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[wickedflea]

I'm still on my Misfits kick. Actually, tonight I'm listening to Danzig's first two albums. Good stuff, especially the first one. No one else can croon lines like "devil-girl, you must burn" like Glenn.

Rick Rubin is kind of amazing when you think about it. Slayer's first few albums were crude at best; when he got ahold of them, they immediately produced probably the definitive speed-metal album: Reign in Blood. Same thing with Danzig -- he had been in two bands (Misfits and Samhain) that were genius but whose albums sounded like they were recorded in a shoe, and then Rubin helped Danzig make a scarily tight solo album (which, by the way, features the stellar drumming of hardcore legend Chuck Biscuits. I had to work Chuck in here somewhere.) Even the Chili Peppers -- their early stuff was good, but it wasn't until they made Blood Sugar Sex Magik with Rubin that they came up with a cohesive album.

Tangent: does the concept of a cohesive album still exist? I tend to think in terms of albums rather than songs. Physical Graffiti. Master of Reality. Harvest. Document. Nothing's Shocking. Hell, even Master of Puppets. Those albums jell in a way that I'm not sure more recent stuff does. But I could certainly be wrong; in fact, I think I probably am. I'm just out of touch with what's happening these days.

One thing that I know is lost is the concept of album sides, because of course they don't have sides any more. Remember that, though? How some albums had distinct feels on each side? I never really had much vinyl, but I had a blue fuckin' ton of cassettes, and I can still remember how the first side of The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste was more harsh, the second more trippy. Or how the second side of The Real Thing just slayed. Or how, when it comes to making out, you should always put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV (not Physical Graffiti). Ask Damone.

Comments

[notmyworld.livejournal.com]

Good Christ do you rock my socks! I remember when I was thirteen and saw that movie for the first time - Damone told him to put on IV, but he goofed and busted out with Kashmir. Hahaha.

The White Album and The Wall are both great examples of the "side theory" - four sides, four distinct feels.

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Fast Times rules! I watched the director's commentary a couple of weeks ago -- Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe. It was pretty cool.

[lunchboxface.livejournal.com]

Have you ever heard Danzig's solo organ music? I remember this guy playing it for me at his house one time years and years ago and loving it, but I haven't seen or heard of it since. I think the closest thing to a mainstream rock cohesive album in recent times was Tool's Aenima. They tried to do it with this last one, but it ended up failing me terribly after repeated listenings. Oh yeah, and I've been listening to the last two Soundgarden albums a lot the last week or so, which were also pretty consistently stellar. Being something of an underground rock fanatic, I could name quite a few more, but most of them might not be up your alley. One band I think you should check out, though: The Fucking Champs. Their "aesthetic" (yes, they have a mission statement) is something along the lines of "to simultaneously embrace and reject the stigmas of 70's guitar rock". If you have Audiogalaxy, check out "What's A Little Reign?" I know you would dig these guys, even the song titles are awesome.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Ayudfyl23xpcb

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Nice, I have to check out that group -- based on your description (and allmusic's), they sound awesome.

I agree about Tool, too. Their latest one just doesn't hold up like Aenima. Oh, and Danzig -- somehow, I've never listened to that stuff, but I know the album you're talking about. I wanna say I have it as mp3 somewhere . . . I'll have to check the archives!

[buscemi.livejournal.com]

Vic Damone and his 5-point plan. Ha. I think I saw that guy in a sitcom recently.

As far as cohesive albums go, I think Fantomas' "Director's Cut" holds together pretty well. Since it's an album of covers, I guess that doesn't really count. Heh.

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

They're covers, but they're so warped that somehow they do fit together!

[buscemi.livejournal.com]

Also, I think Mr. Bungle's "Disco Volante" is pretty solid.