Album of the week

It looks like Joan isn't going to make the winners circle, so I'm taking this chance to give Unknown a shoutout for the suggestion. She’s been sitting on my wishlist for a while now—I guess I just kept putting it off—but this album was the perfect nudge to finally give her a listen. Honestly, no regrets at all. It really hit the mark 👍

We should just have an Album of the Month. People suggest for a week, vote for a week, then spend two weeks actually debating... That way, people would actually listen to the stuff instead of just skimming. Honestly, if someone is that hyped about a suggestion, why wouldn't they just start their own thread? If you aren't passionate enough to write a quick review when you nominate it, why bother suggesting it at all? We could spend half the month discussing the options and the other half digging into the winner to actually learn something.

Charles Ramos4 said:Looks like Joan isn't gonna make the winners circle, so I'm taking this chance to give Unknown a shoutout for the suggestion. She's been sitting on my wishlist for ages, and this album is just the nudge I needed to finally give her a spin. Honestly? Zero regrets. Totally spot on. 👍

US Army Master of her Love and Affection🙂

Her Love and Affection has been glued to my Spotify playlists for forever now... man, what a magical voice. Her debut and What's Inside are my absolute favorites. Highly recommend!

Review's probably coming tomorrow—maybe tonight if I pull an all-nighter, since trying to get anything done during the day in this dump is a joke. I really need to nail this one; honestly, my current intro for Flack is pretty garbage.

Henry Campbell5 said:It really ought to be the Album of the Month. We could have people making suggestions for a week, then a week of voting, followed by two weeks of actual discussion. That way, we’d actually listen to the music instead of just circling the drain, giving us something real to talk about. Honestly, if someone is genuinely hyped about a record, why wouldn't they just start their own thread for it? If you aren't willing to put in that effort, why even suggest it in the first place? Maybe include a short review when submitting a pick. We could spend half the month debating the merits of the candidates and the other half diving deep into the winning album, picking up a ton of new insights along the way.

I think this is a solid idea. Count me in.

So... I have to say, I am genuinely caught off guard by these results—from my own perspective, at least.

It felt somewhat predictable that one of the biggest pop sensations of 1984, whose legendary status hasn't faded one bit, would pull in a respectable number of votes and even outperform my expectations. But for a true new wave album from an artist primarily revered as a top-tier guitarist and producer, who only later gained recognition as a solo songwriter and never truly lived in the shadow of the mainstream charts, to rank this high among the forum members? Who would have thought...

Regardless, I am thrilled that Joni Mitchell came out on top. Out of all these incredible releases, her legendary album Blue is truly untouchable; its status remains cemented as one of the greatest of all time.

OK Computer was, and remains, the king of everything quality released in the 90s, but since Joni was in the running... she just sits one level higher.

analogbear40 said:So... honestly, I'm pretty shocked by the results—from my perspective, at least.

It made sense that one of the biggest pop sensations of '84—someone whose legendary status hasn't faded an inch—would pull in a respectable amount of votes and even beat my expectations. But for a legit new wave album from a guy who's primarily known as a highly respected guitarist and producer first, and then a solo artist second—someone who's never really touched the top charts—to rank this high among the forum crowd? Man, who would've thought...

Whatever—I'm glad Joni Mitchell won. Out of all these releases, her legendary album Blue is truly untouchable, and its status is still cemented as one of the absolute best ever.

OK Computer was the king of everything great released in the '90s, but since Joni was in the running...she's just one step above..

I figured Radiohead didn't stand a chance. Personally, I think both are right up there in terms of quality. Like almost always, though, I have some minor gripes with both albums—for instance, on OK Computer, a few tracks in the middle aren't quite hitting the mark for me (thinking of Let Down, No Surprises, and Electioneering), and with Blue, my biggest issue is that the weakest song is saved for last. It's the weakest melodically, and it feels like she tried to cram way too many lyrics into a tiny space. In my opinion, A Case of You and The Last Time I Saw Richard should have swapped places. She could've ended with This Flight Tonight, too.

