Rockin’ to the Oldies
January 6th, 2005As an antidote to all the 2004 retrospectives, I offer three more or less randomly selected all-time favorite albums of mine.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)
I admit, despite being tuned into the Atlanta music scene of the early 90s due to the influence of my older brother, who was at Emory at the time, that I missed this band from nearby Athens until recently. In fact, I was turned on to NMH and the Decemberists at the same time. The bands are sometimes compared to each other, more for the visions of the songwriters and their taste in instrumentation than for any substantial reason. This album, NMH’s last, is a masterpiece of ecstatic acoustic guitar strumming and grotesque lyrics (see “Two-Headed Boy”). It’s not for everybody, but it’s definitely for me.
Nonsuch, by XTC (1992)
Everyone complains that this album is XTC lite, poppier and less edgy than their early progressive punk stuff. Well, shit. This album is a masterpiece, full of heavenly vocal harmonies, smart lyrics which range from the satiric to the surreal, and great guitar playing. If you have to skip “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead,” do it, and forget about whether or not XTC has gone soft, because Nonsuch runs the gamut from tender to angry and remains beautiful throughout.
The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, by Roger Waters (1984)
I know, I know, Roger Waters made Pink Floyd suck. I agree with you. This album won’t change your mind. But somehow it wormed its way into my brain when I was a disaffected teen, before I became the fountain of good cheer you know now, and I still enjoy listening to it when I’m in the mood. This was the direction Pink Floyd was heading in when they were doing The Wall and The Final Cut - a personalized Roger Waters nightmare, full of dangerous women and Germans, and with a total of about four chords. But hey, it’s a deeply introspective album, with sophisticated, darkly surrealistic (if I may use the word again) lyrics. It follows the narrator through a series of nested dreams that take him to a biergarten and to the American West. I think. At the very least, it has Eric Clapton on guitar, a very catchy title track, and a naked lady on the cover.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:44 am
I’ve heard the NMH a few times - I have a burned copy that isn’t very pristine. I like most of the songs on it but haven’t really listened to it enough.
I’m a fan of Nonsuch and as such, I don’t see how anyone could skip over “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.” My brother gave me Black Sea and English Settlement for Christmas, so I’m just starting to delve into those.
Never heard the Waters album.
January 6th, 2005 at 10:54 am
My favorites from XTC are the four in a row they released in the early 80s, before the overrated Skylarking: Black Sea, English Settlement, Mummer, and The Big Express. Nonsuch probably wouldn’t even make my top 5, but it’s still great. That’s how excellent those other albums are. “Pumpkinhead” is OK but doesn’t compare to “Humble Daisy” or “Holly Up On Poppy.” It’s catchy and witty but some of those other songs are positively transcendent!
You’re probably not missing much re the Waters album. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, as much as I like it.
January 6th, 2005 at 11:44 am
LTR, good choices all. I’m a huge fan of NMH. Have you been to the site that has all of the early demos that they did? Bizarre but worth the time as you can definitely hear what lead to one of the true masterpieces of 90s music, “In the aeroplane…”.
January 6th, 2005 at 12:03 pm
Yes! And there are rumors that they will be releasing some uncollected stuff.