Lurker > rwlh

Armored Armadillo
Pleasant Thief Marino

Snake5555555555 posted...

It does track with the way the drops have been going

I'm curious about what patterns you seem to be noticing. I often struggle with finding common threads in music I like/dislike, so I'd love to hear any insight you might have!

BlueCrystalTear posted...

It's your taste. I mean, if it wasn't clear, I fully understand why you have some of these so low. Not everything is everyone's flavor, and that's how it's always been and always will be. You are allowed to have your opinion; if you don't get it, you don't get it.

Yeah, that's something I've really had to come to terms with during this project (as I outlined in my Vespertine writeup): the idea that it's okay to not like something that's "supposed to be good." It's probably rooted in some deep-seated insecurity I've only now become aware of, haha.

PIayer_0 posted...

Salute to Bjork. I'd recommend not reading too much into ratings and acclaim right before listening to an album (or during)

I tried to generally avoid it for this but I couldn't for Vespertine due to me looking it up beforehand. Though I did look up several albums as I was listening to them, I tried to not be too influenced by their reception - it was mostly to get context (as with Hawaii Part 2) or research into artist history or band lineup.

_Blur_ posted...

Do you think some of these albums could grow on you with repeat listens?

Yes, absolutely. You're right that it's an inherent limitation of the project. If I had infinite time, I'd certainly want to do some relistens. Of the drops so far, I think ELO's Time probably benefits the most from a relisten. But yeah, it's a shame I can't do that for all/most of them.

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28. Younha - Wish
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36. Electric Light Orchestra - Yours Truly, 2095
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46. Boards of Canada - Gyroscope
47. ???
48. They Might Be Giants - Snail Shell
49. Taylor Swift - invisible string
50. ???
51. Bjork - Heirloom
52. ???
53. 100 gecs - Frog on the Floor
54. ???
55. Billy Talent - Show Me the Way
56. Lights - February Air
57. Miracle Musical - Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Younha's album got bottom 10, but Wish barely cracks the top half of songs!

Last of the bottom 10! I'm pretty sure this is my longest writeup.

-

48. Bjork - Vespertine
Art Pop, Electronic
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/2/5/AAeDEnAAE2zB.jpg

@hotdogturtle

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1BCBDDA394C775C9

1. Heirloom
2. Pagan Poetry
3. Undo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00p6xjTQ7s

Story behind this album: for my turn in Rank the Tracks, I nominated three albums. Oneohtrix Point Nevers Replica is a personal favorite. The G-Darius soundtrack I picked because there was talk about doing some VGM. The last nomination was this, Bjorks Vespertine. Id never heard it before and would be going into the ranking topic as such. I picked it because it was one of, if not the actual, highest rated albums on Rate Your Music by a female musician. So hotdogturtle originally nominated Replica for this topic, then changed it to Vespertine, presumably to be cute. Ive heard some Bjork before but nothing, it seems, from this album. Ive saved this for near the end of the project, so lets see if its worth the (self-imposed) hype!

Hidden Place opens the album with something I normally like a bit of glitch. Its a genuinely spooky song, austere in production despite having lush instrumentation. I dont know what in the hell Bjork is singing about; I suspect that will be par for the course over the next 55 minutes. Three and a half minutes in and I have the sudden realization thatI dont like this song very much. Uh oh. (The last 30 seconds are cool.)

The second song, CocoonI also dont really like. Uh oh. Big uh oh.

The third songyeah, you get the point.

This feels like another big missing the point album for me. ELOs Time and Boards of Canadas Geogaddi are low albums with nigh universal acclaim that I didnt enjoy at all. I dont dislike Vespertine like I disliked those. Instead, three songs in, Im ambivalent, which in some regards is worse than dislike. Im not connecting to this music at all. It feels so distant, so alien, in a way I cant even begin to process. I dont dislike otherworldly music, far from it! But this feels like I have no idea how to even begin to approach it. I really dislike encountering music like this, not because I dont like to be challenged, but because I dont understand what the challenge even is. Im playing a game with untranslated rules.

All music isnt for everyone. I think I understand this now, after listening to a bunch of albums I didnt like, more than ever. My favorite songs are often the choices nobody cares about. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpM3yGLvhcw

Its a random song that sounds like nothing the rest of its soundtrack. Nobody else cares about it. But I love it. Its a 10. Im okay with loving something nobody else loves.

Im less okay with disliking something everything else likes. I always feel like Im the one whos missing some big cosmic point (see above) about something objectively good. Like its my fault. Is that true? I suspect sometimes it is not.

This brings me back to Vespertine, an album Im not connecting to in the slightest, whose songs all sound identical to me, whose emotional beats so resonant with other listeners are falling on unresponsive ears. I fundamentally dont get this. I dont understand the appeal, the acclaim, the adoration. And I think, on some level, thats okay. Its okay to not like everything. Its okay to not understand everything. Thats what makes us human.

