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2old4kpop · 4 years

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15 Underrated Girly Kpop Songs That Make Me Go Absolutely Feral

When it comes to girl groups, more than anything I am a Blackjack and Blink. I like to listen to girl songs that make me want to murder men (and believe me, that blog post is in the works). But I’m also a ONCE, as TWICE are my sweet darling babies, but they’re about as girly as I can tolerate. I’m not one for the super girly concepts. I mean, did you guys ever see MINX? Occasionally I ironically jam to Shakey Love Shakey Shakey Shakey Shakey Love, but it was an absolute blessing from the K-pop gods to rebrand them as Dreamcatcher. It’s really only the A-list girly songs I tolerate, like GFriend or Oh My Girl. Everything else below them just seems really cringy.

Except for a few chosen few that are so good that they make me absolutely lose all of my shits. And I’m talking about songs that nobody seems to know like at all. Either these songs came out when the groups were still under the radar, before they had their big smash hits, or they just never seemed to rise to the top. But they are still valid and important. Videos are linked in the song names, since Tumblr won’t let me add more than five videos, but here we go.

15. April- Dream Candy

April is one of those rare groups that pull off the girly concept so well but don’t ever seem forced, like they are just truly naturally sweet and pure and precious. Honestly all of their songs are great, and it’s tragic that they haven’t had a comeback in 2019. But their debut, Dream Candy, is the one that really gets deep in my soul to that animal part of my brain that makes me scream this god damn chorus. But only really at the end. I never really listened to this song until it came on shuffle one day when I was walking home in the rain, and thought, why not listen to this awkward girly song, and then the last chorus hit and OH MY GOD. It’s a good one guys.

14. Momoland- Jjan! Koong! Kwang!

So this song comes out by some unknown group called uh, Momoland?, with a title that is just a bunch of sounds that don’t exist in English, and I felt like I was the only one on Earth that was like, “This is fine.” I was honestly in some I Am Legend universe where instead of me being the only living person on Earth, I was the only one that liked Momoland’s debut. As time went on Momoland started putting out what is pretty much some of the worst K-Pop that exists (I mean, have you SEEN the video for Wonderful Love? Try not to cringe challenge) and sadly enough this group just faded into obscurity and never had any huge, Earth shattering hits or anything.

13. DIA- My Friend’s Boyfriend

On paper this song is awful. I mean it’s a song about being a petty bitch who has decided to steal their friend’s boyfriend, hence the title. Also the song ads cute little quirks like *squints eyes to read this metaphorical paper closer* coughing. Also the video has an unnecessarily long intro. But believe me when I tell you that this is an absolute slapper.

12. Gugudan- Wonderland

It’s a crime that Gugudan has never really hit it off, even with two I.O.I members. Their debut has this amazing Little Mermaid concept and believe me when I tell you that this chorus is best when screamed at the top of your lungs. After all the screaming I am basically in a manic state by the la la la’s.

11. LOONA 1/3- Love&Live

You’ll notice that the main theme of this list is that the choruses are absolute fire. But this one comes in and basically knocks the wind out of me with sweetness, like some kind of aegyo Kool-Aid man. It’s really the music that does it for me in this one, along with the melody, along with Heejin’s perfect high note. If this song doesn’t make you smile then you are a robot, like ViVi.

10. Shannon Williams- Why Why

If Ant and/or Dec were here, they would hear this song and definitely say that Britain’s Got Talent. Shannon is the British IU,hands down, undeniably, I will not be taking questions at this time. But it’s very sad that her career was nonexistent after this came out. Was it the fact that this features a sixteen-year-old grinding against faceless boys? Or that this video widely revolves around her intensely stalking someone? It can’t be the song because that is perfect.

9. AOA- Bingle Bangle

Okay so some history for those non-Elvises out there. AOA was THE HOTTEST girl group for a good minute, with so many timeless collaborations with the Brave Brothers that really changed the shape of female K-Pop for a while. And then ChoA left the group. And without the only member who could actually sing the face of the group, AOA kind of went quiet, save for a few Jimin solo songs. Then AOA came back with a new sound, and while everyone else thought it was terrible, I thought it was a bop! And I love the video and the concept! And the dance for this is so fun. Bingle Bangle is a real yes for me dawg. It’s only too bad that they lost yet another member and their concept was handed off to FNC’s new girl group. Speaking of which...

8. Cherry Bullet- Really Really

Yeah so they literally gave this entire “girls in a video game but it’s fun and cute” concept to Cherry Bullet, and they hit the ground running with it. This comeback in particular is my favorite of theirs because it hits one of my favorite pop music tropes: Having A Funky Instrumental Chorus, Only At The End To Put Words Over The Music. It ticks all my boxes.

7. Rainbow- Whoo

If you ever wanted to hear a song that made you scream “RAAAAIIINBOOW AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” then this is it. At this point in this list we start to hear the songs that make me truly insane, and this song absolutely destroys me. It’s really sad, however, that this is basically Rainbow’s swan song, as it was their last song before disbandment.

6. Matilda- Macarena

I bet you haven’t even HEARD of Matilda. I bet you didn’t even KNOW that MATILDA just DISBANDED a FEW MONTHS AGO because ALL THEIR SONGS WERE BAD except for THIS ONE which is just full of CHAOTIC GOOD ENERGY and if you don’t ENJOY THIS then GET OFF MY LAWN.

