Reviews (page 7 of 13)
shockingly outstanding. one of the coolest and most unique records i’ve EVER heard
Good album, a mix of country with some more funk honestly. Water with the Wine took me by surprise because not paying close attention I thought it might have been a cry for help in an unwanted close relationship. It read more of a bad one night stand from the alcohol versus some sort of full on predation, but it does shine a light on the line and how easily it can be crossed
Очень атмосферно и приятно слушать
This one blew me away, I think it's the first unknown to me since Laura Nyro that I love and it's going to be on top of my experiences from this list. My highlights: Down to Zero, Water With the Wine, Like Fire and the closer Tall in the Saddle
Unexpectedly cool record. Cool amalgamation of Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman and Elton John. And somehow it just works!
An album that surprised me - when i drew it i groaned and thought it’d be a punish. How wrong i was. I must echo other comments that she’s like an early Tracy Chapman. Great listenability on this one, opens with a banger and the subsequent music is excellent
Very enjoyable.
Pleasant
loved it. joni mitchell vibes. lovely acoustic guitar. surprising funk.
Murica? I vibe with it though. Reminds me of Alanis Morrissette.
Lyrical?
What sticks out to me most about this is that Joan Armatrading can *sing*. She’s fantastic on here, an extremely powerful presence. Unfortunately a lot of the songwriting doesn’t stick out to me all that much, but I do like the country leaning stuff on here. Save Me is one of the best songs here, dusty and tender. I’d also like to mention Like Fire’s incredible guitar work. Join The Boys and Tall In The Saddle are also highlights here. All in all, I can put this on pretty happily, and Armatrading herself is is fantastic, but I only get so much from this as a whole.
Really, really good! I went in expecting a subdued singer songwriter with no other musicians, which can be a slog unless you're Nick Drake... nope, this was a really enjoyable, fun album that I'll come back to! :)
Black British singer-songwriter. Contralto. Serious without being pretentious. Some interesting intersection of folk and funk. Nice enough background music.
wow. This is exactly what I've been looking for. This is an extremely subjective rating, but 4/5. It's just my kind of sound, and I enjoyed almost all the songs (can't give it a perfect 5 though) - if I could, I'd give it 4.5.
enjoyed it, was definitely a unique listen
Cool but I prob wont relisten
it was alright. I enjoyed the album, her voice, and the music, but it didn't really stand out to me in particular.
Nice
One of my all time favourite albums.
It was okay. First half is quite boring but the second half gets better with songs like People and the closing track Tall In The Saddle. Probably won't ever listen to it in full again.
крута
This is #day316 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… another classic 3-star album for me. A case in point where I enjoy the instrumentation more than the vocals or delivery, though. It feels like a record that begs to be heard on vinyl, on a proper setup, kind of audiophile music, if you will. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day317.
best album so far
Nice, but something didn’t quite grab me
i really liked it
Oh no, Joan, I’m sorry. I don’t like this.
Groovy, Eton John ish, L&A is still great
reconocí la voz de esta artista con la primera canción y eso creo ya que es un mérito. algunos tracks del álbum tienen un sonido muy particular teniendo en cuenta el género del que pertenece y es bastante disfrutable. ha consolidado la teoría de que la mejor manera de escuchar álbumes es mientras juegas al fifa tranquilisimo
“Love and Affection” was one of the first songs that my brother and I bonded over after a couple of serious sibling rivalry teenage years. Now he’s one of my favorite people ever. So is Joan Armatrading. Five stars just for this memory.
Wonderful songs, almost a 5/5
me ha gustado más lo anterior que he escuchado
Stands up really well.
I liked this! It was pretty good singer-songwriter stuff. Would Recommend. 9/10
I like the music. The voice, not so much. Would be interesting to hear another artist cover some of these, I think there is potential if someone with a good voice would sing them. (Or maybe just a voice I like) 2.
I've never even heard of Joan Armatrading before!!! So this is totally new to me, which I'm so excited about. It looks like she's still making music too which is awesome. Very singer songwriter, which is to my taste. I'm not obsessed with her voice per say but I like it enough so far! It's folky with a nice guitar sound. I understand why Love and Affection is her most famous song. It's a standout from the album for sure. It's giving me 90s movie energy. I like it a lot, I even added it to my monthly playlist. Reminds me of music my dad would listen to in the car when I was growing up. 70s folk vibes for sure. But then also mixed with Fiona Apple almost??? or Melissa Etheridge??? I would enjoy it if my Dad was playing it or if Nick or a friend was but I don't think I would ever go out of my way to listen to it on my own. Definitely wasn't life changing but I enjoyed it. I wish I could do half scores because it's not quite a 4 but it's also not really a 3. So I think I'll rate it a 3 but with the knowledge it's more of a 3.5 It's not bad by any means, it just doesn't stand out too much to me.
