The Wall (1979) – Pink Floyd

For such an interesting concept, I really tried to like it. That was back when I was under the impression that Pink Floyd was one of the best bands around. Then I came to the realization that this album was a train wreck with a couple of choice-cuts within. For some reason, and I don’t understand why, but people just love to place the story/concept over the music itself. Whatever story about some tragic rockstar this album entails, it’s all rendered to nothing when the music doesn’t follow through. Not only do most of the songs fall flat, but nearly a fourth of the album is nothing but a bunch of interludes, noises, and ambient ruckus. In short, most of the album is focused on making the story flow rather than letting actual songs do that job. Above all of this is the horrible misstep of letting Roger Waters sing most of these songs, a man who simply cannot sing in the higher registers without yelping as if a dog bit him in the groin. It’s what keeps this album from being listenable rather than simply boring, isolated, and distracted. You’ll also notice that the best songs are either sung or accompanied by David Gilmour. Not a particularly great singer, but he does the job without me wanting to smash my stereo. It’s a shame too, as had Waters either not sang or kept to a lower register, it would’ve simply been a schizophrenic theatrical mess, not an unbearable schizophrenic theatrical mess. They took some huge risks, went for broke, and what they came up with was something substantially less than the sum of its parts. C

Crazy for You (2010) – Best Coast

Yeah, there’s not much to Best Coast, but they’re fun as heck. People tend to overhype buzz bands, but as always, be wary of listeners claiming that it’s the best thing ever. But in the summer, Best Coast are kind of the best thing ever. Their melodies are catchy, their lo-fi sound is raw but never ugly, and Bethany Cosentino is a charming frontwoman. Like The Beach Boys and The Shins before them, Best Coast are suited for the summer. And that’s pretty much it. Problem is, they’re seasonal, which is something they’ll have to outgrow (which they may have already, given that I haven’t listened to their two newest albums.) You’ll also notice that many, if not all of these songs, are in the same key, or that they’re so generic to where they sound like they are. Again, it’s best not to ask too much of them, because you’re not looking for anything particularly clever or groundbreaking. You’re in it for the summer flings, beach volleyball, and fun-in-the-sun vibes. I’ll raise a glass to those things, and you should too. A-

Blue (1971) – Joni Mitchell

There are so many albums out there that critics and historians have deemed classics and/or masterpieces. Sometimes, they’re right, but other times, it’s the nostalgia for that era that clouds their judgement. You’ve heard the name Joni Mitchell. You know that she was a famous singer/songwriter of her time. Mitchell has the distinct categorization of being timeless, yet stuck in her own time. She’ll forever be an artist best known for her work in the 70s and not much after, but that work will extend well beyond centuries from now. Of so many dated and overrated artists from that era, I was pleased to find that Mitchell is a far cry from them. It’s always debated which album is her absolute opus, but the aptly-titled Blue sees Mitchell find a pitch-perfect grasp on melody, as well as greatly improve her lyricism. Arrangements are simple, but this allows for a subtle intimacy rarely seen in her other works. Personal doesn’t even begin to describe this record; it is the reigning king (or should I say queen) of breakup records, as it was recorded after her breakup with Graham Nash. It only makes sense that she’d stop preforming live for a while to write this record, which also signified a quiet end to her hippie days as she entered the new decade. Loaded with ballads, it should, and will, tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s ever been in a volatile but loving relationship. After an exhausting and emotional journey through the first eight songs, Mitchell gives the listener the album’s devastating final blow, the penultimate pinnacle “A Case of You”, with the closer “The Last Time I Saw Richard” as a modest footnote. “Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine. You taste so bitter and so sweet. Oh I could drink a case of you, darling. And I would still be on my feet.” Yup. That level of songwriting is a bird so rare that I wouldn’t be surprised if it were not to be spotted again in my lifetime. A+

(Key Tracks: A Case of You, All I Want, Casey, California)