Part of it is also the lyrics. I already said lyrics are tough for me. I dont internalize them a lot of the time; its only when I really connect with a song that they sink in. This is not the case with Vespertine. Pagan Poetry, which takes the top spot so far sort of arbitrarily, could have lyrics about cotton candy and Care Bears for all I know. I fundamentally cant absorb them without replaying the song (repeatedly) or reading a transcript. So Vespertine is already at a disadvantage. Bjorks singing is also tough in general for me to parse through her voice is very blurry in a way I have trouble with.

Its hard for me on a conceptual level to be confronted with an entire classification of some art form that I dont enjoy. I want to be the one with broad taste. I want to be the learned one. But sometimes I meet my limitations. And thats okay.

I typed all of that in the first seven songs. There are five more songs to go.

I genuinely cant think of much to comment on the music. The production is lush, with sweeping strings and the aforementioned austere glitchiness. There are some nice echoes on the vocals in Aurora. The whole effect is silence between the beats, darker, more fearful. Is that what Im supposed to get out of this? Maybe?

A sudden realization: I had this exact same reaction to Sigur Ros, when I listened to a few songs by them. Alien, confusing, unpleasant to some degree. Remind me to never go to Iceland. I might have a nervous breakdown. >_>;

The top three here are completely arbitrary. As I said, all of these songs sound absolutely identical to me. I wouldnt be able to pick any of them out of a lineupbut as soon as I say that, I get to Heirloom, which has some sort of funky beat to it, and this is very obviously going to be my favorite because its a song I can actually pay attention to and sure enough, I instantly can pick out the lyrics. Instantly. Its uncanny.

So yeah. Thats Vespertine. I think Ive pontificated enough for one writeup. All I can say in closing is Im pretty glad this didnt win the Rank the Tracks poll.

49. Boards of Canada Geogaddi
IDM
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/4/7/AAeDEnAAE2xz.jpg

bea (not sure what account to tag you with but I'm sure you're following along)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDkHR80rNtw

1. Gyroscope
2. 1969
3. Julie and Candy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrr5WY_Nyaw

Diving right in! Music Is Math sounds very Earthbound-y, almost shoegazey in a way with that drone backing. Theres a lot going on here with that backing, some breakbeat, and a steady bass. Its not coming together as well as I maybe wish it would, but its a fairly compelling opening song (there was a 57-second intro but Im not counting that). Gyroscope, song 4 (song 3 is another interlude), is more my speed, with deep percussion undergirding everything. Theres also likea creepy child counting in the background? After a few minutes Gyroscope starts provoking anxiety, a not unwelcome feeling in music.

If I had to tag Geogaddi, I would say lo-fi and fuzzy. Every song up to the 20-minute mark has felt like something played through a tear in space and time: slightly off and echoing, and very evocative. I need to be in the right mood for this sort of music, but so far I havent found anything Id want to really revisit. The whole package feels, more than most other nominations, like something to take in total, not as individual tracks; the whole experience feels unique in that sense, only shared by a few other albums on the list.

There are a few styles on display in addition to lo-fuzz. 1969 is pretty trip-hop, with more of those distorted vocals. You Could Feel the Sky offers new advances in zipper sound effects. In between every(?) song is a little interlude that presents briefer musical ideas, a neat concept Ive only seen in hip-hop albums (which I often see as skits).

Honestly though I find Geogaddi pretty exhausting to listen to. This is intended to be a dark album, which I certainly dont mind. Its also a bit repetitive, which I also dont mind. But its dark, repetitive, and long, and each song is dronelike in its presentation, and the whole experience leaves me feels emotionally drained and even outright pained at times. I dont always mind that either, but I guess I do here. There have been other nominations that I outright disliked listening to, but no other album on this list has left me feeling soempty after listening to it as this one. And being empty is something I always mind.

DanKirby posted...

Yeah, I figured the ballads might end up being an issue. I like them, (though not as much as her more upbeat songs) but I can understand someone who isn't already a fan not caring for them too much.

Anyway, glad you at least liked some of the songs. Wish might be my favorite too, though it's close between it, Oort Cloud, and P.R.R.W. I'd also like to shout out Event Horizon, which was a massive hit in Korea last year, and her biggest since Password 486 (one of my favorites) back in 2007.

Yeah I feel like some of these nominations were hindered by the album format. (And then some were helped! More on those later.) Taken as an individual song or two, I maybe wouldn't have minded a ballad here and there. But I had to judge the entire album, so when there were multiple in a row, it wore on me more, if that makes sense?

Wish was cool though. Spoiler for the song ranking - that's going to place the highest so far.

50. Younha - END THEORY : Final Edition
K-Pop, Pop Rock, Ambient Pop
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/8/3/AAeDEnAAE2tr.jpg

@DanKirby

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mOQ09UqxZWj7zYclwRIP5Pc2hGs3grgOU

1. Wish
2. Oort Cloud
3. BIG PICTURE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MISEYe2gjjg

I do enjoy what little k-pop Ive heard so Im optimistic about this. The first track, Oort Cloud, has plenty of pop flourishes that I could easily see in an American pop song; it also has what sounds like a tap shoe bridge, so I automatically like it. Song 2, , is more rock-oriented fare; already two songs in and theres some variety, which is nice.