While I can appreciate the great singing, and the calm tone of the album, it didn't make a real impression on me. I think I've never heard an album that made feel so few emotions, neither positive nor negative.
Album starts out with perfect song for driving down Highway 1 or starting a roadtrip out west. "walk-with-your-feet-on-the-ground"!
Interesting album, she is kind of like a female Cat Stevens. 3/5
Very nice
This is great - not my preferred style of music, but undeniably the best I've heard in the genre. If this is what the rest of 70's folk music sounded like, I wouldn't hate it so much. Tall In The Saddle is a great song
Solid record, pretty much exactly what I expected from a folk rock album of this time period.couple of standout tracks
4/5
Empecé a escucharlo y no pude con ello
Not a fan of her voice
Far better than I expected. 2.5/5
never heard of the artist - rather soothing and likable
It’s just cool isn’t it? Love & Affection clearly the standout here but there’s actually some other really strong tracks. Down to Zero, Join the Boys, Somebody Who Loves You all really good. Tall in the Saddle a great closer!
First album where I’ve not recognised the name of the artist. Also the first album where I’ve saved a track to my library. Down to Zero is such a tune.
I had never heard of her, but am pleasantly surprised. She reminds me of Tracy Chapman a bit. I think the album requires more listenings so I’ll round it upwards to a 4.
Never heard of this artist or album before. Feels like a mix of a few genres, very nice voice, very poetic writing. Feel like I need to listen to it again. Very smooth easy going album. Favorites: tall in the saddle, join the boys, people Rank: 6.5/10
This was a really nice surprise from an artist I was not at all familiar with. There were a few songs I wasn't keen on but excellent overall, with a unique blues/folk rock mix, right up my alley. Unusual for a 3rd album to be self-titled though.
Not familiar with Joan Armatrading at all, but I enjoyed several of the songs, especially the ones that had a good groove going.
Fav songs: Down to Zero; Join the Boys I, like many reviewers, had never heard of JA before. That's a pretty sad fact. The songs are varied enough to keep your interest. I really like the use of the steel guitar. Very good album.
Not for me
Erste Überraschung, das war wirklich gut
- Singer/Songwriter - Country Vibes - Beautiful guitar accents - „Save me“: beautiful emotional song - Some jazzy songs - Overall, a little too slow for me. However, the album contains a few beautiful ballads.
Like fire - very cool, very math rock A 3 again....
Pretty good folksy easy listening akin to tracy champman for sure. Kinda boring but thematically cohesive and upbeat, great instrumentation and melodic ideas on wax for 1976.
A new artist for me that I enjoyed quite a bit, good album.
This was a fun album. Good voice. A bit jaunty. Would listen again.
This one surprised me. I really like it. Especially the jazzy parts. Also, the song People has a nice funk to it, while Like Fire gets a bit country. It's an interesting blend of styles, but still cohesive. You really don't know what to expect next, and I love that. Ending with Tall in the Saddle was fun fun fun! Fav tracks: Down to Zero, Love and Affection, Join the Boys, Tall in the Saddle Least fav track: Save Me
Didn’t love it but it was still good. Overall: 3/5
Incredible voice. As a whole, the album is a bit sleepy. Love and Affection is a standout.
What a wonderful discovery.
I had never heard of her before. She’s awesome!
Beautiful.
Some sweet beautiful songs with some other songs
Very enjoyable
I loved the album! Folksy, excellent voice! I have never heard of Joan Armatrading until today. It was relaxing to listen to it. I think the album is well done.
A grower. Listened to it twice. Great focus and solid songwriting. Second side in my opinion much better than first side. 3.75 stars
It's not the most exciting thing ever, but it's impressive that such a '90s-sounding album came out in 1976
not my cup of tea, but the lyrics, voice, and overall feeling were S tier
Nice voice it Made me cry
This album flows from song to song really well. Soulful but also a little funky. Definitely worth your time.
Joan’s soulful voice blended with a bit of funk, folk, and jazz made for an enjoyable listen. L = (2.8*s) Adding Down To Zero to spotify playlist. J = (3.3*s) Always thought she was an American.
Joan Armatrading is a completely forgettable album but not a completely unbearable one like some others on the list. This self titled record is nothing special in my opinion and I am not sure why I am listening to it. Maybe for being an early bluesy woman or something? If I it ever shows up in my collection, I'ma-trading it for something else...1.15 stars.
Didn't go in with the highest of hopes for a 70's folk-pop act that I'd never heard of. First couple songs were about what I expected but I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised as the album continued on. There's some pleasant vocals and some cozy tunes on this one, Water With The Wine being the highlight. Joan Armatrading put together a nice little album that features enough variation from song to song to work for a listen. Was surprised how much I was enjoying this by thend of it. 2.88 stars
Havent heard of her before, but I'm left with the feeling that I want to hear more.
