June 2022 Vinyl Spin Challenge - Red (N&G's Version)

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waruv

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As you may have surmised from the image response in the planning thread, there is a bit of a Taylor Swift vibe to all of this. With that said, I'm not cruel enough to make a Reputation themed month. I figured a while back, Red (Taylor's Version) has 30 songs, and there were 30 days in my assigned month, and I feel like she's a big enough topic of discussion that it could lead to some fun choices and themes. This turned out better than my other theme did (that might be tried in the future with some tweaks), so here we gooooooooooooo

To be very clear, you do not have to play Taylor to participate - none of the themes are "play a Taylor Swift album". With that said, here's the rundown
  • Like every other challenge - play a record. Interpretations are loose to non-existent and I gave two themes for each day as I know collection sizes and options will vary a ton and I don't want anyone to get stuck. You only need to adhere to one of them. If you need to catch-up, catch-up. If you need to skip, skip. I just want people to have some fun with this and dig a bit into their collection a bit.
  • Given the theme, I don't think daily or weekly reveals are necessary. All are below. However, if you want to surprise yourself...I'll spoiler it week by week for you as I did kind of dig when @gaporter did it that way. I'm not doing 30 spoiler tags for daily. :)
  • No Taylor Swift spinning is required, but if you're really stuck and have her somewhere in your cubes, you can sub her in on any theme. Let's consider that a special rule for this month.
  • Prize Time! For participating, I'll enter you in a drawing for a free record of reasonable price from Bandcamp or Paladin or another retailer - we can work out the details. I'm not going though posts and tracking - I'm gonna take a Day 30 post as confirmation and entry. I'll also have a post around then for anyone who participated and fell off that want to be entered for people to respond to. I know for many, this album in particular was a way of accepting themselves and their situations as it approached, so please participate as you see fit.
  • Be creative, tell stories, share pictures - that's what I enjoy the most about this challenge and would love to see!
The themes are in the next post due to size issues

Anyway, I hope everyone has fun - pardon any typos and I'll be doing my very best to be engaged here as well (there's some pretty heavy life things going on right now and I'd love for this to be a bit of a distraction if anything)
 
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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.

Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.

Or

Play an album that references a state, province, or other regional location.



02- Red – The title track and one of the singles off the album really tries to hit at an emotional angle as opposed to some of the more descriptive songs she tends to write.

Do a mood check! Play an album that fits where you’re emotionally sitting today.

Or

Play an album with ties to communism (for or against or otherwise).




03 – Treacherous – As is all too well known, many of Taylor Swift’s tracks are about individuals she has dated and there is endless speculation on this. The endless speculation leads to some fun facts. This song is believed by many to be about former One Direction singer and current pop megastar Harry Styles “won’t stop ‘til it’s over”, which is a tattoo he has from the song Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. It’s pretty rough folks.



Play an album featuring a lyric, artist, or music you’d consider (or have) gotten a tattoo about.

Or

Play an album you regret buying



04 – I Knew You Were Trouble –This is also one of the handful of songs on the album she brought in Max Martin for as well as a huge single for her. The Max Martin relationship flourished in the coming years. As such

Play a Max Martin album (produced by or involved with in some manner)

Or

Play an album that represents a new partnership between musicians (can be a new supergroup, new producer, etc.)

05 – All Too Well

This is generally considered by critics and fans to be on the Mount Rushmore of Swift’s songs (Buzzfeed and Rolling Stone had it at #1, Vulture at #2 for instance). A brutal, meticulously detailed, recounting of a breakup that would send nearly anyone into hiding after hearing it if it were about them. The ten minute version will come up later but the standard five and change also works quite well too.

Play an album with a great breakup song

Or

Play an album with a story arc over multiple songs (or the whole album)



06 – 22 – You know this is kind of jarring after listening to All Too Well and makes this countdown counting so let’s keep this one simple folks

Play an album you loved when you were 22 (if you’re not 22 yet…I’m jealous but also play something you think you’ll like when you are)

Or

Play an album by an active artist with at least 22 years in the industry.



07 – I Almost Do The “nah, should I, nah” meme of songs.

Play an album you picked up and put down a few times before ultimately buying it.

Or

Play the first part of a double album



08 – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – “And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / with some indie record that’s much cooler than mine” – it’s really low hanging fruit.



Play a really cool Indie record.

Or

Play the second half of the double album from Day 7.



09 – Stay Stay Stay - Cutesy as heck and definitely a bit of a daydream about one of those ideal relationships, which after like the last eight tracks is a nice change.

Play a palette cleanser (the music you go to when you just need to take away all the emotions of the world)

Or

Play that album that just tends to stay (stay stay) on the turntable after a spin



10 – The Last Time – At this point, this was a rarity in the Swift catalog – a true duet. I think it’s her first male-female collaboration on a mainline Swift album (she did have some features elsewhere) and man does it have a lot of Gary Lightbody on it.