5. Berry Good- Angel

Berry Good was destined to be one of those girl groups, like Matilda, that came from a tiny company and was just given bad songs and were set up to fail. So they crowdfunded, and somehow made two incredible comebacks, Don’t Believe (which is a whole other story that we won’t get into today, but it’s an amazing song that you should check out) and prior to that, Angel. I don’t even know where to begin with this song because it literally makes me forget who I am and why I exist. It’s a banger?? This song starts off so soft and pure and jumps right into a chorus that makes you bang your head and scream “I TAKE A CHANCE, YOU NEVER KNOW” as loud as possible. And right when you think you can’t take it anymore, that you are gasping for air because you are drowning in perfection, THEY GO EVEN HARDER. Like, girls, you did not need to go that hard. Holy shit. They go full IU in Good Day. I don’t know why we were blessed with this, especially since after this all their other songs have been garbage, and they’ve been so unsuccessful that they lost their strongest member and they’re heading for disbandment. But we have this gem, and I’m thankful for it.

4. 4Minute- Heart To Heart

Back when 4Minute was just another 2NE1 clone, trying to compete in the market of “Girls Who Look Tough But Are Actually Sweet” 4Minute, aka The HyunA Group, put out this. Third Geners, this is what Second Gen was all about. This is the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown. This song is everything. It’s perfect. And it’s too bad that 4Minute didn’t really stick with this sound, but also not, since with their more mature concept they wound up getting pretty famous once Park Bom... I mean, we’re not gonna talk about it.

3. Hyolyn- Bae

Okay so I know that Hyolyn as an entity is not technically considered underrated, but her entire solo career is being slept on and I don’t understand. With Sistar gone, and now Red Velvet carrying the torch for summer anthems, Hyolyn doesn’t necessarily have to give us one of the best summer songs of all time but she did. Every second of this song to me is perfect. And yeah okay I’ll admit it, I am a Gay, I am attracted to women, and Hyolyn is a lot of. A lot of wow. She and HyunA are exactly my type, and this video is a lot. But the SONG you guys. It’s so much that I told even regular people who listen to English music to listen to this song. They didn’t, of course, because the world doesn’t appreciate Hyolyn like I would, I mean like I do as a fan and nothing else. This song was my summer anthem in 2018, Power Up wishes it was this good.

2. BESTie- Thank U Very Much

One of the things that really got me into K-Pop during the Second Gen was that it sounded so much like pop music from my youth. This is gonna sound weird, but I grew up in a Wiccan Neo-Pagan household where 90% of the music we listened to was traditional Celtic or New Age, and if it was ever anything else it was like The Beatles (my Mom and her sisters were one of those screaming and fainting Beatles fans, the trait that was clearly passed down to me, based on what happened when I saw G-Dragon live, but that’s another story) or ABBA, or any kind of British/European pop/rock from the 70s or 80s. So once I was old enough to really find out what kind of music I liked, I dived deep into cheesy pop songs like S Club 7, Britney Spears, and the like. But I always had a soft spot for ABBA. The melodies, the music, the strange lyrics that didn’t really make sense or weren’t quite grammatically correct but it worked. I feel like that love for obscure pop, along with the 90s and early 2000s bubblegum pop, pushed me right into the K-Pop scene. And this song is the best example of that kind of weird melody with oddly used English words, but it works in the best way. The chorus of this song sounds like it was written by ABBA. The ending of this song is transcendent. Tell me you can’t picture a Korean Meryl Streep in overalls singing the ending of this song while dancing on a beach. This song makes me lose all my shits. But I do have to say that this video is uh, Not Good, especially compared with how amazing the song is. But these underrated bottom of the barrel groups don’t have much to work with in the first place, so we can’t really fault them. This song holds up, and is going to hold up for a very long time. I stan.

1. Laboum- Shooting Love

So like I said before, I don’t typically like the super sugary, super tacky, super girly girl concepts. BUT I LOVE LABOUM. ALL their girly sweet songs are AMAZING. They somehow get everything right, in their own unique way. They’re not at all like “Oh, they’re like GFriend”, “Oh, that’s like Lovelyz” or anything, if you get what I’m saying. Laboum had their own cheesy yet perfect style of girly. Aalow Aalow: A CLASSIC. Journey To Atlantis: A CLASSIC. Hwi Hwi: A CLASSIC. Only U: YES YOU GUESS IT, CLASSIC. Sugar Sugar: DON’T MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN. I could have made this whole list with just Laboum songs. So I made myself pick one by listening to as many old Laboum songs as I could before I would become an absolutely menace to society, as I am not responsible for my actions after listening to so much girly perfectlon at once. If I was arrested and went to court for I dunno, causing distress and mayhem to the citizens of my city, my lawyer would call it “the Laboum defense.” “You see, Your Honor, my client listened to a lot of Laboum songs, and lost control of themselves and became an entity, a ball of energy, a comet destroying everything in its path while screaming cheesy Korean lyrics.” And I would be set free, of course, because who wouldn’t lose themselves completely to the power of Laboum? But anyway I picked Shooting Love, as it puts me in a manic state from the very intro until the last second. And let me just say now that I deeply mourn this old Laboum, as they came back in 2018 with a new concept that makes them sound lobotomized compared to their old sound. Like slow R&B is fine, but compared to this it’s drab and slow and dull and I hate it. I Hate It. Bring back cute Laboum in 2020, or at least study Apink if you want to see how to properly change an aging cute group into a mature group. I could go on, but now I have the urge to listen to more Laboum. You’ll see me on the evening news tonight, I’m sure.

anyway 안녕

#kpop #laboum #loona #hyolyn #aoa #momoland #A List

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #140 - Singin’ in the Rain

Spoilers below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

This post is dedicated to @hyla-brook, as I can no longer watch this movie without thinking of my friend.

1) This film is not only one of the best movie musicals of all time, but one of the best movies of all time period. More on that coming up.

2) The opening credits include the line, “Suggested by the song...” In fact, the entire film was written AFTER the songs with only two exceptions (“Moses” and “Make ‘Em Laugh”), with all the other songs already being released and known to the world at the time. This effectively makes Singin’ in the Rain one of the earliest karaoke musicals (alá Rock of Ages), but today the songs are known largely if not exclusively because of the long lasting popularity of this film.

