The N&G Listening Club V1 - Archive only

Nothing wrong with playing some Gorillaz over the next couple of weeks. I'm not super familiar with this one but I'm looking forward to it. BTW...I am listening to the remixes too b/c I can. Strangely...I am familiar with G sides not D sides. I had that cd when it came out. Thanks for picking this...nice one.
 
Greetings, N&G! The time has come for me to pick an album for the Listening Club. I had a hard time narrowing my choice down to one that I felt I strongly wanted to pick, as well as one I felt would be appreciated by others on the forum. Eventually I settled on a somewhat unexpected choice and one that I'm sure some of you have heard, but hopefully will still provide for some interesting discussion.

The album I have chosen is
Gorillaz - D-Sides
View attachment 29983

I've made no secret of my love for Gorillaz. They were my first musical obsession and one that I've continued to hold very dear. Their first three albums were all cornerstones of my childhood and were in many ways my introduction to various types of music. My parents were mostly rock fans and therefore that was most of what I was exposed to by them. So hearing the debut album and Demon Days for the first time absolutely blew my entire conceptions of music wide open. I've heard the music of Gorillaz classified as many different things but I think trying to label the project under one genre misses the entire point. The most exciting thing about the project to me when I was younger is no two songs sounded alike and it captured my restless imagination. And oddly enough, the album I feel best displays this phenomenon is not even a proper album, but a scrappy little B-sides compilation.

I'm assuming most of the forum is familiar with Demon Days considering its popularity and acclaim. D-Sides, on paper, is merely a collection of tracks recorded during the sessions for Demon Days that did not make the final album. However I feel it also serves as a very interesting companion piece to the perfectionism of Demon Days; one of the most impressive aspects of DD is how it manages to tightly and expertly flow through multiple moods and genres throughout its fifteen tracks, never wasting a second. On the flipside, D-Sides contains a similar genre roulette approach, but with the attitude that these aren't album cuts that will be scrutinized, so the experimentation is much less controlled and allows the musicians involved a chance to stumble into any genre and style just because... well, why not?

And personally I find that inspiring. I can see the less polished nature of D-Sides compared to its sister album being a turn off for some, but I've always had an interest in what goes on behind the curtain of my favorite albums. And D-Sides, whether intentionally or not, seems to provide a very interesting peer into the creation of Demon Days. Can you imagine if instead of the beautiful choral arrangement of "Don't Get Lost in Heaven", we had gotten a whacked out faux-country take of the song on the album instead? Or if the awkward and quirky "People" hadn't been tweaked into a monster dance hit somewhere down the line?

D-Sides is an oddity of an album; there's so many various sound and moods conveyed, whether it's the sinister yet chill "Spitting Out the Demons", the surreal drum machine led "Rockit", the harsh industrial "Murdoc is God" or the hauntingly beautiful "Hong Kong." This is an album that showcases Gorillaz during one of it's most artistically unconventional and creative periods and, for a compilation of "leftovers", is one of my favorite listening experiences anytime I put it on. It also contains my favorite Gorillaz song of all time - I'll let you guess which one!

Also a side note - I'm only considering the first disc ("68 State" to "Stop the Dams") for the purposes of this listening club. You're free to listen to the second disc of remixes if you want but I don't find them nearly as interesting as the original songs.

Streaming links
Spotify:
Apple Music: ‎D-Sides by Gorillaz

So... a few days ago I thought of something I would have picked had I thought about it. It's pretty crazy that in going through all my choices I managed to skip over it, but I guess at least now I know what I'll pick if I'm ever up to bat for a second time ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
So what do you do when your band breaks up , it’s quite popular and you can finally have creative control without arguing with the other songwriters ... you could unleash a deeply personal heavy howl of anguish .... or go full lo-fi quirkinesses deflating people expectations ....


Or was there a third way ? Needs a bit of thinking over

F2A6EA2C-9E8A-4B40-93F1-DFDB48A05056.jpeg
 
So thanks to @Bohnjaggs ...

My choice is THE ultimate solo album .. a transatlantic no 1 ... a triple vinyl set ..the wonderful All Things Must Pass by The quiet one..George Harrison

The Beatles kind of did everything first ..including breaking up spectacularly .. and these days I find myself listening to the 70s solo stuff a lot more than the band catalogue.

George unleashed a torrent in one go..all those years of having stuff rejected , snide comments , a lot of patronising.. yet he’d quietly been delivering key songs Taxman , While my guitar Gently weeps, It’s all too much before the 1 2 knock out punch of Here Comes the sun and Something on Abbey Road .

