Daily Album Digest: March 15 - 28, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

3/15: Sparks In Outer Space: I was ready call this an okay-possible-grower with cool synths and humor, then "Dance Godammit" confirmed it as more.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? Maybe a better way to put it would have been that “Dance Godammit” made me rethink the album. Much of the album feels “typical 80s,” but the final song seems to imply that may have been intentional. Nowadays an artist attributing the vapid nature of a work to irony happens a lot (see Ke$ha and Marina & the Diamonds’ Electra Heart), so if that’s indeed what Sparks were doing here it would be very easy to just shrug and say, “So what?”; the unfair consequence of any technique becoming so damn pervasive.   

3/16: Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans: Portrays Mars as a solid musical chameleon, but is that all he is? Highlight: "The Other Side"

Why? I only know Bruno’s singles, so I wanted to give his albums a spin.

Anything else? For the longest time I put Bruno Mars in the same category as the Black Keys; acts who don’t do anything outwardly wrong, in fact they do a lot right and ostensibly should appeal to me, but something just doesn’t jive. Generally I like genre-hopping and love soul, but Bruno’s debut doesn’t really feel like it possesses a strong personality behind it to tie it all together. Even the most genre-defying artists have something that strikes as quintessentially them. Bruno certainly knows tons about music and how to write good tunes, but I don’t think the album says anything about him. Some of the tone shifts don’t help in that. The album goes from the sweet and romantic “Just The Way You Are” and “Our First Time” to asshole mode in “Runaway Baby” (and, if we’re being totally honest, “The Lazy Song.”) Not that artists should never contradict themselves, just that when it’s that stark of a contrast (on a debut, especially), I can’t help but think, “Who the hell are you?” And that’s the problem. I could deal with genre-bending and contradicting lyrics, except he does both and tries to be too many things at once without establishing his own clear identity. I see why the album got big, but ultimately it doesn’t really work for me.

3/17: Marina & the Diamonds' Froot: Two big stand-outs from this album are "Weeds" and "Savages," which exhibit stunning brutal honesty.

Why? New release and I’ve been meaning to check her out for a while.

Anything else? It took a while for this album to grab me, but once it did it blew me away with Marina’s honesty. Admitting one’s flaws and mistakes can be difficult and she does it so well, as evidenced by tracks like “Blue” and “I’m a Ruin.” The latter of which contains the great line, “It's difficult to move on when nothing was right and nothing's wrong.”

3/18: Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox: He still works in pastiche, but this feels more confident. "Treasure" and "Moonshine" are undeniable.

Why? Finishing up Mr. Mars’ discography so far.

Anything else? Now this album I dig. It suffers some of the same pitfalls of Bruno’s debut, but feels more cohesive. I still don’t know if I know much about him, but this time he’s much better at making me forget that fact. I prefer his performances on this album, because it feels like he’s really throwing himself in it. One review calls the album “oddly lyrically aggressive,” which I think contrasts the debut’s occasional lovey-dovey moments. Even though those sweets moments where the best parts of Doo-Wops, they rang false set against songs like “Runaway Baby.” Basically, if you’re going to be an asshole at least commit to it and go whole hog. Put it this way: I’d much rather listen to “Gorilla” than “Grenade.” Both are ridiculous and over dramatic, but I’d rather hear Bruno brag about his sexual prowess than brag about guilt tripping someone with his suicidal ideation.

3/19: Sparks' Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat: Charming overall. I have a bit of a weakness for seductive synthpop like "Kiss Me Quick.”

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? According to the album’s AllMusic review, “Few sparks are struck here.” I disagree. As I said in the tweet, I think it’s charming, especially in comparison to In Outer Space. The title track is fun and sounds like what would happen if Oingo Boingo wrote “Applause” by Lady Gaga. “Love Scenes,” “With All My Might,” and the aforementioned “Kiss Me Quick” are quite lovely. I can see how one would view it as generic for Sparks and I certainly wouldn’t choose this album to die on a hill defending, but it’s charming enough for me, for whatever that’s worth.

3/20: Ariana Grande's Yours Truly: Much has been made of the albums 90s feel, but a big highlight is 50s/60s throwback "Tattooed Heart."

Why? Wanted to finish off Ariana’s discography so far.

Anything else? I enjoyed this more than My Everything.  I think maybe that album tried too hard to be overtly sexual and this one just concerned itself with showing off Ariana’s great voice. I love “Tattooed Heart” in premise and execution. The vocal melody and strings have that classic sound that makes me melt in happiness. 

3/21: Marina & the Diamonds' The Family Jewels: If the idea of a musical baby between Fiona Apple and Sparks appeals to you, this is for you.

Why? After enjoying Froot I’ve decided to go back and look at Marina’s other records.

Anything else? Unlike Froot album grabbed me almost instantly. The performances on Froot are definitely more reserved, especially in comparison to this album. Sparks came to mind immediately when listening to this and I thought that might have been due to how much of them I’ve been listening to until I found multiple critics making the same comparison. I love the bouncy, theatrical moments (like “Mowgli’s Road”) almost as much as the more open moments (like “Obsessions” and “The Outsider.”) The album shows someone who, despite maybe some insecurities, is absolutely fearless musically and willing to try anything, which is greatly appealing.

3/22: Tokyo Police Club's Forcefield: Solid and enjoyable indie pop/rock and sometimes that enough. Highlight: "Argentina Parts I, II, III"

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast(s).

Anything else? Again restrictions making me sound more backhanded than I’d like. Granted I don’t sound as harsh as some critics and fans that roasted this album for leaving the band’s “original” sound in favor of something more radio friendly. Granted, this was my first exposure to the band, so maybe they’re right about it being a step back. Still, I found the album enjoyable and it makes me curious enough to look into their previous work.

3/23: Sparks' Music That You Can Dance To: "The Scene" & spoken word infused tracks "Shopping Mall Of Love" & "Change" make up for a slow start.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? This can be found on Spotify under the title Best of Sparks. Prior to listening to it I’d read the AllMusic review, so I wasn’t too keen going in. It does have a slow start and I wasn’t thrilled with their cover of Fingertips (I mean nothing can beat Stevie Wonder), but within seconds “The Scene” made up for it. The track reminds me a lot of “The Reflex” by Duran Duran, so I can always get into that. Despite their titles “Music That You Can Dance To” and “Let’s Get Funky” are decidedly not dancey or funky and they’re kind of… plain. For Sparks, anyway. The quirks of “Shopping Mall of Love” and “Change” make up for that, though. “Change” in particular is simply magnificent musically, just heart-clenchingly wonderful. Overall, the album has some fairly forgettable stuff, but the good stuff is really great.  I can’t see the whole album ever being counted among my Sparks favorites, but some tracks definitely could.