3) The backstory given by Don (Gene Kelly) is a wonderful opening to the film for almost countless reasons.

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For one, we get a strong establishment of the friendship and loyalty which exists between Don and Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) as relationship as important to the film as Don’s love with Kathy. We also get a clear establishment of the film’s sense of humor, giving us a nice juxtaposition of expectations vs reality (“Dignity, always dignity.”) and incredible slapstick moments. It is also one of the most accurate portrayals of how someone finds success in Hollywood: through an endless stream of shit jobs in the hopes that you’ll be noticed. Kelly’s and O’Connor’s comedic brilliance are on full display, and we also get our fist inkling of the tumultuous relationships between Don and Lina.

Don [after he gets a lead in a movie, to Lina who was a jerk before]: “Are you doing anything tonight, Ms. Lamont? [She shakes her head no.] That’s funny...I’m busy.”

4) In case you ever think Hollywood making normal people feel self conscious about themselves is a modern invention:

Female Movie Patron [while Lina is onscreen]: “She’s so refined. I think I’ll kill myself.”

(GIF originally posted by @casey-jones)

5) Lina Lamont.

Lina’s character is established immediately from the second she opens her mouth: drunk on power, more than a bit of a moron, and a selfish jerk. She’s hysterical and Jean Hagen totally loses herself in the character. No, that’s not Hagen’s normal speaking voice, but you thought it didn’t you? That’s how incredible she is in the role, and it is easy to forget how much brilliance she shows off when compared to the trio of Kelly, O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. This film wouldn’t be nearly the classic it is without Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont.

6) In case there was any question: I am Cosmo.

Studio Rep [about Lina]: “The studio has to keep their stars from looking ridiculous at any cost.”

Don: “No one’s got that much money.”

7) There are going to be so many Cosmo quotes in this recap, I’m just warning you. Because, you know, I’m Cosmo basically.

Don [being swarmed by fans]: “Hey Cos, do something! Call me a cab!”

Cosmo: “Okay, you’re a cab!”

8) Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Seldon.

What on earth can I say about one of the greatest actresses of all time in only her fourth credited screen real knocking it out of the park? I honestly don’t know but I’ll try to figure it out as I type. Reynolds is...perfection. In a trio of incredible performances I think she may give the strongest. Her chemistry with Kelly is great, subtle, trusting, and she does just such a wonderful job of making Kathy an amazing character. She’s not some manic pixie dream girl. She has her own desires, her own dreams, her own sacrifices she’s willing to make. Reynolds is able to portray Kathy as honestly good while still remaining interesting, honestly optimistic without being too naive or annoying, and honesty is just the word to apply to Reynolds’ whole work in the film. I love it.

9) One of the things I LOVE about this film is that Don and Kathy are not a “love at first sight” type of relationship. Don’s hitting on her is obviously because he’s a cad, she shuts him down, and then they’re able to have this unique conflict with each other where they both sort of act like jerks. Yet later they develop an honest connection with and affection for each other in such little time, it speaks greatly to the chemistry of the performers. One of my favorite love stories from this era of cinema.

10) The advent of the talkies are captured pretty accurately in this film. Everyone is skeptical about it, thinks it’ll be a fad, but the few likes Cosmo and studio head RF Simpson see how it could (and probably will be) the future.

11) I don’t think there is a better showcase for Donald O’Connor’s skills as a physical comedian than in “Make ‘Em Laugh”.

According to IMDb:

Donald O'Connor recalled, "I was smoking four packs of cigarettes a day then, and getting up those walls was murder. They had to bank one wall so I could make it up and then through another wall. We filmed that whole sequence in one day. We did it on a concrete floor. My body just had to absorb this tremendous shock. Things were building to such a crescendo that I thought I'd have to commit suicide for the ending. I came back on the set three days later. All the grips applauded. [Gene Kelly] applauded, told me what a great number it was. Then Gene said, "Do you think you could do that number again?" I said, "Sure, any time". He said, "Well, we're going to have to do it again tomorrow". No one had checked the aperture of the camera and they fogged out all the film. So the next day I did it again! By the end my feet and ankles were a mass of bruises."

The entire number is just packed full of classic Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton style gags all done to a fast pace number and it gets to the reason this old school movie musical has lasted the test of time where others have failed:

Most old school movie musicals have songs which don’t serve the film AT ALL they could be totally skipped and nothing would change. In some respects this film is the same. HOWEVER: the numbers are just so wildly and fantastically fun and entertaining that you are never bored by watching them. You are just so focused on what is going on and enjoying it so damn much you wouldn’t dream of skipping it (for the most part). THAT is why this film is such a classic. THAT is why it stands the test of time.

12)

RF [after pitching a talkie to Don]: “Lockwood and Lamont! They talk!”

Lina: “Of course we talk! Don’t everybody?”

Man RF, you did NOT think that through.

13) For me, “Beautiful Girls” is always the number I want to skip. It just is not nearly as entertaining as some of the other ones. It does nothing for me.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

14) Be still my beating heart.

Don: “Kathy I’m trying to say something to you but I’m such a ham. I guess I’m unable to without the proper setting.”

My heart doesn’t get mushy romantic for much, but "You Were Meant For Me”...It is just so beautifully staged, the lighting and setting is incredible, and Kelly is able to portray such honest emotion in the song that...I LOVE IT!

15) “Moses” is another example of a number which really doesn’t serve the plot in anyway but is just so damn entertaining I don’t really care! Donald O’Connor is great again, and we get some nice bromantic fun!