I’ve never heard of Joan Armatrading before, but based on what some of the top reviews for this album say, I think there’s a good change that I’ll enjoy this album. There’s only one way to find out! This album by Joan Armatrading was a very pleasant surprise. The vocals were full of emotion, the musical arrangements were beautiful, and the songwriting was top-notch. This was a very enjoyable album to listen to, and I liked that the lyrical content of the songs covered a wide range of emotions and topics. “Love and Affection” was probably my favorite song on the album. The guitar playing was outstanding, and that deep backing vocal really caught me by surprise. This song had a great vibe, and I loved how its sound developed and evolved over its runtime. The saxophone and strings were great too, and this was just a fantastic song in every way. I really enjoyed “Down to Zero” as well. The beautiful guitar, piano, and vocals captured my attention really well, which is always so refreshing in a leadoff track on an album. The steel guitar that came in later on the song was great too. “Help Yourself” had some really great lyrics of female empowerment, and even though a lot of this album reminded me of the music of female singer-songwriters in the nineties, this song felt the most ahead of its time on the album. “Join the Boys” and “People” had some funky vibes that I really liked, and Joan’s vocal style on the former was really unique, and it was cool to hear her branch out with some rougher vocals. When this album grabbed my attention, it grabbed it fully, but there were some moments where I wasn’t as in to it. The songs that I didn’t like weren’t bad, but they just weren’t interesting, and they didn’t capture me the way the other songs did. It wasn’t enough to diminish my enjoyment that much, but it was enough to keep this from being a five star album for me.
I liked this record. Joan is one my sisters favorite.
Quite good, actually. Very Tracy Chapman vibes - although this is well before Tracy Chapman.
also just okay. she had a really interesting voice and my dad brought up that she sounded like cher which is true. i liked her last song and appreciated the jazz influence on her (mostly pop) album. 3/5.
Helt okej men inget märkvärdigt, lär inte vilja lyssna igen.
Väldigt 3.
2.5?
Pre-thereal, if I can say that. I think Mary Margaret O’Hara owes a beer here. Great rootsy, funksy songwriting.
Very decent seventies country-rock tinged singer songwriter record. Joan’s voice is very strong, phrasing is great, emotional conveyance assured.
Definition of a 3. Decent listen but very forgettable
Que surpresa! Esse álbum é incrível. Não conhecia a artista e estou encantado. CVJ Vivian.
aight
I really enjoyed this album. I’m suprised I never heard of this artist, but I’m also born in the 90s 🤷🏼♀️ A lot of hits, and totally vibey
Powerful and soulful voice. Good listen but no track really stuck to me.
Not my cup of tea, but enjoyed some tracks
She has a tremendous sound and a rich voice There aren’t always the tunes to match it though and some comes across as a little too right on But Love & Affection and Down to Zero sound great
Some great guitar work. Otherwise, not great, but okay. 3/5
First time hearing her music. This album is a solid sound of folk mixed with a little 70’s funk. A good listen.
What a beautiful album. I have heard of Joan Armatrading and do know some of her songs but have never listened to a full album before until today. I will definitely be listening again and also to more of her albums. And good on her, she is still making music and putting out albums over 50 years after her first one.
I did enjoy this, I’ve never heard her before.
Not a bad song on here. Perhaps lacking in absolute greatness, but still a nice listen overall.
Right nice
First song was good but felt it was mostly filler afterwards
Pretty middle-of-the-road stuff here.
folk com um pouco de swing. melhor que tracy chapman
A lovely mix of R&B with some country instrumentation. Add in a lovely soulful voice and this is an album I really really enjoyed.
Bloody fantastic. Funky, Motown, Rock... everything that is good about music. Guitar solo in 'Tall in the Saddle' is exceptional.
Meh songs
Fine, ok on first listen, very interesting from 2nd. As others have said she seems to be forgotten to time, which is a shame. 3 Star
A good album and an album that I would expect to be on the list. The first few songs are especially memorable. Unfortunately falls into the same kinda sound that was common for the era. Nice to hear some genuine lyrics though
Really enjoyed this! Incredible vocal range
Completely an average album - so why is it on the list?
started off a little weak but it gets better. some solid songs too
Good!
What a beautiful album. Love and Affection made me cry. Insane I’ve never heard this before stumbling upon it here. Wonderfully written, pristinely recorded. An absolute gem of a discovery thanks to this list.
Good folk album is wasn't aware of
Loved it, a nice dozey sleepy Saturday morning listen
Got better as the album progressed. Highlights were “Love and Affection”
Amazing album
Not my thing
A folk rock album with more forward instrumentation and detailed production than usual, which I like. Her voice is unique, and unlike a lot of folk rock, actually interacts with the instruments (not just accompanied by a monotonous guitar in the background). Nothing particularly impressive, and this album definitely has some downtime when the songs were too quiet for my liking, but better than average. 7/10
It wasn't at all bad it just wasn't for me!
