Great horns (and great voice obviously). Reminds me that I should watch the Muscle Shoals documentary. Lots of covers of songs by other big names, but I found myself preferring her originals. Sleeper hit: "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream"
Interesting to revisit, can see a lot of the directions that Beck would go later in his career hinted at here. Has a lot of highlights that I had remembered, but these were also contrasted by some abrasive elements I thought didn't age as well. The squelching and yelling through a megaphone that kept popping up were way more jarring than I remembered. This listen probably explains why I don't go back and listen to the full album as often as some of his others. (His other albums with the Dust Brothers like Midnite Vultures and Guero for example)
That being said, "Where It's At" is still a classic
Easily one of my favourite albums of all time. Their third album in 3 years...and it's a double album... and it's all bangers. Just mind boggling.
The Clash get lumped in with other punk bands, but the influences and genres that show up on this album are all over the musical spectrum. I finally listened to the original versions of the three covers: "Brand New Cadillac", "Wrong 'Em Boyo" and "Revolution Rock". The Clash versions are so great because they can inject their punk sensibility and energy into rockabilly, ska and reggae songs and create something new and exciting, whether it's covers or new songs that reflect their diverse influences. To me, this is emblematic of why this album is so groundbreaking and influential.
(Not so) sleeper hit: "Spanish Bombs"
Brings me back to 2002 when the video for "Fell In Love With A Girl" came out and I first heard of the band. Great collection of songs, even if the production and instrumentation make them feel a bit samey and the less intense songs feel a bit twee. Lots to appreciated outside the songs that everyone knows; "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a great opener and the "The Union Forever" is also a standout
Hard to believe this came out only seven months after "Are You Experienced". Standout on this listen was "Ain't No Telling"
An album covering "existing pop standards in a hipper, jazzier fashion". Without having to listened to lots of the previous or subsequent versions, it's hard to say how innovative these arrangements were, but the album certainly feels vital.
Even if it's hard to reconcile covers of songs from more than 20 years earlier going toe to toe with Elvis and early rock music, the songs and performances from Sinatra are still evocative of a time and mood. Whether any songs are the definitive versions, this was an enjoyable listen and probably one of the starkest contrasts from the Marshall Mathers LP when the most risqué thing discussed is "Makin' Whoopee"
First I've listened to Scott Walker outside of "30th Century Man" and nothing really matches that. This album has its moments....the orchestration made some of the songs feel in the vein of Bond themes. The songs that stood out I found out were by Jacques Brel. Guess the name "Jackie" makes a lot more sense knowing that. Wasn't sure I was much of fan of many of his original songs however and didn't think he was suited for a version of "Windows of the World".
I had only heard "I Saw The Light" and "Hello, It's Me" before (both great songs), but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked this album as a whole. A more diverse collection of styles than the pop ballads I had associated with him.
- Fun Fact #1: Todd Rundgren played every instrument on 3/4 of the album himself until he was interrupted by an earthquake and left for New York
- Fun Fact #2: The last side of the album was recorded in New York with an assortment of session musicians basically live with no overdubs
- Fun Fact #3: Each side of the album has a unique name and personality: Side 1 is "A Bouquet of Ear-catching Melodies", Side 2 is "The Cerebral Side", Side 3 is "The Kid Gets Heavy" and Side 4 is "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)"
- Fun Fact #4: Todd credits his productivity creating this double album to Ritalin and cannabis. Apparently his sound changed after this album when he began experimenting with mescaline and other psychedelics.
- Not So Fun Fact #1: YouTube Music only has the first half of the album, what a disgrace of a service
A bit of a mixed bag, although I like it on whole. Has its highlights: Each of the vocalists has a great song, including "Dirty Boots, "Kool Thing" and "Mote", but some songs like "Mary-Christ" and "Cinderella's Big Score" are just a waste of time. The musicianship is stellar, some amazing drumming and the weaving wall of guitar noise is hypnotizing at times.
Was intrigued after I saw Tales From The Tour Bus episodes about George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It opens with probably the best song on the album "The Grand Tour". Can feel some emotional depth behind the album; unfortunately I'm so predisposed to hate twangy country, it's hard to give it much time or think I'd relisten to it that often.
Fun album! First side starts off great with "Oh Boy!" and "Not Fade Away". Side 2 picks back up strong with "That'll Be The Day" although perhaps a bit weaker after that.
Hadn't heard anything by Gene Clark prior to this; not even very familiar with The Byrds outside of their big hits. I thought there was a lot of beautiful stuff on this album and fairly engaging musically for a singer/songwriter-centric work. I really liked his version of "Tears of Rage"; lots of other standout songs including "The Virgin" and "For A Spanish Guitar".
Sounds adjacent to lots of music I like, but just not doing anything for me. I can hear why the singer's voice is compared to Bob Dylan; maybe it's just an acquired taste, but I haven't acquired it yet in the same way that I have for Dylan or Geddy Lee. Overall not terrible, but didn't find much in terms of bright spots.
A misleading name, more downtempo than destructive. An enjoyable listen, even though I slightly question whether this deserves to make the cut of this type of list. "Rikki" and ""Paris Four Hundred" stood out as my favourites. Probably a 2.5, but will round up after just listening to the "Doctor Pressure" mashup.
An all time great. I'm always amazed that this is their second album. When many bands load up their first with songs they've been writing since they formed and the second suffers, this is the opposite. Where "Pablo Honey" had "Creep" and not much else, this is all great to classic songs.