(Missed March 24th, so I did two albums on the 25th)

3/25: Mini Mansions' The Great Pretenders: Majestic psychedelia anchored by beautiful vocal melodies. Among the many highlights: "Any Emotions"

Why? New release. Their bio on Spotify describes them as “dark psych-pop” and I can’t deny Brian Wilson.

Anything else? I think I might expand on this record in a full post. It’s really good. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up one of my favorites of the year. Don’t be deceived by the title -  they aren’t simply good mimics.

3/25: Marina & the Diamonds' Electra Heart: A record steeped in artifice and irony that's strongest when its vulnerability can shine through.

Why? To round out her discography.

Anything else? As I’ve said, her brutal honesty that draws me to Marina, so I’m not all that keen on her going the ironic route here. That said, I enjoy seeing her growth and how this led to the more “human” sounding Froot. Also, “Sex Yeah” is great. 

3/26: Sparks' Interior Design: Aside from "Lots of Reasons" not much sticks out. I don't know if it needs to grow on me or is just forgettable

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? I’m conflicted about this record for reasons stated above. On the upside, “Lots of Reasons” made me laugh; “You’re intelligent, but that’s no threat. I’ve been reading every chance I get.” “Let’s Make Love” also sounds a lot like run-of-the-mill synth-based love song, but it also has a sense of humor; “I’ve been waiting all my life for someone I could stand.”

3/27: Orange Juice's Rip It Up: Feels a bit padded, but its wit and grooves make up for it. Highlights: "A Million Pleading Faces" and "Rip It Up"

Why? Earlier on in the day I’d listened to Late Night Tales: Franz Ferdinand, which probably influenced the decision to pick this over other albums saved in my Spotify.

Anything else? According to what I read this album came after the departure of key members and some record company pressure, so that likely explains that sometimes padded vibe. It feels like they were stretching for time. Despite all that, when it’s good, it’s great, so any weakness is forgivable. 

3/28: Sparks' Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins: The kind of techno I really love, where sweetness and haunting beauty just wash over you.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? I loved this record. So much so, that I don’t know if I can coherently discuss it. It reminds me a great deal of their No. 1 In Heaven; lush and breathtaking with a perfection that almost defies any discussion. It was worth going through stuff like Interior Design to get to pieces as magnificent as “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” and “Frankly, Scarlett, I Don’t Give A Damn.”

All albums available to stream on Spotify.

Daily Album Digest: March 1 - 14, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

3/1: The Killers' Battle Born: The title track and "Be Still" are great, but cramming it with aspiring anthems makes it fall flat.

Why? After liking Day & Age so much I decided to charge ahead to this album. It… didn’t work out well.

Anything else?  I’m not a fan of when the Killers get their Springsteen on, but it’s not really that aspect that tanks the record for me. It’s a matter of pacing. The standard edition of the album has twelve songs, only two of them don’t go into lighters-in-the-air anthem territory. After a while they just have no punch anymore. Not every song has to be or can be “Born to Run.” 

3/2: Janet Jackson's Damita Jo: Its best moments are the old school turns ("I Want You") or just plain fun ("Just a Little While.")

Why? I wanted to go the opposite of the Killers’ record and have been criminally behind on Janet.

Anything else? I doubt this will ever be among my favorite Janet records, but it has some great moments. As something of a junkie for the genre myself, “R&B Junkie” speaks to me. I love the old school vibe of that track and “I Want You.” Speaking of “I Want You,” I think that track and the other Kanye West collaborations (“Strawberry Bounce” and “My Baby”) are really good.  His verse on “My Baby” is another matter, but that’s to be expected from him. The Babyface produced  track “Thinkin’ Bout My Ex” is another highlight and quite moving.

As for the negatives, no matter how sexy the singing, no matter if it’s Janet Jackson whispering it breathily, there is nothing sexy about the word “moist.” Or “erect.” I have no problem with Janet (or any artist) exploring her sexuality, but tracks like “Moist” and “Warmth” prove there’s a limit, at least creatively. I wouldn’t go as far as someone from AllMusic and call it embarrassing, just say that there are diminishing returns in that area.

3/3: Purity Ring's another eternity: In a word: dreamy. Carries you through lovely and strange images, but not much sticks out after the fact.

Why? Tuesday release. I’ve seen the name around a lot recently and dove in.

Anything else? No. I didn’t really connect with this record and feel no great desire to go back.

3/4: Sparks' Whomp That Sucker: I'm partial to the song "Funny Face" if for no other reason than it reminds me of book "Invisible Monsters."

Why? Still working through Sparks’ discography.

Anything else? This album came after Terminal Jive and is more rock than that or No 1 In Heaven, but it’s a better rock record than Big Beat or Introducing Sparks probably due to it sounding more early 80s new wave than generic 70s rock.

3/5: The Strokes' Is This It: Seminal works can be difficult to discuss, but alt. rock of the 2000s owes this album a debt and for good reason.

Why? I was originally going to listen to Room On Fire, but decided on this instead.

Anything else? As I said, it’s difficult to talk about albums like this one, because they have been so influential. I may not have ever heard this album in its entirety until recently, but I’ve still heard it because so much of rock in the 2000s wouldn’t exist without it. That sort of status can sometimes work against an album, though since they inspired a lot of the 2000s rock that I like, I dig it. In fact, this album is such a big deal that it landed on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time, so while I would like to dig deeper in this, it’ll have to wait.

3/6: Coheed & Cambria's The Afterman: Ascension/Descension: I hesitate to use this phrase, but really, this is a return to form. Magnificent.

Why? Why not?

Anything else? I held off from this double album for a long time, because I was not big on Year of the Black Rainbow (and parts of No World for Tomorrow, but mostly YotBR.) The band has always had a metal edge, but those records seemed to be carrying them even further into that direction and frankly, that just isn’t for me. However, The Afterman feels more somewhere in between Good Apollo Vol.1 and In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 without feeling like they regressed. It’s eclectic, gave me chills, made me tear up, so I loved it. 

3/7: Ariana Grande's My Everything: Her sweet and lovely voice saves songs that otherwise would be just middle of the road pop/r&b.

Why? I really liked her Grammy performance last month and have had this album in the queue, so to speak.

Anything else? Twitter’s limitations strike again and force me into backhanded compliments. Given more room let me put it like this: the songs themselves are not that striking or impressive on their own, but Ariana has such a beautiful voice that I wanted to listen to anything attached to it. I just wish the songs had more personality and more of her. She has a writing credit on the title track and that’s one song that feels true and not just a character she’s donning for a song. Maybe in time she’ll become more involved in that area. Her voice is a joy to listen to, so I want her to stick around and hopefully grow.

3/8: fun.'s Aim & Ignite: Reminds me of Panic! At the Disco's Pretty. Odd. in that both hit every right button to make me ridiculously happy.

Why? Another album that’s been sitting in my Spotify queue for ages.

