Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Her voice and acoustic accompaniment worked very well together, some of these songs were beautifully written and composed. I enjoyed what I heard a lot, as it reminded me of a few other songwriters from that era. I can see how she would get lost in the shuffle of that genre, but this album from start to finish was rather enjoyable.
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Joan Armatrading before. Her music is a seamless mix of funk, country, and folk that is lush and driving. Her voice is versatile and her songs are well written.
A simply stunning collection of songs, Armatrading surely deserves more recognition for making quietly compelling, engaging music. There’s a breadth to her music - ballads, soul, funk, folk - and her artistry delivers them all expertly. The production is exquisite - lush strings are only added where required and you can hear the contribution of every musician. This is good stuff. Fun fact - The Wire’s Clarke Peters (Detective Lester Freamon, Pawn department hump who turned out to be good police) sings the bass backing vocals on Love and Affection!
Really nice. Expressive and emotive with soulful feminine drive. Lots of baby-making musics. I recall some reference to Miss Armatrading from the 80's but not the context from before. This record is certainly not dated to the mid 70's and stands as a cool human connection to whenever.
Loved this album. Such. Wide range of styles, full lush production and still sounding modern. A cracker
My older brother was a big fan of Joan Armatrading. I gave her a quick listen back then and didn't really connect with her music. Now, with my older, more mature ears, I can see why he liked her so much. Great songwriting and range. Some of her singing reminds me of Joni Mitchell, which I'm not a fan of - that sort of jazz style melody - but overall I think this is really good. Planning to listen again to this and more of her music. 4 stars.
This is a slow-burn album - I wasn't sure over the first few songs ... it's inevitable that you try to make comparisons...Joni Mitchell? Laura Nyro? I don't know if either of those match. Way more than just the vocals on this one - the music and songs are each interesting/diverse. It's pop, it's folk, it's rock, bluesy... but at the same time nothing is so "out there" that makes any of it inaccessible. My highlights would be "Join the Boys" and "Like Fire" which is my favourite - this has such a crazy-cool acoustic guitar intro from Joan, and that last song "Tall In The Saddle" is a surprise; you think it's gonna be a slow jazzy tune to end it all and then about 2/3 through that changeup to uptempo was great. Really enjoyed this one. 8/10 4 stars
An amazing voice. Lovely songs. A great album to get lost in or to use as background music.
“Showed that we now have a black artist in Britain with the same sort of vocal range, originality (in fact even greater originality in terms of musical influences) and lyrical sensitivity as Joni Mitchell.”
I really liked this album! Great voice and good instrumentals, liked certain parts of strings. A bit samey though but that’s ok.
Chill, good guitar. Nice voice.
Man, there are some fucking jams here man. And the slower cuts are good too! Great production and performances all around. This is a winner.
Ooo I am really liking this one! Brand new discovery for me. Down to the Ground reminds me a lot of Van Morrison's Into The Mystic, the progression of it, the cadence. And something about the second track Help Yourself reminds me a lot of Jeff Buckley, there's a quality to the vocals and musical arrangements that feels very Buckley. It's soulful and passionate, but edgy and deep too. Actually this whole album is reminiscent Buckley, but I know Joan came first. I'm so impressed by this groovy badass woman. I think Joan and Jeff might have been kindred musical spirits. I'm so into it!
Terrific album. I had never heard of Joan Armatrading. Folk rock, with an edge of r&b. Four of the songs are bangers. I really enjoyed "Love and Affection" and "Somebody Who Loves You."
That was great!
unique sound, a little like a woman Bob Dylan
As if Tracy Chapman merged with Joni Mitchell. Love the funky tracks.
Really enjoyed, nice easy listening
Love her voice. Good singing Joan
I enjoyed this. All rather similar but all good I guess.
A good one.
This is one of these albums that I would not have picked myself but can very well understand why it is on the list. But it is a fine album, and probably the Joan Armatrading I have listened to the most. Also: it is not possible to give an album that contains "Love and Affection" anything less than 4 stars.
Really enjoyed this one. Love some funky bluesy folky soup
So assured
Pretty surprising
Awesome blend of folk and blues.
Fire, great stuff
Wonderful album, I love the mix of folk and blues present on many of the tracks
Lovely melodic and great to listen to when cooking
Delightful
Complete sleeper. Great mix of Folk/Funk that I had never heard of.
Yeah, I like this. Surprising I've not heard of her before, great voice. Good instrumentals. Give it a listen.
