419. Dire Straits

Dire Straits
Dire Straits
1978

Tracks
1. Down To The Waterline
2. Water Of Love 
3. Setting Me Up 
4. Six Blade Knife 
5. Southbound Again 
6. Sultans Of Swing 
7. In The Gallery
8. Wild West End 
9. Lions

I know, I know.  I didn't write a post yesterday.  I know my followers (i.e. my mother) were probably devastated.  I did listen to this album yesterday, but couldn't come up with my usual brilliant, biting commentary (i.e. It was okay, I guess. Not my favorite) at 11:47 pm.  I still can't think of anything to say about this album, due to its overall meh factor.

Dire Straits seems to be classified as pub rock, a genre I am not too familiar with, unless you count New Boots and Panties, which I am trying to forget ever happened.  I got exciting thinking that the album might be a taste of London life (particularly when the song "Wild West End" came on) but I found the lyrics to be rather uninspired.  "Southbound Again" was rather boring in that respect.

Still, I am glad I listened to it since I was familiar with the band name.  Overall not too impressive.

RATING: 3/5

418. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Devo
1978

Tracks
1. Uncontrollable Urge 
2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
3. Praying Hands 
4. Space Junk 
5. Mongoloid 
6. Jocko Homo 
7. Too Much Paranoias
8. Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy 
9. Come Back Jonee 
10. Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')
11. Shrivel Up

What a snappy title this album has.  Thankfully, it recovers from its titular flow problems.  Recently, it's like the musicians are trying to make us lower our expectations by wrecking first impressions (I'm looking at the cover of Siembra when I say that).  Maybe it's a good strategy, because I actually really enjoyed this, despite the fact that the term "new wave" makes me skittish.

Lately all my favorite songs have been covers.  At least Devo had an interesting take on "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."  Still, at least the cover was about something as harmless as a meaningless existence.  "Mongoloid" took a turn for the offensive, as you could have probably surmised from its title.  The lyrics were"Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid.  One chromosome too many."  What reason could you have for writing a song like that?  Trying to get a reaction?  That kind of thought process usually makes me lose respect for artists.

Still, enjoyable enough and actually was over faster than I would have liked.  And that's a statement I very rarely make.

RATING: 3/5

417. The Cars

The Cars
The Cars
1978

Tracks
1. Good Times Roll
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Just What I Needed
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. You're All I've Got Tonight
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Moving In Stereo
9. All Mixed Up

This is another band that I could not have picked from a line up.  Once I got into the album, I recognized quite a few songs.  I was actually just reviewing Fast Times at Ridgemont High on my film blog, which featured Phoebe Cates taking her shirt off to "Moving in Stereo".  At the very least, this album will bring back happy memories.

I also was familiar with "Good Times Roll."  It was nice to finally have some love songs on an album.  Normally, the songs on this List are about...well, I don't really know what the other songs are about.  Buildings and food, I guess.  The simplicity of a song about a friend dating your ex appealed me today for some reason.  Probably because I am still heavily medicated for pain.

It was also kind of fun that we weren't looking at a poster child for a specific genre.  The Cars manage to blend punk and rock well in this album.  Worth a listen.

RATING: 4/5

416. Siembra

Siembra
Willie Colon and Ruben Blades
1978

Tracks
1. Plastico
2. Buscando Guayaba
3. Pedro Navaja
4. Maria Lionza
5. Ojos
6. Dime
7. Siembra

I asked my sister after listening to this album if she would ever be interested in learning how to salsa.  I was quite alarmed when she told me that she already knew how.  Is that a skill that many people have?  I can't even dance normally.

This is a salsa album, which I don't think you are supposed to enjoy listening to alone at night in your bedroom.  You are supposed to enjoy this on the dance floor, a thing I am rather incapable of doing.  Parts of all this album still managed to interesting.  I mean, I don't speak Spanish but I did catch a small tribute to West Side Story, a sure way to win me over.

Still, what is with the Anne Geddes cover?  It didn't remotely fit the tone.  Can you be ironic with salsa music?

RATING: 3/5

415. Van Halen

Van Halen
Van Halen
1978

Tracks
1. Runnin' With The Devil
2. Eruption
3. You Really Got Me
4. Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love 
5. I'm The One 
6. Jamie's Cryin'
7. Atomic Punk 
8. Feel Your Love Tonight 
9. Little Dreamer
10. Ice Cream Man 
11. On Fire

I had heard Van Halen referenced many times before today but I don't know if I could have actually named one of their songs.  I have to say, I'm not sure I was missing much.

I guess the most striking part of this album is the guitar solos which were...at best, self indulgent.  I read a review by a fellow blogger who described the music as "just some guy wanking his guitar off."  Colorful and fairly accurate.

The best song on this album is definitely "You Got Me" but I found out that is a Kinks cover.  Not particularly impressive, but at least the album could be correctly identified as music.  Unfortunately, that makes it a stand out work on this List, at least recently.

RATING: 3/5

414. Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
1978

Tracks
1. Fast Cars 
2. No Reply 
3. You Tear Me Up 
4. Get On Our Own 
5. Love Battery 
6. Sixteen 
7. I Don't Mind 
8. Fiction Romance 
9. Autonomy 
10. I Need 
11. Moving Away From The Pulsebeat 

My, we are getting quite self aware with these album titles.  Also: Buzzcocks.  Teehee.

I suppose this qualifies as a punk album, but is nothing like the punk albums that I have been used to listening to.  They sounded a lot less angry and almost...sweet?  There was a sadness behind the lyrics that usually isn't present in punk.  In "I Don't Mind," they say "I used to bet that you didn't care/ But gambling never got me anywhere/ Each time I used to be so sure/ Something about you made me doubt you more."  That is shockingly sincere and sad.  I bet they wear turtlenecks in their free time.

And really, who can't relate to "Fiction Romance" where he talks about how real love is never like anything in fiction?  That should have been my jam in high school.  I also appreciated the talent behind the vocals.  Definitely an improvement from yesterday.

RATING: 4/5

413. More Songs About Buildings and Food

More Souls About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads
1978

Tracks
1. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel 
2. With Our Love
3. Good Things 
4. Warning Sign 
5. Girls Want To Be With The Girls
6. Found A Job 
7. Artists Only
8. I'm Not In Love 
9. Stay Hungry 
10. Take Me To The River 
11. Big Country

I wasn't too impressed with the previous Talking Heads album on the List, which has probably transformed my head into a dartboard for many the music fan.  Yes, I am the center of their universes.  I wish that I could say I enjoyed this one more, but I can't.

I found the lyrics on this album to be quite strange.  For example, in "Girls Want To Be With The Girls" they say "Girls are getting into abstract analysis/ They want to be make an intuitive leap/They are making plans that have far reaching effects/And girls want to be with girls."  I'm sorry, what?  That sounded incredibly awkward.  Even the title is awkward.  Cut out the "the!"  I also found the accompanying instrumentals to be rather yawn worthy, even though the musicians were obviously skilled.

Overall, just a meh and certainly doesn't stand out for its lyrical quality.

RATING: 2/5