Wish immediately tickles my fancy. Did you ever listen to a song and know within three seconds you were going to like it? Thats Wish for me. Its happy k-pop. I tend to like that. By contrast, my arm made a reflexive motion to skip Highlight (but I didnt!). Not my thing. This is followed by several more glacially paced tracks. Also not my thing. I do appreciate the random bursts of English, like walking out the door in P.R.R.W. for some reason. P.R.R.W. actually has a lot of English.

There have seriously been like five songs in a row that drag for me. I miss the energy of the opening tracks. Im not much of a ballad type of person, so I keep looking at the clock to see how much longer each track will be. I dont inherently dislike slow songs at all, but this specific type of slow song doesnt do it for me. If it can be feasibly played at a during a slow dance in high school, I probably wont enjoy it very much.

Holy jesus why are all of these songs so slow when the first three songs were so much faster paced. Again: I dont automatically dislike slower songs. These just go on and on for me. Black hole is the first in like songs to pick up the pace. I will say the production in this album is really solid; everything sounds so crisp. Even if Im not into a thing I try to find something positive to say about it.

So yeah uhI liked the beginning of the album, and then it became something I liked considerably less. Ah well. Thems the breaks!

jcgamer107 posted...

I've mentioned this before but to me the actual final track is Variations on a Cloud - it was a bonus track for preordering the album but I think it makes for a nice coda:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJCLUhBzBM8

This is a sweet song (as in cotton candy not as in gnarly), thanks for sharing. I'll say this for that album, it's certainly got a lot of variety.

Top song update!

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48. They Might Be Giants - Snail Shell
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53. 100 gecs - Frog on the Floor
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55. Billy Talent - Show Me the Way
56. Lights - February Air
57. Miracle Musical - Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Bottom filling out nicely, but there are some surprises coming soon!

Speaking of genre, I got a request to add the genres in the drop posts, so bug me if I forget to do that.

51. Miracle Musical Hawaii: Part II
Neo-Psychedelia, Art Pop
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/5/5/AAeDEnAAE2m_.jpg

@jcgamer107

https://youtu.be/NbtsZJXnzFY

1. Dream Sweet in Sea Major
2. The Mind Electric
3. Black Rainbows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxyM7vhU0uU

From the first song, Miracle Musical attempts to emulate a time beyond memorythe 1950s, the most ancient of all times, with scratchy vocals and crackly crackles. That doesnt last long Isle Unto Thyself kicks into high gear as a poppy rock jam. Interestingly, the bands retro sensibilities remain intact: the singer croons like hes doing lounge, and the backup singers provide a sense of that 50s charm. There are modern touches though, like autotune and plenty of reverb.

I like the deep bass/frog vocals in Black Rainbows.

A lot of this is fine but not really gelling with me. The album overall makes me feel like Im missing some piece of understanding how to approach it. That happens to me sometimes, and once I get a better handle on context, I can approach things more clearly. But I couldnt find much info about this. Its a concept album of some kind, but I can barely make out the lyrics some of the time. However, a more pressing issue is the music just isnt resonating with me, and I dont know if context can help with that. Its all sort of blending together, which is strange because there are definitely distinguishable pieces: pianos and xylophones and fun singing. I just dont think its for me, and I cant offer up more in-depth feedback than that. Sorry!

The Mind Electric is neat at least. I can take or leave backwards-y type music but this ones cool.

Uhh unexpected hip-hop in Labyrinth. This isweird and out of nowhere.

My favorite song is the last one, Dream Sweet in Sea Major. Its evocative. I dont love it, but I guess it takes the top spot.

Sorry I dont have much to say on this one not all music is for everyone. I appreciate the nomination all the same!

Genre is slippery. Barenaked Ladies are listed as Pop Rock and Dave Matthews Band as Acoustic Rock, but Gordon and Crash probably have a lot in common with TMBG. I don't know, I'm no genre expert.

andylt posted...

Special thanks to rwlh for the rip!

I wish Falling Down was the original (that's a 9.5) but I don't dislike the arrangement. Maybe we can get the original into next VGMC? Now Chiptuned Rockman, those are arrangements I can get down with. Groundman is probably my favorite from the album. It takes an already solid melody and enhances it.

Will I vote for a Smash remix in this contest? I don't know, but that day will not be today. Metal Man is one of my favorites from Mega Man 2.

Votes:
Ground Man
Metal Man

(As an aside, all three Alternative Rock albums - again, none of which have much in common to me - make up half of the bottom six. Welp.)

52. They Might Be Giants John Henry
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/6/9/AAeDEnAAE2lp.jpg

@ViolentAbacus

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kyGp5i4vuM-h_bezczSeuHn9aqY9ZXRvA

1. Snail Shell
2. I Should Be Allowed to Think
3. Out of Jail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDnWiLw5QtQ

I like Istanbul (Not Constantinople) from TMBG but I feel like Im missing the appeal of the band otherwise. They sort of feel like an in-joke Im not in on. Lets see if that holds true after listening to a whole album of theirs. Like Subliminal I get that its meant to be a joke on subliminal messaging with the frequent refrain of stare into the sun for as long as you can, but I dont find that particularly funny. Maybe its the singer, who always feels like hes laughing at me? This might be a deep-seated insecurity I have that I didnt know about until now, lmao.