Great guitar work, bass work throughout this album. Loved her voice. Some good songs but nothing amazing. Would definitely listen again
Nice calm listen
Els grans discs de cantautors solen tenir com un dels seus principals hàndicaps l'excessiu recolçament creatiu en les lletres i el missatge, descuidant moltes vegades la música. No és aquest el cas. Més enllà d'unes lletres d'alt nivell compositiu i d'una veu increïble, es nota la búsqueda per part d'Armatading d'unes melodies que resultin atractives i uns arranjaments que estiguin a l'alçada. I ho aconsegueix. És un disc per descobrir o redescobrir per part d'un públic molt més massiu del qual ha tingut fins ara
Nice jazzy bluesy
Some great jam bits, sounds almost like live improvised jazzy/soul/rock.
Not my style
great voice and great songs, its not my taste really but i can't deny its a great piece of music
Thought it wasn’t my thing at first, I was wrong! This one definitely heats up as it goes on, the funk got cool enough for me to raise my impression from 2 to 4 stars
Have never heard of Joan Armatrading. But man, she's great! Her voice and backing band are excellent. Pedal steel in "Down to Zero" is haunting.
This album was real good. She has a great voice and a perfect, folksy, singer-songwriter vibe. I'll listen to this again - really, really enjoyed it.
When she's good, she's unbeatable. Down to zero has been in my personal top 10 for 40+ years and not likely to be shifted, and Love and affection is just completely perfect.
An album of some number of pop-folk bangers. Yet another "how did this get produced so long ago" find thanks to this site. At first blush, I feel that it stands up to many of my favorite pop projects of the last twenty years. I want to give it time to grow on me before I think about it in words again.
Pretty good stuff.
Pop soul poderoso
Letting out plenty of data jarring moans, this one had plenty of smooth soul
Really pleasant, smooth vocals.
Joan Armatrading's name was familiar, but I couldn't tell you if I've heard any of her music. "Love and Affection" is the track on this album that I've heard before. This was a good suggestion, and a solid album all the way through.
Pretty chill jazzy background vibe
The production, the band, and the songwriting are all superb on this album. It’s a shock that it came out in the mid-70s because it could easily come from the 90s or even today. For an artist I’ve never even heard of I enjoyed the hell out of this.
Will listen to again
Powerful voice and lovely guitar - A great album
Tapers off towards the end, powerful vocals and rhythms throughout
It's smooth like a wave. It also smacks you in the face like a wave
She’s got a story and you know exactly how she’s feeling. She’s a bad bitch
Really good. Very original mix of folk,rock,funk,jazz etc.
Down to zero - virkelig godt! Funket og rocket på samme tid. Help yourself - God produktion, originalt og meget harmonisk. Fed vokal. Water with wine - God produktion, trommerne svinger godt.
Really nice opening. Her voice is GORGE AHHHHH This is a 4 defo
Listened to this while walking around the west end, it was so relaxing and chill, perfect walking soundtrack on a recently-wet now-sunny day. Bass was funky AF
I thought it was fun. Brummie queen as well 😍
So lovely and warm. A gem
Very nice and moody experience
wasnt the sort of thing i usually listen to, but i enjoyed it. haven’t heard of this artist in the past but i might check out the rest of her discography.
Really like this - Such a nice voice and an awesome guiatar player. Love all of the strings involved. The Cello (I think??) on Love and Affection is soooo so good. Down To zero, Love and Affection, Like Fire were the big highlights
Enjoyable music
Very enjoyable.
Las negras pueden hacer mas cosas que soul.
“Joan Armatrading” by Joan Armatrading (1976) With lyrics that are rich in passion, Armatrading inundates the listener with images that spring forth from particular moments of experience. She freezes emotional time. It’s as if she’s beginning to swoon, and an entire song issues forth in the brief instant that she’s falling to the floor. Makes you want to rush over and catch her before she hits the deck. Can’t help yourself. Powerful. Whether the feeling is anxiety (“People”), dejection (“Down to Zero”), panic (“Save Me”), apprehension (“Water with the Wine”), or longing (“Love and Affection”), she touches, grabs, pierces the heart. If you’re human. And, boys, she devastates your cockiness with both whimsy and panache in “Tall in the Saddle”. We are all suitably chastened. Here’s a sample (from “Somebody Who Loves You”): “Cozy corner your arms around you So tired of one night stands Left with longing from misspent passion With one more human to despise . . . “ Dancing between folk, funk, and jazz, she harnesses powerful alto vocal stylings (pleasantly croaky on the bottom) in company with sensitive arrangements, to serve up tasteful musical confections. Very nice acoustic stylings (especially on “Like Fire”). And has anyone ever sung the word “insane” (“People”) with greater fidelity? Shivers. This is music one should not listen to all day, but rather on well chosen melancholy occasions when you need to be reassured that in your yearning and pain, you’re not alone. 4/5
Very good
Le daré un 4 porque canta muy bien. No conocía ninguna de sus canciones.
It is good!
