Day 78: Oh great, says Maire, another Velvet Underground record...

Album 238/1031

The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) 

All tracks written by Lou Reed except where noted.

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sunday Morning"	Lou Reed, John Cale	2:54
2.	"I'm Waiting for the Man"		4:39
3.	"Femme Fatale"		2:38
4.	"Venus in Furs"		5:12
5.	"Run Run Run"		4:22
6.	"All Tomorrow's Parties"		6:00

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Heroin"		7:12
8.	"There She Goes Again"		2:41
9.	"I'll Be Your Mirror"		2:14
10.	"The Black Angel's Death Song"	Lou Reed, John Cale	3:11
11.	"European Son"	Reed, Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker	7:46

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground_%26_Nico

Golf's verdict: Oh dear. Maire's apparently never heard this before. That's what a sheltered childhood does for you. Famously the basis for Brian Eno's 'bon mot' that "everyone who bought this album formed a band", thankfully most of them took inspiration from the first 9 tracks rather than the last 2 (Viola solos over dischordant racket still being a rarity in modern popular music.)

Maire's verdict: I listened to the first track and thought it wouldn't be too bad. I was wrong. My suggestions for improving this record: (a) Nico stops whinging and enunciates 'clown' correctly; (b) they tune their instruments before all songs; and (c)...... actually, do yourself a favour and don't bother listening to it in the first place.

Album 239/1031

Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)

All tracks written by Tortoise with the exception of a portion of "The Taut and Tame," written by Bundy K. Brown.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Djed"	20:57
2.	"Glass Museum"	5:27
3.	"A Survey"	2:52
4.	"The Taut and Tame"	5:01
5.	"Dear Grandma and Grandpa"	2:49
6.	"Along the Banks of Rivers"	5:50

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millions_Now_Living_Will_Never_Die

Golf's verdict: If this is the best that exponents of 'post-rock' can muster then I am not ready to move on. Give me rock any day over this.

Maire's verdict: Something and nothing. Won't be listening to it again.

Album 240/1031

Pixies - Doolittle (1989)

All tracks were written by Black Francis, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Debaser"	2:52
2.	"Tame"	1:55
3.	"Wave of Mutilation"	2:04
4.	"I Bleed"	2:34
5.	"Here Comes Your Man"	3:21
6.	"Dead"	2:21
7.	"Monkey Gone to Heaven"	2:56
8.	"Mr. Grieves"	2:05
9.	"Crackity Jones"	1:24
10.	"La La Love You"	2:43
11.	"No. 13 Baby"	3:51
12.	"There Goes My Gun"	1:49
13.	"Hey"	3:31
14.	"Silver" (Francis, Kim Deal)	2:25
15.	"Gouge Away"	2:45

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_(album)


Golf's verdict: We've had quite a few classics from 1989 recently, but this might just be the pick of the litter. It's hard to describe quite how extraordinary this was when you first heard it as a 16 year old. I had already been lucky enough to see them the year before (for Surfer Rosa) and to hear that they had not only matched that, but bettered it, did more to make me want to perform in a band than anything before or since*. 'Debaser' - I contend - has at least 4 of the greatest rock and roll rhythms guitar lines playing SIMULTANEOUSLY in it. From first note to last it is a perfect album. Even the song the drummer sings ('La La Love You') doesn't let it down. Not even the Beatles can make that claim.

Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! Definitely in my Top 5 albums of all time and quite possibly in my Top 3. Stop whatever you're doing, find it and listen to it. IMMEDIATELY.

*Sadly, my music career has been on extended hiatus more or less entirely for 25 years now ;-)