Prince: Purple Rain


Prince – Purple Rain
Scott Gregory
We only have a couple rules here at the Sonic Collective on how we pick albums;

  • it has to be at least 5 years old
  • it can be of any genre (I guess that’s more of an affirmation than a rule)
  • Has to be an original album (no greatest hits, soundtracks or compilations)

BUT – It can be a soundtrack if it’s entirely original material, composed and compiled for this purpose.
I’m glad we made this caveat, because there’s an album that’s considered one of the greatest of all time, usually ranked first or second behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller for best album of the 80s. It’s a soundtrack to an album of the same name.
The Sonic Collective’s album for January 2018 is Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution.
The sixth studio album and the first to feature The Revolution, it’s sold over 25 million albums worldwide and is the third best-selling soundtrack behind Whitney Houston’s the Bodyguard and The Bee Gee’s Saturday Night fever.
But, let’s take a moment and reflect on the fact that Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell, has outsold all three of them. That’s RIGHT. Greg, I miss you.
I’ve put together a little gameplan for this pick to try and really get the most out of this album.
I’ve heard all of Prince’s singles, but never listened to a full album. Apparently this is a real departure from his earlier work, so I think I’m going to start off by listening to the first five Prince albums for context before getting into this album.
After listening to the album a couple times I think I’ll go and watch the movie again. It’s been easily a decade so I can’t even remember most of it, but it’ll be fun to see where the album matches up with the scenes and themes in the movie.
Whether you go all the down the rabbit hole or just want to give the album a couple listens, I hope you join us at the end of January to discuss Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain. Cheers.
Purple Rain the album on Wikipedia
Purple Rain the movie on IMDB

Review of DJ Shadow: Entroducing

Please read Scott Coates pick for DJ Shadow:
Entroducing before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Would we recommend?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Worth the hype?
2.7

Review of DJ Shadow: Entroducing

Ok, first of all, this is a complex album. It is long and full of many experimental songs manufactured by DJ Shadow with basic equipment and lots and lots of samples. Though we didn’t rate it high as a group, there are definitely those who will love this album. It has some great historical value and there is no denying the talent of DJ Shadow. Listen to our reviews and find out what the good, bad and sometimes ugly was about this album.
The Sonic Collective


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?:4
Influenced my tastes: 3
Worth the hype?: 3.5
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 2.75
Would I recommend?: 2
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype? 3
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 3
Would I recommend?: 3
Influenced my tastes: 3
Worth the hype? 3
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 2
Would I recommend?: 2
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype? 2

Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward


Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward
Alain DuPuis
1984 was a very important year, because that is the year I was thrust kicking and screaming into this mortal coil. Incidentally, a little known band that you’ve probably never heard of called Depeche Mode happened to release an album that same year, called Some Great Reward, which was important. I guess.
All kidding aside, Depeche Mode is often cited as being an extremely influential music group for the impact they had on the electronic music scene, the pop scene, the new-wave the industrial scene… Lots of scenes. The breadth of their influence is what convinced me that this was the album to dive into this month.
Some Great Reward featured some pretty impactful singles. People are People was culturally significant for several reasons: It topped the charts in West Germany and was ultimately used in the ’84 Olympic Coverage. Remember, this was at a point where the East and the West were at odds on a number of social and political issues. It’s even listed in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s most list of 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. Other notable singles are Blasphemous Rumours, a song that tackles divine justice, and Master and Servant, a song that looks into sexual politics. Edgy stuff. Especially for the decade that spawned the “satanic panic.”
Full discolsure: I don’t know Depeche Mode’s body of work very well, and the only song I’ve heard from this album is People are People, which I appreciate for its verrrry 80s aesthetic and it’s industrial percussion. My hope is that I find the rest of the album just as awesome as I find People are People.
Check back at the end of the month for our review!
Further reading:
Depeche Mode Wikipedia
Some Great Reward Wikipedia

Review of Tom Petty: Wildflowers

Please read Darren Scott’s pick for Tom Petty: Wildflowers/a> before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 


Our Individual Review Scores
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype? 5
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype? 5
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4.5
Worth the hype? 4.5
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?:4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?: 4

DJ Shadow: Entroducing


DJ Shadow: Entroducing…..
Scott Coates
I came upon this album some years ago on a list of top albums of some sort or genre. I listened to pieces of it here and there, forgot about it, then when DJ Shadow’s Nobody Speak track came out in 2016, I was knocked-out and it spurred me to revisit Entroducing…..

