Desert Island Top 10 w/ rules...

[Dusty Chalk]

I emptied the fuel tank because it was too heavy to lug full -- anyone bring any fuel for the generator?

[GMichael]

I've got a battery powered PV amp. Think we can rig it?

[Dusty Chalk]

Argh! You mean I should have left the generator behind and brought a liferaft full of batteries?

[GMichael]

This island sucks!

[Davey]

Yes you was, but that is a fine pick that just gets better with age. had it spinning a couple times lately myself, because you know it's way too short so you have to sppin it at least twice, and it quickly gets me into a biorhythmic groove cycle that's pretty hard to quit. Coconut juice, cool tradewinds, mostly naked island girls, and some Summer in Abaddon .. ah, angel of the abyss, could do much worse

Just to reiterate, what a great record. Listened again this morning, and it sounded better than ever. And not just musically, it is a pretty nice sounding disc too. Not nearly as heavily compressed as most modern stuff, and a good foundation.

The final track comes from out of nowhere, and is a sharp contrast against the more somber and contemplative tracks before it. It couldn't have been a more perfect ending. A steady rock n' roll drum figure breaks into action. Guitars pound alongside it. Confidence and activity is at its apex. There is one last moment of reluctance ("Too scared to look at what I hear outside") and then the screamed-out chorus puts everything to rest: "Protect. Embrace. Engulf./Remember the summer in Abaddon." Prompting us to remember our times of darkness so as to never revisit them. A call to "Release the riggings" is sounded, and the journey into (and out of) Abaddon is over.

When you turn the page after the lyrics for "AFK", you are met with the photo I mentioned at the beginning of this review. However, instead of a staircase leading down into a dark underground, the staircase is leading up into the open, and a promising blue sky hangs overhead. What Pinback have created here is an album to fight off that lack of motivation that sometimes curses us all. They've created music to soothe those moments of disappointment in our lives, and something to calm the restlessness of that hour before your shift at work. Looking back at what I've written, I realize I've done a hell of a lot more than I originally intended. But then, I suppose that's the point of Summer In Abaddon.

9.0 / 10

http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/355

[Rae]

This island sucks!

That would've been a far superior anthology title to Legend.

~Rae

[Rae]

[i]The final track comes from out of nowhere, and is a sharp contrast against the more somber and contemplative tracks before it. It couldn't have been a more perfect ending. A steady rock n' roll drum figure breaks into action. Guitars pound alongside it. Confidence and activity is at its apex. There is one last moment of reluctance ("Too scared to look at what I hear outside") and then the screamed-out chorus puts everything to rest: "Protect. Embrace. Engulf./Remember the summer in Abaddon." Prompting us to remember our times of darkness so as to never revisit them. A call to "Release the riggings" is sounded, and the journey into (and out of) Abaddon is over.

I have nothing really to add except that I concur with the assessment of that last track as ass-kicking. Best out-of-nowhere rocker since Bedhead's "Psychosomatica".

~Rae

[Rich-n-Texas]

LOL. Yes. Happily. Thank you very much.

Although...exactly how rich are you, Texas?

I'd be richer if someone would just buy the pool table that's smack dab in the middle of my HT room!

Top Ten:

1. Patti Smith: Horses, easter, wave because it flooded my brain with memories of my teen years when I played it last year. A true poet, which is an essential element of any song as far as I'm concerned.
2. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Lady Land because there has never been or will be a guitarist of his magnitude. The influence for all who followed.
3. The Beatles: Meet The Beatles, because that was my first taste of Rock-n-Roll when I was about 9 or 10.
4. The Beatles: The White album. Bizarre, but rocks like a mother!
5. Led Zeppelin: 4th album, but I enjoy every one I own (mostly on vinyl) because that band has kept me sane. And Jimmy Page ranks right up there with Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton...etc.
6. Yes: Close to the Edge. Is there such a category as Mystical Rock? Great lyrics, great musical quality.
7. Genesis: Tough one but I'll have to go with Wind & Wuthering, great story telling (i.e. One For The Vine)
8. Jethro Tull: Warchild, because not only is it distinctly English, but I saw them at the Spectrum in Philly when they were touring in support of the album in '74. An amazing theatrical performance. Aqualung runs a very close second.
9. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon. I liked some of their earlier stuff and centainly more after, but I think this is their defining release. Plus, I saw their performance of it on the "Pulse" DVD, and it was mind blowing.
10. Allman Brothers Band: Eat a Peach, because of my favorite track: Melissa. Beatiful song, and would be the name of my daughter if I was married and had kids.

Not on the list but very much ingrained in my library is Rush (many tracks from many titles), which viloates the rules of the game. Fun thread nonetheless.

[SlumpBuster]

So I'll throw up my list (which is subject to change of course), since it doesn't have too much crossover with what was already thrown up. I limited my selections to records I have on CD. It would be a different list if I included my LPs, which would include many more classics like Boston, Bob Seger, and ELO.

