The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 357

I mean, who DIDN'T dance to that album at 3AM in their underpants?

 

Who did it an hour and a half ago? This guy!I'm trying to make my reviews that little bit different each time and expand and hopefully they'll get a little better each time. It's only my third so i'm hoping for a little epiphany and creativeness

Cheers, thanks for the recommendation. I would have overlooked this album only due to the sheer amount of music released this year that I have backlogged but I'm glad I pulled this to the front.

 

This week I’m reviewing Fleetwood Mac’s iconic Rumours, thanks to @Davjs. Named in honor of all the drama that was going on in the lives of the Mac clan during the writing of the record, Rumours takes a punch at all the speculations and tensions that were running high at the time.



If you’re curious about the details of the relationship drama and rumours, go on over to Rumours (album) - Wikipedia to read more.

This is considered to be one of Fleetwood Mac’s best records. It won a Grammy in 1978 for “Album of the Year.” It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. And when I first started writing this review, I had decided that it just wasn’t my cup of tea. But sometimes it just takes some time for a record to grow on you.

The record opens with “Second Hand News” which lays the dramatic foundation for the record.

“I know there’s nothing to say,
someone, has taken my place
When times to bad, when times go rough
Won’t you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff?”

Like, I don’t know if there was ever a cooler way to ask to be put in a coffin?
Perhaps I’m projecting an angle of death onto this verse but you have to admit, it’s pretty goth.

Rumours is largely based on the relationship between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and it can lack a certain cohesiveness to it at times, which was hard for me to get past as first. The first half of the album is packed with hits such as “Dreams” and “Don’t Stop,” and “Go Your Own Way” and later becomes a more intimate conversation between Nicks and Buckingham.

“The Chain” is one of my favorite songs on the record and a glaring example of Nicks’ and Buckingham’s relationship.

“Listen to the wind blow,
Down comes the night
Run in the shadows
Damn your love, damn your lies

Break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light
And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain (Never break the chain)”

Other favorites on the record are “Gold Dust Woman,” “Silver Spring,” and “Never Going Back.”

It’s striking to think how Rumours was made during a time when the band was barely holding itself together and how hard they partied to bear each other’s company, but isn’t some of the best art created during the toughest times? Musically, there is a tension working symbiotically between the members of the band. Nicks and Buckingham sing on several tracks together, with Nicks singing a majority of the songs in the second half of the record and Buckingham singing most of the songs in the first half. Stylistically, it fluctuates between folk, rock, funk, and ballad.

I haven’t listened to anything else by Fleetwood Mac, so I have nothing to compare this record to in terms of their larger catalogue. If there’s one thing I’m taking away from Rumours, it’s that sometimes all it takes is a little time for something to grow on you.

Fun fact: yesterday I met someone in Brooklyn with the cover art for Rumours tattooed on their right thigh and I've also noticed tracks from the record playing in public over the past couple days. Looks like I'll be thinking about this one for a while!

 

Great review! Now you really have me wanting to check out their new record! I'm a sucker for Brendon's voice--he could sing the fucking ABC's and I'd be enthralled.

 

I've never actually listened to Fleetwood Mac either but i'm curious since your review! I'm sure my parents actually have the album around so I might stick it on. Brendon has such a fantastic range that does remind of Patrick Stump. If the 2 got together then I wouldn't be sure who could hit higher.

 

Lol I'm sorry to admit that I've never really noticed Patrick's range!! But I saw Brendon in Kinky Boots last year and it was a cathartic experience! He was born for Broadway. And yes, go listen to the record! It took me a good week to really enjoy it so don't give up on it too quickly (as I almost did).

 

Fantastic song. I'll be the first to admit that I did not even realise who the guest artist was until now!!

It's something that I only picked up in my later years haha. I'll add the record to my backlog!​

 

I've never even realized it was Brendon on that song...

 

This and their self-titled are tied for my favorites by them. Listen to it too. Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorite artists. The male/female vocalist combo and her voice are perfect.