16) We get like a solid ten minutes of this film’s excellent comedy in two back to back scenes: when the filmmakers are trying to deal with the sound equipment, and when they see just how poorly it worked in the final film. It’s accurate really to today too: audiences will forgive crappy visuals but if your sound is shit then your film is shit. I know this because I’ve directed a number of films with shit sound (most of them back in high school).

17) Don’s conflict is perfectly summed up in one line:

Don: “The picture’s a museum piece. I’m a museum piece.”

The film’s mostly a musical comedy so it’s easy to forget about Don’s conflict, but he’s an actor in a changing industry and his first encounter with Kathy had him questioning his skills. Everything he does for the movies in this film is driven by that issue.

18) “Good Morning”.

Another song which is totally superfluous and serves the plot in no real way, I totally love it. It shows the trio at their best together in a wildly fun and entertaining number. But it was a pain to shoot!

After they finished the "Good Morning" number, Debbie Reynolds had to be carried to her dressing room because she had burst some blood vessels in her feet. Despite her hard work on the "Good Morning" number, Gene Kelly decided that someone should dub her tap sounds, so he went into a dubbing room to dub the sound of her feet as well as his own.

During a TV interview Debbie Reynolds shared while filming "Good Morning" one of her feet was bleeding, requiring flesh-colored bandages beneath her hose. As the trio collapsed on the overturned sofa, she turned her head to Donald O'Connor and said, "Thank God that's over." Watch closely and you can see her say it during the dubbed jolly laughter.

Their effort yielded one of the best numbers in the film!

19) The iconic titular song/number: “Singin’ in the Rain”.

Pretty much everything you need to know about Kelly’s devotion and hardwork in the film can be summed up by this fact:

The "Singing in the Rain" number took all day to set up--and Gene Kelly was very ill (some say with a fever over 101). When it was all set up, Kelly insisted on doing a take--even though the blocking was only rudimentary (starting and ending positions only), and the director was ready to send him home. He ad-libbed most of it and it only took one take, which is what you see on film.

Kelly’s sheer joy and the memorable/simple imagery is what makes the number so iconic. It is truly relatable, and its existence makes walking in the rain just a bit less melancholy.

20) Hey, remember how I’m Cosmo?

RF: “Cosmo, remind me to give you a raise!”

Cosmo: “Oh RF!”

RF: “Yes?”

Cosmo: “Give me a raise.”

21) Okay, “Broadway Melody”...

“Broadway Melody” is THE most superfluous number in the film and honestly the one which could probably be cut. It is very entertaining - and much more engrossing than its equivalent in Kelly’s An American in Paris in my opinion - but it’s just so damn long! It works as it’s own short film. However the visuals are incredibly strong and Kelly is in top form, so it obviously doesn’t ruin the film. But honestly it is the song you are most easy to skip and keep watching.

22) Aww, these two...

Don [to Kathy]: “From now on there’s only one fan I’m worried about.”

23) So far Lina has been a funny antagonistic dunce in the film, but damn if at the end she doesn’t turn into a manipulative evil jerk. I LOVE IT! She shows off she’s smarter than she’s shown [at least a little], boosts her own public image, almost sabotages Kathy’s career, and tries to extort RF into giving her more power. It is the fact she flies so close to the sun which causes her downfall, but damn if she ain’t just EVIL!!!!!

24) According to IMDb:

In the "Would You" number, Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) is dubbing the voice of Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) because Lina's voice is shrill and screechy. However, it's not Reynolds who is really speaking, it's Jean Hagen herself, who actually had a beautiful deep, rich voice. So you have Jean Hagen dubbing Debbie Reynolds dubbing Jean Hagen. And when Debbie is supposedly dubbing Jean's singing of "Would You", the voice you hear singing actually belongs to Betty Noyes, who had a much richer singing voice than Debbie.

25) These three are just so happy to embarrass Lina.

26) Kathy’s teary eyed look at Don when she realizes he WASN’T being a total jerk by having her sing for Lina and in fact letting the whole world know who she is just...be still my heart.

I miss Debbie Reynolds.

Singin’ in the Rain is a classic of cinema. Even though it falls into the trope of songs which don’t advance the plot, the songs are just SO fun to watch! This film is pure entertainment, with great acting on all parts (especially from the trio of Kelly, O’Connor, and Reynolds) and just honest character writing. It’s SO good! Go watch it if you haven’t!

#Singin' in the Rain #Debbie Reynolds #Gene Kelly #Donald O'Connor #Singin in the Rain #Jean Hagen #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Movie #Film #GIF

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flint-fox · 5 years

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R.E.M. - Reveal (2001)

1) The Lifting; 2) I’ve Been High; 3) All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star); 4) She Just Wants to Be; 5) Disappear; 6) Saturn Return; 7) Beat a Drum; 8) Imitation of Life; 9) Summer Turns to High; 10) Chorus and the Ring; 11) I’ll Take the Rain; 12) Beachball

After Up's deeply personal, soul-cleansing exercise, Reveal carries an aura of reconnection with the greater world. As incredible as Up was, the primary impression it leaves is its very insular sound and mood, where you have to dig a little deeper to find the still strongly beating heart of R.E.M.'s songwriting. Reveal, then, presents as much of an 180 turn as Up did. The traditional band roles in more prominent display again again (including an increased presence of session drummers), even if there's still a lingering element of R.E.M. taking cautious steps forward as a three-person incarnation in tune with Up's soundscapes, with programmed drums, frequent synthesizers and emphasised keyboard parts making up much of the album. But as albums, they're night and day - where Up was the melancholy late hours spent awake lost in thought; Reveal is the brand new morning. It's a decidedly more upbeat album, full of harmonies rather than controlled chaos. There's a clear desire for the band to smile again, resulting in a shift in gears to a more traditionally R.E.M.-esque album. Even the opening song welcomes you in: "Good morning! How are you? The weather's fine, the sky is blue..."