Now Snail Shell, thats a cool song. I really like the vocals and all the pauses. I love a good musical pause. Sleeping in the Flowers feels a bit bland in comparison, which is weird because its so peppy, but I cant focus on it, which often indicates a lack of connection or interest. Very uneven album so far.

Apparently this is a somewhat different sound from their earlier albums, which are more synthetic. I probably would enjoy those more. This is just so s l o w. Youll see this critique in other writeups. I dont dislike slow songs, but I tend to dislike music that feels like it drags. Like Im eight songs in and Ive checked the clock at least five times. And Im not even halfway done! Its curious because John Henry doesnt have the problem I suspected it would, an in-jokey vibe. If anything its not playful enough! I feel like Im not getting a strong sense of personality. Spy has nice horn work at least. It also has this surreal likejam session thing at the end that I kind of like. Then we get O Do Not Forsake Me, which is more like the in-joke problem. TMBG cant seem to please me no matter what they do! As an aside, I generally dislike when it seems like lyrics go out of their way to not rhyme. I dont know why this bothers me but it always has. This automatically puts TMBG and their stream-of-consciousness lyrics at a large disadvantage.

Out of Jail is a nice late-album cut, a solid piece of 90s alt-rock. I will say, as I said above, theres some cool horn parts on the album, with deep notes that accentuate the other musical parts.

Overall I want to say this band probably isnt for me, but given that I like another song of theirs and that their earlier work is apparently a bit different, maybe Im wrong! But this album at least isnt.

Looks like AM takes it then.

Plasman posted...

I should probably mention that February Air is unavailable to me, idk if it is to anyone else but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYFl9bjnW0

CAUTION ERROR APPROACHING

I originally said ELO's Time was released in the 70s. I am wrong - Time came out in 1981. The other 1970s album besides The Dark Side of the Moon is Genesis's A Trick of the Tail, which came out in 1976. My apologies for the error.

CAUTION ERROR DEPARTING

I've always liked this very obscure Sakuraba song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z-R3N5kQQk

EDIT: Duel Masters: Birth of Super Dragon - The Brave Duelist

Granola is shockingly expensive!

Actually today I bought a cereal that was essentially "raisin bran PLUS granola," for the same exact price as normal raisin bran. Perhaps this will bridge the gap between worlds for me. I will keep you all abreast of this stunning new development.

Well, while we get that sorted out, I guess I can post one more.

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53. Lights - The Listening
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/2/4/AAeDEnAAE2h0.jpg

@ClyTheCool

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJWEE0TescvPcNZJU_LoO8nB5y9jMygqB

1. February Air
2. Second Go
3. Ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Iu8cxgKuk

From the first five seconds of Saviour I can tell this is going to be a tough sell because I really dislike this singers voice. A bit too cutesy for me, with plenty of autotune. But it could also work out well because I really like the other instruments, very refreshing and cool. Getting big CHVRCHES vibes overall. So well see!

Seems somebody put out the moon / Now the road is a minefield.

Drive My Soul doesnt have as exciting a soundscape but I dislike the singers voice less. Fair trade I guess?

Doing some reading and Lights is apparently one person. So I can narrow my pool of who to blame for this LOLOLOL

Eh this is fine. It all sort of blends together. I dont really love this super polished modern pop sound (yes I know its from 2009) and as I said I dont love Lightss voice. Theres not much here for me to grab onto. There are nominations I dislike more but had more to say about. The Listening is justsort of there.

Halfway through the album. Since I have literally nothing to say about the actual music, Im going to pull a Raetsel and talk about something unrelated. Did you know that raisin bran cereal goes surprisingly well with Greek yogurt? I discovered this on accident. Raisin bran also happens to be significantly cheaper than granola, which is what I always used to eat with Greek yogurt. The key ingredient is the raisins: they blend well with the yogurt and make a nice sweet/sour combination. Sometimes life gives us raisin bran with granola. We must be grateful for those times.

Why does February Air start like the jingle when you initiate a call on Discord. I have something positive to say about this song; I like the vocal layering.

So uh. This exists. I apparently listened to it. Those are my thoughts. Hope you enjoyed!

banshiryuu posted...

smh satoe terashima erasure in the mega man thread, what has the world come to?!

I thought Yamashita claimed credit for it? At least I remember reading a breakdown of the composition credits.

Biff seems like your garden variety rich bully (albeit one with a killing streak). What would he do with the powers of the Allied Mastercomputer? Probably...just what he's doing now, except worse. Does he have some sort of Freudian excuse for his sociopathy? Even AM gets kind of a tragic backstory.