Great album. Unique blend of the sounds of the 70s. Not quite Joni Mitchell level of songwriting, but she has all the same skills. I enjoyed it!
Have always liked her voice and storytelling
Genre-bending and before her time!
Well that was nice!
somewhat mediocre and inconsistent buttttttt really liked the last song and she had a good voice
quite cool i’d say
I like the minimalistic feel of it. It's just a songer with her acoustic guitar and a bit of accompaniment but not too much. Very cool vibes that fit the lyrics very well.
Beautiful stuff
Never knew this existed. Dug it
Good album, production value was pretty amazing
Nice, mellow, soft rock. Reminds me of Carole King.
Folksy, with depth. Really enjoyed the entire thing.
Surprisingly great album, liked the combination of voice and instruments, shows a great variety of genres and songs, without becoming too much
Excellente chille muziek met prachtige stem.
Not gonna lie, I was surprised by this one
Never heard this before…. One song was semi familiar. Really enjoyed it though. Soulful with good tunes!
i wasn't listening too hard 3/5
Really great voice
the first song started and i thought “uh sounds like tracy chapmap” and then it proceeded to sound nothing like tracy chapman for the rest of the album. overall i enjoyed this, but first half was stronger.
Not great, not bad. Just meh.
I give this one a bland/5
Nice and relaxed, blended into the background a bit for me
Wow, okay, Joan Armatrading, I see you. A funky Tracy Chapman. I'm here for it.
Not as fun but great vocals and lyrics just not so interesting
Love and Affection is such a magnificent song - the rest of the album pales in comparison.
Mellow and Folky. I wouldn't have guessed that it was from the 70s. It wasn't bad, but it really did nothing for me.
Overall Rating - 3.35/5 (6.70/10). Overall solid folk-rock. Nothing great, but worth listening to.
I am not familiar with Joan Armatrading's other music, but on this album I kept coming back to a Christine McVie meets Tracy Chapman comparison.
Not specifically for me, but honestly jammed out after join the boys. Guitar and instrumentals were awesome. Very middle of the road due to personal taste conflicting with clearly a good album. Got into the mood of it by the end though which was fun.
Interesting but not exciting
Nice listen
I don’t ever think I’ve heard of Joan Armatrading before. It was a pleasant listen as a change of pace.
I thought this album started off really good, but kind of fizzled out as it went on. "Down to Zero" and "Love and Affection" are cool tunes though. 3 stars.
Not too bad. Quite Only Fools And Horses-core as Someone Who Loves You gets used in the credits of the 1990 Christmas special Rodney Come Home. Maybe not this whole album because it does get a bit samey but I would definitely take a few tracks and smush em together with a heap of Sade, Simply Red and Fat Larry’s Band for a Only Fools And Horses-themed entry. Lovely jubbly. Bonnet de douche. This time next year we’ll have finished this list and be millionaires!
Pretty good but flew right over me, was funny immediately getting autoplayed Tracey Chapman after this, definitely her precursor.
This was fine, feel like I probably should’ve liked this more than I actually did 2.5
Enjoyed it.
once again not my kind of music but it was ok to listen to
5 - AVERAGE
Really lovely. Joan Armatrading is one of those performers who has been on my radar for many years but who I rarely listen to. It was a nice start to my day.
3 stars
When I was in graduate school I embarked on an archival project that required me to read every major British music magazine published in 1976. My research was about the Sex Pistols and the rise of punk rock in the UK, but I was shocked to see nearly every mag list this album as the Album of the Year. I had never even heard of Joan Armatrading, but here was a stack of primary sources showing me how important she once was. Maybe the lesson is that today's critical darling is tomorrow's forgotten pop star. Listening to this album, though, I can understand how/why listeners were hungry for something that felt "authentic," musically sophisticated, but not corny or cliche. Armatrading hits all these marks, but I do think the songwriting is relatively uneven -- there are a few songs here that go nowhere or are totally unmemorable. Nevertheless, I'm really happy to learn about Armatrading and her music.
Raw Talent. I love how she switches between different genres and puts so much feeling into her music. Unfortunately it just doesn't do much for me.
Strangely enough I feel like her voice and this production would have been better served on slower tracks. Tall in the saddle first half for example was my favorite and the rest was cool
nice blend of folky, bluesy, jazzy rock stuff
Pretty good
Wow, just lovely. I was surprised that this came out in the 70s because you can really feel the throughline to Tracy Chapman, so much so that I thought it was contemporary to Chapman’s work. Armatrading’s voice just cuts straight to my heart and overall I loved the vibe of the album!
