Jan 20 2021
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
2
Jan 21 2021
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Iām old enough that teenage me bought their debut single āCaught by the Fuzzā on āCassingleā the week it came out, because the NME told me to. (A ācassingleā is a portmanteau of the words ācassetteā and āsingleā that the record industry tried to make a thing for a while. You can google what a cassette is). I remember the NME review saying something about it being the sort of song where youād find the CD (or cassingle) down the back of your sofa in a few years time and it would still sound great. I think they were implying that Supergrass would be a bit of a one-hit wonder so they didnāt really get that bit right, but they were spot on about the song still sounding good 25 years later.
My opinion of this album is probably too influenced by the memory of teenage hormones and youthful naivety to be particularly objective, but I love it and it was a great journey down memory lane.
On a side note, about a year and a half ago I saw Gaz Coombes play a free gig near my house, at the opening of a small bridge that doesnāt go anywhere (true story). Heās still great so Iād definitely recommend going and seeing him play, if there are any small, pointless bridges being opened within walking distance of your house.
4
Jan 22 2021
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Before listening to this I only really knew Isaac Hayes thanks to his chocolate salty balls, the theme from Shaft and his dalliance with Scientology.
I really enjoyed his version of āWalk on Byā and thought I was going to love the album, but the next three tracks were a bit less interesting. Didnāt love it, but it might have piqued my interest enough to go and check out some of his other stuff. Would probably have given it a 2.5 stars if I could.
3
Jan 25 2021
Bad Company
Bad Company
Decent album but not really my thing. Maybe I just wasnāt in the right mood for a bit of classic rock. Preferred it to Supertramp though.
3
Jan 26 2021
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
For me, Spiritualized sit in an otherwise empty musical box in my head marked āThe Verve meets Flaming Lipsā. The only album of theirs Iād ever owned was āLadies and Gentleman...ā which if Iām honest with myself I bought as much for its critical acclaim and its giant pill packet packaging as I did the music. Donāt get me wrong - I like the music. It just never really manages to hold my attention as much as I feel they deserve.
By chance they were one of the last bands I saw live before Covid put a stop to all that, but I think I got lured away half way through by the smells wafting over from a Lebanese food van.
I enjoyed this album but I know in my heart of hearts I probably wonāt be going back to it very often.
3
Jan 27 2021
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
Stereolab form part of the holy trinity of my favourite bands beginning with the letter S (alongside Sonic Youth and Sebadoh for anyone whoās interested). Itās therefore quite hard to review this one objectively as I know it so well.
Itās not my favourite Stereolab album though (thatās probably Dots and Loops) so Iāll give it 4 stars.
4
Jan 28 2021
Better Living Through Chemistry
Fatboy Slim
This album came out around the time I started at university and was the soundtrack to plenty of student house parties (okay, mostly nights spent on my own in my university room). Despite that element of nostalgia, listening back now it all feels a bit thin. You can see glimpses of where he started to take the whole Big Beat thing mainstream, but I think, for my money, others were probably doing it in more interesting ways.
At the time I preferred label mates āLo Fidelity Allstarsā but now Iām a bit nervous of going back and finding out they werenāt as good as I thought they were at the time. Maybe itās best to leave some albums in the past.
Itās a two and a half stars album for me, but Iāll give it an extra half for the sake of nostalgia.
3
Jan 29 2021
Dry
PJ Harvey
Iām a big PJ Harvey fan but I donāt think Iād listened to this album for a few years years. Still sounds brilliant. Thereās a rawness about her voice that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on songs like Sheela-na-gig. Itās hard to judge it on its own, without taking into account the body of work that came after this (and several even better albums) but itās got to be a solid four plus stars for me.
4
Feb 01 2021
Fragile
Yes
By some bizarre coincidence I once spotted Rick Wakeman from Yes on the platform at Colchester train station, whilst simultaneously feeling very fragile because my left eye had weirdly puffed up to the point where I could barely see out of it (thankfully I could still see Rick out of my other eye). You might think that this was an unmistakable sign from the universe that I should have thoroughly enjoyed this album, but it didnāt really do it for me. Iām just not a fan of prog I guess.
2
Feb 02 2021
Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain feel like a real musical blind spot for me. I did a pretty deep dive into various Scottish indie bands in my late teens/early twenties (The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, Eugenius, Arab Strap, The Delgados, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Prolapse, Magoo, Telstar Ponies etc. etc.) Somehow J.A.M.C. got missed off my list and now I feel like a fool.