Man Alive! got second place but almost got first. It is indeed very catchy, one of the catchiest on the album. I think what pushed Show Me the Way over was I didn't like the ending of Man Alive! as much. But yeah, it could have zoomed into first on a different day.

I considered not voting today because one of my ears is clogged, but I know all the songs well enough to still make an informed vote.

Abnormal Gravity Area is nice. Contrary to others' comments I like the repetitiveness; I think it adds to the charm. Jakob is a classic for me though. I don't care about a lot of the post-X3 X soundtracks but then there will randomly be a song like this that I love.

I also wish Gravity Man was the original NES version. I don't love the Smash arrangement very much, I think mostly because of the instrumentation. The part around 1:20 is particularly messy for me. X3's sound is definitely more aggressive and abrasive than 1 and 2 and that doesn't always work, but I really like Gravity Beetle's sense of desperate heroism. Did you know Kinuyo Yamashita composed the original Vampire Killer from Castlevania?

Votes:
Jakob
Gravity Beetle

BlueCrystalTear may be pleased to know that I woke up this morning with invisible string in my head, hehe.

changmas posted...

I think your song ranking makes sense for someone who didn't really like the album because those are probably three of the most "normal" songs on the album

It's funny - anyone in the vgm community can tell you that I normally like "weird" music, certainly more than the average person. But I guess not all weird music is created equal! (Otherwise it wouldn't be weird.) I do appreciate the nomination for being so unique though.

NBIceman posted...

I'm gonna try to follow along with the top songs to some extent too

Nice

-hotdogturtle-- posted...

More writeups than I expected in one day.

dowolf posted...

this is going to be so hard to keep up with, good luck future me~

I'm happy to go a little slower if folks would prefer it. I'd rather go at a more manageable pace for keeping up if it means more discussion and engagement.

Thanks everybody for the positive comments. Glad you're all enjoying so far!

next page

Top Song Ranking!

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I know I said the two lists didn't necessarily align and there's a lot of alignment here, but that will change soon! I like most of these songs, particularly the ones in the upper half (obviously lol). I'll keep posting updates every 4-5 albums.

One more for now, followed by an top song ranking.

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54. Electric Light Orchestra Time
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/7/0/AAeDEnAAE2au.jpg

@Xeybozn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxBZhHE-R7M

1. Yours Truly, 2095
2. 21st Century Man
3. The Lights Go Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtfjzmYZvTw

ELO is a band I only have cursory experience with. Twilight, the first song proper, is classic rock fused with bombastic production. I tend to dislike a lot of music that falls into the classic rock subgenre. (Though there are exceptions you probably noticed Fire on High in the playlist I linked in the OP.) I will try to approach this with an open mind.

I like Yours Truly, 2095 a bit better. It reminds me of Yes. Its got nice energy, really leaning into an outer space theme. It blends that classic rock guitar/drums style with some strings and overdubbed vocals. Pretty neat song.

Apparently this is a concept album about a man from the 1980s who is taken to the year 2095, where he is confronted by the dichotomy between technological advancement and a longing for past romance. I guess that explains all the space-type sounds. Thus far I havent really been able to focus on the lyrics, which is my cue that Im not all that into the songs themselves.

Up through side 1, with the song Another Heart Breaks, and Im not connecting with this at all, and outright disliking a good amount. This is weird because I tend to like 80s synthpop, but I just cant get into this. Its going to be a very boring writeup and I apologize for that. Theres just nothing for me to latch onto. I dont feel any sort of connection to any part of the music. Its likewhy am I here? To listen to concept rock about time travel? These are big questions Jeff Lynne does not have answers to. Maybe side 2 will prove more fruitful.

I think Ive identified my issue: the mixing sounds off. It sounds like everything is mixed at the same volume. The vocals, the keyboards, the drums to some extent. Its overwhelming (not in a good way). There are other albums in this ranking that I have had similar complaints about. (There is also at least one album thats like this that I enjoy for this reason! Go figure.) I dont know. Would I like this more with a different mix? Maybe? This album is so beloved, I have to feel like Im missing somethingright? Like theres literally only one song so far Ive liked. What am I missing?

55. 100 gecs 10,000 gecs
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/6/3/AAeDEnAAE2an.jpg

@changmas

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC80P4gsPr-acklxoGgujm7H5fES6wYFt

1. Frog on the Floor
2. Dumbest Girl Alive
3. The Most Wanted Person in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqm7wN8-KBc

The audience is now deaf.

You know, this is the 56th out of 57 albums Ive listened to. This whole time Ive been annoyed because nobody saw fit to give me any hip-hop. Lots of pop, electronic, and rock, but very little rap. Well, apparently I shouldnt have this for last, because 100 gecs opens with rapping! The overall effect on the first two songs feels pop adjacent, with rapid fire flow layered with vocal effects. The experience is certainlywell, lets just say I should be careful what I wish for.

This is very much not my thing. The vocals are too whiny for me. The production, while certainly varied, doesnt appeal to me. I have nothing inherently against autotune but I would prefer it to not be used every other measure of every song. I absolutely have nothing against atonal noise but the bands usage of atonal noise doesnt appeal to me at all.