 

Will do, thanks!!

 

Great reviews @Kvothe and @summertimejesus

@Kvothe I haven’t seen the name Forgive Durden in the best part of a decade, man I loved Wonderand back in the day. I could never get into Panic outside a few songs, I should give this a try at some point.

@summertimejesus Just after I was moaning of the lack of classics being reviewed in here you come in with this awesome review. It took me a while to get into Rumours too when I a few years back, but god damn it’s an impressive album, Nicks is incredible on it.

 

I know, right?! I thought of Thomas Dutton at a certain point in the album, can't remember what now, and it stuck with me. Wonderland is a classic though. You should try this album if you're a fan and want an ambitious stage-rock album .

 

Review: Mayday Parade - Sunnyland
Release Date: 15th June 2018

For my second review I was given Mayday Parade – Sunnyland by @Nate_Johnson



Sunnyland, named after a hospital the group hung out in, begins with “Never Sure”, a guitar-driven opener about having your heart torn out and put into a mason jar on your bedside table. Derek Sander’s vocals are powerful and sing “I only love you for your heartbreak”. It’s a great number to open with and invites you in to the feel of the whole album.

The next song is titled much like their previous songs, frantic and meaningful, “It’s Hard to Be Religious When Certain People Are Never Incinerated by Bolts of Lightning.” This song layers guitars over the lyrics “Everyone knows what a selfish prick you’ve become” and shows that although Mayday have progressed musically, they still manage to retain their previous punk rock sound. However, the lyric “did you honestly think anything would be different this time round” basically sums up how I feel so far about the album. I’m used to Mayday hitting hard with powerful lyrics and vocal delivery but I was expecting something more from this album. Hopefully, the rest is better since this is only the 2nd song in.

There is a nostalgic feel to "Piece of Your Heart" that reminds me of past Mayday songs. "It’s Nowhere" showed that Sanders can still deliver a fast-paced, meaningful track that gets your head moving and you belting out the lyrics along with him. "Take My Breath Away" caresses your ears with an acoustic guitar that gracefully places each note. I’ve always been a sucker for beautiful melodies over an acoustic and Sanders sings about the complexity of relationships and how to survive these. It’s an emotional song that leaves you pondering past relationships.

"Where You Are" is a gentle ballad with harmonies that, again, have you thinking of a lost love and Sanders has a raw and powerful delivery at the end of the song. If I Were You is classic Mayday doing their usual catchy punk rock piece. Songs like "Satellite" and "It Looks Red, It Tastes Blue" are the summer pop punk tracks that Mayday are known for and are consistent with the bands famous sound.

Favourite song from the album, "Always Leaving", is a mature folk-rock sound. This one hit more than any song on the album as it reminded me of being a kid again, driving along the road with friends; not knowing where we are going but knowing that the journey will be a memory. This was the direction and work that I was expecting. The finger-picking, sombre guitar between each take is inspirational and an ode to the musicianship and journey that Mayday has been on in the previous five albums to now. There’s a beautiful cell accompaniment that brings me right back to my childhood listening to my parents music.

Title track and album closer, "Sunnyland", is a testament to both the fans and the memories of the band. It’s hard to forget that this is a band that have had a rough reception and have stayed relevant in each of their albums. Sanders emotionally sings:
“And I dreamt about an old abandoned hospital
And I met up with my friends to go inside
Well, I left something important back in Sunnyland
And it's something that I know I'll never find”
This is a fucking tearjerker when you realise the story behind the album title. Lyrically, this is true to Mayday and there is a large possibility that this may have you thinking of times in your past that you did not even realise struck deep but it is a typically beautiful way to end the album.

Mayday Parade has crafted an album that caters to both old and new fans. They have a bit of everything from fast rock to slow ballads that really showcase their talent in such a competitive environment. Overall I have the feeling that this could have been something more and any song from this could have been placed onto any other album and not felt out of place. Mayday are great at what they do; making music with grungy, poignant vocals and whilst I enjoyed the album I feel that there should have been such a progression. Black Lines was so experimental that I thought the next album would take Mayday further but instead they have found a comfortable place which is safe. I still recommend listening to the album if you like the rest of Maydays discography and thanks to @Nate_Johnson for another good recommendation.