Play an album featuring vocalists of at least two genders

Or

Play an album that’s hitting the sale or trade-in or PIF box after this spin




11 – Holy Ground – Time heals all wounds right? This one is about looking through the bad in the past to recognize the good that was and getting a bit of healing from it, so…



Play an album that someone else introduced you to (even if you don’t talk to them anymore)

Or

Play an album with religious/spiritual themes




12 – Sad Beautiful Tragic A bit of a tough track about isolation, longing, and waiting for something that will never work out.

Play an album you really wanted to love but, for whatever reason, cannot.

Or

Play a sad, beautiful, tragic album




13 – The Lucky One – Sharing a title with an Allison Krauss song and is one of the rare Swift songs that appears to be about someone that isn’t in her personal circle in some way. For one of my money one of her most interesting tracks for the variance if nothing else. Also, 13 is a big Swiftie "number watch" - she often releases songs, merch, album announcements, etc. on the 13th of the month.

Play an album that had (either for you or others) substantial anticipation prior to its release.

Or

Play an album by a retired female musician.



14 – Everything Has Changed The second of two duets on this album, this one with Ed Sheeran, is about that feeling of finding someone new who really rattles up your world.

Play an album that changed how you listen to music.

Or

Play an “new to you” discovery from 2022.




15 – Starlight I was this many days old when I learned this was about Ethel and Bobby Kennedy. Go figure right? Given she says as much in the lyrics that just proves I don’t listen to lyrics that well, so



Play an album where you don’t really listen to the lyrics

Or

Play an album with a political connection or inspiration



16- Begin Again – The title pretty-indicative of what you’re getting. This is also one of the small handful of songs that still linked itself to the country world before she went full on pop.

Play an album where the artist is shifting their identity (Musically or Otherwise)

Or

Play an album by James Taylor or someone influenced by him/in his musical circle.



17 – The Moment I Knew- Now we’re into the Deluxe cuts. This is the first track once you get past the standard edition and it does make sense to why it was cut originally given it’s a bit reminiscent of a portion of All Too Well.

Play a Deluxe or Expanded Album

Or

Play an album where you knew that you were “out” on an artist.



18 – Come Back…Be Here: The track is another one that draws on themes of other songs (distance in relationships eventually crumbling them), albeit with a very different tone to it

Play an album about or that references New York

Or

Play an album you gave away or sold that you then re-bought (or want to!)
 
19 – Girl At Home: Given the sheer volume of Swift songs about relationships, it’s a tiny bit surprising we haven’t gotten a track of her as the potential “other woman” until this one. Maybe except Better Than Revenge but we don’t really talk about that any more right?



Play an album that has a song (or songs) that can skirt moral lines

Or

Play your favorite pandemic album



20 – State of Grace (Acoustic Version) – Making me think of four themes for a song, rude as heck.

Play an acoustic album

Or

Play an album with strong literary or mythological references




21 – Ronan – The story behind this one is particularly tough. It’s worth reading in full but she wrote this about a three-year old who died of cancer after an eight-month battle. She has only performed it a handful of times and is something very different than nearly anything else she’s put out. On that somber note



Play an album that reminds you of your childhood

Or

Play an album of a philanthropic nature




22 – Better Man – We’ve now made it to the Taylor’s Version exclusives. One of the more interesting aspects of this song is that she gave this to Little Big Town to use, which they then won a Grammy with.

Play an album by an artist known for their songwriting

Or

Play an album by an artist who did a song called Better Man (Pearl Jam, Little Big Town, Robbie Williams, among others)



23 – Nothing New – Featuring Phoebe Bridgers like everything else in 2021 right? To Taylor’s credit, unlike nearly every other feature, Phoebe actually got to say words on this one. Also, it was inspired by Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You, and a song can only be so bad if it’s citing Joni Mitchell

Play an album you picked up used

Or

Play an album by Joni Mtichell or Phoebe Bridgers



24 – Babe – Like Better Man, this is another one she wrote, shelved, and then gave to another country artist to deliver (Sugarland in this case). She also wrote this with the lead singer of Train.

Play an album referencing country life and/or pigs

Or

Play an album that was initially released in the CD Era (you know, where Train belongs, let’s say 1990-2010), and yes I know there’s CD diehards here.




25 – Message in a Bottle – When I first heard this song it felt like the kind of song you put in a cheesy feel-good movie scene. Other reviewers were reminded of Carly Rae Jepsen which, well, don’t we all wish we could be Carly?

Play a pop banger in honor of CRJ.

Or

Play something form an English artist in honor of Sting



26 – I Bet You Think About Me

This one was penned near my neck of the woods in Foxborough, Massachusetts at Lori McKenna’s house and she grabbed Chris Stapleton to feature on it. Two fantastic names. It also had that great little bitter vibe in it that a lot of the great Taylor songs do.



Play an album either by Lori McKenna or someone she’s written a song with or for

or

Play an album that has elements of scorn or resentment flowing through it


27 – Forever Winter

This felt like such an odd choice for the expanded album as it’s so distinctly not a song like most of the others. It’s not about a romance, it’s not about resentment – it’s about fear and panic in many ways. It may be a bit on the simplistic/basic side for the material, but a mental health awareness / friendship song is an interesting turn on this album.