Liked it but was just hoping for Tracy Chapman based on the reviews
Nothing stands out as impressive. Still a solid talent making a solid album.
This is Tracy Chapman before Tracy Chapman. One of the best albums stumbled across during the 1001 album journey.
This was a great album. A really interesting vocalist with a unique perspective - both of the time and generally.
Beautiful
"Love and Affection" - wow. Enjoyable listen.
Nice surprise find!
Just found that I own six Joan Armatrading albums, all on cassette, bought in a job lot; but not this one, despite "Love and Affection" being the song I know best and most associate with the singer. The album is a pleasant listen. Joan's voice is deep, rich and resonant, and the production, by Glyn Johns, and the playing - her own acoustic guitar, some excellent electric guitar from Jerry Donahue, and an ensemble featuring Kenney Jones, Dave Mattacks and others - are sympathetic and supportive. The songs are mainly folk rock, with jazz flourishes and accents, mellow in that warm, rounded 1970s way. It is a fine piece of work I should probably dig out those cassettes and give the rest a listen.
Very pretty, some of the songs had good moments, but overall a bit forgettable.
A wholly unique and hypnotic voice, it's unfortunate that Armatrading isn't more well known today than she was in her time. The songs on this self-titled record aren't necessarily "radio-friendly"; Her melodies aren't exactly ear worms, but the production is impeccable and the writing is honest and heartfelt. This has been a nice little find as part of this 1001 project.
Enjoyed this one quite a bit. This will definitely grow on me with some repeated listens. Highlights: Save Yourself, Join the Boys, Tall in the Saddle
Wowww!!! 11/10. Every song approaches perfection. Most of them are soulful, funky, folky without being pretentious. A rare magical trick to produce meaningful songs that are fun, funky….they rock!!
I rate love and affection a 2 star because its not really for me but the singing is good and the instruments are good. I rate down below zero a 2 star because its not really for me but the singing is good and the instruments are good. I rate Somebody who loves you a 2 star because its not really for me but the singing is good and the instruments are good.
Song: love and affection this song is good i guess I've never heard of this before but it is kind of weird i would not listen to this if it was on the radio Song: down to zero this one is good i like this one this might be my favorite song in this album but I've never heard of it, but i guess this album is starting good so far Song: somebody who loves you this song is good i guess i never heard of it before but i do not really like it yea i think down to zero is my favorite one in this album i guess i do not really like this album because i never heard it and i do not know if the singer is a girl or a boy because in the first song it sounded like a girl the second song is a boy then the third one is kind of a mix of both so ya
I do not like the album because the singer's voice is lowkey making me angry for some reason. The album cover is kind of cool tho.
I don't like this song because the beat is not good. I would not recommend this song. I don't like this song because the beat is not that good. I would not recommend this song.
Do you want to listen to some music that has some guitar? Well in Love and Affection you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has some guitar? Well in Down to Zero you can! I rate his song ⭐⭐⭐. I kind recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has some guitar? Well in Somebody who loves you you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend this song.
i dont like this song because I don't like this music I don't like the beat . I don't like the second song because the song is bad it is so boring . the third one is boring I don't like this song . I don't recommend this album
I don't like this because his instruments are not going well with the lyrics and melody. I would not recommend this to someone else because I don't think they would like it. I give this 2 stars.
the first song is uhm bad I don't like it uh the voice is kinda calming but like uh its something the lyrics are ok n yeah the music is ok its not that bad but not that good ig idk I don't really like it idk why.
the first song is not that good i dont really like how quiet it is at the start and i also dont like how little instruments are at the start i also dont like how she sings. the next song is also bad there is not much of a difference between the songs i dont have much more to say. the last song is okay i dont like any of these songs though there is not much to say about this song still. overall i dont like this album i would not recommend it.
Love and Affection I like this song becuase its a solo singer with a guitar and she makes her voice follow the guitars rthym and that's really goo Down to zero I reallu like this song how she uses the guitar and some drums and the singing follows every beat. Somebody who loves you I really like this song because they added choir to this song and the guitar and singer are more calm then before 5
Someone whose name was familiar but I hadn't heard the music. Joan's voice was great and her guitar skills excellent. The music was good. The production (for 1976) was insanely good. It's just not my sort of thing. Still, you can hear the line from this album straight through to Tracy Chapman, Tanita Tikaram and even Amy Winehouse and Raye. So even if it's not my sort of thing, mad respect.