"The Lifting", the said opener, is a grand start and continues with the band's tradition of strong openers, and is in fact one of the best in that regard. It's light as a breeze, bouncing on every step like a liberated free spirit, throwing an infectious hook after another as Buck's familiar jangle appears and the drums carry an infectious rhythm. Stipe has entertained the thought that the song is about the same overworked soul as Up's "Daysleeper", and thus it's another semi-intentional shedding of the previous album's weariness, bringing the melancholy narrator to the open sunlight. It's an overwhelmingly joyous song above all, but doesn't aggressively try to be one, like e.g. the decidedly hyper-upbeat "Stand" or "Shiny Happy People". There's genuinity to it and its spiralling conclusion, with Stipe yelping full of energy, is a moment of honest delight - and in that sense, it leads the way perfectly. Reveal is open and inviting, in tone and in music - positive, melodically rich and full of hooks. After Up's experimentation Reveal places simple songcraft back in the spotlight, and while there's still great importance placed on the production of the material, the songs presented here are first and foremost guided by their melodies.

Much of what makes Reveal jump alive is still how the band treat the studio as an integral instrument in its own right, and the ambience that's pushed through the ideas making up the album's world of sound. There's a level of obsession in details prevalent throughout, carefully layered sounds and minor parts forming into a greater whole as R.E.M. seek a particular feeling throughout. Reveal is a pastoral album, a record aimed for summer through and through - the cover, the May release date, the constant lyrical references to the season and especially overt touches like sampling crickets make it abundantly clear, and the sound itself is appropriately lush, warm and inviting. The production is pristine enough to let all these details come through clearly, but there's not a trace of studio sterility. The instrumentation emphasises bright keyboards, clean guitar parts and gentle touches of electronic programming, with Up's dissonance brushed away as far back as possible. Even in its more introspective moments the band reach out their hand rather than wallow away.

The production's other main role is tying together Reveal's different strands. R.E.M. are in transition here, with one foot in the electronic soundscapes they've played around with for the previous couple of years, while the other foot is kicking back for a full band feel. Thus Reveal is, despite its unifying atmosphere, a diverse album. The traditional R.E.M. band sound makes a comeback frequently, but with a twist in how it goes about its arrangements, though there is a precedent. Before Reveal, the band released the (fantastic) soundtrack single "The Great Beyond", re-introducing R.E.M. as a full-band rock act but one with an expanded sonic palette built upon Up's studio wizardry and the willingness to tap into new soundscapes through precise arrangements, and it's like the blueprint that Reveal's foundations are based on. Thus for example the guitar-driven "Disappear" and "She Just Wants to Be" sound like natural extensions of where the band were in the 90s, but there's a kind of grace and aural richness that sounds new. It's at times akin to a 21st century update on studio magic of 60s classic pop psychedelia years.

The first two singles, "Imitation of Life" and "All the Way to Reno", are such great examples of this - and they are among the band's most obvious hits in how irresistibly melodic and sing-along-y they are. To R.E.M.'s credit they don't sound remotely like they were engineered to be so and instead they are, once again, rich and soulful. The former is an unashamed pop anthem with one of the band's most simply thrilling choruses (and some fine, contrasting lower-end string stabs and the suddenly bittersweet bridge cutting through the song and reducing the risk of saccharine overload). The latter is a relaxed, effortlessly lush melodic stroll rich in harmonies and arranged gorgeously: of all the songs in Reveal, it carries the strongest comparison to "The Great Beyond" and goes for the same almost-wistful euphoria, successfully as well. In complete contrast, "I'll Take the Rain" is a gut-puncher - a bittersweet, heartaching ballad among the band's most fragile, swerving Reveal's final run with a sudden emotional curveball. With one of their most poignant choruses, it goes all the way to the top, its sadness piercing through with Buck's chiming guitar lines (and an actual guitar solo!). It's a powerful song, utilising Reveal's warmth in a wholly different way than the rest of the album.

The keyboard/synth-oriented songs on the other hand are dreamy, serene moments of still among the lively full band cuts. "I've Been High" is arguably the most extreme of the lot, as there's nary a trace of live instrument in its pseudo-synth pop sound. It's a colossally beautiful, haunting deep cut however, full of graceful melancholy and soothing dreaminess breaking through the sad haze - and its last minute, from its career standout bridge to the rise it takes in its finale and Stipe's evocative lyric lines, is absolutely incredible. "Beat a Drum", "Summer Turns to High" and "Beachball" on the other hand are prime examples of what I mean when I talk about Reveal as a summer album, evoking the spirit of the season and the lazy holidays with their warm sound. The latter two directly make the comparisons, the electro-acoustic "Summer Turns to High" obviously so while the mellow float of "Beachball" somehow manages to take the feeling of watching the sun go down at the end of a perfect summer's day and turn it into music, gently bobbing along with its minimalistic beat. "Beat a Drum" is a little masterpiece as well, with Mills taking control through his softly swaying bass riff, the gentle piano leading the song and enriching the chorus through his backing vocals. The chorus, incidentally, is another one that manages to evoke so much so effectively through what is in the end a very few lines and a fairly straightforward progression; and yet, it's one of the album's most magical moments, a true blooming of warm summer air in music.

The one song most driven by the production, "Saturn Return", is a little marvel on its own: all tightly-wound atmosphere with little elements bouncing back and forth between the headphones, constantly switching its lead instrument from Buck's feedback-heavy guitar line to Mills' delicate piano, floating on top of a persistent drum machine up until the near end when the live drums kick in for a moment. It's the most Up-esque moment on Reveal, a bridge between the two that reminds the band haven't completed moved away from it. It's quietly one of Reveal's key tracks: an unassuming oddity at first, eventually revealing itself to be an integral centrepiece and a curious shadow cast over the album's summer day.

