The hottest Albums Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Music Topics

Best otherwise unreleased B-side ever?

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 08 Sep 11
🎶 Music Genres Artists Albums
  1. Some famous B-sides might be better than the A-sides they were paired with. For example, "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles was a double A-side but left off their album.
  2. B-sides can sometimes surprise fans who only know the hits. Songs like Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter" started as B-sides, showing a different side of the band.
  3. Many classic bands have hidden gems among their B-sides, like Madonna’s "Into the Groove" and U2's "Sweetest Thing," which fans might not realize weren't on the main albums.

A Provisional Re-sequencing of the White Album

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 10
🎶 Music Albums Artists Songwriting Reviews Cultural impact
  1. The White Album's song ordering is not optimal, and side 3 feels especially disjointed. Many listeners might not notice this because they've heard it so many times.
  2. A fresh re-sequencing of the album could significantly improve the listening experience. Sometimes a random shuffle can even work well.
  3. The author suggests removing two songs from the album and starting and ending with different versions of the same song to give it more structure.

Born to Sequence

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 27 Jul 10
🎶 Music Albums Song analysis Cultural Commentary
  1. The main story of the album 'Born to Run' is about a young man's growing disillusionment with his life and his longing to escape with someone special. It captures the struggle and feelings of wanting more from life.
  2. The five crucial songs, including 'Thunder Road' and 'Jungleland', create a cohesive narrative that reflects this journey from hope to realization of life's harsh realities.
  3. The sequencing of the songs can change the story's meaning, with 'Thunder Road' representing both an ending and a new beginning, suggesting a mix of optimism despite the darker themes in the other songs.

Conversations with Myself

polymathematics • 0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 22
🎶 Music Albums Genres Artists Performances Criticism
  1. Clear language is important, and honesty helps achieve it. When people aren't sincere, communication gets messy.
  2. Some people, like the musician Bill Evans, enjoy performing but prefer to do it alone. They find more joy in playing for themselves than for an audience.
  3. The album 'Conversations with Myself' is a personal favorite, showing how music can express deep thoughts and feelings.
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