Anything else? I liked Some Nights, in particular the introduction and title track. Something I really like about them is this drama and sense of scale that I don’t know the rest of that album lived up to. Aim & Ignite, however, completely revels in desires of Queen’s grandeur happily the whole way though. There have been critics who bemoan how much is going on musically and it certainly isn’t for everyone, but I can’t help bask in the strings and horns and harmonies. And Nate Ruess may not be Freddie Mercury, but when he sings, damn, I believe every word. Some current frontmen could really take a lesson from him. 

3/9: Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O. : Many blame this album's failings on Jermaine Dupri. That's unfair. The Jam/Lewis tracks don't fare well either.

Why? Playing catch-up with Janet.

Anything else? For anyone else this might be a decent or good album - not for Janet. I can cut her slack though. She has made some of the greatest dance/pop/r&b albums of all-time and frankly, not every album an artist makes is going to be great. It’s just not possible. That said, 20 Y.O. is still a letdown, because it’s the first Janet album that I disliked. “Call On Me” is sweet and breezy, but there’s not much here I feel the need to revisit. Even Damita Jo, which I was mostly lukewarm on, has more to offer. The Dupri-produced tracks feel messy and jumbled, while the Jam/Lewis-produced tracks wear out their welcome quick. Time could soften me this album, but as I said, I don’t feel a desire to go back to it anytime soon.

3/10: Laura Welsh's Soft Control: There's an edge to her captivating voice that recalls Annie Lennox. Highlights: "Ghosts" & "Break the Fall"

Why? The new releases that week were made up mainly of singles and Madonna’s Rebel Heart and I really didn’t want to touch that one.

Anything else? Along with having tones like Annie Lennox, the way she sings the word “cynical” in “Break the Fall” also reminds me of Fiona Apple. Anyone who can remind me of those two women possesses a voice that I can’t help but love. Unfortunately, though the album starts quite strong it starts to peter out about halfway through. The lyrics stay interesting throughout, but musically it blends together. Still, as I said about Ariana Grande, I enjoy her voice so much that I’ll take what I can get. I want to root for her and since this is only her debut I’m quite comfortable in doing so.

3/11: Janet Jackson’s Discipline: Tracks like opener “Feedback” and the evocative “Rock With U” make this the dance record 20 Y.O. wanted to be.

Why? I wanted to finish catching up with Janet.

Anything else? Apparently Jermaine Dupri made statements about 20 Y.O. being the most dance record Janet had done in a while. I don’t believe that to be the case. If you define a dance record as one that makes you dance, well, it didn’t make me want to dance. Discipline, however, does make me want to dance. The record also manages to give Janet a modern sound (such as on “Rock With U”), unlike 20 Y.O.’s clumsy attempts at contemporary r&b.

And yet, for all the goodwill Discipline builds with its dance tracks, the title track nearly throws it all out the window. Of course, Janet discussing sex is not new nor does the track represent her first foray into BDSM themes (see The Velvet Rope’s “Rope Burn”), but I find the track disturbing. Maybe I’m naïve or overreacting, but lyrics such as “Make me cry” and “Take out your frustrations on me” really, really rub me the wrong way. If nothing else, hundreds of thinkpieces on Fifty Shades of Grey prove the handling of BDSM in media is a murky area indeed. 

3/12: Dirty Pretty Things' Waterloo to Anywhere: With dark themes and rough but catchy sound ("Bang Bang You're Dead"), they were aptly named.

Why? It’s been sitting on my backburner for a long time.

Anything else? I’ve loved “Bang Bang You’re Dead” for a long time and was concerned that the rest might not live up to it. That concern was mostly unfounded. “Bang” still stands out the most sonically (mainly due to the inclusion of horns), but lyrically I was really struck by “Blood Thirsty Bastards” and “The Enemy.” The album’s not as rough as I recall (frontman Carl Barat’s previous band) the Libertines being, which works for me and makes it a more pleasant listen than they could sometimes be.

3/13: Box Codax' Hellabuster: How do I process an album full of grooves, that one minute reminds me of Oingo Boingo and 60s girl groups the next?

Why? Another that’s been on a backburner.

Anything else? That tweet was a play on recurring lyric, “How do I get your bullet out of my head” and also very much the truth. I’m still so flabbergasted by this record that I might end up writing a full post for it. But to be brief (for now): I know of this band because one of the members is Franz Ferdinand guitarist/keyboardist Nick McCarthy.  As with much of Franz, McCarthy composes the music of Box Codax  and what really struck me initially is how funky it gets at times. Trying to describe it is difficult for me, because something that vaguely reminds me Oingo Boingo and then throws out Motown strings by all accounts shouldn’t work. But it has so many great grooves that anchor it and it commits so hard to every seemingly mad musical idea that I can’t help but be on board. ...Even if it did break my brain.

3/14: Franz Ferdinand's Live at Roundhouse London: I likely won't discuss many live albums, but this "jolly bit of desolation" is the exception.

Why? Needed a break, so I cheated a bit.

Anything else? I try to steer clear of live albums or compilations for this daily album stuff. It feels a bit like cheating, because a greatest hits compilation doesn’t have the same purpose as a legit album. But, of course, if I’m going to make an exception for anyone it’ll be Franz Ferdinand. If nothing else Franz is a great live band and I really think anyone who doesn’t get a chance to see them should at least give this a listen. They have tremendous energy and when they hit their stride (“The Fallen” through “Auf Achse,” for instance) everything flows almost seamlessly.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. Except for Franz Ferdinand’s Live at Roundhouse London which is available here. 

Daily Album Digest: February 2015

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you know that for the month of February I participated in the hashtag Music Writer’s Exercise (#MWE). The premise was to listen to a new (for you) album each day and then write one tweet about it. A really neat idea, so I decided to jump right on once I found out (a day late, which is why February 2nd has two tweets) and it’s a habit that I want to keep up with. But I realize that given how social media can be that things get buried, so I’ve decided to make digests of the tweets with more thoughts and maybe why I chose those records.

This first digest is for the entire month of February (and quite long), but going forward the digests will be biweekly.

2/2: I Hate Kate's Embrace the Curse: Mostly just... okay, but "Story I Can't Write" & "I'm in Love with a Sociopath" are highlights.

- I chose this record because it was on the top of my recommendations on Spotify. If you’re into poppy punk stuff it’s fine. Not much to write home about though. I can’t see myself going back to much of it.

2/2: The Rural Alberta Advantage's Mended With Gold: Beautiful & grand without feeling forced. Track "Not Love or Death" sums this up best.

- I watch a lot of sketch comedy troupe LoadingReadyRun and at the end of 2014 they made a few podcasts with their favorites for the year. They included a ton of recommendations for artists and albums, which I want to listen through. The Rural Alberta Advantage’s Mended With Gold is just one of the albums members of the LRR crew mentioned. I recall enjoying this, but I also remember thinking that it’s a slow burn that I might grow to love more with time.

