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DrAwkward wrote: Sun Jan 04, 2026 10:18 am This sort of counts:

Because of a number of factors -- a dumb obsession with hair metal in high school, moving from that directly to grunge/punk/alternative in college -- I never really had a Beatles Phase like so many do. I worked in oldies radio after college and my mom was into them, and of course, they're The Beatles, so I absorbed all their songs via osmosis, because how could you not if you live in Britain or America? But it was only a few years ago (I'm 51) that I finally listened to the Beatles' albums, starting with Rubber Soul on. I understand that they were considered more of a "singles" band (it seriously weirds me out that "Hey Jude" isn't on a proper album release), but goddamn, Revolver is insane! Had that on repeat in the car for awhile.

Similar deal with Black Sabbath recently. "Ya know...Ozzy just died, I should actually listen to these songs in album mode." Like, holy fuck, gang.

Got this in the cut out bin at a Jewel(On cassette!...) right in the middle of the metal years...

I already knew my Sabbath, but it was an eye opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKlQBd7 ... rt_radio=1

DrAwkward wrote: Sun Jan 04, 2026 10:18 am This sort of counts:

Because of a number of factors -- a dumb obsession with hair metal in high school, moving from that directly to grunge/punk/alternative in college -- I never really had a Beatles Phase like so many do. I worked in oldies radio after college and my mom was into them, and of course, they're The Beatles, so I absorbed all their songs via osmosis, because how could you not if you live in Britain or America? But it was only a few years ago (I'm 51) that I finally listened to the Beatles' albums, starting with Rubber Soul on. I understand that they were considered more of a "singles" band (it seriously weirds me out that "Hey Jude" isn't on a proper album release), but goddamn, Revolver is insane! Had that on repeat in the car for awhile.

Funny, I was going to mention the Beatles, too. I listen to them from time to time, in passing, sometimes an album. But in recent months, I actually spent time listening to what they were doing as far as song writing and recording goes, and I've gotten to appreciate them more. Also, in my older age, I find myself drawn more to McCartney than Lennon. McCartney is an amazing musician, Lennon is an incredible artist. However, McCartney's skills are just unfucking deniable, he's one of the most proliferate musicians of his era.

I appreciate the fact that Ringo and George are well placed as understated accompaniments. I remember watching a random video of a drum instructor talking about overplaying and the importance of servicing a song. He played a Beatles song that Ringo played on, and then played the same song, but overbearing. It just crystalized the importance of this.

Anyway, I was listening to a mono recording on my big towers. I don't normally listen to mono recordings, I still prefer stereo. But wow, just really interesting ways to mix music at the time when they had a lot of limitations. I also appreciate the fact that they never were pristine in their recordings. I was reading a recent breakdown of one of their recording sessions, and the engineer noted that Lennon was singing slightly out of tune in the song, but it made the whole thing much better (it was comment on how imperfections can make recordings special, as opposed to the ways music is disinfected in the digital era with auto-tuning, quantizing, etc).

I think I’m about to really get into Can, aged 50 after not really listening to a note before.

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:37 am I think I’m about to really get into Can, aged 50 after not really listening to a note before.

Holy shit dude, you are in for the fucking treat of your life. Solid.

Give each of those first, like, four albums a few spins before moving on. But this is rad as hell.

Nice.

Isaac wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:44 am

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:37 am I think I’m about to really get into Can, aged 50 after not really listening to a note before.

Holy shit dude, you are in for the fucking treat of your life. Solid.

Give each of those first, like, four albums a few spins before moving on. But this is rad as hell.

Nice.

I really like having miss certain bands. Starting on Tango Mango.

Dear Stereolab and Happy Mondays Can would like their music back…

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:50 am Dear Stereolab and Happy Mondays Can would like their music back…

Neu! enters the chat.

cakes wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:07 am

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:50 am Dear Stereolab and Happy Mondays Can would like their music back…

Neu! enters the chat.

Okay… added Neu! to my list of I Really Should Have Heard This.

Stereolab are Neu! with a French lady singing about Marxism.

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:07 am

cakes wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:07 am

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:50 am Dear Stereolab and Happy Mondays Can would like their music back…

Neu! enters the chat.

Okay… added Neu! to my list of I Really Should Have Heard This.

Stereolab are Neu! with a French lady singing about Marxism.

Yeah, I love the early Stereolab stuff, before Emperor Tomato Ketchup (still love the later stuff, too, just differently). I discovered it as it happened, but wasn't aware of Neu! In my 20s, someone gave me a box of records and it had Neu! 2 in there. It was almost the same exact songs from Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements. Not saying it's bad, it's just almost a carbon copy, minus all the singing with a little bit more experimentation from Neu! Stereolab just made it more listenable, in my opinion.

I love The Lab. ETK is one of my favourites of that era. They were my eldest’s first concert. I took her to see them at the Royal Festival Hall last year. A bit like the Lincoln Center for Americans here.

Gramsci wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:16 am I love The Lab. ETK is one of my favourites of that era. They were my eldest’s first concert. I took her to see them at the Royal Festival Hall last year. A bit like the Lincoln Center for Americans here.

Yeah, when ETK was released, it was so vastly different and amazing in so many ways. That era of euro-lounge sorta just went away quietly, at least for me. Air had come up on a mix recently and it brought back a wave of memories. Have you ever listened to Komeda? That's probably my favorite from that era that I came across.