Is it their best album? Maybe not. But within the scope of what it sets out to accomplish, it's entirely successful. I know I listen to it much more than "OK Computer" and is in my pantheon of favourite albums.
It turns out the only Happy Mondays songs I've heard are from their next album. Had a hard time getting into this album at first; it walks a very fine line between shaggy and sloppy. "Wrote For Luck" is a standout, also helped to listen to some of the remixes on the Collector's Edition. "Lazyitis" also was a bright spot on my first listen. Tough to rate; probably a 2.5. 2 if I focus on the negatives and 3 on the things it does well.
Wikipedia highlight: "Bummed is definitely an E album, perhaps the first full album ever made on that drug"
"Sultans of Swing" is an all time classic in my books. Amazing guitar work on the album by Mark Knopfler, can appreciate the acclaim he receives as a guitarist much more here. Really like "Down to the Waterline" , have to revisit that much more often.
I really like funk and to a lesser extent ska, but the production on this is just off putting. The heavy metal guitar tone that keeps popping up just sucks and the horns sound processed and weird all over. Has some moments, but just not for me.
- Was surprised by this album, I know Tom Waits' voice can be pretty hit or miss for me, but largely connected with me all album. I liked the instrumentation all over, from the weird percussion to the sax parts
- I didn't know that "I Don't Want To Grow Up" was a Tom Waits song. I think I had only heard the version by the Ramones.
- This came out the same year that Tom Waits was Renfield in "Bram Stoker's Dracula", hard not to imagine him just randomly eating flies during the recording of this album
Enjoyable enough, straight down the middle cheesy 70s rock. Have to give them a shout out for pulling off the trifecta of naming your band "Bad Company", titling your album "Bad Company" and having a song called "Bad Company". Rarefied air: https://www.stereogum.com/928281/20-songs-named-after-the-bands-that-played-them/lists/
Pretty fun album! Perhaps not the ideal music to listen to while I'm trying to concentrate on work, pretty much a full frontal assault on the senses. Wasn't really familiar with much Megadeth outside "Peace Sells"(great song), but I think this is right in the mix with some of the great 80s metal like Iron Maiden and Metallica.
On the fence on how to rate this one; not my favourite Air album (behind "Talkie Walkie") but for a laid-back downtempo album it's very well executed. Will err on the side of rewarding it for the space it occupies.
Interesting album, I had only heard "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" but it all seems in that vein, punk rockabilly. The lo-fi production and overall aesthetic doesn't quite work for me, but I definitely don't mind it.
Might be overrating it, because apparently three songs are re-recordings, but I thought this was great.
The deconstruction of "Who Do You Love" into a whole side of an album was interesting. I liked the album as a whole, don't think I had heard anything by Quicksilver Messenger Service before this.
I had first heard of Heaven 17 through LCD Soundsystem's cover of "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang", but I had only heard their original and nothing else. I might be just be an easy mark for the exact combo of early 80s new wave/synthpop, but this was a fun surprise of an album for me. Probably just as easily cheesy and dated of its time if you're not a fan of the exact reference points. "Fascist Groove Thang" was what had attracted my initial attention, but the title track is also a banger
Probably the best LCD Soundsystem, at least in terms of consistency. Hard to choose a rating, might give it a 4.5 if I had the option, as it trails off a bit at the end. Even if it's not perfect, it's really up there.
I liked Kanye's production, but was pretty meh on the songs themselves.
Surprisingly difficult to find the right version of this album if you don't use Spotify. I think the title track is so good it justifies the album's existence by itself. Fun fact I just learned: Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones play on the track. "Season of the Witch" has also made its way on to some of my Halloween playlists in the past.
Not the best Fatboy Slim album and hasn't aged as well as others from the big beat genre IMO. "Going Out Of My Head" is the big song that I remembered from this album, and it's decent at best. "Song For Lindy" sounded familiar for another reason, turns out was sampled in the much better Love Island on his next album.
Thought it was decent, but not much jumped out at me. "Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce" was a stand-out
Had heard "This Corrosion" via "The World's End" soundtrack, but I actually really got into a few songs on this album, from "Corrosion" to "Dominion" and "Lucretia". Some of the others songs are kinda meh, would ideally give this a 3.5.
Had to listen to this a couple of times and listen to the R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: Me? episode on it to get into it a bit more. Outside of the hits, I started to appreciate "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" and "Ignoreland" on these listens
I like lots of prog, but this seemed pretty generic to me
This feels like it was very influential on later post-punk, but I felt it didn't click as a whole for me, even though songs like "Hong Kong Garden" (which apparently wasn't on the original album) still hold up.
I had heard some of these songs before, but a very different side of Nick Cave. Standout is "Into My Arms" but lots of great songs. Shout out to "There is a Kingdom" which replaced "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes in the Snyder Cut
Starts off really strong . giving you "Ace of Spades" and "Love Me Like a Reptile" off the bat. Had trouble rating this; kind of got samey as it went on, but the highs were pretty fun. Kind of a 3.5 if it was possible
Fun, but fairly generic outside of the hits
An album I revisit fairly often, fairly unlike anything else as it just flows from short song to short song. The first stretch from "Reuters", to "Field Day for the Sundays", to "Three Girl Rhumba" ending in "Ex Lion Tamer" is a huge opening sequence.
Would be higher if he was talkin' 'bout Shaft...