2/3: Fifth Harmony's Reflection: Some weak moments, but at its best (like "Sledgehammer") it feels like r&b/pop girl groups from the 90s.

- I’ve been making it a point to listen to a new release every Tuesday and I chose this one because I have a soft spot for girl groups. It really did remind me of 90s r&b (some of the first music I loved), so that was cool. However, some of the lyrical content was cringe-worthy and might end up making it more dated in the long run. Also, while I’m mixed on the end result, it was interesting to hear “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey used as a sample.

2/4: Sparks' Sparks: Doesn't feel as instant as later work like "Propaganda," but their distinctive personality is already present.

- I’ve been making my way through Sparks’ discography in preparation for their collaboration album with Franz Ferdinand. I enjoy most of it so far, but not this particular album. In fairness though, the album was only their first and as I said, already had marks of their distinct personality. Not part of my go-to Sparks, but not offensively bad.

2/5: Clean Bandit's New Eyes: Classical & electronica often polarize, but this fusion is accessible with lovely melodies & promise.

- Todd-in-the-Shadows put Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be” on his Top Ten Best Pop Songs of 2014. Add to that my love of strings and I was very curious about this album. It’s a lovely record, but it didn’t grab me as much as I wanted. That’s okay, though, some records take time to grow on you and this may well be one.

2/6: Fall Out Boy's American Beauty/American Psycho: FoB once said, "Songs you grow to like never stick at first." This time I doubt it.

- Of all the tweets I made this month, this was the one I worried the most over, because (1) I feared backlash and (2) it pained me to pan this album. I love Fall Out Boy and have for years. This, however, was a huge disappointment. It reminded me way too much of the experience of listening to Evening Out With Your Girlfriend, where everything I love about FOB (melodically, vocally, even lyrically) was buried under needless screaming and noise. When your band has a vocalist like Patrick Stump it makes no sense to have him sound like he’s singing from his ass Chad Kroeger. Straight up, it’s a fucking waste of his considerable talent. The good that is present in the album just isn’t enough to make me see beyond disasters like the title track.  Also, I wish they’d done more with the Beauty/Psycho thing, but they seemed to rely too much on the “psycho” and didn’t leave much room for “beauty.” But of course, I’m one of those freaks that love Folie à Deux, so maybe I’m the minority here.

2/7: Phoenix' Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: A fantastic mood pervades the record that strikes a perfect balance between pensive and joyful.

- One of my long-time twitter friends, Laura, loves Phoenix (she even co-runs this tumblr), so I’ve been meaning to check them out for quite a while.  I’ve had “1901” on loop frequently since listening to this. The song can’t be denied, it’s just effervescent. I really liked the record in large part because I love records that can create a mood from start to finish. Also, most records that can achieve that tend to be rather melancholy (Pet Sounds, Wind in the Wires, etc.), but this one has such a joy underneath it all that makes it stand out in that regard.

2/8: Vampire Weekend's Contra: Fitting this lost to the Black Keys. Not bad in any technical sense, but not much stands out either.

- Yeeeesh. As I said on Twitter, I remember quite liking their self-titled, so I was really stunned by how much I disliked Contra. It bored me to fury. Also, I’d like to elaborate on the Black Keys comment. Contra and Brothers were both up for Best Alternative Album at the 2011 Grammys and of course, Brothers won and it’s fitting, in a way, because Contra and the Black Keys both give me the same vibe.  In that, I have no real complaints technically about them, they don’t do anything atrocious or offensive, but they just don’t do anything for me. Not bad, exactly, but nothing that strikes me as particularly good or great either and lacks life or personality. But I know I’m clearly in the minority on this and practically committing music geek heresy by saying it. Oh well.

2/9: Real Estate's Atlas: Lovely and atmospheric record that flows and floats along easily.

- Another LRR recommendation. I liked it well enough, but I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I would’ve liked as much if Contra had bugged me so much. A lot of things Contra failed at, this album succeeded at, I thought, so it was a much more pleasant experience. Maybe if I revisit it that will change somehow, we’ll see.

2/10: Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear: A title like "Bored in the USA" suggests a work bland & trite, but ILYH's moving & genuine.

- A Tuesday release, but I don’t recall why I chose this one specifically. Due to Twitter limits I couldn’t say the first thing I really wanted to, which is that “The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.” sounds like Pet Sounds if Brian Wilson were a total cynic. That isn’t an insult, by the way. I actually find it quite impressive and that song is one of my favorites on the album. Also impressive, the song corrects someone’s grammar in a way that’s actually funny.

2/11: A Flock of Seagulls' A Flock of Seagulls: Not a flawless gem, but with tracks like "Space Age Love Song" & "DNA" a gem nonetheless.

- A while back Todd-in-the-Shadows did a One Hit Wonderland episode on “I Ran (So Far Away)” and ever since I’ve been curious about this one. Overall I loved it, but one big problem with it is that the lyrics can be too repetitive at times. The song “Telecommunication,” for example, is almost nothing but the word telecommunication. Still, when it’s great the album is really great.

2/12: Sparks' A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing: This album contains a rock cover of "Do-Re-Mi" and that's not even its weirdest moment.

- I’ll have to revisit this one soon. Woofer is only their second record, but definitely moving in the direction of works like Propaganda. Not a favorite, but I liked it well enough.

2/13: Bedhead's Transaction de Novo: Before this album I didn't know the term "slowcore." It's so sedate I'm at a loss of what to say.

- Another LRR recommendation. This really proved shoegaze and the like just aren’t for me. It’s funny though, in my reading on this album various critics claim that this album was Bedhead at their most uptempo. If that’s true their previous material was probably as inert as a sedated sloth.

2/14: Sparks' Terminal Jive: Great disco with a sense of humor and highlights like "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "When I'm With You."

- I’m always up for some good disco, so I dig this.

2/15: St Vincent's St Vincent: Allow me to add to the veritable chorus of praise this has received. It is simply impeccable.

- Another LRR recommendation.  I’ve put off checking out St. Vincent for ages and I’m not sure why, especially after listening to this album. The limits of Twitter really made it difficult to sum this album up. There is so much on it that’s fantastic and should be heard.

2/16: Owen Pallett's In Conflict: The restrained vocals contradict lyrics about reconciling life as it is with the life one may never have.

- Another LRR recommendation. Fittingly, I feel conflicted about this record. That is, it’s good and has so many things I tend to really like (such as the main themes of growing older and growing away from a variety of things, which resonates with me at the moment) but I feel like if I wasn’t already such a big fan of Patrick Wolf I might like this record more. Despite that I would like to hear more of Pallett’s work, because that initial impression may be wrong on my part.

2/17: Ibeyi's Ibeyi: Captivating rhythms with haunting and sweet vocals. It can be a bit slow, but still an impressive and promising debut.