A little too mellow in the wrong way for me - I kept making it louder and it kept hiding away in the corner. But I did like "Like Fire" and "Tall in the Saddle", especially the guitar work. I bet Ani DiFranco loved her.
i feel like i say this about every damn album but this was much better than expected. i stopped paying attention in the middle tho. only prob with this album is it’s forgettable and there’s not many standout songs but other than that solid listening experience.
nice enough
The break in Tall in the Saddle is a masterclass
+ Like Fire
Good vibes! Nice instrumentals and vocal work. It wasn't super compelling, but was still enjoyable overall. 'Tall in the Saddle' was my fave.
A really good voice but the songs just don't appeal to me at all. 2 stars or D+.
kinda boring 4/10
There's a few nice songs here, but overall the album is a little dull.
Cracking voice and enough variability to remain interesting. Love and affection standout
Wonderful, timeless songs.
Perfect.
Just wonderful to hear this again
Uplifting, balanced
Long time fan of Ms. Armatrading. I don't recall why we were listening to The Key in 1983 - "I Love It When You Call Me Names" and "Drop the Pilot" were probably getting airplay on the college radio station. My best friend and I went to see her at a small theater in Crown Point, Indiana, maybe at a casino, I'm not sure. I've enjoyed her approach for many years and this release has two standouts for me - 'Down to Zero' and 'Love and Affection' grab me every time. Always an enjoyable listen for me.
First album of the generator I’ve never heard of before. Strong opening song which I love in any album. Tone of her melodies matches the tone of the music behind it beautifully. Great mix of singer/songwriter, traditional rock, and some Grateful Dead sounding jams.
Not sure why she was never really popular in North America. The album is solid enough.
J - 3/5 Best Track - "Love & Affection" F - 3/5
Didn’t think I’d like this but I loved it
She had such a fast car she took it back to 1976
Sparse but solid album. Wasn't familiar with her work but I enjoyed the listen.
It was okay. Liked the guitar.
Pleasant
Great
👍
So pleased to see this here. Love & Affection is a gay anthem. Willow (not on this album) is my favourite song of hers but this is a gorgeous album
Never listened to this before, but it's really lovely!
Enjoyable listen.
Has moments but didn't fully click with me. Not terrible but just kind of meh.
This was pretty nice to listen to. High 3/5
Lovely
Gorgeous album. And a lot of fun too. Some Joni Mitchell vibes
Probably not an album I would spend much time with. This is a 2 rating.
Joan Armatrading’s self-titled album is a pleasant listen, blending folk, soul, and soft rock into a sound that's easy on the ears. Her voice carries a lot of natural emotion, and songs like Love and Affection show real flashes of brilliance in how she delivers simple feelings with genuine warmth. The arrangements are tasteful and well played, giving the album a smooth, steady flow without any real missteps. That said, while it’s undoubtedly well made, it doesn’t always spark to life. A lot of the songs tend to blur together in tone and mood, and the album can feel a little too careful at times, missing the punch that would have made it truly memorable. It’s a nice record, but it never quite pushes into great territory—solid, well-crafted, but not the kind of album that sticks with you long after it's over.
Really enjoyable. Good mix of different tempos, melodies, styles. Some surprises along the way.
Beautiful stuff from a very underrated artist, wonderful easy listening for a sunny morning with J
Joan, I tried. It was okay, but nothing I want to revisit.
Easy listening, but nothing that really piqued my interest.
Consistently interesting and fresh. Nothing stood out as a hit necessarily, but it felt like serious thought was put into each song. Large variety throughout as well.
This is a great no skip album. Really enjoyed it.
What a lovely album.
Never heard before. Has that '70s vibe.
Not my forte. Folksy I guess. Vocals are nice at times.
A funky carol king
Was nice but not my thing.
Even better than I remembered.
I enjoyed it. nothing crazy, but such a breath of fresh air after the last albums.
Wow, it's Joan! I think I only know L&A from this album. Seems like a chill and nice time. Love and Affection > People > Somebody Who Loves You > Like Fire > Help Yourself > Water with the Wine > Save Me > Down to Zero > Tall In The Saddle > Join The Boys Yeah this is really good. Love and Affection is incredible with some other great tracks in the lineup. Nice and breezy while interesting and dense enough musically that I can imagine I'd get more and more out of it with each subsequent listen. Great sound. Perfectly happy calling this a high 4, nudging towards a low 5.
Ahhhh Joan. Such a great talent.
i definitely got tracy chapman vibes, i loved the acoustic sounds. very chill album!
I know nothing about Joan but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. The lyrics are expressive and the music was a fun mix of rock and jazz with some acoustic flair. Favorite songs are “People”, “Down to Zero”, and “Water with Wine”.
I've heard of Joan Armatrading many times over the years, but have never listened to her prior to this. Absolutely wonderful album. I'm a bit shocked I'd never heard it even in my record store days. Favorites: "Love and Affection", "Join the Boys", "Like Fire", but then they're all great.
