Album Club, November 2016: LCD Soundsystem - 'Sound of Silver' [Archive]

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Album Club

31-10-2016, 23:37

The Album Choice for November comes courtesy of John (johnB) with 'Sound of Silver' by LCD Soundsystem. As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you reply and/or vote.

Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag89/Jrb1961/b8c008c3_zpsz5ikfi5n.jpg (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/Jrb1961/media/b8c008c3_zpsz5ikfi5n.jpg.html)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_of_Silver

James Murphy's second LP with his band LCD Soundsystem, in my opinion one of the best albums of this century (ok we're only 16 years into it). Wears it's influences with pride.....Krautrock, Bowie, Suicide, Punk, Heaven 17, Human League (in fact most 80's synth bands) Nile Rodgers, Chic etc etc.
Still makes me want to dance at 55!

YouTube link:

4kPyjUMmCL4

Spotify link:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/066X20Nz7iquqkkCW6Jxy6, then click on the 'Sound of Silver' image.

HackneyRF

01-11-2016, 11:00

A fine choice this one. And a reminder of what a great record this is. Their debut album was great but they really nailed it with Sound of Silver. As you say John it's got all those influences in abundance but done in their inimitable style. A formidable live act too as witnessed by the Glastonbury set this year.

Turn it up when you listen folks! A 9/10 from me.

Thanks John.

RichB

01-11-2016, 12:05

Yes, happy to revisit this one. I loved this when it was released but sort of lost touch with them later on.

Dare say John will never forgive me for missing them at Glastonbury this year. Can't remember where I was at the time or what I was doing but will go and find the set and watch it. Happy to give this one a solid 8.

lovejoy

02-11-2016, 08:59

Well this IS timely!

These totally passed me by the first time around. I banded them in with the rest of the 'slightly too clever for their own good' hipstery zeitgeist capturing dance/rock crossover bands like MGMT and Daft Punk who I really cannot stand. Although there was always the odd song I heard on the radio by LCD Soundsystem I quite liked, I never took the time to explore them further as I'd already been put off.

A couple of years ago I remember seeing a trailer for a film they'd made called 'shut up and play the hits' about their final gig and again, although I thought at the time 'that looks interesting', I never got around to watching it, and given that it was about their final gig I thought that was the end of them.

Then they turn up at Glastonbury this year and they were brilliant. One of the highlights of the festival for me this year, but STILL the message hasn't sunk in and although I started listening to them a bit more, I STILL didn't explore the albums.

Now one turns up in the Album Club. Now I know we're supposed to be listening to the album all the way through before commenting, but my morning commute got me as far as track 5 this morning and I can quite honestly say 'I've been a fool to ignore them this long'. What an absolute breath of fresh air this album is. It could have been the beautiful crisp clear morning drive that put me in such a good mood this morning, but this is the best thing I've listened to in a good while and is serving to restore my faith in album listening. Every song (so far) has me hooked, it's all paced amazingly well and hangs together as an album wonderfully in spite of the fact that I was already familiar with a couple of songs which were pretty big singles. The production is simple, clean and free of too much studio sheen which I love.

I won't make my vote until I've gone through it all, but if it keeps up we're talking a 9 or a 10.

I need to go out and buy this immediately!

Top recommendation.

high.spirits

03-11-2016, 09:36

Sorry not my sort of music. I only managed about 30 minutes worth as it seemed so repetitive and electronic. Must be my age.......
Cannot score as I did not listen to the whole album.

johnB

07-11-2016, 18:36

Sorry not my sort of music. I only managed about 30 minutes worth as it seemed so repetitive and electronic. Must be my age.......
Cannot score as I did not listen to the whole album.

Repetitive and electronic......that's kind of the point.

Over and over and over and over and over,
Like a monkey with a miniature cymbal,
The joy or repetition really is in you.
Under and under and under and under and under,
The spell of repetition really is on you,
And when I feel this way I really am with you.

struth

07-11-2016, 18:49

Still on first track... is it stuck? seriously?
lol

Yes, not my cuppa poison I'm afraid, but im a crusty old blues man.. sorry folks. maybe more a younger mans music.

martian sunrise

07-11-2016, 20:36

I only just got through it

lovejoy

10-11-2016, 09:36

I've been listening to this a fair bit now. The first track is just a wonderful homage to Kraftwerk's 'Robots' and some early Talking Heads which I think is a fantastic combination.

Someone Great has been sat in my brain as en earworm for the last few days. That's a standout track for me at the moment. Album purchased and is a welcome addition to my collection. I need to check out the other albums next.

A solid 9/10 from me. Best thing I've heard in a while.

johnB

11-11-2016, 16:29

Audio Al

12-11-2016, 03:33

I don't like this sorry
I don't like this sorry I don't like this sorry
I don't like this sorryI don't like this sorryI don't like this sorry
I don't like this sorry I don't like this sorryI don't like this sorryI don't like this sorry

Arrrrrrr :eek:

RichB

12-11-2016, 08:55

Audio Al

12-11-2016, 09:12

Didn't you like it then?

Just not your cup of tea genre wise or something else?

At time I thought the needle had got stuck in the groove , Repetitive to the point of annoying :(

johnB

12-11-2016, 13:02

I'm glad this one is going down better than my previous choices!
:)

Pixelpopper

14-11-2016, 11:35

Had it not been for the final track , "New York I love you......" where there were indications of melody, it would have scored a 1 for me, I ended on 2.
I found the whole album repetitive with over reliance on music machinery.
I struggled but got through it, just!

:eek:

lovejoy

15-11-2016, 10:17

If you like Soneone Great Rich try Faust IV by Faust... you may already know it (1974 I think)

No, I'm familiar with the name Faust but I couldn't name anything by them. That's just gone straight into my Tidal 'to listen to' playlist. All recommendations gratefully received. I'll give that a listen this week. Many thanks.

Barry

22-12-2016, 18:52

I liked this Album Club choice - in fact I like downbeat repetitive, hypnotic music to relax to. Though I can understand why many people here don't like it. (I once proposed 'Koyaanisqatsi', and that really was a 'Marmite' choice!)

Anyway I enjoyed it - 7/10 from me (another "crusty blues lover")

Barry

Rothchild

28-01-2017, 22:51

Ticks a lot of boxes for me, really like the phat, 'lo-fi' sound palate and its minimal application in (mostly) taught, symmetrical arrangements (a couple of numbers are a bit long).

As a whole the album is actually quite varied even though it has a very consistent aesthetic.

7/10

Dynamics

06-05-2017, 20:39

This is an ok album for me when it came out, that appeals to ones sense of rhythm and to dancing and basically electronic music.

It kind of mixes dance and rock influences and is like reintroducing prog rock of an earlier time e.g.kraftwerk etc.

If you don't like dancing, weren't a raver or have never been to an electronic nightclub with a dj with house, trance, techno etc, you probably won't appreciate this music.

Some of it is a bit to punky for my tastes (e.g. Some of the vocals) as I tend to think of the electronic genre being away from this, it's why I like the electronic genre as it stands alone from these punk influences. And I just don't like the grungey sound associated to punk music. It's not of my time and the melodies don't create lights in my brain as they tend to be too simple and grungey. But the opening track is very good as a dance number.

It's quite nouveau and experimental for the genre and not as mainstream as more traditional electronic groups like your underworlds etc, which don't have the rock influences. Some tracks are a bit new order which I like a lot. E.g. All my friends.

For me it's a good album but but not traditional electronic from dance, house, techno, ambient etc. So it doesn't score unto itself as being of that ilk, but unto itself is a worthwhile album, if only probably now doesn't get repeat listens.