Renée
Well-Known Member
I'm still pretty hyped for this pick, and not just because I guessed it. Great music, and an even better story. I just really hope we don't get a solid, single color variant of this. Give me a tri-color or something!
Vinyl Me Please Essentials
- Thread starter Captainfog
- Start date
serotonein
Active Member
Mariah as AOTM would have been jumping the shark.
I agree with you on Phoenix, since it was wholly unnecessary, and I can understand negativity towards S/K depending on how you feel about the new album or new albums as picks in general. Loretta, Experience, and Jorge are fantastic, and only Experience is truly cratedigger from an obscurity viewpoint. If people haven't spent time with classic country or Brazilian music, then it's a surprise, but they're really obvious/popular picks from those genres. Each makes perfect sense as an AOTM to introduce people to the most important work outside of 'traditional' US/UK rock... similar to De La Soul
tonythegamer
Well-Known Member
How? The album hasn't been pressed since the 90s and was never released on vinyl in the US, is worth hundreds of dollars on Discogs, and is a well regarded album with two of her classic hits on it. It would have been perfect for them to give it a wide release to their subscribers.
I also think Loretta, experience, and Jorge were all good picks, it's just that they all weren't for me. I'm glad that these albums that hadn't had a repressing in a while finally got it, and I feel that Mariah should have been alongside them in the sub.
I feel like Jim Sullivan isn't going to click with everyone and should have been an exclusive instead of a ROTM. It's probably gonna be one that rots for a while in their warehouse.
I'm probably not going to get Jim Sullivan either unless the color variant is cool.
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Didnt storf write somewhere that they have another mariah album in mind for aotm?
serotonein
Active Member
The complaint to which I was responding was that the albums this year were too cratedigger. I pushed back from the opposite side that Mariah would be the best-known pick they've ever done, a sign that they're solely catering to the (waning) masses for attention & $$$. It would pretty much be the least-"curated" selection they could have made. To my mind, that would closer correlate to 'jumping the shark'.
That aside, nothing is more *in*Essential to a collection than modern mainstream pop music. It hasn't been pressed consistently on vinyl, but you almost have to go out of your way to avoid it outside that medium. Ubiquitous and utterly lacking in quality; completely disposable. As they've done it, an exclusive being basically pressed on-demand gets it to those who want it.
tonythegamer
Well-Known Member
The problem is when you go to albums that nobody has ever heard of, you start to lost the feeling that the albums presented aren't holding up to the namesake of the track, "essential." There are well known albums that are truly essential to someone's collection, just because an album is unknown to everyone doesn't mean it's essential, let alone does it even mean it's a good quality album.
I don't know if I'd consider 1995 that modern tbh. I mean that's almost 25 years ago now.
tonythegamer
Well-Known Member
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
For me it all comes down to money. I'm giving VMP about $30 per month to be subscribed to the Essentials track. In exchange for that $30 per month, they send me a record every month. If I get more records I don't care about than records that I do care about over a certain period of time, I'm no longer going to find value in this subscription, and I'll go on my way to something else. And I personally would rather my $30 have gone to something other than some forgotten folk album from 1969.
Mariah as AOTM would have been jumping the shark.
I agree with you on Phoenix, since it was wholly unnecessary, and I can understand negativity towards S/K depending on how you feel about the new album or new albums as picks in general. Loretta, Experience, and Jorge are fantastic, and only Experience is truly cratedigger from an obscurity viewpoint. If people haven't spent time with classic country or Brazilian music, then it's a surprise, but they're really obvious/popular picks from those genres. Each makes perfect sense as an AOTM to introduce people to the most important work outside of 'traditional' US/UK rock... similar to De La Soul
Loretta I got the pick, not my thing so avoid but no quibbles on the pick
Experience is too esoteric to be claimed to be an album needed in every collection, ideal for the long rumored crate diggers stream
Jorge likewise
Phoenix shit and wholly unnecessary. There needs to be the odd indie pick but they need to do better.
S/K not my thing but again I get the pick
This months seems again to be like Jorge and experience, too obscure for a headline stream, a crate digger pick.
