My Top 50 Albums

[axver]

Yesterday, liamtreasure challenged me top compile a list of my top fifty albums. For some insane reason, I have accepted the challenge despite the fact that I find even a top ten to be close to impossible. I already disagree with this list; I doubt I could ever make a list that I would stand behind for more than five minutes. However, I do feel that it is a

Comments

[axver]

Depending on my mood, I sometimes rank Wish You Were Here ahead of Animals. My one really bizarre Pink Floyd opinion is that I think Summer '68 is their best song. Yes, of all songs. liamtreasure convinced me that it was well worth my time, and then one night I was standing in the rain waiting for a tram and it just hit me. As for U2, I used to be a serious fanatic (I'm still the co-maintainer of a U2 setlist archive) - that has waned quite considerably in the last two years though, and I wouldn't even consider them to be one of my top three bands any more. Still love The Unforgettable Fire though.

In the 1980s, Dunedin developed a really thriving music scene that largely revolved around the Flying Nun record label. The three most prominent bands were The Clean, The Chills, and Straitjacket Fits, but out of all the music scenes I know, I think the Dunedin Sound has the most consistent quality - no matter how deep you dig, it's still good. The scene petered out in the early to mid 1990s as Straitjacket Fits split up, Martin Phillipps (the only constant member of The Chills) caught Hepatitis B, and others just moved on from music.

[ladyphoenixia]

Summer '68, ahead of Wish You Were Here or Shine On You Crazy Diamond? Huh. Then again, it's such a subjective thing, isn't it? As for U2... I don't really like all that much of their 90s stuff, and I don't understand how Vertigo was so popular. But my best friend absolutely adores them, went to both the concerts over here in sydney (she was going to go to the third one added later as well, but ran out of money/time)

And I must get around to checking that out.

[axver]

There's only one song I would consider as possibly superior to Summer '68, and that's Sorrow. Otherwise, it's my undisputed #1 Pink Floyd song. I just adore it. Though SOYCD I-V is right up there too; that's the song that got me into the band.

Woah - somebody else who doesn't like nineties U2! Minor miracle. Though before I get all excited, are you counting Achtung Baby in that? It seems every U2 fan and their dog loves it, but I don't whatsoever. Vertigo got on my nerves after a while - I could see why Beautiful Day was a hit, but Vertigo was just watered down nonsense. The early version, Native Son, is far superior, and War era Bono would kick today's Bono in the head for removing Native Son's political lyrics from Vertigo. As for the Vertigo Tour, I, uh ... saw 10 shows. Including the second and third in Sydney. The third Sydney gig had a hysterically under-rehearsed performance of Party Girl that was so bad it was good.

[ladyphoenixia]

Ten shows? That's pretty impressive fannishness. Wish I could say the same about Muse, my favourite band, but I hadn't the time or the money to follow them around the country. Alas.

And yes, my friend's favourite U2 album is Achtung Baby, she was playing it to me and it was just... nothing. I dunno, 80s U2 had a lot of spirit and passion to their songs and then it just became mainstream crap. I can't STAND that Mysterious Ways song, or Elevation, or I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, or any of that stuff.

[axver]

Nobody believes me when I say that 10 shows (actually 11, as I saw the dress rehearsal in Brisbane too) happened quite by accident and I had no intention of seeing that many. I just happened to be in the right place, or I knew someone with a spare ticket! I only saw the two Melbourne shows, for example, because I was down here looking for somewhere to live before leaving Brisbane. Sydney was the only time I travelled specifically for U2 alone - third night shows always get good setlists.

I love three songs on Achtung Baby (The Fly, Acrobat, and Love Is Blindness), but otherwise, I absolutely agree. You've summed up exactly why I keep coming back to eighties U2, even if the stuff since then has been really lacking something.

And Muse, eh? They were pretty bloody sensational when I saw them in November. I just wish I could have seen them in January! They played two gigs in Melbourne but I had only just moved here and shifting even my meagre furniture interstate had bled my finances dry.

[ladyphoenixia]

If you managed to see that many shows by pure coincidence, then I admire your luck. The most shows I've ever seen by a single band is three, soon to be four, of Thirsty Merc, which is a lot easier with local bands.

And yeah, I saw Muse at BDO and the first of their two Sydney performances in january, absolutely superb, although it continues to irk me that one of my favourite songs was played only on the second night. Unfortunately, I missed out on standing tickets for their November concert, as the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where they were performing, has a very small floor area and is predominantly seating. I don't like sitting at concerts, so I decided to forgo it (good outcome, as ended up having two birthday parties to attend that night). I do love that band, though, and they're a brilliant live act.

[axver]

(Sorry for the slow reply, I'm only now catching up on comments from when I was on holiday.)

Which was the song you missed? I think the only song that Muse played here on either visit in 2007 that I wanted to hear but didn't was Sunburn. I was lucky to get Apocalypse Please though; Ruled By Secrecy was on the original set.