These are all records that have never fallen out of heavy rotation since entering the collection. Many have been repurchased and replaced as tapes and CDs wore out.

1. Green Day - Dookie: American Idiot runs a close second, but Dookie has stood the test of time.


2. Oasis - Definately Maybe: If the Beatles are bigger than Jesus, and Oasis is bigger than the Beatles, then Oasis is...?


3. Social Distortion - Social Distortion: Listening to this record will turn you into Fonzie. Aehhhh!


4. The Gadjits - At Ease: Little indie punk/ska/lo-fi band out of Kansas City that just happened to make two of the greatest unknown rock records of all time.


5. Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman: Simply the greatest techno/dance record.


6. Lo-Fidelity Allstars - How To Operate With a Blown Mind: Just fuggetaboutit. This is album is just ill. Anyone with access to a television in the late 90's will recognize the song Battleflag off this record, but the remainder of the album was forgetten and ignored.


7. Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down: Again lots of songs off this record were licensed to movies and commercials, but few actual buyers for the album (at least in America).


8. Cornershop - Handcream for a Generation: Not just a wierd record, but like a Frank Zappa wierd record. But also highly listenable.


9. Ash - Meltdown: Straight ahead Rock Music the way it was meant to be.


10. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes: Because high school wouldn't have been the same without it and Good Feelings is the greatest album "closer" of all time.

[ForeverAutumn]

Nice call on Dookie. Excellent disk and one of my all-time faves. If I'd bothered to list 10 disks, instead of only 5, Dookie would have probably made the list.

[bobsticks]

Every time I see these threads I always wanna trade lists with someone about 10 seconds after I post. RAE's is lookin' damn good to me right now.

Yeah. I just can't do it.

I've tried to narrow it down several times over the lat few days and can't. I can't even figure out who's list I like best. I'm just stayin' off the damn plane in the first place.

[Mr MidFi]

OK, I'll take a swing at this...

In no real order:

REM - Reckoning
Pink Floyd - DSOTM
The Who - Who's Next
U2 - Achtung Baby
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Genesis - Trick of the Tail
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Green Day - American Idiot
The Pretenders - s/t
David Bowie - Alladin Sane

For every one of these selections, an equally good choice exists from the very same band/artist (with the possible exception of the Pretenders). In some cases, 2 or 3 equally good choices. So I guess you could say I awarded bonus points for consistency of output.

[Stone]

Why am I limited to 10?

[ForeverAutumn]

Why am I limited to 10?

Because we've seen your collection and weight restrictions would keep you from taking the whole collection on the plane.

[GMichael]

Because we've seen your collection and weight restrictions would keep you from taking the whole collection on the plane.

Plane? I thought this was a cruse. I've had enough flying for one life.

[basite]

the island seems to be pretty crowded already

Miles davis - Kind of blue
pink floyd - Dark side of the moon
Orlando Cachaito Lopez
Zero 7 - The garden
George benson - Give me the night
Shirley Horn - May the music never end
Jef Neve trio - nobody is illegal
Dee dee bridgewater - Keeping tradition
Donald Fegen - The nightfly
Grant green - Idle moments

And guys, we still don't have a real system for on the Island

[Stone]

Because we've seen your collection and weight restrictions would keep you from taking the whole collection on the plane.

But I bet I could fit a 100 or so in my arms, no problem.

[GMichael]

How many copies of PF - DSOTM does this make for the island now?

[nobody]

If I were ambitious, I'd compile all these lists into a nonduplicative master list. I'm thinking most of us could get along pretty nicely with the results.

Since I'm not ambitious, I'll just make the unbacked assumption.

[Rich-n-Texas]

How many copies of PF - DSOTM does this make for the island now?

Don't know, but I think we're going to wear out a few phono cartridges. BTW, where are we going to plug the record player in? Did I miss the part where somebody offered up a generator?

[GMichael]

Don't know, but I think we're going to wear out a few phono cartridges. BTW, where are we going to plug the record player in? Did I miss the part where somebody offered up a generator?

I think Dusty offered up a generator, but with no gas.

[basite]

other way of getting power:

leaving the island, and conquer the world using Flo's killing cavia's... (where is he actually???)
then send the other people to the island, that way we have more room for stereos, records of PF, and other records

question,
If I bring my cat, can I bring 20 albums then?

Keep on rocking,
Bert.

[GMichael]

We could always get the Professor to make up a man powered generator for us. Or at least make us some batteries out of coconuts and palm leaves. I think he may have been the inspiration for MacGyver.

Too bad he could never fix that d'm boat. I guess there was no wood on that island.

[ForeverAutumn]

question,
If I bring my cat, can I bring 20 albums then?

Keep on rocking,
Bert.

As long as you don't bring the Pussycat Dolls. If you bring your cat, at least we'll have something to eat!

I can't believe I said that! Shame on me.

[basite]

as long as I have copper I could make a battery out of lemons...

now that would be alot of lemons to make a system work...