Lisa Davis46, I’m not sure how fair it is for you to go in this round with two albums when everyone else just suggested one 🤷 Maybe we could save that new rule for next week—once everyone else has enough time to prep two albums by the same artist (or maybe they can be different?), and then you could pick either River or Nebraska. Personally, I’d probably go with Nebraska for a few reasons, but I’ll leave the final call up to you 😁
redbear12, as far as I can remember, Rumours by F. Maca hasn't even been suggested yet. I mean, I'm usually not a fan of those super mainstream albums myself, so my critique applies to Puffy too for picking Dark Side instead of some deeper cut from Pink Floyd
Since I already brought him up in another thread, I figured I'd write a little something about him here too. Tony Joe White is this rock-blues guitarist who has this knack for blending other genres—mostly country—into a sound often called swamp rock. Aside from him, you’ve got names like CCR (and John Fogerty's solo stuff), The Band, Little Feat, Leon Russell, and even the Hawkins cousins, Ronnie and Dale—who, I think, are considered some of the pioneers of that whole swamp rock movement.
TJW might not be a household name for everyone, but he's definitely an interesting guy. On top of being more than decent on the guitar, he plays the harmonica really well, too. I also just love his deep voice; there are moments where his delivery reminds me quite a bit of another rock-blues legend. I haven't actually come across any info saying Chris Rea looks up to White, but I can't help noticing the similarities—especially when looking at Chris's work from the 90s onwards, once he started leaning harder into the blues. Since Tony Joe is on my playlist tonight, I thought I'd share. Enjoy this performance by the "Swamp Fox" from Texas, recorded back in the summer of 1980.
Dennis Hall41 said:For me, the best thing from CSNY is Helplessly Hoping—it might even edge out everything by the Eagles, though I guess the Eagles have twice as many memorable tracks overall compared to CSNY.
Yeah, and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is an absolute masterpiece.
I mean, Southern Cross is definitely a masterpiece too, and most of the stuff on Deja Vu is just brilliant. They aren't really "hit-makers" like the Eagles, but they didn't play such similar music either, so maybe it's a bit unfair to compare them directly. To me, they feel more folk-rock—closer to Dylan or Simon and Garfunkel—whereas the Eagles feel more comparable to Fleetwood Mac or CCR.
Dennis Hall41 said:The Eagles just hit harder for me than CSNY. With the Eagles, I feel like—at least during those first three or four years—they were actually following some honest impulses. Those other four guys, though... they always gave off this vibe of being insincere from the jump. Not that they don't have about ten great songs, but still.
I lean toward them too—they’re better in my book—but I don't mind admitting that CSNY probably carries more weight when you're talking about actual artistic merit. It doesn't mean the Eagles didn't have those qualities, though, which is why I felt the need to speak up when they were getting called out earlier. I mean, I did read somewhere that their main goal was basically just to rake in as much cash as possible, and I guess that explains why some of their tracks lack depth since they were clearly aimed at the masses. So, I get why people call them corporate hacks, but their hits aren't their entire legacy—you can't judge their whole body of work based solely on the radio singles.
Mark Cruz15 said:Man, people have some serious issues here. Just chill—it's just a random poll on some random forum on some random planet in some random galaxy. I actually promised the moderator I'd vote for him every single time until he wins, but maybe I could vote for you too... if he's cool with it.
What complexes? What are you even talking about? And how am I supposed to vote for you when I'm not even the one suggesting albums 🤔
northerndrifter42 said:👍 What's worse is that things have actually gotten more intense on what used to be Yugoslavian territory. The music, the mindset, the politics... it’s just the same old patterns from back then, even today.
