I don't get it...Exile on main Street-Blue


I love to listen to great podcast/interviews with great musicians. Last night i listened to Rick Beato interview Maynard from the great band Tool. Besides being a fantastic conversation, Maynard told Rick the two most influential albums for his music inspiration are Joni Mitchell Blue, and Black Sabbath's first self titled record.

I understand and love Black Sabbaths first record, but I have listened to JM Blue countless times and just don't understand what the hype is. Full disclosure I love female vocalists, and I also love Joni's  Court and a Spark. With that said I have heard many musicians rave about Blue. Please enlighten me-what am I missing ?

The other head scratcher for me is Exile on Main Street by the Stones. Again I have heard many musicians rave about this double album. I don't get it... Beggars Banquet-Let it Bleed-Sticky Fingers are so much better in my opinion, but just like Blue, It seems like musicians much prefer Exile on Main Street.

I know its all subjective...but these are two records I have never learned to appreciate. Thoughts ?

krelldog

@tylermunns  You keep repeating that calling female vocalist is sexist. In a context where it's the point. A men won't/can't have a female voice. Not even close. If I had to choose what I can listen to for the rest of my life, I would choose female singers. I prefer female doctors, female massage therapists, female vocalists. (And I have no desire to flirt with them, I don't care for how they look, I care about how good they are at their job.)

Does it make me sexist? If it does, I am clueless about what sexist is.

I was 2 years old when these albums came out. However, I noticed that I had put both Blue and Court and a Spark in my ROON library. I wanted to hear these 2 again since I love my office system now. It just sounds great.

I thought Court and a Spark was rather good but could not get into Blue.

With the Stones I love Exile. I found that as my gear improved the Stones became my favorite band. I love Exile on my phones too.

I actually have to limit how much of the Stones I listen to so as not to overdo it. Now I have heard the Stones since the 70’s but maybe I am only hearing them at their best today,

The new Stones album is also rather good.

BTW - that post on sexism, my first thought was Russian or Chinese troll. I mean that in the best sense.

@grislybutter Please don’t misrepresent my words.  
At no point was it ever “the point” to label, categorize and speak of an artist on terms of gender, male or female.  
The most recent thread topic where I expressed my objection to the “female artist” label was a OP asking whether forum members like Taylor Swift. This OP asks whether one is “missing something” when non-plussed by the albums Blue and Exile on Main Street.  
When the whole “female artist” thing emerged in both cases, I expressed my objection to it in each scenario.  
I kinda can’t believe how much I have to clarify this, but of course there’s nothing wrong with being inclined to prefer the sonic aesthetic of a female voice.  
It’s still just an artist, not a “female artist.”  
Again, my qualm is the labeling of artists, not with any individual’s preferred sonic aesthetic.  
Of course, your insinuation that a male voice can’t be mistaken for a female one is overstated. Many male vocalists can sound like a female.  
It wasn’t until I saw a video of Russell Oberlin singing that I realized it was a male.  
There are other vocal performances where it would be understandable to mistakenly believe it was sung by a person of a different gender.

 

I have more CDs and SACDs with female vocalists and groups featuring female vocalists than I do of male vocalists and groups featuring male vocalists. (As a matter of fact, I have one double SACD titled "The Wonderful Sound Of Female Vocalists.") Like you, @yyzsantabarbara , I have both Court (HDCD) and Blue (MFSL redbook) and neither of them ever did a whole lot of anything for me (every so many blue moons I play one or the other "just because I can") but Joni is not my one of my favorite female vocalists.

I also have a lot of CDs and SACDs featuring male vocalists that I truly enjoy; however, in general, I prefer the sound of the female voice to that of the male voice. For me, it’s kind of a chocolate milkshake versus vanilla milkshake thing--I like them both, but usually, not always, when I am in a mood for milkshakes I order chocolate.

that post on sexism, my first thought was Russian or Chinese troll.

Well, you did get the 'troll' part right.

 

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