Personally, I don't like sitting at concerts either, but if I'm going by myself, I prefer to have a seat; then I can just sit around reading before the gig. The standing section looked just a bit too intense for my liking anyway. Plus I noticed almost everyone in Melbourne's seated sections stood. Mine only had a smattering of people on their feet; I got up for my favourite songs.

[ladyphoenixia]

Yeah, Sunburn's the one I meant. We had Dead Star instead, if I recall correctly.

Ah, well, I don't go to concerts by myself - I can usually pester someo9ne to come along, and if not, my brother's willing to come along. Only time I saw a gig by myself was Something for Kate a while ago, my friend got sick and pulled out on the day and I couldn't convince anyone at such short notice. It's the waiting between bands which sucks, I guess that's why you'd bring a book.

And getting in the middle of the moshing is fun, hehe.

[axver]

Nobody I know within a reasonable distance of me ever seems vaguely interested in the stuff I like. I'm going to Dream Theater and Explosions In The Sky alone in the coming weeks. I need friends with better taste and/or a willingness to splurge on concerts at a whim! I hate going by myself though. I still haven't bought a ticket to that Chaser production touring the country because I'm not sure if I want to go by myself after my loser friend decided $50 is expensive.

[ladyphoenixia]

$50 too much? Huh. Unless I know i hate it, I'll go to anything for that much - the first time I heard Yellowcard was at their concert a couple of years ago, my friend needed a buddy so I figured why not.

Mind you, I have been known to give people a ticket as an early/late present of some description if they're too whiny about money.

[axver]

Said friend is an American, so my snide response is "they're used to getting everything for free". It is rather shocking just how much more expensive concerts and books are here. Personally, I was impressed that the tickets are only $50! I expected $75-100 and I am very tempted to buy my friend's ticket just because it would be what I expected to pay anyway and I'd like some company.

[ladyphoenixia]

Indeed... you know, you'd think that the prices wouldn't be so expensive relatively now, when the Australian dollar is so much stronger than it was several years ago. But I suppose that sort of logic doesn't come into play with relative financing and such.

I suppose I've never been to America, so these prices just seem normal to me. And, well, they're worth that much, you know? I quite hahappily paid the $125 or so for my BDO ticket and concerts such as Muse, because you more than get your money's worth. Would it be worth as much if we could just go for thirty bucks? I doubt it.

Only $50? I should go. Unless they've already done their sydney show, I haven't been paying so much attention lately.

[axver]

Nothing ever gets cheaper though! I'm just relieved that a lot of bands are coming here now that couldn't have a few years ago. I mean, in 2001, there's no way a band of Muse's stature could have done two tours.

When I was in the US in 2005, I stocked up on books because they were so much cheaper - I still have a few of them yet to read. CDs seemed to almost never pass about AUS$15-16 either. I often order books or music in bulk from Amazon as the postage costs become negligible if you order enough.

I don't think their tour's started yet. Sydney might be around April or so, but don't take my word for it. I just know that Melbourne is 4-7 June.

[ladyphoenixia]

Yeah, it's amazing how many bands this has been their first tour in a decade, considering that Australia's apparently a really good country to perform in. Even quite big acts, like Bjork (her first in 12?). I guess it's just so far away. But yeah, Muse and the Killers and the Kaiser Chiefs all came twice last year, of bands that I pay attention to, which was pretty awesome.

I mostly buy my books when they're on special or from second hand bookstores, and CDs from $10 shops or JBHiFi when they're cheap, so the price doesn't end up too much different. Not enough for me to bother with ordering it. (And until they're cheap, well... that's what torrents are for. Haha)

[axver]

Yeah, I'm seeing Dream Theater on Tuesday and it's the first time they have EVER come here. Porcupine Tree should be coming for the first time soon too, and they actually have a Melburnian in the band so you'd think they'd have come sooner! I'm just glad that it's now more viable for international acts to come here because let's be honest, the Aussie music scene right now is pretty crappy. Wolfmother is the best this place can do? God help us all.

I tend to raid secondhand bookstores too, or if I really want something I'll order it from Amazon as I find their regular prices to be about equal to or better than a special here. Music ... unless I want a hard copy for collectible purposes, torrents are most certainly the place to be. I'm willing to pay up to 50c a song. But since everybody wants to rip me off, I'll keep my torrent client open.

[ladyphoenixia]

Wolfmother? Don't listen to them. Nor do I listen to many of your big Australian bands, like Grinspoon or John Butler Trio or Jet or Hilltop Hoods.

But I don't think it's so terrible as all that. I rather like Thirsty Merc, and Kisschasy and Faker are okay for light listening. Something With Numbers and Midnight Juggernauts I heard at BDO yesterday and they sound quite good, In Fiction are a great little band I've seen as support, and Butterfly Effect are fantastic.

Shame that Silverchair's latest album is garbage and Superjesus split up, they were both great.