It feels worse now because there's barely anything worth listening to available—or at least, very little—whereas back in the old days, you could find decent bands everywhere. Even if they were just top-selling acts like Šemša or Brene. I mean, once I see an album titled uzak Pantalon, I already know there isn't a single listenable track on it. If it's called uzak Pantalon, you can just take that whole vibe and shove it, honestly. I'm just done with it.🙂
A country where albums like those are sitting in the top 10 bestsellers doesn't deserve anything other than to fall apart. Honestly, the musical taste in that nation is just... I don't even know. It's bad. 🤦
BubbyBu, why are you even trying to defend a guy who suggested a dead Motley Crue as the album of the week just two weeks ago? 🙄
I think I need to go back and revisit those few Fleetwood Mac albums from that gap—you know, after Green left but before Stevie and Lindsey joined. I'm with you on this—those two really brought a certain class to the sound that just elevated everything. Even though the band was the core driver, I’d say those two (along with C. McVie) were the real creative engine behind their success. Maybe it was because having three distinct songwriters—who mostly wrote their own stuff—gave them that unique variety and texture. For me, Stevie is definitely the strongest link and my absolute favorite, but Lindsay and Christine certainly had their standout moments too.
brightwolf48 said:That’s because they’re just total garbage.
It seems like you haven't moved much beyond a few radio hits either...
Dennis Hall41 said:Look, if we're being narrow about it, then yeah, they're top tier—they're closest to CSN&Y, Poco, Bread, and America. Their last three albums are better, though I guess even their early stuff works for me, mostly just because they have more classics.
But if you widen the scope to include the Byrdse from the Sweetheart of the Rodeo era, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, the rootsy side of the Grateful Dead, or the West Coast phase of Fleetwood Mac... then I think all of those guys are better than the Eagles.
From that first group, I'll admit that CSN&Y has more artistic value than the Eagles, but I wouldn't say the others do (regardless of the hits)—though from the second group, I could say the same for Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, and maybe the Grateful Dead. It’s not that I think they’re all-time greats or anything, but thinking of them as just some mediocre band is a total joke.
Dennis Hall41 said:The Eagles are a good band—really good at times. But they aren't quite THAT great. Even during their peak up until '75, I'd say there were at least a dozen other country, folk, or soft-rock acts that hit harder.
Still, tracks like Tequila Sunrise, Lyin' Eyes, or One of These Nights? Those belong in any anthology, I think.
Even if there were a dozen better names out there, they were still some of the biggest players of their era—especially in those genres you mentioned. And honestly, when people only look at them on a surface level—like someone who probably hasn't heard much beyond Hotel California (which isn't even an album, technically)—they miss the point.
So, go ahead—give me those names. I'm genuinely curious who you think beats them. 😁
I don't think that’s quite right—there were plenty of times when the lesser-known artists actually outdid the big names. Honestly, I'd go as far as to say there were more instances where suggesting a mainstream album fell flat and didn't end up getting the most votes. If you don't believe me, maybe just look back at some of the older polls; you'll see exactly what I mean. It's also possible some other folks here remember those random details and might back me up on this...
northerndrifter42 said:I’m doing the same thing—kind of holding back on my absolute favorites (besides On Parole last time). Lately, I’ve started putting forward interesting stuff from my vinyl collection that isn't exactly mainstream—things that I think are great, even if they aren't in my top-tier elite circle. Mostly just because they aren't famous. I'll get to those eventually. Anyway, it doesn't bother me when people suggest the usual suspects—you know, someone drops Hotel California or The Stooges, and I can already see those being the finalists for this round. I'm not sure about the one with the pianos; maybe that might surprise us. The rest will probably stay at the bottom.
Everything is fine. It’s just frustrating how people vote for what they actually listen to (can't really blame them, I guess)—they don't care how "good" something objectively is. Naturally, the big names win because people listen to them more, and since they're famous, they have more fans. Point is: Something can be musically or artistically superior, but if it isn't famous, it can't win. That sucks—unless the forum members decide to look at things differently.
In what way are the Eagles less artistic or musically skilled than any of today's suggestions, or most of what’s been proposed over the last few months?
