This was one of my favorite albums growing up. I use to listen to it when I would fall asleep. The first half of the album is the dance music. This side had the single I Want Your Sex. This song is actually a two part song. There is the single that was released on the radio and a second part that was like a remix and more fun dance pop than the first half. There is also a third part that was included on the CD, MD and Cassette along with an additional track called Hard Day. I have the cassette and the vinyl releases. I can’t remember what the songs sound like but I will probably record the two tracks from the cassette later. The whole album has a feeling that I remember while growing up in middle school. That feeling is really mellow and fuzzy. I also remember raging hormones relating to sex. This is obviously linked to the song I Want Your Sex. It is a feeling of I know what sex is but I don’t have any idea how to properly do it or what it would feel like if I were to do it. No girl at that age wanted to get into that kind of trouble or liked me enough to even think about it either. Life went on and it was a blur too. There was so much stuff that I did not know and would not know about life for a while.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – So Far
The only reason that I wanted this album was for the song Ohio. It is such a catchy song about one of the many incidents that happened in the USA during a strange and wonderful time. I thank the four for putting this song out in such a hurry. I believe that this song was created during a very important time in the history of the USA. Songs like these were created similar to the way that the bards of old use to sing and tell stories. I think that these types of songs hold the most meaning. When they are sung/replayed you can see the reality of that time. You can see a glimpse of what happened through their eyes. It is truly magnificent story telling.
Led Zeppelin – In Through The Out Door
I have owned this album on CD since 2000. I have never listened to it, ever. I think that it was sent to my house by accident along with The Doors first album. I actually listened to the doors album a few times but never cared enough about the Led Zeppelin album. Now, ten years later, I finally listened to it. To my surprised ears I find two or three tracks that I love and remember from my childhood. What was the reason that I finally broke down and listened to the album? I found a copy of the album for a very reasonable price at Half Priced Books on vinyl. It is in perfect condition with the paper bag outer sleeve still in good condition too. It is not as though this is a particularly sought after album but to find a copy of it or any other Led Zeppelin album on vinyl seems to be somewhat difficult to do at the moment. I was very tickled to hear the singles off this short album but was also a bit confounded with the other tracks. They did not seem to fit on the album. Maybe I had preconceived notion with all their other music or maybe the other few songs were put together with these singles to juxtapose the singles. Then again, maybe the other songs will jell together with more listens. Radiohead writes music like that why can’t Led Zeppelin too. Anyway, I was very excited that I had music that I wanted on CD and that I found a copy of the music on vinyl too. I would always want to have the music on the original medium that it was released on anyway.
David Bowie – Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
I found this album in great condition used at Down In The Valley. Any time I find a David Bowie album that was released before 1983 I will grab it for sure. I was not sure what I would find on it but knew it would be a great find. After listening to the album I found the two singles, Ashes to Ashes and Fashion, to be the couple songs that I remember hearing on the radio growing up. I just love the stuff that Bowie did in the early to late 70s.
David Bowie - Let’s Dance
This is the last album that I wanted from David Bowie. I am just not that interested in anything that he has put out after this album. I love the title track off this album and always have. It has a good beat and urges the listener to do just what I can’t do, dance. The other single off this album is China Girl. Although I can’t remember this single being played on the radio it was showcased in a movie a few years ago called The Wedding Singer. This movie is a lot of fun and gave this single a good spotlight in the movie. Now I really like the song after having such a good memory tied to it via this movie.
David Bowie - Young Americans
This album came out the year that I was born. I remember the singles off this album but not from when I was that young of course. I really like the title track off this album too. It is happy and has that great saxophone sound in the solo parts. There is also the fantastic track Fame. This is yet another song that I absolutely love. There is something about Fame that just rocks me solid. This album also has a great cover of The Beatles song Across The Universe.
Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
This album signified a change ever so slightly in direction from what they were doing. This change made all the difference in the ability to make singles that would stand out in top 40 land. This is the album that was released before Narrow stairs. I bought this album on CD used at Cheapo Records simply because I was curious. I had already picked up Narrow Stairs on CD and was absolutely thrilled with what it contained. It was not long after that I bought both albums on vinyl because I loved both of them so much. The music that is on both albums had a certain something that held me in place and put a warm light on my heart. The music is somewhat depressing but it makes me happy to listen to it. I was very excited to get this on vinyl. I gave the CD to my father-in-law along with a few other CDs that I managed to find on vinyl as well. He was thrilled to get a new stack of CDs that he has never heard. We actually listened to the album while we worked on my car at one point. We both enjoyed the album and it kept us on track to fixing my car.
Devo – Freedom of Choice
From Whip It to Girl U Want, this album is a fantastic Punk/New Wave experience. They are great at mixing the synth sounds with the electric sounds. This album showcases their ability. It also helped that there was a video on MTV for the song Whip It. It featured the flower pot hat that they have become known for along with the silly shenanigans that they are also known for, i.e. using a whip, dressing in uniform, and other forms of making the lyrics come alive. It is a great video for its time and really funny to boot. The title track was also a great single and put into words exactly what the song title, Freedom Of Choice, really meant. This is one of the great new wave albums of the beginning of the 80s.
Eggstone – Vive La Difference!
They are an indie group with such a great pop influence. They are one of the few pop groups that I really love in this world. Forget top 40, this is true pop. Although there are some strange sounds that happen in the music they are underneath and the listener would need to listen carefully to distinguish them from the fantastic pop sounds that happen through out all three of their albums. My stand out track on this album is Taramasalata. There is a great pop feel about this track. Secondary to this would be Birds In Cages, Never Been A Better Day, April And May and Still All Stands Still. In my opinion some of the greatest pop ever made.
Led Zeppelin – IV (AKA - Four Sticks, ZOSO)
This album has some great classics on it. The most recognizable track on this album is Stairway To Heaven. It is a good track but it doesn’t seem to hold up to some peoples expectations. I think it is a great song and would prefer it to all of the covers that are out there. The first two tracks on the album are also some very good singles. Black Dog, with its classic and instantly recognizable whine from the vocalist Robert Plant, instantly stands out as classic rock of the 70’s. Rock And Roll has the same feel but with more of that blues rock guitar sound that Jimmy Page does. It just gets you in the heart. All in all, the album is really great. I was lucky enough to find this album in great condition on vinyl for a reasonable price from my favorite used album seller, Half Priced Books.
Radiohead – In Rainbows
When this album came out it was first released as a pay how much you want for low quality MP3s. I chose to pay no money for this album because I knew that I would be getting the limited version as well as the regular CD. So I got to hear the album for a few months before the physical versions came out. I did order the special edition from the Radiohead web sight, the only way that you could get it, for 80 bucks. It is the best special edition item that I have ever purchased. It is a hard slipcase. Inside the case is a fold out hardcover book style music holder. In side each of the covers is a 12” record cut at 45 RPMs. There is also the album on CD and an extra CD of unreleased songs. There is also some great pictures in a book. There is also an additional book that has all the lyrics for the songs. All in all I really like the way that this SE was put together. The regular CD came out in a paper sleeve. Inside was a group of speakers and the CD. The stickers were meant to be put on a clear jewel case and there was a video that was put together that showed a set of hands doing just that.
I really like this whole album. It is easily one of their most accessible albums to date. The first song off the album, 15 Step, wasactually used in the credits of the first Twilight movie. It was not included in the soundtrack for the movie though. That was a bit disappointing but I already had the track as it was anyway. My favorite songs from the album are Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need and House Of Cards. They all three have a really great bass line. It is not just these three songs that are good though. The whole album is great but these three are the stand out tracks for me.
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I heard the first single off this album on the radio. The first single is You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb. It is a very catchy song about, you guessed it, cherry bombs. It seems that everything that this group puts together is super catchy. It makes it hard to not get what ever it is that they put out. It is just so easy to love. The other two singles that were released from this album were Don’t You Evah and My Little Japanese Cigarette Case. These songs are just so easy to listen to.
There was also a bonus disc that I did not know about until recently that came with the original release of this album. I have no idea what the tracks are on it but it is disappointing that I was not able to get this little extra disc.
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