But either way, they're both brilliant.

cosmiccobra2 said:US Army master of her Love and Affection🙂

Her Love and Affection has been on my Spotify playlist for a really long time now—she just has such a magical voice. Her debut and What's Inside are definitely my favorites, highly recommend them!

I'll definitely take suggestions and let you know what I think. And if I end up following the trail of the album you suggested, I might just find a new favorite artist 🙂

Even though this week's winner had a great voice, I'm honestly a little bummed some other albums didn't make the cut, since there were plenty of solid candidates. Take Morrissey (and the Smiths), for instance—I've never really felt much from him before, but thanks to this forum, I'm starting to pay attention. I'm seeing him through a slightly different lens now. It was a good chance to get to know his work better and see what you all think about him, and what I should be listening for.

It's a similar story with Franko; I only know a couple of songs by him, and I haven't really had the chance to dive into anything beyond those two radio hits. Not to mention there are tons of other names I only know a little bit about (even if I do like their stuff)—but I haven't been diligent enough to actually sit down and listen to a full album, a compilation, or even a live concert. I guess that's just how I am sometimes 🙄

I don't want to clog up the Robert Flack thread, so I'll just jump in here with some thoughts on Joan Armatrading after listening to those two other albums you suggested. Her 1972 debut, "Whatever's for US," is honestly great—though if you asked me right now which song was my favorite, I probably couldn't give you a straight answer 😁. Mostly because there are so many good contenders, and the whole thing feels pretty cohesive—like it works best as one single unit. I really dig the piano work (it reminds me a bit of Carola King in that sense), and there’s plenty of it here. Not to mention, her voice and the guitar work are just... perfect. And I think it's safe to say she was a huge influence on Tracy Chapman, since you can't help but notice the similarities at times.

Then there's "What's Inside" from the nineties, which I also found more than good on first listen, even if it feels a bit more leaned into blues (maybe I'm wrong here, but a few tracks have a bit of a Clapton vibe to them) and jazz or soul. While she's playing around with more genres, the arrangements feel even richer than her 70s stuff, which adds this extra layer of depth to certain songs. Since she kept much of that songwriting style from her early days, this album feels a bit more diverse and colorful than the previous two. To me, it shows how well she handles stepping outside the specific style she started with, which—I guess—is a real mark of a solid musician. Anyway, I'm pretty stoked and plan to keep digging through her discography.

Henry Campbell5 said:It should be Album of the Month. People suggest stuff for a week, vote for a week, then spend two weeks debating. That way, people would actually *listen* to the music instead of just clicking buttons—then we’d actually have something real to talk about! And honestly, why wouldn't someone just start their own thread for their suggestion if they’re that hyped about it? If you aren't passionate, why even bother proposing it? Maybe throw in a quick little review when you suggest it? We could spend half the month dissecting the picks and the other half tearing into the winner while picking up a bunch of cool facts along the way.

I'm totally with you on this—I support it 100% because it would force everyone to actually engage with the music more deeply.

Or maybe just a week to listen, to keep it from being too extreme. I mean, you can definitely get through an album in a week.

I usually end up starting a thread for Beach House whenever they drop something new, mostly because they aren't even on the standard dream pop/shoegaze playlists, which is wild to me since they're basically the face of the genre alongside Cocteau Twins.
It doesn't surprise me that they haven't blown up, though—even Loveless didn't hit mainstream heights, and let's be real, the US indie scene only has like two bands doing that kind of thing, so maybe Americans just don't vibe with that specific sound.🤷
The only silver lining is that Tame Impala made it big, even though they play in that same relatively niche sphere that most American listeners tend to overlook, especially the newer stuff.

As for Mitchell, I wasn't shocked at all. When I saw her as a suggestion, I knew it was going to be a dead heat with OK Computer.
I feel bad for OK Computer for losing out, but there’s already a whole separate discussion for Radiohead anyway, so it's not like we don't talk about them here.

quietbison86 said:(...) dream pop/shoegaze (...) the most essential genre icons alongside the Cocteau Twins (...)