- A Tuesday release. Their bio intrigued me, particularly the mentions of singing in Yoruban and the label “doom soul.” They can be melancholy, but I don’t know that “doom” really enters into their work very much, at least not here. I don’t know if this is a weird comparison or not, but listening to this reminded me a great deal of my first listens to Fiona Apple’s debut Tidal; the moodiness, the rhythms, prominence of piano, the tendency to be slow for maybe too long, and despite any flaws full of promise. I look forward to what they do next.

2/18: LIGHTS' Little Machines: A pleasant enough 80s-inspired listen, but it mostly blends together & buries anything that might stand out.

- I think for album I went into my recommendations trying to find a female artist. Sadly, I wasn’t thrilled with this album. The individual songs aren’t dynamic and beside each other there isn’t much variety either and as I said, it all blends together. I’ve heard that her earlier album Siberia is more experimental and interesting, so I want to check that out.

2/19: The Posies' Frosting On The Beater: An album of 60s harmonies and melodies from 90s Seattle with highlights like "Solar Sister."

- Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol mentioned this album early on that day, so I decided to check it out. The influence the Posies have on Snow Patrol became apparent very quickly. I was very surprised to find out they were from Seattle and this was released in 1993. They aren’t at all the sound most would associate with that time and place. They also reminded me a bit of the Gin Blossoms, which is always cool.

2/20: The Hollies' Butterfly: The title track's strings & melody create something simply enchanting & make it the stand out on the album.

- My friend Sierra is a huge Hollies fan. (She runs this Instagram dedicated to them.) Also, the Hollies were listed as a big influence on the Posies, so I figured I should finally dive more deeply into them.  I know tracks by them like “Bus Stop,” so this album was more psychedelic than I was expecting from them. 

2/21: Stars' No One is Lost: The theme of mortality is too on the nose at times, but there's enough great melodies & synth to make it work.

- Another LRR recommendation. I think this tweet came out much harsher than I intended, because I liked this record and feel I could really grow to love Stars. 

2/22: Sparks' Big Beat: Danceable at times yet not really catchy. Nothing stands out and it seems rather generic, especially for Sparks.

- More Sparks. I didn’t like this one. Given what I’ve come to expect from Sparks this was just too generic. It sounds like almost any band in the seventies could’ve made it. And from what I’ve read they also felt it lacked personality, which led to the recording albums like No. 1 in Heaven and Terminal Jive, albums I vastly prefer.

2/23: No Doubt's No Doubt: The album doesn't quite reach the awesome heights funky "Let's Get Back" promises, but it's a decent debut.

- One of those records I’ve been meaning to get to for ages, so I just picked it out of one my Spotify lists. I have a big weakness for anything with a horn section or great bassline, so much of this record is laser-targeted for me. I also really liked the tracks “Paulina” and “Sometimes,” which are complete opposites of each other in terms of tone. That said, it might not be for you unless you’re a hardcore No Doubt completionist or you’d like to hear them sound like a band again.

2/24: MisterWives' Our Own House: Sunny & purposely optimistic (ex:"Reflections"), which makes somber moments like "Coffins" more powerful.

- A Tuesday release, which I chose based on the coolest cover art. But, man. This. Album. I really wanted to love this album. The music’s on point. The lyrics are on point. The vocals grate at me way too often and it just kept pulling me out of it. But honestly, that’s probably just a matter of personal taste and how certain voices or types of voices hit me. Maybe with more listens it will grow on me. I hope so.

2/25: George Harrison's Thirty Three &1/3: For better or worse, he had his own style, which mightn't be for all. "This Song" is fantastic.

- This record was chosen in honor of dear George’s birthday. As I said, George had a very distinct style, in terms of both music and lyrics. As someone else put it, he had an “aural fingerprint” and you know George Harrison guitar when you hear it. It’s so distinct that it’s also quite easy to pick out those inspired by him. George’s style also consisted of his own “pet” themes and topics and a not-unnoticed tendency to get blunt and preachy in his lyrics. Not a style for everyone, but I don’t think this particular record falls prey to those faults quite as much. And even though he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s a good thing that George was around to do what he did, because again, it was special and uniquely him.

2/26: Sparks' Introducing Sparks: The album's best summed up with one of its lyrics: "I'm not at my best today." (Except for "Goofing Off.")

 - Somehow even more bland than Big Beat, but at least it has “Goofing Off.” “Goofing Off” is the wonderfully ridiculous stuff I love and expect from Sparks. Also, it kind of reminds of “The Mamushka” from The Addams Family and anything that conjures images of Raul Julia dancing is just delightful.

2/27: The Killers' Day & Age: I thought Sam's Town killed my interest in the band, but songs like "Spaceman" and "I Can't Stay" may reignite it.

-  I still have to give Battle Born a listen, but I think I might be back on the Killers’ train. I have some friends who are diehard Killers fans and I got to thinking that I wasn’t being fair in letting Hot Fuss loom so large and just writing them off as I did. Musically the album is fantastic, but still exhibits the lyrical weaknesses the Killers have had from the beginning. Far back as “All These Things That I’ve Done,” they know how to make music that sounds moving and emotional, but write lyrics too vague to mean anything clear or substantial (as Pitchfork put it: “[S]ignifying everything but saying nothing.”)  As I’ve said before there’s nothing wrong with being obtuse, abstract, or surreal, but Flowers obviously wants these words to have a resonance that they don’t often live up to. Maybe he does put much of his heart and his experience into his words, but for me at least, it’s detached and distant. But, like Hot Fuss, everything else works so well here that I can forgive any weaknesses.

2/28: Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City: Engaging, contemplative, and fun without feeling overly dreary or careless.

- For the sake of completion I wanted to listen to this record, but I wasn’t itching to do so anytime soon. But, after Day & Age proved I could dig another Killers’ record, I figured why not? And I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for existential contemplation with a great beat, but I loved this album. It’s a big departure from Contra and that is a great thing. When I expanded on Contra earlier I said that it didn’t have life or personality and I think most of that was due to the vocals. In his video on Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song” Todd-in-the-Shadows explains why he hates white dudes with acoustic guitar music, in part, because it “is music made for and by people without any problems.” Ezra Koenig’s vocals on Contra embody exactly that for me and they bring down the entire thing. On Modern Vampires of the City, he sounds engaging and engaged and dynamic, like his vocal “Diane Young” has a goofy, Buddy Holly sort of vibe. Also, with "Hannah Hunt," I feel like I could probably write an entire essay just on the line, "As we made our way from Providence to Phoenix." I don’t know that Vampire Weekend’s other two albums really warranted the hype around the band, but this album does.