Released on September 16, 1996, he set out to create an album composed entirely samples. DJ Shadow spent two years crafting the tracks and it’s since been heralded by many as the best sample-based album ever made. Most samples are quite obscure but there are many by more prominent artists such as Björk and Metallica.
His studio set-up was minimal, with only three primary pieces of equipment being used in making the album: an Akai MPC60 sampler, a Technics SL-1200 turntable and an Alesis ADAT tape recorder. He became a master with the Akai – crediting it with the end-sound of the album.
This is a different album, one I find that requires me to be in the right mood to get all the way through in a single session, but is incredibly creative and unique. Enjoy the journey…..
Links
Sample list from Endtroducing
Endtroducing….. has been frequently ranked in professional lists of the all-time greatest albums
Entroducing…. on Wikipedia
Entroducing…. on iTunes
Entroducing…. on Spotify
Scratch documentary

Review of CCR: Pendulum

Please read Scott Gregory’s pick for CCR:
Pendulum before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Would we recommend?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Worth the hype?
3.8

Review of CCR: Pendulum

We had some fantastic conversation around this album as usual. A band like CCR deserves so much respect for what they were and what they did for rock music in the late 60s. The band is famous for breaking apart and John Fogarty holding a grudge against the other 3 members, including his brother Tom Fogarty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. Listen to what we thought of this album and learn about the history of CCR.
The Sonic Collective


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 3
Would I recommend?: 3
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype? 3
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?:4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?: 4
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4

Tom Petty: Wildflowers


This is a really sad day. Tom Petty has passed away.
I’m actually a bit late getting my pick up as usually we have them ready on the first. I planned to update today and when I woke up I heard that Tom had a cardiac arrest and was taken to the hospital. I since recorded my segment about his pick and now just found out he died shortly after. So sad.
I decided to pick Tom Petty’s Wildflowers album a few days ago after much thought. I’ve always loved Tom Petty and thought to myself that is was about time we picked one of his albums. I knew the hits from Wildflowers but for whatever reason I never actually owned this particular album.
Listen to why I picked this album on this sad day and please join us in celebrating an amazing musician and listen with us this month.
Darren Scott
Wildflowers on Wikipedia
Wildflowers on iTunes
Wildflowers on Spotify

Review of Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill

Please read Alain DuPuis’ pick for Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Would we recommend?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Worth the hype?
4

Review of Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill

The year was 1995, the grunge movement was coming to an end and the strong feminist message from the Riot Grrrl movement was never going to get mainstream radio play. Enter Canadian mall-pop sensation Alanis Morissette with her 3rd album Jagged Little Pill. A huge kudos to Alanis for wanting to be something different than manufactured mall-pop. She left her Canadian home of Ottawa and moved to Los Angeles where she met and had and instant connection with producer Glen Ballard. They would collaborate on experimenting with her sound and they co-wrote most all of the albums tracks. This album was a monster and sold 33 million albums and counting. Have a listen to our review of this mega album and see if it stood the test of time and what we thought about it now. You’ll enjoy this one.
The Sonic Collective


Our Individual Review Scores
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?:4
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype?: 4
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 3
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4.5

Review of Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Please read Scott Coates pick for Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Would we recommend?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Worth the hype?
4.7

Review of Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

I have to admit that our little group is on a great streak of great albums to review and our member Scott Coates from Bangkok, Thailand did not disappoint. Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back blew the doors and speakers open with it’s extremely raw sound and messages. Have a listen to our review and find out just how influential this album was, how much sampling happened and what 4 white Canadian boys think of this fun ride. Yeah…. boy!!!!
Ps. I feel like we didn’t give enough credit to the other members of PE. Though Chuck D is the leader all these greats contributed: Harry Allen, Chuck D, Fab 5 Freddy, Flavor Flav, Erica Johnson, Oris Josphe, Professor Griff


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?:4
Influenced my tastes: 3.5
Worth the hype?: 4
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype? 5
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype? 4.5
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype? 4.5
Check out PE’s latest album. How does this one stand up?

Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill


July 1st marked the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, and I guess I’ve been feeling a little bit more patriotic than usual, so for this month’s pick, I’ve decided to stay close to home and celebrate one of Canada’s top female music talents.
Alanis Morissette released the album Jagged Little Pill in June of 1995. I was surprised to learn it was actually her third album, and her first to be released outside of Canada. Full of angst and emotion, a wall of post-grunge instrumentals were complimented by clever, yet relatable lyrics, the album clearly struck a chord with the world at the time, because it ended up topping the charts in 10 different countries. 33 million units were shifted worldwide, and it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Additionally, the album spawned 6 singles, which meant that in the 90s, it was unlikely there was anybody on Earth who didn’t know the words to at least one song from JLP. Does familiarity breed contempt when it comes to Alanis? I guess we’re gonna find out.
Let’s put on our flannel shirts, climb into the back of Mom’s Plymouth Voyager, and take a sonic trip through time back to the mid-90s, when for better or worse, Alanis Morissette was all but inescapable.
Links:
Album on iTunes
Album on Amazon
Wikipedia Information on the album.