RIYL:
Mayday Parades older albums
Driving at night with your friends reminiscing about older times that you would rather forget because you were drunk one night and done some pretty embarrassing things. Don’t drink and drive though, kids, to relive it. That’s a massive no-no.

 

Great job and I agree that it’s a pretty safe album but enjoyable nonetheless.

 

Thanks, you know what you are getting with Mayday which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

Absolutely.

Have you ever listened to Go Radio? They sort fell off the face of the earth.

 

I adored Jason Lancaster when he moved to Go Radio. Honestly, did not care for his solo efforts but his voice is so indistinguishable that it's such a shame that he isn't really doing anything musically anymore. I listened to his new album and was not into it at all.

 

I listened to the last album by them and the bonus edition had vocals from his siblings. What a talented family!

 

Was that "Forever My Father"? That song hits me fucking hard.

 

I believe so.

 

Good song, i'm sure there are 2 versions out there but the one with his siblings is pretty damn emotional. His brother is in Stages & Stereos, too.

 

Thank you!!! It really is and one thing I forgot to mention was how I didn’t realize Fleetwood Mac made so many hits that I grew up hearing everywhere, like “Don’t Stop” and “Go Your Own Way.” I was almost ready to write off the album at one point but I’m glad I stuck it through!
And re: classic albums—one of the things that most excites me about this group is getting to explore music that may not typically be on my radar, especially stuff that’s before my time (or even newer stuff that I’ve never considered). I knew that Fleetwood Mac was a big deal so I wanted to see what the big deal was

 

One of my favorite reviews to do was T. Rex.

 

@Kvothe second recommendation for me is:

The Dangerous Summer: The Dangerous Summer (2018) Hopeless Records




The Dangerous Summer are a rock band from Ellicot City, Maryland and this is their 4th studio album after a bit of a hiatus stemming from discord among the band eventually leading to guitarist, Cody Payne, being arrested for burglary.

Sound wise, the band tows the line between a few genres including pop punk, folk rock and indie rock. Lead singer, AJ Perdomo, has a gravely tone to his voice and brings to mind Chuck Ragan or Brian Fallon while the band flows seamlessly between the genres I mentioned while the production is crisp and I love the use of jangly guitar tones mixed with a country/folk influence. The bands cites influences including Third Eye Bling, Jimmy Eat World, Explosions in the Sky and U2 to name a few. I can definitely agree with these bands after a few listens.

With that all being said, the band never reaches the heights of their influencers. Like The Hunna, the production is great and they can play but it is just missing that extra something. After a few listens I definitely learned to appreciate the record more and more but it is a grower. The whole record just feels like a lost opportunity to really blow people away. There are songs that are incredible and skim the surface like a shark but most never break the surface. (We have been watching old episodes of shark week preparing for the new season so bare with me!)

I think for me personally, I enjoy the tracks that have a little more "meat" to them and lean more on the pop punk side. AJ's vocally delivery at times can get a bit sleepy mixed with the bands alt-rock stylings. The song I immediately gravitated to was When I Get Home, speaking of finally getting home after a long time on the road.

"And when I get home, gonna call my friends,
We'll party till the morning, cause I feel so lucky I could die,
I feel so lucky I got happiness in my life, it's what keeps me strong..."

As I mentioned before, this is a great album, but has that missing "something" about it that keeps it from reaching it's full potential. There are some fantastic songs on this album but you have to wade through some weaker moments to find them. It's a safe album that I can see myself throwing into a nice mix and nodding along to when they come on!

Thanks for another great album @Kvothe!

Favorite Songs:
This Life
Fire
When I Get Home

RIYL:
Pop Punk
Folk Rock
Indie Rock