I'm hunting for more stuff from their early days together—back before they officially joined F. maca—and I stumbled upon this performance of Stevie and Lindsay from Alabama back in 1975. Even though they were technically part of the band by '75, it looks like just the two of them played this gig (as far as I can tell) without the rest of the FM crew. It seems like it was filmed around '74 or '75, right when they were joining up, and they even threw in a few tracks that ended up on that F. maca > (Rhiannon, Monday Morning, and an instrumental version of never Going Back Again). Most of the setlist seemed to be drawn from the album Jerry Robinson56 posted above, though one song didn't show up until Stevie Nicks' solo album later on (which I might write a bit about whenever I feel like it).
analogbear40 said:Even though I try my best to avoid picking my absolute favorites when suggesting stuff—usually sticking to those borderline obscure genre gems—I occasionally have to tackle some IMHO classics. In this specific case, it's mostly because I recently picked up the X5 Box set, and it reminded me just how fascinating their evolution was during those first few years of their career.
The truth is, *New Gold Dream* would be the logical choice—but that one’s already been picked apart long ago. Honestly, *Sons & Fascination / Sister Feelings call* is getting incredibly close... maybe just within reach.
I noticed you tend to steer clear of listing your absolute favorites or those big-name, obvious 80s artists—but man, you really swung to the complete opposite extreme instead. 😁 Even some of the biggest names from that era have albums that most people haven't even heard of—and I think those are definitely worth suggesting. Not to mention there’s a huge wave of lesser-known bands out there that people only know a tiny bit about, but they really deserve a fair shot too, I guess.
You really hit the nail on the head with those suggestions—Tears for Fears and Frankie Goes to Hollywood definitely struck a chord with me. So, yeah, I’m actually looking forward to diving into The Cure once the topic comes up—I'll be happy to give them a listen and read up on them, since I've only really scratched the surface so far. There are still so many names of that caliber that I'm just waiting for you to drop... and honestly, don't hold back. Not that I'm trying to push my own taste on you or anything—I don't want you getting defensive or swinging too far in the other direction—but maybe just every now and then, throw something like this my way. 🙂
analogbear40, I don't even know what to say to you—but honestly, I’ve been expecting something like this from you for a while now. You’ve been driving me crazy lately with these suggestions, especially since even Arthur Brown6 had more votes than you during that same stretch 😁
This album is absolute madness 👍 If I recall correctly, I posted about this one before on the F. maca thread—but for anyone who isn't in the loop, this is the work Nicks and Buckingham put out right before they joined that band in late '74. They released their massive breakout hit with FM just a few months after joining, and as time went on and those legendary albums started rolling out, this project pretty much fell off the radar. It’s a shame, really. It's definitely worth a listen—not just because it has some killer tracks (besides Stephanie, I’d probably also point to Crying in The Night, Long distance Winner, and Frozen Love...) but because you get to witness the "birth" of that specific sound and style that made FM famous a year later. It’s essential listening for any fan of Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, or F. maca.
I tend to work in a way where I can't really give a final verdict on an album until I've lived with it for a year or two—anything sooner feels a bit rushed to me. So, my suggestion would be to let the poll run for at least a year (if two years is overkill) and then decide which album we actually vote on.
Good grief, people—it's not like we're sitting on the Grammy voting committee or anything, so we don't need to sit through every single album three times over. I agree that most great albums (or songs) need multiple listens before things really click, but in this case, I think we're taking it to an extreme. Or, if there are too many suggestions, maybe we should just go back to that rule where the first ten people to sign up automatically become the nominees for that week...
Henry Campbell5 said:I just can't keep up with the listening! I can maybe absorb three, four, five albums on a slow day, but that’s just not enough given how many suggestions there are. So, I end up voting based on what I already know. I actually just watched a documentary about Miles Davis and I’d love to talk about him. But I haven't really given most others a chance yet. We need a week just to listen! If we did, I'd probably write at least five posts here during that week.
Well, if you feel like talking about him, just start a thread and write a proper review—whether it's for the album or Miles himself
Miles Davis, this isn't directed specifically at you, but I still don't get why some of you find it so hard to write a few sentences about an album or artist that actually moved you—someone you think deserves attention regardless of how this damn poll turns out. I can't believe some people are such slaves to these cursed votes, acting like winning this poll is the only thing that motivates them to post on this board. I guess it's on me since I'm always the one pushing for it, but I just had to get that off my chest. Again, 🙂