The one remaining song, "Chorus and the Ring", is a strange one, not really going anywhere yet towards its end it reaches a certain kind of crescendo of its own ilk where you find yourself strangely captured by the song. It's an odd one out on an album that otherwise has a very direct touch with its songwriting ("Saturn Return" included), and perhaps the only slightly dimmer spot in what is otherwise one of R.E.M.'s very finest records. That's not a light statement, but it feels almost borderline obvious, because Reveal seems to have it all. Stipe is in brilliant lyrical form, with so many great lines that lead your imagination flying, the production is golden and everyone involved with the actual playing of the music are delivering a sharp performance. And as an album, Reveal is certainly one of their most melodic: it embraces a type of songwriting which leans on harmony and goes for hooks within hooks, almost overwhelmingly so. That's always been a strength for R.E.M. and Reveal revolves around it, making it the core theme for the album together with the lushness and the summer vibe. If you can think of a picturesque sunset on a peaceful summer's evening following a pleasantly hot day, and experiencing that comforting feeling of everything being perfect and carefree in life like the best summer vacation you've had - that's where Reveal wants to take you. And it does. "Beachball" closes the album with Stipe repeating "you'll do fine" as the sun goes down in the horizon, and you can tell that after all the sadness and uncertainty, there was hope again in the band's ranks.

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coriwilbur-blog · 7 years

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20 Essential Albums to Take Your Record Collection From Novice to Noble

One thing I have learned from record collecting is that it is a lifelong commitment. One’s record collection is never complete – there is always a record you don’t own. Collecting and acquiring yet another vinyl can become addicting – I am a full-blown addict at this point. However, it can also be an overwhelming process – having to choose between which record to buy makes my head spin.

This is why I have created a list to help make this decision easier, especially if you are fairly novice at the art of vinyl collecting. I have been collecting since I was 16, having been blessed with a substantial starting point from my parents. Over the years, I have expanded their collections exponentially, having delved into further pockets of classic rock they never dared to explore before. In contrast to the direction the majority of other “albums everyone should own” type lists, I tried to avoid the trite, the most popular, the most obvious choices – going for more of a deeper-cut, heavy hitting and unique list of sorts. Here are the 20 albums I think everyone should own.

1. The Beatles - Revolver

As every music junkie knows, from the amateur record collector to classic rock expert, a record collection is not a record collection without The Beatles. No band has been able to surpass them in their music accomplishments and influence. And no one else has come up with an album nearly as good as Revolver – unless maybe the Beatles themselves. But what makes 1966’s Revolver so critical to a vinyl collection is that it marks the point in the Beatles’ work where they began to venture off, expanding their appeal past the hearts of teenage girls. This was where they showed how much more they could offer than just “yeah yeah yeah.” The themes are darker, deeper and wilder than anything they had ever done – including the George Harrison staple “Taxman,” one of Paul McCartney’s greatest achievements “Eleanor Rigby,” the most identifiable Ringo tune “Yellow Submarine” and of course, the show-stopping “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

2. The Beach Boys - Surf’s Up

Sure, sure Pet Sounds is technically the most significant Beach Boys’ work but take a listen to Surf��s Up and you will understand why it is on this list. Think Beach Blanket Babylon meets Kent State University – in fact, there is a song on here about student protests called “Student Demonstration Time.” Since Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys had been moving away from their “surfer” image, taking a similar path as the Beatles circa 1966. “Feel Flows,” a piece created almost entirely by Carl Wilson, paints a dreamy wonderland, ‘enveloping missiles of soul.’ Where all of their traditional Beach Boys sounding albums were light, meant to evoke nothing more than a feeling of endless summer, The track “Surf’s Up” hits you like a high-tide and shows that the water isn’t always surf able and eventually, summer turns into fall. The entire Surf’s Up album allows you to get to know the intellectuals behind the beach bums.

3. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd is my favorite band of all time and own all but one of their albums, so you can imagine how difficult it was for me to choose the one most critical for an awesome record collection. If you can get your hands on any Floyd album, you’re off to a great start. The obvious choice would definitely be Dark Side of the Moon so I’m going to recommend Wish You Were Here instead. Like, Dark Side – or any Floyd album, really – Wish You Were Here is a concept album, inspired by the mental demise of founding member Syd Barrett. Wish You Were Here is also a giant “fuck you” to record companies – I have a huge soft spot for anything with an anti-establishment message – with the tracks “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar.” But the really shining moment is on the title track “Wish You Were Here,” where the band strips down to an uncharacteristically acoustic sound. “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year” laments David Gilmour – so eerie, so dark, so Pink Floyd.

4. David Bowie - Lodger

The third album of Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy” – who doesn’t love a collaboration with Brian Eno – is also his strongest. (Although, unless you are a devoted Bowie fan down to the core, you may or may not recognize any of the tracks right off the bat). Bowie albums are extremely hard to find for a reasonable price since his death a year ago and what not, so if you are going to splurge on one – pay over $20 for a record – make the purchase count and grab Lodger if you have the pleasure. Truly a “Fantastic Voyage,” 1979’s Lodger showcases Bowie’s musical abilities that no other one of his albums truly does – experimenting with African drum sounds on “African Night Flight” and paying homage to Lou Reed’s obsession with noise at the end of “Boys Keep Swinging.” Other highlights include “Move On,” “Red Sails,” “Look Back in Anger,” “Yassassin,” “DJ,” Repetition” and “Red Money.” Oh wait, oops, I just listed every track. Moral of the story: buy Lodger.