Play an album that has a theme of exploring mental/behavioral health

or

Play an album that you’ll often spin in the winter (or when you’re in the dumps)



28 – Run

Hey, it’s an Ed Sheeran sighting. Apparently, it was between this and Everything Has Changed for placement on the album proper and Everything Has Changed won out.

Play a fast-paced album (ideally with at least one song that you’d find on a running playlist)

or

Play an album of an artist you have a lot of…that you don’t usually end up spinning.



29 – The Very First Night

To me this is one of those songs that I’d probably like but then I remember another song with a similar enough theme (albeit a different overall conclusion) and just want to play that instead. No offense to The Very First Night but Supercut just exists still.

Play a true debut release of an artist (first album, single, etc.)

Or

Play an album that contains the “best” version of a particular type of song (in your opinion)



30 – All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

It’s a pretty epic closer and also makes my job at the end of this one really easy.

Play an album that represents the end of an artist's career

or

Play an album with a really, really long song on it.
 
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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.

Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.

My favorite Cheap Trick song used to glorious effect in an early Matt Dillon b-movie...



Cheap Trick - S/T

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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.

Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.


Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing

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"Witness" is not the first song you'd expect to hear from someone when you inquire what their favorite McLachlan jam is. But it's mine. From Surfacing alone, you could probably expect at least five tunes that would pull more votes before it.
 
01 – State of Grace

In so much as my understanding of a “deep cut” is an amazing, albeit lesser known song by a well known artist, Endless is a whole album of them. Sandwiched between Blond(e) and Channel Orange and only released on Apple Music, it gets forgotten about and overshadowed.

Frank Ocean — Endless

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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.
Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.

Prince Prince (1979 Warner Brothers; 2016 NPG Records reissue)
Prince has a ton of amazing deep cuts throughout his albums. Here's one I particularly love. "Bambi" off his self-titled from 1979. It's a bit uncharacteristic for Price in that era since it's a funk-rock scorcher. The guitar riff is amazing and the whole track really highlights Price's guitar skills. And that falsetto vocal is so groovy. Love that track.

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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.

Play an album that references a state, province, or other regional location.

just got this one in the mail yesterday and it was one I had been meaning to pick up for a long time. It not only has state references in the title, my favorite song on the album does as well (In California). I've never quite gotten the sourcing on the song - it seems to be a cover from the Lisa Marr Experience, a true deep cut (hah!) if you will. Just a masterful showing of a live album.

Neko Case - Live From Austin TX

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01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.

Dispatch - Circles Around the Sun

Most of these tracks are deep cuts since the album didn't do great, but the last track - Feels So Good - is one of my favorite Dispatch tunes.
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01 - State Of Grace - Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts

THE POLICE - Synchronicity
PXL_20220601_185618069.NIGHT.jpg
an album littered with pop classics, but for some strange reason the track "Miss Gradenko" was one that just stuck with the whole family growing up and listening to this album on many family drives and just seems to be sung at random during conversation, for what reasons I really don't know. it may not be as out there or different as "Mother" (which is another song often referenced when with my family), but it's definitely not a song most would think of when discussing this album... but I love it!
 
01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.
Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.

First time I saw the Flaming Lips was on the Yoshimi tour in 2003 w/ Liz Phair and the Starlight Mints opening. My most distinct memory of that show was the performance of Lightning Strikes the Postman. Full of smoke machines, strobe lights, and Wayne singing through a megaphone mixed perfectly with the overall unhinged pomposity of the song. Been a favorite ever since.

Flaming Lips ~ Clouds Taste Metallic

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imtheocean said:
01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.
Play an album with one of your favorite deep cuts.

First time I saw the Flaming Lips was on the Yoshimi tour in 2003 w/ Liz Phair and the Starlight Mints opening. My most distinct memory of that show was the performance of Lightning Strikes the Postman. Full of smoke machines, strobe lights, and Wayne singing through a megaphone mixed perfectly with the overall unhinged pomposity of the song. Been a favorite ever since.

Flaming Lips ~ Clouds Taste Metallic

View attachment 141065

Click to expand...

I remember seeing them open for Stone Temple Pilots back when STP was touring from Core... my distinct memory was that the bass player was sitting down on a chair during the entire show... not sure why that stuck out to me most, but it's definitely my main memory... well also that they were very loud and at times it sounded like airplanes were taking off.. ha ha
 
Tillman said:
I remember seeing them open for Stone Temple Pilots back when STP was touring from Core... my distinct memory was that the bass player was sitting down on a chair during the entire show... not sure why that stuck out to me most, but it's definitely my main memory... well also that they were very loud and at times it sounded like airplanes were taking off.. ha ha
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, Michael Ivins (who recently retired from touring) was definitely the Anti-Wayne. What's funny is that while I have good memories of seeing Wayne sing through a megaphone, when I saw STP Scott Weilands' use of the megaphone got old, really quick.
 
01 – State of Grace – The lead track is generally considered one of the stronger tracks on Red that didn’t get a true single release and made Billboard’s Best Pop Deep Cuts of the 21st Century List.
Play an album that references a state, province, or other regional location.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
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So sue me, I took the easy “W”. To be fair, I am originally from “The Land of Lincoln” and it’s a pretty amazing album.
 
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