I get pushing new things on people but this year has been ridiculous, 3 and we’re only 9 months in and all this in a stream that’s about giving people things they want and need in their collection rather than obscure shit they’ll listen to once and leave aside. I wasn’t records I’ll wear out, not ones that make me look clued in.
jamieanderson1968
Well-Known Member
It seems to get said every month but people really get hung up on the title Essentials. I would go so far as to say that there have only been a handful of essential titles since VMP started. Black Sabbath, Nina Simone, J Dilla and maybe Beck. Everything else is on the level of ____ (fill in with your favourite hated ROTM from the last couple of years
dhodo
Well-Known Member
The flaw in your argument is you're applying your taste in the mix. I get that you wouldn't spin EU or Ben again but to me they are two of the best records they've done this year. I'm not about to argue that I am remotely interested in every Essentials pick either though, we can agree on that much.
But doesn’t that work both ways? Isn’t that impossible to separate from either argument? Thus they’re both flawed?
My issue is the amount of obscure albums they’re throwing in the largest stream that’s supposed to encompass the most people. I get going there from time to time but 3 time in 9 months is ridiculous. That combined with the horrendous Phoenix joke pick are my major issues this year.
dhodo
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I wasn't trying to defend the Essentials track. I think calling it that is dumb and nothing is essential to everyone. I was just responding to you seeming to think that nobody is interested in repeated spins of those two, but maybe I misunderstood you. There's also no period of VMP that I'm aware of that I wouldn't have been making quite a few swaps, so I might have different expectations as well.
No I agree. And I think that even with any name its still the headline track. It has to appeal to the majority of its subscribers. Occasionally highlighting obscure artists is really cool, it’s just got out of hand this year.
Also I’m by no means deceiving myself that I’ll like everything but I’d got used to 2/3 to 3/4 being my thing or something I’m willing to try. Hitting 6 straight that are misses makes me think it’s them and not me...
dhodo
Well-Known Member
Yeah. To me there's a difference between albums that are actually long critically acclaimed, just not English speaking, like Ben, and "lost" snoozers that have a cool story associated with them like U.F.O. I think EU is kind of in between as it wasn't well known like Ben, but is genuinely good and captivating for me as someone who is into that genre (which ISN'T Go-go!).
I've never had tastes that match majorities really, so it's hard for me to say that's what I want from the track, but I think your point makes sense.
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. is such a weak Essentials ROTM pick. It should have been an exclusive limited to 500 copies. It wouldn’t even have sold out that quickly if it were an exclusive limited to 500 copies. U.F.O. is a waste of an Essentials pick. It’s seriously just as bad or even worse than the Tennis Essentials ROTM pick.
I’m so disappointed in VMP choosing this forgettable folk album as an Essentials ROTM. Veedon Fleece was a great folk/rock album and still one of the best ROTM selections VMP have done!
I’m so disappointed in VMP choosing this forgettable folk album as an Essentials ROTM. Veedon Fleece was a great folk/rock album and still one of the best ROTM selections VMP have done!
I wonder in super enthusiastic @NathanRicaud saying “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed” makes VMP feel as bad as it does when your parents say it to you? I hope so...
NathanRicaud
Well-Known Member
I’m angry because we have five Britney Spears albums that are better than Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O. and that’s UNACCEPTABLE!
Can’t say the same thing for any other Essentials ROTM’s from this year or from 2018!
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
If only there were some sort of post, or guide or something, that VMP could turn to for Essential album selections
www.vinylmeplease.com
Maybe 52 is too limiting...
Best Vinyl Records - 52 Essential Albums to Own on Vinyl
Whether you're already an avid record collector or not, there are some albums you just need to have on vinyl. We at Vinyl Me, Please curated a list of the top 52 albums to own on vinyl.
www.vinylmeplease.com
Maybe 52 is too limiting...
Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection: Please, Vinyl Me: 9781419725975: Amazon.com: Books
Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection [Please, Vinyl Me] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection
www.amazon.com
If only there were some sort of post, or guide or something, that VMP could turn to for Essential album selections
Best Vinyl Records - 52 Essential Albums to Own on Vinyl
Whether you're already an avid record collector or not, there are some albums you just need to have on vinyl. We at Vinyl Me, Please curated a list of the top 52 albums to own on vinyl.
Maybe 52 is too limiting...
Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection: Please, Vinyl Me: 9781419725975: Amazon.com: Books
Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection [Please, Vinyl Me] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collectionwww.amazon.com
True but equally that’s pretty much, with a couple of exceptions, a list of albums that are critically regarded as GOATs.
There is no GOAT
A lot of their subscribers will have them, just because.
It’s delicate balancing act, unfortunately this year they fell off the high wire...