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Post by Kurt on Feb 4, 2014 17:07:40 GMT -5
Welcome to the Pulse Album Club for February 2014! This month, we'll take a listen to albums from Toni Braxton & Babyface, Bastille, and Tracy Chapman. To make suggestions for future Album Club months, see this thread.Toni Braxton & Babyface - Love, Marriage, & Divorce Our newly-released album this month is Love, Marriage, & Divorce, from longtime collaborators Toni Braxton and Babyface. The album includes #1 single "Hurt You" and new single "Where Did We Go Wrong?," currently a top-twenty hit on Urban AC radio. Bastille - All This Bad Blood While All This Bad Blood received an American release mere weeks ago, it's a deluxe re-release of 2013 album Bad Blood, so we'll opt for the larger tracklist of the re-release. The whopping 25-song set includes singles like "Pompeii," "Bad Blood," "Laura Palmer," and "Of The Night." Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman For the Album Club's older pick this month, we'll listen to Tracy Chapman's 1988 self-titled debut album, chosen by popular demand. The folksy singer-songwriter released signature hit "Fast Car" as part of the album, along with the singles "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" and "Baby Can I Hold You." Tracy Chapman topped charts in the US, UK, Canada, Austria, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
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#LisaRinna
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Post by #LisaRinna on Feb 5, 2014 16:03:02 GMT -5
3 albums?
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Hefty Hanna
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Feb 5, 2014 16:03:54 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 16:06:48 GMT -5
I'm gonna listen to "Love, Marriage, & Divorce" and "Tracy Chapman" since I listened to that Bastille album a while ago.
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Agent Yoncé
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Post by Agent Yoncé on Feb 5, 2014 16:41:30 GMT -5
Why am I just now finding this thread? I didn't think the plan would actually come through. I plan on buying Toni & Babyface's new album tomorrow. I definitely would like to hear those other two acts I am not too familiar w/their material. When did they exactly did this club open?
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Lockheart
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Post by Lockheart on Feb 5, 2014 16:42:04 GMT -5
I havent played Toni's album yet but is it any good? I'm scared to cause they used to make magic before and dont want to be disappointed
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 16:56:10 GMT -5
I just finished listening to "Love, Marriage, & Divorce" and I absolutely loved it. Both Toni's and Babyface's vocals compliment each other well and the production is very consistnant and strong throughout the album. I think there might've been only 1 or 2 songs that I didn't care for but it's such a good record overall. The first three tracks are definitely among the best on the album and I loved the disco flavored "Heart Attack". I'm definitely going to be purchasing this at Target since they have 2 additional exclusive songs.
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Hefty Hanna
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Feb 5, 2014 17:34:15 GMT -5
I'm gonna listen to "Love, Marriage, & Divorce" and "Tracy Chapman" since I listened to that Bastille album a while ago. You should give us a review of their album anyway! I purchased the standard edition when it came out but I'm still going to post my thoughts. I am sure I wouldn't be the only one interested in what you have to say. :) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 17:40:16 GMT -5
Toni & Babyface album is really good! Heart Attack being my fav track for now
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Lockheart
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Post by Lockheart on Feb 5, 2014 20:06:16 GMT -5
Wow! okay, I'll give Toni's album a go then.
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Post by Linnethia Monique on Feb 6, 2014 9:48:26 GMT -5
I'm going to have to give the Toni and Babyface album a listen since I already own the Bastille original and re-release. Same for Tracy Chapman.
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Gravity.
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Post by Gravity. on Feb 7, 2014 15:14:48 GMT -5
I love Bastille's album so much, so I'm definitely glad that I get to talk about it for a month.
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Post by K. on Feb 15, 2014 18:25:18 GMT -5
Love, Marriage & Divorce
This album opens really strong. The production on "Roller Coaster" is superb. Toni's voice sounds fantastic. This could have come straight off Toni Braxton or Secrets.
The rest of the album is a little more mellow than I typically enjoy. It limits the album's playability for me. I think it would make excellent background music for a romantic dinner or relaxing bubble-bath or, well, you know . . . but not something I suspect I'll listen to very often. I realize that's a feature of Urban AC generally, though. I'd say it's not one of my preferred genres, for exactly this reason. I feel like I can appreciate its quality, though. The production and vocals are first class throughout.
"I Wish" is a standout track for me. It's an interesting one. The lyrics are kind of ridiculous, especially at the beginning, but touching as well. I feel like it borders on parody at some points ("I hope she gives you . . . a disease . . . but not enough to make you die" !!!), but Toni sings it with such a straight face. It's kind of hard to know what to make of it. But I kind of like it in a weird way. Again, her voice sounds fantastic.
