Listening to RAL for the first time

[petep9000]

RAL was no different from any other Stevie album to me the first time I listened to it. I think all of her albums take time to digest and grow to love. I haven't had an end-to-end experience with an album yet that grabbed me completely at first listen, from any artist. 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' came close though (except for 'Ice Cream'), as did 'The Kick Inside' (except for maybe 'Kite')

[louielouie2000]

I must say that I think Rock A Little is probably my least favorite Stevie album as a whole. It is just so cliche BAD '80s to the point of caricature. Tango is thoroughly '80s too, but I think it has more redeeming qualities, and is just a FUN record.

However, there are some great songs on RAL though. I put No Spoken Word up there with my very favorite of Stevie's songs. I just love the hard driving sound, her almost angry sounding vocals, and the general dark atmosphere of the song. I would almost put it up next to Sisters Of The Moon in those regards, good song!

I remember the first time I heard the song Rock A Little how surprised I was that I totally dug it. It was not anywhere near as cliche and aweful as the name implied it might be. Whenever I hear this one, I just imagine Stevie singing it completely stoned in a dark, pot smoke filled room . I really do love the atmosphere of that song!

I really like I Sing For The Things too. Such a sweet, innocent love song. I even kinda like her distressed vocal too. Stevie was so good in the '70s and '80s at making her vocals evoke her feelings when she wrote her songs (case and point, Storms. Sounds like she sang that one after she just finished a big cry).

I didn't at first, but I like The Nightmare now too. Again, I think it's an atmosphere thing. Kinda a cheesy song, I know.

I think I have just heard I Can't Wait, Talk To Me, and Has Anyone Ever Written too many times for me to really have an opinion on them. I've always been more about lesser known album tracks that are gems. I do like the story and sentiment behind HAEWAFY... I've just heard it too many times to listen to it or care anymore.

Sister Honey is just aweful, plain and simple lol. Sometimes when I'm in a silly and/or drunk mood, I'll listen to it and I'll have a lot of fun haha. But otherwise it's '80s in all the BAD ways. Songs like Some Become Strangers and If I Were You I would almost lump in the same boat. But something about their particular sounds just totally transports me back to my memories of being a kid in the '80s, and when almost all pop music sounded like that. And these are my non-abridged thoughts on RAL . Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but as a whole, it's fun if you can take it with a grain of salt, and you're in the mood for it.

[Black_Moon]

Originally Posted by petep9000

RAL was no different from any other Stevie album to me the first time I listened to it. I think all of her albums take time to digest and grow to love. I haven't had an end-to-end experience with an album yet that grabbed me completely at first listen, from any artist. 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' came close though (except for 'Ice Cream'), as did 'The Kick Inside' (except for maybe 'Kite')

You have great musical taste outside of Stevie, I thought I'd say. And I for one love "Kite"!

[louielouie2000]

Ok, so The Nightmare just came on my Apple. I forgot what it was about this song I liked so much. I just LOVE the verse:

"Somewhere in her ancient ways, she walks through the night. And she tries to get through the day. Some will never know nor share any kind of dream."

I know a lot of this song is about her profound pain from the end of a relationship. But I also think it's about how out of place she feels in the modern world, and with that I can certainly relate. I think that's what has always drawn me to Stevie and her music... it's escapism to a more romantic, mystical world. I'm kinda like Stevie... I think things like iphones, twitter, and other contraptions are draining the beauty out of life, and making people a slave to electronics versus actually interacting with the real world and building true relationships with people. I definitely appreciate the small, silly little beautiful things in life... things that most people won't ever notice because they're obsessed with updating their facebook, myspace, twitter, linkedin, friendspace, and text messages. And I think that's just as much what the above verse is about. There is so much beauty people won't ever see, because they're too distracted by all this 'progress' to notice it.

[HejiraNYC]

Thanks Moz for your review- it's interesting to read/hear it through a new set of ears!

I've personally come full circle with this album- I bought it when it first came out and damn nearly wore out the grooves; I loved, loved, loved it. But it didn't take long for me to absolutely hate it because of its dated sound- back when anything resembling the 80's was just tacky. But now I love it again; I can appreciate it as a snapshot in time of a very interesting time in music, as well as my own stormy adolescence. Every time I listen to it, I'm transported back to my basement bedroom lying in my bed wearing those ginormous Koss headphones with the coiled cord hooked up to the Panasonic stereo.

Does anyone remember the Saturday morning cartoon Kidd Video, about the fictional rock band transported into a really trippy cartoon world? I swear I vaguely remember them doing a cover of "Some Become Strangers," which was also covered by a male singer for some 80's movie about a diver. And I also vaguely remember that Alvin and the Chipmunks covered "Talk to Me," which, ironically sounded not too dissimilar to Stevie singing it herself.

[LittleCharmer]

Originally Posted by jedw

I spent a (too) large part of my childhood playing with a video game device, the Sega megadrive (I believe the americans call this the Sega "Genesis")

Anyhow onto my point, basically every track on "Rock a little" sounds like this sega system, becasue guess what, I looked this up, the machine uses a yamaha sound chip, which was basically the Yamaha "DX" systhesizer .... used on countless records in the 80's.

So anyways ... "Rock a little" always sounds like sonic the hedgehog to me ...

Now you've mentioned that I'll never be able to forget it.. hahaha

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by Moz

So... what's next? Street Angel? OSOTM? TISL?

Here's my order:

Buckingham Nicks
Bella Donna
Other Side Of The Mirror
Trouble In Shangra-La
Street Angel
The Wild Heart
Rock A Little

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by cbBen

Here's my order:

Buckingham Nicks
Bella Donna
Other Side Of The Mirror
Trouble In Shangra-La
Street Angel
The Wild Heart
Rock A Little

I'm listening to Street Angel and must say it is really great. I do not understand the dissention on this album. I hope that Stevie's self-proclaimed view of the album--which seems to be more about the period in her life and not entirely just about the album itself--isn't interfering with our collective ability to see the greatness in it. Who knows what Stevie's view of the album is nowadays, and who cares really? My ears like it and that's all that counts.

So my new order: B. Nicks, B. Donna, Other Side Of The Mirror, S. Angel, Shangra-La, W. Heart, Rock A Little.