She had a great voice! I've seen her name before and always found the name Armatrading so interesting. what does it mean?? There was a richness to these songs that I appreciated even though I maybe expected a bit more daring. But a really nice listen (and it led me to a little Wikipedia deep dive on Saint Kitts and Nevis, her birthplace)
Nice background music, but little stood out beyond Love and Affection
thoughts: - women playing guitar, let's goooooooo - decent, but not my fave
Classic production of the time and Glyn Johns. I enjoyed the vocal production, sometimes the vocal delivery wasn’t my favorite but I know it’s kinda “of the time”. I really liked ‘Join the Boys’ & ‘Somebody Who Loves You’ & “People”. Overall, I don’t typically listen to this style of songwriting/production but I enjoyed myself to some feel good 70s pop rock!
6/10 - Pretty medium. Maybe this was on the beginning end of the lady Folk/Rock/Pop star trend. Not bad but not memorable.
I really liked the song Love and Affection. The rest of the album was fine but it felt like pretty standard 70's acoustic singer songwriter stuff. Light 6/10
It was good enough that I'm going to listen to it in the future
6/10
Love and Affection ❤️💯
I really liked the first track but after that it’s just kinda meh
I knew of Joan back in ‘86. Really enjoyed the album “Sleight of Hand” and the single “Kind Words.” This album definitely sounded like 1976. Great voice, but the arrangements didn’t really connect with me.
meh
I’ve never heard of her before, which is a bit odd. If it made it to this list there must be some kind of notoriety, but it’s never come up. It’s a remarkably well produced album. The layering of the different instruments is something truly special. It’s a great combination of acoustic guitar and interesting vocals. I can’t say I liked all of it, but I certainly appreciated the craftsmanship throughout.
Joan Armatrading walked so that Tracy Chapman could run. And another thing, I feel like Joan Armatrading is out there living a wonderful life right now. This is the music of someone living and expected to continue to live her best life.
Ok
Kinda dull.
Pretty good, pleasant to listen to, but not entirely moving. Sounds surprisingly modern, and is way better than a lot of the guitar music going on in the 70s. Respectable effort.
Pretty fun
Pretty generic album but I got nothing bad to say about it. Just good pop-rock music
not feeling too strongly on this one, cos it keeps finding its way into the background no matter how hard i try to lock onto it. it's some pretty decent folk rock and armatrading's performances are good but its just not clicking for me somehow. maybe i'm just too tired today. i might come back to this one and reconsider but for now... it seems like it's just fine.
5.8/10 pretty bad and boring
Love her voice and guitar. Wish I liked the songs more.
Easy listening discovery
I want to like it more but cannot quite get there.
Decent listen but nothing too memorable. 3/5.
Down to Zero 3.5 Help Yourself 3.3 Water with the Wine 3.4 Love and Affection 3.2 Save Me 3 Join the Boys 3.5 People 3.4 Somebody Who Loves You 3.3 Like Fire 3 Tall in the Saddle 3.2 Score: 3.28
pretty good!
Grown up music
Ihan ok folk-levy. Joanin tumma ääni on mukavaa kuunneltavaa.
The 90's folk scene pulled a LOT from this album
There are some real moments of loveliness here, but I didn't find myself wanting to just listen to the whole thing. Seems like a predecessor to more greater singer songwriters later on.
woah- this feels so relevant? and i have never heard her?
Good stuff! Water with the wine is a banger
Ja, sehr schön, aber nicht mein Kuchen.
I enjoyed this
heard this before, one of Mum's. talented - i just never connected with it at the time or now. it is comforting, but a little dull? unexpected lily allen influence on water with the wine?
#1040. Pretty good, I think. 3/5: good
Broad-scoped and imaginative. At times a little too quiet and non-confrontational
This album was perfectly fine. I had never heard it and I don't know if I would pull it up again. Listening to it made me feel like there have probably been many people that had a nice evening putting this on their record player.
Nice soulful groove throughout.
Joan Baez goes electric is Joan Armatrading. 3 stars
Deep Soulful female doing that classic 60's/70's singer/songwriter. Beautiful in places and generally really good.
Nice, some good tracks but didn't quite convince me.
I enjoyed it. Nothing really stands out.
bueno, cada vez más aburrido
Not bad pop. Pretty good.
I love her voice - it has a timeless quality to it. The songs work best when there is less elaborate orchestration. Join the Boys is fun with the funk/jazz additions
I am more familiar with Walk Under Ladders than this album. The former is more upbeat where this one is more proto-Tracy Chapman. I liked it. 7/10
Decent, but I honestly find little reason to ever come back to this. If every track matched the quality of the first one, maybe. The technical aspects are top notch, but the songwriting almost never piqued my interest. I think I'm slowly heading into one of those project lulls during which I'm underwhelmed by everything, though, so I'll give it another chance later on.
Pleasant actually
Good album. Not good enough to give more than 3 stars. not bad enough to go below 3 stars either. Had a really strong '90s vibe while listening to it, even though it's a 1976 album.
