Rocktimism (Again)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

No P&J poll today because I am too busy. BUT a reminder that it's POPTIMISM tomorrow!

Meanwhile you can talk about the strange and fearsome world of Pazz And Jop Album Winners if you like.


1971 - The Who - Who's Next
1974 - Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
1975 - Bob Dylan & The Band - The Basement Tapes
1976 - Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
1977 - Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
1978 - Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
1979 - Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks
1980 - The Clash - London Calling
1981 - The Clash - Sandinista!
1982 - Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom
1983 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
1984 - Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
1985 - Talking Heads - Little Creatures
1986 - Paul Simon - Graceland
1987 - Prince - Sign 'O' the Times
1988 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
1989 - De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
1990 - Neil Young - Ragged Glory
1991 - Nirvana - Nevermind
1992 - Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...
1993 - Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
1994 - Hole - Live Through This
1995 - PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
1996 - Beck - Odelay
1997 - Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind
1998 - Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
1999 - Moby - Play
2000 - OutKast - Stankonia
2001 - Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
2002 - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003 - OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2004 - Kanye West - The College Dropout
2005 - Kanye West - Late Registration


How many of them have you owned? (My answer: unlucky 13)

Comments

The lesson here: I really should be selling a lot of my records, PT 1.

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

1971 - The Who - Who's Next

Own it, CD. One of my very first CDs. Haven't listened to it in years. I'm sure it's still OK but only the first and last songs really interest me.

1974 - Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark

Own it, LP. Loved it as a kid -- I may have heard "Help Me" on the radio when it was a hit, back when I was 3.5 y.o. -- but now my favorite Joni is less-heralded *For the Roses* Her compositional frippery and loathing for the world fascinates me here, it's completely unstustainable.

1975 - Bob Dylan & The Band - The Basement Tapes

Own it, LP. Great album to get drunk to.

1976 - Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

Own it, CD. Again, one of my very first CDs. Liked it a lot the last time I listened to it.

1977 - Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols

Own it, LP. During my orgy of canonical-classic buying, I resisted buying this because it seemed fearsome. I never really listen to it. Only a couple songs mean much to me.

1978 - Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

Own it, CD. One of the first albums (LP) I bought due to the aura of critical consensus behind it. It confused me at first, but grew to like it somewhat. Bought it on CD because I felt I needed to.

1979 - Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks

Own it, LP. Parker basically means nothing to me, but this is he most punkish (and thereby least annoying) thing I've heard of his.

1980 - The Clash - London Calling

Own it, LP. This is probably very good but I find the Clash totally resistable.

1981 - The Clash - Sandinista!

Don't own it. I'd probably find it very interesting due to its supposed mammoth self-indulgence.

1982 - Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom

Own it, CD. It is a big meaningless wedding cake of an album, and in that, it's not charmless. The singles off this are unbeatable.

1983 - Michael Jackson - Thriller

Own it, LP. My very first LP, bought the very same day his hair caught on fire while filming the Pepsi commercial. A recent listen-through reveals it to be pretty darned even beyond "Billie Jean" and "Beat It"; only "The Lady in My Life" is a bummer.

1984 - Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.

Own it, CD. This is probably very good but I get Springsteenitis sometimes.

1985 - Talking Heads - Little Creatures

Own it, LP. Found this to be a bore beyond "Road to Nowhere" and "And She Was."

1986 - Paul Simon - Graceland

Own it, CD. It's good. Heard "Boy in the Bubble" recently and was put off by the way Simon tries too hard to capture "the way we live now" lots of provocative phrases which sound real important and are meant to sound zeitgeisty 'n' shit ("lasers in the jungle," etc.) but only show off his ignorance (his boy-in-the-bubbleness) (For example: I think he means "star" when he says "constellation.") But still: "don't cry baby, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry."

1987 - Prince - Sign 'O' the Times

Own it, CD. Even bought it when it first came out on vinyl, when it was mysteriously priced something like $18! I haven't heard this in ages, my general impression is that he's completely showing off here, he's showing the audience WHO'S BOSS (in a good way).

1988 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Own it, CD. You know something? As a complete statement, it's kinda boring. But the singles are still steak and sizzle. Haven't heard the whole thing in ages, etc.

1989 - De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

Own it, CD. Haven't heard the whole thing in ages, etc. but I'm reasonably sure I'd still like.

Re: The lesson here: I really should be selling a lot of my records, PT 2.

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

1990 - Neil Young - Ragged Glory

Don't own it. Loved Neil as a kid but the idea of '90's comeback rock-n-rolla Neil never had appeal to me.

1991 - Nirvana - Nevermind

Own it, CD. *In Utero* means much more to me.

1992 - Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...

Don't own it.

1993 - Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

Own it, CS -- which is probably why I haven't heard it in over a decade. It's good from what I remember.

1994 - Hole - Live Through This

Don't own it.

1995 - PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love

Own it, CD. BORING.

1996 - Beck - Odelay

Own it, CD. I don't think I've listened to this all the way through once.

1997 - Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind

Own it, CD. I don't think I've listened to this all the way through once, but I liked *Modern Times* quite a bit so I should give another try.

1998 - Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Don't own it.

1999 - Moby - Play

Don't own it.

2000 - OutKast - Stankonia

Own it, CD. Kinda bored by it beyond "B.O.B."

2001 - Bob Dylan - Love and Theft

Own it, CD. My boss gave me a copy for Christmas, I believe. I don't think I've listened to this all the way through once.

2002 - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Don't own it.

2003 - OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Don't own it. I like the singles, though!

2004 - Kanye West - The College Dropout

Own it, CD. Excellent.

2005 - Kanye West - Late Registration

Own it, CD. My God, right now this might be the one album here I get the most pleasure out of.