The thing I am looking most forward to with this project is discovering artists, albums that I have never heard of and Joan Armatrading is definitely one of those artists. The opening track hooked me and I was instantly transported back to the music of that time. I enjoy the acoustic mixed with funk. Joan has great tone combined with the inflection she does on some of the words. Favorites are Down to Zero, Water with the Wine, People, and Tall in the Saddle.
Very Tracy Chapman-esque.
I could not really dive into it, not my music.
Nice voice, some good songs
joan's cool
Good folk
I'd heard Joan Armatrading's name before, but I'd never listened to any of her music. I might listen to the album again. I liked it.
Love And Affection had been in my recent rotation of songs, but it's the only song of hers that I'd heard prior. And I think I only discovered it because the algorithm played it and I instantly fell in love (and affection) with it. I have to ask. Why. How. Why have I never heard of her until recently. How has this album been here all this time and I didn't know!? This is among the best folk / singer songwriter albums I've ever heard, and it's so cool that she's the sole songwriter listed for the entire album. The guitars are fantastic throughout with flavors of rock, blues, folk, and country, and her voice is emotive, smooth, sparkly, raw, and moving, depending on what the song asks for. This is absolutely going to be one I play again and again.
I would listen to this again.
A talented singer-songwriter, with good production and a good variety of styles. Still, nothing really outstanding amidst a myriad of similar talented singer-songwriters.
Another artist and album I have never heard of. This one is grabbing me right from the beginning. The soulfulness and expression in her voice is amazing. “Love and affection” is an amazing song. Just keeps getting better “join the boys” is a greave funk groove. This album flew by. Great music, great album!!!
Surprised me how good it was.
I’ve not heard anything like it. Except for Joni Mitchell. Joan>Joni
I enjoyed this album. Very powerful voice and great lyrics. It jumps all over the place with various styles. I'm all for that. 3.25/5
Good. Didn’t hate it. Didn't really hook me as something I would come back to.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🆒🆒🆒 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🌍🍷🕯️ Rating: 👁️🗨️👁️🗨️(👁️🗨️)/5
I've never listened to Joan Armatrading before...what a great record! Warm production, incredible lyrics, interesting chord changes abound, all held together by a one-of-a kind artist. If only more folk-based records found a way feel as contemporary, yet timeless.
That was a great little discovery. It wasn't listed on Spotify, unfortunately, so the experienced may have suffered from the commercial breaks on YouTube. Altogether, I enjoyed it a lot, the sound was soulful and occasionally funky rock with a flair for the melodramatic. The first three songs on the album left me wondering what box to put this artist into, then it hit its peak with Love and Affection, but I was totally in on the vibe by the end. It was good, not great, so I can see how this artist flew under most people's radars. But I would not be surprised at all to see a charting hit happen with the right cover of any one of the songs.
Wow, How have I not heard of her before? I liked this album. It is up my streett though but I can see how people that don't like folk rock-soul-blues might not like the album. The band, her voice - everything is good.
Sleeper album! Who ever heard of this lady?! Loved listening to this. She's got a Tracy Chapman vibe, whom I don't personally enjoy. But it sure worked here! Nice album.
Really good album. Unique singing and lyrical style. However very good sound and message in most songs.
What a find, love it
not really my thing, she has a nice voice but just boring
Just to echo a lot of the reviews I saw on this album: Damn son! Who is Joan Armatrading and why have I NEVER heard of her? This album is fantastic. I saw a lot of comparisons to Tracy Chapman. This is LIGHTYEARS better than Tracy Chapman in my opinion. That voice, combined with the folk, funk and soul all blended into an extremely enjoyable listen from start to finish. I'll definitely be coming back to this one (and maybe diving into her other albums).
An enjoyable listen.
I can appreciate it, but nothing groundbreaking for m
First listen
Meh. Just mid.
Pleasant enough without being memorable. Not enough guitar work!
Vibey
Good stuff, quite enjoyable and very fresh sounding
funky folk pop? you know what hell yeah this is cool af. really enjoyed this
Bastante guapote, entre el folk, el blues, canciones pegadizas y buena producción.
Красиво и мелодично. Первые 5 треков хороши, отсылают к Джон Митчелл. Save me очень лирична, Love and Affection бодра как июнь. Норм.
Idk what I was expecting but it was better than that
In between some very cool jazzy turns and astonishing vocal chops is a sort of meandering album that never quite finds its footing for me. But I found myself paying attention at a few key points when it did pick up.
An unexpected breath of jazzy-funky-folky fresh air.
Arrancamos la segunda semana de abril con una artista que desconozco por completo. Voz firme y tranquila la de Joan. El primer tema me suena de un soundtrack de una película (ya sea que esté o que pueda estar en) y el resto se mantiene en un mood muy cálido. Sin nada más para decir, me despido hasta mañana.