However! I feel like every album I start shitting on an album, a song emerges that I like. So it is with Frog on the Floor, a goofy ass ditty about, well, a frog on the floor. Its devoid of the irritations of the first three songs so it takes top spot by default. Doritos & Fritos reminds me of <another band who hasnt shown up yet> in that cutesy winking sort of way (which basically means I dont like it).

Looking the album up so I can hopefully understand it better it seems intentionally silly and boundary pushing. I got the first part but not the second. This is surely a matter of not connecting in a subjective way, yes? Apparently this is a more accessible album than their prior work? Maybe Id enjoy their prior work.

okay I laughed at the random ass ska song near the end.

I cant really pinpoint why I find 10,000 gecs so irritating. Im sorry if this writeup does not satisfy you. Rest assured, between us, I am the least satisfied.

56. Taylor Swift Folklore
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/5/0/AAeDEnAAE2aa.jpg

@OrangeCrush980

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfiMjLyNWxeZl828zfvlnymKB2c9o3cKp

1. invisible string
2. august
3. exile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_dWZG5RJU

Here is an artist whose discography I have largely ignored. I dont even really know what sort of music she makes apart from hits like Shake It Off. The first song, the 1, sounds like a post-relationship song, which I know is something Swift specializes in. This is a nice opener but I hope theyre not all like this I dont think listening to an hour of messy relationship songs appeals to me much.

Two songs in and Im not internalizing these lyrics at all, which tells me Im not enjoying the music very much. When Im invested in a song, its easier to pay attention to the lyrics. The songs have similar moody/piano-pop vibes, as does the third song, the last great american dynasty. Im trying not to be harsh when I say this but this sort of music feels very disposable to me: these songs have been entirely interchangeable to me, and theyre out of my head as soon as I hear them. I do like the moment in the last great american dynasty when she ups her voice an octave, that was nice.

I ranked exile 111/164 on my non-vgm ranking two years ago. I wrote that I didnt really like it until the countervocals, and that still holds true.

I am halfway through the album and holy jesus this is not for me. I dont internalize lyrics much (especially, as I said, when Im not into the rest of the song) so that appeal is lost on me. This album, the 26th Ive listened to for the project, is the first time Ive said Maybe this project was a mistake. That alone gets it bottom tier. We finally get the first song I can say I sort of like, eleven songs in: invisible string. I like the overall bounciness tinged with sadness.

I find her songs from the POV of a young person a bit disingenuous. Like she has to keep winking and going, its okay to be clueless when youre young, everybody is. When youre a teenager, would you really think Im only seventeen, I dont know anything? I suspect you would not.

I like that Folklore so far isnt overproduced, a complaint Ill make about at least one other album on this ranking. It feels intimate despite all the instruments and production flourishes. Swift does a good job at maintaining that level of connection with the listener all throughout. Despite the fact that shes, like, a gazillionaire, you get the sense that shes kind of normal, a normal person going through normal things.

Maybe thats why I dont connect with her.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement about talking about music! It's nice to hear others struggle with it as well.

MaxGalactica posted...

Gonna listen to rwlh's top track for each album on my own and briefly comment on each one.

Nice! This will be a lot of fun to follow along with. I was hoping folks would do it.

I plan on posting an updated list of the top songs ranking every few writeups or so.

Speaking of...

This was considered Alternative Rock, alongside 100 gecs and a They Might Be Giants album (hence why I said I don't think any of those three have much in common!). I think the band has history with the Emo genre as well.

57. Billy Talent Dead Silence
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/1/9/AAeDEnAAE2Z7.jpg
@kamakazikila

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lxMM7iblCCkZIaZmvquK9ulaUsV0UEmcI

1. Show Me the Way
2. Man Alive!
3. Crooked Minds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DQcrwbAtBY

No idea what to expect. Ive never heard of Billy Talent but the name makes me think its going to be pop.

Lonely Road to Absolution has really lovely harmony.

Viking Death March seems like it has pointed lyrics about something or other but all I can really focus on is the repetitive guitar work. I guess the main point is the lyrics but I find the repetition distracting. It feels too normal, for whatever thats worth. Surprise Surprise is immediately more engaging with weird gibberish and endless drums, but I cant tell if thats even part of the song, since the link is a music video (which is why I hate listening to music videos when Im trying to find music). This song also has the basic guitar riffs. I get the sense that this is going to be a long seventy minutes.

Why are the drums so loud sometimes and other times theyre barely even there? In Love Was Still Around the drums are so prominent it distracts me from everything else.

Five songs in and Ive only picked up fragments of the lyrics but some of them seem political in a general sense: knocking down vaguely corrupt figures, pointing out social injustice. I guess thats kind of neat. Maybe there is extra Canadian resonance Im not picking up on. Some of the other songs involve themes of love and longing, like Stand Up and Run, which incidentally has some of the worst repetition on the album to me (which is saying a lot). Crooked Minds has some kind of fun parts (I like the long notes the singer holds in the chorus) so it takes the top spot for now, only to be superseded by Man Alive!, which has a catchy chorus. Show Me the Way is fun. Catchy, fun. These are words I use when I struggle to find ways to praise things. I enjoy Show Me the Way more than anything else on the album, Ill say that much.