It’s cool. Kind of a paint by numbers Court and Spark/Hejira. But it’s not Joni and no one does Joni like Joni
Not sure if I like this album or not…but I’m open to persuasion. I had this album on CD bought on release so was attracted to it then. Or maybe I had someone close who liked it as it wasn’t the music I was listening to mid 70’s. Either way I sold the CD on years ago. Listening today was quite enjoyable and must have re-ignited the feelings I had for the album 50 years ago. Certainly reminded me of what was going on in my life back then. Some good and some bad. Don’t think there is any other Joan Amatrading album I’m familiar with or would listen to now. 3/5 11/8/26
This was quite samey for me - I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t have any standout tracks. I think I might listen again if I was cooking, it strikes me as good cooking background music.
It's OK. Feels like Tracy Chapman.
3/6
6/10
Any cliché I write has already been written. Okay album.
It's always a nice thing when I come across a record from an artist or band I know absolutely nothing about on this list. No preconceptions, no thoughts of "Have I underestimated the work of geniuses?" — just pure appreciation of the music. That's what happened with Joan Armatrading. From the cover, I didn't even immediately realize whether the singer was a guy or a girl, but I figured I was probably in for something acoustic and folk. My hunch was right, but the folk here isn't like that of the venerable elders Crosby, Stills and Nash, but rather the kind of folk that (clearly influenced by this album) Tracy Chapman would make ten years later — with a touch of funk, disco, and jazz, mostly about relationships in a pleasant female voice. The "girl with a guitar" bio-platform, now popular among schoolgirls, was already beginning to take shape back then. Tracy's approach, however, was somehow more soulful, which is why I'll rate Joan's album lower. But that doesn't mean it's bad!
Wat is deze muziek goed! Het zit heel goed in elkaar, vooral de nummers Join the Boys en People vond ik fantastisch. Ik vind het stemgeluid wat deze artiest produceert minder geweldig. Het doet mij te veel denken aan Joni Mitchell. Dat geluid… brrr… alsof ze overal extra lucht in proberen te blazen ofzo. Muzikaal een 4 of 5! Vocaal een 1… dus een 3tje
Prima album, het krijgt een voldoende. Niet verder iets om heel lang over te schrijven denk ik. Niet slecht, ook niet geweldig. Er zaten stukjes in waar ik echt van kon genieten. Maar dat was het.
Geen liefde, geen haat. Prima
Wel leuk om eens te luisteren, kreeg er Tracy Chapman vibes van, ik zal vast niet de enige zijn. Toch vond ik de songs niet sterk genoeg om helemaal op te gaan in haar muziek, het is wel goed, ze zingt goed en haar songwriting is dat ook. Drie sterren
3.5 - good
"help yourself" is good. "join the boys" has amazing start. "tall in the saddle" first half beautiful. why most songs in second part transform? not bad, 3/5
Joan Armatrading is a key figure in the singer-songwriter scene that I never got around to, for whatever reason. What a talent. Some great songwriting here, a wide range of styles, a unique a powerful voice. That said, it didn't really dig its hooks into me, and I don't have the time to give it the chance to do so... so that's on me.
Good! Very nice very feel
Unique anddistinctive sound. Qell written songs. Very pleasant. Love and Affection very good. Join The Boys has pushed it to a 3.5 I think
Meh better then I thought it would be
Great voice but it’s another meh album
Meh. Fine, middle of road listen
Great 70s sound. Liked it
In my opinion, this is a fine album. As many people have said, this seems to somehow anticipate the works of other female songwriters such as Tracy Chapman. That may be true, but I personally prefer Chapman. This is of course good. I like the guitar playing and, overall, it is a nice listen. So, all considered, a solid 3 star album.
really like this
This caught me be surprise. I had never heard of Joan nor had I listened to any of these songs prior to today. I like the musicianship and variety.
Objectivement hyper bien mais j'arrive pas trop à être touchée
Some good songs on there
Nice and relaxed songs. Saved one song.
Sounds totally normal
It was okay. Some parts were really good. Some parts are just kind of boring.
Singer songwriter with an exceptional voice and some psychedelicy/folky guitars. I enjoyed it but I'm already struggling to remember anything else about it. High 3
At this point in her career, Joan Armatrading had more critical respect than hits. The big hits - Drop the Pilot and I Love it When You Call me Names- didn't come along for another four or five albums. (The Key is probably the album that should be here.) But this is fine. Sharp, observant songs, with a great, Glyn John's produced backing. An enjoyable time.
