I'm back again with some more condensed albums, my take on what a pared-down playlist from a band's similar releases might sound like. Last time we went over Guns N' Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nine Inch Nails albums and for this week I've chosen three other bands' works. Let's take a look.
Unload by Metallica (1996, 1997)
If you don't know the basics of Metallica lore you may come to think you've been living under a rock, but honestly this period in the group's history may be worth skipping. Quick summary: 1991's Black Album is when Metallica gained mainstream success, selling tens of millions of copies but also representing a departure from the band's signature thrash metal sound. This more accessible, meatier stylistic and tonal shift was further exemplified on the follow-up albums Load and Reload which adopted a more hard rock and southern rock sound. I suppose when you're as influential and successful as Metallica you've earned the right to do whatever you want with your career, but that doesn't make this material inherently good now, does it? I no longer own these two albums because quite frankly I thought they were boring and I seldom listened to them. But that's not to say they're all bad; there are a few diamonds in the rough worth listening to. This playlist I've made here cuts out the rubbish (12 songs used out of 27) and makes for a more engaging 70-minute listen, but whether it's a worthy successor to the Black Album is up for debate.
1. “Fuel,” Reload
2. “Ain't My Bitch,” Load
3. “The Memory Remains,” R
4. “Until it Sleeps”, L
5. “Hero of the Day,” L
6. “2x4,” L
7. “Carpe Diem Baby,” R
8. “Mama Said,” L
9. “Ronnie,” L
10. “Low Man's Lyric,” R
11. “Where the Wild Things Are,” R
12. “The Outlaw Torn,” L
Me Are Men by Barenaked Ladies (2006)
Now for some real confusion. If you lived in Canada in the 1990's and early 2000's you could barely go a single day without hearing a Barenaked Ladies song. They made a lot of radio hits as well as some fine albums that had a variety of musical styles. One of these was the earnest, yet entertaining Are Me released in 2006. The recording sessions produced a wealth of material which was released in a variety of collections including the original 13-track album, a 14-track Starbucks exclusive, the remaining 16 tracks packaged as a separate album called Are Men, a 25-track 2-disc deluxe edition, and a 29-track deluxe edition. And let's not even talk about the digital versions! I'm going to go over the 25-track deluxe version because that's the one I happen to have. Making an album-length playlist for this collection of songs was rather fun. Like any of BNL's upper-tier albums Are Me and (especially) Are Men are a fine mix of quirky tunes, reflective folk-rockers, and the occasional spirited rockers. If you just want to hear the best of the 25 total then this 47 minute, 13-track assortment has got you covered.
1. “Sound of Your Voice,” Are Me
2. “Easy,” Are Me
3. “Serendipity,” Are Men
4. “Bank Job,” Are Me
5. “Running Out of Ink,” Are Men
6. “Angry People,” Are Men
7. “Adrift”, Are Me
8. “I Can I Will I Do,” Are Men
9. “Peterborough and the Kawarthas,” Are Me
10. “Beautiful,” Are Men
11. “Down to Earth,” Are Men
12. “Wind it Up,” Are Me
13. “The New Sad,” Are Men
The Mob Rules Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath (1980, 1981)
You could argue that I'm cheating with this since Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules aren't directly related to one another but I couldn't resist. The first Black Sabbath albums to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals, their sounds are so similar that comparisons between the two are inevitable. It seems that most people – myself included – prefer Heaven and Hell's more metallic approach compared to Mob Rules' slightly more atmospheric tone with its greater use of keyboards and synths. But at the end of the day they're both fine entries in the Black Sabbath catalogue, so what do they sound like when mashed together? Not very good, in my opinion. I did my best but this 10-track, 51-minute playlist doesn't quite capture the atmosphere and mood of each musical work. You're better off listening to them separately.
1. “Neon Knights,” H&H
2. “Voodoo,” MR
3. “Lady Evil”, H&H
4. “Heaven and Hell,” H&H
5. “The Mob Rules,” MR
6. “Country Girl,” MR
7. “The Sign of the Southern Cross,” MR
8. “Die Young,” H&H
9. “Falling Off the Edge of the World,” MR
10. “Lonely is the Word,” H&H