I dont have a lot of specific comments. The entire album congeals into one blob for me. I dont necessarily mind music that plays it safe, whatever that even means, but this album is basically the same thing for fourteen tracks, and given that I dont enjoy its style, its not going to get a high score. I felt like I could predict, with almost unerring accuracy, what the next measure of each song was going to sound like: the singing, the drums, the guitars. Again, thats not inherently a bad thing, but when the entire album is like thatthis was very unpleasant for me to listen to. Man alive!

57 Albums Stats and Discussion
I used Rate Your Music to look up genres for all albums. Three were apparently so obscure to not even be on the website (CrossCode ~ The Ultimate Arrange, Taiten Mythologia, and The Strangest Frequency). Everything else had at least one genre listed; I took the first one.

Three genres had three albums represented:
- Alternative Rock (10,000 Gecs, Dead Silence, John Henry). I feel like this is a limitation of genre because I dont think these albums have much in common!
- Art Pop (Dead-End Apartment, Song to Fly, Vespertine)
- Indie Rock (Neck of the Woods, Parallel Timeline, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?)

An overwhelming number of the genres were variants of Pop or Rock, with a few electronic genres mixed in. Some outliers include Contemporary R&B, Mashup, Neo-Soul, Plunderphonics, Spoken Word, and the hilariously named Television Music.

Not a single hip-hop or jazz album was nominated. Several albums had rap influence (and I guess also there were a few saxophones lol).

One artist had two albums: Green Day (American Idiot and Dookie). Cryptovolans, who appears on The Ultimate Arrange, can be considered to have 1.5 albums.

American Idiot was the only album Id heard in its entirety before the ranking, due to the aforementioned Rank the Albums.

There were no fewer than four concept albums nominated, probably more. I had no idea this was such a big genre.

Finally, heres a chart about release dates:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/0/7/AAeDEnAAE2Zv.png

We can see that the 2020s were by far the most nominated period, followed by the preceding five years! Only two nominations are from earlier than the 80s (The Dark Side of the Moon and Time).

-

Okay, my navel-gazing is complete. First writeup soon!

57 Albums: A Postmortem
Ever since joining the community, Ive loved to run ranking topics. Most of mine have been musical. I ran a non-vgm song ranking in 2021 (Owen Palletts I Am Not Afraid won that). Part of me wanted to do something comparable again, but I genuinely dislike talking about music I always have. I dont know music terminology. I struggle to even identify instruments. I feel very insecure about expressing music opinions. But I love music, so the drive was still there.

Im an occasional participant in FoolFantastics Rank the Tracks weekly topic series. Every 25 albums, the participants can choose to rank the previous albums. I decided to give it a try. What I found was, paradoxically, giving thoughts on a whole album was much easier than giving thoughts on individual songs! So I said, you know, I could maybe do this with nominations.

There were two main problems with this ranking topic that I didnt foresee.

One was finding the time. I always listen to music, basically at all times; its a background process for my day. But I couldnt keep these nominations in the background. I needed to actively listen, because I wanted to write about them in the moment. So I couldnt throw on a nom and fold laundry, because I needed to be at my desk, taking notes. That was a bit of a drag.

The other problem wasokay, so I said I found something positive in every nom, and I mean that. But the problem was I guess, for me, its harder to get passionate about an album. Not like a song. Part of why I prefer listening to songs than albums is that too much similar-sounding music tends to tire me out. There was a lot to like, but it became something of a slog to say to myself, I need to devote at least 50 minutes to an experience where Im not even guaranteed to enjoy every song. That was also a bit of a drag.

In the end, I did find myself more able to speak about albums than songs. The actual quality of the writeups is up for debate. These are entirely stream-of-consciousness thoughts produced after one listen to each album I wanted to listen more than once, but it took me four months to get through one listen, so repeated listens werent feasible. You will see my brain in action. You will see my opinions change in real time, from song to song. There were so many times when I made a comment like halfway in and this album isnt holding my interest only to have the next song become a favorite. More than I count. Thats part of the fun for me. Because theres more to say with albums, there are more opportunities to go off-script.

As Im not versed in musical terminology, my writeups tend to focus more on emotional responses Im having to the album, in real time. I almost surely have gotten details about instruments or genres wrong. Thats not why Im here. If your song can reach me emotionally I dont care about that other stuff.

One thing I learned about myself through this ranking: there are some things I just cant get into. Some albums didnt click with me at all, despite being very acclaimed. Because the writeups arent written in list order, youll get to see my brain ping-pong around this idea throughout the ranking.

Finally, if youre what to expect in terms of writeup size, this might give you an indication:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/9/3/AAeDEnAAE2Zh.png

Next: Stats!