"In Clouded Clues": The Monkees' "Tapioca Tundra" (Singled Out)

With the posts and planning I've done for this blog much of the focus has been on discussing albums. For me, it’s sometimes easier to analyze certain songs in that context than on their own, because whole albums provide a larger framework to analyze their pieces. Sometimes there just isn't much to say about a song outside of how it relates to the others that accompany it and a bigger story can come out of those relationships. Hell, that’s also a big reason why I like the idea of doing artist retrospectives, because you can do the same thing over the course of a career.

But I've never completely counted out the idea of highlighting individual songs. It was only a matter of “when” and “how,” which brings me to this new feature of sorts Singled Out where I will do exactly that. I didn’t want to attach strict rules in terms of era or artist to Singled Out. The song only needs to send me on a long enough ramble to qualify. Simple. From there you can probably tell how it eventually led to other strict rules going out the window and my recent decision to merge Cover to Cover, Ear to Earwith V&B.

Now, I realize that this further interrupts my Franz Ferdinand retrospective, but when an idea strikes I think you just have to run with it. I will find a way to tie today’s discussion and themes with the FF retrospective. I’m hoping to also do a couple Singled Out posts for some Franz songs that don’t make it into the full album posts.

We’ll get there all in good time, I promise.

Okay? Okay! Let’s get to it…

Part of me wants to make a hipster-y joke about how you probably haven’t heard the Monkees’ “Tapioca Tundra,” but I honestly have no idea what counts as an obscure Monkees track. I guess I tend to assume that anything that isn't “Daydream Believer” or “I’m a Believer” counts as such. I could very well be wrong. I could also be wrong in my perception that Tapioca’s one of those songs you either love or hate.  I used to listen to a radio DJ who would proudly proclaim this to be his favorite Monkees song; while others dismiss it, such as a lovely comment on a lyric site that claimed the song is “absurd” and “plagued with unnecessary stupidity.” If anything should be called unnecessary it’s such harshness, because Tapioca’s far deeper and self-aware than one might initially think.

“Tapioca Tundra” (penned by Monkee Mike Nesmith) was initially released as a b-side to the single “Valleri” and eventually made its way onto The Birds, the Bees, & the Monkees released April 22, 1968. The Monkees were certainly not alone in their musical experimentation with much of pop and rock deep in the era of psychedelia; BBM’s release occurred just a few months before The Beatles’ White Album and all its kooky absurdity. The Monkees’ catalog contains many instances of psychedelia and experimentation, such as “Daily Nightly,” “Star Collector,” “Auntie’s Municipal Court.” Not to mention moments of defiance that not only contrasted with their bubblegum image, but frankly, put some so-called “authentic” acts to shame, such as “Zor and Zam” and “Mommy and Daddy.” I can’t help but wonder if the dismissal of Tapioca is born out of an attitude that the Monkees somehow aren't allowed to do such things. Honestly, that’s not really for me to speculate here, but what I can speculate about is the song itself.

Let me be clear, I don’t object to calling “Tapioca Tundra” absurd. I have ears. It is weird. I object to calling it absurd as a pejorative. Too often words like “surreal,” “absurd,” and “nonsense” become synonymous with “bad,” which is just incorrect. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is pure nonsense and one of the most enjoyable reading experiences one can have, I believe. In the realm of music absurdity usually comes in the form of lyrics where the punch found in the rhythm of the words takes precedence over any overarching, coherent meaning. Most artists have a lyric or song this applies to, while others, such as Beck, basically make it part of their Thing. Until recently, I’d pegged “Tapioca Tundra” as such a song due to the (seemingly) deliberately obtuse lyrics and the fact that it came from the same time period as “Daily Nightly,” Nesmith’s other major psychedelic track.

I was wrong, but not off track. One could even say that the lyrics are about writing such a song.

After a slow, whistling introduction, Nesmith sings, ”Reasoned verse, some prose or rhyme lose themselves in other times and waiting hopes cast silent spells that speak in clouded clues.” Allow me a brief moment of fangirl squee, because these opening lines are brilliant. There’s so much to unpack and as someone who thrives on close reading, such lines are my bread and butter. As for the lines themselves, they speak to how lyrics can get lost amid the musical time that surrounds. Even the most well-crafted or thoughtful lyrics can “lose themselves” and their meaning in an arrangement that overwhelms them or distracts the listener’s attention. There are also listeners who ignore the lyrics on purpose (“I don’t care about lyrics, I just like the beat,” etc.), but even so, Nesmith doesn't let himself off the hook. He has “waiting hopes” that he can move others with his “silent spells,” but they may also move in ways that he didn't intend. He acknowledges that expressing himself through metaphor (“clouded clues”) contributes to these misunderstandings as well as making it difficult to connect to the audience and fully express himself.

The second verse begins with the line “Careful plays on fields that seem to vanish when they’re in between,” which could refer to both audience and artist. For the audience, the meaning of a lyric can vanish if too obtuse or indirect. For the artist, no matter how carefully constructed they can still end up feeling as though they just barely missed the mark in getting their point across. The verse continues, “And softly as I walk away in freshly tattered shoes, it cannot be a part of me for now it’s part of you.” Once a piece is complete the artist has gotten all they could out of that particular “field,” it’s worn out and useless to them now. They must move on and let it live as “part of you,” the audience.

“Tapioca Tundra” doesn't have what many may strictly consider a proper chorus or hook, but it does have lyrics that repeat. One such line includes, “Silhouettes and figures stay close to what he had to say and one more time the faded dream is saddened by the news,” which also touches on the idea of an artist barely missing the mark. All the literary technique and musical prowess they possess can come close to expressing what the writer is feeling or thinking and yet the song as they hear it in their head may not come to fruition perfectly. However, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Franz Ferdinand front man Alex Kapranos has made multiple comments about dissatisfaction and how that keeps an artist going. And while I certainly can’t read his mind, Mike Nesmith also seems propelled by similar creative dissatisfaction. In the past he’s recorded multiple reworkings of songs (including “Tapioca Tundra”) and acknowledged his tendency to not let a song just be and “noodle” too long on it.

Often it seems like abstract lyrics such as “Tapioca Tundra” are either seen as alienating or dismissed as pretentious, which while understandable, can sometimes lead to missing out on a real gem. Bizarre, possibly off-putting title aside, the dissatisfaction conveyed in “Tapioca Tundra” never feels directed outward to the audience in an angry way. I don’t think this particular song crosses the line into arrogant you-just-don’t-get-me posturing, because Nesmith recognizes the gaps between intentions, art, and how an audience may perceive it - gaps that always exist, even for the most direct of artists. Sure, there’s the idea that some might miss the point, but the main dissatisfaction lies in the knowledge that not any one song could be enough to fully convey one’s inner thoughts. And maybe, in a way, it’s up to the audience to bridge those gaps, because someone is bound to pick up on those clouded clues and at least attempt to make sense of them.  

