Genesis box set - first take

Maybe it's just that I was in the mood for something a little prog-ish, but I'm enjoying the Genesis 1970-1975 remastered box set a whole lot more than I imagined. I was pretty familiar with this band and had heard a chunk of this early stuff either in college on various mix-tapes and live recordings, but hearing the original sequenced records is revelatory.

Now to be clear, I'm a power-pop, Beatle-pop, psychedelic-pop, jazz-loving - and romantic classical music fan. So it shouldn't be a shock that Genesis is in my wheelhouse. But still... They aren't exactly tip-of-tongue for a music listener in 2009. In other words this has been a bit of a departure from Radiohead and Matthew Sweet.

I use the iTunes 5 star rating system to help organize my stuff. Here's my take on their records (not in chrono sequence) based on what I've heard so far.

Trespass: 4 stars. Wow. I never would have guessed this one would be so solid. Some nice pop chord changes with the structure of Banks' keyboard driven arrangements. I figured they would have been poorly produced, or somehow lame in execution. Not so. It's only flaw is that it's got no concept. For many that's probably a relief!

Selling England by the Pound: 4 stars. Yep. Another stellar (pun intended) record. After putting the needle down on this one, I realized I had listened to this in college - perhaps compulsively for a few days.

This is nearly a 5 star record in fact, but I need to be cautious in using that label. I tend to fall in love too quickly.

This is a really pretty record. And how come Gabriel's lyrics are so overlooked? This guy is very prosaic - perhaps not as poetic as Dylan, but he is clever and paints vivid pictures - mindful of O. Henry in some ways. He tells a good story, I think.

Lamb Lies Down...: 5 stars. To be clear, a five star record is in the same group as Revolver and Kind of Blue. It sits next to Pet Sounds. I'm just saying...

When Peter Gabriel sings, "I need someone to believe in, someone to trust" it sounds like a lyrical foreshadowing of his solo career masterpiece: "So". Musically, this record is super solid, with the complex time signatures so characteristic of the band, here perfectly supporting the chord structure and lyric. Really nice job of mixing and engineering, from what I hear.

For a Pink Floyd fan, the sound collage on "The Waiting Room" might remind you of early Barrett experiments. Throughout "Lamb" the Moog and other synth (and guitar) sounds are a real treat. Again, well arranged and recorded.

All right, back to the listening position. Perhaps more on this set later.

Rundgren's fault?

For the first time, I own a copy of Something / Anything by Todd Rundgren. This archetypal "solo" project is legendary among studio types, since it's got some great pop hits (Hello, It's Me is one you may have heard) and was constructed track-by-track, overdub at a time, by one guy. For these reasons this record has piqued my curiosity for some time, but finally now I can hear if it lives up to expectations.

Well, so far, so good! I was talking with my studio partner about the record and mentioned that he might like it, but there's a tendency to blame the creator of a style for later abominations. For instance, can you fault Harry Nilsson for the later, lame wanna-be's? Can you blame James Taylor for lite rock? Likewise, it's perhaps useful to remember that when this record was made, it was a new sound, not a cash-in on the current trends.

One interesting thing to me is the "live" sound to the record. I haven't sat with a metronome, but it's my guess that the tempi are all over the map. Songs seem to speed up and slow down, but in a good, natural organic feeling way. And the vocals are amazing. What I had imagined were a trio of female singers were, of course, TR multi-tracked. Good stuff.

On to side two!

The dreaded album list

A good friend recently asked about some all-time favorite albums to give him something new to investigate.  This sets off a chain reaction in a guy like me.  I have to create the original list, plus other auxiliary lists - all with caveats and explanations, of course.  So here goes.  Ten albums that are on my all time desert island list.  More to come later...

Odessey and Oracle; The Zombies

(Beautifully creative sounds and textures, top notch songwriting, perfect song flow. Sixties psychedelic pop perfection.)

SF Sorrow; The Pretty Things

(Psychedelic and adventurous. Powerful)

Pet Sounds; The Beach Boys

(I'm not sure if this is one that everyone eventually "gets", but it hit me hard after I had owned it and listened to it a few times.)

Goodbye Jumbo; World Party

(Could be criticized as being too derivative of sixties artists, but it still sounds good to me and reminds me of good times)

The Who Sell Out; The Who

(Perhaps the first concept album. Pete nailed it. Could have been Quadrophenia or Who's Next - but this one is under-appreciated)

Ambient 1 Music for Airports; Brian Eno

(Aural zen. I listen to this almost every time I get on an airplane. It is the missing soundtrack to an airport.)

Dear Catastrophe Waitress; Belle & Sebastian

(Wry pop with strong orchestration and Dylan-like lyrics)

Nonsuch; XTC

(And there are other XTC contenders: Apple Venus Vol 1, Oranges and Lemons, Skylarking - all of equally breathtaking beauty.)

Blood on the Tracks; Bob Dylan

(Again, how do you choose? Maybe Blond on Blond, Hwy 61, Bringing it all Back Home)

#1 Record; Big Star

(Maybe the best American rock band)

Hero worship

These guys have a great sense of humor and they make great music. What's not to like?  For some insight into the music biz, read this Onion AV Club interview with Adam and Chris from Fountains of Wayne 

Live 8?

Boy the coverage of the Live 8 concerts was poor. Something went awry, probably regarding the licensing of the broadcast, but what a wasted opportunity.

Good music though!