IT'S UP HOLY FUCKING SHIT IT'S UP
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80569102

Hello There!
Its been almost four months to the day since I opened nominations for an ambitious ranking: I would listen to, write about, and rank nominations for albums (not video game music, as thats what Im primarily familiar with). 57 albums later, and we have our ranking!

All the writeups are done the hard part is over! All that needs to happen now is some copy-paste action and dealing with any hurt feelings. (I hope there wont be any of those! I tried to say something positive about every album, even last place.) Ill stagger the writeups at a rate of 3-5 per day, so you wont fall too far behind.

Bonus Ranking:
Thats right ranking 57 albums wasnt enough! Ive also compiled a separate ranking of my favorite song from each album. This ranking will be filled in as the albums drop. What fun! You might think the two rankings align. I can tell you with surety they do not, and thats part of the fun.

Each writeup will have a list of my top three songs, plus a link to my top song. I know you wont be able to listen to every single album as they drop, but you can listen to the top song for each to get a sense of what each album has to offer. Most of the time the top songs reflect the rest of the album. Although sometimes theyre the top because they dont reflect the rest of the album. For example, theres one album where I disliked the singer, so the top song is an instrumental. But generally youll get a good sense of the album if you listen to the top songs.

But First:
I have some housekeeping to attend to before I start pasting the writeups. Id like to post some overall thoughts on my experience with such a big undertaking, as well as fun little stats for you all to munch on. Ill try to get to those soon.

And the Nominations Are:
Here are your 57 albums! I love seeing predictions, so please feel free to predict what you think did (or didnt) do well. Thank you sincerely for nominating for me! As I said above, I found something to like in all of these. Some I liked right away. Some I found more challenging than others. Some Ive come back to repeatedly. I appreciated everyones effort. I love sharing music!

100 gecs - 10,000 gecs
Akufen - My Way
Alice Schach and the Magic Orchestra - SCHACH
Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
Billy Talent - Dead Silence
Binzokomegane Girls Union - Taiten Mythologia
Bjork - Vespertine
Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There
Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
Cryptovolans - Passenger
Dave Matthews Band - Crash
Deep Forest - Deep Forest
Deniz Akbulut - CrossCode ~ The Ultimate Arrange
Electric Light Orchestra - Time
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
Green Day - American Idiot
Green Day - Dookie
HANABIE. - Reborn Superstar!
Jacob Collier - Djesse Vol. 3
Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B
Kelsea Ballerini - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Lemm feat. lasah - Dead-End Apartment
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Lights - The Listening
Made in Heights - Made in Heights
Matthew and the Atlas - Morning Dancer (Unplugged)
Meshell Ndegeocello - Peace Beyond Passion
Midnight Grand Orchestra - Overture
Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II
Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante
Murder By Death - Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
Negativland - The World Will Decide
Neil Cicierega - Mouth Moods
NEUPINK - DOPAMINE HELLDREAMS.
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Rise Against - Endgame
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Esperanto
Scatman John - Scatman's World
Shohei Amimori - PataMusic
Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
Slothrust - Parallel Timeline
STAFFcirc - STAFFcirc vol. 8 - circle
Sunspot - The Strangest Frequency
Taylor Swift - Folklore
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
They Might Be Giants - John Henry
Various Artists - Dr. Stone Original Soundtrack
Various Artists - Jesus Christ Superstar (1992 Australian Cast Recording)
William Shatner - Has Been
XoArK - P()~()..8
Yoko Kanno - Song to Fly
Younha - END THEORY : Final Edition

More soon!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/1/1/AAeDEnAAE2YP.jpg

Stay tuned...!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/7/AAeDEnAAE2X3.png

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/3/2/AAeDEnAAE2XA.png

neutral no

Anything planned for Day 1500?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/4/7/AAeDEnAAE2Vr.jpg

For me:

Love Deluxe > Dare to Be Stupid > Back in Black

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/0/8/AAeDEnAAE2VE.jpg

I like the original Departure more. I suspect this will be a constant refrain with the arrangements in this contest. Sigma Stage 1 is a classic from one of my favorite soundtracks.

I've always enjoyed Take Back the Tower - it actually took me a while to realize what it was arranging. Nice interpretation of an already great song; I was excited to see it get in. (Maybe it won't be a "constant refrain" at all!) I like Solar Inferno significantly more, though I won't be sad at all if Take the Back the Tower wins.

Votes:
Sigma 1
Solar Inferno

I sent a writeup with my nomination, here it is:

Sade - Love Deluxe
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3HlKFsnLvZtoLvX30ElkYVSBXKN0Ldp

Love Deluxe offers meditations on love, life, and suffering, all wrapped up in a package of some of the smoothest soul I've ever heard. Sade is absolutely perfect on this album: ethereal, powerful, and playful.

Sample track: Feel No Pain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toak1V_mWBU

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/0/0/AAeDEnAAE2Os.jpg

Xtlm posted...

I don't know what this topic is.
But I have 2 Sonic soundtracks on Vinyl.
Just thought it'd share.

Which two?

i am the ranking
that's what i am
i am the ranking
i've got the master plan