Loved this album and given it was released in 1987 I can see how they influenced a load of my favourite bands.
Really liked it. Will now be digging into their back catalogue properly (and probably pretending I always liked them).
4
Feb 03 2021
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. were buddies with all my favourite bands growing up (Sonic Youth wrote āTeenage Riotā about J Mascis) but I was never really a big fan of J Mascisās voice back in the day. I found it a bit too whiny for my tastes. However, I stumbled across one of his solo albums about five years ago and it became my surprise album of the year. Iād not gone back to the Dinosaur stuff until now though. I enjoyed this album far more listening back to it with a bit of distance and also feeling like I can appreciate his voice a bit more after listening to his solo stuff. More variation than Iād remembered too.
On a slightly related note, I used to play bass (badly) in a band a few years back and we would end each gig with a different cover. By chance, the last song at the last gig we ever played was āFreaksceneā by Dinosaur Jr. so, as fate would have it, itās a song from this album that will ring forever in the ears of the tiny handful of friends and relatives who were present. For that reason, Iām bumping this up from a three and a half to a four.
4
Feb 04 2021
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
Never even heard of this album. Way more psychedelic than I was expecting given my knowledge of Pink Floyd doesnāt go much beyond Dark Side of the Moon.
I imagine it was pretty mind bending at the time but a lot of it just feels a bit silly now.
Pleased it wasnāt the prog rock Iād expected but probably wonāt be listening to it again (unless I ever get a desire to hear a song about gnomes).
2
Feb 05 2021
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
Iād always thought that McCartneyās solo stuff was mostly pretty naff and middle of the road. Listening to this album hasnāt changed my mind.
2
Feb 08 2021
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
Iād actually only heard of The Sonics because LCD Soundsystem referenced them in a song I really liked about 15 years ago (I still do, but I did 15 years ago too). I had some vague idea that they were an 80s, avant-garde, electronic band, so now I feel like a bit of a fool. Absolutely loved this album, or more specifically I absolutely loved the songs that werenāt covers. The covers were still good but I much preferred their original stuff. I spent a lot of my teenage years in the back rooms of various dodgy North London pubs watching Billy Childish gigs without ever thinking to explore the origins of his sound. I wish Iād done a bit more investigation. This album was recorded more than a decade before punk broke, but it still sounds raw and vital over half a century later. Loved it. Five stars for the original stuff and four for the covers.
4
Feb 09 2021
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
Love a bit of Dylan. The fact that this almost sounds like a greatest hits album for one of the most influential and important musicians of all time means it would feel a bit churlish to give it less than five stars. Still, Iām nothing if not a bit churlish so Iām giving 4 stars as some of the songs can drag on a bit. Great album though.
4
Feb 10 2021
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
3
Feb 11 2021
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3
Feb 12 2021
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys have weirdly popped up quite a bit for me this week, having just finished watching āItās a Sinā (which I thought was great) and choosing to put on some of their stuff as a result.
I donāt think Iād ever actually listened to an album of theirs in full before but theyāre one of those bands who I feel like I just absorbed by osmosis throughout my childhood.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Thereās something quite Bowie-esque about it in places and although I could see that Neil Tennants nasal tones might not be everyoneās cup of tea I really like his voice.
Apparently Jonny Marr plays on a couple of the tracks too.
4
Feb 15 2021
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Not their best, but canāt argue with this for a debut album.
4
Feb 16 2021
Harvest
Neil Young
A friend once mentioned that they thought Neil Youngās voice sounds like Kermit the Frog. Annoyingly itās been my first though every time Iāve listened to him since.
I now imagine Neil sitting on a wall with his guitar, while his little green legs dangle over the edge, singing about the perils of heroin addiction.
This is probably my favourite Neil Young album.
4
Feb 17 2021
Hotel California
Eagles
Aside from a few half decent songs Iād always discounted the Eagles as boring, middle of the road, country-rock. On the evidence of this album I was probably right to do so. Title track drags the album up to 2 stars.
2
Feb 19 2021
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
3
Feb 22 2021
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Donāt mind a bit of Ella. Usually around Christmas time when Iām feeling nostalgic for a time I never actually knew (like some sort of festive Brexiteer).
Donāt love Gershwin so much though so this only gets two stars from me.
2
Feb 23 2021
Abbey Road
Beatles
Itās Abbey Road, innit?
