796. Grace - Jeff Buckley

An album that I knew pretty well, but was new to Chloe. She knew of its stratospheric reputation, however, and so expectations were pretty high from both of us that this would be a good week. 

What was great for me was that I not only re-discovered songs that I loved, but also developed a deeper affinity for other songs that I had previously overlooked. Whilst most people will know Last Goodbye and Hallelujah, some of the slightly heavier numbers are not as well known, and these really do add something to the depth of the album.

Mojo Pin is a beautiful wandering introduction to the album, and nicely demonstrates Buckley's vocal range; his voice really is exceptional, with the high notes in particular utterly mesmerising. Grace has a lovely depth of instrumentation to it, and Last Goodbye also adds an edge of frustration and anger to the melancholy angst of the artist. Hallelujah is obviously a fantastic song, although it has become slightly tarnished with its constant appearance in the final episode of every TV programme ever. Lover you should've come over captures the very essence of this album, with the anguish and heartbreak being just about held together in Buckley's voice. It is this song that is the masterpiece on this album for me, and has been ever since I saw a jaw-dropping cover of it at an Open Mic night at uni. Eternal life split us slightly, with Chloe feeling it lapsed slightly into college rock inanities, whereas I quite liked the fact that it unleashes a different side to Buckley. There is a defiance in the song which contrasts well with the slightly more passive nature of the rest of the album. Lilac wine is a miss for me, although I know many people love it, as I feel it is just too saccharine. 

Overall, it is a very, very good album, with a great range of songs. There are some misses here which reduce the mark a bit, but it is also worth noting that Chloe thought it was not in the same league as Nick Drake, an artist whose life also came to a premature end. Whilst there is a tendency for such tragedies to add a layer of mystique to a collection of music that is otherwise mediocre, in this case it is clear that the praise is, on the whole, fully justified. 

Chloe's rating: 8
Chloe's favourite track: 3. Last Goodbye
Olly's rating: 8
Olly's favourite track: 7. Lover you should've come over

Next week we have 320. Queen II by Queen. I'd have been thrilled with that choice twenty years ago, so let's see what I think now.

787. Alien Lanes - Guided by Voices

A band that we'd vaguely heard of, but I couldn't have told you the genre, members, or even era before we selected it. An intimidating 28 tracks in just 41 minutes did little to soothe the unease that we had in listening to something so completely unknown; would the first sound be electronic, acoustic, or flugelhorn?

From the first listen it was apparent that this was a bit different, but also comfortingly familiar. It is a very lo-fi record, with the distinct feel of a collection of demoes thrown together and then discarded before reaching full fruition. It is like an old AM radio that keeps jumping between different college stations without notice. The songs are fairly standard mid-90s indie in many ways, but with an experimental air. They remind me of a mix between Pavement and Neutral Milk Hotel - no bad thing at all.

A Salty Salute opens the album, with its "the club is open" refrain indicative of the collection of sounds you are about to come across. It's like a slightly offbeat indie club complete with a variety of bands performing as you wander from room to room, never staying in one place for more than a couple of minutes. Game of Pricks reminds me of the Crocketts debut album in terms of the claustrophobic sound, and is one of the best songs on here. My Valuable Hunting Knife is a song that I have no idea what it's about, but it'll get stuck in your head for all the right reasons. Motor Away - a chugging almost-anthem with the usual obscure lyrics, and Blimps go 90 is another great slice of slightly bizarre indie-pop. There are many, many snippets and excerpts here that make you take notice, although there are a few less successful attempts at quirkiness; I really liked ex-Supermodel, until I listened on headphones and heard the rather loud snoring in the background, that ruined it for me somewhat.

As you can tell, this album lends itself well to analogies, with its sclerotic approach. It is enjoyable from the first listen, and steadily grows from there. I feel that I could happily have spent another week listening to it, and uncovering more of the rough diamonds scattered within its track-listing. As much as it sounds like a collection of demoes, many of which you would have liked Robert Pollard to properly develop into more conventional four minute songs, this would miss the point. 

Chloe's rating: 8
Chloe's favourite track: 9. A Good Flying Bird
Olly's rating: 8
Olly's favourite track: 17. My Valuable Hunting Knife

Random.org has given us 796. Grace by Jeff Buckley next week. Well played internet.

68. If you can believe your eyes and ears - The Mamas and the Papas

The Mamas and the Papas were founded in 1965, with husband and wife John and Michelle Phillips the driving force behind the band, alongside members Denny Doherty and Cass Elliott. The band were originally a folk group, as this was John Phillips preference, but the other three members managed to move him away from this genre into contemporary pop. This album was their debut, and was released in February 1966, and was the band's only number one album in the US.

The opening track, Monday Monday was a hit reaching number one in the US charts, and advertises the harmonies the group can produce. A wide range of instrumentation is used, including strings and a harpsichord, which adds depth to the song. Straight Shooter is extremely catchy, with slightly ambiguous lyrics. Again, there are beautiful harmonies, and with a country influenced feel. You can almost picture a square dance taking place in the recording studio. Go where you wanna go was the other single off the album, and summarises the hippy, free love ethos better than pretty much any other song from the era, even though it slightly fore-shadowed the hippy peak. California Dreamin' is the track everyone will know off this album, and with good reason. Warm, fuzzy, catchy, and with great use of the tambourine, this was always going to stand out on the album. It's a classic singalong track, with superb backing vocals. But you knew this already. Hey Girl has a great bass line which saves this song, from a slightly straightforward number. The album closer, The In Crowd has a  powerful, for once dominating, lead vocal performance that helps it to stand out. Some interesting melodic changes, alongside a delightfully messy hammond organ, ensure a positive, more interesting finale.

Overall, some songs sound a lot more dated than others. And not in a nostalgic, hazy way, but in a, frankly, boring way. Got a Feeling and Call my Name, and the abject Spanish Harlem, which I struggled to listen to after the first couple of goes, are all guilty of this. The songs are not hugely varied, yet manage to seem very hit or miss. I can't me regularly revisiting this collection, but I will enjoy the odd blast of the stand out tracks. 

Chloe's rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 7. California Dreamin'
Olly's rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 7. California Dreamin'

Next week is 787. Alien Lanes by Guided by Voices - a band where I couldn't even tell you which genre they belonged to.