Also, great idea to have a duet album by these two heavyweights. They compliment each other very well. I feel like some of these songs could have been really average if sung by anyone other than Toni (thinking of "Heart Attack" specifically). She has great delivery, and her voice has such an interesting, unique texture.
Favorite Tracks:
01. I Wish
02. Roller Coaster
03. I'd Rather Be Broke
04. Where Did We Go Wrong
Least Favorite:
01. Sweat (really on the bland side IMO)
Overall Rating: B+
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Kurt
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Post by Kurt on Feb 15, 2014 19:15:45 GMT -5
"I Wish" is a standout track for me. It's an interesting one. The lyrics are kind of ridiculous, especially at the beginning, but touching as well. I feel like it borders on parody at some points ("I hope she gives you . . . a disease . . . but not enough to make you die" !!!), but Toni sings it with such a straight face. It's kind of hard to know what to make of it. But I kind of like it in a weird way. Again, her voice sounds fantastic. Totally agreed with this based on my first listen a week or so ago, haha. The only other initial thought I had was that it leaned a lot more toward the "divorce" end of the title than I'd hoped, but they sound good nonetheless. |
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Post by K. on Feb 16, 2014 7:44:37 GMT -5
"I Wish" is a standout track for me. It's an interesting one. The lyrics are kind of ridiculous, especially at the beginning, but touching as well. I feel like it borders on parody at some points ("I hope she gives you . . . a disease . . . but not enough to make you die" !!!), but Toni sings it with such a straight face. It's kind of hard to know what to make of it. But I kind of like it in a weird way. Again, her voice sounds fantastic. Totally agreed with this based on my first listen a week or so ago, haha. The only other initial thought I had was that it leaned a lot more toward the "divorce" end of the title than I'd hoped, but they sound good nonetheless. That's a good point. I think the concept might have been more interestingly executed had they arranged the songs consistent with the title, it would have made it easier to appreciate the project as a whole piece. Then again, maybe they picked "Roller Coaster" as an opener for a reason. Not all relationships progress in kind of a single wave from love to hatred to divorce. Some are lust, fighting, working it out, more fighting, maturing, separating, getting back together, etc. It would be interesting to listen to the album again and try to craft a story to join all the songs chronologically. |
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Feb 24, 2014 14:11:15 GMT -5
Really want to try doing this before the month ends. I've been so busy with real life! I will probably post a review of the Bastille album tonight being I am already familiar with the standard edition of the album.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2014 14:53:35 GMT -5
Here are my thoughts on the Tracy Chapman record:
This is my first time listening to this album. This is a very acoustic record and definitely not my cup of tea but I appreciate that her vocals and very socially political lyrical perspective were at the forefront throughout the album. My favorites were "Talkin' Bout A Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You" and Mountain O' Things". Overall, it was a good record and not something I'd come back to often but it's definitely an evocative record that definitely stood the test of time. B+
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dbhmr
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Post by dbhmr on Feb 25, 2014 12:02:27 GMT -5
Going to try and do this, as well. I just listened to "Hurt You" off the Toni/Babyface album and totally love it, so that alone has piqued my curiosity to try this whole thing out again.
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Post by K. on Mar 1, 2014 13:16:00 GMT -5
Tracy Chapman ~ Tracy Chapman
I've always loved "Fast Car," but until now I'd never listened to the rest of Chapman's self-titled album. This woman is a poet.
The first two tracks, "Talkin' Bout A Revolution" and "Fast Car," I love. The former is a great way to start off the album. The lyrics are optimistic, but Chapman sings them with a wistfulness, as if looking back with a kind of sad (or at least tired) amusement. I think "Fast Car" is one of the best songs ever written. At the time this album was written, between 12 and 15 percent of Americans, more than 35 million people, lived in poverty. It's not much better today. And yet how many songs do you hear about it? People sometimes sing about getting out of poverty (although they always "stay real"), yada yada . . . few sing about the people who don't make it out of poverty. And when they do, usually the songs are full of bitterness and anger.
This song is so honest and the lyrics are so vivid -- it's so easy to imagine yourself in her story. The lyrical progression from "Any place is better," to "I know things will get better," to "I'd always hoped for better" is so heartbreakingly brilliant. And yet there is no trace of bitterness in the song. No regrets. I find it inspiring.