5
Feb 24 2021
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
3
Feb 25 2021
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Some good songs but quality is a bit inconsistent.
3
Feb 26 2021
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
If you havenāt seen the documentary āWe Jam Econoā about the Minutemen itās well worth a watch. Massively influential and underrated band. Also covered off in āOur Band Could Be Your Lifeā which is a brilliant book if you like a bit of alternative rock.
Growing up on this sort of stuff might well be why I struggle so much with prog. Why write a sprawling, 15 minute long song when you can get it all done in about 45 seconds? Brilliant album.
4
Mar 01 2021
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Not really my thing
2
Mar 02 2021
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
I like the Jam and I donāt mind the Style Council but Paul Wellerās solo stuff has always just felt a bit naff to me. Donāt mind a couple of tracks on here but not really an album Iād ever choose to put on (unless maybe I was having some sort of ādad rockā themed party).
2
Mar 03 2021
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Never heard of him before (though I guess Iāve probably heard his songs without knowing who it was). Had a bit of a French Leonard Cohen vibe going at points.
I felt a bit like I was starring in a Wes Anderson film while I was listening to this. I liked the feeling.
3
Mar 05 2021
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
I only know two Tom Waits albums and this wasnāt one of them. Some good tracks in here but found it a bit challenging at times. Probably needs some repeat listens to dig into the lyrics a bit. A quick google told me that Spin magazine once voted this the greatest album of all time. Not sure Iād go that far, but there was enough in there that I reckon I should probably give it a second listen.
3
Mar 08 2021
The Blueprint
JAY Z
Love a bit of Jay-Z
4
Mar 10 2021
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
Some classics on here. Not really my thing but itās solid album.
3
Mar 11 2021
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
Iggyās always been a bit of a hero. Some great songs on here and the Bowie presence is obviously strong. Not my favourite of Iggyās work but still a very solid album.
4
Mar 12 2021
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Megadeath were the first metal band I ever discovered and I probably watched the video for Symphony of Destruction (that Iād taped off MTV) hundreds of times. I donāt think I ever went as far as buying any of their stuff though. Didnāt love this album but it sent me off to go and re-listen to symphony of destruction which I still quite enjoyed, for old timesā sake.
Wonāt be putting this album on again but itās put me in the mood to go and listen to a bit of Tool.
2
Mar 15 2021
Odelay
Beck
This felt like Beckās big breakthrough album when it came out and he suddenly seemed to become pretty mainstream. I didnāt really mind it but I thought it was weaker than his previous stuff. I assumed he was on the wain (read diverging from my own tastes), but his next album, Mutations, went on to become one of my top ten albums of all time.
Listening back, I still donāt absolutely love it, but itās a decent album.
3
Mar 17 2021
Beautiful Freak
Eels
Blast from the past. Remember it being a bit better if Iām honest.
2
Mar 18 2021
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
2
Mar 22 2021
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
From a quick glance at the album cover I was initially expecting some nihilistic punk quartet. Probably as far from that as itās possible to get. Quite enjoyed it, although itās more at the Tom and Jerry soundtrack end of the jazz spectrum than Iād normally go for.
3
Mar 23 2021
Bossanova
Pixies
Great album!
4
Mar 26 2021
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
Not quite sure how these guys had passed me by until now. Coming to it 30 years late it obviously sounds pretty old school but you can see the influence they had on loads of people who came after them, including some of my favourite artists like Jurassic 5.
Enjoyed it, but probably enjoy what it led to more.
3
Apr 01 2021
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
I do love a bit of Morrissey (although definitely not the far right, slightly racist bit). This is a pretty solid solo album. Obviously not as good as The Smiths, but much closer to it than Jonny Marrās solo stuff.
3
Apr 02 2021
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
Iād love to sit in a pub with James Murphy and just talk about obscure music but I know if I ever got the chance Iād instantly find myself massively out of my musical depth and feel deeply ashamed for having only the most superficial knowledge about anything.
I love LCD Soundsystem. Was gutted when they split up but was really pleased to see them come back and then bring out this cracking album.
I probably prefer their first album to this one but I think thatās only because it just sounded so different and exciting when I first heard it.
You could make a strong case for this being objectively a better album than their first album but as we donāt have to rank them I guess Iāll just stop agonising over it, give it four stars and move on with my life.
4
Apr 06 2021
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Think I might have found my new favourite Neil Young album.
4
Apr 07 2021
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
2