Album #62: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2

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Sound: Mid-80s U2

Mood: Preachy

Important Songs: Vertigo, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own

Song You Must Hear: Love and Peace or Else

Quote: “Where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die.”

Notes: Bono had done a solo tour, but not to sing, rather to speak of the needs of Africa.  He had always been a bit religious and bleeding heart, but this was the ultimate.  So U2’s latest album is the most bleeding heart, and the most psychedelic of them all.  Just my style. 

Album #63: 12 Songs by Neil Diamond

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Sound: Singer/Songwriter

Mood: Reflective, occasionally upbeat

Important Song: Delirious Love (with Brian Wilson)

Song You Must Hear: Hell Yeah

Quote: “Running in circles gunna get you nowhere.  Why you wanna go there?  Where’s it gunna lead?”

Notes: I’m a Neil Diamond fan for as long as I can remember.  But he drifted from his excellent songwriting of the 60s and 70s to be a campy figure for a while.  This album brings the old Neil Diamond back.  It is said that producer Rick Rubin (of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings fame) asked Neil to write songs for the album.  After about a month, Neil came back and said he’d written the songs.  Rubin asked, “How many?”  Neil said, “About a hundred.” Rubin replied, “Come back when you’ve written more.”  From that large selection of songs, they picked 12 that were the best.  It really sounds like it. 

Album #69: Swamp Ophelia by The Indigo Girls

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Sound: 00’s female folk

Mood: Angry, sad

Important songs: Fugitive, This Train Revised

Song You Must Hear: Least Complicated

Quote: “I stood without clothes, danced in the sand, I was aching with freedom kissing the damned.”

Notes: The center of this album is consistent, excellently written and made folk, easy on the ears.  But the bookends of the album demand to be heard: Fugitive and This Train Revisited.  Fugitive is amazing, almost psychedelic folk.  This Train Revisited has a gospel sense with a rock drive.  Overall, however, this album is amazing. 

Album #70: Hail To The Thief by Radiohead

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Sound: 00’s alternative; Radioheadish

Mood: Varied

Important songs: There, There;   2+2=5

Song You Must Hear: We Suck Young Blood

Quote: “Hypocrite, opportunist: Don’t infect me with your poison.  A bully in a china shop.”

Notes: Another album that causes me to be hypnotized.  But Radiohead so rocks.  I love their layers, their haunting lyrics, their hooks. 

Album #72: In the Fishtank 11 by Black Heart Procession and Solbakken

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Sound: Rock

Mood: Hypnotic

Important songs: Dog Song; Nervous Persian

Song You Must Hear: Voiture En Rouge

Notes: A Dutch label named Konkurrent has an ongoing project in which they will take a band, or two, or thee and throw them in a room for two days and tell them to produce music together.  That pressure cooker of production makes some intense mixes.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it certainly worked for Black Heart Procession (one of my favorite bands) and Solbakken. The spookiness of BHP is toned down, but Solbakken adds a driving beat and some international tones to BHP’s somber melodies. 

Album #76: Up by Peter Gabriel

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Sound: Progressive electronic

Mood: Smooth with the occasional punch

Important Songs: More Than This

Song You Must Hear: Signal to Noise

Song You Must NOT Hear: Darkness (this one makes me jump)

Quotes: “The news that truly shocks is the empty empty page”

Notes: I didn’t even think of this album at first because I just play it with my other Peter Gabriel, until I realized that I find myself singing some of the songs so often.  Because it has Gabriel’s progressive, interesting music, but it (generally) has a smooth texture, it is perfect music for me to write to.  Gabriel has allowed himself to really grow as an artist and I see this as being the final product of years of musical exploration.

Album #87: The Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot

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Sound: Rock/Pop

Mood: “Get over yourself, already.”

Important Songs: Meant To Live; Dare You To Move

One Song You Must Hear: Ammunition

Quote: “If we’re adding to the noise, turn off this song.”

Notes: A bunch of songs with great hooks and with lyrics that don’t take any excuses.