3 Albums I Love But Would Never Recommend To Anyone Else

First of all, let’s unpack this title; these are not albums that you should never listen to. On the contrary, I believe everyone should hear them at least once, if not on repeat. These are albums that I genuinely love, but I never know how to recommend them. Where is the audience for songs that go on for 16 minutes of straight poetry accompanied by harp and yodeling? Who do I send Leathermouth to, the side project that got Frank Iero on the FBI watchlist? Do any of my friends really want to listen to a Zappa live album from 1974?

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I’m looking for someone to recommend these amazing albums to, and everyone who opens this article just volunteered to listen to them. You’re welcome, I hope.

Albums I Love, But Don’t Know How to Recommend

Ys — Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom is an acquired taste, and so far, everyone I’ve recommended her to has not acquired the taste yet. In particular, I like to suggest the 2006 album Ys, which is a five-song offering that clocks in at almost an hour long. That’s because these tracks frequently push 10 minutes, with two of them going significantly over and the other trailing close behind. “Only Skin,” for example, is 16 minutes and 53 seconds of nimble harp, elaborately poetic lyrics, and Newsom’s utterly unique squeaking, yodeling vocals.

“Sawdust and Diamonds” is a standout track as well, showcasing Newsom’s detailed, whimsical, and transcendent writing—And the moment I slept I was swept up in a terrible tremor / Though no longer bereft, how I shook, and I couldn’t remember / And then the furthermost shake drove a murthering stake in / And cleft me right down through my center / And I shouldn’t say so, but I know that it was then or never.

Roxy & Elsewhere — Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa, in a similar vein, is also an acquired taste for some. Roxy & Elsewhere is an album that I discovered recently because it was recommended by my dad, a huge Zappa fan. Now I want to talk about this album every time music recommendations come up in conversation. It’s a masterful look into a Zappa and Mothers live show, recorded over three separate gigs at the Roxy Theatre and pieced together in-studio. There are also recordings from another show at Edinboro State College that make up the “Elsewhere” part of the album.

Usually, I’m not one for live albums, but the off-the-wall charm of a Zappa live album is captivating. He engages with his band and the audience, and delivers mind-blowing guitar solos in his signature improvisational style. While I’m assuming there’s nothing that beats actually being at a Zappa show back in the day, Roxy & Elsewhere gets us all pretty close to the one-of-a-kind experience. Listening to “Be-Bop Tango” and hearing Frank Zappa exclaim, “The cowbell as a symbol of unbridled passion, ladies and gentlemen” has me yearning for a time machine.

XO — Leathermouth

Leathermouth was a late 2000s side project for My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero. It was a hardcore punk outfit that allowed Iero to express himself, getting out his anger and more politically charged opinions. The band released only one album, XO, in 2009, which is probably for the best, at least for Iero; one track in particular got him put on an FBI watchlist. I won’t say it here and run the risk of being put on the watchlist myself. However, I’m sure you can figure it out by looking at the tracklist. Or, just check out the previously linked article. Either way, it’s an intense track that directly led to the FBI showing up at Iero’s home and questioning him.

The album overall is a great example of angry 2000s-era punk rock. It sounds like an explosion of repression, of having had enough and letting everything out in several frenzied, volatile tracks. Iero has said that Leathermouth was a place for him to exorcise his anger through thrashy guitars and hardcore vocals. It definitely differs from his work with My Chemical Romance, and I find it hard to recommend this album because of that. However, I also consider it crucial listening. I just don’t know who for.

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