The new Yo La Tengo EP with four versions of an obscure Sun Ra song called Nuclear War is the weakest music I have ever heard of one of my favourite bands. The interpretation is mainly drum patterns plus spoken political lyrics which I wouldn't exactly call subtle. It was probably fun for the kids to repeat "it's a motherfucker" for a zillion times but I find this dull and annoying. Version #2 with the kids is the best one nevertheless. Why is it so difficult to make political statements in rock music without sacrificing the art? From the esthetic point of view this reminds me very much of socialist realism. Just plain boring. Monotonous. Though the political intentions seem to be good. Georgia, Ira and James, more music and less politics in the future, please.

Somewhere else:

• Real audio stream of the four versions at EuroRanch
• Stylus Magazine review
• I Love Music thread

Today's philosophical quotation:

Via largehearted boy I found this site which has lots of interesting complete albums to download. The difficult decision now is which album to download first. Just look at the post-punk section. It is amazing. The only album I own of the following is the Feelies one.

I am a little behind schedule with this. To finish the 40 albums series in time for my birthday I have to post a review every 5.5 days from now on. Luckily I already know my 2001 fave. But still, time is running...

An old Daily Philosophical Quotation

Wilco's mastermind Jeff Tweedy in an interview with the German Rolling Stone:

2. There was a time when I was stunned how well Femme Fatale (much better when sung by Lou) described the women I fell in love with. The women I was interested in were seemed to be men-eating monsters. But later on I understood: a femme fatale is only fatal for herself as Nico's destiny proves.

3. A hint to the background choir on Femme Fatale: "femme" is pronounced like "hum" and not like "hem". It took me ages to find out what they were singing. I heard She's a perfect drag or She's a perfect girl or even She's a perfect hell instead of She's a femme fatale due to this pronunciation mistake.

4. The first Velvet Underground album is the beginning of a new age in rock music. Rock music becomes exciting. It suddenly is about the things that matter to young adults, the real stuff. Drugs, parties and sexual relationships. Before there was only Dylan and the Beatles. Tame stuff for pussies. Whereas Dylan made serious music for serious people the Beatles made light weight music for teenage girls. I am exaggerating here but in a way it is true.

5. Lou's voice has never been as soothing as on Sunday Morning, the album opener. A dreamy lullaby with a beautiful simple xylophone line. Also the perfect music to wake up to on a Sunday morning. Though it doesn't prepare the listener for things to come on this album it already has some allusions in the lyrics which make clear that there is something dark hiding behind the light pop tune.

6. I'm Waiting for the Man and Heroin are the most realistic songs on drugs I know. I still don't like the "tune" of Heroin too much but John Cale's viola massacre at the end of the song is absolutely gorgeous.

7. Many bands I adore are unthinkable without the Velvets: the Feelies, Steve Wynn's Dream Syndicate, Yo La Tengo, Galaxie 500, Luna, Giant Sand, Eleventh Dream Day, REM, Gun Club, Sonic Youth, Cowboy Junkies, Jesus and Mary Chain, Modern Lovers, Patti Smith etc.

8. I love the garage sound of Lou Reed's and Sterling Morrison's guitars, John Cale's viola play which transforms the classical instrument into a deep-cutting knife, and Maureen Tucker whose drumming sounds as if she was hitting garbage cans.

9. The Velvet Underground & Nico is not my favourite VU album (without Nico it would be my fave though). But it is the most varied one. It comprises their relaxed melodic side which was going to be focussed on on The Velvet Underground and Loaded and their noisy abrasive side which would be explored further on White Light/White Heat.

10. For the first time my readers and I agree on the best album of a year. Almost 50% voted for VU's debut here.

Here is the overview of the series 40 years, 40 albums of which part V was this post.

Low's In the Drugs is THEE grass song. And that has absolutely nothing to do with the title...

I hope I will find the time during the following two weeks to post some more reviews of some of my favourite albums. 1963 will have to wait for some time as I still have no clue about any favourite of that year. Here is the poll for 1967 where I hesitate between two albums.

I'd be extremely happy for a comment concerning the following albums which are on my wish list. Which ones are rubbish, which ones are awesome? Please tell me. I am a little bit in the blogging bardo (Tibetan for the place in between life and death) right now, sorry for that. All those Christmas parties drained me out somehow.

• Suicide – American Supreme
• Add N To (X) - Loud Like Nature
• Mary Margaret O’Hara – Apartment Hunting
• Mountain Goats – Tallahassee
• Low – Trust
• Wire – Read & Burn EPs
• Reindeer Section – Son of Evil Reindeer
• Hayden – Live at Convocation Hall
• Neil Halstead – Sleeping on Roads
• Beth Gibbons/Rustin Man - Out of Season

top referrer today: 10 Yahoo - Loose Fur