I’d suggest checking out unknown if you haven't already.

I just wiped out my entire intro post. I was working on it in Word on my PC—then, total brain fart, I hit cancel when the save prompt popped up. Absolute rookie mistake. It wasn't even a big deal usually, but this was easily one of the best things I've ever written. Now I have to rebuild it from scratch—but I already know it won't hit as hard as the first version.

Arthur Brown6 said:I’d definitely recommend checking out xuvetyn, assuming you haven't already.

Haven't heard it yet, but thanks for the tip!

Dennis Hall41 said:I just nuked my entire intro post. I was working on it in Word on my PC and accidentally hit cancel when the save prompt popped up. Total rookie mistake. Not exactly high-IQ stuff... It was one of the best things I've ever written. Now I have to rebuild it from scratch, but we all know the second version is never as good as the first.

🤣

Henry Campbell5 said:🤣

Laugh all you want—but I actually knocked it out of the park with this one. 😒 Trust me, it was solid. I rarely say that, though—as much as I love tearing things down, I usually just keep most of my bitterness to myself. Can't recreate the magic right now, either—the spark's just gone, like trying to go for a run when you're just not feeling it. Writing is writing.

Henry Campbell5 said:It ought to be the Album of the Month. Right now, people spend a week suggesting, a week voting, and then two weeks arguing—it’s inefficient. If we actually listened to the music, we’d have something real to discuss. Honestly, if someone is truly passionate about a suggestion, why wouldn't they just start their own thread to defend it? Maybe include a brief review when submitting? We could dedicate half the month to debating the picks and the other half to dissecting the winner—actually learning something in the process.

I'm all for stretching out this process, though a full month feels excessive—like trying to drive from New York to LA without stopping. Perhaps there is a middle ground? What if suggestions were limited to Thursdays only, leaving a week to listen and vote, followed by another week for discussion? This would create two-week cycles—enough time to actually hear the records and hold a decent conversation without the whole thing dragging on forever.

analogbear40 said:👍👍👍

......on that 2010 Deluxe 2CD reissue, the absolute standout is The Ballad of 32 (mix 2)—it clocks in at nearly 11 minutes......that's where it really hits its stride—once the instrumentation finally gets permission to go full Pink Floyd on you......

FGTH - The Ballad of 32 (mix 2)

I’ve noticed you really know your stuff, especially when it comes to those 80s era bands. 👍

Personally, I think that was the absolute peak for music production. Just look at the arrangements from that decade—the sheer clarity and sonic richness they achieved in post-production was unparalleled...

Then again, sonic purity and complex layering aren't always the goal—every genre has its own set of structural rules and aesthetic standards.

But this extended version of one of the most beautiful ballads ever recorded is something else entirely:


Back in the day, I would have loved nothing more than to just lie on my floor, head sandwiched between two speakers, and completely lose myself in some sort of personal Nirvana...

Charles Ramos4 said:It’s a similar situation with Franko—I only know a couple of tracks, and I’ve never actually had the chance to see what else they bring to the table beyond those two radio hits. Not to mention there are plenty of other names I only recognize by a few songs (which happen to be good), but I haven't been smart enough to sit down and actually listen to a full album, a compilation, or catch one of their concerts. It’s a personal failing of mine, I suppose. 🙄

On this specific album, Frenkie actually did a cover of the guy in your profile picture, though I have a feeling you aren't going to care much for his take on it. 😁

Definitely give this extended version of Power of Love a listen—I've linked it above.

I honestly think it would be enough to just have a single tiebreaker at the start. If things end up in a deadlock later on, let random.org make the call. It would just save everyone the headache and reduce all that unnecessary back-and-forth...

Honestly, it should just be me and lemon alone making suggestions—since none of you guys actually have any taste.
Crow89's got good taste, though.