It's okay but not something I would want to listen to.
She sings as if in a wistful soundtrack to a salt of the earth B-movie from the 80s. Doesn't excite me but it very pleasant. Fascinating she is most listened to in the UK & Australia
If Stevie Nicks and that one choir lady from church fused into an artist. It's not my thing, but I can tell she's talented and it didn't make me sad like some previous artists have.
Kinda forgettable 💀
Meh...
Enjoyed it very much, relaxing tones, good lyrics and melodies, and great instrumentation -Down To Zero -Water with The Wine -Somebody Who Loves You -Like Fire
I was very pleasantly surprised by this. I was fearing the worst. Thought I'd give it a four but gets a bit repetitive. I think I'd prefer a single to an album.
Great album, i really enjoyed singing along and thinking of the last time I heard those songs. really a nice time.
Bra men gjorde inget djupare intryck. Trea
Well, growing up in the 1970s I was aware of Joan Armatrading's music, but it never clicked with me. I was interested to listen to this album. After playing through this a couple of times, I didn't find the songs particularly compelling, but I thought her voice lovely and the production really strong. Ultimately, however, this isn't a genre that particularly appeals to me.
Exceptional album for such a quiet and reflective person. One of the all time greats. Class trumps all else.
Such an interesting album, new to me. I love Armatrading’s voice and her guitar. Somebody Who Loves You is so touching. Really glad to hear this.
Decent folk rock. She has a good voice. Doesn't really grip me heavily though.
Pretty good album that has a decent breadth of sounds. I really liked the opener as it was very Bob Seger. Join the Boys definitely influenced Big & Rich's Save A Horse (Ride a Cowboy). Somebody Loves You is giving me slight vibes of Katrina and the Waves' Walking on Sunshine (Armatrading obviously making her song first). But like Big Brother and the Holding Company and Rolling Stones, blues rock doesn't do much for me. Definitely enjoying this one a bit more than the other blues rock records I've gotten so far. Joan had a great voice.
Good album but nothing that’s really grabbing me. Maybe that’s not fair. It’s a great album. Really relaxing.
Joan Armatrading came entirely out off left field for me. I so totally underestimated what she was about and spent the entirety of the record dumbfounded by her.
She has an interesting voice
Not bad
This was a really enjoyable album. Has some hints of Tracy Chapman in it.
Grand, just not massive into it
J'ai arrêté d'écou
Ouin. Y'a rien de mauvais, mais rien qui m'accroche. Je sais qu'il y a une facette historique au fait que cet album se retrouve sur la liste, mais si on ne juge que par la musique, y'a 100 albums plus interessants qui sortent à chaque semaine.
Pas mauvais ni bon. De faible intérêt.
Je ne connais pas l'état dans lequel je devrais être pour avoir envie de réécouter. Y'a une belle constante de c'est-presque-bon tout le long. L'album se termine sur "We had fun while it lasted" mais j'en ai pas ben ben eu. Bonne prod de Glyn Johns.
Help Yourself and listen to this album.
Genuinely gave it a chance, but this is not for me on any level, sorry. I'm sure she means every word, but musically it didn't take me anywhere interesting.
Wow. Wise and thoughtful. Rock/folk/jazz/blues. I never knew…
Discount store Tracy Chapman. What's not to feel neutral about?
Overall: 6/10 I enjoyed this one. Joan has a lovely voice and is obviously a talented songwriter. I like the folk rock feel that this album has going for it, and there's more variety in the music than I expected. I don't think it'll end up being something I listen to frequently but I'm glad to have heard it. Fav Song: Help Yourself Least Fav Song: Tall in the Saddle
This is a really stellar record. I’m honestly shocked that I’ve never heard of Joan Armatrading before, and I’m a little more shocked to find out that she’s British. This album really sweeps a broad spectrum of genres, it touches on funk, pop, rock n roll, new wave, even occasionally folk. Normally when an album attempts to hit so many different styles it falls flat for me, but I think it was done incredibly well here. Not one genre felt out of place with Joan’s voice. The production value is excellent for the time, and it feels very well performed. I really struggle to find any faults here, I really enjoyed listening to this record. The saxophone solo on “Love and Affection” really pushed this song over the 4* edge and right up to a perfect score. 5*
This was an interesting listen. I do like the general vibe and there were moments of several songs that I really liked--"Water With the Wine", "Love and Affection", "Somebody Who Loves You" and "Like Fire" are the ones I remember. But even these songs which I guess I would say were my favorites failed to really captivate me the way I would've liked this album to. I generally enjoyed listening to it, but wasn't really caught up in it. Joan has an interesting style and an interesting inflection with her voice that I don't dislike. It reminds me of someone and I can't quite place who. I wanted this to be a homerun, and it wasn't a swing and a miss, but it was maybe like a hard-hit ball that tips just foul. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.