In summation, “Tapioca Tundra,” a seemingly obtuse song about obtuse songs and how any song can feel unsatisfactory to the artist, but they must let it go in the hopes that the next will be The One. Yet, even if a song is the magical one to perfectly convey and encapsulate an artist’s feelings once written it no longer belongs to its writer, but to the audience. 

Brilliant.

Just don’t ask me why “midnight looks right.” 

(If you want to hear “Tapioca Tundra” as well as any future Singled Out tracks you can subscribe to this Spotify playlist.)

"Cooler than Ice Cream & Warmer than the Sun": "Touch" by Eurythmics (RS500)

RS 500: #500
Artist: Eurythmics
Album: Touch
Released: November 26, 1983


I could be going out on a limb here, but I think anyone who claims the 1980's were a horrible decade for music has clearly never listened to Eurythmics' Touch. The record is worthy of a listen (not to mention inclusion on the RS 500) simply for the voice of Annie Lennox alone. Beautiful, dynamic, unique, and so damn soulful, to not know or not include such a voice is a sin. Truly. Take for instance, "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)" in which she sounds so powerful that it makes the listener feel powerful, too.

The great thing about Touch is that the music created by Miss Lennox and Dave Stewart is just as varied and soulful, a perfect compliment to and vehicle for her voice. Sometimes it's laid back with a bass bobbing like water ("Aqua"). Others, it's a slightly sinister jazz-meets-techno groove ("Regrets"). It's kind of laid back, yet still danceable ("Cool Blue"). And then there's a song like "The First Cut", which gets into your guts almost and makes you want to get up and dance. The music of the track (the bass especially) connects that primal thing that makes you want to move and you can't really explain why. Similarly, the tropical and wonderfully upbeat, "Right By Your Side", just makes you feel good and want to move your hips. Though it's the type of song that I suspect if it were done by anyone lacking the soulful voice of Annie Lennox that it would be called fluff, but she delivers it with sincerity and makes it joyful and heartfelt.

On the other side of the spectrum is the gothic "Who's That Girl". While the mix of synths, bass, and strings is utterly gorgeous, it is the vocals and lyrics that take center stage. Whether it's the forceful and demanding, "but there's just one thing" or vulnerability in the titular question, they all come together beautifully to show the heartbreak and frustration of the person left "broken on the rocks." The track as well as the opener, "Here Comes the Rain Again", shows that the real heart of the album is emotions contained in the lyrics. "Here Comes the Rain Again" sets the stage wonderfully with its mix of shoo-wop background vocals and techno beats, as well as lyrical references to rain/water, which is frequently used throughout the record. In this instance, it seems as if the rain is there to symbolize depression or loneliness, something the narrator has felt before, but each time it feels fresh and new. And asking, whether it is just the audience or someone specific, if anyone feels the same with the line, "Is it raining with you?"

I confess, for me the only downside to the entire album is the final track, "Paint a Rumour". The song is almost a sound collage, like The Beatles' "Revolution #9" except less chaotic. Plus, the point and purpose of this song is much clearer. It, like "The Final Cut" earlier in the album, is about reputations. In "The Final Cut" there is a line, "Each impression, makes a chain reaction... Will never be, never be, never be broken," possibly showing how your reputation can proceed you and that it will never die until you do. "Paint a Rumour" is about how secrets and rumors (true or not) can spread and do damage, such as in the line, "I heard a whisper - make it go away"; as well as cause embarrassment and anger when told, "See the place go red."

Regardless of my feeling that the final track is a tad too long, Eurythmics' Touch as a whole is a great and solid record. It's eclectic and has possibly some of the best, most intelligent and soulful dance music of the 1980s, if not, the last thirty years or more. Not simply for Annie Lennox' amazing voice or the fact that she and Dave Stewart could groove, but because of the heart and real tangible emotion behind it all; that makes you feel and move not just in your body, but your heart.

In and Out of Style, But Guaranteed to Raise a Smile: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles (RS500)

RS 500: #1
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Released: June 2, 1967 (U.S.)

(Quick Author's Note: I apologize for the length of this post. However, with it being number one on the list, I felt the album needed a lot of detail and attention. Future reviews probably, hopefully. won't be this long.)
Since its release, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has suffered a strange fate. Similar to the band that made it, it proves that old saying "familiarity breeds contempt." For each person that praises it, there are even more people who claim it to be overrated. And when one lacks its historical context or the historical perspective of the time that produced and, therefore, heavily praised it, only seeing people constantly heaping praise upon what many consider nowhere close to the Beatles' best work, it's easy to see how such a feeling can breed.

Sgt. Pepper came at a time when most people had a very limited view of what rock'n'roll could do as well as what it was allowed to do. While there were exceptions to this, (most notably Brian Wilson, who knew just how out of step with the mainstream he was given songs like, "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times") the general idea basically boiled down to that rock couldn't be art. To suggest such a thing would be almost lunacy.

Then Sgt. Pepper came along and with that, killing the idea at the time that the Beatles had dried up, killing the idea that rock music couldn't be art, pushing the limits of what could be done technically at the time, and giving life to including lyrics in liner notes and idea of the concept album. The "concept" basically being the Beatles are playing a concert as Sgt. Pepper's band. Now, whether one believes the album strictly holds to the concept the entire way through or not is irrelevant, really, given the fact that it's impossible to tell when they are singing as themselves or some character concocted in Paul McCartney's imagination. However, from the audience noises to the rise and fall in the moods of the songs to the build up of the closing three tracks, the concert aspect of the concept works and completely fits. Just as every single track on the album fits together and flows into each other, despite how radically different from each other many of the songs are.

The opening title track is a "good old rocker" (to borrow a phrase from producer George Martin) and sets the stage fantastically for the concert the album is meant to be. The opening riff is instantly recognizable (and for me, will always bring to mind visions of the Beatles saving Pepperland), the drums are great backbone for the track as is the bass. The audience chatter at the beginning as well as the rise of the laughter and applause during the song add so much character to it. And of course, the track would be nothing without the as always, amazing three part harmony and the touch of French horns that give it a touch of class and round out the song well.

With a dramatic and quite pretty transition (with added applause), the album goes on to "With a Little Help From My Friends", the quintessential Ringo song. A song that shows off his need and love of brotherhood and his "sentimental thing" as Paul McCartney put it. As well as show off more harmonies and the strong rhythm section of the band, particularly the drums, which are airy and light, yet swing and carry the song so well.

The next song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is almost a painting of sound, with it's evocative lyrics and arrangement. The long bass notes add to the sleepy, dreamy quality of the song's lyrics and the drums add just enough accents when they're needed and aren't overbearing. The music makes you feel like you're floating, that is, until the drum lead-up to the chorus kicks in, like you're about to take off flying. John Lennon's vocal and the effects added to it also add to the dreamlike quality. One second he sounds like he's right in your ear, the next he echos in and out, as if he's far away and trying to entice you to follow him where ever he's going along with Lucy to fountains and rocking horse people.