Good
3/6
Folk with some nice guitar parts, but is missing elements required to step through to the next level.
yeah
album #100 there was a lot about this album that was really, really cool. it wasn't really my thing, but it's place on the list is well deserved :-) i really liked tall in the saddle. ꩜ average track rating: 2.4/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): tall in the saddle ꩜ least favourite track(s): water with the wine ꩜ album rating: ★★⯪☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 989 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 48 (+1 Joan Armatrading) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 22 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 78
1976 to me always signals the global spread of punk music, being a rejection of bloated, over-produced stadium rock music So its always interesting to see what else was happening at that time, that escaped my attention at that time Never heard this lady before, but suprised to kind of like it, even though its worlds away from my usual listening preferences Some of those guitar sounds are really nice I'll be playing this one again - something I dont say often enough in the 1001 album journey
Pretty nice sound and vibe. I can’t say that I was particularly blown away by the album, but there were some groovy songs. Overall decent but not totally mind boggling.
alright
Armatrading never appealed as much to me as a Tracy Chapman or a Sade. Yet it is very pleasant listening.
Tempted to give it a 4 after the last couple of albums, but on reflection I'd describe as a solid 3
I quite enjoyed it. Last few songs were a bit more bluesy. Solid 3.
I enjoyed this, but feel like it hasn't left an impression on me. Dunno
One of those artists I knew the name of but had no idea of her music's style. It wasn't super my thing but was nice, I liked Join the Boys best
This was fine but nothing outstanding. Probably someone who made the list feels that Joan doesn't get enough credit... and this album didn't prove anything different for me.
I'd never heard of Joan before. This is good, although a bit inconsistent in just listening: I think this is probably a performance art, where watching her sing these brings added perspective. She is also a good song writer.
Solid.
Enjoyed her snowy voice. Very 70s
it was fine
album surpreendente. otimos instrumentos e a voz dela é muito boa! aos mesmo tempo que o album tem algumas faixas profundas, tem algumas bem upbeats e divertidas. fun fun fun fun fun lbum, i had fun while it lasted. nota 7,8
I’d heard of Armatrading before, but never heard her music. It’s generally good. Seems to have been and influence on, or at least a trailblazer for, Tracy Chapman. But these songs didn’t move me. I heard more that i liked after the album ended and Spotify began to feed me additional Armatrading tracks. This album is a 3.
3.5
It was pretty solid, but overall I'm not sure it's for me and the soft rock vibe seemed to cage it a bit too much in my opinion. I probably wouldn't listen again, but it's not bad by any means.
Pretty ok. I'm guessing this was an influence of Tracy Chapman
What a singular voice. Lushly produced and passionately performed. Sometimes it’s a lot for my personal tastes, but I can’t really fault it for that. Songs I really liked and others that didn’t do it for me. The guitar work was consistently great. I don’t think I’ll revisit in full, but I would recommend this to people who like this kind of music pretty readily.
Decently convincing songwriter-core music, missing some spice for an extra lift but it's still pretty solid
It's fine
mwah, kan zeker nog een keer naar luisteren maar niet wat ik wil.
*Nice voice and cool varied songs with a varied group of instruments *Tall in the Saddle is a great song
One of those albums where I've definitely heard the sound and some songs before but never put a name to the voice. I enjoyed this.
What do Italian mafia people do with guns? Illegal arm-a trading. Had the same experience with this as with yesterday’s Blue, but I probably liked this more overall
“Armatrading eh? I’ll buy it at a high price.” Resident Evil 4
After a belting opening the rest of the album was fine but just didn't draw me in
Es un album precioso, pero no he conectado con el en absoluto, por mucho que me hubiera encantado, sobretodo porque me recordaba un poco a Joni Mitchell que me suele gustar lo que escucho de ella. Tal vez no me ha pillado en buen momento. Me he guardado las que mas me han llamado la atención para reescucharlas en otro momento. La que mas me ha llamado la atención es Somebody who loves you.
I know this is excellent, just not ra really for me
It’s definitely introduction to her music very peaceful. Could see turning back to this album but nothing really blew me away perfectly middle of the road. I could see the appeal to have this on the list or you can completely move right past it. Very easy to listen to though.
not my thing bur enjoyed the ride. ‘down to zero’, ‘help yourself’and ‘somebody who loves you’ were fine i will stick to them for a while. deserves at least solid 7/10. maybe i will revisit at some spoint.
Thought this was an interesting sounding album. I like the mix of soul, funk, and pop/rock? 7/10
Nice comfortable album. Nice songs
Grei folkefunk. Sterk treer.
Aldri hørt om dama før. Solid visesangeri. Gode tekster, fin stemme. Bare litt for ordinært.
Pretty nice, love Joan Armatrading's voice. Though nothing really remarkable.
