Interpol's self-titled album is their second-best behind Turn on the Bright Lights.

Infallible is the best song Pearl Jam has recorded and officially released since Riot Act.

Dave Matthews Band is more talented and diverse than most rock bands today, but get a bad rap b/c of shitty singles and a deadhead like cult following.

Pearl Jam is fucking awesome.

Agreed.

I probably still prefer it to every Rolling Stones album I have heard.

I too can get on board that..wasnt that his only gig as a band leader on bluenote?

It was. I have long maintained that its status as one of Coltrane's best records stems from how effectively Blue Note has managed to circulate and promote that one record over the years, while the 500 albums he made for Impulse have gone in and out of print in various editions that are pricey, impossible to keep track of, and wildly varying in recording quality. But musically, probably every album he recorded for Impulse (and probably Atlantic) was better than "Blue Train."

Sleater-Kinney, lauded because they're women playing rock n roll more than for the music they create. If the band was made up of three guys, they would not be near the media darlings they currently are.

That is one of the stupidest loads of horseshit I've heard in ages.

and they suck

Well, it's certainly in the spirit of the thread!

I should try out Wild Flag. A Tuckerless Sleater-Kinney sounds right up my alley.

there is that

Wild Flag was so good.

That Wild Flag record was excellent.

Well you guys know what you can do with your popular music opinions...

Hey Lament,

It took me two days to listen to the three, erm, I mean eight Simple Minds songs you posted. Definitely hadn’t heard any of them before. On the positive side, I can see that these guys were contemporaries of folks like New Order and Depeche Mode (maybe an influence on them?) but weren’t really given much credit. There were a ton of bands in the early 80s working this sound. Big Country comes to mind, too. Jim Kerr’s voice (I’m not looking this up, but I’m pretty sure that’s his name) reminds me of Adam Ant at some points -- a comparison you may not appreciate.

Speed Your Love to Me was probably my favorite, despite the somewhat embarrassing video. Ah, the 80s. Someone Somewhere in Summertime was good, too. Liked The American and I Travel as well. The production on all the songs sounds completely of that era, big on keyboards with heavily processed guitars playing a supporting role. Lots of programmed drums. It was the 80s after all. Musically, there are some interesting things happening, despite that this isn’t really my cup of tea. It reminds me of what Depeche Mode was doing back then, but they did it SO much better. DM's classic-era songs were like little pieces of art. Tracks like 70 Cities attempt something along those lines, but don’t quite cross the finish line to my ears.

The #1 thing that keeps me from fully endorsing this is Jim Kerr’s voice. It just doesn’t do much for me. He’s not a bad singer by any means, but he’s not one of those guys who can sing a song acapella and blow you away. He doesn’t make or break the song. He doesn’t take the tunes anywhere; there’s no build and that’s on him (and every singer, really). Singers make or break it for me. If the singer isn’t someone who I stop and have to listen to, I generally have a hard time becoming more invested in the band. Kerr has a somewhat distinct sound/style, but not one that does much for me. He's not a singer's singer. (And he definitely ain't no Prince, but who is?)

Anyway, thanks for posting these. I enjoyed much of what I heard, but I’d have a hard time putting this above somewhat similar bands of that era, including The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order, and even (gulp) the first three Duran Duran albums (they were good, I swear!).

Oh wow, I didn't think anyone would actually listen to all eight of them!

It's funny, New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Duran Duran (to a much lesser extent) were all bands I was very well-versed in (and in the case of the first three, went through obsessive phases with) before I discovered Simple Minds' back catalog. After falling in love with SM's 1980-1984 output, I never felt the same way about any of those acts again.

Either way, that's pretty awesome that you took the time to listen and post some thoughts. You're a good man, PryTo.