All Things Must Pass is a proper 70’s album , bloated , daft packaging (these flimsy boxes) giant poster ..Phil Spector production, Bob Dylan co writes, a monument to excess..
Yet ..

It’s brill, song after song it’s great , no duffers , (part from all of album three!) ..

Track listing
All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.
Original release
Side one
  1. "I'd Have You Anytime" (Harrison, Bob Dylan) – 2:56
  2. "My Sweet Lord" – 4:38
  3. "Wah-Wah" – 5:35
  4. "Isn't It a Pity (Version One)" – 7:10
Side two
  1. "What Is Life" – 4:22
  2. "If Not for You" (Dylan) – 3:29
  3. "Behind That Locked Door" – 3:05
  4. "Let It Down" – 4:57
  5. "Run of the Mill" – 2:49
Side three
  1. "Beware of Darkness" – 3:48
  2. "Apple Scruffs" – 3:04
  3. "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" – 3:48
  4. "Awaiting on You All" – 2:45
  5. "All Things Must Pass" – 3:44
Side four
  1. "I Dig Love" – 4:55
  2. "Art of Dying" – 3:37
  3. "Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)" – 4:45
  4. "Hear Me Lord" – 5:46
Side five (Apple Jam)
  1. "Out of the Blue" – 11:14
  2. "It's Johnny's Birthday" (Bill Martin, Phil Coulter, Harrison) – 0:49
  3. "Plug Me In" – 3:18
Side six (Apple Jam)
  1. "I Remember Jeep" – 8:07
  2. "Thanks for the Pepperoni" – 5:31
The last disc I’m sure was on there just so they could release a bunch of jamming as well ..Apple Jam !

But the core albums one and two are superb..some of my favourites are the epic Isn’t it a pity , (so good it’s on twice ) , the wonderful guitar workout that is Wah-wah, the haunting Beware of Darkness, that lovely Dylan co write If Not For You , the title track that really sums up the end of the Beatles , the tribute to the fans Apple Scruffs , and the first Beatles solo no 1 My Sweet Lord.. but it’s all good ..a proper album in every regard .. thank you George RIP

7C7803E3-DF5A-4657-98DB-CC57A2C9303D.jpeg
 
So thanks to @Bohnjaggs ...

My choice is THE ultimate solo album .. a transatlantic no 1 ... a triple vinyl set ..the wonderful All Things Must Pass by The quiet one..George Harrison

The Beatles kind of did everything first ..including breaking up spectacularly .. and these days I find myself listening to the 70s solo stuff a lot more than the band catalogue.

George unleashed a torrent in one go..all those years of having stuff rejected , snide comments , a lot of patronising.. yet he’d quietly been delivering key songs Taxman , While my guitar Gently weeps, It’s all too much before the 1 2 knock out punch of Here Comes the sun and Something on Abbey Road .

All Things Must Pass is a proper 70’s album , bloated , daft packaging (these flimsy boxes) giant poster ..Phil Spector production, Bob Dylan co writes, a monument to excess..
Yet ..

It’s brill, song after song it’s great , no duffers , (part from all of album three!) ..

Track listing
All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.
Original release
Side one
  1. "I'd Have You Anytime" (Harrison, Bob Dylan) – 2:56
  2. "My Sweet Lord" – 4:38
  3. "Wah-Wah" – 5:35
  4. "Isn't It a Pity (Version One)" – 7:10
Side two
  1. "What Is Life" – 4:22
  2. "If Not for You" (Dylan) – 3:29
  3. "Behind That Locked Door" – 3:05
  4. "Let It Down" – 4:57
  5. "Run of the Mill" – 2:49
Side three
  1. "Beware of Darkness" – 3:48
  2. "Apple Scruffs" – 3:04
  3. "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" – 3:48
  4. "Awaiting on You All" – 2:45
  5. "All Things Must Pass" – 3:44
Side four
  1. "I Dig Love" – 4:55
  2. "Art of Dying" – 3:37
  3. "Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)" – 4:45
  4. "Hear Me Lord" – 5:46
Side five (Apple Jam)
  1. "Out of the Blue" – 11:14
  2. "It's Johnny's Birthday" (Bill Martin, Phil Coulter, Harrison) – 0:49
  3. "Plug Me In" – 3:18
Side six (Apple Jam)
  1. "I Remember Jeep" – 8:07
  2. "Thanks for the Pepperoni" – 5:31
The last disc I’m sure was on there just so they could release a bunch of jamming as well ..Apple Jam !