"Getting Better" is a classic pop song, but with a foundation of a strong bass line, grooving and swinging drums, along with piano by George Martin and tamboura by George Harrison, giving it a kind of funky edge. The middle eight of the song also seems to swirl adding to the seemingly happy mood of the song. A song which may not be as happy-peppy-optimistic as it appears at first (and sometimes thousandth) listen. With lines like "it can't get no worse", "I used to be cruel to my woman", etc., one has to wonder just how happy it really is. After all, if the narrator's past includes beating people, just because it's "getting better" that doesn't necessarily mean that it's all that good. But that just might be looking too deeply at a song that is a classic example of how well John Lennon and Paul McCartney complimented each other.

The song that follows, "Fixing a Hole", also shows that in a way, as it shows an example of Paul's dream-like and atmospheric side (John's version of this being shown in "Lucy"). The music swirls and dips and takes you away. The guitar is funky and has a bit of a bite to it and the drums, again, swing. But the bass is possibly the most important instrument because it gives the song a groove and life and soul which would be gone in it's absence, leaving it sounding cold and thin. The possible downside to the song is that while the music is amazing, it would be very easy to get too swept away in it and lose sight of the quirky lyrics. According to McCartney the song is about "the hole in your make-up which lets the rain in and stops your mind from going where it will. It's you interfering with things." The song also almost sounds like it could be a precursor to "The Fool on the Hill" sung from his point of view, with lines like, "See the people standing there who disagree and never win / And wonder why they don't get in my door."

Next, "She's Leaving Home", possibly one of the Beatles most beautiful songs in terms of melody and vocals. The strings, arranged by Mike Leander, add to the beauty and sadness of the lyrics and the harp adds such a gentle and airy beauty, but the vocals are what take center stage. John taking the role of the befuddled and abandoned parents has so much vulnerability and Paul's singing of, "How could she do this to me?" is utterly heartbreaking. The song is a fantastic example of a common theme in McCartney's work, ordinary people doing ordinary things (though cynics like Lennon would say "boring"). While some may see this as a weakness, in the case of this particular song, it is certainly a strength. It beautifully shows off his romantic nature and reverence for the everyday. He can see the beauty in the everyday and how even the most seemingly simple things can resonate no matter how old the songs get. Because "She's Leaving Home," whether or not one is parent, is about something so common and so universal, something that all experience and understand: letting go.

Like "Lucy" earlier in the album, the next song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is another painting in sound. You can almost hear the om-pa-pa, om-pa-pa in Lennon's voice and practically see him the center ring with a top hat as he sings. Thanks mostly in part to the full, lush and chaotic carnival noises made by Harrison, Starr, George Martin and with harmonicas by Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall, which do nearly make you "smell the sawdust" as John wanted. And yet again, the rhythm section gives life to it all.

As hypnotic as the carnival noises in "Mr. Kite" are, "Within You Without You", the song which follows it, is even more hypnotic. The trills and dips of George Harrison's voice are so subtle and beautiful. The rhythm of the tabla and the sounds of the dilruba, tamboura, the violins and cellos and Harrison's voice mix and flow, so perfectly, so beautifully, it's enchanting. The semi-duel in the musical break is amazing, too. The song is also proof of Harrison's lyrical strength and cleverness, particularly the double meaning behind the title "Within You Without You". On one hand it's about how life in each of us and outside of us, in all things; but on the other, while it's within us (as with all), it'll go on long after we are gone. And that it's more important to love and not get wrapped up in walls we put between ourselves and other "illusions". The only real down side to the song, and something that has always bothered me, is the laughter that happens at the tail end. It kind of kills the mood.

Though admittedly, it's a good segue in a way, as "When I'm Sixty-Four" follows (not that that will ever stop it from being bothersome). But "When I'm Sixty-Four" is meant to be quite a funny song, as well as an homage to musical loves of Paul McCartney's father, so it's hard to get too angry with it or treat it too harshly. (Not to mention McCartney wrote it when he was just sixteen.) Everything adds to the humorous and old Hollywood-type vibe that the band was going for with it. Again, the bass is quite simple, but effective and adds so much swing to the song, as does the piano, and with this album being basically Paul McCartney's baby/brainchild, that is not very surprising.

Another example of just how much it's Paul's album is the next track, "Lovely Rita." It's another song that lives and dies with the bass and drums, particularly the bass drum which gives the song much of its backbone and life. Odd lyrics aside, it's quite musically complex. The arrangements of the backing vocals, bass, piano (especially the intricate and fast piano break) and slightly dark musical coda do save it from being complete "fluff" or a "throwaway".

"Good Morning Good Morning" is another example of how Lennon and McCartney compliment each other, with the song being John's version of ordinary people doing ordinary things. Even if some of the pop culture references in it are lost on newer listeners, it still resonates. After all, "nothing has changed, it's still the same." The song is an excellent example of how funky the Beatles could get. The bass and drums swing and drive the song, the guitar is funky and soulful, and one wonders at times when the hell John Lennon manages to breathe. And the horn section is a brilliant addition, taking it from "ok rocker" to another level of sick and amazing.

The excitement and build up carries over into "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", which is fast and fun with a driving rhythm section and great harmonies. The song totally drives home the idea that the album is a concert; whether it's raucous applause and laughter, John's little "Bye" to the audience, or sounds Paul trying to vamp up a crowd, it is the fun penultimate number in a show that comes before the utterly amazing encore...

"A Day in the Life". It is a masterpiece, plain and simple. The album is noteworthy simply for this song alone. It's a perfect blending of John and Paul's styles and ways of writing about ordinary people and events. Again, the foundation is the rhythm section, gorgeous piano, steady bass and drums that perfectly accent the song. Whether it's the rolling the verses, which adds to the drama of it all or the driving and marching drums in middle eight that are so evocative of the hurry-up-and-rush described in Paul's lines, the drums are perfection. They would be the star of the show here if it wasn't for the haunting vocal by John Lennon, which gives chills from the second he starts to sing.

Though the seeds had been planted before Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band was undeniably a turning point, not just for the Beatles, but for all rock and pop music. It was proof that anything and everything could be done.

There were no limits.

Well, except for the technical limits at the time. The creativity, on the other hand, knew no bounds. Whether it was pulling ideas from old Victorian circus posters, the newspaper, everyday life (past and present) or a child's drawings. It was all fair game. And it worked. While it may not be the Beatles strongest or best work overall, it is among their most influential and groundbreaking and pushed the envelope more than just about anything they had done. (Or just about anyone had done up until that point.) It changed all that came after it and is still the standard for many people, such as Ozzy Osbourne, who still says he wants to make his "Sgt. Pepper". Those are things that no amount of nit-picking will ever take away from it.