Our Melody Man: Geir Hongro's #1 Albums of Every Year, 1972-2012

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...since it seems to be geirfest on ilx lately. I conveniently excluded all Beatles and Beach Boys releases (i.e. most of the '60s and early '70s).

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/GeirH/

Poll Results

OptionVotes
The Cars - The Cars (1978) 10
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985) 9
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue (1977) 8
The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot (1987) 8
XTC - Skylarking (1986) 7
Japan - Tin Drum (1981) 6
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (1973) 6
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) 4
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997) 4
Cotton Mather - Kontiki (1998) 3
Jellyfish - Bellybutton (1990) 3
Duran Duran - Rio (1982) 2
Crowded House - Woodface (1991) 2
Beck - Sea Change (2002) 2
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power (2003) 2
Brian Wilson - Smile (2004) 2
Travis - The Invisible Band (2001) 2
Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980) 2
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (1976) 1
Japan - Quiet Life (1979) 1
Coldplay - Parachutes (2000) 1
Travis - The Man Who (1999) 1
Genesis - Foxtrot (1972) 1
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (2006) 1
Dodgy - Free Peace Sweet (1996) 1
Depeche Mode - Construction Time Again (1983) 1
10cc - The Original Soundtrack (1975) 1
Crowded House - Time on Earth (2007) 0
Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) 0
Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe (2009) 0
Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (2005) 0
Crowded House - Intriguer (2010) 0
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (2011) 0
XTC - Oranges & Lemons (1989) 0
XTC - Nonsuch (1992) 0
Blur - The Great Escape (1995) 0
Dodgy - Homegrown (1994) 0
Crowded House - Together Alone (1993) 0
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (1984) 0
Crowded House - Temple of Low Men (1988) 0
Julian Berntzen - Ellie & Elliot (2012) 0


Remember! The cormorant is a big brrd. It has got a long neck. (unregistered), Saturday, 5 October 2013 18:01 (eleven years ago)

probably Skylarking? Seeing this I can't help but feel that Geir didn't do a very good job of moulding his absolutist aesthetic theory around the contingencies of his taste.

opie dead eyed piece of shit (Merdeyeux), Saturday, 5 October 2013 18:07 (eleven years ago)

elo.

no contest. no surprise.

mark e, Saturday, 5 October 2013 18:31 (eleven years ago)

selling england by the pound.

nakamura, Saturday, 5 October 2013 18:41 (eleven years ago)

skylarking vs ok pewter vs smile

recordin' mofo (rattled), Saturday, 5 October 2013 22:17 (eleven years ago)

lol Muse

I don't really roll hard with any of these. Would maybe have picked Violator if it were here. I suppose I'll throw a point at Cotton Mather just because I sort of knew the guitarist.

Johnny Fever, Saturday, 5 October 2013 22:32 (eleven years ago)

skylarking

ciderpress, Saturday, 5 October 2013 22:36 (eleven years ago)

scritti > japan > skylarking

fit and working again, Saturday, 5 October 2013 22:48 (eleven years ago)

Dukes of the Stratosphear

REDACTED got your back (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 5 October 2013 22:56 (eleven years ago)

voted for Jellyfish

marky markers & the blinky bunch (some dude), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:04 (eleven years ago)

The Cars.

EZ Snappin, Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:05 (eleven years ago)

ooh shit i missed The Cars, that's def my overall fav

marky markers & the blinky bunch (some dude), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:06 (eleven years ago)

Seeing this I can't help but feel that Geir didn't do a very good job of moulding his absolutist aesthetic theory around the contingencies of his taste.

Yes, considering how repetitive his posting style I found it quite difficult to predict what would be on his lists, every time I thing i 'get' his taste something would turn up that blindsided me (though this is more the case in the bottom half of the lists).
Voted for Tin Drum

it was discovered that there's no rule that a dog cannot play basketball (bends), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:08 (eleven years ago)

OK Computer

Bee OK, Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:17 (eleven years ago)

dodgy?? DODGY????

kinder, Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:21 (eleven years ago)

wait, they're on there TWICE?

kinder, Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:22 (eleven years ago)

oh dude, The Cars by a huge distance

papa smango (fadanuf4erybody), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:28 (eleven years ago)

Yeah I kinda can't believe that's there...maybe '78 was a really weak year in Geir's view.

Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:31 (eleven years ago)

A few brilliant albums here but none more so than Rio

check yr poptimism (imago), Saturday, 5 October 2013 23:33 (eleven years ago)

^^^

The Cars and Skylarking not far behind, but yeah.

play on, El Chugadero, play on (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 6 October 2013 00:00 (eleven years ago)

Wonder what geir thinks of crowded house

Insane Prince of False Binaries (Gukbe), Sunday, 6 October 2013 00:31 (eleven years ago)

thnking either the Cars or Smile

outsider house rules (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 6 October 2013 03:13 (eleven years ago)

This is much harder than expected

O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Sunday, 6 October 2013 03:39 (eleven years ago)

until you get to the 2000's

Bee OK, Sunday, 6 October 2013 03:51 (eleven years ago)

Tin Drum so exquisitely breaks most of Geir's own tenets that it feels rude not to vote for it.

plus, y'know, it's better than most of this cack

lusty thoughts of big, strong, powerful hipsters (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 6 October 2013 09:57 (eleven years ago)

Ascertaining Geir's 2000's is simply a matter of squaring off one of SFA's lesser albums with one of Beck's better ones, which isn't something I feel particularly inclined towards

check yr poptimism (imago), Sunday, 6 October 2013 10:14 (eleven years ago)

Voted Cotton Mather, cause I'm thinking no one else will.

the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Sunday, 6 October 2013 12:45 (eleven years ago)

this is just not my kinda music for the most part but that Cars debut is Roy Thomas Baker in seek-and-destroy mode, so many hits it's hard to believe it was ever new

combination hair (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 6 October 2013 13:19 (eleven years ago)

Surprised how many of these I actually like. Tough choice between Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Rio and Skylarking.

Anyone voting for Ellie & Elliot by Julian Berntzen or those recent Crowded House albums?

Kitchen Person, Sunday, 6 October 2013 15:53 (eleven years ago)

the cars

balls, Sunday, 6 October 2013 16:48 (eleven years ago)

Voted Cotton Mather, cause I'm thinking no one else will.

Did you ever live in Austin, crypto?

Gallucci Time (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 6 October 2013 17:07 (eleven years ago)

No, why?

the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Monday, 7 October 2013 17:18 (eleven years ago)

man that list is DIRE. i can basically sum up that list as a genre called "i don't give a shit about that"

marcos, Monday, 7 October 2013 17:34 (eleven years ago)

kudos

Bap & Ounge (Noodle Vague), Monday, 7 October 2013 17:35 (eleven years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Saturday, 19 October 2013 00:01 (eleven years ago)

All of those are 'not bothered' or 'yeah, but not that one'

Except for the DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR!!!

Mark G, Saturday, 19 October 2013 00:25 (eleven years ago)

I can get behind Crowded House, the 'craftmanship' of Neil Finn I can see plus his ability to actually write a memorable melody

But Dodgy...never mind voting twice...I cant for the life of me see how they were adept at their craft in anything like the same way as say XTC or Finn himself, nor particularly adept melodically. I mean surely there were hundreds of powerpop bands doing something better in 1994.

Master of Treacle, Saturday, 19 October 2013 16:08 (eleven years ago)

See also... Coldplay, Travis

I am a bit amused that someone obsessed with melody has picked artists that arent exactly world beaters in the melody dept

Master of Treacle, Saturday, 19 October 2013 16:10 (eleven years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Sunday, 20 October 2013 00:01 (eleven years ago)

Dodgy - Free Peace Sweet (1996) 1

oh, hi Geir ;)

Remember! The cormorant is a big brrd. It has got a long neck. (unregistered), Sunday, 20 October 2013 01:11 (eleven years ago)

Jellyfish - Bellybutton (1990) 3
Duran Duran - Rio (1982) 2

Josefa, Sunday, 20 October 2013 05:19 (eleven years ago)

the cars? that's a joke isn't it? a band which was already derivative and unoriginal in their time wins the poll, very strange.

it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Sunday, 20 October 2013 15:12 (eleven years ago)

hate the way derivative unoriginal things sound

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 15:28 (eleven years ago)

the cars are the best band, fuiud

fresh (crüt), Sunday, 20 October 2013 15:59 (eleven years ago)

even if the only thing they had ever released was the buildup to the synth hook on "Just What I Needed" they would still be better than 99.9999% of music

fresh (crüt), Sunday, 20 October 2013 16:01 (eleven years ago)

Yeah, I can't believe The Cars topped this list of albums either.

Dog Man Star took a suck on a pill... (Turrican), Sunday, 20 October 2013 16:11 (eleven years ago)

I like the Cars pretty well, but I can't see ever needing anything other than the Greatest Hits comp that my parents had when I was a kid.

the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Sunday, 20 October 2013 18:00 (eleven years ago)

first Cars album is just spectacular is the actual fact guys

combination hair (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 20 October 2013 18:06 (eleven years ago)

First Cars album is killer. You whiners better get on board.

