Aug 11, 2005

Albums that Remind me of Middle School

So feeling nostalgic here. I don't really remember what I listened to in Middle School, but here are some albums that remind me of Middle School.

Phish- A Picture of Nectar
In middle school, image is everything. Try image number one with being a hippie or whatever. Still this album is Phish's best, where they do a good job genre hopping and have two of their signature pieces, the somewhat hard rocking Chalkdust Torture with its call and response riff, and the quirky Tweezer.

Download http://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1ETNVY6VTCK13113XVCHXJX767

Overall Grade (87/100) B+

Smashing Pumpkins- Melon, Collie, and the Infinite Sadness

Billy Corgan tried to create "the wall" for Generation X, whatever the fuck that is. He failed, but managed to put together a few good songs. Very high on the unintentional comedy scale, "God is empty, just like me." Still, 'Tonight,' and '1979' are redeeming tracks. Would have been better as a single album with a buncha good songs. Still its impact is felt. Try Broken Social Scene's "Stars and Sons" directly after "1979," wierd connection.

(Download Stars and Sons Here- http://s31.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=200TLGE2RRTNU0LHJSJF456U9D
Download Tonight Here-
http://s31.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=357QN889QZQQX2JG35UZZ6AIMM)


Overall Grade (74/100) C

The Clash- London Calling

I'm not going to bother reviewing this album, everybody knows about London Calling. Just if you wanted the punk image, but couldn't sit through listening to the Muscial abortion that was NOFX, you'd listen to it and be the coolest guy at the lunchtable. I will say this, it's a classic, but not perfect, and not one of the greatest albums of all time, still very good though.

Weezer- Blue Album

They introduced pretty much everybody to rock music, including myself, and although aren't exactly indie, kind of pushed me awat from more mainstream music. By far and away the best album Weezer has ever put out, and an Alt. Rock Gem. From the Kickass Opener of My Name is Jonas, to the hit of Say it Aint So, to the lonely bass on only in Dreams, the album fails to disappoint. Each song on the album.

http://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0ZRVW58KSATN737U1W6M74O4WQ

Overall Grade (95/100)- A, but tough to judge after hearing it so much

Green Day- Dookie

"Do you have the time, to listen to me whine." If you couldn't recognize that was green day, then you suck. Although the album was released far before I got to middle shcool, thats when peoiple discovered it. It actually isn't a bad album, gotta give it up to Green Day.

Overall Grade (86/100)-B

Blink 182- Enema of the State

It was funny, people in 7th or 8th grade were trying to main some "indie cred," saying how much better "Dude Ranch," was, and how Blink 182 sold out. Oh yeah, and listening to the album was kind of like forcibly ramming a toothbrush down the back of your throat in order to puke so that you had more room in your stomach for the glass you were eating. Didnt they have some music video where they were naked?

Overall Grade (33/100) F

Orgy- Candyass

Aside from Nine Inch Nails, which most kids parents wouldn't let tehm touch, this was the only exposure to INdustrial that we got. I just listened to it, and it is a pretty solid album, with a really good cover of New Order's "Blue Monday," and a catchy single "Stitches."

Overall Grade (83) B

Metallica- Ride the Lightning

Nobody acutally listened to this album, they just bought the T-Shirt.

Overall Grade (Incomplete)

Beastie Boys- Hello Nasty

Strange that this was the first exposure to the beatie boys most of us had. Still, the aging Brooklyn Trio of White Jewish Rappers but togehter a great album with some groovy beats sampled along with it, and good instrumental tracks (See sneaking out of the hospital). While the lead single, "Intergalactic," was definitely lacking, the otehr songs completley kick ass. They perhaps drop the best rhyme of their career with, "King of Boggle/There ain't no higher/Got 11 boints of the word Quagmire.

Look at the stunning comentary by the beasties on the album:
"I'm the King of Boggle there is none higher/I get eleven points off the word quagmire" - "Yeah, I got 11 points for 'quagmire.' You get a lot of points for Q. Q comes as Qu" - Adam Horovitz, July 1998

"The main difference between [Ill Communication] and this [album] is we played dominoes the whole time we worked on [it]. Boggle figures very heavily in the making of [Hello Nasty]." - Adam Yauch, 1998

Overall Grade (93-/100)

Backstreet Boys- S/T

If you pretended to like this, chances are you would avoid being a wallflower at the 6th grade social. The problem was, all the guys were trying not to like it. Everybody, what a fucking song. Ohh yeah, ive never listened to this album. I'll just say that it has its momens, but falls short in key areas and relies on pop cliches and studio magic?

Overall Grade (66/100) D- (Just Passes)


I would have reviewed Korn, but my keyboard doesn't have a backwards R so i wouldnt do them justice.

And fuck you Carson Daly. And a double fuck you to that 'VJ' Jesse Camp.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dawg, it's all about Pinkerton. But too bad I didn't listen to rock music in middle school...