A few years ago, music writer Gary Suarez (@noyokono on Twitter) came up with #MusicWriterExercise:
“Each day in February, listen to one full album you’ve never heard, from start to finish. Write one tweet about it.”
I discovered it this year (now using hashtag #MWE) and loved the idea. Seemed like the perfect thing to gently push me to check out some albums I’ve skipped for whatever reason over the years, meant to listen to but forgotten, etc.
Below are all 28.
It was a really good experience. I fell in love with a number of albums and bands and, over and over, wondered, “What took me so long to hear this?”
Day 1:
King Geedorah – Take Me To Your Leader
Relentless, lo-fi, but feels warm and well lived in. Need more. ht @AdventuresDub
Day 2:
Allman Brothers Band – st
Blues rock melting pot much stronger for all the added ingredients, esp. psych+jazz+soul influence.
Day 3:
Slowdive – Pygmalion
Incredible Souvlaki follow up. Slower and more meditative, this might be their true masterpiece.
Day 4:
Echo & The Bunnymen
Was told ages ago I’d love this bc it is a precursor of so much I listened to in the 90’s. Yes.
Day 5:
The Special Pillow – Ancient History
1st song=drone rock masterpiece, the rest is solid psych pop if not reaching same heights.
Day 6:
Spacemen 3 – Playing With Fire
Absolute scorchers cross paths, with a friendly nod, with stoned gospel poems.
Day 7:
Alice Cooper – Love It To Death
A handful of rockers filled out with a few mostly successful and definitely worth it experiments
Day 8:
J Dilla – Donuts
There is a lot happening here, but it all hits like a gentle massage for the overburdened brain. Sublime.
Day 9:
Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me
If this was the only album released in 80s, 90s indie rock still could have happened.
Day 10:
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra
The synths on this frequently cross between sounding like field recordings and electronic. Essential.
Day 11:
R.E.M. – Murmur
REM, or at least Michael Stipe, fully formed from the start. More REMish than expected based on knowing 90s best.
Day 12:
Ramones – Rocket To Russia
A point in rock history where everything got simple and crystal clear again for a minute.
Day 13:
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
1st song didn’t grab me but 2nd did so I started the album over and made right with the universe
Day 14:
Lou Reed – The Blue Mask
Strong album with only a few minor misses. Title track roars while subtlety creates wonders elsewhere.
Day 15:
Suicide – st
Quietly throbbing, sneakily beautiful & pierced with sudden violence. Important fork in the road to where we are.
Day 16:
Can – Tago Mago
Drums lead in this monumental album of challenging – sometimes impossibly funky, sometimes discordant songs.
Day 17:
Steve Reich – Music for a Large Ensemble
Shimmering, lively, life-filled pieces based on repetition, but organic all the same.
Day 18:
Country Joe & the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind and Body
Psych in a pure/Promethean state reaching for some interesting heights at times.
Day 19:
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – From Her To Eternity
Everytime I listen to a Nick Cave album I wonder why he’s not on constant rotation at my house
Day 20:
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – The Message
A reminder that I have more homework. Doesn’t all land for me, but when it hits, it hits hard.
Day 21:
Rush – 2112
Tight playing, super proggy/indulgent (but mostly successful) a-side, hard rock b-side, but all feels of a piece.
Day 22:
Dr. John – Gris-Gris
Deep NOLA enmeshed, psych(iatric?) slow burners. Bad trips that feel good.
Day 23:
Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express
An appropriate album name – hypnotic, repetitive music with a strong feeling of movement.
Day 24:
Melvins – Lysol
Expertly crafted, crushingly heavy, slow burning sludge. Clearly a huge influence on drone doom and rightly so.
Day 25:
Savages – Adore Life
Excellent follow up to towering post punk debut. A more even listen if not quite as immediate and engaging
Day 26:
Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Day 27:
The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms
Day 28:
Sun Ra – Space Is The Place
Atypically, the vocal numbers are the more out there (way out). Deep space and back and then some.