5. Talking Heads - Remain in Light

I am a firm believer that Brian Eno brings out the best in any already other-worldly gifted musician. The last of the three Heads-Eno collab albums, 1980’s Remain in Light was the Talking Head’s effort to prove that the other band members weren’t just back-up for frontman David Byrne. Listening to this album dispels any of such accusations. The commercially successful track is obviously “Once in a Lifetime,” but there’s so much more to this album than meets the eye. “The Great Curve” is the unsung hero here – the entire album a remarkable transition from the late 70s into the 80s. “You may say, this is not my beautiful house,” but why go for what you know, when you can have the Heads at their musical best.

6. Billy Joel - The Stranger

Out of all of the albums on this list, 1976’s The Stranger is one of the only one’s stylistically perfect in essence – seriously, it’s that good. From the get go you can tell this album is something special when you hear the beginning notes of “Movin Out.” And it’s just an upward slope from there, obviously hitting a climax with “Vienna” and “Just the Way You Are.” What’s so good about Billy Joel albums is that he sticks with a concept without being a “Dark Side of the Moon” level of obviousness or complexity – The Stranger is clearly about a young man emancipating himself, struggling to adopt an identity (“The Stranger”), finding masochistic love with a destructive woman (“She’s Always a Woman”) and seeing a dim light at the end of the dismal tunnel that is life (“Everybody Has a Dream”). Optimistically pessimistic is a good way to put it – take “Only the Good Die Young” for example; melding longing and belonging if you will. There is nothing cool about Billy Joel. Actually he’s downright hoaky and well, kind of lame. But there is something about his ability to sing about hopelessness and morbidity in such a hopeful and lively way that gets me going every time. I love him for all of his cheese and splendor; this album is a huge part of the reason why.

7. Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy

I was basically born mandated to love Steely Dan so it was very hard for me to choose which album is “the most important,” but since I am being forced to pick, my vote is for their sophomore work. Countdown to Ecstasy, the follow-up to a seemingly impossible to follow-up Can’t Buy a Thrill, is a remarkable home run. Steely Dan, a band that every parent seems to have had some weird obsession with in the 70s, is way more complex than any music writer’s ability to analyze. Yet, I still find myself able to relate to tracks like “Showbiz Kids” and “My Old School” – the latter more so than any other song in this world. The key is to not try to understand Steely Dan so much as treasure them, just like any other one of your parents’ odd quirks or idiosyncrasies.

8. The Clash - Sandinista!

“The only band that matters,” The Clash’s Sandinista! came out in 1980, a follow-up to London Calling – a seemingly impossible record to beat. But Sandinista! goes one step further – it is a triple album – creating a whole new level of punk triumph. Sure, the album could be about ten songs shorter but, hell, why should it be? The Clash, who took punk, contorted it into a pretzel and turned anarchy into poetry, proved with this three record masterpiece that they could not be stopped – or at least until Mick Jones’ departure left us with Cut the Crap. Starting off solid with “The Magnificent Seven,” Sandinista! takes you on a wild journey – is the album, punk or reggae? Most of the time the answer is both but honestly, who cares? The band adopted an obsession with ‘dub’ – a form of reggae remixing – and was able to implement some of their previous tracks – “Police & Thieves” – in a new and exciting way. The ultimate stars of the show are obviously “Police On My Back” and “Charlie Don’t Surf,” but there’s so much else in between (and after) that is worth it that you easily lose yourself fand before you know it, you’ve spent the last two plus hours listening to punk rock.

9. Neil Young - Decade

I know the idea of even one triple album seems overwhelming but hear me out. Decade is Neil Young’s Greatest Hits album, so it can be listened to in full, in parts, out of order, however the hell you want to enjoy your Neil. The main point I’m trying to get across is that you need at least one Neil Young album and if you didn’t get graced with a father who worshipped the guy – meaning I have every single one of his albums known to man – you might as well pick one where you can have a collection of most of his best tunes compiled together. “Cinnamon Girl,” “After the Gold Rush,” “Old Man,” “Like a Hurricane,” “Harvest” and of course, “Heart of Gold” are all included. For a dude with such an expansive career, it’s amazing he was able to narrow the album down to just three discs!

10. Prince - Purple Rain

What Beethoven’s 9th Symphony was to him, Purple Rain is to Prince. Single-handedly one of the, if not the, most important pop music achievements to come out of the 80s, Purple Rain is Prince’s magnum opus. Now more than ever, mostly due to the artist’s untimely death last year, people ransack record stores for this album, and nearly pounce on me when I say I uncovered a copy for less than $20. And I’m all for the enthusiasm...obviously. From “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and the eponymous “Purple Rain,” to lesser known (but equally great) tracks like “The Beautiful Ones” and “Darling Nikki,” this album is the epitome of Prince’s musical and sexual genius. Not to mention that it is also a soundtrack to the movie of the same name.

11. The Doors - L.A. Woman

Not having acquired the Doors’ self-titled debut, L.A. Woman was going to have to do. And let me tell you, L.A. Woman, ironically their last before Jim Morrison’s untimely death, is better. By the time this album was released, the Doors had been banned from much receiving much airplay due to Morrison’s obscene and erratic behavior. Despite all the scandal, L.A. Woman contains some of the band’s biggest hits – “Love Her Madly,” “L.A. Woman” and “Riders on the Storm.” A concept album of sorts about life and love in Los Angeles, L.A. Woman was a great note for the Morrison-led era to end on, if it had to end.

12. Bee Gees - Bee Gee’s 1st

Long ago, before the dawn of “Saturday Night Fever,” the Bee Gee’s were just another 60s pop band. In fact, they had an extensive career before Tony Manero. Chest hair and disco fever aside, this album is nothing but pure, clean, simple pop music without a doubt – and really good pop music at that. The most notable track is definitely “To Love Somebody,” the song that ultimately put them on the radar in the first place, but there are so many other tunes that are equally as delightful – “Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts” and “Close Another Door.” Bee Gee’s 1st is evidence that the Brothers Gibb from down didn’t need to be clad in polyester pants to produce enjoyable music.

13. Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

Is it funk? Is it heavy metal? No, it’s Funkadelic! The god child of George Clinton and a band that refuses to be defined by traditional funk music rules – not that I could define them if I wanted to. Funkadelic’s piece de resistance, Maggot Brain is something from an entirely different universe – two minutes into the opening title track and you will be asking yourself “Who slipped acid into my coffee?” Next you will be saying, “Wait, I didn’t have any coffee! What the fuck is this?” But trust me, when the funk riff of “Can You Get to That” takes hold, you will be glad you joined the Soul Train from Mars.

14. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out

The only live album on this list, Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out makes you feel like you are actually at a Rolling Stones concert. And boy, is it a great experience. Riding off the wave of Beggar’s Banquet, the Stones released this live compilation before the release of Let it Bleed. Ya Ya’s is everything you could ask in a live album and more – “Jumpin Jack Flash,” “Honky Tonk Woman” and “Sympathy for the Devil” all make appearances. However, it is the nine minute rendition of “Midnight Rambler” with the extended harmonica solo that earned this record a spot on this list above other Stones’ works.

15. The Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead

Nearly impossible to get used anymore for a remotely reasonable price, the 1967 debut, self-titled album from the Dead is worth the money, just ask any self-proclaimed Deadhead – I got lucky and acquired this album as a hand-me-down, unbeknownst of its value. Containing the influence of founding member Pigpen, who died in 1972 (RIP), the album comes at you strong from the first track “The Golden Road,” and continues to take you on a splendid, psychedelic journey, ending with a bang on the 10-minute long “Viola Lee Blues.” It’s a wonderful introduction into the “grate” career that was the Dead. Every collection needs at least one of their albums and if you strike gold with a copy of this one, grab it and guard it with your life.

16. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

The third installment of the band’s self-titled album series, Led Zeppelin III marked a turning point for them. This was where they began to divert from their heavy metal-esque sound – the genre that happened because of them – and what they created instead was something from an even further away planet than both of the albums that precede it – a place I like to call “Fern Gully Rock” (i.e. “Gallows Pole”). Weirder, rougher and more Lord-of-the-Rings-ish than anything they had ever done up to this point – 1970 to be exact – Led Zeppelin III is the godliest of the holy trinity. What truly makes Led Zeppelin the metaliest of the metal bands is their ability to start an album with something like “Immigrant Song” and then say ‘fuck it’ and follow it with a beautiful work of poetry like “Tangerine.” And let’s not forget the last track on the first side “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” where Jimmy Page literally puts you into a state of hypnosis with his guitar solo. Definitely the most underrated of the four self-titled albums but by no means is it any less magical.

17. The Cars - The Cars

It’s so easy to dismiss The Cars as another “decent” band to come out of the 80s, you forget a couple of things: a) The Cars actually are a part of the late-70s New Wave movement (this debut album came out in 1978) and b) they are clean, tight and innovative musicians – just listen to that riff a la Benjamin Orr from “In Touch With Your World.” This album is almost like a “greatest hits” type compilation, consisting of hit after hit like “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed;” the plot twist is that it’s not a “greatest hits” album, but in fact, it is their debut, which put The Cars on the map as punk-new wave pioneers. A part of a movement alongside acts like Blondie and the Talking Heads, it is easy for The Cars to fade into the background. But they shouldn’t and this album will instantly become one of your most played in your collection.

18. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding

With so many important works under his belt, from Highway 61 Revisited to Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan was obviously going to make an appearance here. John Wesley Harding is definitely way more underrated than it should be. Recorded after his miraculous recovery from that motorcyle accident, John Wesley Harding is more “down to earth” in its lyricism when compared to the wordy nature of his previous albums – “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest” is the only relatively lengthy, Dylan-esque ballad. Another remarkable characteristic of this album in particular, is the use of society’s “rejects” as a central figure in the subsequent tracks “Drifter’s Escape,” “Dear Landlord” and “I Am a Lonesome Hobo.” The album also includes his original version of “All Along the Watchtower” – the sole reason I bought this album in the first place. The reasons to purchase John Wesley Harding go way beyond that point, however. Constituted from a dark and simple place – this record is Bob Dylan sans his rambling riff raff, allowing you to truly hear why he is regarded so highly.

19. Supertramp - Breakfast in America

Supertramp, a band with one great albums and a few other, eh not so great ones. But when it was great, it was really really great – case in point, Breakfast in America. Both of my parents managed to contribute a copy of this 1979 record, which is exceptionally remarkable given that they followed two vastly different musical paths in their time. It’s easy to understand why they both loved this album, however, with tracks like “Goodbye Stranger,” “Take the Long Way Home” and obviously, “Breakfast in America.” Even if you have no idea who Supertramp is, I can guarantee you’ve at least heard “The Logical Song” once in your life. A seemingly random choice to be included on this list, give it a chance and you’ll understand why I have deemed it a necessity.

20. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

The last album of folk legends, Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water is flawless in every sense of the word. What sets Simon and Garfunkel apart from the other musicians of their time is that they don’t just make music, they create art – Bridge Over Troubled Water being their Mona Lisa. “The Boxer” is a triumph, not just for the duo, not just for folk, but for all rock. Other notable tracks are “The Only Living Boy in New York,” “Keep the Customer Satisfied” and obviously, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The last on the list but certainly not the least by any means, this album is guaranteed to make you feel some type of way.

Every list is going to be biased depending on what the author’s collection contains. I am going to be honest, my list is completely biased. However, I’m going to impart it on you anyways because I believe I am an expert on the matter.

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