Fantastic Planet - Failure

 

For a very long time now, I have labored under the premise that Fantastic Planet by Failure, is with out a doubt the best modern rock-n-roll album recorded to date.  (Spoiler alert: That hasn’t changed.)  Never heard of it?  Eh, I figured as much.  I realize that is quite a tall statement to make about an album.  I don’t make it in any light context, either.  Outside of the Beatles, talented songwriting like this doesn’t really exist.  It seriously, on all accounts, is as perfect as an album can perceivably be.  From the production, the tones, the songwriting, and even the album art are immaculately curated to make this one phenomenal record.  Recorded and released nineteen years ago in 1996, it wasn’t until around 1999 that I had stumbled across this album.  At first listen, my mouth sat agape, and I was completely in shock of what I had just listened to.  I don’t think it left my CD player for the next month.  Nothing else existed.  Each of the seventeen tracks (yes, that correct 17.) has its place, and is in way album “filler”.  They’re all bangers.  Fuck, I can’t remember a rock album in recent years that came anywhere close to 17 tracks, clocking in at 67 mins 51 secs no less.  Regardless of what I think of this album, you should buy it.  If, for nothing more, to say that you own a copy.  And I’m sure Ken Andrews would appreciate a couple extra bucks.    

 

Now, my absolute love for this album, and its standing as best recorded modern rock album has never been challenged (as far as rock albums go, mind you).  Not even close.  And I can’t really imagine that it will in the near future, given the sad state of the music industry.  I’ve been wrong before, and I hope that I am someday.  That being said, there is an album that I was reunited with recently, that gave me that similar passion that I had the first time I heard Fantastic Planet.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ugly Organ - Cursive

 

Sometime around 2010 I was living out of a van, on tour with my band.  As it goes, boredom ensues, and you’ll listen to anything to keep your mind off of the monumental drive you have ahead of you.  Usually Texas.  No, seriously.  Texas is forever big, fuck that drive.  In any case, the other guitarist in the band lent me a cd that had select songs off of different Cursive albums.  At the time I remember liking the CD a lot.  After all, I was in my “hipster, indy, post-core, skinny-emo-jeans, music listening phase”.  Basically, I was listening to a lot of La Dispute at the time.  With catchy rock anthems and a cellist, how could you go wrong.  Though, after tour, I didn’t really follow the band much, besides saying; “ohh, Cursive, yeah, they’re cool.” whenever they were brought up.  

 

Fast forward to 2015.  My girlfriend came home all excited, stating that she had bought us tickets to see Cursive at the Great American Music Hall.  I was pretty stoked, having remembered liking the band.  Add to that, that the Great American is the best venue ever, it was going to be a rad night.  The show starts with ’Some Red-Handed Sleight of Hand’.  A rocking jam which happens to be the first track off of Ugly Organ.  They sounded fantastic, Tim Kasher was on point.  And I thought to myself, “I’m in for a treat tonight.”.  After a few songs, my friend leans over to me and said that they would be playing the entirety of The Ugly Organ with other songs strewn in-between.  Sick!  After playing for an hour or so, making their way through the album, and other assorted tracks.  They left the stage for the inevitable encore.  Tim Kasher walks back on stage and says “we have some unfinished business”.  They then break into the last two tracks on the album, “Sierra” and “Staying Alive”.  Those two songs did it for me.  It was one of the best live shows I had ever seen.  

 

Since then, that album has been in my rotation for quite some time.  I was pretty bummed that I hadn’t put more time into it back in 2010.  There was a lot of tracks on the album that I hadn’t heard.  Needless to say, It may not be the best recorded album of all time for me.  However, seeing it live, it definitely serves as the best show I’ve ever seen.  These guys can perform.  And their songs translate to the live setting way better than I could’ve imagined.  Definitely a recommended listen.  Do yourself a favor and scope out some youtube live videos, you won’t be disappointed.