But the core albums one and two are superb..some of my favourites are the epic Isn’t it a pity , (so good it’s on twice ) , the wonderful guitar workout that is Wah-wah, the haunting Beware of Darkness, that lovely Dylan co write If Not For You , the title track that really sums up the end of the Beatles , the tribute to the fans Apple Scruffs , and the first Beatles solo no 1 My Sweet Lord.. but it’s all good ..a proper album in every regard .. thank you George RIP

View attachment 34042

As much as I've heard Beatles songs over the years, despite not being a huge fan, I've never really explored much of their solo work, outside of maybe Wings-era McCartney. I'm looking forward to giving this one a listen. I actually have it on vinyl since it was part of the collection my father-in-law gave us but I haven't gotten around to spinning it.
 
As much as I've heard Beatles songs over the years, despite not being a huge fan, I've never really explored much of their solo work, outside of maybe Wings-era McCartney. I'm looking forward to giving this one a listen. I actually have it on vinyl since it was part of the collection my father-in-law gave us but I haven't gotten around to spinning it.

I'm not a big Beatles fan, but this is a good one (pops into neglected thread). Hi!
 
So thanks to @Bohnjaggs ...

My choice is THE ultimate solo album .. a transatlantic no 1 ... a triple vinyl set ..the wonderful All Things Must Pass by The quiet one..George Harrison

The Beatles kind of did everything first ..including breaking up spectacularly .. and these days I find myself listening to the 70s solo stuff a lot more than the band catalogue.

George unleashed a torrent in one go..all those years of having stuff rejected , snide comments , a lot of patronising.. yet he’d quietly been delivering key songs Taxman , While my guitar Gently weeps, It’s all too much before the 1 2 knock out punch of Here Comes the sun and Something on Abbey Road .

All Things Must Pass is a proper 70’s album , bloated , daft packaging (these flimsy boxes) giant poster ..Phil Spector production, Bob Dylan co writes, a monument to excess..
Yet ..

It’s brill, song after song it’s great , no duffers , (part from all of album three!) ..

Track listing
All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.
Original release
Side one
  1. "I'd Have You Anytime" (Harrison, Bob Dylan) – 2:56
  2. "My Sweet Lord" – 4:38
  3. "Wah-Wah" – 5:35
  4. "Isn't It a Pity (Version One)" – 7:10
Side two
  1. "What Is Life" – 4:22
  2. "If Not for You" (Dylan) – 3:29
  3. "Behind That Locked Door" – 3:05
  4. "Let It Down" – 4:57
  5. "Run of the Mill" – 2:49
Side three
  1. "Beware of Darkness" – 3:48
  2. "Apple Scruffs" – 3:04
  3. "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" – 3:48
  4. "Awaiting on You All" – 2:45
  5. "All Things Must Pass" – 3:44
Side four
  1. "I Dig Love" – 4:55
  2. "Art of Dying" – 3:37
  3. "Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)" – 4:45
  4. "Hear Me Lord" – 5:46
Side five (Apple Jam)
  1. "Out of the Blue" – 11:14
  2. "It's Johnny's Birthday" (Bill Martin, Phil Coulter, Harrison) – 0:49
  3. "Plug Me In" – 3:18
Side six (Apple Jam)
  1. "I Remember Jeep" – 8:07
  2. "Thanks for the Pepperoni" – 5:31
The last disc I’m sure was on there just so they could release a bunch of jamming as well ..Apple Jam !

But the core albums one and two are superb..some of my favourites are the epic Isn’t it a pity , (so good it’s on twice ) , the wonderful guitar workout that is Wah-wah, the haunting Beware of Darkness, that lovely Dylan co write If Not For You , the title track that really sums up the end of the Beatles , the tribute to the fans Apple Scruffs , and the first Beatles solo no 1 My Sweet Lord.. but it’s all good ..a proper album in every regard .. thank you George RIP

View attachment 34042
This is a great choice! I have an OG press of this - from my parents. And I honestly have never put it on the tt. I shall correct that error soon.
 
This one is definitely my favorite Beatle solo album and probably one of my top 5 rock records of the 70s. I heard it so much growing up from my Dad and I still play his copy often now that it's been handed down to me. Most of his records were in terrible shape, but he seemed to have cared for this set.
 
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