I could never respect an artist with ties to genocide. Feel like I'm always reading on the news about Armatrading between the US and Israel.
Ganska schysst album. Gillar första låten.
Beautiful, soulful voice that doesn't stray too far from her wheelhouse. Very much an artist who knows what she's good at, and hammers that over and over again. Absolutely love "Water with the Wine", the drum line is perfect. The horns in Love and Affection are amazing, and the one song that I've heard prior to this listen. Join the Boys has an outrageously good instrumentation with the piano riffs, and is a fantastic protest song – Are you in, are you out? – is addicting. People is the same in terms of instrumentation, piano is insane + this one has electric guitar pieces. Found myself a little bored towards the last three songs of the album, but overall a pretty good listen.
7.2
I had never heard of Joan Armstrong before this (maybe that's embarrassing to admit but whatever) so I went in completely blind. This was a lovely album. Her voice is sultry but warm and the music doesn't distract from it but it is so complimentary of her voice. I am so glad this project introduced me to this album, I will definitely listen to it on my own.
1/2
This whole record felt like typical '70s singer-songwriter stuff, but with some fun twists that kept it fresh enough. The production was far better than I would've expected, and the songs are fun. That said, it didn't really leave much of an impression on me. I finished listening and didn't have any sort of desire to go back to it. Overall, it's a fun record with some unique takes on this style of folk, but it doesn't stand out much. 7.5/10
Sounds like an album that influenced a huge amount of artist. Not really my thing, but still solid songwriting.
Lovely! (25 known/51 new)
Had no idea her career was so long. Only knew the 80s hits but this was a pretty pleasant album. Top notch backing band.
Not really as I expected
I knew one song, I didnt dislike the rest of it
I truly enjoyed this album. I like her sound, I like the vibe. Very fun. Will add some songs to my playlists.
So many good bits at first, but petered out and never really hooked me
Some cool stuff
It's pretty good. She's got a strong voice and the songs are not too bad.
Прикольно вроде
Although I’ve known of this artist I’ve never given her a real listen. I really liked about half and the other half was a little too slow for me. But I love her voice and would like to hear more of her. Just over the 2/3 line for me.
respect the sound hate the pop
Pleasant enough, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again.
Full disclosure: this album is one of my partner's favourites, and yet I've never really sat down and listened to it start to finish. So this was always going to be an interesting one for me. I enjoyed it very much, though: the guitar work is excellent, and Armatrading's voice is lovely. If I have anything negative to say it's that, for me, the lyrics didn't always quite live up to the music; but that's nit-picking really, I just wonder what that gorgeous soulful delivery and funky guitar would sound like underpinning lyrics like, say, Joni Mitchell's. Have added a few of the best tracks to my playlists, which no doubt will please my other half; and will definitely revisit this, which will probably please him more (I think it's maybe an autumn-evening, something-hearty-for-dinner, glass-of-red-wine type album, and has perhaps suffered a little from my getting it on a beautiful spring morning). Overall, one of my better discoveries so far.
This album was very dope. I will probably return to it on the whole. Favorited several tracks from it. Really the opener is the only one I don't like that much. Really fantastic recording quality as well for the 70's.
Ok, I guess.
It was nice
Not sure any bluesy singer songwriter stuff is ever going to reinvent the wheel, but it’s better than the 87 Bob Dylan albums on this list.
Not an incredible amount of range, is there? Great voice, instrumentation isn’t keeping up, in my opinion. Production isn’t great either, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Don’t know that it’s my scene, but I respect it. 3/5
Her voice is great, the music is good. Not my cup of tea.
Great album!
Decent modern country, interesting voice - a good first half and a tapered ending. I enjoyed listening to it, but I'm not too interested in seeking it out again.
3/5 Nice to listen to. But nothing really memorable.
I have never heard of Joan Armatrading, so I didn’t know what to expect when going into this album. Personally, I really liked this album. The songs are catchy and relaxing, and I liked them all equally. I especially love the drums and guitar used. I could totally see myself listening to this album more often.
Albumi #174, 13.03.2025 Brittiläisen Joan Armatradingin omaa nimeään kantanut kolmas studioalbumi ilmestyi vuonna 1976 ja se oli artistin enimmäinen varsinainen kaupallinen menestys. Hieno folk rock / pop albumi.
Neal’s album today was ZZ Top’s Eliminator. This was a welcome breath of fresh air after that. It’s not really my jam, but she’s got a nice voice and some decent songs. Water in the Wine gave some date-rape vibes I wasn’t so into though.
Funky as hell. Get this vinyl
This is pretty righteous.