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 20 October 2013 18:17 (eleven years ago)

don't dream it's over

reggie (qualmsley), Sunday, 20 October 2013 18:54 (eleven years ago)

first every Cars album is just spectacular is the actual fact guys

this is how a punch sounds, like ditch, like quitch (soref), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago)

well maybe not Door to Door or Move Like This, they're still pretty good though.

this is how a punch sounds, like ditch, like quitch (soref), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago)

I'm not nuts about the cars but it's clearly high quality guitar pop, c'mon

brimstead, Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:16 (eleven years ago)

i enjoy people being baffled about the popularity of popular things tho

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:21 (eleven years ago)

even if the only thing they had ever released was the buildup to the synth hook on "Just What I Needed" they would still be better than 99.9999% of music

catch me at the right moment and i'll swear "Just What I Needed" is the pinnacle of human culture

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:22 (eleven years ago)

cars are so far ahead of the rest of the bullshit on this list it isn't even funny.

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:40 (eleven years ago)

Gonna test that hypothesis by listening to The Cars

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:42 (eleven years ago)

Paul Ockenden 4 weeks ago
The cars really fused rock music with synthesizers to create perfect poo rock.
Reply · 4 Vote UpVote Down

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:43 (eleven years ago)

was expecting this to be all like drive but it isn't. prefer drive tbh. this has some nice touches but I'm more into the sweeping euphoric melodrama of yer duran durans (who have better melodies as well, seeing as this is the geir thread, as well as cooler synth textures)

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:59 (eleven years ago)

haha! you funny man!!

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:06 (eleven years ago)

JWIN is one of the first rock songs i remember hearing as a kid and it kinda blew my head open & still does

fresh (crüt), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:10 (eleven years ago)

"You're All I've Got Tonight" is the best song IMO.

arctic mindbath (President of the People's Republic of Antarctica), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:12 (eleven years ago)

yeah, yeah, alright...

DUKES!

Mark G, Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:12 (eleven years ago)

well yeah I think a lot of this is about what we heard when we were young. I loved Rio aged, what, 8?

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:13 (eleven years ago)

Duran Duran are just fine but tbh if that was what you're after they're a pale substitute for Japan on this list alone

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:19 (eleven years ago)

couldn't really get with that Japan album on first try. I'm built wrong, I know

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:26 (eleven years ago)

well they do slightly different things, i'm exaggerating a touch maybe. it's kind of fun watching you champion the empty poptimist option on this one

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:28 (eleven years ago)

I have a theory that the albums you loved at a very young age will always be among your favourite albums no matter how your taste subsequently shifts.

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:30 (eleven years ago)

i didn't really know what albums were when i was very young!

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:31 (eleven years ago)

wtf is Dodgy, also I voted for it

Euler, Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:32 (eleven years ago)

3 roadies playing at being the Troggs

chimped the keeper (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:34 (eleven years ago)

euler gets polls imo

Tesco and Horse Dobbins 2013 (wins), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:35 (eleven years ago)

Also, Rio is pretty complex for a pure pop record! Intricate basslines, slow-building song structures, close sonic detail, contrapuntal keyboard melodies, dark themes, even a bit of arty atonality & multivocal fuckery (check out New Religion). Yeah, when viewed from a certain distance it's a pure pop record, but it's full of gorgeous subtle touches and odd spaces in the mix.

I'll defend Free Peace Suite, actually

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:36 (eleven years ago)

quiet life or polaroids are the japan albums closer to duran's sound.

sleepingsignal, Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:37 (eleven years ago)

FPS is an album fucked over by its lead single being by a fucking mile its worst and most loathsome song. The rest ranges from half-decent to really quite good

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Please don't hesitate (imago), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:37 (eleven years ago)

rio is all killer no filler. peaks on the last song, "the chauffeur"

reggie (qualmsley), Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:56 (eleven years ago)

The first Cars album is great but the more synth-heavy second one (Candy-O) is even better. Surprised at the love for Cupid & Psyche, I love the singles but the rest of it is pretty mediocre.

Gavin, Leeds, Sunday, 20 October 2013 21:21 (eleven years ago)

Homegrown is kinda well-produced. Dodgy did a lot of stupid ornamentations of their stupid pop-songs, which I will always prefer to something 'raw' and 'authentic'. Other than that, I've got nothing...

Frederik B, Sunday, 20 October 2013 21:39 (eleven years ago)

"You're All I've Got Tonight" is the best song IMO.

― arctic mindbath (President of the People's Republic of Antarctica), Sunday, October 20, 2013 4:12 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This wasn't on the Greatest Hits I grew up with, so I actually didn't know this song until I got the (awesome) Rhino DiY comp Mass Ave: The Boston Scene (1975-83) sometime in the mid 90s, which features an early demo version of the track.

the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Sunday, 20 October 2013 21:56 (eleven years ago)

Every track on The Cars got AOR play; on that early 2000s comp it only omitted one of its tracks. I prefer Candy-O but both are all you need

Japan is a pretty pale imitation of Japan.

the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 20 October 2013 22:04 (eleven years ago)


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