Wee Tam and The Big Huge

Having re-arranged several of our rooms around in the house, my music collection is a bit homeless at the moment and is hanging around leaning against a wall (vinyl), lurking in a cupboard (cassettes) and generally milling around trying to trip me up in the middle of the bedroom (CDs). As such I've taken the opportunity to update my list of music. Of course this is just for insurance purposes, not because I'm a bloke who likes to make lists.

Oh, who am I kidding. Lists rule! Here are some of the things that I have found in my collection :

Ten Longest Album Titles

Incredible String Band - The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion
A great collection of psychedelic tinged tunes, just before they started to go seriously oddball. Contains the best song about a hedgehog ever!

Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Sometimes moving, sometimes exciting and occasionally downright noisy, this album showed Jason Pierce at his best. Who needs drugs with albums like this.

The Teardrop Explodes - Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes were pretty shagged by the point they tried to put together their third album, and this posthumous release mainly showed Balfe's attempt to go synthy, but still contains some Cope eccentricity like Strange House In The Snow.

Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
Brilliant post-rock. This combines powerful music with sampled sounds in an album akin to classical music.

Belle & Sebastian - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant
If you are after a bit of whimsical pop, then this isn't one of their best. Check out The Boy With The Arab Strap or When You're Feeling Sinister instead.

Esmarine - If Only A Sweet Surrender To The Nights To Come Be True
A Godspeed You Black Emperor! offshoot. More string orientated, less power. Interesting, but not vital.

The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-la-la Band with Choir - "This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing
Another Godspeed offshoot who like long album titles and also long band names! Efrim's vocals are perhaps too untrained and raw for some, but this is their best 'song' orientated album. Also check out Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward for great music rivaling Godspeed at their best.

Shivaree - I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head For Making Me Live In This Dump
An American alternative rock band with a nice laid back approach. I haven't seen this for a few years but I remember that Arlington Girl is a highlight.

A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corner Of Our Rooms
Yep, it's them again, although with their debut release they had a shorter band name. This is a bit like a cutdown version of Godspeed's sound. Decent enough, but they got better.

And winning the longest album title in my collection by a long way . . .

Fiona Apple - When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You'll Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You Know That You're Right.
It was the longest album title (according to the Guinness Book of Records) but has recently been beaten by Soulwax. My favourite of her three albums (so far). A great voice set to excellent music.

And The Ten Shortest

Indigo Girls - 4.5
A compilation. To be honest, I had forgotten that I had this and can't remember much about it. I do find the odd album occasionally which I had no idea I even possessed.

Peter Gabriel - So
Peter Gabriel - Us
Peter Gabriel - Up
After imaginatively calling all of his first four albums "Peter Gabriel", he then went for teeny tiny titles. His big seller So is a bit bland, it sounds too polished at times. Us is great, although some tracks are starting to grow a tad too long, which is where Up suffers. Less is more Peter! Despite my niggles, they are all worthy albums. The best Peter Gabriel album is Peter Gabriel. Oh sorry, I mean his fourth from 1982, the one with Shock The Monkey on it.

Joanna Newsom - Ys
A slight disappointment after the lovely The Milk Eyed Mender. The addition of an orchestra fills the sound up, but after the first two lengthy tracks which have many good moments, the album starts to lose its way.

Blur - 13
Their best album. No really. I know no-one agrees with me, but you are all wrong. Even the between track filler is rather yummy.

Sigur Rós - ()
Their rather cold & slow but still emotive album. The preceding Ágætis Byrjun and the following Takk are better albums, but this has the best ending. It has a sort of see through cover as well, but I guess the transparent CD is impossible. (Compare with Faust's first album.)

Steve Hillage - L
I could say this is one 'L' of an album, but you might hit me. Former Gong guitarist goes ultra-hippy and creates this album of kaftan wearing tracks designed to uplift. Nifty guitar work.

Incredible String Band - U
More hippy nonsense as the Incredibles go for a double album. Has a rather varied quality however. Best go for Hangman's Beautiful Daughter if you want them at their best.

Klaus Schulze - X
Schulze gets to his 10th album and probably best. Six lengthy tracks based on good old Berlin School electronics and Schulze's own weird templates. When the small string orchestra couldn't cope with one part, Schulze created a 20 meter long tape loop of their playing which stretched out of the studio.

to be continued...