Starting off with Down to Zero. I usually don’t judge an album by its cover, but this is exactly what I expected this album to sound like. A couple nice guitar moments, and she has a lovely voice. Help yourself was pretty nice. I liked the acoustic and the way it was almost sung more in a spoken word fashion. I appreciated that it got more upbeat going into Water With the Wine. Love and affection was a bit more interesting, especially with the horns in there. The piano in Join the Boys was great too! People was a lot of fun! Like Fire was alright. I didn’t love Tall in the Saddle, but it worked as a closer. 3/5 ⭐️ 168/1089
PRetty good an alright but idk wen ta bit too long or not as passionate idk. Was really nicely made
Yeah quite good, great vocal variety
so basically im not a stranger to the "female singer-songwriter" type. yet this sounds so generic. need some innovative shit like fiona apple. 3/5
Liked it .. didn’t love it but I liked it.
Meh
Lots of interesting stuff here, all anchored with great acoustic playing and a beautiful voice. Sorta a Tracey Chapman meets old school Van Morrison vibe. Glad I heard it.
Weirdly good considering I couldn't name any of the tracks. I'd heard of Joan Armatrading but before listening I don't think I could have described her. She has a strong voice and is well worth a listen.
6/10 - Enjoyable listen as easy background music. Not particularly complex and a bit samey throughout. Felt the instrumentals weren't exciting on a lot of songs but the last couple of songs were quite striking. Some songs would warrant another listen but I wouldn't really listen to the whole album again.
This feels like a British Tracy Chapman. Some songs feel like folky and blusey, where others have a bit of Carol King behind them. I wasn't blown away by anything, but I certainly enjoyed it. Something for everyone to enjoy.
Was a very nice vibe! Good lyrics, I really liked people. Probably closer to a 3.5
This is alright. A lot better than similar artists from the same period from similar genre. She sounds like Cher
Decent album, but felt pretty generic to me. Wouldn't mind listening to it in the background, but probably wouldn't be the one putting it on.
Thought this would be another forgettable British album, but it was a nice surprise. She does some bluesey stuff, some more traditional singer songwriter stuff. There’s nothing to be mad at here. Does it absolutely have to be on the list? Probably not, but it was a fun trip.
Shout-out to my friend Anne for posting about this album before it appeared in my queue for the 1001 albums list. Really nice little record. Unfortunately the first two songs are the strongest and most interesting, compositionally. The rest of the album isn't terrible but there's some really weird lyrics on here. Like, maybe the song "Water with the Wine" is not about sexual assault--it certainly doesn't sound like one, but the lyrics paint a different picture. Anyway, the album is good.
A good album, I liked Down To Zero, Help Yourself and Somebody Who Loves You the most.
Meget tidløst. Ok, men heller ikke noget, der hænger ved.
I visually recognize this album so I got excited, I should've heard this a long time ago, and while I can definitely admit that it's near essential listening as far as evolution of sound, it's not something I can get myself into frequently. Maybe it's just not quite enough to get me into that singer-songwriter mood, maybe it's a little too Americana influenced being such a British effort. It really boils down to a matter of taste, because I could appreciate the vocal tricks and the quality of production. I wouldn't hate on anyone playing this next to me, I just won't ever be the person to put it on. 2.8/5
It was a pleasant album. I didn’t feel a whole lot from it - overall it felt more akin to like a chill Sunday morning kind of listen. Obviously talented and was nice to hear.
really powerful and unique vocals really wide range and a perfect balance between funky soul and gospel folk the minimalistic production really lifts the which, despite being its strong point, does not overshadow the instrumental parts and manages to create a continuously interesting and enjoyable work
Once in a while you go down a rabbit hole. While I had certainly heard of Joan, it was no where near my interest musically growing up and even today, holds little interest. What I was truly amazed to discover is how very accomplished Joan is as a musician, philanthropist and genuinely good person. A fascinating detour as I listened to the album. Amazing vocals and diverse arrangements keep the album moving but for me there were few songs that I’d say were compelling such that you could recognize the tune. This would definitely be appealing as a live performance. Emotional songs performed live in a theater setting would make for a fine evening even for me! Love and Affection and Down to Zero are the best tracks by a good margin. No negativity implied just not a wow experience and certainly not in the Top 1001. 3/5
05/22 Was okay
Muy aburrido pero se nota la artesania de la señora. Nota: 2.8
So far so good. I bet Tracy Chapman gets compared to her endlessly. The first song is the best song. It hasn't gotten bad, but there was promise there that has dissipated over the next three songs. I like the fusion of soul/funk/R&B. Join The Boys is like lady Isaac Hayes. Like Fire is a highlight too. She's got a Bonnie Raitt feel to her on occasion.
Pretty nice overall.
