The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America

The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America

Published in 1995

Wikipedia

Dear Paul O., this one is for you.

Take a big whiff right now.  You smell that?  Yessir, there is a bumper crop of nostalgia over yonder, and we're about to get to harvesting it.  It's going to be a long process, but at that first feel and taste of it, you'll be whisked back to your youth.  Indeed, it is time for us to talk about our childhoods, and make sure that everyone knows about this album.

You see, round these parts, in Album Country, we only know a few things for sure.  Why old man Johnson once whittled us up a sign with all them on it.  It went something like this.
1. Don't fuck with bears.
2. Sharks are bears of the sea.
3. Cee Lo Green does no wrong.
4. Fuck Cousin Jerry.
5. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and it is addictive as fuck.
That sign has gone the way of the dodo, but the ideas remain true.  Especially the bear parts.

When we all get together and sing those old songs that we remember from our youth, we know that we are carrying on a tradition that goes back literally years.  Almost impossible to imagine that Albums were made that long ago, I know, but of course, you aren't from these parts.

Presidents of the United States of America is one of the base ingredients for my nostalgia pie.  I'll tell you why.  This shit is cut with pure awesomeness, and if you sprinkle a little listening on it, it is sweet and tasty, never leaving a residue.  You give it a try, you're bound to like it.

From Kitty to Naked and famous, the sounds of this album are like an incredible cornucopia of fucking wonderfulness.  This album is one of those albums that takes a little bit of investment, but the instant you like one song, you have found the album.  Every fucking song is good.  Every one.  Seriously. Every. Damn. Song. Is. Essential.

Okay, let's get real, and stop talking crazy.  This is a nostalgic album for me because it's one of the few that I remember listening to on my first CD player.  Yeah, I know, an actual musical disc based transportation device.  Little will my younger readers know, but once upon a time, you couldn't just steal all the music you wanted from the internet, you actually had to possess it.  If you are young enough that this is shocking, why are you reading this?  Seriously.  What the fuck are you doing on here, you gotta be what, 6 years old?  Fuck is a bad word and I am addressing it to you, you prepubescent monster.  I hate that guy.

I remember lying down on my mom's old wooden floor, reading a book and playing this album on repeat.  It's a great one for just sitting around and enjoying.  From the first track, it has a sound of it's own.  They sound different from almost anything else you can hear.  It's fucking awesome.  The vocalists are good, the drums are pounding, and the basitar and the guitbass are sweet as fuck.

You seriously should pick up this album and give it a listen.  It's spectacular.  You have to have some sort of rock in your heart place for you not to love this album.  For serious.  Literally.  Truly. For sure.

Listen to it, jerk.  And no six year olds on the blog.  That's number 6 now.

"I CAN SPEAK FRENCH, VERY LOUDLY!"
Matt

PS. Give Phil Five!  Your God demands it!

Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory

Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory

Published in October 1995

Wikipedia

First off, iPod so there is that. Also, thanks to Sarah who asked me when I was going to do this album, unwittingly telling me to get off my ass and get back to work.

(What's the story) Morning Glory is a lot like getting into a time machine and setting it within your own life. Every part of it is familiar and yet you don't really know why but t all feels just a little wrong. Listening to this album reminded me or my childhood, but at 24 I feel like being nosolgic is a little strange. 

The reason that this album makes me pine for days gone by is because there was a time in my lifetime when Oasis was the new shit. I remember kids being excited about them coming to the patriot center and them being in the news. 

In fact, one of the few concerts I attended with my friend Zach was an Oasis and Black Crows concert that we attended because we got free tickets and also for a much more cynical reason. 

I wanted Noel and Liam Gallegher to beat the shit ot of each other on stage in a glorious bottle smashing fist flying melée. What can I say, I was a seventeen year old boy. I'm not proud of wishing that the two of them go all Cain and Abel on each other, but since they were probably going to do it anyway, I was happy to go see the concert and hope.

I'm not sure if I was alone in my desire to see these two fight, and I am pretty sure I wasn't, but I had forgotten how much of a pleasure it had been to see them until I started listenig to this album. They were tight in performance, and if they just could have laid off the sauce and the brotherly love, they could have been one of the formative bands of my youth. Jnfortunately, plagued by the kind of press that slowly destroys your musical cred, they ended up with assholes like me combing to their converts to watch them get biblical on each others asses. 

It's a shame. I really enjoyed this album, and I know the 12 year old me would have really liked it. It's nice and pop rocky, great hooks and super fun and enjoyable. The singles are still resonent and the other songs are tight, well produced and skillful. 

Let's talk about singles for a second. I have some friends who really like to get their favorite single tracks and play a mash of songs. It's not my strategy, but I understand it more and more. This group of songs are singleriffic. I am tempted to skip through and just listen to the songs I remember, because they are so good.

As a collection of singles, this album is the tits. As an album, it's good. It doesn't present a full picture of the band and it is a little to all sounds the same for me. 

I guess what I am saying is if you liked Oasis the first time around, you'll probably enjoy it this time. Don't look back in anger and wonderwall held up extremely nicely. If you were ambivilent or turned off by te image that was presented of them, give it a shot. If you can't stand Oasis, this album isn't for you, and you know that. 

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting this album. It was lovely to listen to and it's been lovely seeing you once or twice a year. 

I like my women like I like my coffee, covered in bees

Matt

PS. Next week jj - jj n*2 (a dooooooooomsday production.)