips — John the Wolfking of L.A.— In ‘69 Phillips ditched the Mamas and the Papas and made this ode to heroin and down-and-out times Topanga Canyon style. Every song is perfect and soulful. His backing band is the Wrecking Crew. Even Darlene Love sings back up. Gorgeous record.
I FORGOT ABOUT THIS THREAD!!!!
I meant to answer, but never compiled a list and then it got buried. I’ll get back to yuz….
I'm with Dingey. I got some
I’m with Dingey. I got some recent must haves to add. I’ll chime in soon on it.
A couple
Might not be for everybody but I consider the Libertines Up the Bracket to be a classic.
This one took me a while to get into, but the Hold Stready’s Separation Sunday lives up to the hype. Although sometimes it’s a little too self-aware for its own good.
Not super new but Elliott Smith’s self-titled album and Either/Or are pretty amazing.
But yeah, isn’t Aeroplane something else? That’s one that I didn’t get into until a couple years ago, and then I totally obsessed. Trying to figure out what all the lyrics really mean, listening (hard!) to all the guitar parts, drums, etc. That’s why we jumped on the chance to publish that dude’s thesis. He goes off! I mean, I love it, but the kid sometimes stretches to make connections that don’t need to be there (students!), but it’s still a fascinating read — even just to see the mind of a superfan getting as geeky about music as anybody — but in "scholarly" lingo. I love that shit. I love to hear obsessive people going off on the stuff they obsess over. That’s pretty much the whole reason we started GLONO — to publish that kind of ranting and raving, ha ha.
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