I think this album has a lot to offer emotion and creativity wise. Instruments are beautifully sewn together and vocals are integrated with a lot of intention as to let the instrumentation shine. 6.5/10, Favorite Song Join The Boys
A name I know, but not sure I've ever heard a song before. 70s singer songwriter stuff, not terrible, not particularly good. Flows along in the background. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 75/299 (25%) Will I get: No
6/10
tiene TEMONESS. la verdad hay un par que me sacaron de mi nube de pedos y se disfrutaron. el disco entero no es taaaan bueno, pero todos los temas estan bien, con algunos que se salen. buen disco para escuchar.
Very mellow, should go back and revisit. Also very first time ever hearing of her.
It's light. It's fun. Not much to write home about.
After the first 30 seconds I thought wow this sounds a lot like Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Enjoyed this!
This album SOUNDS amazing. The production is unbelievably crisp. I think it definitely lacks some solid songwriting and melody creation, because even though I found myself in awe of the sonic quality, I didn’t find myself loving the actual songs. Very little catchiness to the writing. Overall, pretty cool. Definitely enjoyed listening, but don’t know if it quite makes it into my regular rotation. 3.4/5.
First Listen; 3.5; This album sounded ahead of it's time. It has a mix of what I would call easy listening, jazz, and folk with interesting guitar interspersed throughout. Also has great singing/vocals. In a non-derogatory way, this sounds like later coffee shop, 90s pop. Favorite Track: Like Fire
Very solid. This album sounds like so many 90s female, singer-songwriter albums, especially Tracy Chapman. 3.5
Mittwoch, 01.07.2026 Auf dem Weg in die Uni - in der Ringbahn und in der U3. Auf dem Weg nachhause, nachdem ich meine Eltern besucht hab.
Dienstag, 23.06.2026 In der Ringbahn und U3 auf dem Weg zur Uni, beim Mensaessen (Kartoffelcurry mit Reis - sind 2 Beilagen erlaubt?)
Pour l’instant je me fais assez chier, mais à la fois les chansons sont plutôt jolies. water with the wine : jeux de voix intéressantes C’est quand même bien que ce soit de la folk mais avec pas mal d’instruments et de variété Je dirais qu’au global l’écoute est agréable mais que je n’ai aucun son qui me marque 6/10, un 3 mais un petit 3
Liked it but didn’t make an impact
Overall enjoyable listen. The album keeps you on your toes. Just when you find yourself losing interest, then that’s when the funk and guitars kick in.
A nice listen, didn't blow me away
Souly, groovy, cool. Stimme stark und finde "singer songwriter" bisschen zu wenig als Beschreibung. Hat schon iwie auch immer coole, layered backgrounds. Sound ist auch insgesamt sehr gut Teilweise richtig funky Fav: Love and Affection
Bon album pop / jazz / funk / baile je sais pas trop a vrai dire mais cest sympa
Liked it
3:5
This is old people music, but it's very pleasant and enjoyable. I'm also old now.
Nice album. I feel like my bi sexual English teacher friends listened to this in college.
Interesting
Good, but this will be my one & only listen. ★★★
Good album. Nice sounds and solid guitar.
Album #140 Joan Armatrading: Joan Armatrading Really good singer-songwriter album from an artist I’ve never heard of. Sounds really ahead of its time, and I can definitely see its influence on artists like Tracy Chapman. The popular songs are all obviously great, but I also enjoyed the album cuts quite a bit. The only issue I have really is that the album never really shifts gears; it is pretty consistent in its style throughout, so I don’t think there would be much more for me to garner through further listens. Best Tracks: Down to Zero, Love and Affection, Somebody Who Loves You Worst Song: People Score out of 10: 7
Another artist I’ve heard of, but never listened to. This is a well done record sonically, but sits in that same realm with many of Joni Mitchell’s albums, as well as the Tracy Chapman record. Easy listening but nothing necessarily memorable. Speaking of Tracy Chapman, now I know whose style she was biting. Come to think of it, this album feels like it influenced a lot of the singer songwriter stuff we’d see in the 80’s/90’s. More full band, less sparse and stripped down. I know Joni was making stuff like this by this time, but idk this is slightly different in delivery that’s closer to those later eras of this kind of music than Joni. Also, I totally thought Steely Dan was gonna jump scare me at some point on this record. I get those vibes heavy as well on here. The guitar work on here is awesome, especially the final track. Favs: People, Tall in the saddle
Glimpses of something special
I see why people like it, but I am not a huge fan of her voice.
She has a beautiful voice but not fan of the songwriting for the most part.
This is fine. I genuinely have no strong feelings on it. Nothing here is bad. Nothing here caught my attention. It's fine, and that's it really.
I would never have found this album if it wasn't on the list. Enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out as a favorite. The one thing I kept thinking listening to the first few songs was how much it reminded me of Tracy Chapman.
I liked it.