Somber and delicate melodies accompanied by piano and guitar. The first half wasn’t the most exciting for me personally. I enjoyed Electric Renaissance quite a bit. Decent album, but I prefer the Scottish Indie Pop group’s “Write About Love”, although it is like splitting hairs.
Solid Michael Blackson produced by Quincy Jones. Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough will always be a song to grove to. Don’t sleep on the song Get On The Floor, the bass line is amazing. I even find myself enjoying the cheesier songs lime Girlfriend.
Imported from London, the simplicity in this album is so methodical and delicate it really goes to show less is more. Even in songs like Intro with no lyrics the melodies weaved are truly masterful. Band leader Jamie xx really punches a strong layered sound with minimal instruments.
Not a bad album, you really hear their blues influence on “Doncha Bother Me”. Also had some of their hits like “Mother’s Little Helper” and the the feminist disliked “Under My Thumb”. Fun fact “Under My Thumb” was the song The Rolling Stones finished up when Meredith Hunter was stabbed by a member of Hell’s Angels acting as security after Hunter pulled a gun during the free Altamont Concert that left him dead in 1969.
Metallica’s 4th album is refined from earlier works. It’s clear they found their footing with their new bassist Jason Newsted following the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton in a tour bus accident. This album boats “One” which is a beautifully crafted piece of work even for being over 7 minutes long it’s easy to get lost in masterful guitar work. This is a solid thrash metal album (4th of 5 in a row masterpieces in their genre) from arguably the greatest Metal band ever assembled. Giving 4 stars, but would give it a 9.4 out of 10.
“Hold my breath as I wish for death”.
Solid album from the Thin White Duke. The opening track, named after the title, was just over 10 minutes, but did include an intro mimicking a train station. Golden years is such a fun silly song and has always been one of my favorites and sounds like it influenced some of the new wave that followed like the Talking Heads. Overall I’d give the album a 9 out of 10.
David Holmes album was a pleasant surprise. For something listed under the “Electronic” genre it wasn’t what I expected. Coming out the same year as “Homewark” by Daft Punk I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t really heard of Holmes either. The album gives off a soundtrack vibe that sticks you into New York. The only vocals are that of New Yorkers in conversation that had been recorded by Holmes on a trip in the late 80’s. The music and style puts you there, some of the bass lines and drum beats are very late 80’s but can also have a 90’s flare. It is not in any way French house, nor is it meant to be. “Radio 7”” is the only song that I felt was a little cheeky. Essentially it is a remix of the classic James Bond film theme, it is well done. Overall I’d give this a 7.5 out of 10.
Bjork’s debut solo album was definitely ahead of its time. Some of the songs have rhythms more akin to a club, then you’re sent to a new age Enya, then back to a psychedelic rock a la Jefferson Starship’s White Rabbit. For a bunch of songs that don’t seem like they’d fit together, they do.
Papi Congo is Spanish Jazz, while I am not totally familiar with the genre I’ve heard it in other media. It definitely transports you to a different place, for me it reminded me of walking through some of the markets in Mexico while the dry heat engulfs you. Great music to have on the background while doing something around the house where you might find yourself moving to the beat.
It felt like I was listening to a Bond soundtrack or something inspired by the circus at times. Admiringly this was one of my least favorite so far.
I was pleasantly surprised by “Smash”. The album came out in 1994, The Offspring I grew up with never seemed to take themselves seriously with songs like “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), and “Original Prankster”. Smash made me realize why people revered the band so much. Dexter Holland’s vocals are so recognizable and are a force on their own throughout the album. Noodles Wasserman, Greg K, and drummer Ron Welty worked masterfully together. Welty’s drumming really set the tone with him keeping the tempo at a blistering pace. Again I was more than surprised by the album and works give it an 8.3 out of 10.
Fun album from New Wavers Devo. Known mainly for their mega hit “Whip It” the band is so much more than that. They are one of the bands I think of when I hear the term “Art Rock”. They were clever in their theme and message they created as a group. I enjoyed “Uncontrollable Urge” and the cheeky song “Praying Hands” about masturbation juxtaposed to religion. Some real fun songs overall and out of 10 I would give it a 7.3
The Kinks are one of the most under appreciated bands from the UK invasion. It’s easy to be overlooked with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as your peers. As a whole I much preferred this to the previously revised “Aftermath” by The Stones. It’s clear that this album has been influential far beyond its release. Out of 10 I would give it a 9.1 out of 10.
The White Stripes 3rd studio album released in 2001 was what made the DIY rock band gain notice. With contemporaries like The Strokes who wanted a more authentic sound, Jack White and Meg White made a fantastic throwback to the blues influenced rock of old. Nothing was overly fancy and everything was simplicity in its finest form. It’s got 16 songs in 40 minutes time, so quick songs but memorable none the less. This spawned mega hit “Fell in Love With a Girl” and the Napoleon Dynamite featured “We’re Going to Be Friends”. I really enjoyed the opener “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” as well as “Hotel Yorba”. The only gripe I have is with the back half having some similar sounds, but gripe is being extreme. Out of 10 I would give it an 8.6.
It’s obvious to hear the influence this album had on future artists. As a whole I found myself a little underwhelmed. That’s not to say I didn’t find songs that I did enjoy. Out of 10 I’d give it a 7.4.
The Stroke’s 2001 magnum opus “Is This It”, was a prime example of being in the right place at the right time. Rock music was ready to undergo a change it hadn’t done so since the early 90s with the grunge era. The New York group quickly rose to prominence and gave way to the indie music revolution. It was a return to the fundamentals and the basics of what made rejecting main stream so cool. The strokes were able to make amazing melodies with fairly simple progressions and that in itself is what lens does band its signature sound. Overall I would give this album a 9.1 out of 10, “Is This It” is an album that I still play regularly on vinyl front to back.
