Finals week, the most stressful time of the year for students. It also seems to be a period of time where people are listening to music more. A walk through campus, students can be seen “locking in” this week with their headphones on or earbuds in. I tend to be no different, aside from the fact that I normally listen to music on my record player in my apartment.
I normally listen to the same type of music during this time: The Beatles, ‘Songs in the Key of Life’, Steely Dan, A Tribe Called Quest etc. I love the albums I have on vinyl, but I wanted to listen to some different music this finals week than my usual mix. While my knowledge of music is fairly good, and the collection of music I listen to and own is right up my avenue. There are however some people on campus who have both listened to more music than me, and know other albums or artists that I may have never listened to: my professors.
I went around campus asking three of my professors; Jerry Holsopple, Chad Gusler, and Kirsten Beachy to each give me one album out of all the albums they’ve listened to. Here’s what they gave me.
Chad Gusler- ‘Lese Majesty’ by Shabazz Palaces. Shabazz Palaces is a hip-hop group led by Ishmael Butler, one of the artists who made up the hip-hop group Digable Planets. I have always enjoyed Digable Planets, so when Chad told me about this album, and that it had one of the members of the group, I was very excited. I have memories of hearing ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)’ as a kid and in some of the sports games I played, so their music is always nostalgic.
When Chad gave me this album, he recommended I listen to it with headphones (good call), and said it was trippy. Trippy it is indeed, but in a good way. If I had to use a singular word to describe it, I would say “wavy”.
This album is a unique one, I’m not sure if I have really heard anything like it, but it’s good! The synths on the songs are fun and different in a good way, they sound out there, sort of space-y. ‘Noetic Noiromantics’ has a killer guitar riff with some cool echo and distortion that comes in and out occasionally, it was my favorite song in the listen.
‘Soundview’ has a standup bass sample, and man, do I love the sound of a good standup. I’m a big fan of late 50s to early 60s jazz, and while I wouldn’t say this album sounds like that I still enjoy it. I also really enjoy the bass guitar in the ‘Ballad of Lt. Maj Winnings’. I didn’t have a singular track I disliked, but out of them all those were the two most enjoyable. The opening three songs also serve as a great “appetizer” for what’s to come.
Overall, this album was really fun, and like Chad said, trippy. I went into every song not knowing what to expect next, which made it even more enjoyable and kept me engaged. It’s experimental, which I normally think is a somewhat cliche way to describe any album that’s “different”, but this album truly deserves that title. It is unlike any record I have ever listened to, and I loved it! It has some really driving bass, great drum kits, fun samples, great songwriting, along with some killer vocals and flow. This is one I will definitely come back to.
Jerry Holsopple- ‘The Essential Leonard Cohen’ by Leonard Cohen. I’ll be honest, I had never listened to Leonard Cohen before this review. I had only read some of his poems, so I had no clue what to expect going into this. This album is a long one, as one would expect from an essentials album.
From what I heard (‘Suzanne’ to ‘Take This Longing’) Leonard Cohen is a gifted writer, with a small vocal range, but his songs work with his voice and are well done.They are hauntingly beautiful. I am unsure how else to describe them, they have a certain mystique to them, sort of like a rolling fog on a mountain, with a little bit of the scenery peering through. His lyrics are some of the most descriptive lyrics I have heard, out of anyone I have ever listened to. His songs have the grace of a beautiful poem (fitting as he was a poet before a singer), and an intense emotional weight to them. The background vocals for some of these songs… oh my god they are beautiful. These songs have a dark, foggy, beauty.
‘Suzanne’ was my favorite song that I was able to listen to. The background vocals are eerily beautiful in ‘Suzanne’, and his writing style shines through with the pacing, somberness, and emotion of the song. It is such a heavy, tear jerking song.
As someone who suffers from seasonal depression, these songs sound like how I feel at times in the colder months. While this is a compilation, I would love to give a listen to his standalone albums as these songs were a genuine joy. I am interested in searching for some of his records on vinyl, as I feel like that would help me to appreciate his work even more. While I was only able to listen to ten songs total, it was a nice peek into his work that leaves me wanting to hear more.
Kirsten Beachy ‘Judy Sings Dylan – Just Like a Woman’ by Judy Collins- I thoroughly enjoy Bob Dylan, and Judy Collins is a great singer. I enjoy the selection of songs she chose, and while I have heard all of the songs on this album before performed by Dylan, Judy Collins brings an interesting twist. Dylan’s voice can be an acquired taste, and while I do enjoy his voice, it’s interesting to hear someone with a little more vocal range sing his work (like George Harrison’s cover of ‘If Not For You’).
These songs have some killer guitars on them, especially ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. I’m a sucker for clean guitar tones, and there’s a good bit of that present on this album. ‘Love Minus Zero/ No Limit’ also has a background guitar with a really nice flanger-y tone to it. The cover of ‘With God On Our Side’ is so beautiful as well. It sounds like Collins is in a large, empty room singing her heart out.
Collins singing, the guitar work, and the instrumentation on this album is really fun! I think her voice suits the selections of songs very well. Overall, this was yet another fun listen. However, since these were all songs I had heard before, I found myself a little less interested. The previous two were albums, and artists I had never listened to before, while I had never listened to Collins, I have listened to Dylan a lot. I don’t discredit Collins’ skill, it’s clearly present, but cover albums are meh to me, I would rather hear Collins’ own work, just as I prefer to hear Dylan’s songs done by Dylan.
Overall, these were all very good recommendations. A few songs from each have made my playlists, and the first two are ones I would love to have on vinyl. These albums were fun to listen to while writing papers and working on final projects. I would like to continue to review and listen to professors recommendations for albums going forward.