Another favorite is "Baby Can I Hold You." Simple song, yet so well written. I love the rhyming on the bride ("Baby can I hold you tonight. Maybe if I told you the right words, at the right time, you'd be mine"). "If Not Now" is similar ("You can wait and lose this heart, you can wait and soon be sooorry"). "For My Lover" is also very strong, and certainly not a point of view you hear very often. Finally, I think "For You" is very sweet.
The rest of the album, however, is a little too preachy and hippie for my tastes (although of course the messages are important). It's always better to let the audience judge than to tell them what to think, IMO.
Favorite Tracks:
01. Fast Car
02. Baby Can I Hold You
03. For My Lover
Overall Rating: it's a classic. A-
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Mar 4, 2014 2:01:39 GMT -5
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
This album is a true stunner... Has any other singer-songwriter gotten this kind of mainstream recognition for an album that's, at its essence, about race and poverty? Chapman is not afraid to say what she means when she tackles these subjects, either, whether she's talking about a complacent lover, ineffective police, or insufficient protection for women.
The tone is perfect throughout, and it's clear that she's picking up the female songwriter movement right where Joni Mitchell left it off in that regard. We all know that the acoustic guitar riff in "Fast Car" is one of the most memorable of all time, but the melodies and sparse production of "If Not Now" and "Behind the Wall" deserve to be a part of any conversation about that hit single.
Tracy Chapman services as an artistic supplement to the rich tradition of decades of ethnographic research on the black urban experience. Combine that with its pure artistic merit, and its a must-listen.
A
(Note: I ended up buying the album, and Chapman has since jumped from #128 to #75 on my all-time artists list)
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Mar 8, 2014 17:42:36 GMT -5
Bastille - All This Bad Blood
... Otherwise known as "Now That Coldplay is Bon Iver, We're Gonna Go Ahead and Be Coldplay"
How pretentious is it to release a 25-track debut album? Pretty pretentious. How about when one of those tracks is pretty much a "sound poem," and the last one is mostly comprised of a cover of "O Holy Night?" Sounds unlistenable, right?
Turns out it's not. Like, really really not. After three listens, I'm ready to fall in love with this album. Nope, so it's not exactly love at first listen. It's a lot to handle at first listen. Besides "Pompeii," I don't have a strong sense of what each individual song is about. Or even how each individual song sounds. Just a general impression of a solid piece of work that might maybe have above-average levels of filler(? I can't tell yet..) with at least a dozen fantastic hooks that I look forward to hearing the next time I give the double-disc behemoth a go-round.
I know that I believe that All This Bad Blood is a promising start to what will be a long and noteworthy career, but why is the album itself so hard for me to form an opinion on? Is it the sheer overload of it all? Probably, but in the case of this impressive album, I'm more than willing to take the time to get to know their work and remedy that.
B-
Bastille had no official listens on my iTunes prior to their inclusion in the Album Club. Three full Spotify streams of the double-album brought them to #137 on my All-Time Artists list. I have just now purchased the album on iTunes, obviously indicating that they'll be shooting up the ranking soon.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2014 22:06:27 GMT -5
#LisaRinna I would like to hear your thoughts on the Toni & Babyface record since I assume you've listened by now. 
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#LisaRinna
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Post by #LisaRinna on Mar 11, 2014 9:58:10 GMT -5
#LisaRinna I would like to hear your thoughts on the Toni & Babyface record since I assume you've listened by now.  I'd rather be saving my review for the Year-End countdown. |
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Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Mar 17, 2014 18:52:51 GMT -5
So I did post my Bastille album a few days back. In short, I really like the album. I feel like my only qualm with the regular edition of the album (Bad Blood) is that because all of the songs have great melodies, they start to blend together so it's the type of album to maybe listen to a few songs at a time until you eventually get familiar with all of them. But it's also an album that I feel would have great lasting power. As I wrote in my review, the album is made to be nostalgic in ten years from now. www.themaxonline.net/2014/03/16/bastille-all-this-bad-blood/ |
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Post by Lozzy on Mar 17, 2014 18:59:32 GMT -5
Bastille - All This Bad BloodHow pretentious is it to release a 25-track debut album? Pretty pretentious. Late to see this, but All This Bad Blood is a re-release of the original album Bad Blood, which had 13 tracks on UK release and 15 on US release |
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Mar 17, 2014 19:08:41 GMT -5
Bastille - All This Bad BloodHow pretentious is it to release a 25-track debut album? Pretty pretentious. Late to see this, but All This Bad Blood is a re-release of the original album Bad Blood, which had 13 tracks on UK release and 15 on US release Technicalities! |
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