Hi! I'm Abby and I have a lot of records. I also dress like I fell out of a time machine. Every Monday I cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how I feel about a classic album in my collection. Explanation doesn’t ruin art - it makes it even better! If you like the 60s and 70s, sometimes-challenging album reviews, and vintage fashion, this is the place for you. Join this long strange trip!
Keep in touch: Instagram: @abigaildevoe Tiktok: @abigaildevoe My Website: www.reallifelayla.com Discogs: discogs.com/user/chicksilver
MMT isn't really a cohesive album, it's a mopping up of different bits of material from the previous year. But that lack of focus and seriousness sort of makes it a more fun listen than its grandiose older brother and its bloated younger brother. It's the 'fun one' in the middle. Also, I'm a defender of 'Your Mother Should Know' - I like McCartney's music-hall sensibilities. They're very 'roots' to me. I prefer it to 'I Am the Walrus'. Yep. I said that.
Well done! I applaud your devotion to the pursuit of not only the greatness of these recordings, but your recognition of context Also, sorry about your folks' breakup. May you ever rise above and reap the joy you endlessly sow
Great to see SOMEONE talk about how great Ian McDonald was. He's responsible for the variety in sound and instrumentation. He's also is the only person to have writing credits on all of the songs.
As a rock film, it was about like watching Pink Floyd's "The Wall". You didn't really understand what was going on---you just reveled in its "coolness".
I was a Monkees fan when they first came out and watched their show every week. My best friend had their first album, I got their 2nd album for my Birthday. I wasn't even aware of "Head" until some time in the 70's when I first saw it on broadcast TV. Even then I recognized it as an irreverent self - depracating work of genius.
I totally see your points and agree with you on most of them. I think that you have to treat the Album almost like two albums. This is where listening to it on cd/mp3 is beneficial. Depending on your mood you can listen to all the cohesive songs. I'm another mood listen to the abstract ones. I bought this album for similar reasons you did. I was home from college in 2006 for winter break. Bought it on sale for $10. One morning I decided to take a walk and put it on with headphones on. We had a freezing rain the night before and Everything was covered in ice. Real winter wonderland. It was the PERFECT moment in my life to hear "Sunday Morning". So this album has a soft spot in my life. Nicos songs are hands down amazing. Love your channel. Please keep doing these. I'm learning so much from you. Love your energy and point of view!
30:42 As a fan of both A-1 and m & p, this really sums up my love/hate relationship with the Boss's music. The art and craft is there, but the over-ness of his performance makes my stomach churn. Which is why his Santa Clause is cummin is my least favorite version of my least favorite Xmas song.
27:53 I agree. I was 13 when this came out and I hated those 80s drums. It all sounded like Phil C was pounding a set of trash cans with a pair of serving spoons.
My dad was one of the very few people on the rooftop in 1969. If you watch the video he's the guy joking around wearing the blue sweater. Before he passed away he told me the story "I was working and we heard noise coming from the roof so we went up, and the Beatles were playing. After 10 minutes we went back to work" Such understatement!
I once played "Into the Void" to an 80's metal kid whose response was "Wow! Which Metallica album is this?". He couldn't believe anyone was doing anything like this in 1971.
Wonderful is the most beautiful song I've ever heard. I have a version which overlays the instruments from BW presents Smile with the vocals from 1967. It's like drinking from the purest fountain in existence, as one RU-vidr put it at the time. For the last 10 years I've had it named 'funeral edition' in my music because that's how I want to go out.
.....without getting into specifics, Tommy contains MULTIPLE echoes of my OWN childhood, Abby - so, a PROFOUNDLY-personal experience - and, can TELL you Russell's film BIGLY eclipses the album; Daltrey singing "See Me, Feel Me" as the sun rises - may be THE most powerful scene in ALL motion picture history; ONE of 'em for sure, anyhow......
Bruce's Dancing In The Dark got me through a really tough year. The love of my life had left me and an old friend stole from me the members of one of my important bands. What was a guy to do? Tina Turner's What's Love Got To Do With It was very important then as well and during the same crazy summer I learned to sing Missing You by John Waits . . . cause it was a great song and it was my own lie. When I sang it in the company of friends, they thought I wrote it for my lost love. But that was 40 years ago and I moved on.
I remember that Bruce’s tour came through Houston at the time, and the story goes that Bruce Springsteen and his band played from 8 pm on a Friday night and ENDED (yes, ended) at 8 am on Saturday morning!
Oh, all right...once again, you've convinced me to listen to an album. But this time, one I've shunned for many years. You have no idea what it was to be a teenager at the time of Born in the USA when all we had was a few rock radio stations and MTV. When merely being an extra in the video for Dancing in the Dark could launch a Hollywood career, you know it was overplayed!
Your hair looks good. I remember when this came out very well. MTV was already in gear and this LP/cassette (cd's were just a few years away) made a perfect marriage! My fav. tune? Cover Me. I bought the 45 Dancing in the Dark and the non-album b side, Pink Cadillac still rocks my 67 yr. old arse. Got to see Bruce in '78, Nashville. ☮ Be safe tomorrow...
.....JOHN BROCKMAN???? Are you KIDDING me???? Ohhhh, did HE ever make some horrifically-BAD choices after (for which BILLIONS have paid DEARLY - these PAST four-plus years ESPECIALLY.....)
I've been a big Springsteen fan for almost 50 years now. I saw 4 concerts from that BITUSA tour, but the album ranks near the bottom on my top 10 Bruce albums. One cool thing about the BITUSA tour, is that he did an acoustic set featuring songs from Nebraska. I used Cover Me as my bathroom break song ;) I liked most of the B-sides better than the album tracks. Thanks for another thoughtful video.
Jeremy Spencer is justifiably remembered mostly for being part of a creepy-as-hell cult. But he really was something. I even wrote an Elmore James song because JS made it seem ok. I learned to play slide guitar because of him, and he really had one in a thousand energy. A genuinely underrated guitar player - like Danny Kirwan too. You're spot on though. I'd forgotten how weak this record is compared to the other PG Fleetwood Mac albums - where Peter's absolute genius really took flight. I totally agree with your choices of best tracks. Oh. This FM was my gateway drug. From having the '70s golden era demonised as 'soft rock' for years, I gradually started really listening and got hooked like just about everyone else.
Really enjoyed your appreciation of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. Hope you will also check out Steve Hyden's new book on the cultural Impact of the album There Was Nothing We Could Do. Should also mention Dancing in the Dark's Synth lines Would be prominent on Springsteen Acolytes as Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America, etc .For my own taste, prefer the more austere production and rawness of Darkness on the Edge of Town. Awaiting next for your tackling REM or The Replacements.
